Joe Pera/Last of Us Update - No. #3

Hello!

Before we get started, just a quick thank you to everyone who has taken a commission slot - it's all filled up and sold out 🎉

Let it be known too that you can still be credited towards the end of the video with the scream/shout tier! So if you want me to say your name, now is your chance :)
(Noticed quite a few people joined that tier after I released the Disco video, so I just wanted remind folks incase they didn't see or forgot)

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Anyway, here's the update!
WARNING TYPOS AHEAD PROBABLY

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Joe Pera Video

It's looking to be around 10 minutes long! THANK GOD A SHORT VIDEO! Long videos have been great for the channel but can be mentally exhausting, so this Joe Pera video being a length that doesn't take too much commitment is a nice change of pace.

This also means that the video isn't gonna take ages to produce. In fact, I'm about 4/6ths away through the storyboard, and I aim to be done storyboarding some time this week.

And optimistically speaking, I could get this video by the end of this month or early next month! Though I'm not making that sentence bold because that's if the stars decide to align and bless me with extremely good luck, but we'll see :)

For those curious about the thesis of the video.
It's about how Joe Pera is the 'least Adult Swim Adult Swim show' due to how straightforward and earnest the program is. The channel is known for being subversive, experimental, surreal, sarcastic, and crude - which was quite novel back in the day.

But in the internet age, those qualities aren't as unique as they once were. Twitter alone is a space for snarky people who sneer at folks with the wrong opinion, YouTube/Newground content creators/animators have given life to a bunch of memorable surreal and mature content. 

Not to mention rivalling networks are pumping out shows like Invicible and The Midnight Gospel, making Adult Swim's programs featuring violence and experimental visuals less unique.

So when the world/internet is caught up on your ironic and sarcastic shtick, how do you subvert expectations? You make something endearing and sincere - enter Joe Pera Talks with You. And for a network that likes to surprise people with it's bizarre programming, subverting expectations by making something genuinely wholesome is pretty on brand when you think about it.

I then explore the show's attempt at being this simple charming show, how it succeeds in that, and then comparing it in the greater context of modern entertainment. I conclude saying that it's one of my favorite shows, so check it out if you haven't already; though watching the show isn't necessary in order to view my video. If anything, I feel like watching my video will give you a good idea on how to approach the show with the right mindset :)

So yeah! That's the Joe Pera video. Now onto...

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HBO's The Last of Us!

Most of the work related to the show has been research, so there's not much to update you on, but I will say this... I'm excited to start this video :)

There's a lot of ways to tackle the video but I'm uncertain as to where I even begin! So while my mind is tangled with a bunch of ideas, I can share with you some of ideas that floating to the top at the moment.

1. How and why the Last of Us is a story about 'love' and how it succeeds/fails in doing that. 

If that sounds bizarre to you... Neil Druckmann, creator of the game, states in the official HBO podcast for the show that it's a show about love. And if you view the show through that lens, a lot of the creative decisions on the show makes sense. Do I agree with these decisions? 

Sometimes yes (Episode 3 is my favorite episode) and sometimes no (Tess being 'kissed' by a cordycep felt more awkward than the tender moment the show-runners were going for).
Ultimately, I think this is an interesting topic to explore

2. Is an adaptation of the Last of Us even necessary?

With the videogame being praised for it's cinematics and acting, it begs the question... why even adapt it? If the cutscenes basically feel like you're watching a show or movie, why even bother with TV show when you can just watch a no commentary let's play?

I'd argue that no, watching a Let's Play and watching the show are two very different experiences. And the show benefits a lot using it's strengths in it's medium to explore things that the game is unable to.

Also, if a person were to just watch a Let's Play, they'd be watching hours of someone crafting, shooting, ducking. As a player it's great fun, but as a viewer it isn't the most riveting experience. You could say 'just skip to the cutscenes' but you'd be missing a lot of the dialogue/characterization that happens in between cutscenes.

So while yes the game is cinematic, it can't be enjoyed passively as you can with the show. At least, that's my opinion.

3. Last of Us is considered one of the greatest games of all time, but can the show be considered one of the greatest shows?

Bluntly, no. I think the show is well produced and well acted, helped up greatly by Pedro Pascal's and Bella Ramsey's acting and chemistry, but beyond that... the show mostly remains good while briefly being great at times. 

I genuinely think it's a good show that's worth your time, but I think the foundation of the material it's adapting falls short to TV's greats.

I didn't really care about Tess. FEDRA and the Fireflies are pretty standard antagonists. That new character antagonist Kathleen was BORING. That one priest guy all of sudden being a pedo felt unnecessary, and adding that in feels shocking for the sake of shocking (A real David Cage moment - It's also present in the game so it's bizarre that they decided to keep it in).

These are just some things that I found to be fairly bland or distracting about the show. But even with those negative, it's still a good show! I love how the outbreak was portrayed in the first episode. That late night scene of episode 5 looked great. Episode 3 was the biggest highlight. And Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey are a great pair! But I do consider it one of the greats? Well...

In my opinion, some of my favorite shows have me loving EVERY aspect of the show. Like, it should be difficult for me to name a favorite character, episode, or scene, y'know? and whatever flaw I have with the show has to be so apparent or distracting. And with HBOs Last of Us, I can't really say I feel that way. It's a good show that's stops it from being great due to a number of gripes I have with it.

Is it a good show? Yes! Is it one of the best shows? I disagree.

And those are the ideas floating around my head right now! This video of the show will most definitely lead into another video about the game, maybe squeeze both Part 1 and Part 2 in the same video (assuming I have enough enthusiasm for it.) To which I'm already cooking up some ideas on how to pair these videos, so look forward to that!

Anyway, that's it for the update! I think the bi-weekly schedule for Patreon updates works out really well :)
Frequent enough to keep you invested, but long enough for me to give you something substantial.

So yeah, that's it!
Thank you for reading and thank you for your time 🎉