What I've Learned from Making Two Parters (Patreon)

One of the perks I offered my $2 Patrons was behind-the-scenes info about my process and how I make these things. Making videos is tough, especially when it comes to scheduling, so I figured I'd give you a glimpse at some of the back end problems I'm running into with this current video I'm working on. I'm learning a lot from my mistakes here, so maybe you can too, if you're interested in the creative process.

I've been struggling with this video. What happened was, initially, I wanted the Disney Interactive video just be one video, but I was on a good track with uploading somewhat biweekly at the time and I was about to go to Japan for a week. I knew this would set me back, so I decided I'd split the Disney video into two parts, since I had already recorded 8 hours of game footage, and I figured I had enough material for two videos. This way I would have half the work done before I went to Japan, and after I got back I'd only need to work one extra week.

The problem is I hadn't actually written Part 2 yet when I left, I ran out of time. What I did do was record a basic generic intro and outro for the next part so that I wouldn't run into continuity errors, as well as various pick up shots of anything involving the computer. There's a lot going on visually with the Disney videos to account for, we've got the old computer, we've got me and my ever-fading blue hair, we've got the Tinkerbell joke to resolve,  so I wanted to make sure I got that all before I left and had to dismantle the whole thing. I figured it'd be easy enough to write the next part since I actually had a lot of fun writing the first half of it.

But then I got back, and I had to whip up a script for something I hadn't played in several weeks with this rigid framing to account for and no wiggle room to film anything that involved me or the desk being in the shot, since I actually no longer have that old monitor I used as a prop, I had to borrow it from someone. Needless to say, I've been having trouble with it. I finally just this Monday finalized the script, and today I've been working on a storyboard. Now this video that I decided to make to save time is almost a month late, and all because I wrote myself into a corner. Everything I've learned so far about pulling off jokes is that it needs to come from the visuals and I can't film hardly anything, and without jokes this video is about games for toddlers which is hard to make interesting. What I ended up with in my first draft was a very dry unfunny script, and in the final draft all the jokes had to come from the writing, which is a lot harder to pull off. I think I came up with a solution I can live with, and at this point I just want this video done so I can resolve the continuity and move on to other projects, but the longer it takes to make the more pressure I feel that it has to be perfect, and it just could never be with all the constraints I put myself under shooting without a script.

What's funny is, this isn't even the first time it's worked out like this. I had a similar problem with the dang Powerpuff Girls videos. I had to get a second one up for a sponsor deal I had already signed at the time (which ended up dropping anyway) so I put all this work into a video I could get up in a couple weeks to meet the deadline. Then they dropped out and I was left with this half completed video that couldn't stand on its own that took way too long to make because once again I recorded the gameplay all at once and struggled with the writing. Fortunately that video was at least less complicated, there were no running jokes between the two or funny sets to work with, but it was still something that was supposed to save time and ultimately dragged out way past its relevancy. 

So the big lesson learned here is, unless you already have a script that can be split in two in a way that makes sense, don't attempt a two parter. It will not save you time unless the writing is already done. And don't shoot without a script.

The good news is, hopefully the hard part is now done and within another week or so I can get this thing out and move on with my life. I really didn't want my first Patreon video to be this big of a compromise, but I was as creative as I possibly could be in salvaging the whole thing so I hope it works out okay in the end.

Thanks of course to all of you and your continued patience while I worked this all out. As long as we're on the subject of behind-the-scenes stuff, is there anything you're interested in knowing about how these videos get made?  Let me know what kinds of things you'd like to see in these posts! I've already got plans to share things like my storyboards, gameplay and editing notes, etc for finished videos, but I'm open to suggestions too!