Radical Face - A Light in the Woods (Book One: Hidden Hollow)
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- Опубліковано 5 лип 2024
- I first started working on “A Light in the Woods” back in 2018. How I arrived at this final format is kind of a strange story, but if I had to summarize it quickly - I really just wanted to combine my three favorite mediums (writing, painting and music) into a single project.
It sounded so simple on paper. I had no idea what I was signing myself up for.
I didn’t anticipate how much time digital painting would take me to get comfortable with, despite having drawn and painted most of my life. I didn’t expect to start learning (albeit simple) animation, or how to design environments and strange creatures and all that goes into world-building. I didn’t foresee learning how to narrate this myself, or teaching myself audio mastering. And I certainly didn't anticipate how much experimentation it would take to fit these pieces into a cohesive whole.
But I think sometimes it’s best not to know. If I knew what I was getting myself into, I likely would have chosen something simpler. And that would’ve been a real shame. Despite it taking ten times the effort of anything I’ve ever attempted, I’ve never had so much fun with a project. Now that I’ve got my head wrapped around it all, I love working this way. And it’s led me to some surprising new relationships and collaborators (I’m looking at you Stefano, Mitra, Griffin, and Sinix), and a newfound appreciation for two of my most constant sounding boards (hi, Josh and Jeremiah).
I’m still not sure what to call the final result. A living book? A semi-animated fairytale? Your guess is as good as mine. But whatever name I could give it, this is only part one. I have five more books coming. So if this is something you wind up enjoying, I hope you’ll come along for the rest of the ride. I can’t wait to share what else is in store.
But before I go, I’d like to leave you with one quick hint - don’t let the simple surface fool you. While this project is in some ways my love letter to fantasy, nature and animation, I’m using it to explore some of my largest and most complicated questions about life. I’ve described it to friends as a fairytale for my existential fears, and it’s turned into one of the most personal stories I’ve ever written. But there’s beauty in it, too. I promise.
Until next time,
-Ben
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Chapters:
0:00 Intro
2:32 Vagus's Youth
6:17 Message From the Other Side (Song)
10:12 Tea With Priscilla
12:34 The Great Tree
17:18 How To Say Goodbye
19:20 Over The Garden Wall (Song)
24:54 Packing To Leave
28:00 Enter The Woods (Song)
35:10 The Morning After
35:52 Credits
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Dedicated Website: alightinthewoods.net
Mailing List: eepurl.com/hb4lwf
Discord: radicalface.ffm.to/discord
Instagram: / radicalfaceofficial
UA-cam: @RadicalFace
#ALightInTheWoods #RadicalFace - Фільми й анімація
Really amazing to see this all take form, great work!
Thanks, Robert!
And for everyone else: Sinix has been a bit of a mentor with the visual side of this project, by critiquing and teaching me whenever I was stuck, and he also helped storyboard some scenes. Check out his channel if you have any interest in visual art, especially learning it. He has one of the most informative art channels on all of UA-cam. Plus he plays Street Fighter, which always gets bonus points.
Now that's a crossover I never thought I'd see! Amazing!
Holy **** this is a connection I never would have made but makes so much sense you two have both got immaculate creative vibes!
😮😅😮b😊🎉o
@@RadicalFace0:35
I can't get over the work you put into this! Very well done.
Your music always been so unique, it's helped many through both their darkest and brightest times!
Thanks for it all!
Be well Ben!
Stay blessed thank you for your story 🙏!
Beautiful, I shall wait with anticipation for part 2. Thank you.
I can't express how happy I am that this has come together for you in a way that you've found to be more profound than you had thought at its outset. All of us are definitely along for the ride with you - and, while Ellie is off at university (and in midterms) we're hoping she'll log on so we can do a family viewing together (even if it's a virtual gathering) of the debut. Congratulations, and all the best!
That's how you start a magical story with graphic design, narration and music. Immersing in this in a cozy Friday evening while under my blankets.
I feel very in touch with Vagus and Priscilla already. Excited for the next chapters 💚
Thank you so much for sharing your gifts with us. I can't wait to watch!
“Masterpiece” doesn’t even begin to describe this beautiful creation. This grabs my soul and pulls it into a whole new world.
I look forward to your video. Needless to say, I share with you that I admire your work very much. My song of life is undoubtedly always gold
Jesus christo radical face. I can see how much work and love youve put into it. Very well done heart puncher. I've always loved your work, keep doing things with so much love. We love u Ben❤
I don't usually click on ads, but this looked cool, and turns out it was. I hope others also find this little gem.
I cannot thank you enough for sharing your creativity and unique light in this world, Ben.
My teenage daughter and I were sitting at the table, but each working in our own online silos when this went live. I shared it, we both stopped what we were doing and fell into Vagus’ world, pausing only to admire the details of the hollow. Thank your for sharing your talents and for gifting us this meaningful reprieve.
Uhah b
Can't wait for this, your songs are a constant companion in my life :)
I’m beyond floored. Thank you Radical Face, you are amazing. Your work is incredible and has inspired me for years and I know it will continue to for years to come. This was incredible to watch💚
Wow. I feel like I'll have to watch it over and over to truly get all of it. I love Vagus's questions. I love the style of narration where, sometimes, what comes next is so perfectly set up it's already on your lips before hearing it. I love how haunting the music is at times, foreboding, probably. And I love Priscilla.
I'm afraid I too hear the bell, now. I'll have to see this story to its end. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful work of art with us. I have been so excited for it to come out, and enjoyed every second of book one ❤
(Minor spoiler warning!)
Just like little Vagus, I’m not too good with words, so I’ll just say this: this piece is absolutely stunning!! The atmosphere, the characters, the world, the music, the sound design, the lyrics and narration- all of it absolutely blew me away. I am in love with the world you’ve created and cannot wait to see more of it. Thank you so much for sharing your incredible work with us! Beyond grateful ☺️🙌✨
Bravo!
Thank you so much for this. I'm so happy to be able to experience this!
Thank you Ben!! I have loved Radical Face and Electric President for over 15 years now since I first heard Good Morning, Hypocrite. I love following all of your work.
Speechless for this beautiful creation! Thank you. Just stumbled on this by chance.... But what a blessed chance. Thank you. Loved it in every way. 🙏
Watching these kinds of exquisite animated stories always relaxes me at night. A big round of applause and props to Ben Cooper and everyone else involved for the top-notch voice over, the beautiful songs and storyboards, and for the overall masterpiece 💗💘🤌
Watching this in a late october evening when it's raining outside, all cuddled up and feeling safe... a miracle to be alive. Thank you ben and all featured artists ❤
I am a Korean fan. I'm glad to be able to heal my heart with your song I hope you continue to work as a person who has listened to your songs for a long time.
Ben, I hope you know how loved and admired you are by so many people. My dad and I have been listening to your music since I was like five, so you've basically been there my whole life. I suffer from severe anxiety and depression, and whenever I'm having a panic attack, all I have to do is play your music. Thank you so much for everything you do. I've been looking forward to this project for a long time, and it as somehow even better than I expected! You are the most incredibly talented person I know, and I hope to see more from you. Thanks again!
Oh, I'm glad it helps. Music and art have always been a huge help on my own stormy-brain days. It's what made me want to make it in the first place.
Thank you so much for this beautiful story! At first I was just amazed by the quality of this project, but after hearing "Over the Garden Wall", I cried. A lot. This hits too close to home.
This is unreal. Your imagination and abilities are limitless
I can really see all the heart and hard work put into this project, and I'm loving every bit of it! The artwork is lovely, not to mention the animation, music and everything else. Ben, thank you for always staying true to yourself and being my biggest inspiration. ❤
Almost 3 a.m. in Berlin, theres not many artists i would stay awake for so late. You would have deserved all the attention in the world, but I hope you know that the people you reach are moved by you in magical ways. Thank you for sharing all of it!
This person knows good music 😊
Oh, wow! Thank you for staying up so late. That's a real compliment.
Oh, I’m also from Berlin! Ben, thank you so much for your great work. I’m watching this masterpiece for the second time now.
and another berliner here ;) its very pinkfloyd-radioheadish... just won over a new fan.
Two favorites of mine, so that's also a nice compliment.
Thank you Ben. Your work has been a wonderful gift. The heart and wonder that has been such a beautiful part of your previous work shone through this amazing first book. I look forward to more. Thank you again.
I don’t know what to say, but I think this is the most greatest videos I’ve seen on youtube.
My thoughts are everywhere, but not in this world where i’m living.
Life is such a unspecific time and sometimes you don’t find the right words to explain your feelings.
I have so much thoughts and I don’t know where to go with them.
Greetings from Germany,
Jannik
Finally, I'm early enough for a radical music . I listened to your music through my exams and I passed for the first time, I don't have a carryover. I love your music so much
I won't be able to watch it live because it's 3AM my time, but I'm looking forward to checking it out in the morning!
EDIT: It's amazing! Can't wait for Book 2!!
Given your storytelling abilities in your songs, this can only be awesome. I always had pictures in my mind when listening to your family tree albums (father hanging in the bedroom, the ghost of brother leaving the bedroom at night, a boy admiring a girl he will never speak to from afar), so I'm really stoked about this new idea. Your music really enriched my life, so I'm happy to see this new project coming alive!
Wowww. You're always gold. Definitely ❤
Hello Ben! I first cane across your creative work through "Welcome Home", thank you for the song truly; and I've been following you on and off since, posting your artwork. Finally happy to see it has all come to fruition. Cheers!
i had to work while this was premiering but i watched it as soon as i got home, i couldnt wait any longer. i fell in love with your music and storytelling years ago, and obviously thats wonderful here, im certain this story will make me cry before the end, but absolutely stunned by your gorgeous paintings and the world-building here. beautiful work!
My gosh, what an experience! I knew it would be good, but never expected it to be THIS! Thank you so much, Ben!
Your music always kept me company in my early teenage years when I was going through a very rough time. It helped me escape to a world that felt very magical... Now, in my adult life, when times get hard, your music is the first thing I turn to -- and I am so glad that your art hasn't lost a single grain of its magic. I'm so happy to see so many people appreciate "A Light in the Woods", so beautiful that it made me cry multiple times! Sooo looking forward to the next chapters! ❤
I love this story and the art. Such an amazing naration of the story. Music and animation all are beautiful. He sings so well.👍👍🙏🙏
Now that I'm kinda learning about the story side of your music, I'm really intrigued to see what this is gonna be
I can’t wait for this.
Really great work.
In some ways it reminds me of the anime Haibane Renmei.
Looking forward to the next book!
This is something else. Phenomenal. I’m so excited for the next five parts and I’ll be tiding myself over with more of this.
That was so beautiful, the music, the art, the story of Vagus, everything is so good, I'm completely in love with everything you built
I can't believe I'm a month late in finding this! Your work has always been the most touching, beautiful, and thought provoking of any artist or musician I know, and this was no exception. The art, music, and story felt perfectly in tune and it felt great to just sit and absorb it all. Listening to the family tree has always been a great comfort to me with it bringing a sense of calm everytime I listen, and I'm so excited for this new project!
Oh, it's hard to keep up with anything these days. I'm constantly missing things myself. But thanks for giving it a shot! And glad you enjoyed it.
I can't wait until this gets made into a movie lol, you are such a storyteller, whether it's music, videos, paintings, the books we didn't get to read, you truly inspire me
Im so excited!!
I cannot wait! I've always been so inspired by your unique storytelling and I am so excited to see more coming out!
Precioso vídeo! Achei sem querer. Parabéns.❤❤
Caught my attention from the first. Sweet Beautiful melancholy uplifting story with tranquil melody. Love ❤
I was enamored from the get go but then Over The Garden Wall came and hit me right in the feels and I was sold. An amazing story and work!
Ben, I really can't express enough how much i relate to your musical narratives on a deep emotional level. Your music verbalizes so much of how i felt growing up (and still feel, ten years after discovering your work) it's honestly astounding. The heart and soul you've poured into this project is apparent in every frame, every note, and every beautifully narrated line. Thank you for sharing, this really blew me away :)
I have never wanted to hear the continuance of a story more than this. Like, I want to know what he finds at the end of the world, what the bell signifies and what it pulls Vegus to... but at the same time, if you never made any "sequel" to this... the story is still perfect. It leaves those kinds of existential questions up to US --and that can be just as powerful as explaining it.
Oh, don't worry. I'm not done. There are five more of these. But there are certainly elements that'll be left up to interpretation. I'm a big fan of those spaces myself.
Estou extasiada, encontrei esse video por acaso, eu simplesmente amei isso. Parabens ao criador, isso é incrivel.
Só tá ruim porqe tá em franceis...mas as figura tá bonita qe tá danada.
I'm so happy to have finally watched this beautiful piece of art giving it the time and attention it deserves. Such a felt and heart-warming beginning to this project, I can't wait to see more and to listen to these songs on repeat
This is so interesting and incredible😮. Hope you can make your way back to Philly soon
I was walking home through the autumn park in the evening and listening this masterpiece all trees, the sun and clouds in the sky represented words and sounds in the story it was amazing... After that I watched this video again and combined my feelings with your drawings...
Thanks a lot for your work and for sharing your amazing talent with us 🙏❤😘
Wish you all the best!!!
Amazing creation. May God bless Radical face to bring more stories ...👌👌
Thank you so much Ben…wow I’m still blown away
Edit: I’ve bean waiting for this! 😅🤣
I've been really really excited for this. Your music speaks to my heart, thank you for it
I watched and listened to this on a train moving slowly along in the dark, early in the morning, completely mesmerised by the story and my eyes tearing up at every song. Everything you make touches my soul. Thank you.
Radical Face in Heidelberg, Germany was my first ever concert 2012, you always had a special place in my heart. Im so happy theres new music!
Ben, each of your works is a masterpiece. I've had chills since I started listening to you more than 10 years ago. Tales of magical stories, poems, and music is an ode to nature, to the simple things in life. And with simplicity you reach the heart and make it explode with emotions that I can't express in words.
This latest work of yours makes me cry, sometimes with sadness, sometimes with happiness. Perhaps we are all a bit Vagus and you managed to make it materialize with unique and precious details. Thanks from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you for the kind words. And I'm in the middle of producing book two, and there's a part in this one that even made me cry. Apologies in advance. Hahaha.
I can't wait 😊
This was beautiful from start to finish: the art, the story, and the music. Your passion for this project shone vividly the entire time. Thank you for sharing this piece of yourself with us!
Was blown away & further inside my own soul at the same time 💫🍃❤️✨ A nourishing masterpiece Ben, just beautiful, thank you & looking forward to more of the universe youve created ❤
A whole short film? Painted? Holy shit this is wonderful
Just now had the time and energy (life is beign kinda hard at the moment) to watch and listen to this piece. I have been a fan of Radical Face for over 10 years. The lyrics and the storytelling of RF are incredible and so many of your works are so very dear to me. This was very impressive indeed❤️ I love how the art and music worked together, the dream in particular worked amazingly well in this format!😍 And the story is very interesting, I love the fairy tale feel, and again the story telling is just 👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽 Can't wait for more❤️❤️
This is such a beautiful work of art, Ben. In musical and visual craft, you always manage to express your self, your truth, in such poetic fashion. You're a true creative spirit.
What a pleasant surprise! I'm stoked to see it Ben
Thanks so much for all your work. It's beautiful
This is so interesting and beautiful! I love the artwork, story, and music!!! I learned about you through your songs, but I more recently discovered your artwork, and then this wonderful combination of the two was published! Amazing artwork as always, great job.
Incredibly beautiful work, Ben (and team)! ❤ The artwork and animation is done with so much craft, detail and love, I had to pause the video once in a while to marvel at your skill and the scenery it presented.
Thank you so much for creating and sharing this with us!
Thanks a million Ben, this was a wonderful story to start the day with~
This so beautiful ❤️ thabk you!
Ben! This is beautiful, what a work of art all around. I'm getting vibes of Zelda and Ori and the Blind Forest, while it certainly stands on its own. It's also one of those pieces of art that inspires me to creative., which doesn't come along often.
"Over the Garden Wall" has been my favorite so far, "and these routines changed from balms to tiny hells" really resonated a lot with me. Looking forward to seeing how these songs transform with further listens.
Thank you, Ben. Glad to have you back with this new endeavour. :)
I adore the Ori games! It's always fun when an influence shines through like that.
@@RadicalFaceThey are among my favorite games ever. I especially love the Moki. :)
This is really beautiful !! i really wish i could one day attend a live of Radical Face in Europe. from a fan from Algeria.
Truly touched, I feel more connected. Thank you, Ben.
I can't wait to see more, I literally watch or listen to this multiple times a week. It's one of my favorites stories.
Never before has the term 'worth the wait' been more apt!
cant wait!!!
WOW I feel this so hard!
I can't imagine how much time you and the others guys have dedicated on this project, especially because is a small team but the result is insane!
Your music was a big part of my childhood and still keep going, don't stop to do your art, Ben!
It was definitely a lot of hours. Way more than anything I've ever done before. But it's also been super fun, and a lot of hours on something you really enjoy is certainly not a bad thing.
Now I can’t wait for the next part! Worth the wait for sure!
Absolutely love your vision and creativity, thank you for sharing your talents with the world. It's so lovely to see the mix of visual art, music and story telling combined on this short. Can't wait to see more!
Truly lovely thank you for sharing ❤
Really really wonderful, finally some new music and also a beautiful story❤!
Your art has meant so much for so long to me. Everything you create makes me feel so many strong emotions and I am so happy to finally experience this. This is absolutely incredible as always.
Qué forma tan épica de regresar! Gracias Ben por compartir con nosotros está preciosidad ❤️ Volveré aquí seguido. De eso estoy segura 🥺😭
Muchos gracias!
You're a gift from God. Truly.
I just discovered you a week ago, hearing your angelic voice on a tv series The Blacklist, and had to Shazam you to find out who you were.
I found you on Twitter, and begged you to come to Australia, I'd travel from Brisbane to anywhere in Australia to see you.
This, though, is something else.
Next level.
I'm so thankful to have found you.
A gift 🙏❤️
And I hope you don't mind, I've told my family should anything ever happen to me I've found my funeral song.
Baptisms
It's beautiful.
You're beautiful
I don’t have words other than thank you. I really needed this today. Also it is an honor to hear stories. The Family Tree, Clone, SunnMoonnEclippse. I’m excited for the next book…Thanks again.
Your work never ceases to amaze me. This is a privilege to witness and I am so grateful your innovation has created something so beautifully unique and lovely. This feels like the essence of a dream and I am utterly mesmerized. Thank you
The only channel where I make sure all notifications are on. This is gonna be mindblowing.
You have the ability to make something seem so simple but when the meaning hits, it becomes an experience so deep it can be breathtaking. Beautiful is not a strong enough word for this creation. The work and time that went into this was worth it and thank you for putting this out into the world. I can't wait for the next one.
Thank you for creating Ben. You are a genuine inspiration. Your work is often so emotional that I don't know what emotion I should feel, and I really like it. Cannot wait for the rest of this project, really good work. Incredible stuff.
Oh my god. That was incredible. Cannot wait to see what the story holds ❤
Always a joy spending time in Ben's head. Hauntingly beautiful.
Such a huge fan. Thank you for sharing this story with the world 🌎
This is incredible
you never cease to impress me, ben. thank you for sharing such beautiful stories with us.
being reminded time and time again how talented you are at storytelling, i can't help but wonder what that book you wrote and lost to faulty technology would have looked like. if it's anything like what i've seen and heard from you so far, it would have probably been one of my favorite books of all time.
I'm going to write another book one day. The itch keeps getting stronger. And I have a story I've wanted to tell for about 8 years now, so maybe after I'm done with this project.
This was so beautiful. The artwork music and story. Really resembled the game, Child of Light.
I've never played Child of Light, but I added it to my list. Looks like something I'd really like! But a game that was a big influence on this project is one from 2012 called "Journey." It's an all-time favorite. Definitely give it a go if you never have.