Off Screen

If Halo doesn't get rebooted, which era of its timeline would you most want to see in a game?

https://youtu.be/4Pjq4GMuN1M

1 day ago | [YT] | 2

Off Screen

Hey all you TikTok loving, goldfish-brained people out there!

Over the coming weeks, I will be uploading trailers and selections from my videos as Shorts.

I'm not a huge fan of this format. It shortens people's attention spans and presents content in a way that doesn't allow for nuance or delayed gratification. My original plan was to upload these to my second channel and let them work the algorithm without cluttering Off Screen's feed, but I discovered today that I can't link related videos from my main channel, so they won't be of much use over there.

We'll run this as an experiment for now. If these are successful at funneling more eyes to my main content, they'll remain up. If not, we'll try another approach.

I'll do my best to keep Shorts out of your subscriptions feed so the notifications don't get obnoxious.

Thanks for understanding!

1 month ago | [YT] | 1

Off Screen

Thank you for the great reception to my latest video, "Want vs. Need in Predator: Badlands"! It's already my third best-performing video to date!

Watching this video's numbers climb has given me the motivation to keep working hard on my slate of upcoming content for Off Screen. Exciting stuff to come! :)

1 month ago | [YT] | 13

Off Screen

My next video has cleared copyright claims and will be available to watch on YouTube this weekend. :)

1 month ago | [YT] | 7

Off Screen

My next video—"Want vs. Need in Predator: Badlands"—is currently clearing copyrights claims on YouTube. If you'd like to watch it right now, it's available through early access for Patreon supporters. 🙂

www.patreon.com/offscreen/posts/want-vs-need-in-16…

2 months ago | [YT] | 12

Off Screen

I don't have a lot to report, but just wanted to check in.

The last three months have seen some unfortunate developments. Between losing my job and then having my lease terminated after 8 years (nothing untoward happened, the owner is just retiring and ready to move in/start renovating), I've had to put basically all of my creative work on hold.

The good news is that I was able to find an ideal spot pretty quickly; checking Craigslist was my day job for about three weeks. As I write this, I'm in the middle of moving. I'm very excited to set up in a new home, use the opportunity to de-clutter a bit, and set up a work space that allows me to focus on Off Screen and some other creative pursuits.

My new spot is somewhat unique: an old house situated in the middle of a storage complex. It's right next to a noisy road, which had me somewhat concerned for my audio recording process, but I just discovered there are basement units that were converted into soundproofed practice rooms for local bands, so I can use these free-of-charge to record for my videos, walking distance from my front door. It's also in a shady area on the side of a hill with plenty of natural breeze, so my computer won't be overheating through the summer!

There are a ton of other perks, most of which will just be little improvements to my personal life. Either way, I'm excited to get situated in a new place, shift up my energy a bit, and reorient my life around creative output again!

Since my last update, I've shifted focus for my next couple of videos; I'm going to be pivoting back towards craft & storytelling technique for a little bit. Something special came to me after finishing a movie marathon with a close friend, and I'm excited to use a short, punchy video as my on-ramp back into production after taking such a long time away.

In regards to those "other creative pursuits" mentioned earlier...

In addition to Off Screen, I'm taking this opportunity to make a long-standing dream of mine a reality: Ten years ago, I set about writing a novel. It took many years of revisions and lots of self-reflection to realize that the manuscript wasn't salvageable... at least not at this point in my life.

But with a new vision for how I can take the foundational work already done and pivot in a new direction, I'll soon be ready to get one of my first original IPs out the door! I don't have a lot to say about it now, but naturally as the process moves along you'll be hearing more from me on that front. This has been a big passion of mine for a LONG time, so finding a path forward to make my vision a reality has been incredibly inspiring, and I can't wait to get into the work once my move is over!

There have definitely been some big shake-ups this year, but things are finally starting to stabilize and reorient in an incredibly exciting and productive direction. I can't wait to start uploading again and share more of my work with you all!

Until my next update,

— Isaac

4 months ago | [YT] | 10

Off Screen

Is anybody else incredibly excited for Marathon?

In anticipation of the upcoming game, I've been watching a lot of lore and theory videos, and stumbled across something really special.

This video by ‪@jakethealright‬​ is essentially "The Road to Marathon"—a complete coverage of the timeline of the Marathon universe in the same format I used for The Road to Halo series. You can think of it as a companion video to my own work, covering the sci-fi universe Bungie created long before they ever dreamt up Halo.

By giving an overview of events from the Marathon universe in strict chronological order, Jake The Alright has assembled a compelling narrative that contextualizes its timeline, bridging the gaps that exist between Bungie's early games and their upcoming release. It showcases how humanity's corporate greed fueled technological development without consideration for ethics, forging a path into a synthetic, post-human future amongst the stars that is visually beautiful... yet existentially horrifying.

I was beyond thrilled to discover another creator taking the same approach to exploring a fictional universe that I did with The Road to Halo, and I'm absolutely honored to present this team's exceptional work to you!

Music by ‪@datreyapr‬
Motion graphics by ‪@vslvsk‬

8 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 6

Off Screen

Do you want to watch The Road to Halo Part 2 without ads?

As a temporary workaround for YouTube's lack of control over ad placement on some videos, I've uploaded all of my major releases directly to Patreon so they can be watched as intended, without interruption.

Becoming a member at any level will give you full access to this library:

www.patreon.com/c/offscreen/membership

However, I don't believe in locking my work behind a paywall, so I've also activated the 7 day free trial on the $1 membership. I encourage you to watch the content you'd like to watch without ads, and then cancel before your account is charged.

This is just a temporary solution until I can find a better home for my content that isn't locked behind a paywall. Thanks for your understanding.

10 months ago | [YT] | 12

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This is a graph of subscriber growth from my most recent video, The Road to Halo Part 2. Can you tell at which point Sony started placing ads on the video where they weren't meant to be?

10 months ago | [YT] | 10

Off Screen

After more than a year tailoring The Road to Halo Pt. 2 so that it would be eligible for ad revenue, carefully selecting copyright-free tracks and classical music in the public domain, testing a preliminary upload for the full 30-day dispute process to target any issues I might not have foreseen, and clearing ALL copyright checks, it seems that for the final video Sony Music Entertainment decided to place a new claim on the Rachmaninoff performance used in the video's opening.

As a result, all ad revenue on my most successful and best-performing content to date is now going to Sony. They've placed frequent auto-generated ad slots throughout the video, disrupting the emotional flow of the narrative, and (in my opinion) ruining the viewing experience for everyone who watches on YouTube.

I find it interesting that—regardless of my work's qualifications under Fair Use—every video which gets over 10K views has been claimed by either Sony or Disney. Coincidence? Or predatory corporate practices pursuing the highest income possible at the expense of small creators?

In the attached images, you'll see my top-performing content (all copyright claimed), my lifetime earnings from six years on YouTube ($21.32, not paid out until I clear my first $100), and what my average weekly earnings report looks like.

I make every attempt to pursue the creation of my work in good faith, without damaging the market value of the works I use in my videos, properly crediting all artists, and directing viewers to engage with their content outside of my channel.

After years of this, I'm finally considering taking all of my content off of YouTube and migrating to a platform where it can be viewed as intended, with either no ad breaks, or carefully chosen slots that align with the natural flow of the video.

If you're watching my content on YouTube, I apologize sincerely for the lack of control I have over your viewing experience, and I ask from the bottom of my heart... please click that SKIP button as quickly as possible every time Sony or Disney decides to interrupt your viewing experience and destroy the emotional flow I intended you to have.

- - -

If you're looking to support small creators doing their best to fight the corporate overlords, and you enjoy the quality and care that goes into my content, please consider becoming a Patreon member:

www.patreon.com/offscreen

If you're unable to support on a monthly basis, I also have a Buy Me a Coffee page where you can leave a one-time tip as a show of support!

buymeacoffee.com/offscreen

Every little bit helps me orient my efforts towards the creation of more thought-provoking content for the channel, and away from the daily hustle for food/rent.

My deepest appreciation to everyone who's watched and supported me in any way over the past six years. ❤️

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10 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 24