MrBiffo
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LET'S SPITBALL!
🕑 Added 2020-11-16 10:32:46 +0000 UTCHello, gang. Thanks for all your kind words on my last post. I'm still feeling a bit 'meh', but aren't we all at the minute?
Doesn't help that somebody tried again to get into my Twitter account last night, and lock me out of the new one. Who are these people? Why are their lives so small?!
Anyhow, here comes a big stream-of-consciousness Monday ramble!
Not sure what this week's video is going to be, though I think we'll be recording tomorrow. We've got a bunch lined-up and already researched, I just need to decide which I'm most in the mood for. Toy topics we've got pending include Silly Putty, Silly String, Rubik's, and Play-Doh. We've also got some more Corner Shop Corner treats to get into, but I'm not sure whether we'll have time for those before Christmas. Or I might be more in the mood for doing those tomorrow. We'll see. In truth, I'm eager to get out and do some more on location stuff, as we enjoyed that so much.
Also... I'm vaguely planning the Christmas special. A lot will depend on whether we come out of full Lockdown before Christmas, but I've got some fun ideas (one on-location segment has already been discussed, given we live close to where the inspiration for Ebeneezer Scrooge came from). One day, I'll do a full live-action Digi Pant-oh, but I think that's out for this year. I do like the notion of doing these longer eps a few times a year, around specific dates. The Halloween Special went down so well, and - no doubt due to the host of guests - has been our most popular video in ages. I was worried it was too long, but evidently lots of you like that.
So... more along those lines!
Also... and, again, this is going to depend very much on where we're at Covid-wise, but I'm finally thinking about possibly doing a new crowd-funded project next year. I still need to finish getting the Digi The Show DVDs out to everyone who backed that - and can't really conceive of doing something new before then - but It has been a few years, and (candidly) I think something like that will help me get through the year financially.
I've even toyed with the possibility of a second series of Digitiser The Show, but it would have to be very different in terms of production. It cost way too much before, and was way too much to organise with just two of us handling things on that side. I'd want to strip back everything behind the scenes, reduce the number of hosts (and therefore, the assorted moving parts), and lean into what we've enjoyed about making stuff for the channel over the past couple of years... just on a slightly grander scale.
I've said it before, but Found Footage was a joy to make, whereas Digitiser The Show was a relentless stress-party for Sanja and I. There's no way I could conceive of putting either of us through that again. Plus, I'm not sure I'd want it to be about old games. I dunno.
There's just so much else I want to talk about, even though I'm well aware that gaming would potentially open us up to a larger pool of potential backers. Another reason to strip back production costs. I think it'd probably remain kind of nostalgia-led - I'm of that age - and somehow find a way to bridge between the panel-type format of Digi, and something more comedic. Maybe a grown-up version of Pee-Wee's Playhouse! I dunno. I'm spitballing.
On a completely separate topic - this is weird: so, I got a message on LinkedIn last week from some guy in LA, who claims to be an actor/writer/producer. It was a strangely-worded message, and - having had some experience with Hollywood - I didn't trust it at all. He was asking if I wanted to be involved in some kids' show idea he has, without really going into specifics. He's since emailed me, and it remains kind of vague. Hollywood is full of actor/writer/producer chancers. Anyhow... I looked him up - his IMDB entry has a long, and clearly self-penned, biograph - but it turns out he was the host of the 3rd On-Cinema Oscars Special, a guy called Kim Delgado! This is no basis AT ALL on which to trust him, but now I'm curious to go back to him... most odd.
That's it! That's all for Monday!
Comments
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
No worries, PR! Thanks for trying...
Craig Hall
ffs, why anybody would do this to you I can't fathom. I mean no disrespect but you're not a celeb, you're a content creator who has a close-knit community. Sorry again btw I couldn't get you your original Twitter account back the other day, I tried all I could. Just don't forget you've LOTS of fans who love your work and we really want more of it please.
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
Thanks, mister.
Thomas Unitt
All sounds good to me. I honestly absolutely love the direction the channel has gone in even if it’s not exactly how it was envisioned. Corner Shop Corner has been a joy to watch and the Halloween special was sublime.
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
We have indeed discussed that. We're a long way off yet - and we might yet go the retro gaming route, and nothing is set in stone at the minute... so we'll see. I'll keep you all posted!
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
I love it, is all I can say. I've cancelled all my other pre-orders for the moment!
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
Well, yup. Of course. This is what I did indeed say in my post when I said that not doing it about games would mean we raised less! I'm very aware of that, but I also don't want to be locked into doing a show about a topic that I felt restricted by. So, we would plan it to be cheaper from the outset, budget modestly - we've learned a lot in the last two years and, frankly, Digi The Show could've been done cheaper, but that was our first time doing something like that. I wouldn't even be expecting to get as much as we got for Found Footage next year. What I think you could/should expect is something a bit more akin to Digitiser Deluxe, but with slightly higher production values, and location filming to give it some scale. It'd all be done very guerilla-style.
Jason Salisbury
I'll be an annoying voice, I'm used to it. but I think you mention yourself that guests helped the Halloween video and those guests were mostly game streamers. I don't think you can rely on us to fund a crowd funding project and gaming is where people know you best. I'm not saying it's not worth trying but I still think you probably should make it a small one to test the waters. I mean, I remember being on your twitter when you posted angrily about someone who wanted their money back for backing the DVD and then you finally came here to tell everyone that you really were putting off the process because you didn't enjoy it or it's reception. But that's the nature of these crowd funding things unfortunately. So the whole thing just turned ugly for you. No reason to push a video game thing if you hate it but I think tempering any expectations is a good idea. You have us and maybe Gannon's Cheapshow crew but even Gannon's book has been only a slow but sure climb. A small trip to somewhere and some extra equipment might be the best idea. And then maybe include the folk who are interested and probably Eli since that's kind of required for the Cheapshow peeps. Then maybe a good idea will bring in some other curious folk. Possible more self shot cameos from gaming friends about the topics. I don't mean to sound negative, I just see us here and everybody encourages you to do whatever you want and obviously WE'LL support it. But crowdfunding needs more than us and that should probably be part of your creative process. The toy stuff is great for Youtube stuff but it doesn't have the popularity of gaming that enticed people into the rebirth of Digitiser. And just plain silliness can sell itself but only AFTER it's completed and people can get into it. I'd say, best to keep tossing around ideas in your head and prepare for a spring where maybe....hopefully, we'll be returning to a new normal. And then you can start a big push on something you've been able to toy around with and budget and all that. Personally I'd say that a big thing is to include Sanja and maybe Sooz or other ladies since otherwise the channel can be a sausage fest LoL. Seriously though, I think that helped Digitiser the Show and it's important to remember that ladies love nostalgia too. I mean, a surprising number of Cheapshow fans are ladies and that show's disgusting! I mean, utterly filthy! Seriously though, I hope the Xmas episode allows you to get Sanja together with Eli since I am with you in thinking that alone will be too interesting to pass up. All in all, I want to see things get bigger for you and the channel. I just think it might take a bunch of planning and a good hook rather than counting on just the basic group of us and channel fans who haven't supported yet. But I will say that you shouldn't just do games just because you know support is there, it should be because you have a good idea to do something your way and involve the friends you've made in the gaming world. Fingers crossed.
Tyronne Mann
I will certainly give some cash this time around. For myself I would like to see something along the lines of walks with yourself, Sonja and Gannon visiting various places with a haunted/ufo/weird type stuff bent to them. As for the retro stuff, I get the feeling that leaves you jaded as this is what a load of people expect but there are more arrows to your bow that you enjoy doing more and I would rather you follow the path that brings you the most joy as that will come out in what is created rather than feel you are confined to a box of what people expect.
FluxMarsh
Imagine working in Hollywood for 45 years and getting nothing but extras jobs on sitcoms for 38 of them!? Even a whole year on one show didn't help this dude. I'm not knocking him, but that's immense resilience. He might prove a useful asset to the cause. Stay breezy, Cool Cats P.S. Side-note: Valhalla clearly doesn't provide enough Saxon murdering fun to keep you from real work, but is it worthy of 100 hours? (Just scored a copy with my new Motherboard)
Chris Bell
Exciting stuff! Would be up for any and all of that, whatever you feel most inspired by. Some of it sounds rather Bubblegun-like, have you toyed with going that route?
Paul Rose (Mr Biffo)
Right?!? So bizarre!
John Veness
Blimey, BeetleBorgs!
