NEW YEAR MESSAGE - AND PLANS FOR 2020! (Patreon)

End of the decade, then. It’s been one heck of a one for me, starting with getting the gig as lead writer on 4 O’Clock Club – a show I’m hugely proud of, which comes to an end next year – getting a couple of other co-created, lead writer, shows on CBBC, meeting my later-to-be wife, writing a terribly-received film, rebirthing Digitiser, starting a YouTube channel, meeting Gannon and others… I’m ending the decade in a completely different place professionally, creatively, and personally to where I began. Undoubtedly, a far better place. 

This past year, as I’ve written here, has been a tough one, but not as tough as some of the years I went through in the noughties. 

A couple of bereavements and a near-fatal car accident aside, probably the biggest things to happen to me this year were the Digi Minis – and reaching a place where I’m not only comfortable being on camera, but actually enjoy it – Digi Live, and taking on way too much paid work. 

The upside of the latter is that I’ve got a bit of a safety net for a couple of months, so I can afford to take a few calculated risks in terms of not panicking and taking on every job I’m offered, but it also showed me my limits. The past few months have been spent recovering from the worst exhaustion I’ve ever had, a result of working on things that I didn’t feel personally invested in. If I can help it, I’m never doing it again. Which will mean earning less money – at least in the short term – but should mean more creative fulfilment right out of the gate.

So, with all that rumbling around, we’ve got plans for 2020. First, I need to ship the Digitiser The Show rewards. Professionally, I’ve got some work lined-up already, and I’ve got a couple of spec project ideas rumbling around in my head. It has been years since I pitched something that’s entirely mine, and it feels long overdue. But I want/need to leave space for Digitiser/Mr Biffo things. 

In terms of Digi stuff… first off, we’re going to – hopefully – be announcing Digitiser Live 2 in January. It’ll likely be at the same venue as before, around the same time of year, but you’ll have plenty of notice this time. We’re also toying with the possibility of doing some sort of mini Digi Minis tour, getting to places, and going to smaller venues, around the country, for the people who can’t make the all-singing, all-dancing, summer event. It will be different to last time though, as this one won’t necessarily be a stage version of Digitiser The Show. The Minis Tour, if we do it, will be more stripped-back.

The website will continue as a sort of hub, but as advised previously, it’s less of a focus now. Fewer people read it these days, so it’ll become somewhere I only do articles only when I feel like it, and a place where I can store weird Photoshop things, like the ones I’ve been sharing over Christmas on Twitter and Facebook. The Friday Letters Page will continue, however. It’s a shame, but my enthusiasm isn’t there at the minute, and it seems daft to focus energies and time on something that isn’t growing. Therefore, this Patreon becomes more in support everything I do – whether it’s Twitter, the website, YouTube… and beyond. Sorry to anybody that disappoints, but I’ll still be posting occasional, more personal, blog posts on here, and finding new ways to give Patreon bonuses (you’ll get a deleted scene from the Digi Christmas Special in the next couple of days for starters).

In terms of a new crowd-funding project… I’m not yet sure. It feels like the Digi Minis are starting to find an audience, and I want to focus on that – making them bigger and better - and not split my attention elsewhere. I do really want to do something new in the vein of Found Footage, but I also don’t want to make the mistake of doing too much, and asking for too much from all of you. So, we’ll see. 

The other thing I want to do – if I can fit it in – is starting a podcast with Sanya. I’ve got an idea for it, and it’ll be quite a departure from everything else I do, but tapping into some other stuff I’m interested in. I’m also half thinking about writing a book. But that’s further down the list of priorities. 

So, that’s it I think for now. Thank you, sincerely, for all your support over the past decade. None of it would’ve been possible without you, firstly by encouraging me to start a Patreon, demonstrating that the audience is there, and continuing to help support me to a point where I can now take a punt and try new things. 

Have a great New Year, and I’ll see you all in 2020.

Paul