Ad Finem...
And so we've come to that time; the end of another season. How I wish this had been Cycle 4 and we'd had an end to the previous Cycle 3. I don't think I've really ever professed my frustration with what happened to Cycle 3. The ending is fully on my shoulders, as I, for some reason, ran out of drive, stopped pushing. If I recall, I was waiting for some shots and just...stopped. Then, for some reason, it was sent to the "Completed" section of eLouai despite there being games on the board now that have still been on hiatus longer than it. This pushed me to the edge of leaving again. After the end of Bitstrips, I wanted something creative again. I needed it. My editing skills aren't all that, but I feel my twists on the already based concepts of ANTM are fun and freeing, something without too much detail or finicky editing that might drive newer editors away. I missed eLouai. I missed my friends.
I came back with a vengeance. I wanted to complete a third season. I refused to let anything stop me from completing another game. Right from the get go, the submissions were scarce. I sent out PM's, I begged, I even asked a previous C3 player if I could use their older shots for a few weeks just to give some numbers. And then came the quittings. I lost a judge, who I refused to replace. I couldn't have the eliminations that I had spaced out just to give some form of competition. Contestants had to wait weeks for a format that never really happened.
But people started to come back. It got views. It got votes. It got comments. And then the best of all happened; another new game started up! I had my chance to edit again (albeit briefly lol), I had a competing show, and old editors began to return to play/vote. And then I started to lose momentum and focus. I often read comments that essentially sum up to ignorance of my game. Some commented thanking BoyinBlue for FINALLY bringing a game out, for FINALLY bringing back elouai, for FINALLY getting a DECENT game in this place. Honestly, this felt kind of ****ty. Honestly, Top Model is f*cking amazing. It's helped bring so much life back to the community. But so did f*cking I. It frustrated me that not only the fantastic editors (that, by the way, were playing in both games) were being ignored for their part and honestly/selfishly that I was being ignored. I had week after week of non-eliminations, even my friends were beginning to make jokes about it, and then people pop up out of nowhere basically ignoring my game, my contribution. I'd had enough if I'm being honest. I made a few snarky posts. But I stuck with it.
Because WE. America's Next Top e-Model. BNTM. Top Model. WE brought life back to eLouai.
But this isn't about me. This is about the people that brought Cycle 3 of America's Next Top e-Model through to the end.
Firstly, I can't do anything without my bitches.
reberr not only slayed as Chayka, stirring up drama with her judging as per, filling in for Analise's shoes. Creating runway looks for not only the final runway but a challenge as well. Helping as usual with ideas and frustrations. Sending strange snaps and receiving odd snaps in return.
antm101, wherefore art thou? Analise didn't get to judge this season, and it could have been so messy. In the words of Oscar winner Kate Winslet; "come back!"
Next, a shout out to all the readers and voters. Regardless of my semi-rant above, you've all been amazing. There have been new and returning voters each week and I can't be happier that people began to come and view my girls works. This would have been so much slower if you all hadn't have been here, so thank you. I look forward to seeing you all next season, as viewers, as voters, and perhaps even as players!
And now, the longest part of my posts (although shorter than previously).
buttertoast2792 - How I wish we could have seen more! In the last rendition of Cycle 3, Anastasiya was ****ING stunning. Just stunning. Kyle was also stunning, but sadly we barely got to see anything from her. I sincerely thank you for joining again, and hope you're doing okay.
3D-ism - I know how frustrated you got this season. Saffron was reusing her shots from the previous season and with that came difficulties. She wasn't always on brief since the briefs had been rewritten or reworked. She still received votes, she still got fans. Honestly, I wish we had completed last time, since Saffron would have killed the rest of the season. It's such a shame you couldn't get back to editing after losing your files, but I was happy to have you back again.
skixoid - If you aren't one of the two new members who forced us all to come back here then I'll eat my hat. You and badgal are crazy, both in talent and in mind. You gushed until we all returned and then signed up for this. Boy was I not expecting Harshalika. Absolutely beautiful. Absolutely talented. You honestly could have made it all the way to the end. Right from the beginning you were shining, and you were the only one the entire season to snatch any FCO's away from Ever. You should have stuck with us, know THAT. I absolutely understand your reasons for leaving us, and will always support you, from here to Total Drama. Thank you so much for joining and keeping Ever at her best while pushing the other contestants to beat you.
badgalboroz - While I was away from eLouai, I would pop my head in from time to time to see what was going on. I would often see a new member posting and from what I could see, I didn't see them lasting. Then that same member spent seemingly years posting the same busted girl EVERYWHERE. I think at one point I started seeing her at Bitstrips. I have since seen her at Total Drama. What on earth was going on? When you signed up to ANTeM, I thought to myself "I swear to god, if he applies using that damned girl I keep seeing, I'm deleting my account". And you ****ing did. You signed up with busted, raggedy Maliseet, a model to join Perchuhi in the Corner of Ugly ****ers. And then you did something that I hadn't expected; you slayed. Part of me at the time still thought people were a fan of Maliseet, and I couldn't understand why. THEN I SAW IT. People were a fan of you. You joined Top Model and started killing it. People not only respect you for your work ethic, they respect you for your passion and talent. Nanise is a goddess and you wouldn't have taken it there without Maliseet, who, hard as she may have been, was worthy of the task of building your skills. Look at you now. Thank you so much for joining, thank you so much for being so early each time and thank you so much for your passion. It's catching.
Betchis01 - There's an odd relationship with you and this game. You have signed up and played in every season so far. Gigi in C1 was fine. You went to Top 3. I was impressed. I hadn't pegged you for Top 3, but you improved dramatically over the season. Then you signed up for C2 with Helene, and grew again from week to week, taking it to the finale and winning it. Last time we tried C3 you signed up with Ferra, who I was extremely into. And now, you came to the Final 2 with Lourdes (and you've signed up for next season too!). I feel aside from reberr, who secretly loves the show, you've been one of my biggest supporters and biggest reasons for continuing. You almost left this cycle. I hope you don't mind me putting that out there. We had planned an interesting quitting scene (or you had, I was just ready to copy/paste lol). And then you stuck through and stayed, and made it to the end. There's no doubting everyone began to just adore your shots as we got into Tokyo, and you deserve it all. I patiently wait for the next season that you get your second win. You will. Thank you so much for joining that first cycle, and thank you so much for sticking around ever since.
whoislarastone - And here we are, the killer of the season. If there was ever an obvious winner of this show, it was Ever. Maybe it was the lack of cast members, or maybe it's that you're disgustingly talented, but Ever was stunning and a standout. I'm SOY glad you changed your application, because I don't think we'd have received this lovely ending if not. This is your first time with us here at ANTeM, and I feel you were beyond it. Each week there was something you did that made me feel like trash for not thinking of it. Just take the Covergirl shot; I hadn't even considered actually promoting a product lol. You took liberties as well as risks and I feel like you were so ahead of me conceptually. Most players dumb down to fit into my basic briefs but you took it there and made it gold. Your win may have been hella obvious, but not one person can say that you don't deserve it. You fought each week and made it to the end. And here you are; a winner! Thank you for drawing people in with the images I had in my signature of Ever. Thank you for signing up when only the most passionate were even looking. Thank you for giving me a great winner and a great end to a third cycle. Thank you.
And to everyone, past, present and future...
THANK YOU!
See you soon for Cycle 4!