raycevick
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Plans For The Future
🕑 Added 2025-01-28 22:38:54 +0000 UTCI've mentioned here and there on Patreon having gone on a trip last year, attending a wedding, visiting family, and letting Sparky take me to the big milk.
Don't ask.
There were many amazing things about the trip that were a welcome change from my usual day to day life, but the part I didn't really process until arriving home was having my own private space.
Not waking up to hear business calls, playing music without headphones, and not dealing with the wonders of living among alcoholics.
I didn't consciously register this at first, but it hit me when I caught myself looking at Craigslist for apartments. I happened to be looking at a bunch of new condos for rent in Burnaby, an area of BC I'm very familiar with...
Starting at $2500 a month.
As a result, I did something I didn't think I"d ever do in my life last week, and sat down with a Real Estate agent.
Because if I'm going to make the kind of changes that are necessary to be able to pay off that kind of monthly expense, I should at least direct it in such a way that $2500+ isn't going to just be set on fire every month. Now I'm not planning to rush into a situation that'll give me an aneurysm at 35, so the future isn't now, but I am planning for it, and the main part of that plan is what I've been resisting for years...
Ads.
I hate 'em, you hate 'em, everybody hates 'em, and I haven't been in a situation that I need 'em, so I've been turning down the offers I get from people like MoreYellow because they didn't meet my standards, but my current living situation isn't going to last forever, and quite frankly... I wanna get out of it before it becomes a requirement.
That's what I learned from my trip.
So how do I satisfy my standards for Ads?
Well, I've always liked how Bricky does them, mainly, that they're at the very start of the video. Not only is it easy for viewers to skip, the main thing I'm concerned about, pacing, is a non-issue, because the ad never interrupts the video.
That's the context then for this prototype I commissioned from The Rebel Heart Project. It essentially combines my old Zoom Into Raycevick Text intro with an opening Ad that comes up before the video.
I emphasize prototype, because it's not going to appear in the next video, might not even be the next three. I happily encourage feedback from y'all on the idea, and I'm already exploring an alternative that I might like more...
Instead of starting from across the room, and the TV being dead center in frame, I'm picturing the TV being set to the right, taking up 60-70% of the screen real-estate with the same premise, of playing an Ad, but with a Laptop/Desk/Whiteboard in the remaining 30-40% on the left with hints and details about the video that's about to start.
What games it has, people it features, or opening questions.
It's very much inspired by things like the Menu Screens of Metro Exodus that I got Stoofer to turn into Chapter Screens for my Years Later video.
Something to prep the viewer for what's to come and build a sense of tone. That was always the goal behind the opening text in the first place, to give the viewer a breather before tossing 'em into a free fall.
Another part of the premise is that the Ads themselves wouldn't be made by me. I only care about the Ad to pay a Mortgage, and with the deals I've gotten offered in the past, I could use 50% to cover my monthly expense, and give the remaining 50% to someone to make the Ad.
I want to make this as close to a Win Win as I can.
I had some moral concerns about the payment, but all my friends I've talked to about this have said they think it's a fair deal... they might've already been encouraging me to call them up first should this plan go into action.
It's a tough economy out there.
I've got another idea to pitch to y'all soon, but it's a much smaller scale idea and related to Patreon. This one I think takes priority, and is already long enough as it is, so I'll leave it here.
In the meantime, I think I'm finally done rewriting the next video into oblivion, and going into goblin mode for editing until it's done. The video's looking to be 30-40 minutes, but I've been cutting sections since recording, so it might be a tad shorter.
I didn't intend for y'all to be witnessing a transition period for my work, but then again, letting things go, and taking time to appreciate the art, people, and places I love is part of that transition.
Thank you; y'all's support is what's allowing me to setup this future to begin with, and whatever struggles I have, you've only helped lower their effect.
Thank you!
-Raycevick
Comments
Lucas Raycevick
Putting them at the end would be my first choice as well, but I've never been offered those in my time on YT so far, and from what I understand by those who've gotten them, they pay a lot less due to the majority of viewers even on high retention videos never reaching beyond the halfway point.
Jacob Anderson
I’m of two minds on the ads. One mind is the Ray fan who wants the best for your financial situation, and already skips pre-rolls on other channels I enjoy, and as such, I don’t care if they start appearing in videos. One mind is the casual YouTube viewer who sees pre-rolls on channels I’m unfamiliar with and is pretty 50/50 on skipping past it OR clicking off the video altogether. And before I was a regular Ray viewer, the thing that sold me on Ray content was that first 30 seconds or so of video real estate. Putting those two minds together, it feels like the best middle ground would be a shorter pre-roll intro, and then the rest of the ad between the end of the essay and the Q&A. Economy sucks so I’m all for you getting the bag, but I’d hate for that to deter more new people from sinking their teeth into what you make because “motherfucker he’s making me sit through this???”
Immortalkrogan
As a person who has followed/supported you for a long time, I'm all for it. Fuck renting, get the house, and do ads if you need to in order to make that happen. I bought my first house in Mar of 22, and it was easily one of the best decisions I've ever made. And I want you to have that same experience. However, do your research on the ads first. Because If I see a single "Better Help" ad, I'm unsubbing.
Will Marchand
Get the bag honestly, your content is great enough (and I agree with you regarding Bricky’s style being a good template to make them feel as non intrusive as possible) that I’m fine with sitting through an ad in order to get to the meat of the video. At the end of the day if this helps you continue to make this a career then that’s totally fine.
it's just Kurt
For me personally I do not mind and ad playing. I will either let it play while I'm doing something else or skip it. If that's all it takes for you to get what you need and better your situation then go for it man. Thank you for the update. Love what you do and have a good one.
NephyrisX
There's two ways to make an ad acceptable: Be entertaining about the ad, or make it short. Both must be easily skippable, and the source must be a reputable sort.
Nicholas Davis
The ad environment on YT has changed so much in the past 10 years that I feel like most people would be of the opinion to "get that bag" if you spruced the ad up like how you’re suggesting. Tbh I think most viewers a little care less about how the ad looks and more about which brands/products the ad is for. Then again… I’ve noticed that the types of ad reads that people will actively comment they didn’t skip are funny ones (any ad on The Yard and Dbrand’s reads on LTT come to mind)
Dzera
Everyone needs to make a buck. It's very reasonable from my perspective. We live in a capitalist world after all. You won't turn off that many people as you might think. The most important thing is that your videos stay the same quality as they have always been. Ads can be fun to watch if done right. Bricky's method is solid and to the point and it is easy to skip if you don't care. NakeyJakey has a very good aproach to ads that makes a lot of his viewers watch it fully but that relies on his character and charisma more than anything else. I'm sure you will find a way to integrate ads in a way that it doesn't turn off the viewer and gets you some dough. You make a pretty great director and you are getting better with each video. Your videos are better directed and paced than some movies if you ask me. Just go for it man!
JK Productions
As long as you continue to make amazing videos, I’m all aboard for whatever. Ads don’t really bother me that much, and even less when it’s from a content creator so long as the ad isn’t for something shady or bizarre.
GiantPurplePen15
I hope this isn't weird but if you need a mortgage broker I can refer a really good one to you. Good luck on the house/condo hunt!
