The series of YouTube videos uses a kind of stop-and-go animation to tell the story. While the characters are familiar, comic book heroes that feature in everything from comic books to movies, the plot is original. Since it is obvious that the familiar characters are action figures, the creator must work harder to maintain the suspension of belief. The action figures pose multiple problems animating simply because of the physical construction. The various figures lack certain points of articulation which limits the amount of poses. There is also the lack of proper facial expressions, though this is not as important with some of the superhero action figures that have masks. This leads to all emotion being portrayed through the voices of the characters, which is done well with inflections and pauses that convey meaning.
The first episode lacks a long-running plot, but establishes the characters and the setting. The creator relies on the audience to have background knowledge of the characters and their movies, but their characterization is established through dialogue. Dialogue becomes the most important aspect of the characterization since there is little movement. The lack of movement would be jarring in a more fast-paced setting, but due to the relaxed atmosphere of the bar, there is no feeling of the scene being stagnant. Then there is the lack of facial movements to allow for emotion, which is fixed with excellent inflections in the voices. The lack of facial movements also causes difficulty figuring out who is talking, if not for the differences made in the voices and shifting of camera angles to focus on the character that is speaking. This is similar to how a puppeteer will move the limbs of the talking character while the rest remain still thus bringing the focus to them.
While the magnificent quality of the voices is contrasted with the jarring volume of the sound effects. This is especially present in the ending when Iron Man collapses where the crash is much louder than the volume of the voices of the characters, especially since there was no yelling or shouting. On the opposite end of the scale, the volume of the telepathic voice used by Charles Xavier is so quiet that what he is saying can be lost in the effect used to provide the echo, which shows that he is using telepathy as opposed to speaking aloud.
The setting of the YouTube videos is meant to serve a function and have no real aesthetic value. The walls are obviously computer paper, yet the blank, white background allowed for a greater focus upon the characters, which is what the episode is really about. The "function over aesthetics" motto is then applied to the props that the characters interact with, varying from the tables to the drinks. Yet, the interaction with the props is again limited by the lack of capable movement of the action figures. The interaction is then implied, with the bottles and drinks placed within easy reach or placed haphazardly on its side to signify that the bottle is empty and its contents have been drunk. This allows for its use to be conveying without fumbling and breaking the illusion for the audience. What does break the illusion is the disproportion of a few props, most obviously the bottle that is placed near The Punisher. There is also the writing in his journal, which are obviously illegible scribbling, that break the illusion.
The biggest factors in jarring the audience back to the present would be the appearance of the hand holding the action figure and the unnatural posture of one character. The first instance happens when Spiderman is walking away from the Punisher and the hand appears in the bottom left corner causing the movement. The latter is when Superman is conversing with another character and has one foot off the ground at an angle, leading to the conclusion that someone is holding the other foot to allow the posture. While there are some instances that break the suspension of belief, the audience is easily drawn back in by the new characterizations of old favorite characters and their interactions with voices that convey proper emotion.
The YouTube video series "After Hours" is accustomed to progress and change. The overall focus changes from comedic movie criticism to superhero action and drama, with some comedic relief. The added special effects and new postures reflect this change along with enhancing the enhancing the quality as a whole. While the changes help, the effects are limited.
The special effects are limited to about three types: the lightning effect, the flashing of a different color filter over the screen, and the circular wave. Due to the limitations, the same effect would have different purposes. For instance, the circular wave effect is used when a person is vanishing into non-existence or changing to a different character due to a temporal flux. The actual use of each effect makes the show more believable, adding a layer of not just action but superhero fantasy. While the repeated use of the effect for multiple purposes lessens its believability by drawing the audience's attention to the creator, ItsJustSomeRandomGuy, working with a lack of effects in editing. Yet, they are still believable in the sense that the creator has made the effects stay within a certain realm of ability. The circular wave effect is for characters that are vanishing from supernatural means, either simply disappearing or vanishing and in the same instance being replaced by another character. The lightning effect acts as a sort of laser and is meant as an attack that causes pain from a distance, yet this effect includes additions of little details that customize the attack and make it believable. For instance, when Luthor attacks Superman with the same attack that he used on both Batman and Spiderman, there is an added green coloring to imply that kryptonite is being added to the attack. The use of the color green to symbolize kryptonite is used again later in the second part of the episode where it is combined with the screen filter effect. While the detail is important and promotes continuity, the fact that kryptonite is usually know as a solid and not a gas makes its use less obvious to the audience who then has the rely on dialogue pointing it out to understand. The special effects are used well and with purpose but the fact that there are so few types of special effects when there are so many different superheroes with different powers breaks the suspension of disbelief.
The more creative uses of the camera help to preserve the sense of tension and make the movement of the action figures smoother. The uses range from new perspective, most notable the close-ups upon the face of the action figure, to more traditional stop-and-go animation. The close-ups upon the faces seem useless when taken out of context since the action figures have one facial expression that does not change, along with some superheroes having masks that cover any sort of facial expression. Yet, they work well due to the voice work of the creator that filled with emotion that is then transposed over the action figures face in the audience's mind. For instance, in the dramatic scene between Superman and Luthor in the pocket dimension, there are multiple close-ups on Superman's expression, which has not changed at all during the series but when the audience hears the highly emotional voice, they will imagine the appropriate image and superimpose it over Superman's expression, or interpret his original expression in a different way. There are also the more comedic uses of perspective which expand the dimensions of the stage and make the world more believable and less flat. This is exemplified in the scene where Spiderman is perched high on a wall and spouts the quote, "Is it over?" which is accompanied by an echo effect to exemplify the distance he is from the other characters. Both the special effects and new perspectives help the videos to evolve and adapt to the new tension-filled and dramatic genre, though the limitations are obvious.
The second season of the YouTube series "After Hours" brings with it new changes and a greater ability to both amuse and entrance the audience. The biggest change would be the inclusion of background music. In the previous season music was still used, but only in the opening or ending sequence. There are also more numerous props, and characters interacting with said props, along with new scenery. Then there is the more obvious change in the appearance of the joker, who has become the main villain with a more sinister personality. While the little details help the series to evolve and promote realism, the change in the Joker does not only help the series to evolve but shows the change in the actual character.
The background music can be heard during the scene where Spiderman is first introduced in the season. The song is "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" by The Offspring, which features various funny sounds effects and a fast beat. The music is used to highlight the silliness of the scene and create a less tense atmosphere after the previous scene. This is due to the previous scene highlighting the new and improved, and much more sadistic, Joker which transitions directly to Spiderman due to the use of foreshadowing. The music is used to lessen the jarring effect of moving from a dark and tense scene to the light-hearted scene at the superhero bar. Music is again used for comedic effect in the music video featuring the Green Goblin and Harley Quinn in the Green Goblin’s dream. The music takes out the realism of each scene, but sets the mood and creates a more relaxed atmosphere.
The new Joker action figure deviates from the previous seasons by being based on the new Batman movie, as opposed to the animated series that the previous Joker figurine came from. Similar to how the movie version of Joker is more serious and a greater danger as compared to the limitations given to a children's show. This is due to Joker becoming the main villain in the season and has no sympathetic tendencies, starting from his intent to physically abuse Harley Quinn. The new figure has more details which adds to the realism of the action figure and adds a sense of realism to the threats that he makes against the various heroes, and Green Goblin.
The addition of more props adds to the series by giving continuity by the reappearance of some and allowing the characters to interact with their environment. The continuity is given by the appearance of Captain America's shield, which was given to Superman after he almost died by the then dead Captain America, placed upon the wall of the bar. This links the two seasons in a subtle way and shows that each adventure does have an effect upon the universe, as opposed to simply keeping the status quo and having everything go back to normal. Then there in the greater amount of interaction with the props, varying from a tray to a phone to a scalpel. The interaction shows the characters interacting with the environment as opposed to simply existing in a void with a background. The biggest drawback of the interaction would be the figures' inability to hold onto said props, thus the continued use of transparent rubber bands in order for the figures to hold anything. The rubber bands remind the audience of the limitations of the figures' movements due to their medium thus ruining the suspension of disbelief. Another problem would be the proportions of action figures as compared to the props, but this problem is cleverly and smoothly averted due to the use of different frames. This is exemplified in the appearance of the Batmobile, which is much smaller than the characters who are supposed to ride in it. Yet, it is never shown in the same frame as another character. Instead, there in a frame that focuses on the Batmobile, complete with booted-up lights and close-ups, then the reaction shot of Spiderman, then a cut to another scene, then to Spiderman already inside the Batmobile. The creativity used to continue the suspension of disbelief shows how the series is evolving.
The latest season of the YouTube video series "After Hours" starts off its first episode with new figures and new filters to create more variation and a greater sense of realism with a more clearly defined world. There is also the use of background music which is used to add tension and underline the importance of an event, as opposed to the previous seasons where its primary use was for ridiculous and humorous situations. The use of different effects with different actions helps to better define what is going on the world that is created.
The most obvious change is the change from the action figure of Harley Quinn to a Barbie doll version. The Barbie version allows for Harley's face to appear without the mask, while the action figure is more static. There is also the great difference in size, the Barbie doll being a lot larger than the old Harley action figure, also larger than some of the other action figures in the cast. While the change allows for a more human and emotive face, the textures (hair and cloth versus plastic) stands out among the various other superhero action figures. On the other hand, the differences in sizes between the Barbie dolls and the action figures are avoided with keeping them in separate frames or leaving enough of a distance between the two figures that depth perception is tricked so that the sizes look equal. This is best seen when both Harley and the Green Goblin are in the same room at his home but, despite being in a relationship, keep a distance and do not touch each other. Another example would be when the pair is at the grave of the Joker, where Harley is given numerous frames to herself though the Green Goblin is there with her to support her.
Another change is in the role of music in the video series. During the second season, primarily episode one, music was used to create a humorous tone, as shown in the scenes that first include Spiderman in the season and the impromptu music video starring the Green Goblin. In this episode the theme music of the series, which is played at the beginning of each episode as the titles appear, is played in the background while Batman announces the appearance of Lance's head, an artifact that has affected each season's plot. The theme underlines the importance of the artifact and how rooted it is in the entirety of the "After Hours" series. One of the biggest problems throughout the series in the level of volume as compared to other voices, such as going from eardrum-busting screams to soft whispers. The use of the music as background is well done since it can be heard, but does not distract the audience from what Batman is saying. This displays the progress that the creator has made over the whole of the series, by not just making the good things better but by also fixing the problems and working on his weaknesses.
There are also new filters and sound effects. The most important one being the light show given off by Lance's head as it activates. The new filter gives the artifact a greater sense of importance with its unique power, as signified by the filter that has not been used with any other special power or character. A smaller detail would be the inclusion of the Green Goblin's glider that has its own puttering engine sound. This sounds contrasts with the other engine sound that is used for the Batmobile, which helps to differentiate those very different modes of transportation for the very different characters. The new filters that are used help to create a more varied world with new surprises, the lessening of the predictability promotes the realism of the series.