[ETCETERA] Final Fantasy (FCL Update)

This is a follow-up to my previous post about the Fantasy Casting League.  You can click on the link to get up-to-speed as to what the hell I’m talking about before going any further.

Or, if you prefer to work out your understanding through contextual clues – or perhaps not understand at all – carry on reading right here.

To start with, my FCL winning streak ended at two.  I got taken down by Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, then stayed down with The Mummy (1999) and Die Hard.  Hey, even Michael Jordan had to retire eventually.  And then eventually again.

But on the positive side, the League’s kinks appear to have been worked out, though there’s always room for improvement (like the Constitution, the FCL is a living document. Somehow without being at document at all).

These go to three…

To begin with, the scoring range has been supplemented from the previous zero through two to zero through three.

Now, a bad pick gets no points, a decent pick one, a good pick two, and a great pick three (as well as continuing with a negative two for no pick at all).  It doesn’t seem like much of a difference, but when you’re making relative comparisons, one more increment helps a lot (I feel like there’s a double entendre happening here, but that’s probably for a different blog).

There was also a strong suggestion (though not a formal rule) that if someone has the same pick as you made for one of the roles, you should automatically score it a three (except maybe – maybe – in the rare case where you actually hate your pick but couldn’t come up with a better alternative).  It’s a grey area.  I’d suggest using your moral compass, but I’m not sure if those even exist anymore.

Additionally, the form created every week to fill out (thanks, Rob) has been changed from a portrait orientation to landscape to better display on a computer screen or in a conference room (this is also why you should never shoot vertical video with your phone (you’re welcome, Josh)).

On the plus side, I did get props for Tilda and Luis.

And lastly, we’ve added space below each casting suggestion to reference the projects the actors are known for.  The reason we do this now is because of the most significant change of all…

Anonymity.

In order to prevent bias against or for anyone during the voting process (Alex…), each of the completed forms is put into a network folder with just a number as an identifier.  That way, everyone is judging the picks of a number, not a name (in other words, payback will have to come through other means).

My money’s on player number three

To maintain the veil of secrecy during the scoring, you also fill out rankings for your own picks, but total it up as zero.

A drawback to anonymity is that the picks can’t be defended or explained, but the actors’ credits solve the problem of wondering where the hell we’ve seen them before (if we have, in fact, seen them before), so that’s no longer essential.  It’s not a perfect system, but it beats the hell out of the Electoral College.

So if you’re playing along in your own division of the League, make sure you apply these changes, or there will be sanctions.  Possible legal action.  At least a stern talking to.

You’ve been warned.

Finally, since this is my last post of 2017, I’ll wish all my readers a very happy New Year.

Happy New Year, mom.