September 20, 2024

Who Knows What I'll Call This Thing, but Here I Go

pokes head up 🙇🏼‍♂️ Hello. Odds are no one is actually reading this first slate of newsletters, but if you have found yourself all the way back here at the beginning...👋🏻

I don't know what I will call this yet. The name can change. What I do know is the intent behind these letters. I want to better document and share the creative process behind the creation of video essays. It's a new-to-me format of creation and storytelling. I love it: I wish I started making them sooner.

I do document and share Behind the Scenes posts for each essay, but this is a more in the moment approach. The format is heavily inspired by Craig Mod's Nightingalingale — 21 Days; A Diary of Book-Making, which has gone on for...263 issues for the past few years...

This letter is for his members only and it is a real time journey through his creative process of making the book Things Become Other Things. From the research and walking to the writing to the edits upon edits upon edits upon edits upon edits upon edits upon edits. I think you get the idea. I find this openness about the creative process uplifting. I try to channel that into my own creative works.

I thought this approach would work well with video essays. I have a slew of ideas. I've entered a phase of working on a couple at the same time and think this sort of newsletter/diary could be advantageous to tracing my creativity. It has the benefits of keeping me honest, better documenting BtS posts, keeps me writing semi-regularly, and more. Most of all, it is an exploration of my ideas, motivation, and energy toward a these essays—whether they come out of not.

And like Craig's Nightingalingale, there's no committed schedule or length. It can be a few sentences or paragraphs. It can be whatever I want it to be. To me, that's liberating.

At the start, I am keeping this low low key. I want to prove to myself that I can actually write this series of letters. I don't want to over promise, hence the whole "no one will likely read these first" thought process.

So, with all the fancy explanation behind us, what am I working on?

Up front, I am focusing on a video I've dubbed "The Spirit of a Galaxy Game." I'm looking to play a string of Nintendo games to analyze why my buddy Phil Summers said that Splatoon 3 "has the spirit of a Galaxy game." I'm looking to play Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, Super Mario Galaxy¹, Super Mario Galaxy 2, and, of course, Splatoon 3.² Since I have to play so many games, it feels like this video is a ways off. I may tackle one about trailers I have in mind, which effort wise is much lower because I don't have to play anything. I just have to write the essay and compile trailers.

That pull between taking a long time to make something and putting out shorter ideas is unique. I wonder how the tension will tighten up or relieve itself. Only one way to find out. Until then, it's time to bust out the DK Bongos...

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.

It's all powered by Max Frequency and patrons.

Wanna see The Thing™? Check it out on YouTube. Read it on The Blog.