Pointy Flat Cast 017 - Short Term Pitfalls

Duck Man & Oak Boy Take Over the World

Episode Notes

Hi there. Ducky Obrien chilling like a tail on a rat.

Today we go over the two most important questions in life: 1. Facebook? 2. Something about DMT

Show Notes Short: - Facebook sucks, be careful of using it.

https://www.vulture.com/2018/02/how-facebook-is-killing-comedy.html

Show Notes Long: Focusing too much on short term gain can end up detrimental to your long term growth as a content creator. Don't tie yourself to one single platform. If conditions change on that platform, you may find your income stream cut off.

Ex. Selling on Amazon is risky if your product can be copied. Amazon will make more and sell it for cheaper and you will not be able to compete

Facebook is a black hole in that it's an ecosystem where you need to pay money for Facebook ads to increase exposure for content that is consumed only on Facebook. It's hard to redirect traffic to an external source and you can't really monetize traffic on Facebook itself.

There are no shortcuts. Don't put the cart before the horse so to speak. You need two things to succeed in the long run, the Discipline of Creation, and the Joy of Creation. To reach this, just follow ABC. Always Be Creating. When you're always creating, you get disciplined into being able to come up with ideas constantly and execute on that idea (may not always be good ideas). And if you can reach a point where you find true joy in creating, then you will never burn out.

In the words of Captain Taggart, Never Give Up, Never Surrender!

Anyways hope y'all enjoy the show, thanks so much for dropping by! If you want us to cover a topic in the future, send us an email!

Opening/Closing song - Cascade by Kubbi - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4ZjUoEKiLs

If you want to catch me on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/duckyobrien

Pointy Flat Cast 016 - Ergonomics

Duck Man & Oak Boy Take Over the World

Episode Notes

Hi there. Ducky Obrien chilling like a hump on a hunchback.

Today we go over the two most important questions in life: 1. Ergonomics? 2. Something about DMT

Show Notes Short:

  • Stay Hydrated
  • Adjust Desk Height
  • Adjust Monitor Height
  • Supportive Chair
  • Exercise
  • Headphone Volume Low

Show Notes Long: Hydration


Keep a bottle of water on your desk and take a few sips regularly. Any container will do. I used a Simply Orange Juice bottle for the longest time.

Desk Ergo

Adjust the height of your desk. If it's too low, it'll force your body to adjust by slumping forwards and hunching your shoulders forward and downwards. Making your desk shorter is harder, you might just want to elevate your chair if this is the case. To raise the height, you can use anything from bricks, to plywood glued together, or buy Desk Risers. You can simulate what the adjusted height would feel like by getting a box or any flat object that is an inch high or so and place it on your desk and see if that stops you from hunching forward.

Monitor Ergo

Adjust the monitor height so that it is closer to eye level. If the monitor is too low, it forces your neck to bend forward and your head at a downwards angle. This also forces your back to be curved and your shoulders hunched slightly. I used a box. You can use any box, if it doesn't provide proper support for your monitor, fill the inside with foam or a smaller box. You can also buy a monitor stand. The monitor stand gives the added flexibility of adding more storage space underneath your monitor. Monitor arms are nicer but cost more. Always measure the dimensions of your desk, your monitor stand, and test the stability if your stand before you use it. They key here is to use what's around you!

Chair Ergo

Find a chair that supports good posture for you. Don't buy in the streamer hype and get a gaming chair because it looks cool. Do your research. The cheaper chairs have low density foam and they flatten very quickly and provides no support after a few months. Different people have different needs. Personally speaking, mesh style chairs don't provide enough support for me. Go try out different chairs at stores and see what works for you. Also keep in mind the foam type and quality of the chair. You want a thick layer of high density foam for the chair to last if you get a foam chair.

Exercise

Make exercise part of your regular schedule. It doesn't have to be hardcore or a long session. Just make sure you're moving around regularly. I go out and play Pokemon Go at set times to help keep me moving and outside. Also any workout app helps as well.

Headphones

Keep your headphone volume low! Headphone related hearing loss is real and it'll hit you hard and earlier than the average person because as content creators we're always at our desks with our headphones on for hours at a time.

Ideal vs. Practical

Don't wait for ideal solutions. Use what you have around you. Think creatively. It won't look pretty but better and more expensive equipment doesn't make for better content. Pushing things off that can help your health is not worth it as well. As a content creator, I know funds are very limited so pinching every penny helps. The time will come when you will be able to afford and use shiny, fancy new equipment but no one starts out that way!

In the words of Captain Taggart, Never Give Up, Never Surrender!

Anyways hope y'all enjoy the show, thanks so much for dropping by! If you want us to cover a topic in the future, send us an email!

Opening/Closing song - Cascade by Kubbi - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4ZjUoEKiLs

If you want to catch me on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/duckyobrien

Pointy Flat Cast 015 - 2019 Review

Duck Man & Oak Boy Take Over the World

Episode Notes

Looking back at 2019 in review, I'm incredibly touched and humbled by all the love, support, and encouragement I received from the community at large. Individuals I have never met before are watching my content and willingly giving me their precious time. I don't deserve any of this and I am so grateful. Thank you guys so much and hopefully I'll grow as a content creator in 2020 and be able to start helping others out instead of always being helped by such kind strangers and friends.

In the words of Captain Taggart, Never Give Up, Never Surrender! https://www.twitch.tv/duckyobrien

Pointy Flat Cast 014 - Keeping Realistic Expectations

Duck Man & Oak Boy Take Over the World

Episode Notes

Hi there. Ducky Obrien chilling like a reindeer on a rooftop.

Today we go over the two most important questions in life: 1. Expectations? 2. Something about DMT

Show Notes: Keep your expectations real!

  • Never compare yourself to others, only to yourself. You know your own stats, try to improve based on your own stats, not someone else's.
  • Look at all the relevant data and use it as a general guide to help you grow according to your own pace.
  • Don't force expectations on yourself that are based on things out of your control. Turn that view count off when you stream, you aren't in control of it and stressing out about it won't make it go up.
  • Enjoy the process of making content in and of itself. Growth and ambition are good things but enjoy the process too otherwise you will burn yourself out.

Examples: I've noticed that usually around 1% of your follower base on Twitch will show up at any given time for a stream. If you have 100 followers, it's normal for only one person to show up when you stream! Don't beat yourself up, keep going. Have confidence, not arrogance. Believe in yourself and your content, your own ability to improve over time, and stay humble.

In the words of Captain Taggart, Never Give Up, Never Surrender!

Anyways hope y'all enjoy the show, thanks so much for dropping by! If you want us to cover a topic in the future, send us an email!

Opening/Closing song - Cascade by Kubbi - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4ZjUoEKiLs

If you want to catch us on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/duckyobrien

Pointy Flat Cast 013 - Templates and Modular Design

Duck Man & Oak Boy Take Over the World

Episode Notes

Hi there. Ducky Obrien chilling like a kidney bean in sugar.

Today we go over the two most important questions in life: 1. Templates? 2. Something about DMT

Show Notes:

1 - Don't waste time on repetitive tasks! Use Templates for anything and everything possible (text, graphics, etc.)

2 - Modular Design for workflow - Break apart your workflow into segments so you can outsource them, or do them out of order when you don't have enough time at the moment.

3 - Externalize Your Design Process - This is necessary so when you start working as a team and/or hiring others, everyone is on the same page. Don't waste their time and don't waste your own by making sure you have avenues of communication and you are communicating what you want done clearly.

In the words of Captain Taggart, Never Give Up, Never Surrender!

Anyways hope y'all enjoy the show, thanks so much for dropping by! If you want us to cover a topic in the future, send us an email!

Opening/Closing song - Cascade by Kubbi - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4ZjUoEKiLs

If you want to catch us on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/duckyobrien

Pointy Flat Cast 012 - Making Videos on Youtube and Understanding Analytics

Duck Man & Oak Boy Take Over the World

Episode Notes

Hi there. Ducky Obrien and Oakface chilling like two ticks on a dog.

Today we go over the two most important questions in life: 1. Analytics? 2. Something about DMT

Show Notes: My process for creating content so far:

1 - Start off with a general idea, vision, or goal

2 - Make a plan based on your idea, i.e. write a script (especially for voice overs). For things that don't require a script, you can storyboard, make a rough outline, budget, etc.

3 - Execute on your plan. Record your voice overs in one recording session. Make a rough sketch, etc.

4 - Use your recording, sketch, etc. as a foundation. Now you know what you need to record, what kind of transitions you will need, etc.

5 - Write your title, thumbnail, descrptions, etc. as accurately as possible while getting the most impressions as you can, and engagements.

6 - Use analytics as a general guide, not a be-all end all.

a - Sharp drop represents people are leaving

b - short dip represents people are skipping over it

c - short spike represents people are coming back to it

d - high impressions but low engagement means you need better thumbnails.

In the words of Captain Taggart, Never Give Up, Never Surrender!

Anyways hope y'all enjoy the show, thanks so much for dropping by! If you want us to cover a topic in the future, send us an email!

Opening/Closing song - Cascade by Kubbi - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4ZjUoEKiLs

If you want to catch us on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/oakfacegaming/ https://www.twitch.tv/duckyobrien

Pointy Flat Cast 011 - Making It All Work Together

Duck Man & Oak Boy Take Over the World

Episode Notes

Hi there. Ducky Obrien and Oakface chilling like two Yeti's on a mountain.

Today we go over the two most important questions in life: 1. Coppa? 2. Something about DMT

Show Notes: Leverage every single platform possible. If you're tied to one platform or one type of content, you can lose it all overnight.

In the words of Captain Taggart, Never Give Up, Never Surrender!

Anyways hope y'all enjoy the show, thanks so much for dropping by! If you want us to cover a topic in the future, send us an email!

Opening/Closing song - Cascade by Kubbi - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4ZjUoEKiLs

If you want to catch us on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/oakfacegaming/ https://www.twitch.tv/duckyobrien

Pointy Flat Cast - Happy Thanksgiving!

Episode Notes

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I am thankful for so many things, and so many people. I couldn't possibly go over them all.

Thanks everyone for the love and support, I truly appreciate it!

Hope you guys have a fantastic day.

Sam - "Ducky Obrien"

Pointy Flat Cast 010 - Power of Social Media

Duck Man & Oak Boy Take Over the World

Episode Notes

Hi there. Ducky Obrien and Oakface chilling like chemicals inside a bombardier beetle's rear end.

Today we go over the two most important questions in life:

  1. Twitters?
  2. Something about DMT

Show Notes (Short): USE SOCIAL MEDIA, ESPECIALLY TWITTER!

Show Notes (Long): Work hard and put in effort to create a 'pillar' piece of content. Put in additional effort to repackage them for other platforms. This is more effective than paying for in both the short and long run. Put in effort to understand each social media platform so you can repackage the content in a way that people will either find

  1. valuable (educational usually)
  2. entertaining

Personal stats on one video/image combo posted: Youtube - 26 views, 1 like TikTok - 137 views, 5 likes Twitter - 1,222 impressions, 119 engagements, 23 favorites, 4 retweets

Total - 1k impressions, 282 views, 29 likes

The numbers have gone up since. I have no social media presence, and these numbers are phenomenal compared to what I usually get without social media. Twitter produced the most impressions. Twitter is too powerful.

In the words of Captain Taggart, Never Give Up, Never Surrender!

Anyways hope y'all enjoy the show, thanks so much for dropping by! If you want us to cover a topic in the future, send us an email!

If you want to catch us on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/oakfacegaming/ https://www.twitch.tv/duckyobrien

Pointy Flat Cast Ep 009 - Making Content When You Have No Budget

Duck Man & Oak Boy Take Over the World

Episode Notes

Hi there. Ducky Obrien and Oakface chilling like two stick bugs on a bigger stick.

Today we go over the two most important questions in life:

  1. What to do when you have no money?
  2. Something about DMT

Show Notes (Short):

  1. Use Platforms that connect Content Creators to PR/Publishers/Devs (keymailer, terminals, etc.)
  2. Take advantage of referral/affiliate programs to reduce cost on services (pinecast, etc.)
  3. Create opportunities, don't just wait for them. Go out and contact publishers, PR, sponsors yourself.
  4. Stay Positive, Stay Persistent, Stay Humble. You got this!

Show Notes (Long):

  1. It's hard making content when you have no money, especially when it comes to covering games. Fortunately there are sites like keymailer.co and terminals.io that hook up content creators with publishers, pr, and developers. Each site has some requirements, mostly that you actually make content on some type of platform, including blogs, and have an audience. You can request keys for games and if you get approved, you need to do your due diligence to make content to cover the games. It's totally worth it for content creators with no budget, check it out!

  2. Use referral and affiliate programs to your advantage. Advertise for these services to reduce cost as much as possible when starting out. That means using forums, sites, social media. Welcome to the hard life of being a sales man! Pinecast for example has a referral program where every creator has a unique code that gives 40% off for 4 months. Once an user pays for two months, you get credit for whatever amount they paid. This is how I'm managing to cover the cost of podcast hosting for a little while. My code is r-df676f if you would like to use it. Much appreciated!

  3. Go out and contact companies that you like yourself for opportunities. Remember to think in terms of offering value for whatever you want in exchange. If you want early access to game, you need to show PR/Publishers/Devs that you are worth it by being able to provide impressions and also a high rate of sales through those impressions. If you don't have the numbers, you can show a high engagement with your community, etc. You'll most likely get rejected many times but don't give up and keep grinding! Don't just wait for opportunities, go create them!

  4. In the words of Captain Taggart, Never Give Up, Never Surrender!

Anyways hope y'all enjoy the show, thanks so much for dropping by! If you want us to cover a topic in the future, send us an email!

If you want to catch us on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/oakfacegaming/ https://www.twitch.tv/duckyobrien

Merch: https://oakface.club/store/pointyhatcast/

Pinecast Referral Code: r-df676f (40% off 4 months)