Hiatus Announcement

Hi everyone! I'm writing today to let you know that I will be taking a hiatus from reaction videos for a little while after posting the Texas Chainsaw Massacre reaction. (These two things are unrelated, by the way. I was already planning to do this regardless of what movie won the poll, so don't worry about that. 🙂)

First thing's first: I'll be pausing the billing here until my return, so current patrons won't be charged for September (and any subsequent months until I'm back). So don't worry about that; I'm thankful you're all here with me and I want to make this as smooth as possible on that end of things. 

As for why I'm taking the hiatus, hey, this is probably something that'd be good to do in FAQ format! 😃 So heeeeeeere we go!

Q. Why are you taking a hiatus?

A. A bunch of reasons, some personal, some practical. For one thing, there's going to be a number of non-video things I either need to spend my limited energy on this autumn, and I've only got so much to go around. Some of that is just feeling that my writing is suffering due to having less time for it, some of it is due to some real life responsibilities that I can't avoid. 

For another, I'm honestly just feeling more than a little burned out. I enjoy the editing (and, of course, the watching!) but my skills and efficiency in editing are limited, and it takes me a lot of time and energy to do each one. It's fun, but very time consuming, and lately I'm having trouble relaxing because in the back of my mind I feel compelled to be working on a video all the time. I just need a bit of a break. 😕

With these two things combined, I feel a hiatus is the best thing I can do for my mental and creative health. I know this is probably disappointing to hear, and I'm sorry for that, but thank you for understanding. 

Q. Don't you like reacting to movies anymore?

A. I still love it! 😃🍺 (And even more, I definitely still love knowing I'm entertaining people with my reactions and weird sense of humor!) In a perfect world, I'd be able to magically edit the videos instantly with the sense of humor I add into the edits intact, but of course, that's just not possible, ever since the Avengers came and told me I had to give up the Reality Stone.

I really do get a kick out of editing the videos, though! I often make myself laugh when doing so, and it's fun adding in little touches for intros, out-tros, and the YouTube edits. But doing so does take time.

Q. How long will you be away?

A. At the moment, I'm not entirely sure. Certainly through September, and almost as certainly through October. November is a maybe, depending on how some real-life things go. I'm 90% certain I'll be back to it in December, however. I'll be sure to keep you posted here.

I may even still put up a surprise reaction or two from time to time (probably just on Patreon, to save the time of having to do YouTube edits while I'm away). It doesn't seem right to completely skip the Halloween season, after all! Note that if I do post a reaction during hiatus-time, there won't be a charge for people already subscribed.

Q. Can I still post comments and see old videos?

A. Definitely! The functionality of this place will be just as it was before, just with a pause in new content.

Q. Is it something I did???

A. Definitely not! You folks are fantastic, and I'm amazed and gratified that you enjoy my videos enough to be here with me! 😃 Honestly, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your support, your enthusiasm, and your engagement! When I started this space, I honestly didn't know if anyone would show up, and it's felt great to know people get a kick out of what I do and look forward to more.

Q. Are you familiar with the works of Shan Yu?

A. 1) Stop it, this isn't a Firefly reaction channel. 2) Get away from me with that spikey thing!

Q. How many boards would the Mongols hoard if the Mongol hordes got bored?

A. Calvin & Hobbes reference!! (And, I dunno, at least seven?)

Q. What about YouTube?

A. I'll be taking a hiatus over there as well, once I catch up with the YouTube edits in the queue. I'm almost finished with Leprechaun 3, then I'll put up YouTube reactions for In the Mouth of Madness and TCM, then I'll have a message up there about the hiatus as well so people don't wonder if I got hit by a bus or went swimming at Camp Crystal Lake. People who see videos on YouTube and want to come here to see the full-length reactions will still be able to sign up (for the initial monthly fee, like you all did), but, like you, won't get charged for subsequent months until I return and start posting new stuff.

I think that's about all the questions I can think of to answer right now, but let me know if you have others, and I'll try to answer them on this post. Once again, thank you all so much for your enthusiasm, support, and understanding! I'm looking forward to returning in a while, recharged and ready for more. 😁

And look for the Texas Chainsaw Massacre post here by Monday morning!

-Michael