Production update 2021-04-12

Wait, I'm alive?

Yes, I am alive and well. So, why the long silence?

Well, you know how it is. My motivation comes and goes, and my energy to put in all the work required to get a video out is not always there. Recently, I've had one of these really low motivation periods, where everything video-related felt like a drag, the amount of work required felt like a mountain, and what I was actually accomplishing felt sub-par and like a drop in the ocean. With low motivation and low output, I felt bad putting out empty updates to state the obvious, so I postponed that. I'm still in this low motivation rut, but I think I'm starting to come out of it.

I might sound like a broken record for old patrons, but for people who just joined, don't worry, because my Patreon model is video-based and not monthly, so you only get charged when I actually upload stuff! Usually, about once per two months on average.

Alright, onto progress I've actually made. As you know, I'm working on a secret long term project on which I'm collaborating with a prominent figure and that will come out in multiple parts. Well, first of all, let's unveil what that project is. It is a video series on the complete history of Super Mario 64's A Button Challenge! So, obviously, that collaboration is with Pannenkoek2012, who will assist me by providing input files and insight on how each new discovery was applied to gradually lower the A press count from hundreds to 19. For now, I actually don't know how many parts this will require, but I am trying to aim for about 5 or 6, and about 2 hours of total content, maybe a bit more. Part 1 will be about the early history, from 1996 to 2013, and it will be roughly 15 minutes long. There won't be any technical explanations that I'm well known for, but a bit of storytelling instead. This will set the table for the parts to come.

As for the progress itself, well, the script is already complete and fully recorded, and the editing is what's slowing me down. It turns out, making an entire video with just about 0 footage and archives is kind of tricky, because humans have eyes (citation needed). I'm often struggling to find pertinent visuals to illustrate what I'm talking about, and it often hits my self-confidence and motivation to keep working at it. I can't come up with an idea, I search in vain, I get distracted, I come back to it, still no progress, I get frustrated and I give up. Rinse and repeat every couple of days and this is how fast I've been progressing.

But, all in all, I'm actually about 30% done with the editing. I'm really trying to push through and get this thing done, because I know that if I really gave it my all, I could easily be done this week. So, I decided to give myself a deadline, as those usually work pretty well to actually get things done. I settled on Friday, April 23rd. We'll see if I can fulfill my promise. Since that's in less than two weeks, I'll be putting out more frequent updates than usual (the usual being weekly).

After that, instead of getting Part 2 done right away, I'll take a quick break to put together a video about Super Mario Bros. in 4:54 by Niftski. I'm unsure of the exact approach I plan on taking: either more of an update that assumes prior knowledge from existing videos, or more of a redo of the speedrun explained, but with perhaps less dwelling on pipe snakes and more focus on the newest strategies. In both cases, I'd aim for a video length of about 15 to 20 minutes. Ultimately, I think I want to go for the approach where someone could stumble on this type of content for the first time, understand everything and be hooked. This might mean I'll repeat myself some, but I find that the more I redo a topic (like the age-old framerules), the more efficient I get at explaining it succinctly and efficiently.

After that, I plan on focusing more on the ABC History, perhaps releasing Parts 2 and 3 in succession, before looking again for a regular speedrun explained to break things up a bit. That's the mid-long term though, so we'll see in due time.

Alright, I'm sorry for the silence these past months, and if the progress made in that time is a bit unimpressive. I'm really trying to get the heart fully back into it, so bear with me in the meantime. Thank you for your continued patience and support, and see you later this week for another update!