"Lens" me your ear / proof of the pudding

Dear Supporters

I wanted to share a couple of nice quick thingies with you:

Patreon Lens

Firstly, since the very positive discussions here about slightly more flexible video release dates, I've been sharing more content on the Patreon "Lens" in return. If you're not aware of it, it's just like Instagram "Stories" that expire after 24 hours, and a simple way for me to share everyday updates and fun pics to keep you guys in touch between main video releases. I consider you part of the family and part of this team effort that is Retro Recipes.

If you don't have the Patreon app to get notifications of Lens posts, feel free to download it. Here's a simple Help page explaining how it works and how to turn on notifications for specific Creators who Lens updates you'd like to know about. There are many great Creators here, and I support a few of them too, so it's a fun addition.

I'm sharing all this as I wouldn't want you to miss out on content you might not know about, but if you'd rather not download another app you can view the Lens posts manually on the web at my page too.

Release Schedule Progress

For now I've decided to take the advice a few of you gave and stick with Saturday releases, whilst releasing to early access patrons (that's you!) as soon as videos are ready, whenever that might be.

To make that work logistically, I have decided that if a video is complete by Wednesdays, it will go to the public that Saturday (3 days later). This means you get things 3-10 days ahead of the public, and that I have a few days for captions, thumbnail, metadata, end screen, and all the other little things that need preparing.

If a video isn't ready by Wednesday, then that Saturday will be one where a public release is skipped, and instead it'll go out the following Saturday. This may help store up a little reserve of videos to tide over any trips overseas etc. too so it's a win-win-win!

As soon as I have released a video to you, I've decided to take my "weekend" at that point - in other words a 2 day break, no matter what day of the week it actually is! Before, if a video took me 7 days to make, I'd have zero weekend before starting the next video, and the latest video took 9 days to make!...

I already thanked you guys for your generous understanding about the change so I won't overdo the thanks, but I am already noticing positive effects:

• The Atari VCS video went public today and was the first one where I completed it without a strict deadline.
• Whilst making it, there was a strong sense of freedom and I believe it showed in the edit. Whilst I had to draw a line somewhere, I was able to add a few extra fun moments in that perhaps otherwise I would have had to leave out.
• I'd like to say the public reaction to the video shows that "quality over quantity/speed" is working, as it's outperforming 7 of the last 10 videos which I didn't expect for a simple refurb that didn't even work! So far it has been watched 1,600 hours more than normal.

But over and above that, taking a "weekend" regardless of when I finish a video is having a really nice psychological effect. I don't want to jinx it by calling it out, but let's just say that knowing I don't have to rush to make the next video, is actually making me rush to make the next video! ;-) 

You see, on my "Sunday" of my break after delivering the VCS video to you, I instead found myself dreaming up ideas for the following video and before I knew it I had a 5 page script written out. Taking the pressure off can really bring the love straight back, in other words.

More on that soon, but it's not what you're expecting, and is all about time travel and old computers. Oooohhhh...

Thank you for your ongoing support and kindness. You're one hell of a team, and the positive effects of you guys' input into recent decisions are already bearing their fruits. Cheers!

Your friend in retro, Perifractic