Dan & Phil Part 96: AmazingPhil (and his cameraman)

[Judearaya]

and based on these tweets it seems like he's still writing it, which makes me SUPER curious what the other projects are....

[greenergrass]

Even though I'm not really a reader of non-fiction books in general, I'm still pretty excited for this. This is exactly the kind of project I would expect from dan, and I trust him to handle this topic carefully and with respect - I mean, I don't think dan has really given us any reason to think he wouldn't put everything into this and make sure he approaches it carefully. I'm excited to see what sorts of personal anecdotes he threads into the book. Dan is a great comedic story-teller (in his videos at least, but I imagine that will translate well into paper) and I think he'll bring a good mix of serious thoughts and advice as well as comedy. I imagine it having a similar tone to daniel and depression and BIG.

[bevioletsky]

Woop lots of info since last night! Very relieved about apparently No poetry. Self-help is not a genre that I gravitate towards as I find a huge amount of it fairly insufferable, but based on Dan’s replies it seems to be heavily leaning on the elements I hoped for earlier, i.e. considered words mostly about his personal experiences, which is what I’m interested in from him. Telling us even more is a scary thing to do, but also a natural continuation from his videos I suppose.

Idk about the other projects but if he is actually doing something for Netflix then good for him on getting some major deals. We’ll see.

[snoopysadie]

i will 100% support this book if it's one page only and says "1) find a psychologist 2) go to therapy 3) if necessary, also find a psychiatrist"

I actually decided to finally go find a psychologist after Daniel and Depression came out. And I remember reading a lot of comments of people who had been putting off the decision because of anxiety and the process was long, and they had had shit people treat them in the past (in my case this was also true, my first psychologist treated me when I was a child and she made me cry).

I am not saying you can't be skeptical, but just wanted to let you know a lot of people have decided to actually move a step forward, inspired and nudged by Dan.
I am not anticipating the content of the book but, in my opinion, it will be more of a "this is what happened to me" than a "look, do this".

I'm pretty stoked on the audio book if dan reads it. I love his voice and delivery.

Does anyone else kinda hate the video? It's so much boring stock footage. The writing is fine, but like... it looks like it was picked from any corporate stock video website.

1. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT AN AUDIOBOOK. I sleep with audiobooks, I can't fall asleep with silence. Also there is nothing like someone reading to you. Your eyes thank you.

2. I liked it up until the part where he showed his face lol
The effect he used was weird and it made his face look funny, like a different person.

[alittledizzy]

Ooh, already an article about it out!

The print book was written in consultation with psychologist Dr Heather Bolton and the audio edition will also feature meditations and guides to use as entertaining and practical tools.

Okay meditation isn't my thing but despite most likely not using it for its intended purpose I'm still eager to find out what a Dan guided meditation would actually be.

[alittledizzy]

Double posting but idc I need to try and keep track of everything, there's just so much at once!

I'm kind of in love with the second slide in this post.

sarahmlee47 It was a total pleasure meeting and photographing @danielhowell for the publication of his new book #thisnight. I think we were both slightly apprehensive for different reasons. He’s been strictly observing lockdown and this is an intensely personal book. Putting your “public facing” face forward can be an unnerving experience at the best of times. Pandemics amplify everything it seems. And for me, I too have been v strictly locked down. I haven’t done many commissions in the past few months, and Dan had a very specific idea of what he wanted the shoot to be. My normal performance nerves were massively amplified. Can I get what he needs? And can I do it without touching anything or being breathed on?! Possibly neither of us should have worried. It was one of those dream shoots where everything starts sliding into place from the first frame. He relaxed. I relaxed. And thanks to @dukebrooks who was on superb form as a lighting assistant and “social distance policeman” everyone stayed safe. Hugely looking forward to reading the book and chuffed to have illustrated the author. #leicam10 #50mmsummilux #35mmsummicron #danhowell

[snoopysadie]

Ooh, already an article about it out!

The print book was written in consultation with psychologist Dr Heather Bolton and the audio edition will also feature meditations and guides to use as entertaining and practical tools.

Okay meditation isn't my thing but despite most likely not using it for its intended purpose I'm still eager to find out what a Dan guided meditation would actually be.

I'm sorry but I tried to merge the words meditation and Dan in a single sentence and I got the instant image of Dan screaming his lungs out on a gaming channel video and I lost it. I'm sure it's more serious than that but my brain rejected it at first.

Does anyone know what this website is? Is it trustworthy? I feel like we need to know at least the register of the usual posts or something.

[Amiaw]

So that article says ICM helped with the book release so maybe that’s why he was in LA. I still think his other project is either tied to Netflix or it’s music because Dawbell seems to work with people in those fields

[alittledizzy]

Same article I linked before, just fancy tweet intro this time.

[kavat]

Ooh, already an article about it out!

The new book, his first solo publishing venture, is inspired by his own mental health journey shared with millions on fans on stage and screen, along with his work as an ambassador for mental health charity Young Minds. He will mark the publication by donating £10,000 to the charity.

How sweet is that!!

I'm really just so proud of him.

[fieldoflovers]

Same article I linked before, just fancy tweet intro this time.

The article mentioned that Dan would be donating 10k to charity on the publication date and I appreciate that. Also I like that this book doesn't seem to be only marketed to teens or young adults, the audience seems to be broader than that and I find that fascinating, I wonder if that was on purpose or whether it's just a side effect of Dan getting older.

[obvsly]

Just a quick observation.

This thread is called "AmazingPhil (and his cameraman)", but it is now completely hijacked by Dan.

I went back to check the thread before BIG and, of course, that thread is called "the phildom".

Are we sure he's not doing this to spite us?

[missemma]

After getting home and catching up on everything I can say
1. I am frigging hyped
2. I missed his face so much
3. I don’t really like the trailer (sorry dan)
4. “You can be your own light” is such a lovely sentiment and one I needed to hear today
5. I love Dan.
6. PROMOTIONAL SHENANIGANS

Me right now:

[Templeofshame]

So that article says ICM helped with the book release so maybe that’s why he was in LA. I still think his other project is either tied to Netflix or it’s music because Dawbell seems to work with people in those fields

FWIW the ICM lit agent seems to be based in NY as opposed to the LA-based ICM Digital Ventures agent that was announced back whenever that was announced.

[LtrllySusan]

I'm a bit curious why people are excited about the book so I made a survey:

https://www.strawpoll.me/20940700

I will buy Dan's book because...
- I want to support all of Dan's endeavours.
- I believe I will get good advice that is useful to my current situation.
- I am curious about the personal details revealed.
- I will not buy the book.

I'll be honest, I am curious about it in regards to Dan's history/Phan, but I won't care for the self-help/inspirational bits.

[sapienveneficus]

Well, I suppose I am relieved that this new venture won't be a collection of poetry (thank goodness for small mercies). But I'm not a self help fan either. Dan can be a compelling storyteller so I was hoping that he'd write some sort of memoir. It is encouraging to hear that he will relay some personal stories in this book, but I'm not sure I want to wade through all the psychobabble to get to each anecdote (or dan-necdote).

In an attempt to find that silver lining, I'm going to hope that he releases a few videos to help build enthusiasm for the book's release. Maybe we'll finally get the promised candle haul.

Also, did anyone find the trailer unsettling? I don't know if it was the pacing or the tone, but watching it felt like I was watching a new age cult recruitment video.

[Catallena]

yay i've calmed down a bit since yesterday

Dan really loves his video trailers huh... respect for trying again after the backlash against the TATINOF trailer I guess. It fits the mood better this time around.

Judging from everything said now, it seems to focus on the absolute basics of depression and how to deal with it. That's not at all bad, in fact it can help possibly the majority of people and I'm very happy about that. For me, it will not be helpful (but potentially also not super triggering if it's mostly stuff I heard 3 therapists ago) but that's okay. I don't expect it to anyway. So as long as he's not being deep and poetic about it, it can have potential.

So that was the positive bit, now let's be on brand and annoying again lol. I promise it's not about Dan because he's lovely, instead it's the marketing from the publisher that is already giving me nightmares. So first, I really don't love how the marketing for this book does so far not include the words 'depression' and 'anxiety'. Ya know, the things Dan suffers from and what this book will probably be about. Instead it keeps talking about mental health problems (disclaimer: we don't know his entire medical history i'm assuming). An incredibly broad term that does indeed include depression and anxiety, but is not limited to those.

Now that's maybe a minor issue (and a blatant attempt by the publisher to seem more inclusive to get more people to buy it) but it is kinda sad. I know depression seems to be a taboo word but Dan has never been shy about using it. His video is called Dan & Depression. Yet I don't read it anywhere now? I keep reading mental health. And then I read this statement by HarperCollins and these two parts stand out as two big ol' red flags.

HarperCollins said: “You Will Get Through This Night will be a practical guide to understanding and taking control of your mental health, written in an entertaining and personal way from someone who has been through it all.”

Again, I'm not Dan's doctor and I do not know his medical history. But when you refuse to specify the illnesses and just use 'mental health' claiming that the author has been ~ through it all ~ is irresponsible and I assume and hope not true.

But the next part really made me angry:

the book “provides a refreshing, realistic approach to looking after your mental wellbeing the way we all experience it—whether you are in a crisis, just looking to make a change or want to know how to look after yourself every day.”

Aside from there NOT being a collective way to experience mental well being (no matter how relatably Dan manages to write about it), one of these things is not like the others. And yes, it is the crisis one. I was in crisis only months ago. 0/10 can't recommend. Any book would not have helped me. A book that will otherwise no doubt do a wonderful job of educating many people on the basics of depression, anxiety, and dealing with those things will not help people like me. Or others suffering from way more complicated conditions. But who cares about necessary distinctions when it's all ~mental health and that's a hip marketing term? It is irresponsible and harmful. Mental health is not a one size fits all. And I'm not necessarily pinning this on Dan, because I don't think he's aiming for that. But I'm pinning this on publishers wanting to sell books at the cost of real people's problems.

To end on a positive note, the new pics look great (though unlike some people on Twitter I will miss his Bread Face icon).

[plinthofmylife]

Also, did anyone find the trailer unsettling? I don't know if it was the pacing or the tone, but watching it felt like I was watching a new age cult recruitment video.

Omg, I couldn't figure out what it was, but yea...it felt like a low-budget youtube pre-roll ad that was meant to just recruit you to a $300 wellness pyramid scheme.

[rizzo]

Also, did anyone find the trailer unsettling? I don't know if it was the pacing or the tone, but watching it felt like I was watching a new age cult recruitment video.

Omg, I couldn't figure out what it was, but yea...it felt like a low-budget youtube pre-roll ad that was meant to just recruit you to a $300 wellness pyramid scheme.

It did feel very hastily put together and the one shot of him didn't really fit, which I think made all the rest of the footage seem super stock-footage-y. (Is it stock footage? Has anyone checked? Was this filmed specifically for this promo?)

I personally likened it to a US ad for a medication. I was just waiting to hear the quick list of side effects.

[yellowsubmarine]

I'm a bit curious why people are excited about the book so I made a survey:

https://www.strawpoll.me/20940700

I will buy Dan's book because...
- I want to support all of Dan's endeavours.
- I believe I will get good advice that is useful to my current situation.
- I am curious about the personal details revealed.
- I will not buy the book.

I'll be honest, I am curious about it in regards to Dan's history/Phan, but I won't care for the self-help/inspirational bits.

Is there a multiple choice? Because I bought it out of curiosity for his personal stories and i ALSO want to support his first solo book.

It's not that i don't think this would help me, but i'm not particularly looking for a self help book; i just wanna support the boy. I feel like a proud friend.. mom..? I'm so proud that's all

Loved the diversity on the trailer!! Beautiful different faces of all genders and ages. Kinda weirdly put together, i agree... He's living his artsy silent film dreams i see

[flarequake]

I loved the video, I was glad to see at least one grey-haired person and I thought he describes the book well. The shots of him were appropriately moody, in a good way, they seemed real.

I agree with how some of the wording sounds one-size-fits-all. It’s been said better already, though Dan has often gone above expectations, so has Phil, they’re good, sensitive, clever guys. It might not be deep or broad enough for many, but it sounds like there’ll be some insight behind how things work as well as advice, I’d like some of that even if I know it already, and there’s only a little I know really, cos it’s just a deeper understanding than ‘do these good things’. I’m not sure how much, but he mentioned it in a Twitter reply (feel like I’m clutching at straws here).

Loving all these photos and the photographer’s post about how it all went.

[alittledizzy]

He credited the filmmaker in the ig version of it, you can see his instagram here. The video wasn't my style either but I gotta say I love to see that he not just included diversity in the video but he went with a black filmmaker to create it.

[Kurapika]

i'm really not trying to be overly negative! i mostly trust dan. i'm really positive about phil's content later and am liking dan's return to the spotlight. but as someone who study, works with and researches about mental health, it bugs me

i will 100% support this book if it's one page only and says "1) find a psychologist 2) go to therapy 3) if necessary, also find a psychiatrist"

I actually decided to finally go find a psychologist after Daniel and Depression came out. And I remember reading a lot of comments of people who had been putting off the decision because of anxiety and the process was long, and they had had shit people treat them in the past (in my case this was also true, my first psychologist treated me when I was a child and she made me cry).

I am not saying you can't be skeptical, but just wanted to let you know a lot of people have decided to actually move a step forward, inspired and nudged by Dan.
I am not anticipating the content of the book but, in my opinion, it will be more of a "this is what happened to me" than a "look, do this".

yes, i understand that. if it's more about him telling his experiences and maybe some comments about how he's trying to get better (with mentions to therapy) i can be on board.

it's just bothers me a lot when people who don't study mental health write books about mental health (again, one thing is to write a book about their personal experience, another is to give advice).

people live in houses, but you don't see them writing books about civil construction just bc of it. people have lamps, but don't write books about electric engineering. for some reason, people think they can talk about mental health and give advice about it as it's not something people are studying a lot to understand and be able to talk about.

it's a lot like coaching or self help books. they do more damage than good bc a lot of people don't understand mental health is a science and should be treated as such.

you can't give "advice" on how to change thoughts and behaviors bc that's not how it works.

(this is not me saying you said this stuff snoopysadie! i'm just using your post to vent lmao)

[LAshleigh]

Oh my goodness, so much is going on, I feel like I can't keep up (but like in a good way)!!!

I didn't love the blurb, and was ambivalent about the trailer, but Dan talking about it on Twitter has me quite excited.

Also I just, like, love his voice? If he is the one reading the audiobook I will probably buy it just because I find him so calming.

In terms of the actual self-help stuff, I am cautiously optimistic. I trust that Dan would never publish anything he isn't 100% confident in, and I know that he is aware of this stuff being multifaceted and unique for each person. Personally, I thought that BIG was a good mix of personal anecdotes and broader societal critique/advice, and I hope that this book is similar. Despite being 45 minutes long, BIG is definitely the solo Dan video I have watched the most times. Hearing him say "Queer people exist. Choosing not to accept them is not an option" has helped me through some dark nights of my own, and I am hopeful to glean similar comforts from this book, even if it isn't anything groundbreaking.

I am curious about how the book/he will navigate the balance of people who know him from YouTube and random people who might want the book even though they've never watched a video. Many of his more dedicated fans already have quite a bit of background on his life, while other readers might have never even heard of him.

[elipie]

I didn't love the blurb, and was ambivalent about the trailer, but Dan talking about it on Twitter has me quite excited.

Yes, same! The trailer was meh for me and I was fairly on board with the blurb (but had issues with it for the same reasons others have mentioned here), but Dan's responses to people's questions about it on Twitter are making me actually really excited for it. I'm looking forward to the personal anecdotes, of course, but I am also genuinely very interested to learn more about what specific methods he's used and has found helpful. Not everything will work for everyone, but as someone who suffers from anxiety and depression, I'm always interested in seeing what has helped others who have gone through similar things (on top of the help I get professionally).