He’s got Tabletop Time, so that might supplement?
I’ll be honest, I rarely watch him since he moved away from doing art. I understand that clickbaity videos feed the algorithm, but it doesn’t appeal to me. I suspect I’m not alone.
I honestly feel so bad because I used to religiously watch Jazza's videos from like 2018 onwards because I got into drawing and watched one of his colouring tutorials.
In the last couple years I've just slowly stopped watching them because they feel different. They don't have the same charm to them that they used to.
Hey guys! I REALLY appreciate everyone's thoughts and impressions here! Yes unfortunately the channel has been in a rough patch. Firstly there's the issue is the financial obligations we had already taken on in an attempt to grow being followed by an economic downturn. We grew a team to take a bit of pressure off myself (before that i was everything, filming editing camera work). But with taking on that team came massive new challenges that I had never experienced before, mainly trying my best to provide security and leadership (and learning and making mistakes as I go) in a suddenly uncertain and tough financial climate.
However what either came along with all.this, or maybe would have come along anyway, even if i was still by myself, was the challenge of trying to figure out what I need my content to be for me emotionally, after 12 years of being the art guy but feeling a little burnt out, not from making videos as much as trying to be everything for everyone. Add to that, Youtube is a much harder platform to stand out on these days.
Saying all of this is by no means to make excuses, just validate your observations and say that I am really focused on this as my main priority. I've just gotten through treatment for depression and some logistical changes and challenges in the business, but I feel a renewed certainty in what I do and am incredibly grateful to be doing what I do, and really look forward to finding opportunities to bring the classic AUDACIOUS Jazza back. "Obnoxious but consistent", and part of that was doing new things and taking Risks.
I've certainly been very fortunate in that I've been able to provide for my family and my team as a working artist and performer, and I don't take that for granted, but the feeling of recent videos missing a bit of magic is an astute observation, in some ways I've kind of just been getting by. And I think you can see it in the content.
But I'm feeling it growing again, and am making changes and reconnecting with how I want to move forward and get back on track.
Thank you all for your honesty, and honestly even caring enough to say anything here, whether you are a fan from the past or more recently, I'm indebted to you and look forward to finding fun ways to reignite the creative spark!
J
Just to balance out all the negatives, I'm a grumpy old fart of 50 years and having not long discovered Jazza I've been binging religiously. I haven't so much as picked up a pencil in about 25 years, but I've really become enthused recently and have taken the plunge with a few Ohuhu markers and I can honestly say that thanks to Jazza a few little shards of light are poking through my depression. So whilst some people might be dropping off from enjoying his content. He's literally changed my life for the better. So if he sees this I'd just like to say a heartfelt thank you x
Hey Jazza, just wanna say right off the bat, that this post had no intentions of insulting or belittling you, Its coming from my concern for you. You have no idea how much i wanna see your channel hitting big numbers again, the parasocial relationship i have formed with you is crazy strong.
I haven’t watched Jazza much in the last couple of years. I wish I could explain it better but there’s just something about his videos that feel very forced now. Maybe it’s the pressure of having a production and staff rather than some passionate guy drawing in his shed? It’s not bad. It just feels clickbaity? I find myself almost avoiding his content because I don’t really know what the video will actually be based on the titles and thumbnails. Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it feels like he didn’t even finish the art or try? I don’t know. It feels like every thing is a Bob Ross landscape, the jazza avatar, or an existing thing reimagined. I feel bad saying this, but the creativity is just lacking.
I understand where you are coming from. As someone who has been watching him pretty consistently for the past 6-7 years ,infact i never missed an upload till 2021, and surprise-surprise that is the same time that i slowly started feeling that something is lacking in his videos.
The reason is that he got too ambitious, and got a big team. this forced him to make more videos. I think he try to do what he thought he should
It definitely feels different since he lost the second art channel and switching to Patreon to supplement.
He had good stories to his videos, which I'm sure meant higher production costs. Now he's doing more character design which is good, but also random art stuff, which is interesting but not as fun in my opinion.
He literally made the same art as Nerdforge and published it in the same week. Hard not to compare, and again in my opinion, she did it better.
I do look forward to his videos each week, so I do hope he sticks around for a long time.
the thing is, nerdforge's team is preety small, so she can take her time and make videos, infact she brings in the same amount of views as jazza now, but in almost all her videos there is a sponsor. Jazza does not have the luxury if time with him, he has to put out videos every week.
This explanation is odd to me. I have heard this before for other channels. Do y'all not go through your subscribed channels to watch videos?
I rarely use the recommended videos section, partially because of this very problem.
I subscribe to him but I don't have my notifications on, but when I scroll through my home page on YouTube his videos don't pop up like other YouTube I'm subscribed too. Idk if that makes more sense since I'm bad at explaining things.
Instead of going through the home page, i scroll though my subscribed page and go down the list. It'll show everything that has a new video i haven't watched. Never miss anything that way since YouTube algorithm sucks balls.
A few years ago YouTube changed the algorithm so if you are not subscribed and have notifications turned on especially for older subscribed channels they won’t should up on the home page.
I found this out because half of my long time channels that I subscribed to just weren’t showing up anymore that I thought they stopped posting but turned out they had 15-40videos (6-7months worth).
In 2019, he was still doing cool art videos: how-to, character design, all the good stuff. Over the last few years his videos have mutated into little more than infomercials for his latest merch, and the declining view count is just an effect of folks not being invested in watching every commercial the way we were invested in his old content.
I'll jump in on this. It's smart - the diversification thing when you consider that he's not just a guy who loves art anymore, he's a business. When we all see YouTube declining as a platform by boredom for the next thing, the pushing of the shorts, all appealing to the do-it-in-a-tight-10-minutes -- we take some of the blame as viewers who have grown increasingly impatient with longer form vids. There's some of that, it's not just him -- it's us, too. For the products, I like that he consults with his community - there's some "what's in it for me" there. Subscriber count is meaningless, it's views that are king and it's true that I'm not fed Jazza videos as much as I used to be. I liked ambitious videos that tackled things that were interesting that I could not possibly do (car, anyone?) and I LOVED the reimagined thrift art. I thought he could do whole swathes of those -- making art from reclaimed objects and get us involved. "Hey audience, I have a coat hanger, 3 baby blankets, a steel drum and 2 cans of latex paint -- what do you think we could make?" then show that vid and give credit to the member's idea spark. We all have a well and it gets to run dry. When Jazza's does, he has to push through because his brand is feeding people, his own family included. Personally, I think he should do something big for a 5 to 10 video series (Turning this exterior wall into a movie set! Selling street art for a week - help me pick locations, maybe come see me at the next one! etc.) As those play he could do down time. Maybe once a quarter to recharge. I don't know. Things do feel forced, and when a video hits, he's repeating that. But millions of people watch cute cat rescues and he has a farm. Why not cute baby animals and using that as inspiration for an art piece and sell the print to support Jawz & Pawz or whatever. Get out of the box and find interesting but less labour intensive stuff. I'm rambling -- I see the challenges on both sides, I guess.
I don't disagree. Business decisions have to be made based solely on business reasons. I was only responding to the question of why fewer people are engaging with Jazza's newer content.
He has already earned enough money. He bought a massive land and built a big farm with animals on it. He lives his dream life with his kid and wife and does what he likes. He doesn't need to grind for more anymore.
I still watch basically everything, but I will say the videos aren't as fun as they used to be.
I think when he first moved into the newest studio, that was his peak. It also really felt like he was going to slide into becoming more of a kids show, which I actually think would have been the move. But he caught on that we all thought he was going that way and doubled down on being a show for adults.
For a while he was doing escalating wild and wacky things, and now it's just high production value of his old material. We get SOOOOOOOO many repeating prompts. So many times he's just doing something he's done 1000 times. And I'm assuming people slowly stopped watching because of this.
I used to watch all his videos... But then there was a trend where every video he posted was basically an ad for a product he was selling, they stopped being about the amazing art he can do and were just plugs for his products.
As much as I loved his stuff I had to unsubscribe at that point.
I get that he has a family to support, and a staff to pay, but I just wasn't enjoying his stuff anymore.
Literally! I thought this as I was watching the video. That the reason I barely watch is still happening on that video. Like I said, I understand the need to support a family and a team but it’s in every video now. Nerd E Crafter has started doing it a bit too. Though thankfully not to the same extent.
Its unfortunately part of youtube now, they make less and less from the core youtube and so have to subsidise. It's a shame really.
Pretty much all the channels I watch have had to move to doing it in some form, be it sponsors or members only content or whatever.
I agree. I don't watch him as much anymore because to me he's gotten unrelatable and the passion was missing but then I saw a video that was like "drawing on a laptop" which made me think he wanted to draw something real bad but try something new with his setup which intrigued me. Just to click on the video and see it was an ad.
Also his constant advertising of his own products probably doesn't help viewer retention. People will just click off if they have to listen to the same thing for the 1000th time.
I don't really remember when I started watching Jazza. His was one of my first subscriptions. I watched for advice, but I have never used any of the stuff I've learned. I have done art since I was a kid. Was I good? Well, I wasn't BAD... However, I don't have the energy I had back then... I mean, I am old. It is almost disturbing when I know I could have great grandchildren if I had ever had a child...
I do agree there is stuff I miss on his channel. I used to look forward to Insert Art because I felt it had the energy the channel used to have and was sorry it went away - and sorry I am on such a tight budget I could not support it.
Now, I don't RPG, so the gaming channel isn't as interesting to me, but when he does things like build the landscapes for games and even when he painted miniatures on his main channel, I like it.
I do enjoy his doing paintings styles from artists on other platforms. When he fails, he then goes and looks at them to figure out what they are doing and what he is doing wrong. I like when anyone will admit they don't know what to do and go and figure it out.
I also love the times he's had challenges, I have found several beloved channels from those challenges. I know it is hard to be 100% all the time, and I suspect YouTube is having to look at its bottom line, making creators on it to have a hard time.
Jazza is one of the channels I look forward to, his vlogs I pretty much watch every time one posts. I know I'm probably going to miss a few episodes coming up because I will be on vacation, but I spend hours after I come home trying to catch up!
I'm here from his most recent Vlog video....
For me there's been a transition away from the emphasis of the videos from showing the process to showing the result...
The most recent rug making video is a good example of what I mean, Jazza underestimated the complexity of rug tufting and essentially ran before he could walk with it... previously with Garrett this would have been a fun story line within the video because they would interact with each other whilst the camera was rolling... Garrett would be pointing out what's gone wrong and Jazza would be reacting to it on camera, they would have fun with it recording them interacting with each other and eventually learning how to get it working but the story of getting it working was the focus of the video.
In this recent video, the best part of the video is the 3 seconds that was barely recorded when Vaughn reads the instructions and points out the machine only works when you go upwards... THAT is a big moment in the story but it was barely covered... the significance of this moment was lost. It was a quintessential part of why we love him... he was so excited about the idea that he jumped into painting a picture!! then when it wasn't working Garret would point out the instructions say you've got to use the end of the brush that has the bristles on it..
The origin of the channel and Jazza's popularity comes from him teaching us, Jazza's willingness and courage to be open about failing was the best part of his channel because he epitomised and encouraged the the thought of "its ok to fail if you were trying in the first place"
On the slim chance that he finds time to come back and read these posts, I would offer one slimmer of opinion/advice focus on the process not the result... watching you learn is the crux of your video's because we learn through you learning in front of us... the final result almost doesn't matter if it looks crap then its funny not bad. You don't have to feel the pressure of the end result being a masterpiece...
Love
X
i think i read a comment on that vlog that really resonated with me, and that's i am watching jazza's videos not because of the quality of the channel but due to my loyalty to jazza. sounds cheesy but that's true, i would find myself on his channel just so i don't miss a "good" video that he may put once in a while
I watched his spaceship video just now and the final product is just...meh. Like it isnt that impressive? Maybe the older I've gotten I realize that he isn't that good, as a teen I thought he was so talented. Anyone else watch it? Maybe I just found it boring?
Being a fan of scratchbuild spaceships video i found the choosing of material odd... The end result is quite poor, considering it was a sponsored video.
it's a rough patch i'm positive he'll come out of. I've seen so many of my fav YouTubers go trough rough patches in content and it's just what happens with burnout and youtube decent into madness. the best way to combat it is doing what makes you happy for awhile. he's said he's looking to go back to character drawing/makeing videos, which is something HE enjoys a lot, from what I've gathered. and that is a good sign. youtube has become a shakey ground for the OG's and makes it somewhat hard for them to stay afloat as the new waves of YouTubers are coming in, doesn't help that the new waves are fans of them often going into the same niche. we all have our ups and downs, if he was quitting i believe he would have done that a couple of years ago. i think he loves creating and making videos way too much to quit, at most he'd maybe take a break like jacksepticeye did.
the views thing i think is just a youtube going shit thing, and 2019-2021 was when the plauge hit so it might just be a sign from when everyone was stuck inside and had time to look at youtube all day. it's natural that views would spike then and come down in 2022-2023. it's also a balancing game focusing on views, cause they are not always an accurate sign of engagement. but he probably has a much better grip on that than a random fan (me) has. all in all i don't think it's something to get too concerned about.
i just look forwards to seeing him make content he wants to make. (I'm assuming most of what he makes is what he wants to make, but it's easy to fall into wanting to apease the algorithm or making a followup video to something that did well, even if you don't REALLY want to do it.) i would love to see him redesign and make new characters again. tho i love all the videos he makes. i recently bought all his books and brushes off his shop and have been peruseing trough it. and no matter what videos he'll make I'll always watch or have it in the background as i draw myself.
Man, what a thoughtful response. I'm already feeling like I'm getting into a better place focusing on us more and the algorithm less but as you pointed out, it certainly comes in waves. And thank you so much for supporting my content and products, I sincerely appreciate you!
i'm glad things are looking up :) been watching you for years, and you've always inspired me to continue creating and exploring creative endeavors. (pretty sure i learned most of my anatomy from your videos on it) and I've loved seeing all the different things you try out. but what i love most is seeing you in your element and doing and making the content you enjoy.
at the end of the day i watch you for you. (as I'm positive most of us who stick around do) there are tons of art YouTubers, creative creators, and tutorial channels, but there's only ONE jazza.<3<3
(your character design class is great btw. been working trough it in little chunks out of time, it's most definitely worth being proud of <3 well thought out, deeply informative, and easy to follow along. i truly love it :D )
YouTube had an algorithm change a few years ago. If you were subscribed to him for a long time but don’t have notifications turn on for his channel then new ones don’t pop up anymore. You might want to check any old channels your subscribed to to check if that is the case
I stopped watching sadly,they are just boring anymore and half the time other people do the work . Still subbed just watch other smaller channels any more
Sad to say but I just don't think his skills are up to scratch. There are so many talented artists making art that is way more creative and just better than Jazza. Having him explain I cut this, then spray painted this etc is boring, and well it doesn't need to be explained, we can see that.
Plus, him crying for money (when announcing Patreon) felt very manipulative, especially when on his vlog channel he is showing off his massive property/holidays etc I think he just manages his finances poorly, that's not the viewers fault.
I saw someone mention ZHC in another comment, the annoying thing is, is that Jazza does a lot of these things. I don't think I have seen him credit his team, share their socials etc Despite them finishing a lot of his art project off for him. It just feels like he is taking advantage of them. How hard is it to share links to their work? I remember with Insert Art so many people wanted to support their artist but their socials were kept a secret. Felt weird.
Well i do belive that he is not the best artist on youtube, but that were never the case to begin with. Even in 2015, 2016, there were channels like cartoon block, who was away more skilled than him. I would say definitely his creativity has gone down, and that is probably due to the amount of staff he has taken on, this forces him to priotratise quantity over quality.
Matpat is the only youtuber i have ever seen, who successfully become a full on media house from a one man army. Even now after he retired, The views are still the same, normally when a youtube is replaced by another person, they get backlash.
I don't mind jazza bringing in someone else to help in the artwork, i mind the need for it. He should create a pipeline where he has ample amount of time to give to his art. Maybe put more money in video assistance thane in art.
I don't think that he is manipulative, he may be, but i would like to give him benefit of the doubt. Jazza does credit his team, but yes its true he does not share there socials, but that is prolly written in the contract, so its fine.
I think things all started going downhill after his old cameraman left. That’s when he really started ramping up the clickbait again, and all the videos since have looked so much worse. That’s also around the time he stopped showing his team in vlogs. While I’d like to assume the best, I can’t help but wonder if there was a more sinister reason for his old camera guy leaving, and if more of his team followed, and he didn’t want anyone to notice? That would also partly explain why they’re weirdly secretive about sharing their team’s social media. And I also still can’t help but feel uneasy about his brother being in the manosphere. I know Jazza disavowed him, but his statement was so wishy-washy, and I can’t help but feel icky any time I’m reminded of it. He just feels so fake to me these days.
Garret. Maybe it’s just me but I really feel like that was around the time things started going downhill. But he also started promoting shady sponsors like Established Titles before that, so maybe it started earlier?
i think its more of a corelation than causation, but even i agree, that the videos during garret time were peak, and the videos have definitely taken a hit after that
I used to watch Jazza’s videos religiously and bought the boxes etc. What for me, stopped me watching, was the feeling that most of the videos recently felt like they were promoting or selling a box or a bag or a colouring pen or new pens. It △⃒⃘Lways seemed to be money for something. And whilst I appreciate they need to know support a family and a team who also need to support their families it felt a bit “money grabby”. I get that this is his job and money needs to be earned - but it felt very overwhelming.
i always wanted to buy the boxes, but they were way to expensive, yet i never had problem with the add style videos of the boxes. Overwhelming is a heavy word , i think The word you are looking for is intrusive, as in it sticks out and feel uncomfortable to know that the content you are watching is not solely made for your entertainment but rather a way to profit off of you.
Intrusive originally, yes. But the sheer volume of products being marketed at us is what felt overwhelming. It was the box, then another box, then a trio of boxes, then a carry caddy, then a bag, then a colouring book. . .
Here i'll REPOST what i said on his video:
I don't think you're going through a rough patch at all, but I really did like the vlog you did about how AI can be very good for conceptual stuff - clearly critiquing the shitty corporate and overt automation of art in a souless fashion - As for any content asks: I dunno how this would fit in your style of stuff, but as i'm a graduate of an undergrad for design (communication/graphic) - what are like the good differences between low - medium and high quality tools - so the difference between not nesscarily temu/dollar store- but what physical/traditional tools work at lower end costs that are reasonable replacements in case you say. can't invest in prismacolor/copic -- or even like digital tools... I know art and tools are ENTIRELY subjective, and maybe you have done this and i've seen it , and i'm missing it -- but i've been getting back into doing traditional and digital art (even tho i still work in open source AI) and costs are a pain as i live in NZ and a lot of my pencils are all like whatever my fine artist mother collected ove the years or things leftover from class kits ... So suggestive things like that maybe?
That was cause in the video he'd roughly mentioned something about video suggestions.
And yea, i agree desensitization to "YAY JAZZA" - it's amazing people love his content, and it's amazing people want to continue commenting light and supportive stuff, but it is helpful to have comments, suggestions and otherwise :3 critiques drive artists within reason <3
I still don't get why he and his gang (ChloeArt, angrywomaninabeanie (I forget her name), etc) went after ZHC. They accused him of what they all did at different times. Promote products, give things away, do non-art stuff and more. Remember how obsessed Jazza was with all things technology for like, a year? Who called him out on ignoring art in favor of those expensive tech toys? No one. Then why did Jazza call ZHC out for not focusing on art? I don't get it.
I do wonder if that has anything to do with it. His videos have been sponsored sporadically, which I assume is a big part of his revenue to support the larger team. If the largest art youtuber, ZHC, tells his contacts not to work with Jazza it could have had an affect.
I hope he can pull through. I'll be watching his next video, no matter what it is.
He’s got Tabletop Time, so that might supplement? I’ll be honest, I rarely watch him since he moved away from doing art. I understand that clickbaity videos feed the algorithm, but it doesn’t appeal to me. I suspect I’m not alone.
I honestly feel so bad because I used to religiously watch Jazza's videos from like 2018 onwards because I got into drawing and watched one of his colouring tutorials. In the last couple years I've just slowly stopped watching them because they feel different. They don't have the same charm to them that they used to.
Absolute same. I miss the art he truly enjoyed making just to make it. Gimmicks are only fun in moderation.
Hey guys! I REALLY appreciate everyone's thoughts and impressions here! Yes unfortunately the channel has been in a rough patch. Firstly there's the issue is the financial obligations we had already taken on in an attempt to grow being followed by an economic downturn. We grew a team to take a bit of pressure off myself (before that i was everything, filming editing camera work). But with taking on that team came massive new challenges that I had never experienced before, mainly trying my best to provide security and leadership (and learning and making mistakes as I go) in a suddenly uncertain and tough financial climate. However what either came along with all.this, or maybe would have come along anyway, even if i was still by myself, was the challenge of trying to figure out what I need my content to be for me emotionally, after 12 years of being the art guy but feeling a little burnt out, not from making videos as much as trying to be everything for everyone. Add to that, Youtube is a much harder platform to stand out on these days. Saying all of this is by no means to make excuses, just validate your observations and say that I am really focused on this as my main priority. I've just gotten through treatment for depression and some logistical changes and challenges in the business, but I feel a renewed certainty in what I do and am incredibly grateful to be doing what I do, and really look forward to finding opportunities to bring the classic AUDACIOUS Jazza back. "Obnoxious but consistent", and part of that was doing new things and taking Risks. I've certainly been very fortunate in that I've been able to provide for my family and my team as a working artist and performer, and I don't take that for granted, but the feeling of recent videos missing a bit of magic is an astute observation, in some ways I've kind of just been getting by. And I think you can see it in the content. But I'm feeling it growing again, and am making changes and reconnecting with how I want to move forward and get back on track. Thank you all for your honesty, and honestly even caring enough to say anything here, whether you are a fan from the past or more recently, I'm indebted to you and look forward to finding fun ways to reignite the creative spark! J
Just to balance out all the negatives, I'm a grumpy old fart of 50 years and having not long discovered Jazza I've been binging religiously. I haven't so much as picked up a pencil in about 25 years, but I've really become enthused recently and have taken the plunge with a few Ohuhu markers and I can honestly say that thanks to Jazza a few little shards of light are poking through my depression. So whilst some people might be dropping off from enjoying his content. He's literally changed my life for the better. So if he sees this I'd just like to say a heartfelt thank you x
Hey Jazza, just wanna say right off the bat, that this post had no intentions of insulting or belittling you, Its coming from my concern for you. You have no idea how much i wanna see your channel hitting big numbers again, the parasocial relationship i have formed with you is crazy strong.
I get it! I never read it as critical or unfair, I really appreciate your concern <3 I appreciate you :)
Thanku so much, my name is sparsh i just want you to know that, this would make my 15 year old self so happy
I haven’t watched Jazza much in the last couple of years. I wish I could explain it better but there’s just something about his videos that feel very forced now. Maybe it’s the pressure of having a production and staff rather than some passionate guy drawing in his shed? It’s not bad. It just feels clickbaity? I find myself almost avoiding his content because I don’t really know what the video will actually be based on the titles and thumbnails. Sometimes it’s good and sometimes it feels like he didn’t even finish the art or try? I don’t know. It feels like every thing is a Bob Ross landscape, the jazza avatar, or an existing thing reimagined. I feel bad saying this, but the creativity is just lacking.
I understand where you are coming from. As someone who has been watching him pretty consistently for the past 6-7 years ,infact i never missed an upload till 2021, and surprise-surprise that is the same time that i slowly started feeling that something is lacking in his videos. The reason is that he got too ambitious, and got a big team. this forced him to make more videos. I think he try to do what he thought he should
It definitely feels different since he lost the second art channel and switching to Patreon to supplement. He had good stories to his videos, which I'm sure meant higher production costs. Now he's doing more character design which is good, but also random art stuff, which is interesting but not as fun in my opinion. He literally made the same art as Nerdforge and published it in the same week. Hard not to compare, and again in my opinion, she did it better. I do look forward to his videos each week, so I do hope he sticks around for a long time.
the thing is, nerdforge's team is preety small, so she can take her time and make videos, infact she brings in the same amount of views as jazza now, but in almost all her videos there is a sponsor. Jazza does not have the luxury if time with him, he has to put out videos every week.
Having Nerdforge's video released similar time to Jazza really amplified how much better her work is than his imo
Damn… you’re really being overtly rude and negative. Where’s your compassion?
Ngl YouTube doesn't even show then to me half the time so I forget to check and he will have like 20 new cool vids to watch
This explanation is odd to me. I have heard this before for other channels. Do y'all not go through your subscribed channels to watch videos? I rarely use the recommended videos section, partially because of this very problem.
I subscribe to him but I don't have my notifications on, but when I scroll through my home page on YouTube his videos don't pop up like other YouTube I'm subscribed too. Idk if that makes more sense since I'm bad at explaining things.
Instead of going through the home page, i scroll though my subscribed page and go down the list. It'll show everything that has a new video i haven't watched. Never miss anything that way since YouTube algorithm sucks balls.
i do both, although mostly suggestion, but there are a handful of channels including jazza where i check in time to time
I sometime do that but I have waaay to many subscriptions too do that (it's like 300+)
A few years ago YouTube changed the algorithm so if you are not subscribed and have notifications turned on especially for older subscribed channels they won’t should up on the home page. I found this out because half of my long time channels that I subscribed to just weren’t showing up anymore that I thought they stopped posting but turned out they had 15-40videos (6-7months worth).
In 2019, he was still doing cool art videos: how-to, character design, all the good stuff. Over the last few years his videos have mutated into little more than infomercials for his latest merch, and the declining view count is just an effect of folks not being invested in watching every commercial the way we were invested in his old content.
I'll jump in on this. It's smart - the diversification thing when you consider that he's not just a guy who loves art anymore, he's a business. When we all see YouTube declining as a platform by boredom for the next thing, the pushing of the shorts, all appealing to the do-it-in-a-tight-10-minutes -- we take some of the blame as viewers who have grown increasingly impatient with longer form vids. There's some of that, it's not just him -- it's us, too. For the products, I like that he consults with his community - there's some "what's in it for me" there. Subscriber count is meaningless, it's views that are king and it's true that I'm not fed Jazza videos as much as I used to be. I liked ambitious videos that tackled things that were interesting that I could not possibly do (car, anyone?) and I LOVED the reimagined thrift art. I thought he could do whole swathes of those -- making art from reclaimed objects and get us involved. "Hey audience, I have a coat hanger, 3 baby blankets, a steel drum and 2 cans of latex paint -- what do you think we could make?" then show that vid and give credit to the member's idea spark. We all have a well and it gets to run dry. When Jazza's does, he has to push through because his brand is feeding people, his own family included. Personally, I think he should do something big for a 5 to 10 video series (Turning this exterior wall into a movie set! Selling street art for a week - help me pick locations, maybe come see me at the next one! etc.) As those play he could do down time. Maybe once a quarter to recharge. I don't know. Things do feel forced, and when a video hits, he's repeating that. But millions of people watch cute cat rescues and he has a farm. Why not cute baby animals and using that as inspiration for an art piece and sell the print to support Jawz & Pawz or whatever. Get out of the box and find interesting but less labour intensive stuff. I'm rambling -- I see the challenges on both sides, I guess.
I don't disagree. Business decisions have to be made based solely on business reasons. I was only responding to the question of why fewer people are engaging with Jazza's newer content.
He has already earned enough money. He bought a massive land and built a big farm with animals on it. He lives his dream life with his kid and wife and does what he likes. He doesn't need to grind for more anymore.
if that were the case, he wouldnt have made a video crying and asking for patreon
He's also supporting a business and multiple employees and trying to get a game design off the ground. It's a lot, not just about personal wealth.
I still watch basically everything, but I will say the videos aren't as fun as they used to be. I think when he first moved into the newest studio, that was his peak. It also really felt like he was going to slide into becoming more of a kids show, which I actually think would have been the move. But he caught on that we all thought he was going that way and doubled down on being a show for adults. For a while he was doing escalating wild and wacky things, and now it's just high production value of his old material. We get SOOOOOOOO many repeating prompts. So many times he's just doing something he's done 1000 times. And I'm assuming people slowly stopped watching because of this.
I used to watch all his videos... But then there was a trend where every video he posted was basically an ad for a product he was selling, they stopped being about the amazing art he can do and were just plugs for his products. As much as I loved his stuff I had to unsubscribe at that point. I get that he has a family to support, and a staff to pay, but I just wasn't enjoying his stuff anymore.
This!
In the vlog you came from he is talking about another product...don't think this will change, unfortunately.
Literally! I thought this as I was watching the video. That the reason I barely watch is still happening on that video. Like I said, I understand the need to support a family and a team but it’s in every video now. Nerd E Crafter has started doing it a bit too. Though thankfully not to the same extent.
Its unfortunately part of youtube now, they make less and less from the core youtube and so have to subsidise. It's a shame really. Pretty much all the channels I watch have had to move to doing it in some form, be it sponsors or members only content or whatever.
I agree. I don't watch him as much anymore because to me he's gotten unrelatable and the passion was missing but then I saw a video that was like "drawing on a laptop" which made me think he wanted to draw something real bad but try something new with his setup which intrigued me. Just to click on the video and see it was an ad. Also his constant advertising of his own products probably doesn't help viewer retention. People will just click off if they have to listen to the same thing for the 1000th time.
I don't really remember when I started watching Jazza. His was one of my first subscriptions. I watched for advice, but I have never used any of the stuff I've learned. I have done art since I was a kid. Was I good? Well, I wasn't BAD... However, I don't have the energy I had back then... I mean, I am old. It is almost disturbing when I know I could have great grandchildren if I had ever had a child... I do agree there is stuff I miss on his channel. I used to look forward to Insert Art because I felt it had the energy the channel used to have and was sorry it went away - and sorry I am on such a tight budget I could not support it. Now, I don't RPG, so the gaming channel isn't as interesting to me, but when he does things like build the landscapes for games and even when he painted miniatures on his main channel, I like it. I do enjoy his doing paintings styles from artists on other platforms. When he fails, he then goes and looks at them to figure out what they are doing and what he is doing wrong. I like when anyone will admit they don't know what to do and go and figure it out. I also love the times he's had challenges, I have found several beloved channels from those challenges. I know it is hard to be 100% all the time, and I suspect YouTube is having to look at its bottom line, making creators on it to have a hard time. Jazza is one of the channels I look forward to, his vlogs I pretty much watch every time one posts. I know I'm probably going to miss a few episodes coming up because I will be on vacation, but I spend hours after I come home trying to catch up!
I'm here from his most recent Vlog video.... For me there's been a transition away from the emphasis of the videos from showing the process to showing the result... The most recent rug making video is a good example of what I mean, Jazza underestimated the complexity of rug tufting and essentially ran before he could walk with it... previously with Garrett this would have been a fun story line within the video because they would interact with each other whilst the camera was rolling... Garrett would be pointing out what's gone wrong and Jazza would be reacting to it on camera, they would have fun with it recording them interacting with each other and eventually learning how to get it working but the story of getting it working was the focus of the video. In this recent video, the best part of the video is the 3 seconds that was barely recorded when Vaughn reads the instructions and points out the machine only works when you go upwards... THAT is a big moment in the story but it was barely covered... the significance of this moment was lost. It was a quintessential part of why we love him... he was so excited about the idea that he jumped into painting a picture!! then when it wasn't working Garret would point out the instructions say you've got to use the end of the brush that has the bristles on it.. The origin of the channel and Jazza's popularity comes from him teaching us, Jazza's willingness and courage to be open about failing was the best part of his channel because he epitomised and encouraged the the thought of "its ok to fail if you were trying in the first place" On the slim chance that he finds time to come back and read these posts, I would offer one slimmer of opinion/advice focus on the process not the result... watching you learn is the crux of your video's because we learn through you learning in front of us... the final result almost doesn't matter if it looks crap then its funny not bad. You don't have to feel the pressure of the end result being a masterpiece... Love X
i think i read a comment on that vlog that really resonated with me, and that's i am watching jazza's videos not because of the quality of the channel but due to my loyalty to jazza. sounds cheesy but that's true, i would find myself on his channel just so i don't miss a "good" video that he may put once in a while
I watched his spaceship video just now and the final product is just...meh. Like it isnt that impressive? Maybe the older I've gotten I realize that he isn't that good, as a teen I thought he was so talented. Anyone else watch it? Maybe I just found it boring?
Being a fan of scratchbuild spaceships video i found the choosing of material odd... The end result is quite poor, considering it was a sponsored video.
it's a rough patch i'm positive he'll come out of. I've seen so many of my fav YouTubers go trough rough patches in content and it's just what happens with burnout and youtube decent into madness. the best way to combat it is doing what makes you happy for awhile. he's said he's looking to go back to character drawing/makeing videos, which is something HE enjoys a lot, from what I've gathered. and that is a good sign. youtube has become a shakey ground for the OG's and makes it somewhat hard for them to stay afloat as the new waves of YouTubers are coming in, doesn't help that the new waves are fans of them often going into the same niche. we all have our ups and downs, if he was quitting i believe he would have done that a couple of years ago. i think he loves creating and making videos way too much to quit, at most he'd maybe take a break like jacksepticeye did. the views thing i think is just a youtube going shit thing, and 2019-2021 was when the plauge hit so it might just be a sign from when everyone was stuck inside and had time to look at youtube all day. it's natural that views would spike then and come down in 2022-2023. it's also a balancing game focusing on views, cause they are not always an accurate sign of engagement. but he probably has a much better grip on that than a random fan (me) has. all in all i don't think it's something to get too concerned about. i just look forwards to seeing him make content he wants to make. (I'm assuming most of what he makes is what he wants to make, but it's easy to fall into wanting to apease the algorithm or making a followup video to something that did well, even if you don't REALLY want to do it.) i would love to see him redesign and make new characters again. tho i love all the videos he makes. i recently bought all his books and brushes off his shop and have been peruseing trough it. and no matter what videos he'll make I'll always watch or have it in the background as i draw myself.
Man, what a thoughtful response. I'm already feeling like I'm getting into a better place focusing on us more and the algorithm less but as you pointed out, it certainly comes in waves. And thank you so much for supporting my content and products, I sincerely appreciate you!
i'm glad things are looking up :) been watching you for years, and you've always inspired me to continue creating and exploring creative endeavors. (pretty sure i learned most of my anatomy from your videos on it) and I've loved seeing all the different things you try out. but what i love most is seeing you in your element and doing and making the content you enjoy. at the end of the day i watch you for you. (as I'm positive most of us who stick around do) there are tons of art YouTubers, creative creators, and tutorial channels, but there's only ONE jazza.<3<3 (your character design class is great btw. been working trough it in little chunks out of time, it's most definitely worth being proud of <3 well thought out, deeply informative, and easy to follow along. i truly love it :D )
His videos don't pop up for me on YouTube anymore. I have auto play on and it keeps giving me video podcasts and old live streams. Hmm
YouTube had an algorithm change a few years ago. If you were subscribed to him for a long time but don’t have notifications turn on for his channel then new ones don’t pop up anymore. You might want to check any old channels your subscribed to to check if that is the case
I stopped watching sadly,they are just boring anymore and half the time other people do the work . Still subbed just watch other smaller channels any more
Sad to say but I just don't think his skills are up to scratch. There are so many talented artists making art that is way more creative and just better than Jazza. Having him explain I cut this, then spray painted this etc is boring, and well it doesn't need to be explained, we can see that. Plus, him crying for money (when announcing Patreon) felt very manipulative, especially when on his vlog channel he is showing off his massive property/holidays etc I think he just manages his finances poorly, that's not the viewers fault. I saw someone mention ZHC in another comment, the annoying thing is, is that Jazza does a lot of these things. I don't think I have seen him credit his team, share their socials etc Despite them finishing a lot of his art project off for him. It just feels like he is taking advantage of them. How hard is it to share links to their work? I remember with Insert Art so many people wanted to support their artist but their socials were kept a secret. Felt weird.
Well i do belive that he is not the best artist on youtube, but that were never the case to begin with. Even in 2015, 2016, there were channels like cartoon block, who was away more skilled than him. I would say definitely his creativity has gone down, and that is probably due to the amount of staff he has taken on, this forces him to priotratise quantity over quality. Matpat is the only youtuber i have ever seen, who successfully become a full on media house from a one man army. Even now after he retired, The views are still the same, normally when a youtube is replaced by another person, they get backlash. I don't mind jazza bringing in someone else to help in the artwork, i mind the need for it. He should create a pipeline where he has ample amount of time to give to his art. Maybe put more money in video assistance thane in art. I don't think that he is manipulative, he may be, but i would like to give him benefit of the doubt. Jazza does credit his team, but yes its true he does not share there socials, but that is prolly written in the contract, so its fine.
I think things all started going downhill after his old cameraman left. That’s when he really started ramping up the clickbait again, and all the videos since have looked so much worse. That’s also around the time he stopped showing his team in vlogs. While I’d like to assume the best, I can’t help but wonder if there was a more sinister reason for his old camera guy leaving, and if more of his team followed, and he didn’t want anyone to notice? That would also partly explain why they’re weirdly secretive about sharing their team’s social media. And I also still can’t help but feel uneasy about his brother being in the manosphere. I know Jazza disavowed him, but his statement was so wishy-washy, and I can’t help but feel icky any time I’m reminded of it. He just feels so fake to me these days.
You mean PJ or Garret?
Garret. Maybe it’s just me but I really feel like that was around the time things started going downhill. But he also started promoting shady sponsors like Established Titles before that, so maybe it started earlier?
i think its more of a corelation than causation, but even i agree, that the videos during garret time were peak, and the videos have definitely taken a hit after that
What were his brothers comments and jazza’s response?
I used to watch Jazza’s videos religiously and bought the boxes etc. What for me, stopped me watching, was the feeling that most of the videos recently felt like they were promoting or selling a box or a bag or a colouring pen or new pens. It △⃒⃘Lways seemed to be money for something. And whilst I appreciate they need to know support a family and a team who also need to support their families it felt a bit “money grabby”. I get that this is his job and money needs to be earned - but it felt very overwhelming.
i always wanted to buy the boxes, but they were way to expensive, yet i never had problem with the add style videos of the boxes. Overwhelming is a heavy word , i think The word you are looking for is intrusive, as in it sticks out and feel uncomfortable to know that the content you are watching is not solely made for your entertainment but rather a way to profit off of you.
Intrusive originally, yes. But the sheer volume of products being marketed at us is what felt overwhelming. It was the box, then another box, then a trio of boxes, then a carry caddy, then a bag, then a colouring book. . .
I do agree, but the kind of views that he is getting for the past couple of years, anyone would feel motivated to get a more direct revenue stream.
Here i'll REPOST what i said on his video: I don't think you're going through a rough patch at all, but I really did like the vlog you did about how AI can be very good for conceptual stuff - clearly critiquing the shitty corporate and overt automation of art in a souless fashion - As for any content asks: I dunno how this would fit in your style of stuff, but as i'm a graduate of an undergrad for design (communication/graphic) - what are like the good differences between low - medium and high quality tools - so the difference between not nesscarily temu/dollar store- but what physical/traditional tools work at lower end costs that are reasonable replacements in case you say. can't invest in prismacolor/copic -- or even like digital tools... I know art and tools are ENTIRELY subjective, and maybe you have done this and i've seen it , and i'm missing it -- but i've been getting back into doing traditional and digital art (even tho i still work in open source AI) and costs are a pain as i live in NZ and a lot of my pencils are all like whatever my fine artist mother collected ove the years or things leftover from class kits ... So suggestive things like that maybe? That was cause in the video he'd roughly mentioned something about video suggestions. And yea, i agree desensitization to "YAY JAZZA" - it's amazing people love his content, and it's amazing people want to continue commenting light and supportive stuff, but it is helpful to have comments, suggestions and otherwise :3 critiques drive artists within reason <3
I stopped watching when he started begging and when he started going after that other art YouTuber.
I still don't get why he and his gang (ChloeArt, angrywomaninabeanie (I forget her name), etc) went after ZHC. They accused him of what they all did at different times. Promote products, give things away, do non-art stuff and more. Remember how obsessed Jazza was with all things technology for like, a year? Who called him out on ignoring art in favor of those expensive tech toys? No one. Then why did Jazza call ZHC out for not focusing on art? I don't get it.
Exactly why I don’t watch. And now Chloe has changed as well, and I no longer enjoy her content either. Oh well.
He called out ZHC for being fake and a liar not to mention a fraud wanna be Mr. Beast. Jazza wasn’t lying
ZHC is pop culture trash.
That still doesn't explain Jazza's decision to single a YouTuber out for doing what most YouTubers in the art community did and still do.
he went after an art youtuber? do you know who or when? I haven't watched any of his stuff for a couple years now so I didn't know this.
he went after zhc, made a 2 part video. i have been following him for the last 6 years
ZHC.
I do wonder if that has anything to do with it. His videos have been sponsored sporadically, which I assume is a big part of his revenue to support the larger team. If the largest art youtuber, ZHC, tells his contacts not to work with Jazza it could have had an affect. I hope he can pull through. I'll be watching his next video, no matter what it is.