Malaysian filmmaker and content creator Mohammed Sofian, aka Sofyank96, probably didn’t think he’d be collaborating with Ryan Reynolds this year. Or maybe he did; the young CGI artist has already filmed crossover videos with Peacemaker star John Cena, and Will Smith.

The 26-year-old Sofian, a native of Kelantan state in Malaysia, has been an online creator since he was 14, when he began creating videos for the now-defunct vid-sharing platform Vine. After being inspired by internet personality Zach King, Sofian started to up his game by incorporating digital VFX into his videos.

Sofian’s YouTube channel has generated a staggering 59,218,098 views since he started, and it seems with every video, he ups his creation game another notch. After his collabs with Cena and Smith, Sofian approached Reynolds with the idea of collaborating on a video piece about Reynolds’ Netflix film, The Adam Project. Reynolds agreed, and allowed Sofian to record footage of him over Zoom. Then the young artist stepped in with his own green screen and knowledge of CGI.

Incredibly, while Sofian’s footage of the Deadpool actor was only 16 seconds long, the creator not only used CGI to bring in the appearance and effects from The Adam Project, but also to artificially-extend the footage of Reynolds. The results made it seem as if Sofian and Reynolds were filming mere inches apart from one another, when in fact they were thousands of miles away.

Sofian released a vlog post on his own YouTube channel showing the process of recording and editing down Reynolds’ footage into the full video:

After Sofian released the video, Reynolds offered him his compliments in his own Ryan Reynolds-y way, Tweeting that “[He] thinks this sets an unfair standard for 4 minute junket interviews.”

It’s not known what Sofian has in the works for his next project, but his goal is to gain international recognition for his content. Given who he’s rubbing virtual elbows with, that goal may be realized sooner rather than later.

Image via Pixabay

While starting new trends and going viral is pretty much the name of the game for dedicated TikTok users, sometimes users will find their videos getting swarmed with likes and shares literally by accident. That’s just what happened to user @kateylorrell recently when she filmed herself taking a tumble while showing off her new outfit.

The original shows Lorrell backing away from her phone as she prepares to show off her look for the day when she suddenly hits her bedpost at exactly the wrong moment. She emits an epic “OW!” and then tumbles onto her bed. Not exactly a perfect rendition of ‘Renegade” or one of the many other dance trends that find themselves going viral on the app. But other users are finding the video hilarious and are even using the app’s side-by-side Duet function to add their own commentary and soundtracks.

User @mrjonzmusic even took to Twitter to post his video response and to add Lorrell’s distinctive “OW!” to the chorus of a Bee Gees hit — not to mention showing off his own fairly impressive pipes.

For whatever reason, Lorrell’s uniquely pitch “OW!” has hit the perfect note on TikTok to go viral. The original video alone has received 1.4 million likes so far, but many of the resulting duets have garnered even millions more, inspiring a whole new viral trend on the site.

User @peningtonn”s duet, which mixes Lorrell’s “OW” with Nelly’s “No Matter What I Do,” has racked up a mind-blowing 9.7 million views. Many users are re-creating the “Staying Alive” video posted by @mrjonzmusic, but other users have found plenty of other tunes for Lorrell to interject her shout into.

Only time will tell how long the trend continues – but given the TikTok’s love of a good trend, Lorrell may find herself “duetting” with users across the platform for some time to come. And great TikTok trends never really die. They just get saved to “Favorites.”

Image via Pixabay

Filters are an essential part of the online media platform experience. They allow you to take your videos and images and change their look and aesthetic. From simple filters that make videos look more vibrant and eye-catching to ones that recreate other media formats, there really is a filter for every need. 

But what do you do if you want to remove filters on TikTok? 

Why are people talking about removing TikTok filters?

The idea of removing filters from a TikTok video has been going viral across several platforms in the last few weeks. This has stemmed from the popularity of the Rotoscope and Red Silhouette filters, both of which turn the user into a silhouette of some form.

The popularity of these filters has caused many sites to post that they know methods to remove the filter from other people’s videos, allowing you to see the original video before the filter was added, which could reveal something the video’s creator didn’t want you to see. 

Can you remove TikTok filters from another user’s video?

You cannot remove the filter from other peoples’ videos. Once the video is posted on the site, the filter is effectively baked into the file, making it impossible to remove. In the same way, you can’t delete a visual effect from a movie or TV show. 

Unfortunately, the internet is awash with links and videos suggesting that they can do this. However, these videos and articles tend to be incorrect or feature falsified results. Others are simply scams trying to get you to download another app or program that could harm your computer or steal your data.

Can you remove TikTok filters from your video? 

While making a TikTok video, you might accidentally apply the wrong filter or decide that a filter doesn’t work with the video you’re editing. Thankfully, there are ways to remove a filter from your own TikTok video, and the exact method will depend on how your video is stored. 

If the video is stored in your drafts folder, you simply have to tap on the “me” option at the bottom right of the screen. Then go into your drafts and select the video you wish to edit. When the video is open, hit the back button at the top of the screen to return to the video editor. Then tap Effects at the bottom left corner of the screen. You should then see a small backward-facing arrow on the right of the screen. Tap this to remove the filters you’ve added to the video. Once this is done, tap the Next button. Then, when you reach the effects menu, tap “None” and save the changes to have the draft video without the filters. 

If you’ve recorded a video using a filter but haven’t posted it, you can still remove the filter. Once you’ve recorded the video, go to the Filters tab, and select Portrait. Then choose Normal to have a video without filters. 

You can also record a video without any filters at all. To do this, launch TikTok, and on the video screen, select filters. Then go to Portrait and select the Normal option. Then press the Effects button and tap None. Next, go to the Beautify option and set all of its values to zero. Then go to the Makeup tab and put all those values to zero. This will allow you to record a video with no filters or alterations.

Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Universal Pictures

It looks like when it comes to her recent deactivation of her Twitter account, rapper, Cardi B is over it. The entertainer just returned to social media to announce the video for her single, “Shake It” which drops at midnight, and re-activated the Twitter account she had deleted only a handful of days before.

The Twitter post also contains the sleeve art for the single which features New York Drill rappers Kay Flock, Dougie B, and Bory 300. A snippet of the song and video surfaced recently and has already gone viral. The original Tweet featuring the snippet posted by user @DearBelcalis already has over 5.3 million views and has accrued more than 23,000 retweets and 136,000 likes so far.

In the snippet, B leans hard into the New York Drill style popularized by her co-artists on the single, rapping over a loop of “Bananza (Belly Dancer)” by Akon. Cardi B’s husband, Migos rapper Offset, commented that “I love when wifey be on da GanGsta time… remind them where u started from.” Other commenters agreed that the snippet signifies a shift back to Cardi B’s roots on the mixtapes Gangsta B*tch Music, Vol. 1 and Gangsta B*tch Music, Vol. 2.

The Twitter post marks Cardi B’s return after “quitting” the platform due to what she referred to as her “fuckin dumbass fanbase,” dragging her for not attending the recent 2022 Grammy ceremony.Se appears to have removed the posts concerning the episode and is already back to her highly entertaining self. Hopefully, she’ll stick around. At least until next year’s Grammys.

“Shake It” will be released in its entirety at this midnight, Friday 15.

Twitch, the popular live-streaming service behind some of the world’s most popular streamers, is now offering gift cards.

The site joined the vast majority of restaurants and retailers around the world in launching an official Twitch gift card, which non-Twitch users can purchase for friends and family members with an account. Here’s everything you need to know about Twitch’s new offerings, from where to find them to what they can be used for.

How and where to buy Twitch gift cards

Purchasing one of Twitch’s new gift cards is simple, even for those without a Twitch account. Interested purchasers can simply head over to the Twitch website, where a full page is dedicated to various versions of the bold purple card. Most digital purchases will go through Amazon, where you can find a variety of options — from birthday wishes to graduation celebrations — and select the correct price point. Digital Twitch gift cards are purchasable for any amount between $25 and $200 for the U.S., Canadian, and Australian shoppers, between €25 and €100 for European shoppers, and between £25 and £100 for British shoppers.

Twitch gift cards can only be redeemed by users with a Twitch account, so ensure your recipient still spends plenty of time on the streaming site before purchasing. Redeemed cards will appear in a user’s Twitch wallet, and can only be redeemed and used in the same currency they are purchased in.

Physical gift cards are also available from most major retailers, according to the Twitch website. These will function similarly to their digital counterparts, but allow purchasers to exchange a physical gift with their recipient. These cards are mostly customizable, and can be purchased in any amount between $15 and $200 for most users. Canadians can boost their physical gift cards to up to $500, but most European users will have to stick with digital for the time being.

Who can use Twitch gift cards?

Twitch gift cards purchased in a certain country can only be redeemed by users in the same country. That means that gift cards purchased with U.S. dollars can only be redeemed in the U.S.

Gift cards are currently available for users in the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia, and the following 25 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.

What are Twitch gift cards used for?

Twitch gift cards can be redeemed for a variety of things on the site, from channel subscriptions to bits and gift subscriptions. U.S. dollars can also go toward Turbo, which provides users with ad free viewing, a chat badge, expanded emoji selection, extended broadcast storage, and custom chat username colors. Turbo is not available with a gift card purchase using any other currency.

Twitch gift cards cannot be used to purchase Twitch merchandise or prime gaming.

Image via Ironmouse/Twitch

VTuber Ironmouse is rocketing to popularity on the live-streaming service Twitch.

The Puerto Rican VTuber recently became the most-subscribed streamer on the platform, cinching the sought-after title following a subscriber-collecting subathon. She also boasts a follower count more than 1 million strong. As a VTuber — or virtual YouTuber — followers are only familiar with the animated version of Ironmouse, whose voice is provided by the real-life creator behind the account. The pairing of Ironmouse’s consistently popular streams and the virtual character’s charming personality aided greatly in her journey to the top of Twitch, where she’s been breaking records left and right.

Who is Ironmouse?

Ironmouse is a cute, pink-haired, anime-style VTuber whose account appeared on Twitch in 2017. In the years since, Ironmouse has risen high enough to compete with some of Twitch’s top streamers, raking in subscribers in the tens of thousands. She recently became the most-subscribed-to channel on the platform, a goalpost which she celebrated — along with her loyal fans — in a recent stream.

The popular streamer made a name for herself through several years of gaming-centric content, uploading streams of herself enjoying titles like 7 Days to Die in her early days and transitioning to more relaxed titles like It Takes Two in recent years. Her popularity has undergone a major boost over the last several months, following her arrival at 500,000 followers in mid-2021, according to Kotaku. Since then, her star has been steadily on the rise as the creator racks up fresh followers on a near-daily basis.

This is aided, in large part, by her streaming schedule. While many streamers struggle to maintain consistent release schedules, Ironmouse is hyper-focused on her Twitch presence. Much of her current popularity can be attributed to a recent subathon, which remained ongoing for a truly impressive amount of time.

Why is Ironmouse so popular?

As noted above, there are multiple factors behind Ironmouse’s Twitch success. She built her follower base for years before signing onto VTuber agency VShojo in 2020. Since then, she’s been a mainstay among some of Twitch’s most prominent streamers, varying uploads between a range of content types. Most of her content sees Ironmouse enjoying a game or chit-chatting with her followers, but it occasionally branches out into reaction videos or casual, rambling IRL content.

The sudden recognition behind Ironmouse has a lot to do with the VTuber’s subathon, which kept the streamer busy for right around a month straight. The subathon — a marathon stream intended to boost a creator’s follower count — started on Feb. 4 and concluded on March 7, according to Upcomer. Ironmouse presented the subathon with simple rules, stating that each fresh follower added during the stream would add 15 seconds to her stream timer. In total, she gained 171,818 followers over the course of 31 days.

The lengthy stream aided immensely in Ironmouses’s rise to fame and saw the chipper creator break several records along the way. Over the course of her ceaseless month-long stream, Ironmouse hurtled past massive creators to seize brand new records. By day 11 of her subathon, Ironmouse surpassed Miyoung “Kkatamina” Kim as the most-subscribed female streamer on Twitch and soon after cinched the record for third-most concurrent Twitch subscriptions in the entire history of the site.

In just four years, TikTok, the short-form video-sharing app, has gone from a popular fad to a Gen Z cultural touchstone. In the last year or so it’s become something else as well — one of the best things that can happen to an up-and-coming musician, especially one with eyes on the Spotify Viral 50.

And for one aspiring Atlanta artist with a penchant for sweaters and Cardi B, he owes a big debt to TikTok for making a splash on Spotify.

Lil Shordie Scott’s “Rocking A Cardigan In Atlanta” is currently in the Top 20 of both the U.S. and Global Viral 50 playlists on the streaming service. That’s almost purely on the weight of its TikTok presence, proving that the platform is becoming as indispensable to emerging artists as radio play was to what your elders knew as “rock ‘n’ roll.”

TikTok omnipresent and ever-changing dance trends have certainly helped a fair share of established names such as Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat remain on the popstar A-list, but it’s helped the careers of more than a few obscure acts as well. “How You Like That” by Blackpink, “Beggin” by Måneskin, and “Astronomia” by Chiky Dee Jay are just a few of the many songs that have had a spotlight shined upon them by TikTok virality.

In the case of Lil Shordie Scott — according to his YouTube page, he’s a “youngin from the southside of Atlanta with a different style and vision” — it took two months for “Rocking A Cardigan In Atlanta” to go from debuting on his SoundCloud account to becoming a TikTok dance jam.

The track seemed to take off, according to Scott’s genius.com page, following a cover video by TikTok user @runuppercy. The video, admittedly quite different from Scott’s flow, gathered over one million likes (and counting) and, more importantly, sent users in search of the original.

The song got another unexpected TikTok boost when Jenelle Evans, star of Teen Moms 2, posted herself twerking to Scott’s original version of the song following her revelation that she was suffering from fibromyalgia. In the video, Evans dances along to the song using moves that have gone viral in one of the platform’s many dance trends. Users across the platform have posted their own videos — generally featuring more than one person dancing— all following the same steps.

Of course, virality doesn’t guarantee last fame, but Lil Shordie’s fairly distinctive flow and vocalization, pitched many times above most of the raps coming out of Atlanta right now, may prove a key to success. (That piano intro’s pretty fantastic as well.)

Time will tell whether his time as a TikTok trend was a momentary supernova of infatuation, or if he’s here to stay in the firmament for a while.