Shadowing Practice: So I Decorated Cycles X By @Vortrox! - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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So Vertrox made a creator contest for his level called Cycles X,
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So Vertrox made a creator contest for his level called Cycles X,
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which is a super buff of Cycles,
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you know, you probably know that.
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So I, Geo, also known as Da Vinci from GD,
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I'm going to participate.
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So have a seat, get your popcorn,
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because right now I'm gonna show the process of creating this insane part.
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This is the part available for the creator contest,
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and immediately when I saw this,
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I already had the entire decoration in mind.
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I just had to execute it,
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which is the real problem.
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Mostly because I imagined something purple and like maybe orange
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or yellow and I'm just terrible at working with colors I usually make either monochromatic or rainbow levels,
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so it's gonna be a real challenge, but it's fine.
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Let's go Okay, so we got the groups and colors right here.
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So let's begin setting up the colors I was recording this very late.
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Please ignore my quiet voice.
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Okay, so we got everything I think we can definitely work with that So I went to make this structure first,
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but I for some reason tried to play test the level just to see how it plays and Oh my god,
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this gameplay is mysterious, I'd say.
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I'm really not understanding what is happening here.
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I wish you good luck on this, Vortrox.
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This gameplay is cancerous.
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Anyways, that's the structuring I'm gonna decorate.
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And then I started to fill the block design with these little orange blocks.
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Because my idea was basically make some running lava inside of them.
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So I went to make exactly that.
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So I made this kind of gradient inside of the blocks.
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And then added some pulses to make the lava effect.
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Simple and effective.
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That's the real deal.
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Wait, it didn't stop there.
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I needed to make it shine, just like real lava.
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So yeah, glow everywhere, please.
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It is looking like this.
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Kinda cool, but there's a lot more work to do.
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So I went to make the spike and it was very simple.
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I kind of followed the same idea of the block design,
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making the line purple and the inside yellow, shiny yellow.
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And it looks absolutely fantastic in my opinion.
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Very easy to copy and paste,
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and it matches the other elements of the decoration perfectly.
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So I made that perfectly well-made 3D as always,
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and the whole base of the structure is done.
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To finish it, I just had to execute the main idea that I said it was in mind earlier,
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which was simply to make a portal to space.
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Yeah, I swear to God I was sober when I came up with this.
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So I made this magic kerosene right now.
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Wow.
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Oh, look at this.
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Wow.
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Then I created these rotating particles to give an impression that uh, it's a portal.
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Then after some polishing and final touches, that's the result.
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Okay, this completely changed everything.
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Now this is looking really good.
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I agree with you, Geo from the past.
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The block was done and ready to be copy and pasted everywhere.
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But for some reason I tried some effects that got terrible.
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Just ignore this part of the video.
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Club set monster time.
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I gotta be honest right now.
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I didn't have any design ideas for him.
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He's just like, I don't even know what's up with him.
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He's just sad.
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That may be the reason.
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So I made the most simple thing ever.
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I just left him without textures.
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But at least he got a cool background and an area effect.
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Fancy.
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And that's the club set monster for now.
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Because I tried tweaking the atmosphere a bit.
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But honestly, most of the changes turned out really bad.
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The only thing I actually liked was this hexagon thing.
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I'm definitely keeping it.
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So yeah, that's how the part is looking at the moment.
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Trust me, this level is really hard.
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I'm not that bad.
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This part.
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What do I even do here?
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I had no better idea than making a guess what?
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I know exactly what you're thinking.
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Something related to space maybe?
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Well, almost, but actually a magma castle.
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Uh, what's wrong? Was it not close?
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Uh, okay.
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So I made this insane 3D magma spike block.
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That looks kind of decent, I guess.
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And started a crazy castle structure right there.
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So I made some holes to show that it's actually an ancient castle that fell apart a long time ago,
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filled it with black blocks,
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added details in every corner,
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and to make it really look like a castle,
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I used some of these objects right here that give it a cool,
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you know, like brick texture.
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Then I added some spikes like this,
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and boom, that's good for now.
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But honestly, I'm missing something right here.
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Where's the lava?
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Well, let's add it.
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The object I picked was this new lava from 2.2 that's way smoother than the other one.
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And here it is, really simple, but looking like lava.
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That's our objective.
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Then I made the background of the castle,
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of course, and that's it.
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Oh, I almost forgot about something.
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I tried placing some lava inside the holes in the wall and YO!
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I was not expecting this result.
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That's part of the design now, I don't care.
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After that, basically the whole base of the part was done.
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I just had to polish it,
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add movement, make some cool details like these signs and this arrow,
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and copy and paste the last structures.
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After doing all that, this is how it looks like.
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The only thing that was bothering me now was the atmosphere.
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I made this provisional one just to see how it would look so I could improve it later.
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And apparently, later is now.
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So I deleted all that ugly stuff, ugh, That's terrible.
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And tried some glowy lights, but...
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That's terrible.
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So I quickly got rid of it and just added a gradient trigger.
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That's all I need.
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But I was still thinking everything felt a bit too empty.
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To fix this problem, I tried these connectors with some glowy objects and spammed all over the place.
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And they ended up being a really good touch for the part.
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Look at this.
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A lot better.
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The only little guy that wasn't decorated yet was him.
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Mr. Fitzgerald.
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I'm going faster now because there's literally nothing I can say about it.
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I just made the exact same thing I previously made with that other monster but with this cool effect behind them.
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That's all about it, but at least it turned out great!
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Okay, so it's almost done.
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I'm doing a good job, I think.
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Now I think it's 100% done.
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Let's see.
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Oh, not 100% because I remembered the background,
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but yes, it's like mostly done.
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Now to actually finish this part,
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we just needed some background, which was a particle.
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I'm not very good at backgrounds as you can see, sorry.
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But yeah, it's just some starts with a parallax effect.
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And finally after some polishing the part was finally done.
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Look at this little Geo taking a bath on lava I hope Fortrux likes it as much as I'm like now.
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Yeah, that's the scary part.
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Let's see.
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All right next up is 1370.
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I'm so excited for this level.
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Chat, I, me too, I am so incredibly excited for this.
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This level is gonna be so good, bro.
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It already is.
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It already is.
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Oh, this one's cool.
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Oh my god, it's Halloween.
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Halloween!
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It's Halloween!
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What I will say though,
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this leans into the orange a little too heavily, I think.
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That was definitely a choice.
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And the lava's cool.
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I absolutely love this, but I will just say,
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I don't know if this style totally fits,
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because the orange is very like,
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you know what I'm saying?
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Please, please, please make a Halloween level with these colors.
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Yeah, but isn't this a...
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Oh yeah, this guy makes Jump Dredge videos.
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Yeah, that's dope.
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Yeah, I like his icon, that's fun.
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Yeah, I would say that part doesn't quite fit,
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but it is very cool.
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Absolutely.
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I absolutely gonna keep that in mind.
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Super good, but the orange just doesn't really fit.
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That's what I would say.
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I completely understand.
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I didn't check the other parts before.
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Yeah, sometimes I'm really dumb.
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Yeah, again, this part, right away,
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the orange just doesn't really fit,
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but I like everything else about it.
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The lava's a cool idea.
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Yeah, that's a good one.
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And when I played it in the editor,
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it's a little bit dark, too.
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Definitely good, though.
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Love that one.
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W-G-O-G-D.
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I got eliminated, but honestly, for a fair reason.
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But still, the crazy amount of extremely well-made entries was insane.
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The competitors did an amazing job, and the winner...
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Vjolt?
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Vjolt?
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I don't know.
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Totally deserved it.
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Just look at this part.
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It's just awesome and fits the level perfectly.
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But there is still a question in the air.
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How would my part look if it had the right colors?
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I don't really know what the right colors are exactly.
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So I replaced the orange with pink.
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So before finishing the video,
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thank you so much for watching.
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Here's thanks to Vortrex for the compliments.
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And here's a showcase of the two versions of my part.
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See you in the next video.
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Oh, and I forgot to mention that we finally got to 100,000 subscribers in only four months.
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Which is absolutely insane for me.
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So thank you so much everyone now I can finally finish the video!
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I'm sorry.
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About This Lesson
In this lesson, you'll have the opportunity to practice your English listening and speaking skills through a captivating YouTube video about a creator contest focused on a game level called Cycles X. As you listen to the narrator describe their creative process, you'll engage with various aspects of art and design while improving your overall fluency. The narrator discusses challenges related to color choices and structural design, providing a rich context for practicing key vocabulary and expressions. This lesson is ideal for those looking to enhance their English pronunciation and performance through the shadowing technique.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Creator contest - a competition for individuals who create content.
- Decoration - the process of embellishing or enhancing the appearance of something.
- Gameplay - the way in which players interact with a game, including its mechanics.
- Gradient - a gradual change in color or tone.
- Glow - to emit light or shine brightly.
- Structure - the arrangement or organization of components.
- Portal - an entry point, often depicted in fiction as a magical or scientific gateway.
- Pulses - rhythmic beats or sounds, used here to describe the effects created in the decoration.
Practice Tips
When watching the video, consider using the shadow speech technique to enhance your listening and speaking skills. Here’s how to apply it effectively:
- Listen Actively: Pay close attention to the narrator’s tone and pronunciation. The video features a calm yet engaging delivery, making it ideal for practice.
- Slow It Down: If needed, adjust the playback speed to ensure you can comprehend every word, especially when the narrator discusses complex ideas related to color and structure.
- Repetition: Use the shadowspeak approach by repeating phrases or sentences immediately after hearing them. Focus on mimicking the intonation and rhythm of the speaker to help improve English pronunciation.
- Record Yourself: After shadowing, record your rendition. Listening to your recording will allow you to identify areas where you can improve and refine your speech.
- Engage with Content: Visual elements in the video can inspire you to use descriptive language in your English speaking practice. Describe the artistic process in your own words after shadowing the video.
By engaging with this content and incorporating these techniques into your study routine, you'll be well on your way to mastering English conversation and pronunciation!
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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