Dan and Phil's TATINOF YouTube Red Originals
Today is a very very exciting day for the phandom, which I by now consider myself a part of. Dan Howell and Phil Lester are two of my favourite YouTubers and ever since I found their content online, I've been impressed time upon time again.
I found Dan and Phil's videos over 2 years ago and in the time that's passed since then, I've only become more and more involved with their world and grown so fond of them. I discovered their BBC radio shows, their online merch shop and weekly separate 1 hour live shows. Then followed all that has happened since I joined; a joint gaming channel DanAndPhilGAMES, the release of their first book The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire, the UK tour of their stage show The Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire (which I was lucky enough to see in Cardiff), which then went on a second leg to America (+ one stop in Canada) and finally a third leg in Australia.
Now, it's time for release of their two YouTube Red original videos; Dan and Phil's The Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire and Dan and Phil's Story of TATINOF
Having just finished the stage show movie, I'm such a mess of emotions. It's a scripted show with only few things variating from show to show, so I saw pretty much the same thing I witnessed in Cardiff almost a year ago. Somehow, that only made me feel even more emotional getting to relive it all over again.
You're greeted with Dan and Phil emerging out of a microwave and within the first ten minutes, the boys set the story straight; Phil microwaved his computer and has conclusively destroyed the Internet and everything the pair of them have done online has exploded into real life. Not only is this a very cool concept, it carries well throughout the whole show and I went to see it after having avoided spoilers and that made the initial excitement so much greater.
Three different segments depend on audience participation, although all voluntary and not sprung on anyone (which I personally find really nice) and vary from show to show. People coming to the show that the option to give the boys 7 Second Challenges, share this own weird kids stories or make craft and art for them too see. It's very heartfelt seeing them react to amazing and disturbing crafts.
Those three segments along with a real life "fanfiction", where the audience could pick between two options, are the only places where the shows differ. It's nice that all the shows weren't identical but to be honest, the production value of the whole show is so good and the script they've come up with is so original and true to them.
You get to take a trip down memory lane if you've been a long time subscriber. You see Phil mount a lion and Dan mount a llama. You get to see the boys having a domestic discussion about what to do and solving with a 7 Second Challenge, which Phil in true nature culminates in an all or nothing - that Dan obviously loses. They both have an individual segments; Phil sharing three of his own weird kids stories after accidentally browsing through Dan's unfortunate selfie collection. Dan has a hotline in place of his Internet Support Group and answer questions from several concerned viewers that we all can relate to. Phil has his very own magic show that ends with Dan being half llama temporarily and later in the show Dan goes into full existential crisis mode, lying face down on the floor.
They've somehow managed to cram 6+ years of Dan and Phil into a one and a half hour show and there's nods towards their pasts constantly. Even when they accidentally travel to year 2083, they still sit down to do Phil is not on fire 75. The show wraps up nicely when Dil Howlter, their SIMS character, is reveal to be causing the havoc of the forced fanfiction actions! It was so terrifying seeing him appear in the back of the audience but despite seeming like a villain at first he offer the boys solid advice before leaving. Dan doubts if what he's doing with his life is important and Phil worries about being weird and not able to fit it.
But they do fit in and what they are doing matters. The "world" they've build for like-minded people is oh-so important. If you're to take anything away from the show, it must be that it's completely okay to be yourself and you shouldn't change who you are to meet someone else's expectations. You might not know what you're doing with your life or where you're headed but if it makes you (and other people) happy then you're on the right path.
My favourite and the most surprising part is when Phil is finally allowed to break into song after Dan stopping him twice previously. Third time is the charm and he gets Dan to sing along. They perform their original musical song The Internet is here, which perfectly wraps up how the Internet can change your life. I never would have thought I'd see them do a whole dance routine in glittery gold outfits but it somehow works. And the brief moment where they look at each other, completely ignoring the audience for the first time, is kind of precious.
Of course, I went right on an watched the documentary as well. Who do you take me for? Before going in, I had a feeling this one would actually be my favourite of the two. While I knew from personal experience that the show was great, I was very curious to glimpse behind the curtain as it were.
On stage, they are danisnotonfire and AmazingPhil, which it great and their performance selves are always funny, whether it be in their videos or in the stage show. However, Dan and Phil just as normal people rather than their over-exaggerated performance personas are what makes them so intriguing. The whole documentary is narrated by an interview with Dan and Phil with loads of clips in between from the very early stages of rehearsal to the last night of the American tour where the show was filmed.
Some of the clips are literally just on Dan's phone and it's just the two of them. It's like their day in the life videos and for some reason I found it so comforting to see usual "YouTube content" in this big production. Thankfully, they joke around with the professional camera man they had for the American leg of the tour and seem pretty comfortable, which makes it seem more authentic. However, there's no denying we get to see another side of them when it's just the two best friends.
It was really interesting to get to know about what goes into producing and making a stage show. Seeing as the idea for this was conceived together with the one for their amazing book, this documentary also serves as a more wrap up of all that has been Dan and Phil from 2009 until now.
The two of them are talking about a rebranding, which they've been doing gradually throughout the years. At first, it was a bit odd to say goodbye to "sexy end screen dance" and "draw Phil naked" (though just seeing it plain on paper makes me realise how cringe and a bit inappropriate it was) but now I'm happy those things are gone. I also don't mind saying goodbye to llamas and lions as long as Phil is not on fire is safely protected.
I found Dan and Phil's videos over 2 years ago and in the time that's passed since then, I've only become more and more involved with their world and grown so fond of them. I discovered their BBC radio shows, their online merch shop and weekly separate 1 hour live shows. Then followed all that has happened since I joined; a joint gaming channel DanAndPhilGAMES, the release of their first book The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire, the UK tour of their stage show The Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire (which I was lucky enough to see in Cardiff), which then went on a second leg to America (+ one stop in Canada) and finally a third leg in Australia.
Now, it's time for release of their two YouTube Red original videos; Dan and Phil's The Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire and Dan and Phil's Story of TATINOF
And next month their second book Dan and Phil Go Outside, which is a photo book with memories from tour, will be released. With the two movies and this book, the two tall awkward British guys wrap up on their many big projects that all begun with an idea over three years ago! Their first book, also mentioned as the Dan and Phil Bible, was to physically have an object that contained all the great memories from the world of Dan and Phil. The stage show was taking all that they have done in their videos for years and bringing it out to their viewers to see in real life in a wonderful and coherent show.
I was watching Dan's weekly live show yesterday and towards the end of the hour he usually get more profound and I record the ending. On the topic of the two videos being released the following day, he had this to say:
"I feel strangely calm but deep within me there's this tiny panic that me and Phil have spent the last you know 2, technically 3 since we had the original idea, years working on this book The Amazing Book Is Not On Fire and this stage show The Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire and tomorrow The Amazing Tour Is Not On Fire and a documentary about the making of it is coming out on YouTube and there we go. It's there, for all of you, on the Internet - forever. Crazy. See, I say that out loud but I don't even know what that means because it's just been my entire life for so long. How strange."
This introduction segment I've written before watching the two YouTube Red Originals, which drops in around half an hour (I'm so f*cking excited!). Based on Dan's recommendation, I'll watch the stage show first and then the documentary afterwards. I'll check back in and write my initial thoughts right after I finish watching each of them and then upload this post to my blog and probably share it on Tumblr too.
Having just finished the stage show movie, I'm such a mess of emotions. It's a scripted show with only few things variating from show to show, so I saw pretty much the same thing I witnessed in Cardiff almost a year ago. Somehow, that only made me feel even more emotional getting to relive it all over again.
You're greeted with Dan and Phil emerging out of a microwave and within the first ten minutes, the boys set the story straight; Phil microwaved his computer and has conclusively destroyed the Internet and everything the pair of them have done online has exploded into real life. Not only is this a very cool concept, it carries well throughout the whole show and I went to see it after having avoided spoilers and that made the initial excitement so much greater.
Three different segments depend on audience participation, although all voluntary and not sprung on anyone (which I personally find really nice) and vary from show to show. People coming to the show that the option to give the boys 7 Second Challenges, share this own weird kids stories or make craft and art for them too see. It's very heartfelt seeing them react to amazing and disturbing crafts.
Those three segments along with a real life "fanfiction", where the audience could pick between two options, are the only places where the shows differ. It's nice that all the shows weren't identical but to be honest, the production value of the whole show is so good and the script they've come up with is so original and true to them.
You get to take a trip down memory lane if you've been a long time subscriber. You see Phil mount a lion and Dan mount a llama. You get to see the boys having a domestic discussion about what to do and solving with a 7 Second Challenge, which Phil in true nature culminates in an all or nothing - that Dan obviously loses. They both have an individual segments; Phil sharing three of his own weird kids stories after accidentally browsing through Dan's unfortunate selfie collection. Dan has a hotline in place of his Internet Support Group and answer questions from several concerned viewers that we all can relate to. Phil has his very own magic show that ends with Dan being half llama temporarily and later in the show Dan goes into full existential crisis mode, lying face down on the floor.
They've somehow managed to cram 6+ years of Dan and Phil into a one and a half hour show and there's nods towards their pasts constantly. Even when they accidentally travel to year 2083, they still sit down to do Phil is not on fire 75. The show wraps up nicely when Dil Howlter, their SIMS character, is reveal to be causing the havoc of the forced fanfiction actions! It was so terrifying seeing him appear in the back of the audience but despite seeming like a villain at first he offer the boys solid advice before leaving. Dan doubts if what he's doing with his life is important and Phil worries about being weird and not able to fit it.
But they do fit in and what they are doing matters. The "world" they've build for like-minded people is oh-so important. If you're to take anything away from the show, it must be that it's completely okay to be yourself and you shouldn't change who you are to meet someone else's expectations. You might not know what you're doing with your life or where you're headed but if it makes you (and other people) happy then you're on the right path.
My favourite and the most surprising part is when Phil is finally allowed to break into song after Dan stopping him twice previously. Third time is the charm and he gets Dan to sing along. They perform their original musical song The Internet is here, which perfectly wraps up how the Internet can change your life. I never would have thought I'd see them do a whole dance routine in glittery gold outfits but it somehow works. And the brief moment where they look at each other, completely ignoring the audience for the first time, is kind of precious.
Of course, I went right on an watched the documentary as well. Who do you take me for? Before going in, I had a feeling this one would actually be my favourite of the two. While I knew from personal experience that the show was great, I was very curious to glimpse behind the curtain as it were.
On stage, they are danisnotonfire and AmazingPhil, which it great and their performance selves are always funny, whether it be in their videos or in the stage show. However, Dan and Phil just as normal people rather than their over-exaggerated performance personas are what makes them so intriguing. The whole documentary is narrated by an interview with Dan and Phil with loads of clips in between from the very early stages of rehearsal to the last night of the American tour where the show was filmed.
Some of the clips are literally just on Dan's phone and it's just the two of them. It's like their day in the life videos and for some reason I found it so comforting to see usual "YouTube content" in this big production. Thankfully, they joke around with the professional camera man they had for the American leg of the tour and seem pretty comfortable, which makes it seem more authentic. However, there's no denying we get to see another side of them when it's just the two best friends.
It was really interesting to get to know about what goes into producing and making a stage show. Seeing as the idea for this was conceived together with the one for their amazing book, this documentary also serves as a more wrap up of all that has been Dan and Phil from 2009 until now.
The two of them are talking about a rebranding, which they've been doing gradually throughout the years. At first, it was a bit odd to say goodbye to "sexy end screen dance" and "draw Phil naked" (though just seeing it plain on paper makes me realise how cringe and a bit inappropriate it was) but now I'm happy those things are gone. I also don't mind saying goodbye to llamas and lions as long as Phil is not on fire is safely protected.
One of my favourite moments in the documentary is about half way though when Dan and Phil are in an apparently empty diner and they're trying to map out their American tour stops and failing at geography. Though the cameraman is present, they seem completely in their own little world and completely baffled at how far they'll travel. Throughout the whole experience they are both so humble and appreciative of the opportunity they've been presented and it just warms my heart because they deserve it so much.
It has to be that moment or near the end when the boys talks about what they wish for you to take away from the show, which I've already touched upon at the end of my review of the stage show movie. But honestly, making sure people know it's perfectly okay to be yourself even if someone doesn't get you and encouraging you to pursue what makes you happy and telling you that you'll be okay, cannot be taken for granted. The few last clips during the credits are also very precious.
The whole show and the documentary is basically a big inside joke but it is being that honestly and it's not trying to dress itself up as something else. This is a project Dan and Phil wanted to make creative challenge but also aim towards the people who've watched and supported them for years. If you're not well aquianted with the two awkward but adorable Brits, you won't get it. If that's the case, I'd recommend going and watching a couple of their videos because they've brought me so much joy.
Just a warning though... you might never make it out again. But you'll probably love it too much to worry about that. *awkward smile*
It has to be that moment or near the end when the boys talks about what they wish for you to take away from the show, which I've already touched upon at the end of my review of the stage show movie. But honestly, making sure people know it's perfectly okay to be yourself even if someone doesn't get you and encouraging you to pursue what makes you happy and telling you that you'll be okay, cannot be taken for granted. The few last clips during the credits are also very precious.
The whole show and the documentary is basically a big inside joke but it is being that honestly and it's not trying to dress itself up as something else. This is a project Dan and Phil wanted to make creative challenge but also aim towards the people who've watched and supported them for years. If you're not well aquianted with the two awkward but adorable Brits, you won't get it. If that's the case, I'd recommend going and watching a couple of their videos because they've brought me so much joy.
Just a warning though... you might never make it out again. But you'll probably love it too much to worry about that. *awkward smile*
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