0
0
0
0
0
0
 0
 
By Chris Morse
Answer: ASA BUTTERFIELD

The title of this puzzle refers to the fact that all of these images are created using Snapchat filters and add-ons. A snap story is just a series of images someone can post on their own personal Snapchat. Clearly, this is a “cute boys” puzzle.

The images are alphabetized by the last name of the boy pictured. There are sixteen different and distinct filters applied to the images. Each filter is used between three and seven times. Each filter group forms a set of men who were all on the same TV series, in the same movie (series), or in the same musical group, without overlaps. Each group also has a member that doesn't belong, and one of its members can be found in another group. These missing members form a 16-group loop. Using the size of the group as an index into the surname of the member in the wrong set spells out a message.

Set Group Size Member in Wrong Set
Beverly Hills 90210 4 Brian (Austin) GREEN
One Direction 4 Liam PAYNE
Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series 5 Nicholas BRENDON
School Ties 6 Chris O'DONNELL
Magic Mike films 4 Adam RODRIGUEZ
Gossip Girl 4 Chace CRAWFORD
The Vampire Diaries TV series 5 Michael TREVINO
Harry Potter films 4 Sean BIGGERSTAFF
The Wanted 3 Jay MCGUINESS
Teen Wolf TV series 4 Dylan O'BRIEN
X-Men films (reboot) 7 Michael FASSBENDER
True Blood TV series 3 Ryan KWANTEN
The Hunger Games films 4 Josh HUTCHERSON
Backstreet Boys 4 Nick CARTER
Dawson’s Creek 6 Joshua JACKSON
Westlife 3 Nicky BYRNE

Since the filter group-mismatched members form a chain, you have to find the starting point (Beverly Hills 90210). Reading the letters in order gives ENDER WIGGIN ACTOR, which yields a final answer of ASA BUTTERFIELD.

Shown below are all of the actors in order, with their set and a description of the filter or add-on that was used. An asterisk (*) at the end indicates that this was the person that was placed in the wrong group Snapchat add-on.

Penn Badgley Gossip Girl Sing Your Best
Randall Batinkoff School Ties Flower Garland
Sean Biggerstaff Harry Potter A Few Bubbles*
Marc Blucas Buffy the Vampire Slayer Holly and Snow
Matt Bomer Magic Mike Snow and Eyes
David Boreanaz Buffy the Vampire Slayer Holly and Snow
Nicholas Brendon Buffy the Vampire Slayer Flower Garland*
Nicky Byrne Westlife Yellow Butterflies*
Nick Carter Backstreet Boys Reindeer*
Sam Claflin The Hunger Games Speed
Chace Crawford Gossip Girl Puppy Dog Ears*
Matt Damon School Ties Flower Garland
Howie Dorough Backstreet Boys Geometric Shapes
Michael Fassbender X-Men Snow and Stars*
Tom Felton Harry Potter Davis Square Boston
Shane Filan Westlife Altitude
Brendan Fraser School Ties Flower Garland
Brian Green Beverly Hills 90210 Falling Feathers*
Seth Green Buffy the Vampire Slayer Holly and Snow
Ben Hardy X-Men B+W and Sunglasses
Cole Hauser School Ties Flower Garland
Colton Haynes Teen Wolf Temperature
Liam Hemsworth The Hunger Games Speed
Niall Horan One Direction Falling Feathers
Nicholas Hoult X-Men B+W and Sunglasses
Josh Hutcherson The Hunger Games Geometric Shapes*
Joshua Jackson Dawson’s Creek Altitude*
Siva Kaneswaran The Wanted A Few Bubbles
Ryan Kwanten True Blood Speed*
Tom Lenk Buffy the Vampire Slayer Holly and Snow
Matthew Lewis Harry Potter Davis Square Boston
Brian Littrell Backstreet Boys Geometric Shapes
Alexander Ludwig The Hunger Games Speed
Mark Matkevich Dawson’s Creek Reindeer
James McAvoy X-Men B+W and Sunglasses
Brian McFadden Westlife Altitude
Jay McGuiness The Wanted Temperature*
Steven McQueen The Vampire Diaries Puppy Dog Ears
Dylan Neal Dawson’s Creek Reindeer
Dylan O'Brien Teen Wolf B+W and Sunglasses*
Chris O'Donnell School Ties Snow and Eyes*
Connor Paolo Gossip Girl Sing Your Best
Liam Payne One Direction Holly and Snow*
Luke Perry Beverly Hills 90210 Yellow Butterflies
Evan Peters X-Men B+W and Sunglasses
Alex Pettyfer Magic Mike Snow and Eyes
Michael Pitt Dawson’s Creek Reindeer
Tyler Posey Teen Wolf Temperature
Jason Priestley Beverly Hills 90210 Yellow Butterflies
Daniel Radcliffe Harry Potter Davis Square Boston
Anthony Rapp School Ties Flower Garland
Kevin Richardson Backstreet Boys Geometric Shapes
Adam Rodriguez Magic Mike Sing Your Best*
Zach Roerig The Vampire Diaries Puppy Dog Ears
Alexander Skarsgård True Blood Snow and Stars
Kerr Smith Dawson’s Creek Reindeer
Kodi Smit-McPhee X-Men B+W and Sunglasses
Ian Somerhalder The Vampire Diaries Puppy Dog Ears
Dylan Sprayberry Teen Wolf Temperature
Harry Styles One Direction Falling Feathers
Nathan Sykes The Wanted A Few Bubbles
Channing Tatum Magic Mike Snow and Eyes
Lucas Till X-Men B+W and Sunglasses
Louis Tomlinson One Direction Falling Feathers
Sam Trammell True Blood Snow and Stars
Michael Trevino The Vampire Diaries Davis Square Boston*
James Van Der Beek Dawson’s Creek Reindeer
Paul Wesley The Vampire Diaries Puppy Dog Ears
Ed Westwick Gossip Girl Sing Your Best
Ian Ziering Beverly Hills 90210 Yellow Butterflies