MrBiffo
patreon
BIG LIFE AND WORK AND DIGI AND BYAMPOD UPDATE
🕑 Added 2023-01-24 17:52:57 +0000 UTCHello, you lot.
Sorry there’s been no Digi video yet this week. You’ll get one (plus there’ll hopefully be Writer’s Club, Biffo’s Brain, outtakes for upper tiers, BYAMPOD, and a BYAMPOD bonus) – we’re just running late, as I had some work stuff to finish up.
We’ve decided to slightly mix things up a bit behind-the-scenes on the channel. Nothing you’ll really notice on screen (though we’re experimenting with where and when the Patron names appear), but we’re going to be trying a few things out to make production easier for us to get you videos early, and also to see if we can spread the word a bit more. So, hang in there!
Firstly, we’re going to start banking our episodes. We used to do this back when Gannon was a regular on the channel, but we got out of the habit for some reason. So, tomorrow we plan to film three very different videos at the desk.
Also, something we’ve noticed over time is how much better longer videos do for us. It cuts against all the perceived wisdom of YouTube that “shorter = better”… but whenever we do a video under 30 minutes, we’ve seen that they don’t do as well. We did a bit of research into this, and discovered that YouTube’s poxy algorithm actually favours longer videos – and pumps them into its feed, because the average watch time is generally higher.
So! Expect some more longer videos mixed in among the shorter ones. We’ve been planning a Valentine’s Day special today, which will be a mix of out-and-about and at-the-desk stuff. It’s much easier to do bigger, more involved, videos if we have the regular weekly ones already in the can. It’s all just going to make life easier going forwards into Digi Level 2.
Talking of similar such things… Digi Live Weekend.
THE BIG GAMBLE
It was always going to be a gamble doing two days, and I admit that ticket sales haven’t been as strong as they were for past Digi Live events at this point. This is, I suspect, a combination of the fact people are having to stay over – for those coming from afar, accommodation is an added expense on top of travel and tickets – and the current cost of living.
We are about probably just over a third sold out for the Saturday night, though Friday’s sale are – frankly – a bit shit. Which may also be because people don’t really get that Friday will be as much of a show as the Saturday.
We’ve a way to go yet until the summer, we haven’t fully promoted it with a trailer etc. yet, and things could and should pick up when people are paid towards the end of the month, but obviously if we can’t afford to break even we will have to make some difficult decisions. Money’s tight as it is without adding more to our debt pile. Having had one unrelentingly dreadful year, I don’t really want to spend the next six months with a bunch of unnecessary stress hanging over me!
If you can’t afford it, of course we understand, but if you’re hesitating for any reason, or just haven’t gotten around to it… there’s now a Facebook group for people to offer/ask for lifts, find cheap accommodation, and get other questions answered. Plus there’s an FAQ on www.digitiser2000.com
Ticket links can be found there.
IN OTHER NEWS
Some of you have been wondering how I’m doing after last year. I started this year with the hope that I would stop whingeing. I mean, I know it’s not whingeing – talking or writing about it is therapy, it’s processing. It’s how I sort through things. But I did worry that many of you would just find it unremittingly grim, and be turned off by it. Nevertheless, it is what it is, and it takes time to work through this stuff.
Thus far, 2023 has been okay – in the sense that there hasn’t been any great disaster to befall us yet. Fiverr has been an absolute godsend. We’re a long way from being out of the hole the past three years have left us in, but we’re more or less covering the bills.
However, in all honesty I’ve been struggling a bit. It was strange how it took a while for the full impact of last year to hit me, and as those of you who’ve listened to BYAMPOD know, everything caught up with me on Christmas Eve. Since then, I’ve been a bit up and down. Some days I’m okay. Others, I just feel… well… y’know. It’s been hard. My dad didn’t die in a ‘nice’ way – he suffered a lot, not only in the two months leading up to his death, but in the two years before that. That’s probably the main thing that I’m currently dealing with; just the trauma of seeing him suffer so much.
It was difficult over the past six months to always find the will to be creative. I put stuff off and dragged my heels in ways that I never had before (I’ve felt immense guilt over the paintings I was commissioned to do, right before he died – though one is done, one is half done, and the other will be next). My mother was a constant worry. There were distractions and fires to put out every single day. It stopped me feeling my grief, though there was also probably a bit of denial mixed in there.
At least, until Christmas Eve. Since then, my creativity has returned in stuttering bursts. I’ve been enjoying making stuff. It’s a lovely distraction while my brain continues to churn through my emotions in the background. Other days I don’t want to do anything, while the thought of socialising, having to put on an upbeat face – even with my best friends – fills me with anxiety.
Atop that, there’s the emotional fallout from the sudden, kind of inexplicable, full stop my career came to. Some of this I’ve spoken about on Writer’s Club, some in Patreon videos, but because it took a while for it to sink in, it’s only now that I’m kind of grieving that too. They call it ‘ego death’, right?
Plus, before now there was panicked damage limitation, which kind of postponed my ability to really feel it. Last summer, I spent every day applying for jobs – real, proper, day jobs – but heard little back. Feelers I put out about TV work came to nothing.
It was bleak, and I’m still staring that bleakness in the face. It’s scary to have a career of almost 25 years ripped suddenly away, and I know I haven’t yet come to terms with it – or really gotten to the bottom of what exactly I’m feeling about it. It seems inexplicable to me – that a writer as good as I know I am, with a track record like I have, can’t find work. It has made me question everything about myself, right up to my age being a contributing factor. I can’t wrap my head around it.
BIFFBA'S PRIDE
Fortunately, I swallowed a lot of pride, and took the leap to Fiverr, and – to my surprise – not only can I make a living through it, but I love working on there. I’m earning a fraction of what I once was, but I’ve a greater level of job satisfaction, and vastly reduced stress than working in TV. Plus, getting lovely reviews, and repeat orders from clients, has helped restore some of the faith I’d started to lose in my writing abilities.
That’s not to say I wouldn’t ever go back to telly writing. There are a few things floating around that I might be doing, but I don’t think I’d ever go back to putting all of my eggs in that basket. Too unpredictable, too risky, too stressful.
But that does bring me back to the Digi Weekend… IF we can make it pay for itself, and make a little money on top, we’ll be in a much better position than we were a year ago. Believe it or not, we have plans beyond that - Found Footage 2, the Digitiser Book, possible other live events – as part of an ongoing strategy as to how Digi can really become part of our income. But… it all starts with the Digi 30th Anniversary Weekend. So, we’ll see. We really hope to see lots of you there.
Right. I refuse to end this on any sort of downbeat note. I'm hopeful for what this year might bring - whether it's Digi, BYAMPOD, family, work. There's still that part of me that remains an eternal optimist that things are sent to teach us lessons - and that everything happens for a reason. There's so much I'm grateful for; a lovely family, a wonderful wife, a BRILLIANT chubby grandson, and a couple of amazing fanbases in the shape of you lot.
Upwards!
Paul
Comments
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
John, thank you for that comment. It made my day, and I read it out to Sanja. It meant a lot to us both.
John Sturm
I’d love to come to the shows if only to shake your hand (& Sanja’s) to say thanks for doing BYAMPOD and bringing some much needed laughter into some dark times. I’ve said it before I think, via email, for me the star of the show is the dynamic and banter between you two. Yes, I love the Marillo content, but I’m here for you two really. Always value your openness and honesty in the show and here in your life posts. I really value what you do and want you to know that you play an important part in my life. Not too heavy, I hope. Just wanted to express my appreciation. Right. Back to trying to decide by ultimate Marillion set list for the Berlin Weekend…..
Matt Kimber (Timberwolf)
I hope the ticket sales will start picking up as we get past payday and also the inevitable post-Christmas fiscal responsibility - also won't have been helped by the Premier Inns and Travelodges and that noticing the spike in bookings and putting their prices up for the weekend, which should start to recede again as the bookings spread out. YouTube is a weird old one, I reckon half the problem is by the time the likes of us figure out what the algorithm's doing there are 10,000 channels trying to game it so it changes, and then the myths about it last longer than something old Ian Google might've only tried for a couple of weeks. I'm seeing a lot at the moment talking about how what they're really optimising for is encouraging users to have longer sessions on the platform, which makes me wonder that with Digi being unique (even between videos on the channel to an extent) it'll prefer putting longer videos in the feed as even if none of the follow-up options appeal to the viewer they've at least spent 30-40 minutes on there rather than 10-15. I think a lot of the "shorter = better" comes from people who were putting together longer videos by padding 5 minutes of content out to 25 with repetition and slow editing, which of course is going to tank the retention and increase the number of people getting bored and leaving the platform. And looking at some of the people doing well out of shorter videos like Jago Hazzard or the red-shirted man who shall not be named, part of the trick seems to be putting them out in enough volume there's always 2 or 3 you haven't watched yet so you can easily end up in a 30-40 minute session. Speaking of which, I've noticed YouTube love things which help form binge-watching chains. I had one shorter video suddenly get a huge boost because a more popular channel put something out on a similar topic, and everybody who was shown mine in the recommendations sidebar and clicked on it also watched all the way through, then presumably went on to something else. I hadn't done anything particularly great or optimised for the algorithm, it just happened to be the most likely thing to keep people who'd watched the other video on the platform.
Geoffrey Easton
It's very understandable how things came to a head on Christmas Eve (but of course, very sorry to hear that it did (I need to listen to BYAMPOD more...) - it was indeed a terrible year for you. And I'm really sorry again that the painting is causing you such stress. There is absolutely no rush with it! :) I think I must have been tapping into some buried trauma of being forgotten about somewhere, sometime... or something... which is daft. Even if you weren't having to deal with everything that you still are, I know that creativity can't be rushed (not when one is putting their heart into something, which I know you always do!). I have to keep telling myself that when I dispair at how weeks seem to pass without me having progressed with something I'm "still" working on (which relates to a topical thing, and so there's the risk of some good ideas being ruined or having to significantly alter them). It sometimes seems to be true about suffering for one's art, which is unfortunate and shouldn't be the case! :D But I think your optimism is very well placed and like you say, there are still so many positives, what with those around you, plus the new avenue you have taken with Fiverr as well as building on your Patreon. And having hope and optimism is so important (lord knows I need both right now...). I am sure that the Digi weekend will be a big success. With January being a tough month for many financially after Christmas, I'm guessing that is likely why things are a bit slow right now.
Jeff Thelen
Or even recording the shows for sale? I'd absolutely be on board for either!
Jeff King
We all work through grief of losing a loved one at our own pace. It is horrible losing a parent, especially seeing them go through a lot of suffering beforehand. I hope in time that the trauma of your loss fades and you remember the good times you had with your dad. On a happier note, thank you for the reminder about the tickets! I need to buy my tickets still! I was traveling the last couple of weeks and hadn't had a chance buy mine yet.
Lemaru
I can't make the live show unfortunately, but have you considered live streaming it as a paid viewing?
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
Thank gawd for Pinner!
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
Alas, I don't think we have a big enough crowd to really do a deal like that with hotels. I'd thought about it, but I think it tends to be something they do for bigger expo-like events.
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
The website's vague about what's planned because we're still planning it! We can't announce guests until nearer the time, but we've spoken to lots, but it'll depend on their availability. But you make a good point about the early start. That may be something we look at pushing back.
Treacle Truffle
Got my weekend tickets, hotel and flights booked already. Within a couple of days of tickets going on sale nearby hotels had almost doubled in price as whatever pricing algorithms they use kicked in, fortunately Pinner was still sensibly priced and is only a couple of miles away.
Richard Lyth
I guess the Friday show might not be selling as well because of the 5pm start, which is a bit early for an evening show (can't really eat beforehand). A few more details on the website about exactly what's planned for each night might help as well, it's a bit vague at present. Still, I'll be there whatever!
Nikumubeki
Hopefully 2023 will be a lot better for you! And yeah, I feel you, the last 8 days of my dad's life were an absolute hell for him and while I'm glad that his pain is finally over, many lingering questions remain and probably always will.
The Amazing Cliff
Thank you so much for sharing. I for one cannot wait for Digi weekend and I'll be there for both days 😁 hoping that the sales pick up sir. Keep on keepin' on and thank you for all you do.
Chai
I'm sorry you're dealing with that trauma regarding seeing your dad's suffering. That sort of trauma can be some of the hardest to cope with - you have my love and solidarity from afar. My fingers are crossed for the Digi Weekend, too. I know it'd be a lot of extra aggro and work, but for Future Events (assuming this one at least breaks even) have you considered trying to get a deal with a local hotel for a discount for Digi Weekend attendees? I imagine that'd increase ticket sales (as I've seen a fair few people say that hotel costs are their biggest put-off), so would be beneficial for everyone. I've attended similar events with similar discounts before. Also, your grandson is adorable and an absolute unit. In awe of the size of the lad. Absolutely brilliant and iconic, I'm glad you have that source of love and humanity in your life.
