MrBiffo
patreon
THIS WEEK AND BEYOND ON DIGI & BYAMPOD
🕑 Added 2022-02-08 15:30:53 +0000 UTCHi all.
I’m skipping getting a Digi out this week. As I think I mentioned at the start of the year, I need to relieve myself of the pressure of getting videos out weekly. I want to know we’ve really had time to think about them, and make them feel special, and an event.
After we filmed last week’s pirate-themed Slush Puppie taste test, both Sanja and I felt it wasn’t out best work. We were down on it, because something felt like it was missing. It wasn’t that it was bad – I mean, I do think it’s a funny video, and we laughed a lot watching it back – but we didn’t really know what the hook was, or what the point was. A stupid pirate eating Slush Puppie-related snacks? I know it’s not a concept I’d necessarily go out of my way to watch. And I'm kicking myself a bit that we even did it and put it out.
Consequently, I had no idea what to title it, or what to put in the thumbnail… and it seems many of our subscribers felt the same way, as views for it were way down, and we our subscribers are down month-on-month for the first time in the best part of a year.
So, yeah, I admit I feel a bit fed up about that. Normally it wouldn’t bother me, but as I’ve always said… criticism (and fewer views/subscribers for a video is its own form of criticism) only ever stings me when I feel there’s a valid point to it! And they had a point. Because we didn’t have one. We felt pressure to get that video out, and we actually dropped a lot of our more elaborate plans for it in order to feed the weekly video schedule monster.
We do have at least one or two videos filmed and awaiting completion – there’s a potentially great science one with Gannon and I – and Sanja and I plan to do an out-and-about video in the weeks to come. We’ve some ideas for a new ongoing Digi series, akin to Supernatural World…! I’m also going to see what I’ve got in the archives that I can share with you in lieu of a brand new ep this week.
Rest assured, there’ll be a BYAMPOD as normal next week, likely with a return appearance from my mate Anthony, to talk about Marbles.
If you’re not a Marillion fan, and you’ve never listened to the podcast… you might be surprised. It’s very much Sanja and I being Sanja and I, and half the time it’s just stupid jokes and tangents.
Now, unsolicited advice or suggestions might be my least favourite thing in the world, but today I’m genuinely curious to know what you – the Patreon hardcore, who support us so kindly every month – like to see from the channel.
I know a lot of you will be lovely and say “Whatever you want to do”, but I’m curious to know what is it that makes you support Digitiser, and what I do, month in month out. I think at the moment I’m not sure what it might be, and it might be helpful to know – and how it compares with what I want to offer.
Paul
Comments
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
I do this far too often.
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
Thank you for that. That's really annoying about those top tier posts not being available to Writer's Club members. Presumably a quirk of Patreon. If I get time, I'll go back and make them available for you (though bear in mind I've got years' worth of videos that I'll have to do that to manually, so please bear with me).
Dave Graves
I wrote something really profound and insightful that was literally the recipe for distilled success...but I accidentally tripped the back function by straying to the edge of the screen on my mobile. The wisdom is lost as my brain is a wild ferret, and has gone outside to worry the corners of a bin bag.
turmoni
Oo, an unusual opportunity for _solicited_ feedback! This is, of course, in the context of realising I am but one person and keep doing what you enjoy and don't hold yourself to a schedule you're not comfortable and all that, except meant more genuinely than that sentence makes that sound. Personally speaking, I think the episodes I enjoy the most are the ones where they're focused on some kind of activity (the more unusual the better) and/or there has been research into something interesting that I get to learn about that can be visually demonstrated, with neither of these being presented as being taken _too_ seriously of course. I do enjoy videos where it's just the two of you talking, but (speaking generally) I can often lose focus without something novel happening visually to pay attention to. Don't get me wrong, I watch and enjoy all the videos, I watched the entire recent Q&A one, but if there's less going on visually I'll treat it more like a podcast and do something else at the same time to keep myself engaged. Purely how my brain works, no judgement on the content. As a related aside, it seems like (some of?) the older Top Tier posts, including the extra Q&A, aren't available to me since I switched to Writer's Club. I'm assuming this isn't an intentional attempt to engage in blatant capitalism and to make me maintain two memberships to get the full experience.
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
Cheers, Graham.
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
Soooooon.
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
Third Bird will return! Thank you for all that, Kelvin.
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
Ah, yes. You're not the only one to mention the creepy wardrobe door bit... Thanks, Ed.
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
This is true. I can be hard on myself, and I appreciate you saying this, Jeffrey. Thank you.
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
Sorry you didn't like Creamy Eric as much as some characters. Weirdly, the issue here wasn't him. The issue is that not enough people bothered to watch it in the first place, and that Sanja and I were left unsatisfied after filming it. We both really liked Creamy Eric, mind.
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
I agree that structure benefits me, and I totally get the Lynchian thing. But it benefits all comedy, really. I do slightly disagree that the issue with the Pirate vid was a lack of structure; a taste test does have structure inherent to it. The issue we felt it had is that we rushed into it without considering the point of it, simply because we felt we needed to get a video done for that week. The issue wasn't the pirate for us; it was that what he was there to do wasn't interesting enough, or put across in an interesting enough way. Maybe that means it needed more structure? Dunno. Part of why I'm having to move away from pledging a video a week is that it just doesn't give enough thinking time before filming. If you consider that filming a video - including set-up - is the best part of a day, then there's a minimum of two days' of editing... and then there's planning the following video... and also trying to earn a living in amid all that, and just existing. What that basically means is not every video can be my 'best'. It's inevitable that some go down better than others. But again, the issue here wasn't what was in the video - which some of you seem to have misunderstood. The issue is that not enough people watched it in the first place.
John Whyte
What I like most about your work over the years is that you're almost a comedic David Lynch in that on the surface things are entirely normal but there are strange things just beneath the surface. I will be in a minority with this but I do feel that your best work is the more structured, perhaps even slightly restrained videos that you do. It isn't the easiest thing to describe but I think your greatest, of several, strengths is, like Lynch, the tension from the 'weird' trying to break out of that structure rather than simply being allowed to roam free. In my experience, artistic people often prize creative freedom more than anything but I feel that many people do their best and most creative work when fighting some restrictions, be they structural, format or otherwise. Digitiser the Show will always be my favourite, I think, but for the non-game stuff, I still think the best video you have ever done was the Cursed General Knowledge Quiz - it is the microcosm of your work and it is really, really strong. As an aside, I also think that your 'standard' i.e. non-weird writing and comedy is really good and I sometimes feel that your fans underrate you in that regard. Again, I realise that most will disagree with me but I think your best work comes from having greater structure than e.g. the pirate video - which absolutely wasn't terrible; I liked it better than some other things, but I feel the free-form nature didn't do your ideas justice.
Zobbster
Simon, you took the words out of my brain and made them sound much better.
Grahamf66
Keep doing what you're doing. Post them when you're happy with them, and don't worry about a rigorous, self-imposed schedule.
Simon Carlson
Also I would like to see third bird again sometime soon please.
Simon Carlson
Not everything can be a hit. I love that you guys try different characters and formats, and with that experimentation is going to come hits and misses. I didn't think the pirate character was your strongest, but I also think that was due to performance and not the character itself. He was funny but you seemed unsure if yourself and not really committed to the bit in the same way as others like beanus and action man. I actually loved the cutaways to the telescope that shit was hilarious. I would definitely enjoy more surreal humor like that sprinkled in, and I think it would land with younger audiences as well to some extent. It's always a delight when that style of thing pops up in your videos.
Kathy Holloway (Silph)
I say keep doing what you’re doing. Creamy Eric wasn’t my favourite ever but he was still funny and it takes a while for new characters to find their feet (I wasn’t keen on Beanus or Tony Harris at first and now I adore them!) I love the silliness and the cock ups, but don’t try to force those or it could end up feeling like scripted mayhem (Top Gear style). One of the real charms of Digitiser is that you aren’t trying too hard either to get it right or to fuck it up, and that balance is where it shines.
Kelvin Green
This is probably going to be useless data, but I like everything! Of late, I've been enjoying the little stabs of Found Footage-type stuff that's been creeping in here and there. I love the character-based stuff (I miss Third Bird!) but I also enjoy the videos with just you and "Sanjay". It was good to have Gannon back for a shave too; I haven't laughed in ages like I laughed at that. I liked how it collapsed into nonsense because of your obvious discomfort with hairy bits, which probably makes me a sociopath, but there it is.
John Lindsay
I'll skip the usual "do what you feel is best"/"go at your own pace" stuff then, although it's valid. Without sounding like a psychopath, it's what's in your mind that I enjoy. Now to clarify to avoid a restraining order. It's how you find a subject, scenario or character and evolve it over time. Obviously there's Goujon John, Tony Harris, Beanus, they become what they are because it happens naturally to you and you don't rush it. Usually, if you find it funny, I do too. Even if it's something in post you've put in because you spotted it after. An odd example that always sticks in my head, a wardrobe door to the right of the camera that was ajar. Halfway through, you zoomed into it to show a ghost. It was perfect because I spotted it but didn't think much of it. Oh, and Mount Everest. It's perfection. Reading back, this hasn't answered your question in its simplest form. I can only summarise it with: Stick with your humour and mythos. If rushing it forces it, I'm happy to wait.
Jeff King
I think you are being too hard on yourself! The pirate videos were silly and fun. Sometimes we just need something silly and fun. What makes Digi special is the interactions between you and Sanja, you and Gannon, and the other great guests (such as Sooz and Eli) that you have on periodically. I love the variety of content. You provide some really interesting deep dives into games, toys, music etc., but also have hilarious videos that devolve into absolute chaos. Don't feel pressured that you have to provide us with some elaborate video every week. The videos where you and Sanja are just sat down on the sofa having a chat are some of my favourite episodes.
