recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Dylan Van Hauen

Dylan Van Hauen is an American filmmaker in the Live Free collective.

Brother of Jarrod Van Hauen, his effort in the group began in Mike Barkhoff's 2018 debut feature film INFINITE. and has continued since as an actor. In 2021, he released his debut short film Mixed Bags, as well as several starring and written credits to his name for Live Free's Unscripted incarnation. He plans to begin filming his debut feature film in 2022.

Van Hauen intended to get involved with film efforts as far back as 2014, but was denied this due to Jarrod wanting him to have a separate stance when he did enter. Finally, Dylan got his starting chance in 2018 when he was asked to do a role in Barkhoff's debut feature film. Barkhoff wrote the role with Dylan in mind, wanting all three brothers, including Caleb Van Hauen, to feature in the film in some way as a thank you to all they had done for him.

Dylan continued by helping Barkhoff in 2020 produce his then intended sophomoric feature film effort, I Give It A Year. Van Hauen introduced Barkhoff to several actors to fill roles and helped with scheduling. Due to COVID-19, this was cut short, leaving the film only little more than a third of the way completed. Nonetheless, Barkhoff released it ahead of the Presidential Election that year. Notably, Barkhoff and Van Hauen had differing views on politics. Barkhoff talked to Van Hauen about this nearly immediately when approaching him with the project, explaining that that aspect was "essential" in making the project not just a "one-sided attack".

Following their film break due to the pandemic, Van Hauen approached Barkhoff with an idea for a feature film. They wrote the story together, and Barkhoff proceeded to write a script. It originally was intended to film in 2021 but wasn't successfully put into production due to hectic schedules between the both of them.

Shortly thereafter, Barkhoff contacted Van Hauen with a role in his approaching new series Living Free. Dylan serves as a secondary main character, and appears in six of the seven episodes released thus far. In the scripts, he only appeared in four, but when the duo began filming, Barkhoff and Van Hauen had ideas to expand the story and decided to improvise scenes that would later be crucial to the storyline.

Van Hauen directed Episodes 4 and 5, Film Scouting and The Robbery. He also has agreed to appear in forthcoming films and series of Barkhoff's. He was set to appear in an episode of Chapters.' second season, but this too was prevented due to the aforementioned pandemic.

## Acting Credits

- INFINITE.

- I Give It A Year

- Unscripted (2021, 3 episodes), originally advertisements planned for the above project

- Shattered

- Living Free

## Directed Works

- Film Scouting

- The Robbery
Deathray

*Deathray* is a comic book series from Mike Barkhoff, announced June 13th, 2021 in a since-deleted tweet. In the tweet, he announced Page 1 was being drawn but expressed excitement due to it being an idea he had at the age of seven and has stuck with since.

In fact, he has tried on numerous occasions - since fourteen - to try and write a script.
A Total Maze

*A Total Maze* is a 2019 short film by Mike Barkhoff.

## Premise

Mike Barkhoff tries to write a script, then drinks. He becomes increasingly intoxicated and cannot write. He reflects on "Ozymandias", a poem about a leader who fell. The words stick with him.

## Conception

Barkhoff loved the usage of the "Ozymandias" poem in Breaking Bad and wanted to explore it in his own art.

## Aftermath

Barkhoff felt the audience "wasn't ready" for 114, the show this was made for, so decided to cut it out of his production duties. Due to this, this was the last installment for over a year, until Doppelgang (Short).
Outro

*Outro* is the tenth episode of the second season of Living Free. Written by Mike Barkhoff, it was directed by Jarrod Van Hauen.

## Plot

Mike receives a call from Dylan informing him that they've lost an actor for his film - Mike asks Dylan to post an ad and, when Dylan suggests he'll try to remember, Mike reminds Dylan of it's urgency.

Mike goes over the company budget and discovers that the number is growing smaller than he considered - he informs Ron that they may have to delay his film, and, admitting his guilt for the decision, apologizes to Ron excessively.

Mike partakes in drinking alcohol again, crossing off his one day of sobriety that he has succeeded and replacing it with a zero. Dylan calls Mike to inform him they have an actor, to which Mike thanks Dylan and congratulates him. Conner informs Mike of his cousin's up-and-coming blogsite, Blog Goggle, suggesting Mike submit films there. Thereafter, Dylan reveals the actor retracted their working due to pay indifference. Frustrated, Mike again resorts to drinking. His relapse leads him to consider self harm.

Mike makes a video admitting his intent to retire from the industry. His effort is cut short by a call from Norff, who asks him to release a last minute album for him. Mike reclines, lost in thoughts of his stance in the industry.

## Production

Mike wrote the episode with the intent of making Season 3 key in on more of Dylan's film. He has stated since, however, that plans may change yet again.

Specifically, Mike wanted the episode to resemble the first four episodes of the season, being more self contained than the prior two, as he wanted it to "cycle around the themes of the ten episodes".

Another scene was written with the intent of basing a future storyline off of it, the introduction to Blog Goggle.

## Reception

The episode was met with extremely positive reviews. It maintains a 9.3/10 on IMDb from 23 ratings. The reviews featured, however, keyed in on the season as a whole. Clarke Accloades described Season 2 of the series as "the best web series in a long time", saying it would linger for a long time. Creator of Drakoloid, Drake Vegas, gave the episode - and season - similar testaments, citing it as the "best season yet".
Embiem

Embiem is a South African rapper who signed to Live Free in October 2022. His debut single, "Ride Away", was released the day after the announcement to very positive reviews. His debut album, "Anthems", released February 24th, 2023, to critical acclaim. It has been suggested as the strongest album of Live Free's yet.

## Career

### 2022:

Embiem was informally announced to be joining Live Free a mere day before his debut single "Ride Away". Mike Barkhoff was introduced to him via Gee Mak and TeaRupt. Later that year, he featured on TeaRupt's first single off his debut album, "EXPLORATION".

In 2023, a marketing campaign asking who audience's expected owned what was an unmarked album cover began on Live Free's social media. It was revealed in February 2023, following the release of "I Quit" and "Take Care", that it was his. The album, "Anthems", released on the 24th of that month to rave reviews.

## Discography

2022 - Ride Away

2022 - EXPLORATION (TeaRupt, ft. G\_Freezer & Embiem)

2023 - I Quit

2023 - Take Care

2023 - Unbreakable

2023 - Anthems
FM

**FM: Fear More** is an episode of Chapters. (Season 4) released April 13th, 2023. Written and Directed by Mike Barkhoff, it was inspired by a nightmare he had.

## Plot

A man discusses his curiosity at the writing "available in FM" on the back of a vinyl record's sleeve. As he laments, "vinyl has nothing to do with radio". He puts the record on it's player but, as soon as it starts to spin, a killer shows up and stabs the man.

## Reception

The episode received critical acclaim for it's simplicity and usage of camerawork to show the killer and his task at the end. Clarke Accloades wrote "this is like an amped up Every Decision Matters and The Affair, it has the same simplistic nature. This one is far more effective, however. Barkhoff has perfected his single crew experiment."
BLOG

*BLOG* is the first single released by 12Digits following his debut album Rising. Featuring Trap G, it was released in October of 2021. It is the first single of 12Digits' second effort, He Survived.

## Production

The song sees 12Digits meet a beat with a much more cynical and aggressive nature than that of the songs across his debut album. The song ends very abruptly, following a very brief guest verse from Trap G.

The cover art is very basic because 12Digits asked Barkhoff to release it in a hurried manner. Barkhoff only had a snippet before he got it in his email and a message requesting its release almost immediately.

## Reception

The song was met with very positive reviews, particularly for showcasing a darker and more frantic type of side to 12Digits delivery.
Big Brother

O Big Brother estende a palma da mão para Astro.

**Big Brother** é um robô enorme que aparece em *Astro Bot Rescue Mission* e *Astro's Playroom*.

No Mundo 3-1 de *Astro Bot Rescue Mission*, o Big Brother ajuda o Astro Bot, pegando partes do nível e permitindo que o Astro ande sobre seu corpo para cruzar as lacunas. Em Campo da Memória (*Astro's Playroom*), ele ajuda o Astro a viajar para a próxima área.
Patron

*Patron* is a 2019 short film by Mike Barkhoff, which doubles as a fan film for Breaking Bad (due to El Camino's impending release) and as a short film 'postlude' to INFINITE..

Thereafter, Barkhoff announced a sequel in progress, "The Great Escape".

## Plot

A man goes about his morning routine over the song "Crystal Blue Persuasion". He heads to his basement and grabs a container of Patron, opening it to reveal blue meth 'candy' in a Breaking Bad labeled container. A freeze frame occurs, and we hear the INFINITE.-esque voiceover, revealing it to be a sequel to the film: "My name is Joey Evans, and thanks to the popular TV show "Breaking Bad", it's been more than easy to sell meth on the streets."

## Production

Barkhoff wanted to do a fan film for Breaking Bad before the premiere of El Camino. He turned to an idea he had at the age of thirteen, but considered it too "late" to do it, with time nearing fast. Discussing the idea with a coworker, he came to the conclusion of making a sequel to his first film. It was filmed in a day and the voiceover was done as well. Originally, he wanted Eminem's song "INFINITE." to play over the credits, but due to copyright, changed it to "Castle" by Eminem. This delayed it by a day.

## Clothing and Set

Barkhoff again controlled clothing and set on this film. He made Joey's appearance "flashier than in the film" to highlight success. He also made the room look "dirty but cleaned up towards the center" to give it a rigged design, encapsulating Joey's behavior, similar to how the film did.

## Reception

The film was met with acclaim. It amassed the most streaming debut views for the company (at the time) due to it's tie in with Breaking Bad.

## Aftermath

Barkhoff declared a sequel to his debut feature film, entitled "The Great Escape", without a script written, only the bare minimum of a plot. After viewing El Camino, he took notes and got inspired, wanting the sequel to feel like "the sequel to what inspired the first". During a getaway from reality for a weekend, travelling to family about two hours away, he wrote the plot out. It came to him in segments and he aligned it to make sense. He then wrote the script in one single day over the course of six hours, only leaving it for bathroom and cigarette breaks, during the late night when he returned from the trip.
The Lacey Lane EP

*The Lacey Lane EP* is a 2019 EP by UGK David. The EP features David's highest streamed song to date, The Ex Girlfriend Anthem. At the time of it's release, David's name was Robert Larremore, or R666iE. It was made as a tribute to Lacey Lane. David immediately began recording following The Wulf Of 3rd Street.

David followed the release of this EP with a hiatus, before returning with $EX $ELLS.

## Production

Following the success of The Wulf Of 3rd Street, David moved the release date of the EP up by a considerable amount of time. Due to this, Larremore ran out of music for releases following this. The release of The Ex Girlfriend Anthem, and the subsequent success in streams it saw, made David decide to take a hiatus so he could return with a refreshed style. He would return under the name UGK David and the project $EX $ELLS.

Larremore chose to include two songs, tracks 2 and 4, from the prior mixtape, to also promote that mixtape with this EP's release.

## Tracklist

1 - Impact Kidd (C-Plus) (ft. Chris Masters & Rob Van Dam)

2 - Lacey Lane (Krimson & Klover)

3 - Michael Jackson

4 - nWo (Illuminati)

5 - Marc Jacobs

6 - The Ex-Girlfriend Anthem

7 - Call Me Wu-Tang (Bullet Club Remix) [BONUS]

8 - The Ex-Girlfriend Anthem (Bullet Club Remix) [BONUS]

## Reception

The EP was met with critical acclaim from an online presence. It has been highlighted by many amongst David's strongest projects, particularly for the sixth track, which is still, in 2021, David's most streamed song of his career.
Globe

**Globe** is the seventh episode of Chapters. (Season 4). Debuting on March 16th, 2023, it was written by and directed by Mike Barkhoff. It received positive reviews for it's story but received some criticism for it's execution.

## Plot

A man, who has posted an old-timey spinning globe for sale on a for sale site, becomes enraged at the site of a photo listed. On that photo, he thinks the globe is telling anyone who sees it that the man has a murderous past. Is the globe really trying to signify something, or is the man just insane?

## Production

This episode was the one of the first produced for the season. The plot is original and made solely for the season.

## Reception

The episode received very positive reviews for it's simplistic nature and light plot twist. Clarke Accloades recalled a single angle, steadicam scene in M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs", in which the father and son in that film discuss the events surrounding the son's first day on Earth, and comparatively lamented "Globe has the simplicity of that, but still works in it's Shyamalan twist."
TBD

*TBD* is the fifth episode of Chapters.' first season. Written and directed by Josey Davis, it is her sophomoric short film effort and stars Mike Barkhoff, Ashtun O'Rourke, and herself.

The short film was met with laud, with many considering it the strongest of the series' first season along with Spree. It tells the story of an author trying to decide the story of her next novel, and living the stories out in her head.

## Conception

The idea for the film came after Davis' misinterpreted the title of "Locked Twist" as TBD, what was on the script's front page that she read. After clarifying, she told Barkhoff she would be interested in making a film with that title. Barkhoff taught her how to properly write a script with this short film.

## Plot

An author tries to determine what her next work's story will be and lives through each potential story.

## Production

The film was shot in the course of a day. Jarrod Van Hauen was extended an offer to appear but couldn't due to scheduling conflicts.

## Trivia

- Frequently considered to be one of Barking Vans' best projects. Cited often alongside "$pree", "Candlelight", and "Into the Wild".

## Continuity

- The title and concept of "TBD" directly ties into the plot twist of the season, revealed in the next episode.

## Reception

TBD was met with laud from an online presence, with many calling it one of Barking Vans' best efforts. It is considered, alongside Candlelight and Spree to be one of the best short films of their production. Notably, it drew the complete opposite criticisms faced at Davis' debut short film, Locked Twist. It and Spree are often times debated for title of Best Episode of Chapters.' debut season.
Iratus

**Iratus** is the first planet from Amplus Nova, and is the smallest and innermost planet of the Venezian System, taking only about 126.4 standard days to orbit **Amplus Nova.** In ancient latin, the planet of **Iratus** literally means “Angry”.

Due to its close proximity to **Amplus Nova**, the temperature of **Iratus** is extremely high, often reaching over 700 Celsius. **Iratus**’ surface geology is very unique, being the only planet within the System to be primarily made up of volcanic rock. Magma can commonly be seen on the surface of the planet, and giant supervolcanoes on the planet are constantly in action, covering the planet’s atmosphere with a thick layer of dust, ash, and CO2. **Iratus** is, however, incredibly rich in valuable resources. Some of these valuable resources include **Refusteel**, a rare ore only found in the deepest parts of **Iratus**, **Neutronium-14**, a resource primarily used to create **Carbon-neutronium**, one of the most commonly used metals in Venezia, and **Morstone**, a volcanic rock that is commonly used for heat-shielding due to its natural resistance against heat.

Like Venezia Prime, Iratus orbits **Amplus Nova** within its gravitational radius as an interior planet, and its apparent distance from the Sun as viewed from **Venezia Prime** never exceeds 34 degrees. This proximity to **Amplus Nova** means the planet can only be seen near the western horizon after sunset or eastern horizon during sunrise. At this time, it may appear as a bright red star, but is often far more difficult to observe than either Lympha or Sicca.

Thanks to technological advances made by Armacham Technology Corporation, Venezians are able to survive on this planet by living in large, heat-shielded habitats and are able to walk on the planet’s surface by wearing specialized protective gear. Citizens are mildly conservative, and believe that things should be handled with brute force no matter what situation is upon them. The citizens also take lots of pride in their mastery of different fighting skills, most likely due to the influence of the Replica Forces members stationed on the planet.

**Iratus** is the homeworld of the **Replica Forces** (RF for shorthand), the elite fighting force of the **First Encounter Assault Recon**, universally famous for their incredible martial and battle prowess. While normal humans without protective gear would almost instantly perish on this hell-like planet, **Replica Forces** are able to survive here with relatively minimal protection. This is mostly thanks to their superhuman blood and genetic alterations, which physically alters their bodies to be incredibly resilient, allowing them to survive on **Iratus**. However, due to some strange fumes that rise from the volcanic vents of **Iratus**, Replica Forces members who have been modified for some odd reason, most likely an unintended side-effect, become highly aggressive and “toxic”.

Many of RF’s largest and most important structures are located here. Many of Replica Forces’ facilities are located here, such as Fort Ember, and many of RF’s members hail from this planet, although they do recruit from other planets, such as Sicca.
Nightmarish

*Nightmarish* is the sixth episode of Chapters.' second season, **Atrocity Exhibitions**.
Written and Directed by Mike Barkhoff, the episode stars himself as well, and sees a fictional version of himself trying to battle nightmares after a night of drinking.
The episode received acclaim, primarily for it's camerawork and disillusion in it's scenery tricks. It has been coined as Barkhoff's best short film work by many, with others declaring it is his second greatest since Candlelight.

## Opening Poetry

",what seems unreal is never fully invalid,"

## Plot

Mike Barkhoff drinks before going to sleep. He awakens and hears noises. Going to investigate, he stumbles through a wall. He sees a shadow figure and tries to fight it but goes limp. He continues trying to fight the presence but has no avail of winning. He then gets lead to the staircase, where he finds a cigarette and a lighter. He lights the cigarette as he sits down.

## Themes

The addictions of the episode are nicotine and alcohol.

Barkhoff described the film as "an alcoholic being faced to confront what he doesn't want to admit". Several scenes in the film make his character look small, whether in comparison to an object or in general.

## Trivia

- Barkhoff filmed this prior to "Entry" but felt that it should be Episode 6 because "Episode 6 being my favorite sounded more cool than Episode 5 being it."

- Barkhoff was drinking and smoking excessively during the inception of this episode. Similar to what he tried to do with Doppelgang, he partially wrote this intending it'd scare him into quitting. Also similar to Doppelgang, it didn't work.

## Continuity

- The episode's nightmare sequence is a homage to an episode of *The Sopranos*. Barkhoff also used this technique in INFINITE.

## Reception

Nightmarish received rave reviews and holds a perfect rating on IMDb as of May 21st, 2021. It is considered by many to be one of, if not, the best short films done by Barkhoff.

The camerawork has been met with laud, as well as his acting and the subliminal hints of what the story is about fitted within, with many complimenting it in favor to Barkhoff's "outlandish thought provocative pieces" that lead them to nowhere but confusion.
Road Trip

*Road Trip* is a 2018 comedy short written and directed by Jarrod Van Hauen, starring himself, Mike Barkhoff, and Ashtun O'Rourke.

## Premise

Mike and Ashtun pick up Jarrod to go somewhere. As they drive further, he becomes progressively more annoying, until they snap on him and leave him when he has to pee. Jarrod runs to try and find home when Mike has a change of heart and decides to turn around and find him. Upon finding him, Mike tells Jarrod he has to be less annoying. They pick him up and begin driving again, when he starts to spin a fidget spinner. Mike and Ashtun both look back at him, screaming "No!"

## Versions

Variations of the film exist, with an Uncensored, Censored, a Black and White, and, in 2021, a three year anniversary.

## Reception

The film gained attention for it's comedy and camerawork. The editing was also commented on positively. It is considered one of the funniest efforts from the group and one of Van Hauen's best works. It received more favor than Van Hauen's prior short, "Bloodbath".
Doppelgang (Short)

[Not to be confused with the full length feature. That page is titled Doppelgang.]

## Doppelgang

### Director

Mike Barkhoff

*Doppelgang* is the ninth episode of Chapters.' second season, subtitled **Atrocity Exhibitions**. Written and directed by Mike Barkhoff, as all the other episodes of the season are.
Doppelgang features a fictional version of Mike Barkhoff encountering various 'doppelgangers' of himself from different age ranges. Initially, this was planned to be a full length film, but was discarded and trimmed due to Barkhoff's disappointment with the turnout. He would later decide to try and form the full length version again and release it as his third feature film.

It also acted as a continuation of the web series "114".

## Opening Poetry

",an artist's masterpiece leads to their addiction,"

## Plot

Mike Barkhoff is writing when he hears a voice (unheard by the audience). He goes to investigate and turns on a light, asking for the person to show themselves.
He gets ready for work and abuses energy drinks, before going home and abusing alcohol and nicotine. His friends try to get ahold of him, but he brushes them all off, including Conner.
He continues seeing variations of himself and becomes irritated to the point he removes a knife from his kitchen and tries to kill the variations of himself. In reality, he has cut his own wrist and bleeds out. The film ends with a slow pan of all of his addictions before ending with an "entry" in his "journal", dated October 2nd, 2013.

## Production

Barkhoff wrote the film in 2019 after seeing the trailer for *Joker*. Heavily depressed and drinking excessively, Barkhoff's intent with the script was to finish it and, when successful, stop both of those things. Barkhoff found himself distracted before he could write the conclusion, feeling as if the script was somewhat muddled.

Barkhoff began filming in 2020 when COVID-19 restrictions prevented him from making I Give It A Year as his next feature film instead.

Ahead of release, Barkhoff realized he wasn't happy with the film and discarded much of it in favor of a short film, which he was only slightly more happy with.

## Meaning

Barkhoff remained ambiguous about any of the film's meaning, regardless of the questions asked. You can read more about this on the full length Doppelgang.

## Themes

The episode features an addiction of perfection. The themes that go by it's side are those such as hope, trying to make change, and complacency.

## Marketing

A poster was released for the film a day prior to it's airing. On Amazon, it supports two posters.

## Continuity

- Barkhoff is working on a script for the sequel to Windfall.

## The Definitive Cut

Barkhoff decided to attempt the full length film again and scheduled it for release May 27th, 2021.

## Reception

The short was met with positive reviews, but was considered to be a follow-up dipping point for the season following "Invasion".

Barkhoff himself has admitted he doesn't really like this short film - or the full length - but stated that the short film was essential in fulfilling his plans for the season.
For Your Consideration

For Your Consideration is the fourth album from Live Free musician Norff. Released November 18th, it followed a fairly silent 2022 for Norff. He appeared on only a handful of features and released two singles for this album, the first in May and the second in September. It follows his December 2021 album Overmorrow. This was followed by Norff's final album six months later, entitled Body Bag.

## Production

The album was originally titled "Life Is Rough Pt. 2" before being changed to "Story Of My Life". The final title was the idea of Mike Barkhoff's, who attributed it's wide ranging themes to a film nominated for awards.

The album art and tracklist were both done by Barkhoff.

## Tracklist

1. Who's Next
2. 12Bullets To 69BULLETS (They Are All Yours)
3. Gun Language
4. Baby Girl (ft. SOMPICY)
5. Bad Guy
6. Whack Rappers (ft. 69ERRAS)
7. RIP Freestyle
8. Out Of Breath
9. Sabelani (ft. SOMPICY)
10. Never Leaking
11. Hell Will Break Lose\*
12. Forgive Me (ft. SOMPICY)
13. Open
14. Darling (ft. SOMPICY)
15. Till The Day I Die
16. I'm Lost In My Dreams
17. Goodbye (ft. SOMPICY)
18. Till The Day I Die - Remix (ft. Gee Mak)\*

\*exclusive to Deluxe Edition

## Reception

The album was met with very positive reviews from an online community, but has been suggested as an "improper" album by some, who have related it moreso to a mixtape. It is considered to be amongst Norff's standout work, but slightly behind his previous album.
Believe What You See

*Believe What You See* is a song by Norff featuring 69ERRAS off of his second album Norf. The song sees the two discuss their overall lives, and come to the conclusion that they have to fight to get through it.

## Overview

The song is produced by Bayden Records, who also produced many songs on the same album. Mike Barkhoff knew instantly from hearing the song it needed to be towards the end of the album, and, at one point, had it as the last song. He went against this, as he wanted the last song to catch the "happier moments" of the album, rather choosing "Everybody" due to it's "club hit ability type sound". The song opens with a spoken word intro from the two rappers - this is the first time Norff has done such a thing.

Barkhoff considered it "a song you had to be careful with", likening "if I put it on track 2's slot rather than 8, it could go the complete opposite way. It's an easy one to think you're being pompous with. This is a perfect example of an 'album' song - it has to fit around the body of work and can't be punching at the walls outside of it."

## Reception

The song was met with highly positive reviews. It is considered by many as one of the best tracks off the album.
Night Of Terrors

**Night Of Terrors** is an upcoming feature film written and directed by Mike Barkhoff. Originally intended to be his third - or fourth - film released in 2020, it was delayed in large part due to COVID-19. It entered production in 2023. The film is an anthology focused on different subgenres of horror.
Inanimate

*Inanimate* is a children's based comedy web series created by Mike Barkhoff set to arrive in June 2022.

## Production

Barkhoff had the idea to launch a children's show due to his family and friend circle all introducing him to new adolescents.

Barkhoff also had been working with Drakoloid on children's based programming such as Vox's, Men of the House, and more.

Barkhoff originally intended for the series to be a limited eight episode run, but had a fun time doing it, opening the possibility to making more future installments.

## Episodes

1 - Soap | Two soap bottles discuss the behavior of their shower inhabitants, a male and female, and the gross things they do.

2 - Recyclables | Two cardboard boxes discuss their fear and excitement, respectively, of being chosen for the recycling bin.

3 -

4 -

5 -

6 -

7 -

8 -

All episodes Starring, Written, & Directed by Mike Barkhoff.

## Reception

The debut episode was met with positive reviews for it's comical approach and unique means of animation. It was considered to be a "welcome addition" by Clarke Accloades, who called it "easy viewing" following the company's recent lineup and how packed it had been.
S.A.B.U. (THE LO$T TAPES)

*S.A.B.U. (THE LO$T TAPES)* is a compilation album by UGK David, released May 29th, 2021, following the release of it's single Welcome To The Night Life by mere hours. The "S" in it's primary title is also stylized as an "$". It's primary title is an anagram of $UCCESS ALWAYS BEGINS UNDERGROUND.

It contains songs recorded and never released by David. It is set to be followed by a similar compilation, though comprised of primarily freestyles, which will be entitled THE LIVE FREE$TYLE$ MIXTAPE.

## Tracklist

1. NIKE$ & BACKPACK$ (ft. A.O.)
2. C.R.E.A.M. TEAM
3. WHEN WILL I BE FAMOU$
4. $UPER DI$CO
5. PA$$ THE ROCK (MICHAEL JORDAN)
6. $CRATCH ROCK
7. $AY GOODBYE TO RIVER$IDE
8. JE$$E OWEN$ (TRYNA GET RICH) (ft. Lil Steezy)
9. THI$ OUR TYPE OF PARTY
10. WELCOME TO THE NIGHT LIFE (ft. Big K.R.I.T., Dee Day, and Twinn)
11. $PIDER'$ WE\_B\_ (DIANA WEHBE DI$$)
12. DON'T YOU KNOW (WHO THE FUCK I BE)
13. MY $UICIDE LETTER
14. $POKE$ & WHITEWALL$ (ft. Chief Realla)
15. BITCH I'M FROM (THE MURDER RATE) (ft. Chief Realla)
16. $.M.D. ($UCK MY DICK) [BONUS TRACK]

## Reception

The album was met with positive reviews, with many complimenting the nostalgia found across songs that were initially disregarded from a prior major release.
15 Second Horror Fest Entries

15 Second Horror Fest is a film festival where you submit a 15 second horror short. Mike Barkhoff and Ashtun O'Rourke created and entered multiple films in the festival for competition, which were interspersed throughout Season 2 of Horror Fest.

## Bloodshed

Blood is in the sink with no explanation.

## Sleep Deprived

A sleep deprived girl goes to the bathroom and, upon linking in the mirror, sees her mangled face. [An extended version exists also.]

## Tea Time

A girl cooking tea goes to answer her door, but a gunshot goes off.

## A Seat In The Dark

During a romantic night, a boyfriend sees his girlfriend's true face and is horrified.

## Reception

All but "Bloodshed" received acclaim and were accepted to enter the film circuit.
Celluloid

**Celluloid** is an episode of Chapters. (Season 4). Premiering April 20th, 2023, it was written by Mike Barkhoff and directed by Jarrod Van Hauen.

## Plot

A toy company CEO becomes engulfed in criticism over his company's recent change in plastic used to form toys, as it has become problematic that kids are more susceptible to swallow the toys accidentally. He refuses to budge his stance, thinking it will advance his career, but ends up being fired due to his refusal.

## Production

This was one of the first episodes completed in production for the season. In this episode, characters communicate via earbuds, so there are no true spoken words, as the dialogue plays in the form of captions. This was Barkhoff's suggestion, "to make the episode have something unique about it".

## Reception

The episode received critical acclaim for it's simplistic approach to showcasing a businessman's obsession with saving money. Clarke Accloads lamented the episode is "a prime representation of greed, artistically crafted beautifully."
Atonic Music

**Atonic Music** is a beatmaker who was briefly signed to Barking Vans Music in 2018. His production was planned to be used by the signees but ultimately was never used more than on occasion.

He met Mike Barkhoff online and signed onto the label. With Barkhoff's idea to disband the company, Atonic's relationship was disavowed.

Barkhoff has admitted his stress was so high upon signing Atonic that he doesn't even remember doing so. Nonetheless, he called Atonic "a talent".
Die

**Die** is the third episode of Chapters. (Season 4). Barkhoff described the episode lightly as a "Knowing" ripoff and admitted it's sole purpose was to make usage of cool player's dice and try to get good camera angles. It was directed by Jarrod Van Hauen and released February 16th, 2023.

## Plot

A man practices his playing dice ability but then realizes that every number he rolls correlates to the number of deaths of people by the day. When he rolls a one, he dies.

## Reception

The episode was met with positive reviews. Some, however, have had a more mixed reaction, claiming it seemed "unfinished". It had the worst first week opening for a Chapters. episode.
Candlelight II

*Candlelight II* is a 2019 short film from Mike Barkhoff, seeing him reflect on his stage as an artist, namely following the release of lauded projects such as Candlelight and Into the Wild. He finds himself questioning if he'll be able to produce something to that quality again.

Notably, Candlelight II was Barkhoff's first project following his 2019 creative hiatus. Though it was not the first filmed; that title goes to the unreleased "Drown".

## Conception

Barkhoff had the idea to make something personal for his return film. Initially, he chose "Drown" due to seeing what he described as a "cheesy message at the end of a something or another". Unhappy with "Drown", he decided to embark on this. It was influenced by Shady Records' collaborative album, ShadyXV, notably the song "Fine Line".

## Marketing

The poster was released two days prior to the film. The film was a premiere event on YouTube.

## Clothing

Barkhoff wore clothing suitable for what he did in the film. Laying back, he wore shaggy clothes. When recording or preparing to film, it was more upbeat and colorish and stylish. When talking to his therapist, it was a simple grey sweatshirt. Barkhoff also used jewelry to highlight the tone of the film, as this matched the phase of his jewelry wearing.

Nautica clothing, his favorite line, was featured prominently here.

## Reception

Candlelight II received rave reviews. Many weren't turned off by the fact it didn't end up being a sequel, saying "the story was heavy enough".

## Legacy

Barkhoff enlisted a similar "talking to a wall in place of therapist in the scene" technique in Doppelgang.
It's ON!

it's ON! is the debut album from Live Free musician TeaRupt. Spanning nine songs and sitting just under thirty-six minutes, it follows TeaRupt's May 2022 EP Easy To Like. Released December 16th, it's primary single "EXPLORATION" featuring G\_Freezer and Embiem was released two weeks beforehand after being promoted that November. It's title track, featuring Gee Mak, served as the second single and released December 9th.

## Production

TeaRupt handled the production on his end, writing and gathering beats and collaborators for the project. He also arranged the tracklist. Mike Barkhoff distributed the album as well as setting up it's marketing layout and designing the album's and single's artwork.

## Tracklist

1. Fake Friends (ft. Gee Mak)
2. EXPLORATION (ft. G\_Freezer & Embiem)
3. Free+Style = Your Style
4. it's ON! (ft. Gee Mak)
5. That Day (ft. Gee Mak & 12Digits)
6. Fake Love
7. N.I.Say
8. Thena (ft. Gee Mak)
9. The ONE

## Reception

The album was met with stellar reviews. It has been considered an improvement over it's predecessor, which also received very strong reviews. Music critic Arthur Clarke described the album as a "future classic" and deemed it Live Free's best release in 2022.
HAPPY HALLOWTIP

**Happy Hallowtip** is an EP from UGK David released in October of 2022, thereby making it Halloween themed. It was largely made following David's seperation from UGQ Kitty and sees him discussing his career and life at lengths since it's recent tonal shift.

## Marketing

David initially disclosed the project as "HALLOWTIP$" but, as the time got nearer, he decided to adhere to the Halloween timeline. At one point, he wanted it to be thirty-one songs.
2nd Chance

*2nd Chance* is the fourth episode of the second season of Living Free. Directed by Zach Delfs, it was written by Mike Barkhoff and airs on April 8th, 2022.

## Plot

Mike has a cold and finds himself laying down in bed in an attempt to rest it off. He begins to have fever dreams, which are minimal and somewhat harmless at first, such as the set of the Give Me Water video and other various strange occurrences.

Shortly, however, Mike is struggling to walk and goes upstairs where he has a beer with a plain supper and explains to his family that he isn't going to college.

Mike awakens and sets to work on Dylan's script, shaken by the dream, as a beer lays on the table from the night before.

## Production

Dreams and nightmare esque installments of web series or scenes in films are prominent across Barkhoff's filmography, with popular examples including INFINITE., Nightmarish, and Astral - this is largely due to Barkhoff's supreme fixation on dream based episodes of "The Sopranos", which he cites as being "amongst his favorites" because "the characters all seem to grow, even though only one character is in that space."

Barkhoff had the idea for "2nd Chance" lastly when looking at episodes of Season 2 that would solely include himself. He debated it strongly, somewhat critical of doing another dream episode (as mentioned above, Season 1 had one, also) before realizing that it was key in giving his character a "jolt of realization" as he was struggling to work in episodes past of the season.

## Themes

The episode is littered with themes throughout. For example, Barkhoff's revisiting of the Give Me Water music video likely mimicks him requesting water while sick in reality. Barkhoff also has a beer with his lackluster meal, and, upon awakening also has an empty beer near his bed. The lackluster meal showcases Barkhoff's apparent view of his life's failures, and juxtaposes with his stress of explaining why he has chosen to disregard college. Also before that scene, Barkhoff struggles to walk up a set of stairs, showcasing that he is getting old and still hasn't excelled as much as he wishes, and also showcasing that a part of him wants to remain at a lower level (independent, in terms of filmmaking). This also makes it clear that Barkhoff is telling his family he isn't going to college at his current age (21/22) rather than as a teenager, with the beer and steps factor - he is telling his family for a second time, after succumbing to some failures in life.

## Reception

The episode received very positive reviews but was noted as some as feeling like "filler" for some of it's run. It holds a 9.1/10 on IMDb. In terms of viewership, it reached and held #1 for "Most Viewed Video" on Live Free's YouTube from the eight hour mark to the two days mark, a feat no other episode has managed to do yet.

## Aftermath

Along with the episode, Barkhoff issued a statement where he promised the "ante would be upped" and revealed that it was the last individual episode. He also called Season 2 "the best thing that" the show could be, saying it was a true form of itself.
Baby June

**Baby June** is a musician that was signed to Barking Vans Music in 2018. During his time, he released one album and a mixtape. His idea for a follow-up to a debut album was drastically changed due to the label's disbanding and reception of the album. He met Mike Barkhoff in 2018.

## Career

### 2018 - 2019:

Upon meeting Barkhoff, Baby June signed to then label Barking Vans Music and set out to work on his debut album.

The album, entitled Gold Standard 0.5, was released in fall of 2018, following a handful of singles aimed to SoundCloud exclusively (while the album debuted on Spotify in full).

His follow-up project was the mixtape Night On Yonah Mountain, which was released a week prior to it's announced date in early 2019.

Following the disbandment of the label, Baby June continued working on his music by joining other rappers he met online in various rap groups. During this timeframe, he released a multitude of singles and appeared in several other's songs.

### 2020 - Now:

Baby June eventually transformed into a blend of R&B performances, changing his name to IDK. He remains recording music.

## Live Free Disassociation

When asked why Barkhoff didn't extend his offer of revival to Atonic Music and June, Barkhoff explained that he was "under so much stress" he "forgot" about Atonic, but stated he was "a talent nonetheless".

In regards to June, Barkhoff opened up about struggles and disputes with June regarding release schedule, lack of understanding offer pay, and more, also revealing that the song June got signed for sounded nothing like the rest of his work and was "misleading".

## Discography

2018 - Gold Standard 0.5

2019 - Night On Yonah Mountain
Life As A Rapper

*Life As A Rapper* is a 2018 song from Mcee Detox, featuring Norff and Panda Tee. Initially appearing on Stage One, it ended up being the seventh and final song on Detox's debut album IMPL LP in 2022.

The song finds the three rappers discussing their positions in the rap game and how, at times, it can feel repetitive.

## Music Video

A music video released the same day as Detox's debut album's surprise release night, directed by and starring Mike Barkhoff.

The video sees Barkhoff, as a fictional rapper, dealing with sleep deprivation and depression as he laments on his status being "stuck", in terms of success, making it difficult for him to record a new song or even smile.

## Reception

The song has received generally positive reviews from an online community. Some criticism has been given towards the quality of the mixing, but the lyricism has been met with compliments.
Timeline (2015)

*Timeline* - 2015 - is the 2015 remake of Mike Barkhoff's 2013 film of the same name. Released in seven parts, the film extends thirty minutes, and features one of Barkhoff's first appearance as an actor in his work, as a main character.

Barkhoff portrays Harry White, a Police Detective who becomes angered by a group of street criminals who have been committing fraudulent activities, especially when he can't find them. Upon finding one of their member's journals, and then being met by a strange man who introduces him to time travel via a remote, he goes back in time to try and corrupt their first crime pulled off. Unbeknownst to him until he arrives, this crime occurs during the first date of him and his wife. Now, he must try to stop the criminals and manage to do so without interfering with a past version of himself, disarranging the timeline.

## Background

After completing the 2013 version, Barkhoff was dissatisfied. Having had a low quality camera, poor budget, and unpleased with the actors and the length of the film (imaging it as a 90 minute film then editing it and realizing it was only 7 minutes, as it was his first encounter with the work), Barkhoff pondered on a remake.
In 2015, he began to get serious about doing so. Gathering with friends, they decided to approach it after school. They did so, and Barkhoff released the completed 2015 remake.

## Production

The film was made during the after school hours in Barkhoff's freshman year of High School using friends as actors. Barkhoff's decision to move forward the film came after a chance encounter with three actors interested in filming a 'parkour' sequence, which Barkhoff then wrote into the film.
This was Barkhoff's first film to use more than one camera. A GoPro was used, as well as his flip open Samsung camcorder, all of the crew's phones for at least one scene, the school camera that he was allowed to borrow, and his first camera - which he used in the 2013 version - for a nostalgic purpose scene.

## Aftermath

Barkhoff has since admitted to being unpleased with the result of this film, too, though saying it was "much closer" to his expectation. He has admitted interest in remaking it again in the future.
In a 2019 installment of the Live Free Podcast, Barkhoff and Delfs discuss the opportunity of doing more, and both say they have ideas.
Greenbrier

**Greenbrier** is the second episode of Chapters. (Season 4). Written by Mike Barkhoff and directed by Jarrod Van Hauen, it released February 10th, 2023, to positive reviews.

## Plot

A soldier returns home feeling like he has no control over his negative thoughts. Trying to reach out to past cohorts for help, he discovers he is part of an elaborate plan in which soldiers were microchipped for control of their bodies. He removes his microchip and looks at the data, a free man.

## Production

Barkhoff stated that the episode was originally intended to delve further into it's concept before he found it potentially best to keep some plot elements short and sweet. The plot is similar to an early draft for an episode he wrote in 2018, which he paired with the title he had conceived of in 2020 - the title is an homage to an early title of the Breaking Bad sequel film El Camino.

## Reception

The episode was met with positive reviews, but has been deemed as a "pretty average" episode of the show by some.
Reversa

**Reversa** is the ninth episode of Chapters. (Season 4). Released on April 6th, 2023. Unknown until it's debut, the episode has two storylines attached. The second, a surprise mini-episode, is entitled **The Syringe**. Both episodes were written by Mike Barkhoff, who directed the second episode, which featured story beats from Anessa Smith, who also directed the first story of the episode.

## Plot

In "Reversa", a man relives his crumbling relationship via a photograph, which takes him back to the past and leaves him seeing all his mistakes. In "The Syringe", a man finds a syringe in a stairwell at his workplace. Upon moving it to a safety hazard box, he has become critical of someone who would use the drug. He finds a piece of trash which shows how high it is to get prescribed medication shortly thereafter.

## Production

Both episodes date back to 2020, when Barkhoff had the ideas and wished to include them in Chapters. (Season 2). "The Syringe" was at one point announced to be included in Chapters. (Season 3) but then, with no explanation, was revoked from the lineup.

## Reception

The episode received critical acclaim for it's simplicity and carrying two strong message-driven stories. As Clarke Accloades wrote, "one is about taking things for granted, and the other is about reaction, and not seeing the full picture. Barkhoff is actively trying to tell people to be more patient with other people."