Okay, Reader.
It has been one week since I published my first post to this blog, and I managed to acquire 7 viewers according to Blogger's systems.
I initially thought that this was merely a glitch - a result of me having refreshed my blog page multiple times when I was first setting it all up.
However, an email reached my inbox with some questions from a reader by the name of "Guten Morden."
You're probably reading this doubtfully, scoffing at the notion of someone signing off a fan email to this amateur blog with "Good Morning" in German as their name. But what you see below is an official screen capture from that very email:
Since they wanted to know more about me as a geek, I felt like I ought to use their questions as an opportunity - for anyone who stumbles upon these posts, they will have another chance to get to know the mad man behind them a little better.
So, without further ado, let's just jump right into it:
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Q: When I looked at your YouTube channel, I noticed that you haven't really uploaded anything of your own in over a year, but you have been a featured voice actor in other people's content fairly recently; care to explain?
A: Sure! So, for those who do not know, I started uploading content in the summer of 2014 onto my Stealthabotte YouTube channel - focusing mostly on Transformers stop motion animations and voice acting, before slowly shifting into creating works with Marvel characters, most notably having Daredevil fight the other superheroes I had in my collection at the time. However, due to my lack of technology - using only an iPod 5 for all my video creation needs, I was having trouble maintaining a decent quality in my videos and eventually became discouraged by it. The burnout led to me walking away from my channel in the summer of 2017. I have continued to do my part in voice acting for different people in the community while I made preparations for rebuilding my own brand - buying more figures and set pieces, renovating my studio to be more amateur filmmaker friendly, and upgrading to a camera and laptop - this is still a work in progress, but I am planning to return to uploading my own content soon. In fact, at least one new upload already awaits on my channel as of the publishing of this post...
Check my channel out by clicking or copy-pasting
this link into your web browser:
this link into your web browser:
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Q: As a content creator, what motivated you to do what you did, and does that philosophy apply to the other things you do?
A: Not to jump on the hype train for the upcoming Avengers film, but I always envisioned the endgame for whatever project I had in the pipeline, and imagining how all of it would unfold in my mind pushed me to making those dreams into reality. I am a very visual learner and visual thinker - so I tend to get really creative when it comes to planning the look and feel of something I make in advance of it actually being worked on. The story-boarding and brainstorming phases of making the content I did were the parts that excited me the most - and kept me pushing through the rigorous film making and editing processes. This endgame would keep me focused on my vision - in addition to considering the possible response I'd get from friends and outside viewers - and being satisfied with how that vision was translated from ideas into imagery.
The idea of having an endgame in mind, and outlining everything based on that endgame, is a versatile strategy I tend to apply to many of the things I am faced with doing in my life.
Q: When it comes to viewing films and television series in superhero media, how much does the opinion of critics or of other internet sources influence your outlook on them? In Layman's terms, do you look at critical and audience reviews before viewing a movie or show?
A: It depends on my level of interest in the particular screen project - as an avid user of social media, I tend to be subjected to the reviews of Rotten Tomatoes, cinema websites, and YouTubers, before I have the opportunity to view them for myself. Granted, I tend to assert an opinion from the posters, trailers, and other advertising done throughout the promotional campaign for it. However, I let the subject matter speak for itself when I view it myself, before reaching a full conclusion. As someone with a passion for creative writing, complex character development, compelling arching storylines, and other dramatic elements in the screen content I consume, I oftentimes find my analysis in agreement with the critics - however, this has slowly started to shift in favor of the audience approval with me, as the critics sometimes overlook the idea of simply going for the ride and enjoying what plays out on the screen in their attempt to dismantle it from start to finish. To answer this briefly, I don't take the opinions of critics and audiences immediately into consideration before I view anything - but I do oftentimes assess the content from each perspective after I myself have already had a fair look at it.
Q: Do you feel obligated to go and see every film or watch every show connected to the superhero genre?
A: Fortunately, no. As a somewhat broke college student, it isn't exactly cost effective for me to splurge on seeing all the movies in theaters or spending valuable time binge watching a new show. I am surprisingly picky in regards to what content I choose to invest my time in. There are several films I've had to miss out on when they were in my local cinemas for a number of reasons, and just as many shows I've added to the list of, "Things I'll eventually get to, but not right now." I may miscalculate at times - missing a movie that would have been far more jaw-dropping on an IMAX screen, or shows that would have been fun to join the hype train on a series that just debuted, but this approach to the at times overwhelming influx of geeky content has typically worked pretty well for me for the past few years.
Q: Can you name any times when you've been disappointed by series/films or news surrounding them - disappointed in being a fan as a result?
A: Absolutely. I can name an example from the film world and the television world in this answer. Both of these events have definitely shifted my current opinion surrounding the latest forays into geek content and culture.
In regards to film, I'd be remiss if I did not mention the recently trending issue of Captain Marvel's Brie Larson and her inflammatory comments on limiting the number of white men on the press tour for the MCU movie that kicks off the 2019 superhero season. As a white man who has a passion for filmmaking and considered himself a loyal fan of the Marvel brand, especially loyal to the cinematic universe they created, I feel alienated by the brand for simply being who I am. Brie Larson has since gone on the defense in stating her desire for, "more seats at the table," but this does not undo the damage done by her previous statements. Watching Black Panther never made me feel like I needed to be ashamed of my ethnicity and gender, even though there is more of a grim history between black and white than there would be male and female. It welcomed anyone interested in the African culture and diverse ethnic background into the fold. Time will tell on whether or not Captain Marvel will suffer at the box office as a result of these controversies - and I may be compelled to write a post on this after the film debuts on March 8th - but it seems to have caused permanent damage to the MCU and its future in dividing the fanbase the way it did.
From the television side of things, nothing broke my heart as a fan quite like the shocking cancellation of Daredevil on Netflix. This show (ironically) opened my eyes to the power of Marvel characters beyond The Avengers films, as it was groundbreaking with its gritty world-building, complex character building, and cinematic quality building - the one-take hallway fight scenes being a revolutionary innovation for a superhero series. After 3 incredible seasons as a solo show and an incredible arc through The Defenders crossover miniseries, Netflix axed it along with the other Marvel properties on their platform in light of Disney entering the streaming service competition with their own subscription service. Surprisingly though, my faith in the fandom has never been stronger, due to the emerging #savedaredevil movement - which I will be sharing more about in an upcoming blog post. This situation has also motivated the future content I hope to bring to my own YouTube channel as I slowly prepare to make my return to it - a potential continuation of the series through stop motion animation as my primary channel comeback project. More on that may be written about in the near future, but only time may tell...
(Go to www.savedaredevil.com for more information)
Q: What type of content do you think you'll enjoy sharing the most on this blog of yours?
A: For me, as a YouTube animator and voice actor, I feel like the content created on the smallest screen scale possible may be the most unique thing I bring to the table in making this blog. There are plenty of other outlets on the internet discussing film and television, but few that acknowledge the storytelling created by the fans passionate about the source material. Some of the most interesting and creative films and series I have watched exist as projects of creators like myself using "amateur" animation to bring them to life. It's people like these that take all of the risks, as they have the least to lose in doing so. They don't typically have to appeal to the masses in copying the generic and cliche formula of the films - they can be ambitious and daring in what they do, and even improve upon the shortcomings of their blockbusting/bingebusting counterparts. Not only will I enjoy reflecting on my own experiences over the years, and sharing tidbits of my journey in reconnecting with that passion, but the thought of potentially connecting readers of this blog to that art form truly makes me invested (at least, for the time being) in sharing things on this blog.
Q: If you could sum up your experience as a content creator, writer, animator, actor, voice actor, and everything else in one little paragraph, how would you do it? And how has it changed your outlook on how you approach projects, or even daily living?
A: That would be really difficult for me to do, in all honesty. Trying to categorize all of the experiences I've had doing all of this over the years would result in several things slipping through the cracks - but I'll give it a go anyhow.
"M Botte knew from the very beginning that he was built to perform, adapt, and endure. Whether it be performing well in the writing and acting tasks, earning awards and other accolades in the process, or devoting himself to his passion projects in filmmaking/animating and voice acting, which he considers rewarding, he prides himself on his ability to maintain his creativity and work ethic to reach whatever endgame he envisions. While this has led to plenty ups and downs, people and projects coming and going over the years, he has felt that he wouldn't be the person he has become today without all of the little things that happened beforehand. Although it may be uncertain, he looks forward to what the future may hold - not looking back on what could have been in his past."
(Couldn't help but insert this gem into the post once again.)
Q: Last but not least, how committed do you plan on being with this blog? How consistent will you be sharing on it?
A: I have been carefully trying to craft a schedule for sharing content to this blog - as I have to find the balance between the obligatory posts to fulfill requirements for my class, posts regarding film, television, and fan creations (on YouTube), and potentially posts with your questions and feedback.
I initially hoped to use Friday as my go-to for posting… Until I goofed that up due to losing time from personal life obligations.
My new plan; cycle between days on the weekend for posting content for now (So the first post went public on Friday, this one is going live on Saturday, and the following one will be ready for reading on Sunday, before reverting back to Friday for the one after that.)
I might upload more than once in a given day, but for now, I have to play that by ear.
Granted, all of this is subject to change, but I'll keep the blog updated for when it does.
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I hope these were the answers you were looking for, Guten.
I also hope that anyone else who made it this far into the post felt like the time was well spent.
To anyone who read this and felt like I wasted their time, refer to the picture below.
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Any questions or suggestions for me?
Feel free to get in touch with me by emailing
screensceneofageek@gmail.com
Feel free to get in touch with me by emailing
screensceneofageek@gmail.com
I might expand into more social media
if I continue running this blog
after the college course is done,
but for now, you can direct message me
on Instagram - @stealthabotte
if I continue running this blog
after the college course is done,
but for now, you can direct message me
on Instagram - @stealthabotte
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