MadSeasonShow

Early Access: Return Part 2

Going over some details about what to expect from the channel - apologies for all of the channel related videos, i know it's been a lot. Next one I'm thinking will be Overthinking part 2: online harassment, I have the script half finished and will try to finish it tomorrow :D

Thanks all for the support as always

Next video previews

For the next video I wanted to go over some details on my return to WoW and what my immediate plans are for the channel. The TLDR is that it's still a madseasonshow channel. There will be some WoW videos here and there, but I don't plan on stopping my other series(pandora, mmo theory, overthinking, etc). I'll try to have the early access out within a few days - here are the early previews in the meantime :D

Lil Mads Plush Announcement + Discount Code

We talked about this a while ago, but it's finally here! I've been working with a company called Makeship to produce a limited time run of Lil Mads plushe: https://www.makeship.com/products/lil-mads-plush . They're not for sale yet, the campaign starts on the 31st and will run for 21 days. Details can be found in the video description and campaign page.

Also, I managed to secure a discount code for patrons only. Use this when they go on sale to get 10% off: MS-9NQX47Z56YJQ

Really excited! Thanks for being patient, I know it took a while

New Series Premiere: MMO Theory

First in a new series focusing on analyzing MMORPGs. In this one we define and analyze MMO "Magic"

Early access tonight :D

Rendering the first episode of MMO Theory right now! I wanted to check to make sure I got everyone in the shoutouts. Let me know if I missed you and I'll fix it asap!

Some previews + big announcements

Hello all

Sorry it's been a bit, I've had a lot going on, both with IRL and videos.

First, the next video is the premiere of a new series called "MMO Theory". This is a general MMO based series focusing on analysis of the genre in many aspects, whether it be gameplay, community, monetization, etc.. The first episode is about MMO "magic", and I've attached the script and VO as early previews.

The video is actually nearly done though, and I may have the preview up for you tomorrow or the day after, depending on how things go. Very happy with it!

Second, The Lil Mads plush is well underway, and a campaign is set to launch on the 31st: https://www.makeship.com/products/lil-mads-plush . How this works: people will have a limited amount of time to pledge(a couple weeks I think), and if we hit the goal, which is 200 I believe, then the plush will be produced and sent out as soon as they're finished. I polled people about this a while ago, and I think we should easily hit that. I have the actual plush in hand right now, and I love it. I think you guys will too. I am going to also make a video announcement showing it off, so you know exactly what you're getting before you consider buying. It'll be $30, which is standard for Makeship....can't wait!! I'm looking into getting you guys a discount code, as a thanks for supporting me on here.

Lastly, and this is a big one... I'm thinking of doing a pseudo return to the wonderful world of Azeroth. You may have heard they are doing hardcode vanilla servers soon on the 24th of this month.

To be honest... I've been missing it lately. It's been over two years since I quit, and I think it's time to check things out and revisit the world. I'm not 100% sure yet, but if I do it would mainly be under a streaming capacity at twitch.tv/madseasonshow. As of right now I'm not really sure what videos I would make about it as I feel like I've sort of talked about all I want to talk about with the game. Who knows though, if I start playing it again and I like it, maybe I'll get a creative fire lit under me and we can go oldschool and do some WoW content here and there.

I know, lots of ifs. I'll keep you posted on what I'm thinking. Keep an eye out for that early access of mmo theory #1, and I'll talk to you soon

Farewell for now mortals

New Series Premiere Early Access

Here is the early access for the next video, a new series I'm calling Overthinking! In this one, we discuss the react genre of entertainment, and its effect in the world of social media. I have some filming to do, so you'll see some placeholders here and there, but other than that this is a finished video. Also, the shoutouts at the end are inaccurate. I usually wait until right before the public post before updating that incase there are any last minute patrons.

Let me know what you think!

Videos Update

Still working on the next video. It's a premiere of a series I'm tentatively calling "Overthinking", which will be long form analyses of a variety of subjects, but ill be starting off with social media and content creation. It's very much similar to my normal style of editing of the WoW days. Not nearly as produced as Pandora, but still fairly edited. I'd say it's a bit higher than the channel update I recently posted. 

The subject for episode #1 is react streamers. In this one we talk about their history, and their influence within the online content creation ecosystem. We discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly, with lots of data to back them up!

It's coming along very nicely, and I think it'll be a really strong premiere for the series. Hoping to have the early access for you within a week. Script and VO will also be soon - I need to make some more changes with those before I post them.

I've also been chipping away at pandora #5, still in the script phase. I'll be working on it here and there in the background while I experiment with other videos :D.

Aside from that, I've gone forward with some commission work for yet another new series, but I'll keep that a surprise for now. It has to do with MMOs though so I think it'll resonate pretty well with a lot of you considering my background.

Will have some previews for you soon. Thanks as always for the support and patience!

Farewell for now mortals

Plushie Update

Based on the great response on that recent poll, I am looking into vendors for getting those plushies made :D. I have reached out to a few different ones, and will be comparing quality/pricing/design to try to find the best match.

I am sure this will be a lengthy process, but whenever I get updates, I'll share them! Maybe even discount codes for patrons? No promises, but I'll make some inquiries about that.

Farewell for now, mortals.

New Video: Hey

As mentioned previously, I redid that channel update I made and never released a few months ago. In this one we talk about the gameplan for upcoming videos. Expect more pandora, but also some less produced stuff in between! Next video is a new series.

Next Vidya Plans, Plushies? & Possible alternative to Patreon

Released the OoT video yesterday. Really great reception, very happy! I'm thinking the next video will be that channel update I previewed to you a few months ago. It's been like 2 years since my non-pandora video, so I want to get everyone up to speed with what direction I want the channel to go in. I will have to pretty much redo the entire video though since so much has changed.

I am working away on the script for Pandora #5 as we speak, but I also want to do some less-produced stuff alongside of it so that way we don't have these huge gaps in-between videos. Will discuss that more in the channel update.

Also, I was thinking of experimenting with the new subscriber feature on Twitter as an alternative to Patreon since I know many more people use that. It would offer the same perks as here(scripts, vos, video updates, early access, shoutouts). Just thought it may be a good idea to give you a choice for those who prefer that over Patreon.

Lil' Mads premiere in the last video has also been received really well, so much so I've begun looking into vendors for manufacturing/selling plushie versions of him. Will let you know how that goes.

Hope you all are enjoying your weekend, and I'll talk to you again soon

Farewell for now, mortals

Pandora #4 credits double check

I have what I believe to be the final draft of episode #4, and wanted to post what I have for credits to make sure I got everyone, as sometimes I screw up here. Let me know if you don't see your name here and I'll get it fixed!

Pandora Episode 4 Early Access

Here is the early access for the next episode of Pandora's Box. Some errors here and there, awkward music levels, and I'll also be redoing a lot of the vo as I recorded much of it while I was sick(I'll sound a bit more nasaly in some parts). I may touch up the final two sections a bit, and I still need to add the patreon credits sequence. I like to save that as the last thing to do in-case we have anyone sign up right before release. As usual, to make sure I got everyone I'll share some preview screenshots of the full list so keep an eye out for this.

You will notice many props and such in this one, including the premiere of the channel mascot, Lil' Mads. This is thanks directly to your support on here. I don't put 100% of what I earn on Patreon back into my videos, but I keep track of what I earn from here, and whenever I buy anything video related, I draw directly from that fund.

I think my next purchase might be a better quality camera since I've started doing so many IRL shots. Right now I'm just using my phone camera, and it's pretty blurry in some scenes. I'm not 100% decided though because I actually kind of like that in a way. It gives it more of a campy factor which hearkens back to the old days of Youtube. It's like a layer of nostalgia in an already nostalgiac video!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy. I haven't been at my computer much lately, as I'm dealing with some personal matters. My goal is to get all of these corrections done in about a week, and then finally move onto that channel update i've been putting off for so long.

I also already have the subject for Pandora #5 decided, and have started the research/script writing phase. I'll wait to make sure I'm 100% committed before I reveal it though - will keep you posted!

Farewell for now mortals

Some preview stills

Getting lots of filming done, wanted to share some early pics of some of the cooler shots.

Lil' Mads is getting lots of camera time, I'm quite fond of him.

Pandora #4 Intro Preview

Finished up this intro yesterday....WIP but home stretch!

Pandora #4 update & some behind the scenes stuff

Rough draft is complete! in fact, im about 60% way through the 3rd draft. If you're curious, I edit my videos in a 7 step process:

1. "very" rough draft. The most time consuming part of the process. This is where the skeleton of the video is made. At this point I have all of the script/voiceover done, and the video is filled with footage and placeholders. For the most part, any animation/IRL shot has placeholder text boxes. I do this both for convenience sake, and to keep a steady pace. In the past when I did everything in one go, id find that I would only make a couple minutes of progress in a full 10 hour day. While this doesn't change in the long-run, it can be really demotivating, so this is my way of tricking my brain into thinking I'm making more progress than I am. Kind of silly, I know, but it does actually help in keeping me motivated and therefore productive!

2. 2nd rough draft: in this draft I go through the entire video, cleaning up the footage, cropping it properly, and replacing or redoing scenes or segments I think I didn't do well. As finished as I think the skeleton in step 1, it invariably changes at this stage. I like to use the phrase "see the forest through the trees" to describe it. Sometimes, by themselves, some sections and chapters seem really well done. But, after you look at the video as a whole package there are some issues with things such as formatting and repetition. Overall this draft is much cleaner and closer to the final product.

3. The animation draft: In this one I go through all of my placeholders and do all of the (very time consuming) animations. These are those little silhouette scenes you've seen in previous episodes. They may seem simple, but boy are they time consuming - a 10 second scene can take hours to make sometimes.

4. The "IRL" draft. This is when I bust out the camera and do all of the irl shots, like the tvs for instance. This oot video has lots of irl shots so this stage will take a bit longer than usual. I bought quite a few props for it, which were purchased with funds directly through Patreon, so thanks for that - you'll see lots of cool shots in this one, and that's due directly to your support.

5/6/7 - the finish line. The video is pretty much done at this point. For these last 3 steps, I just watch and rewatch several times, make some corrections/changes and give out previews to you guys, and also my friends and family to see if they can catch any major errors. For projects of this magnitude, it's really easy to get tunnel vision and make simple and glaring mistakes. Many errors are usually caught by people other than myself here!

So right now, I'm making great headway in step number 3 here. My goal is to finish that in the next few days so I can get a start on the IRL shots. As suspected, I'll be missing a March release date, but I think it'll be worth the extra effort.

Also, attached is a preview of this little guy's premiere! I hope you like him, I think he looks quite dashing!

Progress update 3/4

Still chipping away at it. The project has grown slightly, and has become a bit more refined. I'm already deep into the editing stage and as of right now the rough draft is about 75% completed.

I haven't posted the VO/script yet as it has been changing pretty frequently. Formatting is by far the toughest part. My issues right now is the skeleton of its gameplay and development. I want to cover all of the important stuff, but at the same time avoid sounding like an instruction manual.

It's a really tricky balance and the sweet spot lies somewhere in between. I think right now I'm a bit too heavy on the "instruction manual" side, so I'll be fine tuning that a bit more. 

Once I feel it's closer to the final product I'll go ahead and post those for you.

I feel pretty confident with a March release, and am on pace for that. As always though I don't like to make promises as personal stuff can always pop up, or maybe I'll get a little too ambitious with my editing. I will try my best though!

I'm very happy with how it's turning out. I feel like with each episode I'm growing more and more as an editor, and it's really satisfying upping my game and learning new tricks. Really excited to show you this one!

Farewell for now, mortals

Progress Update

So remember when I said that I wouldn't go too crazy with this video and I would try to keep it around 20 minutes?

....I may have gone overboard again...

I ended up deciding to graduate it into a full blown episode of Pandora, making it #4 in the series. It just felt really wrong to do a half-measure for OoT, in my opinion one of the most innovative games of all time.

The development history and the motivations behind it are really fascinating, and omitting any of it just would have been a crime.

So while the video will be better overall, it's also going to take a lot of elbow grease as usual. The good news though is that all things considered I'm on an exceptional pace. Judging from the size of the script, the video is looking to be about 50ish minutes long right now, but I think I did go a little overboard in some sections, and may trim it down. I don't expect it to be anything under 40 minutes, which is a bit under half than the SWG video, which took around 3 months to make.

Theoretically that means #4 will take around 1.5 months, but editing can be very hit or miss and really just depends on the video and what mood I'm going for. I also have some new editing tricks/formatting that will make a debut in this one, which I'm very excited to show off.

I may throw in some other videos here and there in between so there isn't such large gaps between videos. I do still want to do my hall of fame series. Maybe that would be best saved for games that aren't "big" enough for a Pandora? Will just have to see how it goes.

Anyways...back to it!

Farewell for now, mortals.

Rolling into the next video......series?

If you haven't seen yet I recently released Pandora #3! Thanks for being patient with me. I know it took forever to make! So much so that I'm going to take a little break from Pandora. I have some ideas for #4 that I'll chip away at here and there, but in an earlier post I mentioned that in 2023 I'd like to improve on the quantity side of things.

The next video I'll post will mostly likely be that channel update I previewed a while ago, though I'll have to change it a bit since I made it so long ago. I was originally going to release it before #3 but just never got around to it so some stuff is a bit outdated I'm sure.

Aside from that, I just finished the rough draft script of a new series that I'm calling "The Hall of Fame". This will be a long running review series of the best games of all time, very similar in design to episode #1 and #3 of Pandora. We will cover not just the games themselves, but also the landscape surround them during their release, and the ways they've innovated the genre. It'll be a very "love letter"esque format. Not as produced as Pandora, as I definitely don't want another insanely time consuming series, but still pretty produced. I'm shooting for around 2 weeks per video from the start of the script to the final touches, but I've been known to be rather ambitious with my timelines so I'm sure they'll take longer XD.

For episode #1 we're going back in time to.....the Ocarina of Time! The first Zelda game to transition from 2d to 3d in one of the most exciting moments in gaming history, at least for me. This was when Nintendo, Sega, and Sony were battling it out with the N64, Sega Saturn, and Sony Playstation, and resulted in titles such as OoT, Majora's Mask, Final Fantasy VII,VIII, IX, Goldeneye, Resident Evil 1/2/3....too many to name.

Like I said the script is done, but it's rough in some areas and I have some sections to finish/polish so I don't want to post it yet. It's looking to be around 20-30 minutes long right now, but may grow or shrink depending on how it goes. In general I want these videos to be much more digestible, and don't imagine they would be much longer than 30 minutes.

I'm really happy with it so far though, I think any OoT fans will love it, and I'm really excited about the series in general. I've found that with the SWG video I've really yearned for covering games I'm really fond of, and based on the feedback so are you guys. I'd like to tap into this feedback, hence this new very broad scope series where we cover console games, pc games, old games, new games. I have a list of hundreds already that I want to cover.

I may also open it up to movies/tv series - any form of media really. At least at the start though I'll stick with games because it's a format I'm definitely more comfortable with, and I think there would be more interest with it in general.

Anyways, sorry for the wall of text, but I'm pretty excited as you can tell. Thanks again for being patient with me. I'll keep you posted on my progress!

Farewell for now, mortals.

Star Wars Galaxies - Pandora's Box Early Access

Got some stuff to add, might redo some of the voiceover, but other than that this is pretty much finished. Sorry it took so long but as usual I wanted to do it right! Hope you enjoy. Next video will be much shorter(and not take 3 months to make XD)

Credits double check

Putting the finishing touches on episode #3 and wanted to double check to make sure I have everyone listed in the credits. If you don't see your name here let me know and I'll get it fixed! Will have the early access for you very soon.

Thanks all

Pandora #3 Intro Preview

Still plugging away at this and put together a preview of the intro segment. Most of the animation is done. Now I just need to finish the rest, and also do all of the IRL filming, sfx, outro and touchups. Enjoy this preview in the meantime though!

Farewell for now

Pandora #3 Update

Rough draft complete! Emphasis on rough though - I have a lot of placeholders, and all of the animation work to do. My estimation for the total length was pretty close, as it's just over 1.5 hours long at the moment. I've attached the VO to this post if you want that super early preview. I will be redoing some of it though since I've been fiddling with my mic setup a bit.

It's coming out really well and I think it'll be a really enjoyable video for those who played SWG in the past, or for those just interested in the general history/design of MMOs.

The series isn't to be focused on MMOs, but I'm sure I'll be returning to them regularly as they're quite fun/interesting for me to cover.

Hope you all have had a happy and safe 2023 so far and thanks as always

Farewell for now

Christmas Update Preview

Here's that Christmas video I was talking about. The credits at the end are incorrect atm - will be fixed for release

Progress Update + Christmas Vid

Work on episode #3 continues. I wanted to have it out by Christmas, but I'm definitely not going to make that. I try to put out a video every Christmas though so instead I'm making a general what's up/channel update type of video, the voiceover of which is attached to this post. I've already gotten a start on editing it, and you may even see a preview for that today. It's been so long since I did a normal video I forgot how fast I can make them! It's a nice change of pace that's for sure.

I'm also confident enough the script for Pandora #3 is done, so I attached that as well.

That's about it. Happy holidays and keep an eye out for the next preview soon(tm)

Pandora #3 Update

Progress update.

Work continues on the next episode, progress has been extraordinary. The script is almost finished, just need to give it a few more passes and polish it up a bit. Not too shabby considering this will be a ~1.5 hour video! I mentioned the subject matter in a previous post - SWG.

Episode #2 is live and I'm very happy with the reception, but it was a bit on the serious side. Since life is no fun being serious all the time I wanted to switch things up and talk about something more chill for #3. Galaxies was the first MMO in the star wars universe. It's a game that's mainly known today for its sandbox design, player-driven economy, and player housing system(or rather player CITIES). It has a very long and interesting story in its development and since it's MMO-related, I feel a bit more in my wheelhouse. That probably explains the faster progress I guess!

The video is documentary/essay in nature, sort of like episode #1 now that I think about it. In this one though I go more into some of the more fundamental design of mmos, as well as their culture in the late 90's and early 2000's. I'm very happy with how it's turning out...I think it'll be a real "banger" as the kids call it these days.

I don't like to give deadlines because it all depends on how much time I'm able to put into it, but I'm hoping for a release within a month. No promises, but that's what I'll shoot for. It may be a bit on the ambitious side.

I also mentioned the possibility of starting a whole SWG series on BadSeasonShow for those who are unsatisfied with a 1.5 hour breakdown. I still haven't decided on that though. Not due to a lack of desire, just time - running 1 channel alone is hard to keep up with, I've tried 2 a few times but always start to feel like I'm burning out.

Will keep you posted.

Farewell for now, mortals.

Rolling Into Episode #3

Hey all

I went ahead and posted episode #2 to the channel yesterday, go check it out if you haven't yet! I've received very positive feedback on it, which is very motivating. Thanks for that.

I've already gotten a start on the next episode, and feel confident enough about it at this point to share the subject matter with you: Star Wars Galaxies.

Those of you who have been following the channel for a while probably already know about this, but it was the first mmo I played back in 2003. It's shut down now, but there are many interesting stories regarding its development and eventual stagnation and death.

The video will be similar in format to episode #1, going into detail about its developmnent cycle, reception, and impact on the mmo industry and the people who played it.

I'd say I'm about halfway through the script as of this writing. It's coming along really nicely. Honestly it's just a breath of fresh air to be working on something different, and of a less serious subject matter. I've missed talking about MMOs so it's nice to scratch that itch. Will post the script preview as soon as it's ready.

You may have also noticed that I put BadSeasonShow on hiatus. I was a bit too ambitious trying to do 2 channels, and would like to focus more on MadSeasonShow content for now and get some more episodes of Pandora rolling.

The direction of BadSeasonShow is something I'm struggling with...I'm very indecisive on what exactly I want it to be. Something I was thinking of is after I finish this SWG video is maybe to make a miniseries about the game, going into further detail about its systems and world if the Pandora episode really grabbed people. My nostalgia trip video got really good feedback, so maybe some more like that? Let me know what you think.

In the meantime I've unlisted my playthroughs, but they are still on the channel since it would be a shame to delete them. They can be found here if you ever want to check them out.

Elden Ring: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpNJ7Yk3f8a5ILpIJ2xA3-Lnl27o2-jI4

Dark Souls: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpNJ7Yk3f8a7MY5KzjFyzKcr6qE2xiFO-

Thanks as always and farewell for now, mortals.

Patreon Credits Roll

Hey all, the video release is a day or two away(preview is below if you haven't seen yet). I wanted to post a preview of the end-credit page to make sure I got everyone. Patreon allows me to export the list of all patrons into a .csv file, but I've made mistakes before so I just wanted to post these to make sure I didn't miss any of you. As always, for privacy sake I've replaced last names with initials.

If you don't see your name here, or if you would like to be excluded from the end credits, let me know and I'll get it fixed right away!

This is especially important for me to get it right because, well, it's taken me about 10 months to finish this video. I'm sorry it has taken so long, but I wanted it to be perfect(nothing ever is, but hey I'll try to get as close to it as possible). Thanks again for being so patient with me. To stick around for so long, even after the major change of focus on the channel is something that isn't lost on me. It's a big morale boost that you all have such confidence in me, and I'll try to repay that in the only way I know how - by making awesome videos.

Farewell for now

Pandora #2 2.0

Finished up the 2nd draft. Most of the changes are in the 2nd half, including 2 new sections and a new outro segment. I have a couple small changes to make but overall I'm much happier with this version, and it should be live on the channel in a few days.

Thanks as always for the patience, I know this one took forever to make but it's an important series for me so I definitely want to do it right!

Farewell for now

Billing pause + Episode 2 update

Hey all

I'm working on what I'm thinking is the final draft of episode 2. I have the preview for the first draft down below if you missed it, but I decided to change some things with the 2nd half of the video.

In general I feel like it started to edge the line between educational to a true crime doc, so I wanted to try to get some distance from that and find more subtle ways of delivering the message. I'm working on that now, and should have the updated version out soon.

I'm also pausing billing for this month, as I've been doing a lot of unrelated projects(like finishing my garage). In general I only have billing going when I feel like I'm making consistent progress with videos, but that has definitely distracted me so I'll be pausing it for September.

It will be nice to finally get this video out so I can work on something else. I'm happy with the quality of the channel these days, but not the quantity.

Let me know what you think about this idea: once this video is done, I was thinking of doing more casual, less produced videos on the channel. Topics could be anything - mmo stuff, general gaming news, social media, etc. They wouldn't be very edited, but they could be videos I put out in between Pandora episodes so that I can get off this 1-video-a-year-pace I've been on and improve more on the quantity side of things.

Anyways, just a thought. Let me know what you think. Thanks again for being so patient with me and have a good one!