Preview Brainstorm Sessions

Introduction
FAH will typically post the premiere thumbnail pic to Facebook in the early hours of Wednesday night - Thursday mornings. They had set up a YouTube premiere post for [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy00xMn99QA Squatters Ep. 1] (12 March 2020) but then forgot all about it until exactly 5 months later for the sketch If Every Country had a Bar (12 August).

The relatively early upload of the sketch title and the thumbnail, on Wednesday afternoons, means that FAHns can start brainstorming what the sketch is about and who will play which parts in it. It might be fun to compare these thoughts with the actual sketch, so let's give it a go!

On Patreon, Arms started keeping a =Behind%20the%20Scenes Behind The Scenes Diary] when they were shooting Squatters The Sitcom, Episode 2, which took a couple of days as opposed to just an afternoon.

Arms usually posts his diary entries on Mondays or Tuesdays along with a picture gallery and sneaky videos he filmed on his phone while Foil and Hog are working on designing the set. These are a joy to read and obviously give away many clues about the sketch, but never too many to spoil it! With all that extra time for sketch guessing, the FAH Sketch Premiere BINGO Game becomes a doddle to create and spread around for other FAHns to use while watching. Fun!

Rules & Guidelines
Try to elaborate on which clues caught your eye and explain your reasoning as best you can. If you think a familiar character might turn up, you can post screenshots of earlier sketches. The more details you share, the more fun it will be to compare your first impressions to the actual sketch!

Play fair and don't add contributions in the 'brainstorm' paragraphs after the sketches have aired. You're allowed to hit and miss, in fact, that's the most exciting thing about this exercise!

A Party with the Months of the Year
There's been one precedent even: when the Facebook premiere for this sketch was posted, Heleendje drafted a quick excel sheet to try and guess who would play which month. As this was a follow-up sketch (to A Party with the Days of the Week of course), there was a fairly good chance to get it right... and yet! She only 3 out of 9 featured months correctly!! It's not as easy as it looks lads...

Watch the sketch here!

If Every Country Had a Bar
The premiere video description states "What if every country had its own bar? How would they represent their Nation? An Irish bar, Saudi Arabian bar, Nepalese bar, German bar?" .... Even with this as a guide, fans still have questions.... and an entire day to go until we find out the answers! Your best guesses about this sketch go here! Have fun!!
 * I'm intrigued by the title: is it gonna be mostly countries that don't usually have bars and what it would be like if they did?
 * Maybe the title should be "If Bars were Countries".... seems to fit better. Although maybe they didn't want to copy their "If Coffees were Countries" title.
 * Maybe because "Irish Bar" is a type we also have here, but I never see a "Dutch bar" abroad for example. I'm curious if they'll have a Dutch one or just a coffeehouse with some confused people...
 * I wonder if this sketch will use the pandemic as a topic, maybe making references to which countries have opened their bars and which haven't. But that seems a bit limiting, so it may be a completely pandemic-free sketch.
 * Character Guesses:
 * Arms = Aussie (he's done the accent before!) and Nepal (in his "Travel Knob Guy" outfit)
 * Foil = Saudi Arabia (but with a Dutch accent like in "The Real Victims of Scams"
 * Hog = ??

Watch the sketch here!

Everybody Hates Team Building Day: Who is 'Moustached Manager'?
FAH posted this 'preview' (see picture on the right) in their Instagram stories on Friday 4 Sept 2020. Their shooting day in the no-gig season is a Friday, so we should get to see the result of this shoot on Thursday the 10th, with the title of the sketch being released the night before.

'''What is a Ronnie?? '''Brand new FAHn @foil.wrapped (Instagram) figured this out for us:

A'' 'Ronnie' is Dublin slang for a moustache, though I've never really heard the term being used much. It's named after the actor Ronald Colman, who wasn't Irish at all but British. Not Ronnie Drew who was more famous for his beard. The Irish word for moustache is croiméal.''

'''What's this Ronnie comment about? '''Well, Foil has repeatedly commented on how he loves playing characters with a moustache the best because they're always such great craic. His   'How We Got the Look' tutorial on Patreon about his Gerry character (from Lazy Lockdown Workout) is a real treat and honestly very educational! Never in the history of this wiki has a sneak peek been posted THAT soon, so the FAHnWiki editors collected their fellow FAHns' thoughts in a Twitter thread and an Instagram post in the days between the preview post and the sketch premiere.

Quite a few commenters thought this might be the return of a familiar character. Others were sure this would turn out to be a brand new addition to the FAH universe. We shall see on Thursday (tomorrow, at the time of writing) how right or wrong we were!

Our pick of comments from the thread are listed below:

(from @Heleendje) I've always wanted a revisit of the Evil Corporate Advertising sketch (14 Jan 2019), so what if Foil's clean-shaven character makes it to the CEO's seat after he retired (or was murdered of course), and decided to grow a moustache? Maybe it's about logo designs this time... Foil's 'attitude' in this pic reminds me of Hog's character there. And to support my argument: take a look at the colour of their ties!! FAH are very particular about their wardrobe and prop choices nowadays, so I don't think this is a coincidence at all. (And, just to add, Foil will have a US accent I'm 90% sure!! This character is the mirror image of the Uncle Sam Wants You poster!!)

(from @Wolfilotje) A game show host, who needs to match his tie to the golden suitcases or buzzer. That or together with the golden tie it'll be a golf player in Switzerland, obviously (they made golden ties back....10 years ago or something).

(from @Mija_Rex) I personally think that the way Foil is looking and acting towards the camera, that this could be an Alan Sugar type of sketch, similar to the style of the Start-Up sketches, but a lot more bossy and formal for Foils character. Who knows, maybe Foil might hire and fire someone on the same day!

(from @MoszLeah) I think this is Oisín‘s dad at the office for diagnostic consultants for ventilation systems (see Studying with your Parents). The picture was taken just after he saw what Anne had packed for his lunch. (from @TurtleDanish) For some reason, I feel it could be a sequel it Cancelling a Gym Membership. Might be because I read “So you know the sketch will be good” in the voice of Foil saying “It would be a shame to lose those guns.” (from @LPmusicfreak) Definitely a member of the "Ronnie" family aka Gerry from Lazy Lockdown Workout, Manager from Cancelling a Gym Membership and '''Liamo from the Patreon Piano tutorial. 'Looks like flustered CEO of a company giving his colleagues a Post Covid training day''!

(from @Lilium_sylvanum) Doesn’t he look a bit like the lockdown sports reporter from Sports Reports in 2020? Could it be some type of news reporter this time too? (from @ChristineTheRa1) I was thinking about some kind of politician. Can't wait to see what it's really about!

(from @G0ldf1nch) There’s a David Byrne vibe about that photo.

(from @foil.wrapped) I think he's definitely got the look of a football team manager. The angry indignation!

(from @academicfahn) He kind of looks like he's trying to convince someone of some important piece of information. He is pointing at someone or something and being forceful about it. Knowing FAH, there's got to be some twist here - it looks normal (business suit and all) - but he's talking about something unusual: like using baby bum cream on your hair!

(from @gen_fisher) "You're fired!" (The Apprentice)... All I know is the character shall be LOUD. The moustache always means its a loud character... (from @JenJenWren1) Foil just screeeaaaams middle management tosser here. Combined with Hog at home with Baby Yoda (another Instagram story, see picture on the right) - something about paid paternity leave? (Not sure what the go is in Ireland)

(from @KingJulianIIII) I don’t know why, but Foil really gave me small-town mayor vibes in the photo for some reason. Maybe Jim Everyman (from Election Time in Ireland) has grown a Ronnie? (from @divingdane) Clearly it's hard-hitting exposé into the horrible truth behind wiener schnitzels. (They are actually elephant scabs! Perfectly innocent elephants are being fed elephant beer until they get so drunk they fall over and scrape their knees....)

[Note from the editor: Yeah... we don't fully understand that last one either.]

Watch the sketch here!

Companies Throw a Party
FAH posted these 'preview' pictures on their Instagram on Friday 25 Sept 2020. Their shooting day in the no-gig season is a Friday, so we should hopefully get to see the result of this shoot on Thursday the 1st October, with the title of the sketch being released the night before.

The same with the last sneak peek, Foil is sporting a much less elaborate 'Ronnie' this time around. If you aren't sure what a Ronnie actually is, it is summed up in the sneak peek above.

Never, apart from the previous, has a sneak peek been posted THAT soon, so the FAHnWiki editors collected their fellow FAHns' thoughts in a Twitter thread in the days between the preview post and the sketch premiere. They are as follows:

(from @Mija_Rex) I think that this sketch is going to be a very mad one. Foil honestly looks like we are going to get some life modelling style projects, whilst Hog, who is a recent graduate (or just wants to show off that he has a degree) is attempting to analyse his or Foils work. It could also possibly be that Arms is portraying an 'Art' critic, similar to that of "The Snob" which could always provide no wrong answers. Remember folks "Art backwards is Tra. It means nothing."

(From @TurtleDanish) I feel like Arms is an Art teacher, Hog will be the student and Foil is the model that Hog will be drawing. However, maybe Hog is the professor reviewing the student's (Arms) art project (Foil). I wouldn't be surprised if this sketch involves foreign accents.

(from @donaz79) Arms is the artist/ professor looking for models for his new project and, together with his former pupil/art graduate (Hog) they're reviewing a model (Foil)?

(from @shygirl20121) Maybe Hog is the tutor and they're different kinds of art students presenting their graduation project?

(from @Heleendje) How (not) to be a Live Model or The Live Model Entrance Exam. In which case, nice of them to indirectly promote the #FAHnARTchallenge XD

(from @GrafikPK) Hmm. Party with the Artists? Special guest: the one and only; La Bullshat!

(from @ChristineTheRa1) How to make Retro/Vintage look cool or sth?

(from @ThePirateHobbit) Still Life Drawing Class?? XD

(@JenJenWren1) Woweee. That 'stache and mullet combo. Yet another turtleneck sweater! I reckon a Party with Subjects at Uni. Or subjects when they Graduate.

(from @divingdane) A new take on The Graduate? Or, A Very French Movie?

(from @GenFish2) Arm's Art school

(from @Wolfilotje) School reunion, seeing what everyone turned out to be?

(from @LPmusicfreak) It's the cynic in me thinking they are gonna make fun of Student's in the Arts XD *cue a shot of someone in a graduation gown begging for change*

(from @MoszLeah) I think it's "Leaving Cert Dreams" Part 2- College Edition. Student (Foil) turns up for his graduation ceremony in the wrong gown, his professor (Arms) has morphed into the crazy neighbour who's been dead ten years and used to steal all the scooters on the block. Hog's a friend.

[Note from the editor: Yeah... that one above.... sounds terrifying.]

Watch the sketch here!

If Every Country had a Vaccine
FAH posted these 'preview' pictures on their Instagram on Friday 23 Oct 2020. What do you think the sketch is going to be about? It's a fair guess that it's a topical one, set in a pharmacy, in a customer interaction kind of storyline. Wordplay? Physical gags? DARK!FAH?? Give us your best guesses!!

Regrettably, this sketch has since been deleted.

Drunk Planet Earth Interview
FAH posted this 'preview' picture on their Instagram on Monday 2 Nov 2020. What do you think the sketch is going to be about? Is Earth returning for another book press tour?!

Watch the sketch here!

Will Northern Ireland Get Back With Ireland
Arms shared a picture gallery on Patreon ahead of this sketch (23 April 2021), the first time he's given an elaborate preview with a diary entry like this since their Squatters adventure.

He called this a sketch that "had a nice amount of costumes and make-up" in his set diary entry. In the pictures you can see what he means: Foil and Hog are building the set and putting up the lights, and Foil is carefully applying face paint to Hog and Arms's cheeks.

It's an impressive looking set, especially the BIG ARROW lit up with fancy coloured lights! The chat show vibe was strong and that's exactly what the sketch turned out to parody (Arms did call it a "chat show type thing"). There were two smartphone vids attached as well, showing how Arms was being a bit of a lovable nuisance on set, pretending to interview the workmen, while the other two were trying to do an honest day's work building the set. It won't be long before he trips over something and breaks his screen, I bet!

Watch the sketch here!

Worst Job on the Battlefield
The next week, we were treated to another picture gallery from the sketch set on Patreon and it was becoming clear Arms was really enjoying putting these up for us, and writing down his stream of consciousness about their filming experience as a diary. He explained how they usually pick scripts from a backlog but this time he found one tucked away on one of his hard drives. They had talked about this sketch idea on a previous Patreon live stream, to which the chatroom responded with great enthusiasm, so they went ahead and did it. He wrote:

"Its a new style of script, in that its all about re-creating that scene authentically - a challenge for Hog, our resident set designer and costume acquirer."

It looked like an episode of Blackadder to me, which can only be a good thing! That's actually what Arms said in a reply as well, with also a bit of Mitchell & Webb thrown in (remember that famous sketch "Are we the baddies?")

Watch the sketch here!

PS: I started pitching "thematic" end cards based on these Patreon diaries from this week onwards but it took Arms a while to realise he needed to check his messages in time. Check out the gallery of motion graphic end cards for different sketches here!

Why you'll never buy a house in Ireland
In this week's Patreon diary entry, Arms once again confessed they were trying something different. They're really experimenting these days, still having no gigs to do or tours to go on, and it's so much fun to watch them do it! Here's what Arms said about the idea behind this sketch:

"Fueled from a place of anger and disbelief, we wrote a sketch that deals with a frustrating issue in Ireland, hoping to lampoon the peoples involved - the goal is still to make people laugh! (...) we did 'due diligence' and tried as best we could to keep it silly."

Oooh! How edgy was this sketch going to be? Were we in for some Dark!FAH?

Watch the sketch here!

How your body reacts to a hangover
[Watch the sketch here!]

Best Vs Worst Job Card Game
Watch the sketch here!

Sketch Premiere BINGO Games
I'll just copy-paste what I one tweeted: "If anyone ever wants to make/play bingo during a sketch premiere please DM and we'll sort something out!! If the Facebook preview is posted on time I'm sure we'll be able to cook something up :) Shots at 8 am Irish time doesn't seem like a great idea though."

Word Play Airport
I created a quick bingo game on paper for myself but only digitalised it afterwards - still counts right? View the tweet. Arms asked in the YouTube comments how I did anyway, so here it is.

[Watch the sketch here!]

When The Weather Ruins Everything
You can access the bingo game here and download an auto-generated card. Most of the squares are puns and idiom about the weather of course. One line from the diary on Patreon prompted the suggestion that a character might get drenched at the end of the sketch, perhaps because of Hog's character breaking down in floods of tears?

As it turned out, the most anticipated square on the BINGO card came true! We're all looking forward to the outtakes on Patreon now of course. Arms even posted an extra shot from the first take on Facebook... you can tell why they had to go a second time.

I can't believe I didn't think of a dig at Foil's short-wearing habits in the sketch, but there we are, good thing I don't write sketches for a living!

Watch the sketch here!