Echo Chamber

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"Created for Tropers, by Tropers."

Echo Chamber: The Adventures of a TV Tropes Vlogger is a 2011-2012 TV Tropes video show. The show is about the travails of a group of tropers trying to make a "Trope of the Week" video series. Which they do. Sort of. In spite of their best efforts.

The series can be found on ShareTV here.

Tropes used in Echo Chamber include:

Episode-specific tropes:

Episode 1.1: Show Within a Show

• The Big Board: The chalkboard in the planning scene.
• Big "Shut Up!": Dana does this repeatedly while Tom tries to explain Schrödinger's Cat.
• Droste Image: Tom refers to the "David Hasselhoff's crotch" video version of this while trying to explain the trope. Even though it's completely irrelevant.
• E=MC Hammer: On The Big Board in the planning scene. Includes a pie chart that is turned into a Venn diagram, chemical and mathematical formulae, and a Precision F-Strike.
• Establishing Character Moment: Zack gets his in the first 30 seconds.

Tom: Thank you, Zack, for ruining the 20th take. Zack: You're welcome, man. Tom: You're not sorry, are you? Zack: Nope.

• Film the Hand: Dana to Zack.
• Hand Puppet: Zack's... whatever it is.
• Matryoshka Object: Tom tries to explain the trope as one of these. Like the "box within a box" and the matryoshka dolls on the board.
• Shout-Out: Quite a few of them on The Big Board.

Episode 1.2: Freudian Excuse

• Big Little Brother: Tom uses his as a Freudian Excuse.

Dana: Everyone has an older brother that overshadows-- Tom: I... I didn't say he was older.

• Inferiority Superiority Complex: Tom's treats Zack so harshly because his Freudian Excuse means he "needs to be better than someone".
• Painting the Medium: By making the cameraman a character in this Show Within a Show. There's a scene showing Dana and Tom saying some very private things about Zack, and eventually revealing that Zack was there filming the whole thing. A later scene lampshades the fact that we the audience cannot see what Zack cannot film. Don't ask how he can jump between cuts mid-sentence in unedited footage or remain unseen while filming Tom at face level in that closet.
• Pants-Free: Tom records the vlog wearing his Batman boxers and spends the whole episode like this, including when they are outside.
• Record Needle Scratch: Played as Dana says "That's it?" in response to Tom's self-pity story about his brother being generally superior to him throughout his childhood.
• Sarcasm Mode: "Aww, how tragic. Watch as my hatred turns to pity."

Episode 1.3: Terrible Interviewees Montage

• Aside Glance: A blink-and-you'll-miss-it example by Tom around three minutes into the video.
• Cool Boat: On the board in the background in the interview montage.
• Foreshadowing: The "tension" mentioned by the Administrator appears in episode 5
• Hypocritical Humor: Dana points out that Terrible Interviewees Montages are never funny.
• Made Myself Sad: Zack.

Zack: Therapy is for losers... I Made Myself Sad.

• Knife Nut: One of the interviewees.

Interviewee: Are you afraid of the knife?

• Psycho Ex-Girlfriend: Tom's Ex Shannon pops up, pissed off because Tom didn't tell her about the casting for a female actress and she had to find out about it on Facebook. She also seems to think they're still together.
• Silence!: Said by the Administrator.
• Terrible Interviewees Montage: The actual montage included Zack's uncle (who's just as strange as he is), a porn-star, a girl who may have come for the counseling session the team hijacked, and possibly a serial-killer.
• Unresolved Sexual Tension/Belligerent Sexual Tension: Invoked by the Administrator.

Administrator: You need conflict. Someone to argue with. Someone with whom you can have a very particular kind of tension. Ms. Shaw will appear in your next video.

Episode 1.4: Dumbass Has a Point

• Buffy-Speak: Zack trying to explain what "After Effects" is.

Zack: It's... the thing with the things!

• Cannot Spit It Out: Dana.

Dana: Sorry I was... (long Beat) ...yeah.

• Confusing Multiple Negatives: Dana initially calls the final intro "not unimpressive", but then corrects herself to "really good".
• Credits Gag: In the final credits, Zack's position has been changed from "Director of Photography" to "Doctor of Photography". The credits card also notes that he is responsible for the "Crap Titles".
• Dumbass Has a Point: Who would have thought Zack would know about After Effects?
• Hidden Depths: Zack's knowledge of After Effects and his degree in art, which may or may not be real.
• Square Peg, Round Trope: Tom tries to invoke Dumbass Has a Point on himself, but Dana reminds him he's severely lacking in the point department.
• Stylistic Suck: The first intros Tom makes for the vlog.
• Wrong Genre Savvy: Tom assumes he's the dumbass when it's clearly Zack.

Tom: If you keep assuming someone can't do anything right, sooner or later you're going to get proven wrong. Zack: Yeah! Tom: God, I wish I had some duct tape right now! Zack: Why? Tom: To shut you up! Dana: To be a "dumbass with a point", you need to have a point, dumbass. Tom: Trope still applies. Dana: Does not.

Episode 1.5: Unresolved Sexual Tension

• Beat: There is a long one after Dana's Hair Flip.
• Belligerent Sexual Tension: Dana flat out says she hates Tom.
• Chekhov's Gun: The phone call that interrupt's Tom's moment with Dana could be seen as one, seeing as the next episode features phone calls from his Psycho Ex-Girlfriend.
• Hair Flip: Referenced and demonstrated by Dana.
• Insistent Terminology: Dana and Tom are trying to discuss their characters separately from themselves, in order to keep themselves distant from their roles. It leads to a lot of "I will... I mean she will..."
• Letting Her Hair Down:
  • Dana does this in discussion how to use UST, which backfires and totally works for Tom.
  • It shows up again in The Stinger, when they're watching TV together.
• Moment Killer: Basically mandatory, courtesy of a cell phone.
• Ship Tease

Episode 1.6: Psycho Ex-Girlfriend

• Armor-Piercing Question: When Shannon confronts Dana alone, Dana offhandedly said that Shannon could do better than Tom. Shannon's reaction to that made Dana realize that she was a "multi-stalker."
• Buxom Is Better: Tom, about Shannon.

Tom: Have you seen her boobs, Dana? They are so good!

• Butt Monkey: Meta example. One viewer mistook the reflection of Dave in the window for Shannon and commented on it. The comment is now a top-rated comment and gets regular snarky replies.
• The Cameo: Zack's brother, Dave is visible holding a boom during the kitchen scene.
• Credits Gag: Titles by Justin Hill & Zack Wallnau, Music by Justin Hill, Sound by Dave Unrelated Hill
• Did You Just Have Sex?: How did Dana knew Tom was sleeping with Shannon again? He was way too happy.
• Double Standard: Mentioned in the beginning of the video, where Dana says how psycho exes are Played for Laughs if they're female and Played for Drama if they're male.
• Fun T-Shirt: Tom wears one that depicts the sinking of the Titanic and the caption "This is why we can't have nice things."
• I Did What I Had to Do: Said by Tom, referring to his breakup with his fiance.
• Leitmotif: Shannon gets a Psycho Strings sting whenever she enters a scene.
• Love Confession: Zack to Dana.

Zack: Dana, I followed you all day with my camera... because I love you. Dana: That's nice, Zack.

• Male Gaze: Zack keeps the focus on Shannon's butt as she walks away after the first confrontation, dropping both Dana and Tom out of focus and out of frame briefly.
• Sarcasm Mode: Dana's response when Shannon claims that Dana doesn't know anything about love.

Dana: Oh, no. My heart, she breaks. (Traces the outline of a teardrop down her cheek)

• Say My Name:

Dana: What the hell was that? Tom: Shannon.

• Stalking Is Love: This is what Shannon seems to believe.
• Visible Boom Mic: In the scene in the kitchen as Tom describes how crazy Shannon is, you can see Zack's brother Dave holding the boom mic and Zack off and on throughout the scene. Their reflection in the window is right in the middle of most of the shots to boot.
• Vertigo Effect: The Stinger tries to invoke this along with an Oh Crap look from Tom.
• What Does You See in Him?: Dana ask this to Shannon because in her eyes, Tom is gross and kinda of a loser.
• Yandere: Shanon is implied to have elements of this.

Tom: But can you imagine what she would've done to me if I just told her? She would've thrown me off the tower!

Episode 1.7: Walk and Talk

• Bottle Episode
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: Plot relevant, as soon as Dana realizes the camera is on she bails, due to not being prepared (clothes and makeup) for filming.
• Hilarious Outtakes: The Stinger, where Zack falls over.
• Invoked Trope: Tom invokes Walk and Talk; Dana is not pleased at all.
• Older Than They Think: In-universe example

Tom: "This week's trope is Walk and Talk." Dana: "Oh, like West Wing." Tom: "No! Kenneth Branagh did it first!"

• The Oner: Except for The Stinger, the entire video is one continuous shot. The Stinger itself was another one.
• Throw It In: One can only imagine the stinger was a happy accident.

Episode 1.8: Romantic False Lead

• Bare Your Midriff: One of Porn Girl's outfits in the "Falling in Love" Montage is a red shirt that displays this.
• Call Back: "Porn Girl" first appeared in Terrible Interviewees Montage.
• Curse Cut Short: Dana's opinion of Shannon hasn't improved.

Dana: She's kind of a who-[Opening titles]

• Dogged Nice Guy: Zack seems to be becoming this.
• Fail O'Suckyname: Shannon, or "Crazyfuck McStalkerson."
• "Falling in Love" Montage
• Fourth Date Marriage: Tom believes this will happen with him and Porn Girl. He's dead wrong. Not only is she ticked off about Zack following them around, she's also very annoyed that Tom hasn't tried to sleep with her yet.
• Girl of the Week: Mentioned, and Porn Girl becomes this.
• Godiva Hair: Dana's hair covers up most of the 'Fucked' on the back of her shirt in the intro.
• Gold Digger: Porn Girl

Porn Girl: Let's go buy me things!

• Just for Pun/Malaproper: Porn Girl says she doesn't do sex tapes "pro boner". It's not clear whether she intended the pun or just got the phrase "pro bono" ("for free") wrong.
• Lampshade Hanging: After filming Tom and Porn Girl's dates, Zack audibly wonders, "Why am I here?"
• Metafictional Device/Ninja Prop: After the "Falling in Love" Montage, Porn Girl is angry that Tom invited Zack to film their dates. Otherwise, we wouldn't have seen them.
• Motor Mouth: When Tom is explaining Romantic False Lead to Porno Girl.
• No Name Given/Only Known by Their Nickname: While in the third episode, she's introduced as Alyssa (Another The Danza), in this episode Porn Girl is always Porn Girl. Tom even addresses her as "Porn Girl".
• Outdated Outfit: Tom's plaid suit jacket and bow tie combo.
• Sweetheart Sipping: Tom and Porn Girl sharing the milkshake during the "Falling in Love" Montage.

Episode 1.9: Did You Think I Can't Feel?

• Anachronic Order: The episode goes back and forth between Tom arguing with Dana in the evening and Tom arguing with Shannon in the afternoon.
• Arguments By Ponds: Word of God has stated that they hope for this episode to be the Trope Codifier. The entire episode takes place by ponds, and there sure is a bunch of arguing. The production blog lampshades this in Shannon's voice.

Because I'm going to show him that no matter what that Dana girl does, I'll do better. They want to have a fight by a pond? Well, he and I will have an even BIGGER fight by an even PRETTIER pond!

• Get a Room: "Just fuck already, Jesus!"
• In Medias Res: The episode begins with Tom referring to an argument that he and Dana already had offscreen.
• Leaning on the Fourth Wall: The stinger, where Shannon looks at Zack's camera.

Zack: Why are you looking at me?

• Precision F-Strike: See Get a Room above.

Episode 1.10/Season Finale: Mysterious Employer

• Comforting Comforter: Tom covering up Dana with the blanket.
• Credits Gag: Zack is responsible for the "Horrible Puppets".
• Finale Credits: The Closing Credits to the finale has an adapted version of the ending music.
• Flash Back: To the very first episode.
• Hand Puppet: Sockpuppets, actually. Literally. Socks with faces painted on them during "Puppet Adventure, Episode 10: 'Mysterious Balloon' "
• Limited Animation: Really limited, in "TV Tropes Cartoony Fun Times".
• The Man Behind the Man: The Stinger implies that the Administrator may be being pressured into finding a capable vlog maker by a power higher up the ladder
• Not So Different: Mr. Administrator tells this to Zack in that both their fathers forced them into doing something they don't want.
• Potty Dance: Zack, at the very end.
• Power Makes Your Voice Deep: The Voice From The Tunnel, along with the usual Voice of the Legion.
• Stylistic Suck: All of their attempts to re-invent the show are progressively worse and sillier, eventually ending with a horrendous sock-puppet show with horrendously stilted dialog.
• Silence, You Fool: Mr. Administrator does this to Zack when he tries to ask where's the bathroom.
• Sting: A dramatic one while the Administrator loses his temper with Tom and Dana and issues them an ultimatum.
• Take That: A majority of the episode is devoted to Tom and Dana poking fun at the Administrator.
• Visible Boom Mic: After filming the puppet show, part of the mic is visible in the top right hand corner of the frame.
• You Have Failed Me...: The Administrator uses a variation on this.

Administrator: "You have angered us, Mr. Pike, for the last time!"

Episode 2.1: Always Someone Better

• Exactly What It Says on the Tin: How Ace describes the episode's trope.
• Growing the Beard: Tom attempted to literally invoke this in The Stinger. Dana shoots him down. By pushing him into a bathroom and tossing in a razor.
• Handy Remote Control: Ace uses one during his discussion of Show Within a Show.
• Inherently Funny Word: "gurt".
• Meaningful Name: Ace, who, well... is.
• Not So Stoic: Mr. Administrator, of all people, laughs at one of Ace's videos.
• Portmanteau: Conversed within one of Ace's videos.
• The Other Wiki: the people backing Ace's vlog series, [citation needed]
• Tradesnark™: Played with; the name of Ace's vlog series could be considered this with reference to The Other Wiki.

Episode 2.2: The Ace

• Adorkable: Gaelyn
• Birds of a Feather: it seem Gaelyn thought she and Zack would be this until Zack said they should be best friends
• Call Back: "Where are we going?" "Somewhere specific."
• Comically Missing the Point: Gaelyn asks Zack to meet her for a date. He misses the "date" bit and concludes that they should be best friends. She's disappointed, but goes along with it.
• Distaff Counterpart: Ace has a camerawoman who's just as Adorkable as Zack. Zack comes to the conclusion that they should be best friends.
• The Door Slams You: Tom slams the door at Zack's face for, it seems, daring to say Stephen is a nice guy.
• The Faceless: Zack's Dad, who is briefly seen from behind. Zack's face is mostly seen in a blink-or-you-miss-it moment.
• Love Triangle: Possible one between Zack, Gaelyn, and Dave.
  • Also, possibly between Tom, Dana and Stephen.
• My Name Is Not Durwood: Ace is good at everything... except getting Tom's name right.
• Oblivious to Love: Zack, in Gaelyn's case.
• You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Gaelyn.

Echo Chamber Overdose:

• Read episode recaps.
• Be tweeted by Zack's Twitter account. Or Mr. Administrator's.
• Be blogged by production staff.
• Stalk it on Facebook.

Season 1 Episode Tropes

Left to right: Dave, Tom, Zack and Dana.

• Episode 1: Show Within a Show, in which the series and characters are introduced, and the cast struggle with the production of the TV Tropes vlog series.
• Episode 2: Freudian Excuse, in which the characters try to shoot a video about the aforementioned subject, but fail repeatedly as they examine their bad childhoods.
• Episode 3: Terrible Interviewees Montage, in which the characters must find a new cast member for a female role; however, unfortunate circumstances lead to terrible applicants, causing a... Terrible Interviewees Montage.
• Episode 4: Dumbass Has a Point, in which the gang is working on trying to come up with a better graphic effects opening montage. Tom is frustrated and is baffled as to how to make the montage work, until Zack--of all people--comes up with a surprisingly insightful suggestion.
• Episode 5: Unresolved Sexual Tension, in which Dana and Tom try to determine whether there should be any between their characters on the show. Things get complicated when he reveals he's attracted to Dana. And Zack will always be alone.
• Episode 6: Psycho Ex-Girlfriend, in which Shannon reappears and is just generally creepy. Also, Dana snarks a lot.
• Episode 7: Walk and Talk, in which Tom tricks Dana into walking and/or talking.
• Episode 8: Romantic False Lead, in which Tom gets a date, and Dana may or may not care.
• Episode 9: Did You Think I Can't Feel?, in which Tom and Dana hash it out, and someone leaves the show forever--all leading up to the season finale of Echo Chamber.
• Episode 10, The Season Finale: Mysterious Employer, in which Mr. Administrator threatens to end the web show forever, unless Tom and Dana create something of transcendent beauty.

Season 2 Episodes

• Preview (embedded above): Never Trust a Trailer.
• Episode 1: Always Someone Better, in which the gang finds out about a competitor vlog from The Other Wiki, who seems to be much better than Echo Chamber.
• Episode 2: The Ace, where Tom and Dana try to persuade Ace (maker of the competitor vlog) to act as an ace in Echo Chamber so they can demonstrate that trope.

Tropes used by the series in general:

• Adorkable:
  • Zack.
  • Tom, any time he lets the Jerkass thing go and is honest about how he feels.
  • Dana, any time she lets go of the snark to be honest.
  • Zack's Distaff Counterpart, Gaelyn.
• All Love Is Unrequited: Shannon for Tom, Tom for Porn Girl, Zack for Dana, and (possibly) Dana for Tom.
  • As of the second episode of season two, we have Dave for Gaelyn, and Gaelyn for Zack.
• All Men Are Perverts:
  • In episode 6, Tom is terrified of Shannon... until he sleeps with her again. At which point he no longer cares that she's stalking him, because she has great boobs.
  • Zack:

Episode 5: "I'd do 'er." Episode 5: "Bend over backwards to accommodate me!" Episode 6: "It's like she couldn't even see my boner!"

• Bad Boss: Tom to Zack, Mr. Administrator to Tom.
• Brick Joke: In Episode 4, Tom tells Dana that the only food he has is rice, but that she could put salt on it. In Episode 6, you see Tom first cooking rice and later pouring copious amounts of salt onto it.
• Brutal Honesty: Dana apparently feels no need to be nice with anything she says to Tom, and tells him that he's completely incompetent, his videos are awful and she hates his guts.
• Bunny Ears Lawyer: Zack. He is good with After Effects, has a PhD, and delivered a baby once
• Butt Monkey: Zack.
• Catch Phrase: Dana has the word "suck".
• Character Blog: Both Zack's in-character Twitter account and the Production Blog which seems to be written by Shannon.
• Cloudcuckoolander: Zack. And judging by his uncle Bill, It Runs in The Family.

Zack: Do you guys keep your dead cat in a box, too?

• Conversational Troping: Happens a lot with this being about tropes.
• The Danza: The three main characters are named Tom Pike, Zack Wallnau and Dana Shaw. They are played by Tom Pike, Zack Wallnau and Dana Shaw. Shannon is played by Shannon Azzato Stephens. Subtle, huh?
• Deadpan Snarker: Dana.
• The Ditz: Zack.
• Domestic Abuse: Shannon towards Tom.
• Episode Title Card
• Everyone Owns a Mac:
  • Tom is shown using an Apple laptop in episodes 4, 5, 6 and 10. Presumably, this trope will continue to show up in every episode where his computer is shown.
  • The Editing Suite where they speak to the Administrator also seems to be full of iMacs.
  • Dana is using an Apple laptop in Episode 10.
• The Faceless:
  • Zack.
    • Except episode 2. And even then, it's so dark that you don't really see anything.

Tom: If you get near the front of the camera, I will stab you! I will actually stab you!

• • • You also see him briefly in episode 4 when Dana leaves for the night and it cuts to a view of him holding the camera.
    • And again partially episode 6 due to a Visible Boom Mic moment.
    • Lampshaded in episode 10; the only defining features of Zack's sock puppet are a derpy tongue poking out and a camera.
    • The Season 1 finale has Zack talking with his face partially obscured by his camera and then when he pulls it down he is facing opposite the camera.
  • The Administrator, who is both out of frame from just below the eyes and up, and back-lit so that his features are almost completely obscured by shadow. That's all we're saying about him. He scares us.
• Face Palm: Dana, a lot. In Terrible Interviewees Montage, she does the two-handed version.
• Freudian Excuse: Both Tom and Zack have these.
• Fun with Subtitles: On YouTube, you can add subtitles, which are sometimes funny or sarcastic.
• Got Volunteered: Zack.

Dana (to Tom): If you don't like him, why is he doing this with us? Tom: His dad owns the equipment, and he made me let him tag along.

• Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Every episode is named after a Trope central to the episode, which is almost always discussed by name in the episode.
• Jerkass: Tom calls himself one in episode 1.2. He's correct.
• Keet: Zack.
• Love Triangle: Spoofed to hell and back with Tom, Zack, and Dana.
• Man Child: Zack.
• Mission Control: The Administrator.
• Mockumentary: See Show Within a Show.
• No Inner Fourth Wall
• Only Sane Employee: Dana. Justified twice - Tom recruits her specifically to fill this role, and she mentions in episode 3 that being one makes her feel much more useful than any of her other jobs did.
• Royal We: Mr. Administrator's speech pattern, except for The Stinger of episode 10. Bonus points for being an example of the trope and a meta gag.
• Running Gag: Dana telling Tom that he (or his works) suck.
• Shout-Out: In the production blog, Shannon refers to Dana as She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
• Show Within a Show:
  • Type 1. In the first episode Dana suggests they have a Show Within a Show in their first vlog in order to demonstrate the trope, which from the viewer's perspective would make it a Show Within A Show Within A Show, but Tom decides against it. In the other episodes, we see them making the vlog, but we never see the finished vlog itself.
  • Season 2 has [citation needed], a competing vlog from The Other Wiki. [citation needed] itself has a Show Within A Show, as the excerpt played is explaining that trope by doing a Show Within A Show of its own. [citation needed] also talks about Echo Chamber in a different episode.
• Stalker with a Crush: Zack follows Dana around because he loves her. Not that she cares.
• Strictly Formula: Dana, Tom and Zach start talking about a trope. Trope occurs. Hilarity Ensues.
• The Stinger: The outtakes, following the final credits. The ones in episodes 1.5 and 1.10 have actual plot relevance.
• Therapy Is for the Weak: Zack. But he could really use some.
• The Teaser: So far, all but episodes 1.5 and 1.7 have started with one.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Tom doesn't seem to eat anything but rice and salt. He does vary it in episode 6 with some breadcrumbs and grated parmesan.
• Voice of the Legion: Mr. Administrator.
• White Void Room: Mr. Administrator's headquarters.