Finding Joy in Music and Thumbnails
Abby and I just came back from a little two day trip to see Vampire Weekend in St. Augustine for our seventh anniversary. The trip was chef's kiss perfect. Weather was that low 60s autumn, beach-y feeling. The food all around was fresh, crunchy, and sweet. And after listening to Vampire Weekend ostensively non-stop for the last 11 years, the concert was everything I could have hoped for.
My favorite part (after hearing Campus live đź« ) was the joy I saw throughout the amphitheater. The crowd had folks grooving, smiling, singing, bouncing, and savoring this perfect night for music. There was a father dancing and bouncing with his young son with smiles that felt larger than the amphitheater itself. A high school senior came with her parents, phone loaded up with a custom Vampire Weekend hype playlist that I am sure they bopped along with all the way to the venue. Two ladies catty-cornered to us had dance moves for every song that made us laugh. A guy we met while leaving found a new Father of the Bride hat from the last tour and bought it to replace his matching, but five-year-faded Father of the Bride hat. And, of course, getting to watch Abby sing along and enjoy the music I have been forcing in our car rides from the CD-player days of the Jeep to the car seat Civic days we live in now. Could not have been a better night.
Speaking of music though, I wanted to muse on the all mighty power of the thumbnail and how a few of these have led to some great musical discoveries for myself over the last month. Earlier in the week, I wrote about a musician (band? DJ? savant?) that I came across thanks to the YouTube algorithm— what is ?. And while said algorithm had a hunch that I'd like the smooth, but bouncy jazz, what finally got me to click the video was the thumbnail.
This drips with style like the condensation that will surely form upon that glass if I don't take sips fast enough. The rest of what is ?'s art is evocative. Poking around the descriptions, I learned that the art is from a slew of artists. They even put out a call for artists a couple of weeks ago:
I’m currently seeking artists who can provide digital artwork for my YouTube playlist. I really need your help!
I’m looking for unique and creative artwork that reflects the various music genres I feature. The artwork will play a vital role in shaping the channel’s visual identity, and I’d love to see your creativity shine through!🎨
In my short time of making the video essay, the thumbnail is one of the most active and crucial pieces of design. In a Discord group I am in, everyone is asking for feedback on their thumbnails.
I find the split between thumbnail and title fascinating. You don't actually want them to say the same thing. You have to maximize your brief window to grab someone's attention. It can feel game-y, sort of like betraying your conviction to play roll around in the algorithm slop that can drown out your work. I actually wrote about this in the behind-the-scenes for my essay on miscarriages;
I feels strange to market this struggle Abby and I had, because that is what the thumbnail is—marketing. How do I convey in a single image that the video is worth watching and has a story to tell that is worth a viewer's time? God of War and "GRIEF" feels click-baity at a glance, but I hope doesn't diminish the work. I like the thumbnail—a lot. It's stylish and evocative, but I did think the thought process on a meta level behind its creation is odd.
I think pursuing that balance is ever changing. The fine line is delicate. I hope that my work walks along the path with grace.
But also, is it a sign that you've made it when you hire hotcyder to create your thumbnail? Seriously, his quality and output is remarkable.
Sorry for the longer than normal letter. That is the beauty of this medium though. Given the nature of the last two days, no Galaxy has been played. I'll beat it this weekend and probably start outlining the essay. The next letter is going to be a doozy™. Exciting times. I hope you enjoyed and that you have a great day—hopefully enjoying perfect weather. Seriously, I wish I had a laptop to work outside.
This letter is one block from the newsletter Memory Card by Max Roberts. Thoughts? Send me an email at max@maxfrequency.net.
Max is the writer and producer behind Max Frequency. cultivate and curate curiosity—both for himself and for others—by delighting in the details and growing greatness from small beginnings.
He's written a rich history and dive on the making of Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II, celebrated the 15th anniversary of Super Smash Bros. Brawl with the voice behind its hype, and examined how Zelda "stole" Fortnite's best mechanic.
Memory Card is a real-ish time, raw, drip feed newsletter of his creative process for telling these stories. It’s how The Thing™ gets made.
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