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We need one more to complete the set |
Update 7/4:The application phase is now closed. Thank you to everyone who submitted an application. We will announce our decisions in a few days, once we’ve have had a chance to go through all of the applications.
Have you ever wanted to write for Random Curiosity? We’re looking for ONE more blogger to add to our staff. Just one this time – as much fun as it was to bring in seven all at once, we want to take our time and make sure our new writer gets properly vetted, trained, and abused prepared for life as an anime blogger. It’s a hard life, but somebody has to do it. Or will, at any rate.
The new writer will be expected to cover one show for their first season (to avoid overwhelming them), with that ramping up to 2-3 shows once they’re in the swing of things. They will also be expected to contribute to important posts such as the season previews. We will train you in all the ins and outs, so if you’ve never used WordPress or Photoshop, don’t worry. Here are the most important attributes we’ll be looking for in a new writer:
- Timeliness. RandomC made its name blogging shows as soon as they’re released, often before English subs even came out (this was in the age before simulcasts). We want to keep that legacy going.
- Consistency. We need to be able to trust that you’ll consistently get your posts out on time. That means you need to be prepared to write on days you may not feel like it.
- Writing skill. You need to have good written English skills, preferably college/university level.
Those are the biggest requirements. Pay special attention to timeliness and consistency – life happens, and (nearly) every writer has had to miss a post on occasion, but those times should be the rare, once-in-a-blue-moon exception, not the rule. Blogging for Random Curiosity is a big commitment, and likely bigger than you expect, so if whoever we recruit ends up not working out, we may decide to part ways. Likewise, if blogging here ends up being more than you can handle, you can opt to bow out at the end of any season with no ill-will. We’ll understand, and a classy exit is always better than going until you break.
If I were to describe the person we’re looking for, I would say that he or she will be slightly older, and probably not a student so they won’t get bogged down by homework or projects. (Students are fine, but having firm control over your schedule is imperative.) They will have an insightful and objective outlook on anime, while still being able to inject personality into their posts. They’ll have diverse tastes and a solid anime watching background. They’ll believe that you can take something seriously and still have fun, because make no mistake, writing for RandomC is basically a part-time job, though it is a fun one. They will always act professionally, do their part with a minimum of fuss, respond to emails within 24 hours, and generally be a team player who is a pleasure to work with.
Understanding Japanese enough to watch anime raw is a bonus. Prior experience writing publicly, using WordPress, or taking screen captures in Photoshop is a bonus. Being a cool person we want to work with is a super big bonus.
If you’re interested, send an email to divine(at)randomc(dot)net and stilts(at)randomc(dot)net (both please – being able to follow simple instructions is important as well) with the title RandomC Application. Include the following:
- What your anime background/history is (e.g. how you got into it, what some of your favorite series are, etc). Please include your MyAnimeList or Anime-Planet profile.
- Why you want to blog for this site.
- A sample post on a recent episode of any currently airing anime.
- A batch of 36 screen captures (zipped) from the same episode your sample post is on.
Note: If you’ve emailed us before asking about a writing position, please email us again with a new application + sample post so we know you’re still interested.
Please submit your application and sample post by Thursday, July 3rd at 11:59PM PDT. If I were you I would submit it as quickly as possible though, so we have time to properly consider your application before the summer season starts.
If you’re truly interested in writing for Random Curiosity, I encourage you to apply, even if you’re not 100% the ideal person I described. Passion counts for a lot, and in the end our decision will come down to both who we think will do a good job and who we want to work with. (Basically, it’s like Space Bros all over again.) Good luck, and I look forward to having one of you join the team.
Yes, yes, yes! I’ve been waiting forever for you guys to post this again! ^__^
Not sure if I’ll even be worth checking out, but I’ll try my best!
You’ll never know until you try–heavens know that’s how I felt when I applied. Show us what you got! Even if you don’t make it, it’s still a great experience to write about something you love watching. 🙂
Thank you for such kind words of encouragement! Working on my application now!
Dang, it’d be really great to be able to do this, but being a student with marching band on top of that makes this really unfeasible… Oh well, I guess I can take this time to keep improving my writing to be ready the next time this comes around. Good luck to all applicants!
How I wish I could write but my english skills need some serious improvement. If you ever want to start a sister blog in french count me in 😛
We’re actually had many writers in the past which English wasn’t their first language =) It’s a way to improve your writing skills and speaking personally, it’s helped me develop these skills a lot. You just have to be open to constructive feedback ^^
Well thanks ! I’ll keep that in mind and go practice 🙂
Your English is quite good, don’t be so hard on yourself. Certainly I would never have been able to tell that you were French if you hadn’t of mentioned 🙂
It’s not really about being hard or not. It’s about beaing realistic. I’m in similar situation. I’m non-native as well and I know my English skill is enough to understand pretty much everything and to write short posts expresing exactly what I want to say. Unfortunately writing on regular basis is totally different beast. Quite a long posts once or later even twice a week would requier much more time than writing the same in my native language. As Cherrie said it’s possible to achieve and with time and improvement of your writing skills it would probably come more naturaly but you should be sure you are ready for this. Sadly I don’t think I am even if I would like to. Honestly, it would be amazing to work with such a great team. Maybe some other time.
Thanks both of you. As Urizithar was saying, I feel that RC writers deliver so much in their post that my current english would not be able to live up to the quality of the blog. I’ll be looking forward to see/read the next blogger 😀
I won’t comment on your English, but I will say this – the best way to ensure you don’t get something is by not trying. If you don’t want to do it, you don’t need to make excuses; not wanting to is reason enough. If you do though, give it a shot. Make us tell you no instead of doing it yourself.
I might just give you one just for the sh*ts and giggles, god knows I have enough time on my hands in between waiting for model paint to dry and finding out what professional schools have to say regarding my applications 😛
I don’t trust my sense of commitment to maintain the consistency needed here: it’s one of the reasons I’ve never tried starting a blog myself. Aside from that (and the fact that I don’t have or use Photoshop (it costs money!)), I’d be willing to try applying.
I look forward to seeing who you pick and reading their reviews. Every reviewer is different, but I have faith that whoever you folks choose will keep up the RandomC reputation of quality.
FYI – While Photoshop indeed costs money (quite a bit of money in fact), you don’t need it or really any image editor to take basic video screen captures. Media Player Classic can do that. However it is a good idea to have a decent image editor. Photoshop is great, but GIMP is a pretty good and FREE image editor in it’s own right. Works for both Windows and Mac OS.
It’s a pity, you’d be a very good blogger 🙂
I find your posts being well organized, offering good points to think about and even providing some extra info about the show.
If you reconsider and end up applying, that’ll be good news, although I completely understand that the required commitment is probably too much even for an averagely busy person (it would be too much for me at least, even if I had better English skills).
Well, see you in the comments’ section of the greatest shows.
(mmh, I may be friendly in this world, but if we were in a parallel anime world I’d be your worst enemy, since we share pretty much the same taste in anime female characters. Kobeni …)
I see the point of you guys looking out for quality and committed writers.
On a side note though, looking for writers attached to a certain genre?
Eg most regular readers would equate Stilts = ecchi / loli fan. (^_^)
What about Stilts’ reputation as a fantasy fan? It’s his extensive posts on Kyoukaisen that come to mind whenever I think about a solid example of Stilts-blogging.
I can’t even remember the last time I blogged an ecchi show, and people still call me the ecchi writer ;_; Listen to Crook! I’m the fantasy writer! Fantasyyyyy!! (And a lot of other things, but if I’m going to be pigeonholed anyway, I’ll take that one)
But no, we’re not looking for writers for any particular genre. In fact, we’d prefer someone who is interested in many different genres, just as most of us are.
Wait a minute…
What about No Game No Life which is mildly ecchi… 🙂
Erh–okay, granted. But it’s not the main attraction! It’s just a pleasant addition to an already good narrative, as ecchi/fanservice should be.
On the topic of ecchi though,
an anime famously filled with it is getting a 3rd season. (http://tinyurl.com/mq7bvpo)
Stilts-senpai, what’s the probability of you covering that? =)
Hahaha, DxD is lightweight.
Just wait until Shinmai Maou no Keiyakusha comes out. 😛
I think the reason you get stereotyped as the Ecchi genre writer is because from the past posts, you have the biggest percentage blogging a Ecchi genre anime. Then again, I think it’s mostly coincidence since many shows incorporate Ecchi genre into a Fantasy these days.
Regardless, I hope the new writer is well-established in writing skills and style. Looking forward to him/her.
By contrast, I’m pegged a LOLi writer for good reason.
Alas … it is one of those “I would if I could, but I can’t so I won’t – please forgive me if I don’t. I would, yes, I would, if I could, if I could; but I won’t. :\ ”
I am already behind on so many other things I have already committed to there is no way I would be able to responsibly. 🙁
Writing here would be super cool but I never had the time and I don’t think I ever will.
I really like this place though. Hope you find someone nice.
Good luck (to both sides), and maybe we’ll see a familiar face becoming a blogger.
good luck to anyone who wants too blog, i enjoy reading the anime blog so i welcome any new faces.
@stilts — what would you say is the episodal investment
from soup to nuts to submit a post to the site? I’m not
really sure how must the writer is responsible for – screen
caps I know about from a high level. But the dirt is in the
details, and I suspect must of the time after the writing stops?
If you can provide a simple process overview, it might help
prospective bloggers determine if they can make the time
commitments necessary to post.
I guess what I’m really curious is how the post makes it
from my keyboard to a web page…
S/B
I suspect that most of the time is spent after the writing stops?
(Boy, I wish the site had an edit button :))
I can’t go into too much detail because the accurate answer is “it depends” (& also I’m lazy). I will say that watching (while taking screen caps & notes) + writing the post + formatting + processing images + editing & final checks are broad steps for a regular post, and you can expect each post to take anywhere from 2-4 hours.
The exact time spent changes depending on the person and the post. For instance, Zani is really efficient at taking screen caps, whereas I’m extremely inefficient, so it takes him like 15 minutes less to do the first step than it does for me. Then if you’re going to do something bonkers like my Kyoukaisen posts (or even just a movie post)…
Like I said, it depends.
As Stilts said, there’s a wide range of styles and thus time required for each post. It depends on how you write, how much you write, how efficient you are with screen caps(some authors spend extra time on full-length pictures), and the type of post you work on.
Just as an example, I’ve had posts that have taken 1.5 hours to conjure up and other tougher ones that’ve extended to as far as 3+ hours. Some of the movie/ova posts I’ve done have taken upwards of 5+ hours.
Then there’s also special posts like previews, which we’ll typically try to assign based on how much you expect you can do, and may take anywhere from half an hour to an hour+ per preview.
Ultimately though, it’s fine how long it takes you to write as long as you release the post in a timely manner and in generally the format we’ve come to expect. This means typically within 24-48 hours post episode airing on average, with 72-96 hours being allowed in very specific circumstances. Again, the expectation is one show for your first season, and two (or more in the future).
Just to add on, it’s always a plus if you have excess extra time, because that means you can watch more shows, participate in podcasts if you wish to talk about those shows, and help out some of the writers that do extra parts of the preview on top of their own (and currently spend as much as 10+ hours overall on it). All optional, but all helpful in the overall running of things.
I’ve only been watching anime for the past year. I hope that’s enough to be considered…
But I’ll apply anyway!
Curious..how do you guys determine which writer gets which show?
The seasonal writer knife fights are shrouded in mystery and, frequently, blood. All I can say is that we take everybody’s wishes into consideration, and it’s very rare for a writer to not get at least one of his or her top picks.
Unless they’re really bad at knife fighting, naturally.
^ That. I’d just like to add a specific bit of detail in that by everybody’s wishes, it means you get to submit a list of shows that you’d like to cover every season, which would be ranked by preference and how it works personally into your schedule. You’re not guaranteed to get your show (there’s a few factors that determine the ultimate distribution), but it has generally worked out quite well.
If we need them before subs come out, would be have to be able to view raw torrents? Also, watching it raw while knowing very little Japanese sounds incredibly weird.
By that part we mean that if you know Japanese, can watch it raw, and can have the post prepped before the English version is available, it’s a great plus. It’s not a necessity however, so our expected deadlines for posts would then be measured following the release of the first English version that comes out. Posts would be expected 24-48 hours after this release on average, with extensions to 72-96 under special, specific circumstances.
I think I’m going to spend my few days off this week formulating a sample post to submit as an application. I highly doubt I will get picked, and I would rather not to be chosen, as I would rather just take this as a learning experience.
A few of the writers know me, and Zephyr might know what to expect when I submit my application. I’d love any feedback from any staff who does take a look at my application, on how to improve my writing, to hopefully gain more confidence in it.
I also have a minor question.
Is there a standard size on screencaps? Do you generally cap from 1080 or 720?
720 is typical because 1080 is usually an upscale, but either one works.
^ Pretty much that. The typical screenshot is done from 720 because 1080 tends to be merely an upscale, but the ultimately the choice would be yours, as sometimes the 1080 (especially on BD’s and for movies/ovas) does actually offer a drastic graphical improvement.
I’m pretty sure 1080p would bog down quite a number of people’s internet connections still…
@Kim_Pine
I don’t like it when people cut themselves down before they’ve even tried. If you truly do not want to be chosen, don’t waste your time, but if you do then don’t just assume you won’t be picked. Maybe you’re right, but why think like that? You never know until you try.
And I’ll give you feedback on your sample post. If I forget, just ping me after the fact when I’ll hopefully have more time.
only you can unlock your dream, try it. have courage, you can only improve yourself, and here you are not alone
I like talking about anime but definitely not writing about it just because I’m lazy.
But good on anyone that’s applying!
I’m excited to see this new writer when you guys finally pick him, but I have a question that hasn’t really been addressed on this site publicly and sort of flew under the radar without really notifying the readers. What the hell happened to Seishun? I enjoyed his long posts on Valverave, and I consistently followed his posts on Hyakka Ryouran Samurai Bride and whatnot. I enjoyed him, but he left without a word or saying goodbye to the Randomc audience. What happened?
It’s not exactly my place to say what happened, but I’m pretty sure he got a new, big, possibly high executive job that requires him to spend considerably more time doing it. No longer is he a high class, international escort. He’s a real working man now.
What Kim said. He got an unexpected promotion that totally destroyed his blogging time. As for why he didn’t say goodbye, he did, just not on an official leaving post. Those aren’t compulsory, and Sei-chan preferred to quietly go rather than making a big fuss about it, just like Mochi, Asobi, and others have.
He is making a splash on AniTwitter https://twitter.com/SeishunRC
I want to apply and as a fan fiction writer, I think my english is up to par…. but im too much of an internet Neanderthal to do it… T.T
We’ve walked our staff through various tech struggles before–if the only thing barring you from not applying is tech know-how, then you should definitely give it a shot! What’s most important in the application process is your ability to create meaningful posts, rather than know how to nav through PS/WinScp/Bridge/WP/HTML/IRC. Hue :3. Teaching tech is something we can do–teaching insight and writing not so much.
Well, might as well give it a shot.
by the way, what is this 36 image capture thing? How do i do it?
To echo what Zanibas said… I spent over a dozen hours updating new writers guides with how we do things and how to do them specifically to address this worry, so wouldn’t worry about that. The guide’s organized by chapters and everything!
Screen capture… would depend on what player you use, but for Windows Media Player Classic it’s Alt + I to set the folder where you want to screenshot and then F5 to take it. At least, those would be the default keys.
Urgh… I’m sort of tempted, though I know I’m not really cut out for it as I am right now.
Maybe if this ever comes up again in a year or so I may give it a shot. I really do want to improve my writing (I feel like it always comes out stiff and awkward) because I really did love writing at one point.
Maybe next time.
Good on anyone who applies though. Looking forward to seeing who gets it.
Apply anyways. If you want, we can give you a heads up on how you’re doing in your posts and what our critiques would be. Hopefully that guides you in a correct direction if your writing is as you say it is (and if it’s not, then all the better for you ^_^). We’re not here to bite–we’re all a community out to help one another =D.
Good luck to whoever gets the position. I look forward to reading your thoughts on said show if I’m following it lol.
Alright, just along the way, are you guys actually earning any money with this “part-time job” as blogger?
No we don’t get paid. It’s more like a volunteer internship than a PT job haha!
I think on average though, most of us spend enough time on the site that the hours we accumulate on it is pretty close to a PT job. Personally I’m spending about 12 hours on the site a week… this doesn’t include any extra time spent on previews or admin. work.
I wish we did! Haha.
Free experience if journalism, copywrites is your thing.
I try to make all decisions like money doesn’t matter as much as possible. Since I would want to write here even if I didn’t get paid, the fact that I don’t isn’t a problem, lol
Masochistic? Sure. But it takes a special kind of weirdo to want to turn their pastime into something like work. We’re those special kind of weirdos, and would like to find one more ~_^
Don’t have the tools nor the time to blog… Best of luck to whoever you might select for this 🙂
So … before I forget … in looking at the img pic at the top of the post – which bloggers are which Nanana charas and which chara will the new prospective blogger fill the shoes of? ^^
I-that’s a good question actually.
New one should be Nanana, since he/she/it isn’t found yet and can’t be seen in the image as it is on the post. As added fun, when you view the whole image, Nanana (the new blogger) is coming out of a treasure chest. (I like to think such hidden meaning was intentional)
I’ll actually give this a shot.
Let’s see…
https://randomc.net/image/Ryuugajou%20Nanana%20no%20Maizoukin/Ryuugajou%20Nanana%20no%20Maizoukin%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2017.jpg
Divine (The leader)
https://randomc.net/image/Ryuugajou%20Nanana%20no%20Maizoukin/Ryuugajou%20Nanana%20no%20Maizoukin%20-%2008%20-%20Large%2015.jpg
Stilts (Tallest member, ecchi af)
https://randomc.net/image/Ryuugajou%20Nanana%20no%20Maizoukin/Ryuugajou%20Nanana%20no%20Maizoukin%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2031.jpg
Enzo (The intellectual)
And… that’s all I’ve got off the top of my head.
I don’t know if I should do Daruku if I think of one for him. That’s almost like bullying someone, lol.
Actually, wouldn’t appointing someone as Tensai be basically the same as bullying everyone else who can’t be Tensai?
(Also, Stilts should be the what’s-his-name dressed in purple, because he’s also blond)
@Anonymosity: Isn’t that more like light-brown?
@Anonymosity
If you want to take it to the harshest degree, I suppose you could.
I’m hoping most people would be willing to give me the benefit of the doubt to know that I’m not calling anyone stupid though.
And I suppose you could go with blondie for Stilts as well. I was mostly going with Kagetora cause he’s a bit taller and his penchant for being a bit of a perv. (Seriously, go read his NGNL posts and tell me that’s not the case. :P)
@Crook: it’s close enough to blond! (Actually, I just didn’t take a good enough look at the image.)
@Kuntzy: I was referring to the general consensus of how awesome Tensai is, didn’t mean you were calling anyone stupid or anything like that.
And true, those are very good reasons, I just thought they fit that other guy pretty well too (plus I thought he really was blond).
No comment on Stilts being ecchi or not, I say let the accused speak for himself. There does seem to be a lot of evidence against him though.
B00bies!
And I’m fine with being either tall-n-pervy or laid-back-and-duplicitous. Both fit well enough, nyahaha!
Well, we all know who Zanibas is from those characters 😉
lol thank you for the laugh good sir :p
Stilts! With more hands around to share the seasonal show quota and the task of running the site, perhaps you’ll have the time to bring back occasional editorials (monthly or something)- I really did enjoy those, such a shame that there haven’t been any as of late. No pressure of course, don’t mind me if real life’s hectic and you don’t have the time, just a suggestion… 😉
I’d like to do that, but mostly I just exported most of those ideas to my other site, stiltsoutloud.com. It takes a while to fully flesh out and realize an editorial here, more than I expected and more than I want to spend on most subjects. Other than the occasional meaty, anime-specific one, I found it easier to talk about those things over there.
Maybe I should visit stilsoutloud more often then… 😉
I always look forward to opportunities like these, not only for the chance to become a potentially beloved writer here at RC but also because I simply enjoy the anticipation that comes with knowing a fresh face and perspective will soon be making their way here in the blogging community! Can’t wait!
I’m just glad you didn’t take a Jaalin on the knee because you will have something else to say about the knee….
I think I’d like to try applying, if only to know how I’d fare at actually writing one of these things. I don’t think I’d actually want to be picked… for now.
I agree that applying if only for the opportunity of constructive criticism and feedback from the writers here, whom we have come to appreciate and love would be a marvelous thing in itself. In a sense, applying is just as great a reward as the position itself since there will always be moments like this where you can try again and doing so offers a great deal of knowledge on what they’re looking for and how to improve henceforth.
Although I’ve never attempted commenting on RandomC, I’m extremely tempted to apply as a writing exercise…I’ve got the tech down, but I can only strive to reach the supernatural writing abilities of the blogger gods!
The biggest elements are desire to improve and practice. None of us were as good when we started, and have only gotten better since then. We also all have a long way to go yet. Just give it a shot, says I.
How extensive should an applicant’s anime history be? I’ve seen writers with only about 50 completed series on their MAL, but do you guys gave a preference regarding that?
The answer is, as usual, “it depends”. More is better because it lets you speak with more authority, but there are holes in everybody’s watch lists, some of them extensive. I wouldn’t worry about it too much – it’s too late to expand it by much, so just go with what you’ve got.
On the flip side, it’s interesting to see people who haven’t watched that much anime bring new insights and something fresh to the table.
If I were making the hiring decisions, I would want to see your anime history only to get an idea of the types of shows you watch. I don’t think that it’ll drastically affect your chances to get accepted.
Hmm, if instead of looking for a volunteer, but you guys decide to headhunt for a potential blogger,I’d suggest Stark700. I just recently joined MAL, and it seems like he’s the episode discussion thread starter for almost every anime I look up on MAL.
He has a pretty impressive watchlist too. (http://tinyurl.com/nqn5e3k)
Everything I’ve seen, he’s already seen it too + hundreds more.
As for me though, I started watching ongoing anime regularly around April 2014…technically I started with Maoyuu in January(learnt about it from a 9gag post LOL), but it was with Hataraku Maou Sama that led me to brush up on the Seasonal animes as well as keeping a check on episode counts, next season approvals, checking out translated source materials etc.
Compared to Stark’s, my watchlist is pretty humble. (http://tinyurl.com/q9gvwn9)
Nah, he’s too busy firstfagging every airing anime thread, reading manga and writing some reviews of finished shows so he doesn’t have time to write a blog for here. I know the guy and I’ve tried to one-up him at times in starting an episode thread but he’s too dedicated to it.
He doesn’t seem to have a life outside of anime/manga if you look at his history. Every single minute are updates of anime or manga. You’ll only see some time interval of no activity and that’s probably when he’s asleep.
So yeah, I don’t think he’d try to join here and I myself wouldn’t like to see him here.
@bellakuro I agree I don’t think Stark would be a good pick, hell the only anime he hasn’t been doing 1st episode comments on, that I am/was watching, are Kenzen Robo Dimadialer which he dropped at ep 7 (he also wrote an insulting review on it evne though he was a first post guy on the series beforehand) and Majin Bone for no reason. While the first post thing is super annoying at times he also contributes to News sections of Mal and his reviews, with the exception of Kenzen, are pretty good. I’m kind of surprised that he isn’t a News Moderator. On the other-hand I think Spacecowboy is the most anime-addicted guy ever, if his list is real which from what I’ve read it is.
My bad about your name…
Well, I might as well give it a shot. What do I have to lose?
That’s actually an excellent way to look at it. Good luck : )
ALOT. YOUR PRIDE as a STRONG CONFIDENT writer if they decide not to choose you AND dignity! jk jk as long as you have fun its worth the effort. Good luck!
That wouldn’t be much to lose then since the most experience I have when it comes to writing is essays. 😛
Is it? Is it my time to shine and force my opinions as superior? I plan to use Randomc as my stepping stone in making myself the OPINION MASTER OF EARTH! BWAHAHAHAHAHA! AALL MY TSUNDERE FANS WILL BOW AND BE DEREDERE BEFORE ME!
Welp. I’m out 😛
i have been wanting to ask this… any possibility of “guest blogging” tickets? i remember divine or omni does that in the past that gives opportunity to those.
on topic, i do have the interest on covering and doing a write up on some of the titles for today’s season specially those title that might get uncovered and also i have all that FREE TIME since i am among those PROUD NEET.
but since, my reply alone shows that i have a very long, long way to go (like my “all small caps for normal, ALL CAPS FOR EMPHASIS”), i will pass…
shout out to that one lucky person that will be chosen, congrats and GOOD LUCK!
just noticed my 1st paragraph is incomplete but anyway,
>>…. that gives opportunity to those who wants to do a write up on one specific anime title that was not covered due to constraint in time to those official bloggers. of course same rules apply.
i believe divine announced about the guest blogging idea here: https://randomc.net/2011/09/28/fall-2011-schedule/ and it was verdant who was chosen to cover persona 4.
Divine wanted a “guest” blogger at that time because he wanted Persona to be covered on RC and he knew that he didn’t have expertise in that area. The intent was for that person to just cover one show (or in this case, he hired 2 people – verdant and unlisted). Both of ended up staying and becoming permanent writers on RC and thus the word “guest blogger” can be taken as – you’re on probation lol. The same goes for Prooof… Div hired him solely to blog Bleach.
I don’t think there’s a “need” here on RC that the current writers are not covering so we’re not looking for a guest blogger anymore. We would like to find a well-rounded person to complete our team and add to our coverage that’s all. If that person chooses to be an expert in one genre or show, that’d be up to them to decide.
It would be a great experience to write for an anime site; unfortuantely i dont have the tools needed to capture screenshots plus im student so yea. It’s great to see this post come when it does tho because it means the site will be getting a new writer and its always a joy to see a new face (not literally) join the randomc crew and show off their writing skills and anime insight.
If tools are all you’re worried about just install CCCP codec pack. It comes with a player and you can take screenshots with the built-in function.
Just download the RAWs and ALT-I away.
True…I also have media player classic so i can take screenshots with that now that i think of it although i still need editing software, I dont have a mal of myanimelist account, and im a student so i dont fit the bill for the application.
Just note that the student thing is just a preference. If you got good management of your time/schedule and can get out posts in time regardless, it doesn’t matter if you’re a student. Over half the staff was made of students at some point so.
And some non-students are terrible at managing their time. That’s the most important part, but students are more likely to have erratic work schedules (cramming before projects, tests, etc), so that’s where the preference comes in at. If you’re somebody like Zephy and can get things done no matter what school is doing, it’s no problem!
Just realized one thing, though its off-topic.
RandomC lacks an identity logo or mascot.
Any plans for those?
A Facebook group I’m in brought up the same topic for the group,
admin said it was okay as long as nothing copyrighted was in the picture.
The cover photo ended up being unique.
Group name, group initials, miscellanous themed background + 2 hand-drawn then digitalized chibi characters. (http://tinyurl.com/nf5n4wc)
There are no plans. Let me slip on my marketing hat…
It all comes down to branding. Logos, mascots, and other stuff like that can help build a brand, but RandomC already has a very strong brand (based on history and our “core product”, timely episodic blogging. Oh, and our amazing readers ^^), so it’s not necessary. Unless we get really bored sometime and come up with a great idea, I wouldn’t expect to see one anytime soon.
It would be nice to see a blogger who is interested and watches different genres/anime to the other bloggers as I’d love to read blogs about shows like Ping Pong: The Animation or Haikyuu.
You should take a look at Enzo’s blog http://www.lostinanime.com, since he’s covering both of those shows over there.
Sounds fun and I should hope my english skills are good enough, but I’m very lazy and will never find the time to do so. perhaps in a couple year’s time when I’m out of school and will need something to do at university. during this time, I should probably expand my anime horizons; I have a very narrow view at the moment.
Best of luck to all prospective bloggers!
I hate to be the one asking awkward questions, but does this mean one of you will be retiring? I certainly hope not… :'( (I don’t know if the nine at the top includes Divine or not)
I’ll just say various circumstances have made it so we’d prefer to have an extra writer to provide extra coverage/help. There’ll be more detail about it when the blogging schedule comes out, but there’s no impending retirement of any of the writers at this time.
To make Zephy’s comment less vague: Kairi is taking a break next season, and it had been a while since we recruited anyone so we decided it was time. That’s all.
On a technical aspect, for picture hosting, does an applicant need to have a pre-existing imgur / photobucket / imageshack / etc account, or does RandomC have its own image directory for episode screens?
We have our own image server. For the sample caps, just zip them and send them in your email.
Good luck to all the applicants! Can’t wait to see who gets it! 🙂
I can think of a challenge for the potential applicants though.
A sample post on a recent episode of any currently airing anime.
Eg, somebody watches the final episode of NGNL this Wednesday,
come up with a No Game No Life – 12 (END) post faster than Stilts and still impress the RandomC gang.
If I recall correctly, timespan between subtitled episode and Stilt’s review post was:
– for NGNL Ep10 = 8 hours later
– for NGNL Ep11 = 13 hours later.
I have been following your blog for quite some time now (a few years) and i have to say it’s my no.1 site for anime(besides AniDB and Anime New Network), i do like the format you have for blogging episodes and the fact that you have multiple writers not just one (like some other blogs) who cover all possible tastes and preferences.
I will make an application for a couple of specific reasons, bear with me:-
1-I do really like the blog a lot.
2-Almost every season there is one (or two) really good shows that don’t get any coverage, either becasue of staff limitations or because nobody picked it (preferences do vary i know), i think i can help change that.
3-English might not be my first language but i have quite the experience handling it, so i think it’s a good chance to use that skill and also improve it at the same time (two birds with one stone).
4-I do love interacting with fans of a show i enjoy watching, talking, discussing certain character motivations, exchanging ideas, discussing old events and speculating about future events (specially in original non-manga shows).
5-I do work but my work has a stable daily schedule, so everyday and weekends i know i have time to both watch anime and review/blog about a show that i like.
Wish me luck, i’ll be working on my application tomorrow since where i live it’s time to sleep now, got work to do and all XD
See you around everyone.
I wish I could blog for this, but consistency is indeed the hardest part, moreover if the show is not the favorite.
Also, I don’t really understand for the Timeliness, so we should watch it raw then so the review is up as soon as the sub is out?
If you can watch and understand raw that is. Divine has done that a lot before. I remember he blogged Senkou no Night Raid that remained unsubbed for about half a year I think.
Nowadays that doesn’t apply any more because most shows are being simulcasted on CR/Funi so subs come out fast after the show airs in Japan. So by timeliness, it means that a post should ideally come out about 24-48 hours after the subs are out. RC’s reputation is its fast releases of episode discussions as soon as the episode comes out so they’d like to keep that in mind when wanting a new blogger.
So you don’t have to push yourself in watching a show raw, especially when subs can be out in a few hours after it airs.
okay, thanks for the reply.
Just confirming what belatkuro said. RC made its name in the age before simulcasts, so being able to blog raw anime was a great asset – it gave Omni and Div enough time to watch the episode and write a post by the time subs appeared. Now that English subs are appearing at the same time as raws, it’s not a big deal, but we do want to respect that tradition of speed they started while blogging raw.
With the timeliness in mind, are you requiring the prospects to be able in understanding Japanese since RC would want to release the post even before the subtitles come out? I already sent in an application but I don’t think I’m in the level wherein I have full understanding when watching raws so obviously, I would have to wait for the subs before I can even start writing.
That would be a bummer though. I really wanted to improve my writing and critical thinking.
I think it was mentioned in a previous comment and while I don’t want to presume to be correct, while it is definitely beneficial to the position, I don’t think it will make or break your application to not be able to watch raws. It no doubt has its benefits but as far as timeliness is concerned should you not have that particular skill in your repertoire, I think it would more or less cater to the idea of being able to get a post out within a time frame where an episode is relatively fresh in a viewer’s mind. (i.e. 24-48 hours)
See my reply immediately above. Being able to read or understand Japanese is a bonus, not a requirement.
Sorry guys, the place is mine. At least until I wake up and stop dreaming. 😉
Good luck everybody!
Ooh, I’d love to do this… but I don’t know if I could finish the articles on time, seeing how I constantly have a boatload of assignments to complete. That, and I know absolutely nothing about taking screencaps.
Ah well, good luck to all the applicants!
Good luck to any prospective writers out there! -ganbare fist-
If only I knew Japanese so I could watch the raws in order to supply timely posts. I’d be depending on simulcasts probably on CrunchyRoll V_V
You don’t have to know Japanese/be able to watch raws. You can depend on English subs, as long as your posts come out within a timely manner after the first subs come out.
Considering how quickly simulcasts hit the internet these days, I think you’d be perfectly fine should you want to apply. It was mentioned in the comments above but watching raws is a bonus not a requirement and you shouldn’t feel as though you aren’t capable of doing this because of it.
I’d really like to try this. It’s a shame, but I’ve already decided on so many things I want to accomplish over this summer, and am working hard on completing them. While I’m not exactly hoping for someone to lose their place in the future, I am hoping that, should there be another opportunity like this in the future, I will have the time to do this. Actually, getting a solid foothold in learning Japanese is one of my goals, so hopefully I’ll have a leg up over the competition whenever this time comes again.
Good luck to the participants. I already have a few people in mind that I’d like to see blog here, so I’m looking forward to the announcement.
Wow, I was actually wondering if RandomC was thinking of hiring a new writer the other day. Funny how things turn out that way. As much as I’d love to apply to blog, I just got way busier at work and don’t think I could spare the time to write for a show–seeing as I’m already watching shows a day or two late for a while now, ugh. And the way you guys described your perfect writer, it felt like you were calling to me (muwahahaha jk…slightly).
Good luck to whoever gets picked up. I’ll hopefully try out the next time an opportunity arises as long as life gives me the time–us non-students are busy too!
If that does happen, you’d have to pry any Saki related show from my hands (O~hohoho!)
Wait, is a day or two late bad? Because I have a backlog of about thirty shows from last season right now =/ I-I better not let Div know. I’ll totally get fired…
P.S. Amen on us non-students being busy. We just have more control of when to put it down…probably. Maybe. That’s the dream, at least.
About to become a non-student myself. You mean the promise of more control was really a dream all along?!
Ahaha, it depends on the job my friend. Depends on the job. It’s working for three of our current writers quite well, but massive professional busy-ness caught up with a few former/retired writers, Divine among them. It depends on how you set your career up, and if your industry offers work/life balance at all.
Yeah, I hear on that backlog Stilts. It seems as each season comes, the more I procrastinate on finishing shows I’ve started and liked past the 3 episode mark. Then the next batch of shows come and the list just keeps on growing…X_X
True to that. I try to work it in my schedule one way or another, and it’s been working for me all these years. I guess the key is to find a good balance, but as you mentioned it really depends on the person and the job he/she is has.
And I once wondered how to join the prestigious ranks of RandomC writers way back a year ago… I’m quite confident about my English, and I believe I can write objectively but I definitely fail in the consistency and time management department. So maybe in the future when you hold another one of these recruitment posts, I might be able to at least apply, hopefully. I know I’ll be watching anime even up to my late 30s-40s (I’m 22 at the moment)–heck I might not even stop.
Well I say good luck to everyone who is applying. There are some really good people commenting so I’m sure it won’t be an easy decision. Sometimes a lot of commenting is all you need to get invited into blogging :).
Unfortunately I’m having my final year project this year and I’m not confident that I am able to juggle both blogging and my work. If not I will definitely give it a try! All the best to you guys who will be applying!
Question, for everyone blogging on RandomC. Outside of blog posts, do you guys have regular online meetings for plans on shows and the direction for the blog and podcasts? Just want to be aware of all the potential responsibilities.
Not really. Mostly we just email back and forth. We do chat occasionally (just because we like each other) and stuff like that, but mostly we depend on email. Hence why “respond to emails within 24 hours” was listed in the requirements.
Like Stilts said, it’s mainly communication through emails or IRC or Google Talk. IRC is a little less common though since not everyone is online at the same time. Not everyone is on the same time zone either.
I would say outside of your regular posts, you’re looking at 2-3 hours extra a week for “other stuff”. Whether that be podcasts, seasons previews or just reading/leaving comments.
Ohh. sadly my English is not that good (hey i need the help of Firefox English add-on) and i do not Blog…
But now what, i am lurking in the Shadows as a fan. And doing it since Omni’s time. And i continue to read here and write (even if i have some downvote fans)
The time has finally arrived! I’ll have a new blogger to pester soon! :3
YES, finally, a kouhai. >:3
Too bad I won’t be around too much to claim my senpai status this summer T-T BUT I’LL BE BACK IN FALL.
It took days of indecisiveness and feelings of angsty insecurity to decide, but what the hell, I’m in.
Now I need to decide what to make that sample about…
Picking just one new writer? I don’t envy whoever has to whittle through all those applications…
They should just gather all the applicants, toss them in a coliseum and see who winds up standing atop the pile of bodies at the end.
Haha, if that’s the case, tell me when and where and I’ll be there with my shinai. 😀
I told Divine we should do that – that’s what we do when we pick series to blog – but he wanted to be all “nice” about it. I’m not going to see light for several days now ;_;
Haha it would have been a great idea and hey, that would have been one less thing you had to get the new writer caught up to speed with. I can’t imagine the number of applications you’ve already got in your inbox but keep on, Stilts! The site needs you!
No writer has ever actually quit RandomC, they were all killed in the seasonal knife fights!
Well, if the battle royale doesn’t work out, there’s always picking names out of a hat :3
Sounds like fun, if only I didn’t have so much on my plate this summer. I’ll maybe, definitely, probably send in an application the next time you guys are recruiting.
Good luck to all applicants!
I`ll use my first post under this username (there have been a few under a different one)to say I`m applying, even though the only requirements I possess are passion, free time, and a reasonable command of the English language. I don`t expect to actually get chosen ^.^
On the off chance that I do,I’ll be using this name though 😀 (That’d be a fun opening post, though: I’m the resident girl without skills, but with passion… kind of like a magical girl anime protagonist)
I’ll definitely keep posting around here!
P.S. To the few of you that read this whole post,I’m sorry, but no, I can’t give you your minute back…
i’ll gladly apply, after over 500 anime series seen, but i think i’ll lack in the english part (i’ve learned my english from games and anime(and a bit of japanese)) and that’s a shame. Well i’ll see tomorrow morning if i find some confidence :)(that’s my first post ever here, i have always reading daily and nothing more)
We look forward to seeing your application! がんばって！
Ah, I love writing but I’m definitely not in the college/university English level, haha…
Question though: Is it alright if I do this all in a word document and then send the document to you? Including the screencaps? Or should I ZIP the files?
It’s fine! Don’t worry about the English level because that can always be improved over time =)
Word document for the sample post is fine. Prefer a zipped file for the screencaps because we want to see the actual images you chose and the quality of them.
Good luck with your application!
I think I’ll give it a try 🙂 I’ve just finished writing the first two main points.
Now the tough part is choosing what to review..
Best of luck to you 🙂 It certainly is exciting the more contenders there are. So many potential possibilities haha.
I’ve always admired your site for its professionalism and all the output of its articles. My blogging career is sorta in its early stages but I’m going to give this a try.
Good luck, friend-kun!
Quick question: as ive stated before i dont have a myanimelist or animeplanet profile; is that absolutely necessary? i mean i could just make a word file of my list of favorite and watched anime with the “scores” ive given them.
No it’s not absolutely necessary. We’re not using them to assess your “taste” in anime with scores lol (I actually hide my scores on my own MAL list). We just want to see what you’ve seen, what your preferences are (for certain shows or genres) and if you have a large history from watching like 300+ anime, that doesn’t hurt =) If you don’t already have a list, that’s fine… you can always just describe your anime history in the write-up and give examples.
Or you might want to just make a MAL or anime-planet profile. We’ll probably ask whoever we pick to make one so the readers know what they’ve seen, so why not plan for the best case scenario?
Haha very true; Well I’ve sent in my application so if i happened to be picked for the job i shall make a MAL account in snap.
I have a question — what if the screencaps have subtitles? Are they edited out with photoshop?
@Bitbit: “I have a question — what if the screencaps have subtitles? Are they edited out with photoshop?”
Short answer is no. You can’t just “erase” subtitles from a screen cap with an image editor and expect the original picture to remain underneath. You’d have to manually “clean” (remove) the subs, then redraw the picture back to normal. NOT recommended.
For soft subs (vast majority of fan subs these days), turn off subtitles before taking any screen caps (unless you actually want the subtitles in the image). IDK what video player you are using, but with Media Player Classic (incl. HT version) it’s easy to do. Go to “play” (top bar menu), choose “subtitles” on the drop down menu, and select “no subtitles”. NOW take your screen caps (alt + I with MPC).
For hard subs, your stuck with the subs. You cannot turn them off like soft subs because they are “burned onto” the video during encoding. At that point, I’d go look for a raw version or a different group’s release that uses soft subs. As noted, almost all fan subs these days are soft subs so it’s not a big issue, but be aware that some of Horrible Subs’ releases are hard subbed.
Hope this helps.
Ah, I see. It really helped a lot, thank you.
Try using VLC player. It has a built in screen capture option and it gets rid of soft subs pretty easily.
I’m tempted to apply though I’m not sure if I could come up with a post of sufficient length or for that matter what kind of images you’re looking for in screencaps. That said, what is the minimum length you would expect a post to be and what kinds of images are you looking for?
I wouldn’t worry too much about length – it varies dramatically depending on what you’re covering. Stilts for example slaughtered a novel’s worth of words in his Kyoukaisen posts, and Enzo’s Hunter x Hunter posts are often very long as well. I’d say the best way to tackle it would be to have 3 or 4 main points from the episode you’d like to talk about, and talk about them – be it opinions, analysis or what have you. If you’ve got that, and you feel like you’ve covered your points thoroughly enough, then your post is probably of sufficient length.
I think whemleh makes a very good point. Length isn’t always as important as the content itself and I think if you can write and get your points across, then the length shouldn’t be much of an issue. I’ve always sort of gone with the idea of writing until I felt as though I was forcing myself. When you have to push yourself to continue, it begins to lose out in terms of quality and you have a tendency to struggle along. Get your thoughts across and you should do just fine. As far as screencaps are concerned, I think it comes down to what sticks out to you when you’re watching the episode. Things that catch your eye and make you wish you could just relive the moment. That’s essentially the purpose of a screencap in my mind; it works in accordance to what you’ve written to paint a picture to those who have yet to watch the episode or have and can relive the moment through your commentary/visual aide.
don’t worry too much.
as Whemleh said, it depends on you and what you’re writing about. some authors can be very concise and still bring the important points/events in a few paragraphs and that’s it. in some episodes there is a lot more to discuss about (like HxH because every single thing has some interesting importance worth to bring up). so..it depends.
don’t sweat on the length too much. if you pick up a show and episode you really liked, it will come to you. try to think like you discuss the episode/show with your friends just be more clear and precise in your writing because it’s a bit different. sure, making an episodic review isn’t easy but if really enjoy a show and with a bit of more experience, you’ll improve that skill as well.
as for images, well I think RC members stated that in comments above, but if you ask me..just pick the 36 images throughout the episode that really made the episode for you and worthwhile watching like facial expressions and other crucial moments (don’t pick just one or two event, diverse them from all the ep). try to “connect” (not by link or something) with you wanna say in the post, it may help your writing and can arrange your thoughts.
good luck!
~400-800 words, and whatever 36 images you would put in an RC post. If you need to know more, go read a few RC posts and learn from what we did.
Just a little point for the Future. In Nippon they are now forcing a bit much to get the Persons that seed the Raws into Internet. It is a possibility that the Original Raws sources can become dry, or late
Take that into consideration. Our future of our Hobby depends on these peoples, that share TV Broadcasts with us
It would be fun to do but in no way do I have time or access enough to the internet. And sadly the number of shows I’ve liked lately tends to average at most 1 per season. I miss the days of ZnT or Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood etc.
Course, there’s times when I’d settle for watching just about anything but as I work on oil rigs, the only time I can stream is onshore.
Is it bad that I’m reading ZnT as Zetsuen no Tempest rather than Zero no Tsukaima?
I was wondering if those that send applications should get a Recieved e-mail just for notice 😡
I was wondering about that too, but then I realized we could just use the confirmation option in our own mail clients.
We got them all. Oh lordie I’ve got enough emails in my inbox to be sure I must have gotten them all
*retreat* xD
BAM! One more.
Wow, I just noticed my application wasn’t sent the first time I sent it, hopefully I resent it in time…
I blame the fact that gmail refused to add my zipped file (it was too big for it) and I had to use my old mail address I never use nowadays…
Try not to die from application overdose, Stilts. That would suck. Also if you died you wouldn’t be able to write anymore and that would mean you’d need to go through the stress of hiring another new writer.
For all you guys who have problems with too big photos to send, just use any online shrinking tool, like this one http://tinypng.com. 30MB of pics turn into 10MB in a minute
Hmm.. It shouldn’t really be too big to send in the first place. You should make sure your images are saved in Jpeg format and not PNG or something like that. Vastly smaller filesize without having to resort to an online shrinking tool. I spent longer than I’d like to admit figuring that out for myself..
@whemleh: Dammit, why didn’t I realize something that simple?
I wasted way too much time wondering what to do after my old email refused to send my application again. In the end I sent too mails… ^^’
So you all know who to blame if there’s exactly one mail too many and stilts dies from overdose.
@whemleh
I figured that out after i sent the mail, but i figured saving it as a jpeg would diminish the quality of the screenshots a bit so i ended up not mulling over it
Nope! Doesn’t diminish image quality at all, or at least not to any noticeable degree. Anyway if you check out any of the screencaps around the site you’ll notice they’re all Jpeg as well =3
Right, whatever format we use, files go through the compressing script anyways, so I’m just glad you realized it on time and sent your application once again.
.jpeg only diminishes quality depending on the image editor you use and what quality it saves the image as. For example GIMP has an “image compression” bar you set when exporting the picture, the higher the percentage the less blurring and pixelation at the cost of greater file size.
You want to stick with .jpeg most of the time because it operates as the main file type for digital photos and other “realistic” imagery like the screen caps. Stuff like .png is used more for line art or pictures with a small amount of colour variation as it allows better pixel by pixel editing (i.e. maps, it’s why it’s the main file format used over at the Alternate History forums and Cartographer’s Guild).
Here’s a great pic describing the differences: http://www.labnol.org/software/tutorials/jpeg-vs-png-image-quality-or-bandwidth/5385/
Why people save as PNG is most probably thanks to PNG being default screenshot format for many apps (including VLC) and changing to JPEG in preferences can be a pain for some folks. 😉
PNG (or TIFF) = Lossless = best image quality for anything (photos or text/line art), but larger file size. If it’s important, save/archive in PNG or TIFF (LMZ). Always edit images (including resize) in lossless format (e.g. PNG, TIFF, PSD), then save as either lossless (PNG/TIFF) or lossy (JPG) as warranted after editing is finished.
JPG = LOSSY format = smaller file size, but you lose image quality even at “100% quality”. You can NOT recover what’s been lost once saved to JPG. Use JPG when file size is more important than absolute image quality (e.g. RC screen caps). JPG will contain artifacts, especially as you decrease file size/lower quality.
See:
JPG Quality
JPG Artifacts
JMO, but for screen caps I would save them as either PNG (or BMP) in some folder. Then use an image editor to make any edits IF desired (probably skip this). Then use said image editor or a good image viewer such as XnView (my favorite) or Irfanview to batch convert to JPG at the quality level I want. This gives you control over the JPG quality level, and batch convert for 36 images (1080p BD screencaps) to JPG using XnView at max quality settings took less than 10 seconds on my PC. You don’t need to sacrifice much quality either to reduce file size substantially. For example, quick test on a 1080p BD screen cap using MPC-HC (Media Player Classic) and XnView for conversion: PNG screen cap = 4.12mb vs. converted JGP at 90 quality = 383kb = less than 10% of original PNG file size.
You’re thinking about this too much guys. We want the caps to see what kinds of scenes you would pick; the image quality (or presence of subtitles) really doesn’t matter, so long as we can still see what each image is of. We’ll let whoever we pick in on our special secret process for all of that.
When I first saw this post, I got pretty excited. The thought of blogging some of the shows I watched sounded appealing enough, and on the first day I set up a MAL and everything. As the days went by, however, I started thinking it over a bit more. My initial unrestricted optimism turned into sceptical dubiety.
I won’t have the time, I won’t get things done on time, my lack of anime-watching experience will negatively affect the content of my posts, etc.
These thoughts got pretty annoying, as anyone like me might imagine. For reasons no one can explain, once I get it into my head I want to do something, it’s hard to get out. I’ll keep thinking about it for days on end. There will always be that itch, that desire to at least try.
In the end, I’ve decided to just let the deadline pass, and put it out of my mind completely. Maybe, in a year or two, when I’ve gained more experience when it comes to both writing and anime, and I get a bit more time to spend on something like this, I’ll try.
Good luck to whoever gets chosen, I look forward to seeing what you can do. Increasing the size and diversity of the writing staff can only lead to it becoming stronger and more versatile, elevating my future reading pleasure. :p
woah waaaaait there’s still time to submit an application, right?
You have 2 hours. Hue~
Writing’s never been my forte but I’d adore a chance to help on the technical side of things the next time that’s available. Good luck everyone.