Final Round: New Job
Judge’s Critiques
Ciara:
Eldaena-
Wow this is a gorgeous shot to finish on! I am very impressed with your shots in this cycle and your ability to really take ideas and concepts and made them happen. Your colors, hues and magic effects really make this shot shine, and yet don’t pull focus from you too much. The light blur in the background with such a high quality of these effects really raise the bar on not letting game limitations stop people from making such a gorgeous shot. I love that you managed to capture this unique idea and really make me want this job in game. gorgeous shot Eldaena, as are your others!
Stephen-
Though some might feel this shot is perhaps a bit plainer of a background I really feel simple did the trick here. The light shadowing of Ul’dah in the background makes for a pleasant bit of activity while the dusty clouds only manage to warm the shot and bring on the color palette you chose for this picture. You have managed to capture a great job and make us yearn to see its return in our world. Your color scheme goes great with your background and I love how you almost look ready to break into song. I’ve been very proud of your shots this cycle and have not been disappointed. Everyone’s done such a fantastic job bringing out what makes this competition so much fun! Amazing work Stephen!
Annouille-
Ahh yes the red mage. Dream of many and favorite to even more. You caught a lovely background and mixture of color to show off this job. The reds, greens, blues, and browns manage to blend gloriously without looking tacky and you chose a smart part of Ifrits area to keep it from anything but bland. Your outfit is spot on to what I feel a red mage would be here in FFXIV. That sword was a lovely choice and your outfit pulls off the true colors and elegance that I feel red mage portrays. I wish you hadn’t done a side shot here as it doesn’t really show off how gorgeous both you and your glamour are. Nevertheless, this shot is gorgeous and reminds me of how amazing and strong your shots have been all round. I have loved the chance to get to be a part of this competition again and to bask in the gloriousness you have all brought to this contest. Excellent job Annouille!
Nozomi:
Eldaena Vonxandria –
Another amazing and unique shot from you; definitely worthy of the final round! Expert effects layering like you’ve done here really gives a novel feel that befits a new job. This whole thing is entirely believable as a job because of everything you put in this shot; no element is unnecessary and thus all are essential to the success of it. Your overall palette feels very artificial and technology heavy which is exactly the aesthetic of magitek. Although having your character so poorly lit would normally be a big no no, you have once more found one of the extremely few instances where that is exactly what is needed to make a shot effective. Your powerful and direct pose combined with the lack of glow on your body immediately draws the eye so that you aren’t lost in all of the effects. Great expression! When combined with your styling you give off a cold, harsh vibe that is perfect for a Magitek based job. Nice outfit choice; the slightly military cut plus the bits of tech fit your theme. The angle of the shot and the placement of your elements are wonderful for this. It was wonderful having you here this cycle!
Stephen Fairbrook –
Lovely coordination between you and your companion! This whole shot feels like a reference to FFXI’s princess and her automata which is cool. Your background is pretty nice but you have some things that could be changed. The first is cutting out that roegadyn dude and the next is cutting down on the amount of sky behind you by raising your horizon line up. Overall your outfit is good but I wonder if it wouldn’t be even better if it had some of the mammet’s royal blue? Your expression feels a bit fierce and I’m not sure how much I’m digging it since I don’t see how it relates to your job. I think the dusty effect is good and helps your busy look pop out of the background. Your pose is kind of confusing; you look a little like you’re manipulating strings to direct the mammet, you’re doing the gold dance, or you just threw a pokeball. You have some deadspace in both of your upper corners. Cute idea with the glasses to match your buddy. Thanks for giving us so many lovely shots this cycle!
Annouille Andouillant –
You really nailed the red mage aesthetic! You made good use of a lot of new glamour items here; and you chose your ‘sword’ well. That cocky smirk makes you seem even more fabulous than usual. Unfortunately, you left far too much empty scenery behind you on either side which makes me think that perhaps this shot would have been more effective if it had been taken in another location. The dramatic lighting on Annie himself works well and gives your outfit a neat look, almost like it’s been frosted with ice, which contrasts very well with the fire. I think if you had sacrificed us seeing your whole outfit with more of a zoom this would have looked less empty. It kind of looks like you have your own magical girl sequence going on in the middle of a normal scene. Your pose was very well chosen as it shows off the heels, cape, cool hat, and a carefully edited out far blade. I’m so happy that you decided to join us for this cycle!
Xev:
Eldaena Vonxandra:
Eldaena has heard all the commentary about being doll-like and has retaliated by unleashing the big guns on us. Dressed as a terminator inspired marionette, Eldaena is directing traffic in a way that could be altogether frightening for those other two judges that often compared her to a doll. *Points at the judges above her* It was them, not me! Hopefully I can sit out this firing-squad Chucky fest unnoticed down here in my quiet little corner. Just in case my compatriots here fail to survive this week, I shall have to point out the exquisite use of composition and spell effects that make this entire composition just feel electric. Every inch of visual real estate in this shot is full of interesting colors and effects yet none of them detract from the stately presence of our doll like beauty queen.
Stephen Fairbrook:
Everybody’s favorite plate of home fries is finishing this contest strong with a sprightly jig. In fact, the costume styling is so unreal, that it brings back many painful memories of leveling Puppetmaster from my noob days in ffxi. Sometimes I still awake in a cold sweat remembering those Puppeteer Churidars. Don’t let the name fool you; they were basically slops with some gold embellishments super glued on. There is nothing quite as humbling as being that corpse on the floor in tacky gold-trimmed slops with a puppet lying nearby. It leaves people with questions that most dare not ask. Stephen Fairbrook however is cuter than a bushel of baby russets in this getup and the minion pulls the whole look together flawlessly.
Annouille Andouillant:
Normally, this would be the part of the review that I beckon Andouille closer so that we may gaze into his enchanting eyes and savor the sultry features of his handsome face. However, this week we are beset by a shoe game so fierce, it’s a wonder those spell vapors in the backdrop haven’t melted from the rays of fabulousness alone. If he pulled the camera in closer on those shoesies, I would be concerned not only for myself, but also for our readers that the glamour might radiate through our very monitors and burn the flesh off faces everywhere. This is a fitting tribute to the rapier wielding red-mage and a genuine marvel of in-game fashion. It’s no wonder the background is literally on fire.