What a year.
In case you missed it, Digi Live got postponed (more on that shortly).
Sanja and I launched a podcast.
We got Covid.
We made a whole bunch of YouTube videos. Sanja became a proper part of the channel. And then we got together with our mates again.
And then we got the okay to go ahead with Digi Live.
Oh, and yeah... we've decided to do a second series of Digitiser The Show, with video games and everything.
So, I thought it was long overdue that I gave those of you who aren't Patrons some insight into what is happening, what has been happening, and why...
Takes place once again at Harrow Arts Centre, on the 4th September. A handful of tickets are still available. To allow for extra distancing in the venue, we chose not to put all the tickets on sale. Masks will be required in indoor spaces, and there are other safety measures which can be found on the Arts Centre website. We're very impressed by the venue's commitment to Covid safety.
Sadly, Chunky Fringe has had to be scaled back. We're hoping to still have some panels or events taking place during the afternoon, but we're just waiting on confirmation from the venue. Thank you to David Walford for donating his Chunky Fringe budget, out of his own pocket, to allowing us extra time in the main venue.
What I can tell you is that it'll be a very different show to last time. Hopefully in a good way. Firstly, its jumping-off point will be the past couple of years of the Digitiser Channel, whereas the first show was very much based upon Digitiser The Show. Plus, it coincides with the 5th anniversary of Mr Biffo's Found Footage, so expect a few nods to that.
I'll be hosting, alongside Paul Gannon, Eli Silverman and my dear wife Sanja. We'll also have some very special guests, but you'll have to be there on the night to find out who they are. Without a doubt, it's a much more ambitious show than the first one. There's no way we're going to manage it without something going wrong, but we're going to try.
And you're not getting any spoilers, because I don't want to ruin any surprises.
Life might remain a bit strange in this Covid-ravaged world, but our aim is to entertain you while making it a little stranger still... in as safe a way as possible.
Dressing up is encouraged (use the code GETDRESSED for 25% off).
It has taken me a while to reconcile Digi The Show in my head and heart. As many of you know, I found the first series very difficult to make. There was all manner of fallout from it that didn't exactly inspire me to go through it again.
However, as we're getting close to fulfilling all of our Series 1 rewards, I began to think about it more, and I realised that I would like to make more. I miss talking about video games, my day job has been battered by Covid - so, candidly, I need work - and I realised I didn't have to make it in the way we made the first series, while still hanging onto everything that made it great.
Ideally, we'll launch the Kickstarter in September, a week or two after Digitiser Live. Making a YouTube show that looks as close to proper telly as we can make it isn't cheap, so your support is hugely appreciated. Backer rewards tbd, but we've already thought of some good ones.
It'll be on its own YouTube channel, distinct from - but linked to - the main Digitiser channel. It'll be a limited series, like the original (number of eps tbd). The main Digi channel will remain the focus going forwards.
One of the biggest headaches of the original was having five hosts. It was impossible to give everyone a proper role, plus logistically it was a pain, and it really stretched the budget (hotels, travel etc. were all covered by us).
So, it'll likely be just me and Gannon as the main hosts... but with a rotating cast of guests (including, yes... hopefully Larry and Octav1us, who are both up for guesting). We already know who we'd like to feature, and we'll announce them when we launch the campaign.
That's it for now. We've got some big-ish plans, including to get out of the studio this time. I've a grab-bag of gaming topics and systems I want to cover, and we've even conceived of several end-of-show games (which will indeed return!). It'll be a similar mix of anarchy and retro gaming, with some returning segments, and some new ones.
And that's about it for now. Go follow me on Twitter, or join our Patreon, for further updates... but we intend to launch in a big way, and would love you to help spread the word.
Anyhow. That's it for now. This has been nice. I've turned the comments off btw. I already get comments on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Patreon and Instagram, and don't need one more place to check. Catch you on one of those.