ProfessorViral

Tomorrow, we'll be taking a look at The Amazing Digital Circus and Jax. I know, it's not my usual style to cover something so new, but after the finale I was left with an odd feeling I had to explore: why did I want to like someone so terrible? After a while struggling over the question, and then struggling over why I was struggling, I only found success in accepting that I was, as usual, writing something to myself. But this time, to the person I easily could have been. Adjust a few dials, remove a couple moments, and I think I end up exactly like Jax, justifying hate to avoid the complexity of human connection. Writing about Jax was only possible once I accepted writing about this person I was, and how worse they could have been.

I tried to get a Jax's room style set together at the last second for this one, throwing up some photos and really pushing a bunch of lamps to the limits for lighting it all, and then, because of that, really having to correct it in editing. It was a lot of get together to try and match that vibe and express a fondness for the show, so, if you do end up liking the video, any support would be greatly appreciated. Likes and a hype within a week of publish are fantastic, but best of all are comments, which yes, do help with engagement, but also allow the topic to be expanded by you all and allow me to get a feel for what you want. Especially with this one because, in a rough period of my life, I have no idea how good my ability to write is, and as such, how good this video is. But, I gave it the all from what I have right now, and I truly hope you enjoy it.

Thanks as always for your support and kindness. I'll see you tomorrow.

Video is out now: https://youtu.be/kSDF4SHZuxg

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3 days ago (edited) | [YT] | 280

ProfessorViral

Just a quick, slightly late heads up, there's no video for today. It'll be next Thursday instead. I'm taking a week to catch up, adjust to a new schedule, and see if I can keep making a video every three weeks or if I need to shift to four. My goal is to stay on three, but I felt life stress really getting to me and making my writing worse, so I'm not going to commit to a schedule that makes the videos lower quality. Unfortunately, there's little certainty in life and I have to adjust as things go. But, I'm optimistic for future growth and most of that comes from how amazing you all are to me. The frequency may fluctuate, but I'll always be here doing what I do.

I'm hoping to make next week's video one on The Amazing Digital Circus. I have no idea how that will go over, but so far the script is a Viral classic character analysis. Wish me luck in navigating an active fan base for once!

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 124

ProfessorViral

Now that we have the finale, have you watched The Amazing Digital Circus? And what did you think of it? I have some thoughts of course, but don't want to say exactly what just yet...

1 week ago | [YT] | 37

ProfessorViral

How often do you find yourself distracting yourself from life?

I'll go through cycles of feeling almost addicted to media, usually when I'm trying to fix some unfixable part of my life where anxiety takes over. I feel unable to do anything without a comfortable voice in my ear. It makes me think of Fahrenheit 451 quite often.

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 45

ProfessorViral

I had a very natural script come about from a short series, so I think I'm going to be able to stick to every third week despite all the recent delays. So, that means there will be a video today! (If I fall behind again I'll take the time I need, don't worry! I won't put anything out that feels below standard just to meet a schedule)

It's a script that I bounced back and forth many, many times, trying to get it to feel right. I hit three outlines and three versions of the script, slowly working each point into the main topic and its own niche. Because of that, I lost perspective on it a bit. After seeing the same words 17 times, you can't tell how unique or interesting they sound anymore. I think it's good though, and I really focused on the personal story at the end, trying to make it less of a ramble and more of, well, a story, a narrative of a time in my life with its own ups and downs and characters and emotions. I'm sure I'll look back and find it amateur, but I really like the result right now.

So, what's the video actually about? It's How Your Humanity is Stolen, a look at how we define vague terms with the Sorites Paradox, our limited perceptions which require vague terms, and then three stories which explore how different methods of defining human lead to controlling results. With Jin-Roh we dip into Camus' The Rebel, and explore the "boiled frog" method, where "human" is trained away before our hero can even notice. With Shadow's House we look at how not having the proper term, but still having some of the feeling, can keep one happy with servitude. And with From the New World we look at the point of the definition to begin with, not accuracy but results. What does the term make us and allow us to do?

It's similar to The Library of Babel video in having a philosophy lesson intro followed by story analysis, so I'm hoping it's one you enjoy as well! But, the past couple days have been down for analytics, so I'm not expecting a blow out hit or anything. I think it's a video that can offer some insight into how our societies treat us though, help us reflect on what we are in a broad sense, and through that why we may need our own definitions. I'd love to hear what you think of it in the comments of the video, or over in discord.

Thanks as always for your time and support

1 month ago | [YT] | 105

ProfessorViral

Quick update, most important note is that the next couple of videos will be out every four weeks instead of every three. This is not a permanent change, but because I'd been concussed for a few days and didn't know, leading to a very sick and disorienting weekend, and then once I was aware, being unable to use screens while I was healing.

As you can imagine, being unable to focus or use screens isn't a great place to be in as a video essay person, so I've lost about two weeks worth of work time on videos here. I still have one that just needs another day of editing, and another script which I can record, so I'm not totally behind, but I don't have the lead I need to work comfortably. I never want to rush an important topic, so I try to always have one video ready to publish at any time, that way I'm never shying away from doing extra research, or extra editing, etc to make it better simply because "it's due out next week." I'm currently two weeks behind from this schedule, so if I change to four week uploads for two uploads, I should naturally make up that time and be back on track.

I could also rush out a quick video for this, but chose not to as it would amount to little more than pseudo-poetry, and I'd rather drop my analytics for a bit and give you something worthwhile than try and gesture poorly at "art." On that note though, if you want to help keep the analytics up a bit, now would be a great time to share any favorites with your friends, check on a video you missed, or rewatch an old favorite, even just in the background. Having a small boost will make me a loss less anxious about how the algorithm will feel about this inconsistency.

I'll update as things go along on if I need to extend the temporary schedule to any degree, but if I can write without getting sick today, I'm probably going to spend most of my time working the next few weeks because going a week without this has made me keenly aware of just how much I love it. I'll be honest, I was crying about not being able to write. I didn't know what to do with myself just sitting around. "The sh** I do is the sh** I am," huh? I don't know what comes next, as a couple of my topic feel frustratingly tainted by how much I struggled against them while concussed and not knowing it, but I've also found some new ones in my down time that led to hurried but lengthy notes, that I think will translate well to videos.

Anyway, thanks for your support as always, and I'm sorry to be seeing you less than I'd like over the coming weeks, but I'm going to be here trying my best as always to make good on all you've given me

1 month ago | [YT] | 223

ProfessorViral

Do you (how to put this?) alter your mental state with substances for recreation? Building off of the whole 1st vs 3rd person thing, I'm learning that I actually kind of hate doing so? I drink socially, but anything else just leaves me feeling a disconnect I hate: I want to do something, but am incapable of doing so because I'm impaired. I can't enact my will over my own body, which is maybe the closest I get to feeling a disconnect, as if I'm the "pilot in the flesh mech"

1 month ago | [YT] | 61

ProfessorViral

Video is out now! https://youtu.be/d0rxiVMT42k

Tomorrow, we're getting into a classic case of subtext, where I got halfway through a video and then realized "well, I have to do a personal section, don't I?" because I was writing (partially) about myself the entire time. It led to me recording random bits of my life with the camcorder I started making videos on, showing bits of how I work and live that I never even thought of sharing before. Not for better or worse, just because they weren't a part of the art even though they were a part of the artist; so, maybe they were a part of the art?
That's kind of the whole idea of the video, looking at UNBEATABLE and how it expresses the quest for perfection in art: Clef, who rejects it for more genuine expression, Quaver's distance from Eve because of it, and Beat who almost goes the same way, forced to chase "perfection" by a world with never ending demands. But maybe most of all, we're looking at the entire game. Do it's flaws help make it as special as it is? At the core is one idea: how else is perfection achieved by such messy creatures but limitation. And, if a person limits themself enough, is there anything genuine left in there? Can "perfect" art still achieve the point of art? To make someone feel?
It made me reconsider all of the improvements I've made over the years. Not if they were valid or not, I believe they were required, but if I was doing them in the most valid way or not. Was all the new gear and time true improvement, or just distance between me and you?
I did something very silly for this one and recreated the graphics from UNBEATABLE for quotes, titles, and pop-up text, and also tried my best to name the parts of the video after fitting songs from some of my favorite artists. It took longer, but I think it led to a much more genuine video than regular "fancy" editing would have.
I also snuck Perfect Blue in there, because it's literally in the name.
I think it's good? But, of course I never really know. When you've heard something 17 times you kind of lose the perspective to say if it's unique or not. But, I think it's pretty cool, and I hope you enjoy it
UNBEATABLE is really good, go and play it

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1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 327