The Evolution of TOYSREVIL HQ
With the current WFH/"Work From Home" status in Singapore, and home quarantine situations around the world (thanks to the dreaded Coronavirus pandemic), folks and friends had been posting images of their work-room/table set-ups, which got me quite jealous of their luxurious environment!
Well, compared to my squalor of a bedroom piled up high on one side with toy-boxes (which you might never see, although I have on occasion posted on my social, but), and the other, a sole table I use both for my desktop, AND for doodling = Hereby known as "TOYSREVIL HQ"! And for a slice of frivolous fun this throwback thursday, presenting the EVOLUTION OF TOYSREVIL-HQ!
IN SINGAPORE: Residential-living situations, compared to Western counterparts, we do not have a "basement" or a "garage" (the equivalent might be "bomb shelters" in HDB flats, but), but I have what is commonly known as a "bedroom", or a little corner space where I can put a desktop computer, and work my "blog-magic" (I cringed a little when I typed that HAHAHAHAHA).
VERSION 0: In the "early days" of pre-TOYSREVIL-blog, it was at the corner of my first bedroom, right next to the sliding room windows. I had initially designed my own room such that there would be a small-ish table top space (less than 60cm deep), right below wall-boxed shelves (for my blister-cards toys nyuknyuk), and a space next to it, meant to include an non-built-in drawing table - which eventually gave in to a table for desktop computer (when I decided to draw in the office, rather than at home).
The above video is the earlier incarnation of my collection of 1/6th-scaled kitbashed figures (Uploaded Oct 3, 2005).
TOYSREVL HQ VERSION 1: That space soon dissipated and was filled up, rather quickly actually, when I started blogging. I had converted said space into a make-shift "photo-studio", but only because I attached a portable fluorescent tube tied to a extendable pole (meant for laundry), which stretched between two full-height IKEA-bought shelves, above my desktop space, after I plonked down two desktop computers on it. This set-up enabled me to film from the top too - as seen from one of my earliest "unboxing" video - circa Nov 2006!
Effectively less than 40-30cm width of space to use, I'd erect a folded backdrop, and did minor toy-snaps ... Sure, I would've LOVED to have more space dedicated to my toys, but I hd already built up a sizeable hoard of stuff around me (much less the horrendous stack of figures piling up beside my hard-drive), I had to make do with whatever I can scrounge up, and this quite frankly left me experiencing the most fun I have had in my blogging and toy-collecting days.
Besides typing on the keyboards blogging, setting up and shooting toy-snaps, so too was the space used for customing whatever little toys I did - one such video (featured below) show how narrow that space used was too! Imagine days when this happens, and blogging essentially had to come to a literal halt, but continued once again when I waited for the paint to dry LOL
And while fun and quite exciting, it was quite detrimental to a standardised schedule I could stick to, and I had developed a habit f irregular timings, not much different that when I was active in the film and television/media days before..
This was the place where I shot my self-portrait which was used for The Art Hustle trading card set (Series 2), and as well a "extra" behind-the-scenes snap - which showcased the table clad in darkness (photo-mania), which was used as a "variant" card too! The images were emailed off in August 2010, 2 months before my Stroke too!
About 5 years in (into blogging on TOYSREVIL), I had a Stroke in October of 2010. I was in hospital for about two months for recovery, and during that time, my family had dismantled all the shelves in my bedroom, and converted it into a "store-room space", even if it only held floor to ceiling brown boxes of stuff - predominantly my toy collection. This was necessary at that time, as I had tons of stuff out in the living room area, which needed to be brought into said bedroom, primarily because I came home in a wheelchair, and I needed space (in the beginning) to be able to move around in my wheelchair. Half a year later, I stopped using a wheelchair altogether, thank goodness for rehab.
Even now, a decade into my Stroke, I am still uncovering boxes of stuff inside the room, whenever the time and energy allows ...
TOYSREVIL HQ VERSION 2A: For a period of time, I was blogging in a space right next to the dining area - where I established a new workspace - with the dining table itself functioning as a based where I took snaps of toys. On one hand this function as a space were my family could see me physically working, and where I will not be able to blog-on un-checked, like when I was in my first bedroom, door closed. This time, I was out in the "open", and quite literally next to where we have our meals LOL
This was also about the time I ventured unto Instagram, and one sure way to recognise this period, were the incredulously darkened and murkiness of how most of the pictures turned out / were uploaded! And I realised later it literally WAS the quantity of the phone camera! LOL
And while I am unsure IF I had taken images of this area, they would not doubt have been kept in the desktop, which has since gone kaput. I think I salvaged what I could unto my laptop, but that point is now moot as my laptop has since gone kaput too ... but I am getting ahead of myself...
With the demise of my dining-table-neighbour-desktop, I eventually and grudgingly moved into my then (and now) bedroom (Not the first bedroom - that has become a "store room", remember?) Quite frankly I had made it a point - when I blogged "outside", that I no longer wanted to blog/work where I slept, needing to keep a "distance" between the two - for both psychological purposes, and even a geographically physically one, even if it meant in the same household.
TOYSREVIL HQ VERSION 2B: During this period of time, I also filmed a whole lot of toy-review videos (With the background of black bookshelf and the living room window) via my then recently purchased laptop, using the built-in camera, which resulted in as murky and desaturated images, most of them initially reversed (*Because I was an idiot and did not know how to invert them during editing LOL). This space was also no longer available as it was to film.
With moving into my bedroom, it drastically scaled down the workspace.
TOYSREVIL HQ VERSION 3A: With the slightly smaller space, it also meant there had been a more "controlled" space, where I was able to "dress up" the background where the camera was filming, to which another line-up of review images were set against, and this time having access to my late Dad's digital camera, filmed a series of visually more intense colors and crispness - an example with the video below;
When I needed to film larger collectibles, I could move out the table and switch using my laptop's built-in camera to record myself and the background instead. I was unable to see the playback of Dad's digital camera, you see, unlike looking at the item in-front of the camera-lens ... Featured below is an example, with the return of the desaturated and lack of crispness tho...
All in all, this was a set-up that was manageable and my fav set-up so far! This was a period of vibrant colors and popping colours and shapes, and quite frankly an "ideal" of toys-representation I had evolved into - where in the past I would prefer a white or plain background, letting the toy itself "pop"- like the plain white of my blog allows the toy (images) themselves to stand out - to the multicoloured chaos that personally excited me LOL ... Too bad, it did not last long...
TOYSREVIL HQ 3B: Somewhen in February 2018, "structural issues" happened at home, which led to re-arrangement of certain structures which ultimately affected the visual. Also with the death of my laptop, a new desktop-screen on the small table (which was the actual foldable table I had made for my toycon booth in 2012, actually), and dwindling space due to massive build-up of more boxes, led to the current incarnation of TOYSREVIL HQ.
For a period of time, I was contented with filming reviews around the household, and even set-up the back of my desktop, filling up the shelves with toys on display (something I never truly had for the longest time, actually) ... until the recent "Circuit Breaker" period in Singapore (Our nation's version of "Not A Full Lockdown" with "Stay At Home" become a national rule) and where I had contemplated and eventually started filming vertically for my TOYTALK and TOYTIME!
After all these years in the media industry, and even online, I struggled to accept filming vertically, but once I started, I knew I could yet again control / dress the background that I was going to use.
TOYSREVIL HQ VERSION 4: I had gone back to what I missed: Dressing up the background surface with an insane amount of STICKERS! And having used a ton of them for my previous set, I had to now dip into my more "treasured" collection (I am a "hoarder", and there's no nicer way of saying that LOL), and dressed to wherever my (phone) camera could see.... and THIS is the result today! I had even chronicled the journey HERE on Instagram!
Yes, I could do with more lights, and yes I could do with a fresh new table top, and yes I wished I had newer toys and collectibles that could catch the attention of some collectors - but that is a "reality" far from my own abilities ... BUT I have tons of old(er) toys, and maybe it's time for me to pay them a little bit more attention, snd share them with everyone, with a brand new setting for the TOYSREVIL HQ!
The next step, is to sort out my filming equipment!!!
Well, compared to my squalor of a bedroom piled up high on one side with toy-boxes (which you might never see, although I have on occasion posted on my social, but), and the other, a sole table I use both for my desktop, AND for doodling = Hereby known as "TOYSREVIL HQ"! And for a slice of frivolous fun this throwback thursday, presenting the EVOLUTION OF TOYSREVIL-HQ!
IN SINGAPORE: Residential-living situations, compared to Western counterparts, we do not have a "basement" or a "garage" (the equivalent might be "bomb shelters" in HDB flats, but), but I have what is commonly known as a "bedroom", or a little corner space where I can put a desktop computer, and work my "blog-magic" (I cringed a little when I typed that HAHAHAHAHA).
VERSION 0: In the "early days" of pre-TOYSREVIL-blog, it was at the corner of my first bedroom, right next to the sliding room windows. I had initially designed my own room such that there would be a small-ish table top space (less than 60cm deep), right below wall-boxed shelves (for my blister-cards toys nyuknyuk), and a space next to it, meant to include an non-built-in drawing table - which eventually gave in to a table for desktop computer (when I decided to draw in the office, rather than at home).
The above video is the earlier incarnation of my collection of 1/6th-scaled kitbashed figures (Uploaded Oct 3, 2005).
TOYSREVL HQ VERSION 1: That space soon dissipated and was filled up, rather quickly actually, when I started blogging. I had converted said space into a make-shift "photo-studio", but only because I attached a portable fluorescent tube tied to a extendable pole (meant for laundry), which stretched between two full-height IKEA-bought shelves, above my desktop space, after I plonked down two desktop computers on it. This set-up enabled me to film from the top too - as seen from one of my earliest "unboxing" video - circa Nov 2006!
Effectively less than 40-30cm width of space to use, I'd erect a folded backdrop, and did minor toy-snaps ... Sure, I would've LOVED to have more space dedicated to my toys, but I hd already built up a sizeable hoard of stuff around me (much less the horrendous stack of figures piling up beside my hard-drive), I had to make do with whatever I can scrounge up, and this quite frankly left me experiencing the most fun I have had in my blogging and toy-collecting days.
Besides typing on the keyboards blogging, setting up and shooting toy-snaps, so too was the space used for customing whatever little toys I did - one such video (featured below) show how narrow that space used was too! Imagine days when this happens, and blogging essentially had to come to a literal halt, but continued once again when I waited for the paint to dry LOL
And while fun and quite exciting, it was quite detrimental to a standardised schedule I could stick to, and I had developed a habit f irregular timings, not much different that when I was active in the film and television/media days before..
This was the place where I shot my self-portrait which was used for The Art Hustle trading card set (Series 2), and as well a "extra" behind-the-scenes snap - which showcased the table clad in darkness (photo-mania), which was used as a "variant" card too! The images were emailed off in August 2010, 2 months before my Stroke too!
About 5 years in (into blogging on TOYSREVIL), I had a Stroke in October of 2010. I was in hospital for about two months for recovery, and during that time, my family had dismantled all the shelves in my bedroom, and converted it into a "store-room space", even if it only held floor to ceiling brown boxes of stuff - predominantly my toy collection. This was necessary at that time, as I had tons of stuff out in the living room area, which needed to be brought into said bedroom, primarily because I came home in a wheelchair, and I needed space (in the beginning) to be able to move around in my wheelchair. Half a year later, I stopped using a wheelchair altogether, thank goodness for rehab.
Even now, a decade into my Stroke, I am still uncovering boxes of stuff inside the room, whenever the time and energy allows ...
TOYSREVIL HQ VERSION 2A: For a period of time, I was blogging in a space right next to the dining area - where I established a new workspace - with the dining table itself functioning as a based where I took snaps of toys. On one hand this function as a space were my family could see me physically working, and where I will not be able to blog-on un-checked, like when I was in my first bedroom, door closed. This time, I was out in the "open", and quite literally next to where we have our meals LOL
This was also about the time I ventured unto Instagram, and one sure way to recognise this period, were the incredulously darkened and murkiness of how most of the pictures turned out / were uploaded! And I realised later it literally WAS the quantity of the phone camera! LOL
And while I am unsure IF I had taken images of this area, they would not doubt have been kept in the desktop, which has since gone kaput. I think I salvaged what I could unto my laptop, but that point is now moot as my laptop has since gone kaput too ... but I am getting ahead of myself...
With the demise of my dining-table-neighbour-desktop, I eventually and grudgingly moved into my then (and now) bedroom (Not the first bedroom - that has become a "store room", remember?) Quite frankly I had made it a point - when I blogged "outside", that I no longer wanted to blog/work where I slept, needing to keep a "distance" between the two - for both psychological purposes, and even a geographically physically one, even if it meant in the same household.
TOYSREVIL HQ VERSION 2B: During this period of time, I also filmed a whole lot of toy-review videos (With the background of black bookshelf and the living room window) via my then recently purchased laptop, using the built-in camera, which resulted in as murky and desaturated images, most of them initially reversed (*Because I was an idiot and did not know how to invert them during editing LOL). This space was also no longer available as it was to film.
With moving into my bedroom, it drastically scaled down the workspace.
TOYSREVIL HQ VERSION 3A: With the slightly smaller space, it also meant there had been a more "controlled" space, where I was able to "dress up" the background where the camera was filming, to which another line-up of review images were set against, and this time having access to my late Dad's digital camera, filmed a series of visually more intense colors and crispness - an example with the video below;
When I needed to film larger collectibles, I could move out the table and switch using my laptop's built-in camera to record myself and the background instead. I was unable to see the playback of Dad's digital camera, you see, unlike looking at the item in-front of the camera-lens ... Featured below is an example, with the return of the desaturated and lack of crispness tho...
All in all, this was a set-up that was manageable and my fav set-up so far! This was a period of vibrant colors and popping colours and shapes, and quite frankly an "ideal" of toys-representation I had evolved into - where in the past I would prefer a white or plain background, letting the toy itself "pop"- like the plain white of my blog allows the toy (images) themselves to stand out - to the multicoloured chaos that personally excited me LOL ... Too bad, it did not last long...
TOYSREVIL HQ 3B: Somewhen in February 2018, "structural issues" happened at home, which led to re-arrangement of certain structures which ultimately affected the visual. Also with the death of my laptop, a new desktop-screen on the small table (which was the actual foldable table I had made for my toycon booth in 2012, actually), and dwindling space due to massive build-up of more boxes, led to the current incarnation of TOYSREVIL HQ.
For a period of time, I was contented with filming reviews around the household, and even set-up the back of my desktop, filling up the shelves with toys on display (something I never truly had for the longest time, actually) ... until the recent "Circuit Breaker" period in Singapore (Our nation's version of "Not A Full Lockdown" with "Stay At Home" become a national rule) and where I had contemplated and eventually started filming vertically for my TOYTALK and TOYTIME!
After all these years in the media industry, and even online, I struggled to accept filming vertically, but once I started, I knew I could yet again control / dress the background that I was going to use.
TOYSREVIL HQ VERSION 4: I had gone back to what I missed: Dressing up the background surface with an insane amount of STICKERS! And having used a ton of them for my previous set, I had to now dip into my more "treasured" collection (I am a "hoarder", and there's no nicer way of saying that LOL), and dressed to wherever my (phone) camera could see.... and THIS is the result today! I had even chronicled the journey HERE on Instagram!
Yes, I could do with more lights, and yes I could do with a fresh new table top, and yes I wished I had newer toys and collectibles that could catch the attention of some collectors - but that is a "reality" far from my own abilities ... BUT I have tons of old(er) toys, and maybe it's time for me to pay them a little bit more attention, snd share them with everyone, with a brand new setting for the TOYSREVIL HQ!
The next step, is to sort out my filming equipment!!!
