Welcome music lovers to Muse Cycle 2!
In this competition you will be making photos based on your interpretations of songs, or in other words, what they mean to you or inspire in you. Your images can be about the entire meaning of the song, just the feeling (as some will lack singing), just snippets of the lyrics, or any hidden messages you hear. Majority of the rounds are free-reign with no specific requirements so your imagination can run wild, and there are also no examples in this comp since it is all about listening and imagining. I will try my best to avoid music videos, as I want you guys to make edits based on what you think, not what the video is showing (even if some videos have nothing to do with the song).
These songs I choose will either be straightforward or confusing, it just depends on what I choose and how you see things. Also, the songs I choose will not be hardcore (so no hardcore rap, screamo, or hardcore metal, etc.), or inappropriate (though some may imply or have a word or two), so that everyone can enjoy the competition, and for future cycles I may do specific eras/genres. Also, please keep in mind that some songs may be sad or even refer to things, like guns, or cheating. These songs though can range from pop, Vocaloid, rap, jazz, rock, Celtic, fantasy, 90’s, classical, epic, swing, or even techno, so having a wide taste and appreciation for music will be a good thing. I will do my absolute best to give you guys a wide variety, though there are some songs that I’ve been dying to see be interpreted, so some genres may appear more than once, it just depends!
I hope you enjoy this competition, and who knows, maybe you’ll find a new artist you like.
(If you would like to suggest songs, or specific genres/eras for future cycles, please message me!)
Muse Cycle 1Simmetry Thread
More like any info I didn't cover.
They are slightly long because of that, but please make sure to review them so you understand what's going on.
- If this is your first modeling competition, or you are still unfamiliar with our customs, I recommend reading my modeling guide located here. And here are Editing and Modeling Tutorials for those that need it.
- There is no roleplaying or storytelling required in this comp, unless you choose to do so. Explanations for your photos, when submitting, are recommended and may be required depending on the song chosen (such as songs lacking lyrics).
- The explanations you provide should not be the main way you express your idea. This means that your picture should be able to tell majority of the story without the explanation. The explanation is only meant to clarify and explain why you did what you did.
- A wide range of music with different themes may be chosen. Please keep this in mind when signing up as we do not want drops just because one or two songs made you uncomfortable for whatever reason.
- S2/S3/S4 models are allowed.
- You can use different sims for each assignment this cycle. Any gender, any size, Teen-Elder. No supernatural/fantasy/sci-fi/etc. sims, and no berry sims. Sims can be from previous competitions and must be of your own creation.
- Remember that we do not alter the genetics in modeling (body shape/features, muscle, fat, etc. or skin color). Besides hair color/style and eyebrows, everything needs to be changed back to normal after the assignment (this includes contacts, tattoos, giving tans, etc.).
- CC is allowed and recommended, but not required.
- Editing is optional, but recommended. You are allowed to draw for this comp.
- Follow Community Rules: No cheating, no copying, no face/body plastering (includes simmerizing). (No photoskinning in this comp. Hair photoskinning is fine if high quality and correctly edited.)
- Follow Forum Rules: No nudity, no inappropriate content, no excessive blood. If you must do excessive blood or nudity for your assignment, post it on the Simmetry thread instead, or send it to me via pm.
- Assignments will be 7-10 days long, depending on the song. New rounds will be posted as soon as scoring starts, or once majority turn in.
- This is a cumulative competition with no eliminations. There will only be 10 rounds for this competition, with the Final 3 competing in round 10.
- Please see the Scoring section for information on judging/ranking, rank value, and tips.
- No re-using assignments from previous competitions. (Generally an unspoken Community Rule, but stating it regardless.)
- Complete redos/resubmissions are not allowed so no one feels that their interpretation is wrong, and changes the idea as a result. However, you can edit your post and image once to fix errors like lighting, etc. only. Inform me when you do so.
- Extensions need to be asked for at least 5+ hours in advance and are automatically granted. Extensions last for 2 days unless you absolutely need more time, but please state so beforehand so we can work out the time.
- Late submissions are accepted if you submit before the judges get back to me, but please just ask for an extension instead of being late. If you have not submitted by the time scoring is published, you will automatically receive the lowest rank, which means lowest amount of points for that round.
- Please avoid dropping or disappearing to the best of your ability.
- Be respectful! No fighting, insulting, or belittling yourselves.
- Everything is due by 11:59 pm Arizona time (MST is closest time). I will include a timer with the assignments, but here is a nifty timezone converter as well: http://www.worldtimebuddy.com/
- If you have questions or concerns, say something! Don’t hesitate and cost yourself points or stress because you weren’t sure of something.
- Have fun!
Not Checked In
Checked In
@alexis3142 (Lex)
Assignment Submitted
@MyFavoritedesign (Angela)
@Movotti (Movotti)
@wbombje (Erin)
Comments
Assignment 8 - Into The Darkness
Another vague song, and I'm sure most of you gamers have heard this song before. Please do not base your images on the actual game though, just focus on the song's lyrics or beat as usual. This is your final round, so do your absolute best! You guys are still close in scores, and this can be anyone's round. I am giving you till the 18th to finish your shots, so please take your time.
Due date: 8/18 - Timer
https://youtu.be/aPRySFzfh7U
Feedback is optional on your end, and also on the judges end. So, if you don’t want feedback for whatever reason, say so, and the judges will skip your comments every round. Otherwise everyone will receive feedback from us as normal, unless a judge is skipping a round. Feedback includes the usual pros/cons, how to improve editing, and how better to go about executing an idea. We will keep them short to make judging faster.
When judging, the judges must consider these (in order):
- Creativity
- Relevance
- Quality & Composition
- Judge’s Preference (to act as a tie breaker)
How Creative you are is the most important aspect of this competition. Next, Relevance, is just to make sure you are being inspired by the song itself. Judges are only to look for a small relevance, and this can be as small as a single line of lyrics. We then consider your Quality and Composition. Like most comps we will not be looking at game quality, just editing quality and how the image looks overall. Finally, the judges consider their Preference as sometimes we get stuck on who to place where when tied or unsure.They then rank the images based on everything above.
Ranking
- 20 points
- 18 points
- 16 points
- 14 points
- 12 points
- 10 points
- 8 points
- 6 points
- 4 points
The rank and point value differs depending on how many contestants we have. If you miss a round, you receive the lowest amount of points for that round. That means if we have 6 contestants and one doesn't submit, the lowest rank is 5. That means the one who didn't submit receives the same rank as whoever got rank 5, meaning they both got 12 points instead of 10. Hopefully that made sense, but if not, ask questions.I will be posting scorecards so people can see how judging is going, but I will not reveal total points, etc. until we get to the final 3, as I feel that stresses everyone.
Tips:
- Be creative! If your sim is just standing there staring at the camera when the song is about devoted love, etc., you will not do well. Make sure your image tells a story. Here is what I said last cycle:
- This is not a regular modeling/fashion competition. Don’t worry about how fashionable the model is, don’t focus on editorial poses, etc. Go for poses that actually express your idea, and dress them appropriately for the situation.
- If you feel your image starts to become confusing and/or unrelated, provide an explanation as a just in case. The explanation is only meant to clarify, fill in missing details, explain metaphors, your view of the lyrics/theme, etc. The last thing you want to do is get the judges confused and not have an explanation to help guide them. Do not rely on your explanation to get the story across though.
- Quality is not a large focus in this comp, but that does not mean you should forego quality. This means you should still do your best to fix edges, lighting, etc., but it is a small focus when judging.
In other words, as long as you are creative and execute the ideas semi-well when doing your interpretations, you should do well in this comp.Round 8 Entries
Angela
Movotti
Lex
Erin with Linn
Mizzie
Comments:
Your models' faces show such determination and like they are ready to face any battle coming their way. The background is great, it looks like they are climbing a mountain, and I'm loving the smoke effects. I just wish there was teensy bit more, like an enemy? Either way, I like this shot and think you did a wonderful job, especially throughout the comp! You have a real talent for photos. Also, those are some really awesome armors! I'd love to know where you got them from.
Movotti
Comments:
I'm just gonna start by saying I can't get over the staff of the girl in the back. Its just a block of color with a crazy swirl coming out! I love it but think its odd all at once. Either way, kudos for the creative creation and pose to go with it! Honestly that goes for the entire photo. The poses and setup of the entire photo is just awesome, and as usual you did a wonderful job pulling it off. I can't wait to see what you do next in our community, as its always a treat.
Erin
Comments:
I'm sorry you couldn't redo your photo, but I don't think the quality is bad at all! I love how eerie this shot is, with the dead plants all around, her alone and dressed darkly, and her heading towards a giant plume of fire in the distance. I do wish there was a bit more, as well as an explanation to help me confirm a few things, but otherwise this is a cool shot!
Jen
Comments:
Really liked your shot. The outfits were amazing, you’d do well in my fantasy writing/modelling comp that is about to begin again. They look like they’re waiting for something to come out of the darkness to fight. Well done. I wish I could have seen a cave or something a bit more obvious is the only thing I’d say.
Movotti
Comments:
This is a great shot, it shows they are all there to fight as well as whatever is coming out of the darkness. They look like they have to go into the darkness to fight it, which is exactly what the lyrics say. So well done and a fantastic effort with so many Sims to organise.
Erin
Comments:
I like that you took a different perspective than the others. A child going back to face whatever darkness awaits her. It’s a great shot with a fascinating story within the picture.
Socal
Comments:
I love this photo. Way to step it up for the finale. Everything about this works. The style, the poses, they are waiting to fight whatever is coming after them. The one thing that I would have liked is to see what was waiting for them in the darkness.
Movotti
Comments:
You have given us so many creative entries through out this comp, and this is no exception. I love this. It show the ultimate battle between good vs evil; light vs dark. Which is what the lyrics are all about. Well done.
Erin
Comments:
During this whole competition you have been creative, giving us imaginative entries that show you thinking outside of the box. And you certainly did this for the finale. Instead of taking the lyrics for face value, you have your model ready to face the darkness (and destruction) that awaits her.
Wow! You guys made this round a tough one, and the scores were close! I loved everyone's photos throughout this competition, and you guys really did a phenomenal job, especially on the finale. Congrats to the joint winners, and congrats to everyone on your placements!
Round 8
Rank 1
Rank 2
Rank 3
Round 8 Scorecard
Overall Ranks
Joint first place with a total score of 384:
Second place with a total score of 380:
Third place with a total score of 326:
Total Competition Scorecard
Round 1
Just like last cycle we are starting out with something simple.
https://youtu.be/D1QHlUwkEYI
Angela with George
Dev with Catrina
Movotti with Belladonna
Chell
Penguin with Olivia Marsh
Lex with Sophia
Maggie
MzSammyRose with Vanessa Vale
Erin with Uma Sparkles
Round 2
Some of you will probably recognize the name, but regardless if you do, try to avoid researching! Just feel the music and lyrics and go from there instead.
https://youtu.be/ny7NZPfl0l4
Angela with Queen
Dev
Movotti
Chell
Penguin
Lex
Maggie
MzSammyRose
Erin
Round 3
Not a lyric video, so you'll need to read the lyrics below the spoiler.
Haunted days
Do I step when you step til you walk away
I know the truth
It's hard to change
Break away to find a way to break away the chains
Fast asleep
Living blind
I am free
When I open my eyes
I see the truth in front of me
When I open my eyes
I'm nothing like I used to be
Butterfly
Butterfly
Days go by
Nothin's changed
Been standing in the same spot as yesterday
Tryin' to move
Pick up the pace
Sometimes you need some time to reeavaluate
Fast asleep
Living blind
I am free
When I open my eyes
I see the truth in front of me
When I open my eyes
I'm not the man I used to be
Butterfly (spread my wings)
Butterfly (spread my wings)
Butterfly (spread my wings)
Butterfly
I won't sleep
No longer blind
I am free
When I open my eyes
I see the truth in front of me
When I open my eyes
No longer what I used to be
Butterfly
Butterfly
Butterfly
Butterfly
Angela with Griffin and Anna
Dev
Movotti with Howe Kool
Chell
Lex
MzSammyRose
Erin with Tyler
Round 4
RIP Avicii. Great artist taken too soon!
https://youtu.be/wkYY46wkG-I
Angela
Dev
Movotti
Chell
Lex
MzSammyRose
Erin
Round 5
Honestly, best combination of music I've ever seen. This is a favorite of mine for several reasons, one being that it was used for the release trailer of my favorite MMO/video game, The Secret World (recently rebooted as Secret World Legends). If you like story driven games, supernatural/fantasy, history, lore, puzzles, and/or conspiracy theories, I highly recommend checking out the game.
Due date: 7/19 - Timer
https://youtu.be/D0TnJUsoR7s
Angela with Hana Bradly
Movotti
Lex
Erin
Round 6
Assignment 6, we're close to the finale!
https://youtu.be/vzqKbMrHFSo
Angela with Jasmine and Raiden
Movotti with Belladonna and Diva
Lex
Erin with Omara
Round 7
The lyrics are a bit vague in this one, so I imagine this round will be a bit more difficult. Regardless, looking forward to your shots! We have one more round after this and then we're done!
https://youtu.be/3XrVzTCr_PY
Angela with Madison and Lucas
Movotti
Lex
Erin with Violet
Not much changed in the rules this cycle. We are still doing a broad music theme, and this is still a non-elimination comp. The only changes are that one, I am allowing you to use any sim you want for the assignments. Before you still had to submit and use only 1 sim for all the assignments, like a traditional comp. This cycle I am lifting that rule to see what happens. You are not obligated to use different sims, so please don’t feel pressured to switch just because others are. However, when submitting your app, please choose a sim that will represent your presence in this comp. This can be a simself or one of your models, either works. I list the age limits, etc. in the rules and app.
Two, I’m thinking of allowing everyone in the finale rather than a final 3, depending on how many people join and are present at the end of the comp. If we have 5 contestants by the end of the comp like last time, then we’ll probably do a final 5. If there is 6 or more then we’ll probably do a final 3 only. If you are joining, please post to let me know your thoughts on the matter. You are welcome to message me about it instead, or of any concerns or questions as well.
And three, you can now edit your post and image once to fix errors like lighting, etc. only. I wanted to lighten up on this rule so people could fix minimal errors. Like my other competitions though, please do not change your overall theme/idea once you have submitted your image. The one time edit is only for editing errors.
Lastly, just some general updates. Muse Cycle 1 has had its images moved to Imgur and they should now no longer break. I also added a new banner, Archive, to the previous assignments section so people knew what it was. While updating I was reminiscing and found several broken videos too. They have also been replaced.
The Simmetry thread has also been turned into a general submission thread for any photos that may be against the rules.
And yes, I reused the banners from last cycle, mostly because I like them and we’re still doing a broad music theme. I may change them later but for now we’re staying with the theme.
Signups and A1 last for 10 days. I am really looking forward to the new cycle with you guys!
And for those waiting on Game On!, that will be out soon. I’m thinking end of June, but we’ll see what happens.
@Penguinwa101 @Kelebek @abelhinha35 @chellemh29 @Jendowoz0612 @TEXASTWANGTONYA @MissBirdie @psykt @kyky @fabtiffsim @Movotti @JennaCatz @JaLiBo @jilliebee22 @kittymeow @MyFavoritedesign @Mamajanaynay @alexis3142 @MizoreYukii @heather1306 @themelonic @wbombje @ColorMePink @Socallucyfan @JoeJoe11 @InaMac69 @MaggieSims2018 @deviouslyvivid @lisabee2 @wiredhanna67 @annathefantabulous @SimlishPopstar @sdtfm @aussiekarima @simuelle @LilacUmbreon
Wow. I'm still on mobile only.... That would be harder to get things done. I'll see when I might get a home connection.
Buuut, most likely, reserve.
@MyFavoritedesign Thank you for letting me know! And yes, transparent. I knew I was forgetting something!
@MaggieSims2018 You can doooo iiittt! What website do you use to host your images? If you have a data transfer cable for your phone (not sure of the proper term, derp), you can use it to transfer the images to your phone and then download Flickr's app and upload it to that, or one of the other apps. I think Imgur has one now too. I had to do that when traveling a few years back, worked like a charm.
Happy to judge again, Mizzie if you'll have me.
Mizzie, do you want it on transparent or any background?
Okay, thanks, Mizzie
Twitter: @Penguinwa101
Tumblr: http://penguinentertainment.tumblr.com/
Youtube: Penguin Entertainment
Favorite Genre: its still... K-POP!
Head Shot:
Twitter: @Penguinwa101
Tumblr: http://penguinentertainment.tumblr.com/
Youtube: Penguin Entertainment
Favorite Genre: Jazz, traditional pop and swing music (Frank Sinatra’s style)
Head Shot:
Yeah, bit more complicated, my phone won't transfer, my computer won't recognize my phone... It's been an ongoing issue. I do use flickr, and can use my dad's computer to load them and such... So yes, count me in
Model George
Change is gonna come
Like the weather
The only thing that he felt was confusion and a complete lack of his life's prospects.
Don't know if you'll make it through
Remember god is giving you beauty in the world
I know it's fact is true
There is hope for love
There is beauty in the world