You have most likely seen that Back to the Future meme by now, so I won't post the picture again.
But I would like to remind science that they have about nine months to invent commercial hoverboards, flying cars, and self-tying shoes. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go watch the Back to the Future trilogy. Those are some of my favorite movies.
Anyway, the typical thing to do at the turn of the year is to make a bunch of resolutions everyone will break in two weeks. I don’t do resolutions because they’re bound to fail. If I don’t make resolutions, then I never break them! I’m such a rebel. What I’m going to do instead is look at what worked last year, what didn’t work, and develop a plan for the year from that.
- Change vlog setting (professional setup)
- Be more involved with the channel, increase content, be professional about it
- Fix this STOOPID hair
- Be a model
- Learn the didj
- Learn piano
- Start the Jimmy Show
- Get a million subscribers
- Meet Will Smith
- Have an awesome year
- Include social commentary in vlogs
- Find better outtro (get some lingo going)
- get a format going
- improve delivery and jokes
- make a difference
A year ago, I uploaded a video outlining my New Year's resolutions for 2014. It was a joke, but let's see how I did:
Resolution 1: Change Vlog Setting
Well... I did this in the video, so it was completed at the beginning of 2014. WOO! What I was going for when I said this, however, was establishing a professional setting for The Epic Teatime. At the time, I just wanted a nice setting for my vlogs. But throughout the year, I changed the visual style of the channel, aiming for a sleeker, more professional feeling. I also began paying more attention to cinematography and details the average viewer wouldn't notice, such as sound. I began processing the sound as well as the videos. I even switched out the chair I sit on when I film in my room. You don't hear the chair moving anymore in my videos, which eliminates a lot of unnecessary background noise. These little details are definitely something I want to work on more throughout the year. Acquiring better and more lights is my next step. As the production level of the channel becomes tighter and tighter, more and more people will have a good first impression when they see it.
Resolution 2: Make Things Nice
Or, as I explained in the video, be more involved with the channel, increase content, and be professional about it. I both succeeded and didn't succeed with this goal. Over the year, I released 26 videos. That's as if I was releasing a video every other week! Unfortunately, these videos weren't released on a regular schedule at all. I believe quality increased, however, and that's what I care about the most. I'm taking video more seriously than ever before. I'm putting as much thought as I can into everything I make. And this year, I want to begin showing the world that I am capable of some next-level media.
Resolution 3: Fix This STOOPID Hair
Still working on that. The hair might never be fixed.
Resolution 4: Be A Model
Alas, I have not yet been hired by anybody. If you are in the modelling business, give me a call! I can make weird faces.
Resolution 5: Learn The Didj
Didj is short for didgeridoo, an Aboriginal Australian instrument that makes awesome dubstep noises. I can make some pretty cool sounds with it, but my biggest hurdle is learning circular breathing. That means I'm expelling air as I inhale. It's possible, and really hard. I'll get around to learning it someday. I have two didgeridoos now, after all.
Resolution 6: Learn Piano
I didn't learn how to play the piano. I don't have one, first of all. I did acquire a MIDI keyboard that I can load piano sounds into, but it's not the same size and shape of a piano keyboard. My mother's old accordion is still in the garage, and I've added that to my list of musical instruments to learn to play. I'm sure that will help a bit with piano. But piano might have to wait. My biggest musical accomplishment is learning to read music and learning music theory. That's pretty darn huge, if I may say so myself. I'd really like to have something to sell by the end of 2015, like an EP. That would be cool.
Resolution 7: Start The Jimmy Show
OUCH! NO! This was the one I cared about the most, and the one that was serious. I guess I've technically started it, but it's not something you can see yet. That's all I'm comfortable saying. I've learned not to hype or promise things, so this one is a bit touchy. Forget you ever saw this.
Resolution 8: Get A Million Subscribers
WELL... I'm at 110 right now. Ha. I'm a ten-thousandth of the way there.... Don't fret, however. I am establishing reasons that viewers would want to come back and be engaged with the channel. I'm checking stats to see how I did compared to 2013. Views and minutes watched increased by about 3.5%. Comments and favorites, however, are down by about 25%. Ouch. Quality, engaging content isn't being delivered, and that's made me step back and reconsider how I'm doing things. Over the year I gained 34 subscribers. That's not a big number. I'm aiming to make that much bigger. I'm not setting a goal. I'm going to treat it like a high score. My high score is currently 55 subscribers added in one year. I also managed to earn $0.60. Gonna be rich soon.
I think the biggest reason I saw that drop is because my most popular video, which had 6,600 views (!!!) was taken down due to a copyright strike. Considering that, I'd say my stats might be okay, but they could be way better.
Resolution 9: Meet Will Smith
It didn't happen :(
Resolution 10: Have An Awesome Year
This was just a stupid call-to-action I had at the end of my video, but in the end I think I succeeded. I felt good about 2014. New things happened, new journeys started, everything was new! I'm happy with where I'm going with my media. And my one resolution is to be different in 2015. Do something refreshing that nobody has seen before. We'll see how that happens.
Bonus Resolutions - 11: Include Social Commentary In Vlogs
I think I've managed to find out where I'm going with the vlogs. I have until March to develop the idea, and by then I really think that I'll be affecting people's opinions about the world around them. You'll just have to see what happens then :)
12: Find Better Outtro
Maybe I shouldn't develop an Epic Teatime "lingo" until I have a bigger fanbase... but I would really like to. I'd like to have words and phrases that only fans would get, or a catchphrase that everyone could recite at the end of a video.
Final Thoughts.
I'm excited to see what I'll bring to the table in 2015. I'm sure I will step up my game. I'm not making any quantifiable resolutions because those are the easiest ones to break. One thing I will always be working on is developing my humor, finding what works and what doesn't. Comedy doesn't just come naturally. Those comedians practice hours and hours, writing and developing their craft. I've just started, but I'm very excited to continue. Perhaps I'll do some stand-up eventually? We'll see.