We're into the final stretch now. Next Sunday, Digitiser the Show comes to the end of its first run, and I think it's fair to say that over the course of the past five episodes we've come a long way. We've definitely established what the show is, won many of you over who weren't convinced by the first episode, and talked about old games - a lot.
I'm immensely proud of this series. The amount of work it has taken is above and beyond what I could've predicted, but we delivered exactly what we promised. I'll save the real thankyous for next week, but a quick shout-out to Paul, Jenny, Octav1us and Larry, who are the glue which hold it all together on-screen.
You can't underestimate what a daunting prospect this must've been for them - to walk into a studio of people they barely knew, with immense pressure on them to be informative, funny, and professional. Jenny and Octav1us had never done anything remotely like this before, but you simply wouldn't know.
You're extremely exposed in a situation like that - especially in this day and age - where it's your face on screen. Putting yourself out there takes a huge amount of bravery. The fact that they overcame all that and performed not just adequately, but brilliantly, is genuinely humbling. I don't take it for granted.
Anyway... let's take a look behind-the-scenes of Episode 5.... BEWARE: SPOILERS!
Oh, and incidentally, if you're wondering where Episode 1 has gone to, I've taken it down temporarily so that we can fix the sound and frame-rate issues. It does mean we'll lose all those lovely views, but - let's face it - half of them were from wankers anyway.
I'm immensely proud of this series. The amount of work it has taken is above and beyond what I could've predicted, but we delivered exactly what we promised. I'll save the real thankyous for next week, but a quick shout-out to Paul, Jenny, Octav1us and Larry, who are the glue which hold it all together on-screen.
You can't underestimate what a daunting prospect this must've been for them - to walk into a studio of people they barely knew, with immense pressure on them to be informative, funny, and professional. Jenny and Octav1us had never done anything remotely like this before, but you simply wouldn't know.
You're extremely exposed in a situation like that - especially in this day and age - where it's your face on screen. Putting yourself out there takes a huge amount of bravery. The fact that they overcame all that and performed not just adequately, but brilliantly, is genuinely humbling. I don't take it for granted.
Anyway... let's take a look behind-the-scenes of Episode 5.... BEWARE: SPOILERS!
Oh, and incidentally, if you're wondering where Episode 1 has gone to, I've taken it down temporarily so that we can fix the sound and frame-rate issues. It does mean we'll lose all those lovely views, but - let's face it - half of them were from wankers anyway.
THE INTRO
Like you, I miss it whenever the intro doesn't end with Fat Sow, but I love that this is a chance for everyone to just chat a bit before we get properly into the episode. It's kind of the "establishing shot" of every episode, a chance to get to know everyone.
A couple of people were worried early on that we had too many hosts, but I think it works well having two either side of me. Once again, my only slight regret - and I've said this before - is that had I known how good they'd be, I'd have made more use of the entire panel.
Next week, however, redresses that balance somewhat...
A couple of people were worried early on that we had too many hosts, but I think it works well having two either side of me. Once again, my only slight regret - and I've said this before - is that had I known how good they'd be, I'd have made more use of the entire panel.
Next week, however, redresses that balance somewhat...
THE MAN'S DADDY
The Man's Daddy is my favourite Digitiser character, and I knew if I got him into the show then I had to get him right. I toyed with commissioning the company who made Fat Sow to make us a Man's Daddy mask - and even drew up a sketch of what it'd look like. However, given how much Fat Sow cost, I knew it would be prohibitively expensive.
I thought about trying to make my own, but - while I can sort of wield a pencil and a paintbrush with a small degree of competency - I'm terrible at making anything in 3D. Whenever we had to make anything out of clay or wood at school, mine would end up looking like a failed clone embryo.
But anyway. I dunno why it took me so long to realise that a gas mask sort of looks quite a lot like The Man's Daddy, but there you have it. Then I just had to figure out how to do his voice. That was harder than the look in a lot of ways; anyone who's read his jokes has a different voice for him in their head, so I settled on not really giving him a voice, but a language all his own.
Which - laughter and all - is baby gibberish, chopped-up, and lowered by several pitches.
Incidentally, yes... that's me in the costume. We shot this in my living room last week.
I thought about trying to make my own, but - while I can sort of wield a pencil and a paintbrush with a small degree of competency - I'm terrible at making anything in 3D. Whenever we had to make anything out of clay or wood at school, mine would end up looking like a failed clone embryo.
But anyway. I dunno why it took me so long to realise that a gas mask sort of looks quite a lot like The Man's Daddy, but there you have it. Then I just had to figure out how to do his voice. That was harder than the look in a lot of ways; anyone who's read his jokes has a different voice for him in their head, so I settled on not really giving him a voice, but a language all his own.
Which - laughter and all - is baby gibberish, chopped-up, and lowered by several pitches.
Incidentally, yes... that's me in the costume. We shot this in my living room last week.
ASHENS RETURNS
Ashens returns! Though he never really went away. We had a bit of a crisis the morning we were due to shoot, when the Grandstand Light Games refused to work. I've no idea how, but the twin-pronged genius of Larry and Quang somehow managed to MacGyver a solution.
The white board makes two appearances this episode, though it spent the rest of the series at the rear of the studio, with a schedule and timings written on it. Without that white board we'd have been buggered.
The white board makes two appearances this episode, though it spent the rest of the series at the rear of the studio, with a schedule and timings written on it. Without that white board we'd have been buggered.
IT'S DAN MAHER!
Dan Maher first popped up on my radar years ago, when I read an interview with him discussing Inside Xbox - in which he name-checked Digitiser as an influence. I admit, I wasn't even aware of Inside Xbox, and by that point it was too late anyway.
And somehow, I was completely unaware of Videogame Nation until people started telling me how good it had been... somewhat too late for me to see it. I've since caught up on the show online, and wish I'd been aware of it sooner.
Dan is a diamond of a gent, and a proper broadcaster. God knows what he made of our glorious shambles of a production, not least because he rocked up on the final day when we were all very, very, very tired, and scraping at the bottom of our adrenaline reserves...
And somehow, I was completely unaware of Videogame Nation until people started telling me how good it had been... somewhat too late for me to see it. I've since caught up on the show online, and wish I'd been aware of it sooner.
Dan is a diamond of a gent, and a proper broadcaster. God knows what he made of our glorious shambles of a production, not least because he rocked up on the final day when we were all very, very, very tired, and scraping at the bottom of our adrenaline reserves...
PIXELTIONARY
Not only does this non-copyright-infringing game feature a return for DJ Slope, Imran Yusuf and Dan, but it gives a preview appearance of John Robertson - who's interviewed in full next week. His performance may give you a sense of just how orderly and calm that interview will be...
Also: it's Quang's first full on-screen appearance! I've said it many times, but without Quang on set, we'd have been in big trouble. Day after day, whenever there was a problem, he sorted it.
He's just one of the many unsung heroes on this series - which, belatedly, includes Scott MacDonald for his help grading and editing the episodes, and Chris Bullock, who taken over mixing her original sound, rather than risk me continuing to do a botch job of it.
Also: it's Quang's first full on-screen appearance! I've said it many times, but without Quang on set, we'd have been in big trouble. Day after day, whenever there was a problem, he sorted it.
He's just one of the many unsung heroes on this series - which, belatedly, includes Scott MacDonald for his help grading and editing the episodes, and Chris Bullock, who taken over mixing her original sound, rather than risk me continuing to do a botch job of it.
HEAD TO HEAD
This, like last week's debate, meant a lot to me. Ultimate really were something special in the 80s, and while I've nothing against Rare's output since - they've done a lot of great games, obviously - Ultimate just hit me in that sweet spot.
There wasn't another games studio whose games I would buy blind. It was the gaming equivalent of having a favourite band.
I enjoy the Head-to-Heads - primarily, because the entire panel get to be on screen and interact with one another - but if we do a second series, it's probably the segment that I'm going to try to rework to make it a little more dynamic. I also want us to get a bit deeper into some less obvious subject areas. A few of which I've already thought of...
There wasn't another games studio whose games I would buy blind. It was the gaming equivalent of having a favourite band.
I enjoy the Head-to-Heads - primarily, because the entire panel get to be on screen and interact with one another - but if we do a second series, it's probably the segment that I'm going to try to rework to make it a little more dynamic. I also want us to get a bit deeper into some less obvious subject areas. A few of which I've already thought of...
SNIFF SONIC'S RINGS
This game was first conceived for the Digifest event we held at the Centre For Computing History a couple of years back. I knew it had potential, and that potential was realised by getting two people with over-sensitive gag reflexes to play it.
I honestly had no idea the game would go this way when I was planning it, but we shot it on day 2, and it was the moment that I knew the series was going to, potentially, be something special.
The confluence of Eli as Sonic, Larry and Paul retching, the fact it was based around a video game - but done in a completely disrespectful way... my laughter is as much out of relief as anything. Up until this point, I knew that we were going to be okay.... but I was still worried that hadn't managed to capture something uniquely "us". This was where that changed.
I think morale on set lifted hugely after this, and it pointed the way forwards for the rest of the shoot.
And so... onto the big finale. I really, really love Episode 6. All the hosts play a part, there's a lovely, relaxed atmosphere, it feels like a proper finale - bringing together little running gags and moments from the entire series, and tying it all off in a pretty bow.
Plus, we bring back Mockety Moc for another outing - with a new line-up of guests and contestants.
And if you thought the previous one was chaos... this is something else.
I honestly had no idea the game would go this way when I was planning it, but we shot it on day 2, and it was the moment that I knew the series was going to, potentially, be something special.
The confluence of Eli as Sonic, Larry and Paul retching, the fact it was based around a video game - but done in a completely disrespectful way... my laughter is as much out of relief as anything. Up until this point, I knew that we were going to be okay.... but I was still worried that hadn't managed to capture something uniquely "us". This was where that changed.
I think morale on set lifted hugely after this, and it pointed the way forwards for the rest of the shoot.
And so... onto the big finale. I really, really love Episode 6. All the hosts play a part, there's a lovely, relaxed atmosphere, it feels like a proper finale - bringing together little running gags and moments from the entire series, and tying it all off in a pretty bow.
Plus, we bring back Mockety Moc for another outing - with a new line-up of guests and contestants.
And if you thought the previous one was chaos... this is something else.
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