Dear Patrons, (Patreon)

I would like to address concerns expressed by our patrons about some of the changes we are making this month. If you are unaware of the changes, you can read about them HERE. 

When we adopted the minisode strategy, (30 minute episodes recorded in advance and released three days a week), the thought process was that this would give us more opportunities to appear in viewer’s feeds, thus creating more opportunities to attract new viewers, and new patrons. But after applying this strategy for about a year, we saw no significant improvement to any metric. We didn’t increase viewership. We didn’t increase engagement. We didn’t increase patrons.

Meanwhile, the revamped Flash Fried concept that we developed, Onion Nuggetz. has been performing very well—about three times better than a minisode on average.

What is the strength of Onion Nuggetz? It allows everyone on the show to play to their talents. It is not rigidly constrained by time limits. It does not force us to adhere to a particular topic. It contains elements of current events (which is great for SEO), but it is not exclusively a current events show. It gives us a chance to be silly and outrageous and have fun. But perhaps most crucially, IT IS A LIVE SHOW.

The energy of being live is a special energy. Pre-recorded shows just don’t feel the same. They don’t play the same. You can argue with me on this point is you want, but if you do, I’m afraid I think you may be an idiot. The numbers speak for themselves. The highest views on this channel are from live content. The times when our Patreon performed the best was when we did regular live content multiple times a week. We tried to move to a model more devoted to churning out pre-recorded content like a factory, and the results were impressive in terms of sheer content-generation, but they didn’t drive engagement . . .  or excitement!

Let me tell you a little bit about how we shoot shows. We have been, for a very long time, on a schedule of three intensive weeks of shooting shows like mad, and then two weeks of more relaxed shooting to give ourselves time to recuperate and recharge. A burnt-out performer is a bad performer, after all.

But now that we are transitioning to a much heavier lean on live content, we must adapt our approach to recharge periods. Thus, instead of taking two weeks off, and depriving you of content during that time, we are going to work in alternating shifts of duos (whgile still doing plenty of trio stuff!), to give all of us time to recharge, as well as giving us adequate time to work on our other projects (The Amazing Atheist, Cinema For Cynics, Fighting Boys, Dank Dungeons and Drunken Dragons, Etc.).

More duo-driven shows is a sound idea from a logistical production standpoint, but won’t the overall product suffer? I don’t believe so, and I will tell you exactly why.

I think that we have one unique vibe as a trio, and I also think that every duo has its own interesting dynamic that we will have a lot of fun exploring in greater detail and depth. TJ, Paul, and Scotty as a trio is a different beast than TJ and Paul as a duo, which is different than Scotty and Paul as a duo, which is different than Scotty and TJ as a duo.

I think that this arrangement will not only refresh and revitalize the show in terms of giving us all adequate rest-periods without slowing down the momentum of the show, but that it will also revitalize and refresh the show by giving us all different modalities to thrive in. There are choices as an entertainer that I will make differently depending on whether I’m talking to Scotty or to Paul or to both. And the same is true for them. Thus, this is going to show you different facets of each of us, and create new situations and conversations that might have been hindered otherwise. 

Another thing to bear in mind is that this arrangement is adjustable. Maybe it will turn out that Onion Nuggets is better as a trio, and Friday shows are better as a duo. Maybe it will turn out that we should throw in a trio week. There are lots of ways that this calendar can be tweaked and adjusted, based on what works for us, and more importantly, what works for you.

I believe that what we are undertaking here is going to give this show a fresher feel without sacrificing the production rate that we pride ourselves on. I believe that our audience—patron and pleb alike—will benefit from these changes, as they get to enjoy more live content and see different and unexpected approaches, bits, and conversations arise from different pairings.

I hope that this explanation of our motives in making this decision has assuaged some of the concerns that a few of you have expressed. If you have any further questions, ask them below and I will endeavor to answer them in a timely manner.

My Love and Thanks,

TJ Kirk