MONDAY RAMBLEWAFFLE

Happy Monday, gang.

So. Feeling a tad overwhelmed as we start a new week, juggling Digi Level 2 while simultaneously trying to get day job work done. Basically, pretty much every waking hour I seem to be doing one or the other. Or running around for my mother. Or – last Friday anyway - being a “hair model”.

That was a novel experience. I hadn’t anticipated that I’d have to stand in front of an entire class of students and “give them a twirl”. I mean, I was old enough to be the parent of not only all the students, but the tutors as well. I’m increasingly aware of being the oldest person in any given room, and it’s weird how it’s something I’m finding myself having to adjust to.

Decent haircut though. My nephew can cut my hair again.

Being busy is not a complaint by the way – I’d rather be busy than not, and most of it is a pleasure to do. It’s just frustrating, because right now I only want to be working on Digi stuff.

Sanja and I are aiming to do a Patreon-only video this week, if we find time. Just a bit of a life update thing, as we’re both missing just chatting with you, and we don’t want you feeling neglected.

I think we’ll be doing a Biffo’s Brain on Thursday. And I’ve a great topic for a Writer’s Club, which we’ll do if we can. 

Appropriately, it’s relating to the whole ‘being old’ thing, as I lost a gig the week before last due to my age. They didn’t say as much openly, but on a Zoom call they asked how old my kids were. I mentioned having a grandson, and I could see the shift of attitude in their faces.

Right until that moment, everything had been going great, but I knew immediately that I no longer had the job. Prior to that, it was pretty much mine – and true enough, I’ve been ghosted by them ever since since. It’s a bit shit, but – after a lifetime of privilege – I’m increasingly finding what it’s like to be on the receiving end of another person’s “ism”.

Ageism is rife everywhere, but the entertainment industry is perhaps more ageist than any other, unless you’re fortunate enough to be at the very top. Who cares about experience, eh? Just don’t get old.

Aaaaaanyhow. It’s fine.

Lastly, before I get back to editing, I know a few of you were disappointed that last week I said we were leaning towards Digi Level 3 over a book. I should just say, that’s where we’re at right now. It could change. We’ve a long way to go before we’re done with Digi Level 2, and can even think about crowdfunding anything. We will of course look more into the book, and what we need to do, but ultimately it comes down to whether we can do it affordably.

The benefit of doing more for YouTube is that we can handle most of the production ourselves, rather than outsourcing it all. That’s not possible with a book.

We still have a relatively tiny audience – even when it comes to the gaming audience – so sadly we can’t do everything we’d like to do. A book is an unknown quantity, and we’d have to look at margins of profit etc. Part of the issue is whether or not I’d be able to afford to take some time off the day job to put it together, because it isn’t something anyone else can help me with. It has made a massive difference having Sanja help me with the editing on DL2, because I’ve just been able to focus on the creative aspects and the fine-turning.

We've got a great production pipeline going, and I'm keen for us to build on it while we've got momentum.

Yes, there are other ways of doing books. I was approached by Unbound – who everyone seems to do books with – a few years ago, but you don’t get paid anything by them. You see none of the money raised, unless (by some miracle) the book earns more than its production costs. I’ll be honest, I struggle to see the incentive by going through them, short of the kudos of having a book out. So… we just have to be smart is all.

Righty. Back to the pixel coalface. Hopefully, Ep 3 of Digi Level 2 will be with you tomorrow or Wednesday. Speak later in the week!

Paul