An Annoyance

 An Annoyance

By A.A. Lopez

    So, it should be pretty obvious I went to a new-ish blog. Apparently, if Google thinks you're gone for about nine days, they delete your blog (Hooray!!). This new one will be "Studio" instead of "Studios," but that shouldn't be too much of a change.

    I guess it's really a thing on me since I didn't keep up, or make a better password, since there is a chance that some outside forces also wanted to shut down the blog, for what reason? I do not know. I'll do my best to keep on this more, and now that I am back in the land of angels in my comfy desk chair, with my dr. pepper, I should be able to provide more interesting updates for each project. I think tomorrow I'll have quite a few things to talk about. For now, I'm gonna relax, play some video games, and get ready to watch a twitch stream.

Project://Juno - Devlog 001 - Introduction

 

Project://Juno

Devlog - 001

Introduction

    This devlog follows the development and creation of a mobile application with a primary focus on social, communal, and romantic engagements and the post-relational endeavors a user will come into contact once the goal is achieved. Or to simply put: this a dating app that focuses on community and what to do afterwards.

    I started developing the idea for this app sometime in late 2024 as I started to get fed up with dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, eHarmony, etc. All of them focusing on getting to know one another through a technological filter and with no real interaction outside of texting, with maybe a video/phone call. And I will also admit that I do not have the best ability to flirt either in person or online, so no matter what my effectiveness in this realm is practically nil. So what did that leave me with?

    When thinking on it I started to think about the way people used to introduce friends and family to potential matches, blind dates. It's not something I think is a great thing, but it brings back something that I feel has been lost through these current apps that are on the market. Even though quite a few of these apps do have a 'matchmaker' feature, they're usually hidden and not widely used. So why not make an app for it?

    Of course doing something like this comes with a list of challenges:

• Is there a market for this?
• How can you ensure that a date will happen?
• How safe can someone be?
• Who will be your matchmaker?
• Etc.

    There's a lot more, but I have a headache and I like writing these in one go, so I might create a auxiliary list later (call it Devlog 001.1 or something).

    But, this app, currently codenamed PROJECT://JUNO focuses on setting up blind dates, ensuring the safety of the users by various means, and creating a community with how matchmakers and their seekers find potential matches. I'll dive more into how this will work in the next devlog. For now this is one of my most pressing projects as I keep seeing more and more people wanting to date, but getting fed up with the app scene. So let's hope I can get this one out in some measurable way before 2026, even if it's just a Kickstarter.

 

What's in a Name?

By A.A. Lopez

    So I did not keep my promise on keeping updates on a daily basis already, which shows how poorly this might keep up, heh. Yet, I think I'll keep trying to update every now and again, just to get it out of the way. I'll probably also add a quick devlog or just description of one of the projects I'm working on, give a two-fer for today to make up for yesterday. But right now, let's focus on why "Anytime & Always Studios," and why did I choose such a cumbersome name.

    Anytime & Always comes from what I can only really call a catchphrase from my job. It stems from my own dislike of saying, "You're Welcome." I absolutely hate that phrase, because it feels like you're only saying it because, "Yes, I did the task you asked of me and that's all," there's nothing there. Way back when I used to say, "Of course," instead, but my partner at the time hated when I said it. She thought that the task that was being thanked for wasn't an, "Of course," because, "Who else would do that?" So that always stuck in my head.

    When I started to onboard, train, and supervise new hires they would always, always come to me for help, and would say thanks. And with that little earworm from my ex, I wanted a phrase that felt like it was not an inconvenience (cause you know how some folks are, thinking asking a senior member on the team for help is looked down on) and that they could reach out whenever. What a better way to say that than, "Anytime."

    It became such a known thing that I was gifted a cake with the saying in icing as a welcome back gift once I returned to L.A.. And as time went on I became more friendly with some members of my team and they started to get a specialized version, "Anytime & Always." A way to say that I will help out whenever and no matter. It just fits as what I want to do as well.

    So when it came time to put together a place where I could my projects somewhere, why not use the phrase that a few, but true friends know. A promise that I will help out, but also a quick promise to myself that, I will be creative, "Anytime & Always."

Welcome

 

Anytime & Always Studios

A Welcome Message

By A.A. Lopez

Introduction

    Hi, welcome to my chaos, forgive me as I figure out how to do this all correctly. It's been a hot second since I last worked on any type of article or things of that nature. I think the very last one I did was an article I did for my anthropology course that I had to submit to a nature journal, which did get in. I should look for that...

     Sorry! I get side-tracked easily, especially with random side stories. But where was I...? Oh! Yes! Hi, nice to meet you, I'm A.A. Lopez. What do the A's stand for? Well, you'll never know, and I'll never tell (unless you do and I have). But getting back on topic, this blog is meant as a way to keep my mind kind of on track with what various projects that I am working on, as you no doubt see above I tend to get all over the place. So this method was something I decided I should have another go at.

    I did try this once after college, it did as well as you'd expect: got me dumped after a 7+ year relationship, had to fake my own death, fell through a 20ft skylight, and got a mosquito bite, all real nasty stuff. But back then I tried to keep it so I focused on one project at a time, which did not keep me on the project but made me hate it with everything in my body. So now I'm gonna focus on the several projects that I'm working on and providing daily updates on whichever I've worked on, or if I decided, "Work took a lot out of me, I just want to watch tiktoks, play video games, and go to sleep." I'm trying to learn to give myself that leeway nowadays.

    Anyways! What are these various projects that I keep mentioning? Well, let's breakdown what I do and who I am. 

Breakdown

    I was a film student, got a bachelor's in cinematic arts and technology with a focus on producing. While I have worked on a few short films as a producer I have lost the rights to them, so can't really post them on here. But I still work in the creative field, working for one of the largest streaming companies, but more in the background and the tech-y side than the creative, which stifles just a bit.

    So as a way to combat this has been finding several things that I find interesting and allow for my creativity to flourish. These are what I've been working on:

• An audio series based on an astronaut fleeing their spaceship from something eldritch or maybe bringing it along
• An audio drama about a late night radio host haunted by the one that got away in 5 minute segments
• A horror video game based on Painting with Bob Ross
• A computer app that fixes caption files that are not FCC compliant (you can guess this comes from my current work)
• A computer app that fixes caption files that cover On-Screen Text (OST) (this one comes from enjoying Dropout, but seeing that too often)
• A dating app that focuses on safety and community
• An app that parses large amounts of spreadsheets to attain only certain information
• Working as a wedding officiant (I know that's a wild left turn)

 Outro

    I'll dive more into each of these later on, but I think this really sums up who I am, what I'm looking to do, and what this blog is really about. We'll see what comes of this, or if this goes the way of the dinosaurs. Have a good night.