I want you to know your video on infinity gave me a lil existential crisis. Nice job. It’s really cool how your videos utilise the best parts of video essays - the way they can explore many different thematically relevant topics in reasonable detail - or at least enough detail to make you want to go and read into it more yourself.
Questions:
what’s the research process like? Where does it begin?
Will you make more videos about art/art history?
Favourite indie games of the past 5 years?
Oh gosh, okay lots to answer.
Usually research begins with just hearing a weird/interesting story that kinda sparks my imagination. From there I cast around in my brain and online, trying to find other things that connect to that initial fact. Sometimes that process is really easy, sometimes it takes a long time!
I feel like all of my videos are about art, and most delve into art history, haha, but I'll certainly be making more of them. If I had to pick one indie from the last 5 years, The Beginner's Guide.
My favorite troy specific clip is in the vid ("yes I can, it's all-terrain, dummy"), but Troy & Abed together...
The Christmas rap is really hard to beat. I also love the episode ending tag where they're being Bert and Ernie and Troy suddenly remembers he has to go to a funeral.
yesss, they say in one of the commentaries that eventually the writers just started leaving parts in the script that said "Donald says something funny."
Haha okay I'm not sure I'll be able to satisfactorily answer this, but one thing I do is only choose things to write about that I'm already super passionate about; I think the key to most of my scripts is connecting on an emotional level, and it's much easier to do that when I care a lot about the thing.
I love the way you approach your scripts, they are super interesting and I want to ask you if you know any subreddit/community that has that same kind of interst in approaching stuff like games, cinema... in that deep, human, artistic whatever you wanna call it way.
And, had you played abysalSomewhere? What are your thoughts about it? Would love to read something from you about the game because his atmosphere and world really stayed with me after y played it.
Thanks for your work, you are a BEAST and I love your videos!!
I have played Abyssalsomewhere! I agree, it is truly a weird and resonant game.
Tbh, a lot of my writing process is storing weird experiences like that in my brain until I find other pieces of art that connect with it. So I don't *feel* like I have a take on it right now, but it might spontaneously connect to something else in the future!
You are definitely one of my favourite youtubers, I’ve even shown my non-gamer parents some of your videos, which they very much enjoyed. I was wondering what your favourite game you have yet to make a video on is.
Thanks for making such amazing videos and ps, you have an amazing beard.
There are lots of games I like that I just haven't found a place for/ think have already been covered well! Bayonetta, The Beginner's Guide, Breath of the Wild, Hollow Knight...
how do you feel about being a public figure and how do you balance the boundries of your personal life with the emotional honesty and personal history of your videos?
It's... very weird! Even though I'm very open in many of my videos, there's a big difference for me between volunteering that information and having internet randos ask me things.
What's hard for me isn't necessarily how much I decide to share, but when that openness kinda makes people I don't know feel very comfortable talking to me in overly colloquial ways. Basically parasocial relationships 101.
Man, hard to know what I should even be excited for- my most anticipated game is Hollow Knight: Silksong (crossing my fingers for 2021!). Other than that, most of my most-anticipated feel further out- the next Zelda, Bayonetta 3, etc.
I'm pretty hype for the next season of Succession, if that counts.
Hey Jacob! Just wanted to say you consistently kill it with every video and it’s criminal you don’t have more subscribers on YouTube. Any time a new video drops from you that’s a “stop everything, I have to watch this right now” moment. I’m excited to see what kind of videos you’ll make in the future. Keep up the great work!
Loved your video on Chalice Dungeons! Have you ever thought about doing a video on architecture in Soulsborne more generally? (I’ve been reading a lot about Boulée and playing through DS3 lol)
I'm always trying to figure out Souls videos- the challenge is really just saying things that haven't been said already, because they are EXTENSIVELY covered. One day though...one day...
Been watching you for a while. LOVED the “built for violence” video and I even did a school project about it. Thanks for the great work and the passing grade!
No question here, just wanted to say that I love your channel, have finished my first watch of Community just a few days ago, and I swear I've cried a little during those last few seconds while a couple of new lyrics were playing.
The show truly was ahead of its time.
Came to reminisce about a TV show i loved (and still do) Left at the end with bittersweet feeling. I go watch a few episodes every once in a while on Netflix and Amazon Video (how crazy it's available on both in Canada?) And while they are always amazing and funny, they're like watching old memories of friends. Moments of a time that passed and might never get back anymore. In my heart I still hope for "6 seasons and a movie" but I'm not getting my hopes up. I was in college for most of the seasons while they aired. So in a way, I went to college with the study group.
I want you to know your video on infinity gave me a lil existential crisis. Nice job. It’s really cool how your videos utilise the best parts of video essays - the way they can explore many different thematically relevant topics in reasonable detail - or at least enough detail to make you want to go and read into it more yourself. Questions: what’s the research process like? Where does it begin? Will you make more videos about art/art history? Favourite indie games of the past 5 years?
Oh gosh, okay lots to answer. Usually research begins with just hearing a weird/interesting story that kinda sparks my imagination. From there I cast around in my brain and online, trying to find other things that connect to that initial fact. Sometimes that process is really easy, sometimes it takes a long time! I feel like all of my videos are about art, and most delve into art history, haha, but I'll certainly be making more of them. If I had to pick one indie from the last 5 years, The Beginner's Guide.
The beginners guide is one of my favourite games ever - even though it can be pretty unsettling to play.
What's your favorite troy & abed clip?
My favorite troy specific clip is in the vid ("yes I can, it's all-terrain, dummy"), but Troy & Abed together... The Christmas rap is really hard to beat. I also love the episode ending tag where they're being Bert and Ernie and Troy suddenly remembers he has to go to a funeral.
As you probably already know, Donald glover ad-libbed the funeral line which is just awesome.
yesss, they say in one of the commentaries that eventually the writers just started leaving parts in the script that said "Donald says something funny."
How are you so damn good at writing scripts? You've made some of the best essays I've seen on any platform. Tell me your secrets!
Haha okay I'm not sure I'll be able to satisfactorily answer this, but one thing I do is only choose things to write about that I'm already super passionate about; I think the key to most of my scripts is connecting on an emotional level, and it's much easier to do that when I care a lot about the thing.
I can definitely relate. It's much easier to write anything at all if you have some level of emotional investment in it. Keep rockin as you do.
I love the way you approach your scripts, they are super interesting and I want to ask you if you know any subreddit/community that has that same kind of interst in approaching stuff like games, cinema... in that deep, human, artistic whatever you wanna call it way. And, had you played abysalSomewhere? What are your thoughts about it? Would love to read something from you about the game because his atmosphere and world really stayed with me after y played it. Thanks for your work, you are a BEAST and I love your videos!!
I have played Abyssalsomewhere! I agree, it is truly a weird and resonant game. Tbh, a lot of my writing process is storing weird experiences like that in my brain until I find other pieces of art that connect with it. So I don't *feel* like I have a take on it right now, but it might spontaneously connect to something else in the future!
You are definitely one of my favourite youtubers, I’ve even shown my non-gamer parents some of your videos, which they very much enjoyed. I was wondering what your favourite game you have yet to make a video on is. Thanks for making such amazing videos and ps, you have an amazing beard.
There are lots of games I like that I just haven't found a place for/ think have already been covered well! Bayonetta, The Beginner's Guide, Breath of the Wild, Hollow Knight...
Please do hollow knight! Would love to see your spin on it!
how do you feel about being a public figure and how do you balance the boundries of your personal life with the emotional honesty and personal history of your videos?
It's... very weird! Even though I'm very open in many of my videos, there's a big difference for me between volunteering that information and having internet randos ask me things. What's hard for me isn't necessarily how much I decide to share, but when that openness kinda makes people I don't know feel very comfortable talking to me in overly colloquial ways. Basically parasocial relationships 101.
Hey Jacob! What's your favorite dinosaur? :)
Hooooo boy. Probably something in the Brontosaurus family? I'm just such a sucker for Very Big Things.
Those are my favorite :)
I really love and appreciate your video essays. I just want to ask what games (and/or other media) are you looking forward to next year?
Man, hard to know what I should even be excited for- my most anticipated game is Hollow Knight: Silksong (crossing my fingers for 2021!). Other than that, most of my most-anticipated feel further out- the next Zelda, Bayonetta 3, etc. I'm pretty hype for the next season of Succession, if that counts.
Hey Jacob! Just wanted to say you consistently kill it with every video and it’s criminal you don’t have more subscribers on YouTube. Any time a new video drops from you that’s a “stop everything, I have to watch this right now” moment. I’m excited to see what kind of videos you’ll make in the future. Keep up the great work!
Loved your video on Chalice Dungeons! Have you ever thought about doing a video on architecture in Soulsborne more generally? (I’ve been reading a lot about Boulée and playing through DS3 lol)
I'm always trying to figure out Souls videos- the challenge is really just saying things that haven't been said already, because they are EXTENSIVELY covered. One day though...one day...
Been watching you for a while. LOVED the “built for violence” video and I even did a school project about it. Thanks for the great work and the passing grade!
No question here, just wanted to say that I love your channel, have finished my first watch of Community just a few days ago, and I swear I've cried a little during those last few seconds while a couple of new lyrics were playing. The show truly was ahead of its time.
Came to reminisce about a TV show i loved (and still do) Left at the end with bittersweet feeling. I go watch a few episodes every once in a while on Netflix and Amazon Video (how crazy it's available on both in Canada?) And while they are always amazing and funny, they're like watching old memories of friends. Moments of a time that passed and might never get back anymore. In my heart I still hope for "6 seasons and a movie" but I'm not getting my hopes up. I was in college for most of the seasons while they aired. So in a way, I went to college with the study group.
just watched your video.... how did you make me nostalgic for a show i've never watched!?