synodiporia_ooc | Dawnbreak Boulevard: Jaunt Info

Entry tags:

Dawnbreak Boulevard: Jaunt Info

Dawnbreak Boulevard
Movies, Meta, and Mayhem
November 14 - December 24

Hollywood is timeless - so timeless that it spans both universes and timelines. Dawnbreak Boulevard is one of those places. The City of Movies, Vineland, is where everyone’s dreams are made or shattered at their feet. Larger than a panoramic city shot, and as small as a baby’s close-up, it takes all sorts of personalities to create a movie. However, behind the glitz, glamor, and red carpets, there is a seedier side of Vineland, one of love triangles, the intricate machinations needed to get a movie made, and above all, the almighty dollar, which makes the cameras roll and keeps the lights shining. Welcome to Transcendent Pictures, where dreams can come true if you’re lucky.

Currently, Transcendent is about to start filming The Phantom Thief, a pulp noir film based on the work of an extremely popular dime-novel author whose books have been flying off the shelves. There is quite a lot of excitement around this particular upcoming picture, as its main-character detective is one of the most beloved characters in current fiction. It has all of the hallmarks of a blockbuster, but as with everything in Vineland, anything can happen.

World Info | Locations | Casting Call/Plot Role Announcements | Infiltrator Roles | Investigator Roles | Skills | Calendar | Infiltrator Directory | Player Resources | Questions | Plotting

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Vineland is in 1950s California, on an Earth but not quite our Earth, most notable in the lack of much of the ugly inequality underpinning modern society. There are still those with more money and resources than others, but it’s not as closely tied to race, sex, political beliefs or any of that - in theory, anyone has a chance to work their way to the top.

Movie studios are almost a world unto themselves. Most people, other than the highest up in the hierarchy live on-site, in apartments or houses (depending on your status!) to one side of where the magic happens: the soundstages. Transcendent Pictures has the best soundstages in Vineland, somewhere that anything can happen. The entire complex is miles across, and encompasses anything and everything you might need. There are clothing stores connected to the Wardrobe department, there is food, and there are the mysterious offices where executives, producers, and administrators work, as well as film editors, sound editors, and all the other people needed to make movies happen. Anyone in Transcendent is known to the administrators. Everyone has a tab, and their expenditures are taken out of their pay. Outside of the complex, further into the surrounding countryside, there are mansions where the rich and famous live, huge houses that are almost their own towns.

Everything is larger than life, drama and personalities amplified by the world of fiction that surrounds everyone each day. Little slights can blow up easily, and things that might seem inconsequential to the outside world can overwhelm people and destroy lives.

For all that, though, this is an entirely mundane world, with no inherent magic. The use of magic in a public setting will attract suspicion, and may tire the caster out more quickly than usual or not work as effectively as usual. Investigators are advised not to rely on supernatural abilities while in Vineland. (Liminal/psychic skills will work as normal, but again, Travelers should be mindful of who’s nearby before doing anything flashy.)

Transcendent Pictures - Home to everything you need to make a movie, including residences for stars and staff, along the lines of 19th-century factory towns. The backlot is practically a town unto itself.

The Outskirts - The rich and famous have larger houses outside of the studio’s ‘town,’ sometimes.

The Final Cut - Like most bars, this is the place to be to celebrate your successes, drown your sorrows, or catch up on the latest juicy gossip.

Players are free to add to these locations as needed.

If you’re interested in a plot role, pop over here to let us know which one. Casting will be done during the day on Saturday, November 10th.

We request that players NOT sign up for plot roles in pairs for this jaunt.

Producer: Hard-boiled head of the Transcendent Pictures studio. Rumor has it that they worked their way up from a coffee-runner to be head of the studio. One of the most powerful personalities in Vineland, has won multiple Best Picture awards. Gets by on power of personality and the ability to take others’ ideas and make them happen, with or without their permission.

Studio Assistant: The brains behind the operation. Extra-competent, the one with the ideas that actually work. Possibly a relative of Producer, but not necessarily. Always the one who works late, finalizes deals made over champagne at a party, and does the actual work that keeps the studio running.

Lead Actor 1: A famous, popular actor, adored by both men and women. Engaged to Lead Actor 2, but the tabloids wonder how sincere it is. Currently under contract to play the detective in Author’s movie.

Lead Actor 2: One of those great actors who is also a great person in general, and sure to sell any movie they’re attached to. Engaged to Lead Actor 1, but the tabloids wonder how sincere it is. Currently under contract to play the love interest/antagonist in Author’s movie.

Girl/Boy Next Door: The child of a former director and good friend of Lead Actor 1, very sincere, very pure-hearted, almost too much so for Vineland. Means well, and generally does the right thing. Working in background production as some form of department assistant.

Director: Tasked with adapting a popular novel to the big screen, this person has to balance the needs of the studio, the rabid fanbase, the Author’s original vision, and all manner of off-camera drama.

Former Star: A huge star from the silent film era, now insanely rich, and insanely bored. Currently trying to get back into the movies, and has been hired for a small part in The Phantom Thief - but they’d like to trade up if they can.

Author: Extremely popular detective fiction author, taking their first foray into Vineland. Somewhat naive, but their plots are compelling and their characters popular.

After the parts are cast, we’ll have the players who got the roles announce them here!

Jean will be our Former Star!

Nabiki - excuse me, Christina Waverly - will be your Producer!

Phillip will be Lead Actor 1.

Wash- H. G. Washburne- will be the Author.

The G stands for Greg. The H stands for nothing it's just part of his penname it definitely doesn't actually stand for Hoban which is his name what are you talking about.

Naoya will be our Director!

Bismuth is your Lead Actor 2!

The residents of Vineland are almost all focused on movie making, and each of the aspects of that. There are camera operators, sound operators, stunt people, wardrobe creators and assistants, catering assistants, and the ever-elusive administration, doing whatever it is they do in their offices. Also hanging around the studio are the wannabes, those who will do anything at all to make it in movies, up and coming screenwriters and waitresses who would give their right arm to be in a movie. There are also a few people out in town who work with the studio, but are not employed by it, police, government officials (probably on some studio’s payroll), and even people employed by competing studios - and fans trying to get on-set to meet their idols (and maybe break into moving pictures).

Investigators will find themselves dumped in the middle of a movie set, and shuffled off to be either an assistant or an extra in some movie or another. Even though the plot focuses on one movie in particular, there are many being made at once. Any Investigator will already be known to the administration, and they will already have a tab set up for their needs, as well as housing already secured. The only time any money might be needed is if an Investigator leaves the sound stage, and there is some pocket change around for that. If an Investigator has skill in something that could be useful, it would not be hard to find their way into a larger, more important position on one of the movies, possibly even a speaking role or something with an actual production credit.

Endless mundane skills pertaining to movie-making circa 1950s Earth, including but not limited to: Movie acting, camera operation, bookkeeping, tailoring, sound editing, etc. All of these skills will be teachable after the jaunt.

November 14: Pre-production/Investigators arrive
November 22: Filming begins
November 30: An awards party, held at Producer’s mansion. (Anyone who can grab appropriate wardrobe from the studio will be welcome.)
December 8: A change of scenery (outdoor shots and events off-studio)
December 16: Endgame/Wrap Party
December 24: Liminal return

Once you’ve solidified your plans, head over here to let everyone know!

https://fiftiesweb.com/pop/inventions/ technology/medical innovations
https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/favorite-technologies-of-the-1950s/gQuaEtll focused on stuff available in Germany rather than the States, but a good slideshow - side-scroller

Here
here,
here,
and here.

There is some overlap, but it's kinda fun!

1950s slang dictionary

This jaunt was written by Quinn. Jill will be serving as point mod/Quinn’s second brain.

Are there multiple films being shot at the moment or just the one? I wanted Riddick to be leading-man action-hero kind of actor, but I'm not interested in playing him as engaged to anyone for the plot role, so I was hoping there could be multiple shows in production so he can at least be around the studio? >.>

Yes, there are other movies going on!

There are probably at least four or five movies being shot in Vineland proper at the moment that would have 'star' billing. Transcendent is probably doing at least two.

What's causing the use of magic to tire people out? Obviously is't a mundane world, but that sounds like more of an active magic suppresion effect so I'm wondering how that works. Also, what's this limits? Is it only for anything classed as 'magic', or does it cover all other abilities that aren't mundane but don't really come under the banner of 'magic' as well?

Also, how feasible is it for investigators to nab crew jobs for the movie? (Camera operator, sound technician, lighting technician, etc)

Part 1: OOC respect for genre conventions. This is a world which does not contain magical energies to draw on or be converted into compatible fuel sources. Nothing is suppressed, but nothing is subsidized.

Part 2: That is, in fact, one of the things investigators will be assumed to be there to do.

Okay so, I might need to ask further questions on that then, since that kinda potentially messes with the fundamental nature of Matthew's magic. How does this influence apply when the magical energies drawn upon are actually the natural / urban environment? (i.e. what happens when the source of your magic actually is mundane stuff?)

Think of it like having a plug that's incompatible with the local socket. The conversion from mundane to magical energy will not work like Matthew's used to.

Would Gil be in a similar vein to this, then? Both he and Matthew draw their powers from mundane elements - it's not necessarily the world that's magical, it's it getting processed through him that makes the magic.

More specifically, Changelings draw from the emotional energy of people around them to create glamour. Would Gil still be able to do that here?

There's certainly nothing stopping him from making the attempt - people in this world still have their emotions, and anxiety can run high on a film set. But it won't work as efficiently as usual; it might take longer to reach what he considers a full reserve, for example, or just Feel Weird somehow.

This being a mundane world, he'd also be human-shaped for the duration, and thus wouldn't need glamour as urgently for Mask upkeep.

What happens if someone's power is self-generated, e.g. Raidou being basically a walking mana battery for his demons, who draw on the power his body generates?

You know how, in later Persona games on a New Game Plus, you can pull out a high-level Persona as soon as you have the Compendium, but because you're still a low level and have a tiny SP pool it's not really worth doing?

It's like that. In theory, Raidou could summon a demon and they'd be around with no trouble, but actively Doing Spells would be more draining.

(Also, since Alice is possibly the only one who looks human enough to pass and that's right out the window the second she asks someone to die for her... not really an advisable strategy all around.)

(Would the locals actually be able to see any of the demons by default?)

Hey!
Will there be a like... Social divide between actors, staff and directors etc? I.e is it acceptable for a rookie to talk to a director/famous actor

Some directors/actors (like in the real world) are snotty, but there's no... class divide as such.

So, yes. Talk to anyone you please.

Is the studio splitting the stuntmen over all the films, or are they all assigned to specific ones?

(And if so, has a name for the action one been thrown around?)

Edited 2018-11-19 04:31 (UTC)

Each film has its own stuntman, usually chosen by the director, who herds ~~cats~~ stuntmen for that particular film. So, yes, they are all assigned to specific ones.

And no, as far as I know, no name has been given for the action film. Just the sci-fi War of the Worlds and Phantom Thief.

Gail and Airdra and I decided it's "Motorcycle Mayhem 3", btw. Like Fast and Furious but with motorcycles and punches. Motorcycle Mayhem and Motorcycle Mayhem 2: Electric Boogaloo preceded it.

If I have no preference what week my rumor submission is for, what do I do? I'm not sure of my upcoming work schedule so I can't lock myself into possibly being busy in a certain week yet. How long will rumor submissions be open, or is it a weekly thing?

Just post the rumor and we'll run with it! The post is open until the end of the jaunt (effectively end of week 4, if you want to see the rumor on a mingle).

Does the Jameson Parade have a history of having performers in it as well, whether actually performing or just riding the floats?

Edited 2018-11-24 23:14 (UTC)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Dawnbreak Boulevard: Jaunt Info

WORLD INFO

LOCATIONS

CASTING CALL

PLOT ROLE ANNOUNCEMENTS

no subject

Re: PLOT ROLE ANNOUNCEMENTS

no subject

Re: PLOT ROLE ANNOUNCEMENTS

no subject

no subject

INFILTRATOR ROLES

INVESTIGATOR ROLES

SKILLS

CALENDAR

INFILTRATOR DIRECTORY

PLAYER RESOURCES

On Set Phrases!

Re: PLAYER RESOURCES

QUESTIONS

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Re: QUESTIONS

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Re: QUESTIONS

Re: QUESTIONS

no subject