Tip jar

If you like CaB and wish to support it, you can use PayPal or KoFi. Thank you, and I hope you continue to enjoy the site - Neil.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

Support CaB

Recent

Welcome to Cook'd and Bomb'd. Please login or sign up.

March 28, 2024, 04:11:23 PM

Login with username, password and session length

New Digitiser Online Series & Mr Biffo's Found Footage

Started by Small Man Big Horse, October 07, 2018, 04:15:55 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Twed


Twed

They should talk like me, a less-cultured and awkwardly male Joanna Lumley.

Mango Chimes

I have longstanding fondness for Digitiser (original). Digitiser: The Blog had some decent things on it, but also slightly messed up some longstanding faves by making the go on too much (Mr T being a big case in point: brilliant in one-sentence responses to readers questions, REVEAL him talking about his BINS, but a bit shit in 500 words) and I've not read it in years.

The trailer for this looks like the shittest of things with a bunch of British YouTube Gaming Fucking Nerds and I'm not sure I can bear it.

madhair60


biggytitbo


madhair60


biggytitbo



Twed

Guru Larry's studio segments show that he is physically capable of not talking like a fired Robot Wars presenter all of the time, so why does he do it on purpose for videos?

Thursday

Cane and Rinse for centrist Dads

(I've not actually watched it, not even sure what it is,  I just thought that once on reading one of Biffo's opinion on something)

Natnar

I'm convinced Gameplay Jenny has stolen Sue Perkins' voice,

Twed

I cannot believe she has gone and chosen the name "Gameplay Jenny" for herself. It sounds like something made up for Digitiser anyway.


madhair60

Why is it 37 minutes? Could it not have been edited to a tight 20?

PlanktonSideburns

Quote from: madhair60 on November 11, 2018, 10:36:42 PM
Why is it 37 minutes? Could it not have been edited into a bin bag and tossed on some landfill?

lazarou

Quote from: madhair60 on November 11, 2018, 10:36:42 PM
Why is it 37 minutes? Could it not have been edited to a tight 20?

Found footage was awful for that. I really enjoyed the first couple of episodes but there's a point around halfway in where things are starting to stretch the half-hour mark and it's really hard going. The 'Manorak' one in particular is almost unwatchable. It rebounds a little by the end but every episode after the first couple could easily have 5-10 minutes shaved off it and lose nothing.

QuoteFucking guru Larry. OWROIGHT ERES A LOOK AT AN OBSCURE GAME IT'S MOONSTONE FOR THE AMIGA 500, 'ASHTAG GAMERGATE

Aside from his more general-purpose cuntiness, this is your regular reminder that he was a central figure in the whole Chris-Chan mess a few years back and went to great lengths to publicly humiliate a mentally ill person for the amusement of just the worst bunch of utter arseholes.


Duckula

Vaguely related to this but someone on this very forum once described Ashens as a 'pig rolled in talc' and I think about how perfect that description is every time I see him in something.

Small Man Big Horse

I interviewed Paul about the show, and parts of the rest of his career, last week:

QuoteComedy To Watch: What can you tell us about the forthcoming Digitiser online series?

Paul: In short, it's the gaming show I want to see. Well, the one I'd want to see would have a much bigger budget, and wouldn't have me in it, but I have to work with what I've got! I think it's anarchic and mad and funny, but it's all about the games at the end of the day. Albeit in a way that doesn't alienate people.

I wanted to make a fun entertainment show which just happens to be about games. Something we managed to capture is the warmth between the hosts, and everyone on set. We're all being ourselves, so it feels sort of beautifully genuine. We used Top Gear as a starting point, in that it's a car show which anybody can watch. Somehow we ended up with something that's more like Tiswas.

CTW: And how would you sell it to someone who's unaware of Digitiser's past?

Paul: Don't worry about it, in short. If you like games, or if you like laughing, you'll love this. You don't need to know anything about Digi. Just give it a chance!

CTW: You've mentioned that if possible you'd love to do a second series, would it differ in any way from the first?

Paul: Ideally, we'd have a bigger budget which would afford us to round out some of the rougher edges, polish it a bit more, and pay everyone. Broadly, it'd be more of the same – but we learned a lot of lessons on the first one. Some sections work better than others, and I've ideas for how to expand on the ones that do – and some brand new ideas.

We were discovering what the show was as we were making it really, so series 2 would be much more confident.

CTW: You have a very distinct comedy style, what were your influences when you began writing?

Paul: I suppose I started writing when I was at school. I used to write and direct these daft comedy shows starring my friends. Back then it was all about Monty Python and The Young Ones. Anything where the laughs came from juxtaposing two completely random things that shouldn't go together. Comedy is rooted in surprise, and surreal stuff feels like a pure version of that.

When I first started writing scripts I very much aped the style of Bruce Robinson, who wrote Withnail & I. The screenplay for that is like poetry to me.

CTW: You've written on Digitiser 2000 about how Pudsey: The Movie didn't turn out the way you wished, has this put you off the idea of making other films? And if not, what other movies would you like to make?

Paul: I mainly wrote about Pudsey – and only do so even now – to get in there before other people start pointing and laughing. At the end of the day it was job, I got paid... and that's the end of it. If anything, I find it funny it was so poorly received. There's a weird badge of honour to it. And I honestly don't think it's as bad as its reputation. Also, it hasn't done my career any harm anyway. It was a good experience.

Writing a film isn't something I find daunting, but getting one made is. I think if I wrote one now it'd be more likely to be sci-fi than comedy, or a kid's film. But really, the sheer effort of getting the thing into cinemas puts me off.

CTW: You also discuss the horrendous tv commissioning process, which I've heard many other depressing stories about, do you think it'll ever change? And if so, what could spur on that happening?

Paul: I work in kids TV because I've had a lot of success there. Commissioning can be long and exhausting, but I've been lucky that I'm now onto my third co-created show, and I've got another in development.

Adult TV is harder, particularly comedy, where it's rare to be given the time of day if you're not a writer-performer. Which is a shame, because obviously, back in the 60s, 70s and 80s, some of the greatest sitcoms ever were the product of writers who weren't comedians.

I think it's a shame that having a funny face gets your foot in the door, but... I like working in kid's TV, so for me it's not really an issue these days.

CTW: As well as Biffovision you've created a fair few pilots, some of which you've written about on Digitiser 2000, but can you tell us a little about Babyquake, Doctor Doctor, and Biosphere, and what they were about? And is there any chance you'll return to those ideas at a later date?

Paul: Babyquake was based upon my own experience of being a teenage dad. That came close to being commissioned, but Pramface was slightly ahead of us, and killed it.

Doctor Doctor was designed as a vehicle for Bill Bailey and Jack Dee – about two GPs, one who was uptight and anxious, and the other a complete mess – but that fell apart when Bill decided he wanted to make documentaries. Oddly, he's actually in this year's 4 O'Clock Club Christmas special, which I wrote.

Biosphere started out as an idea called Deadbeats – a post-apocalyptic sitcom that was pretty much what Last Man On Earth went on to do. I wanted to explore the upside of the apocalypse! Then BBC3 commissioned a post-apocalyptic drama, and they asked me to rework it, so I moved all the characters into a mysterious bunker. It didn't really work as an idea. It was too isolated and restricted. I did have one scene I liked, though, where somebody suckles on a pig.

I can't see myself returning to them. Out of them all, Babyquake was the one I was closest to, but I think all of them – to one degree or another – was me writing stuff in order to get a commission, rather than writing stuff that I really wanted to write.

CTW: You've worked on a lot of children's tv shows, what were the best things about doing so? And what were the worst?

The best thing is just having stuff that I've written get made. The thrill of it has never quite left me. I also love writing for that audience. It's a genuine honour. I love coming up with stories and writing dialogue.

The worst thing is that it doesn't pay as well as adult TV, so I end up having to take on more work to make ends meet. That can obviously be knackering.

CTW: You've worked with a lot of amazing people including Dylan Moran, Mark Heap and Kevin Eldon, but is there anyone left that you'd like to be involved with? And if so, on what kind of project?

Paul: Well, THE Steve Guttenberg is in one of my episodes of 4 O'Clock Club next year, which is an absolute career highlight! I used to love the Police Academy movies. Apparently, he was a truly sweet bloke on set, and was very nice about my script.

I'd love to get Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim in one of my things. They're the closest I have to comedy heroes these days. I love what Tim has done with On Cinema – the trial from last year, where it was played entirely for real, is just gold.

I don't know how a collaboration would work, but I'm also a huge fan of the artist and cartoonist Michael Kupperman.

CTW: What were the highlights of making the online series Mr Biffo's Found Footage?

Paul: The freedom was the main thing. Just being able to do the thing I wanted to do without a producer breathing down my neck telling me to fit it into a certain box. It felt like flying, really. It was a big splurge of almost stream-of-consciousness ideas. I got a lot out of my system...!

I also got to meet and work with a ton of brilliant people – Asperger's Are Us in particular. I'd seen the documentary about them on Netflix, and was completely freaked out when they contacted me. They're INCREDIBLY funny men, and I count them as mates now. I hope I get to work with them all again.

That and getting a ton of people involved, sometimes just as cameos – Rufus Hound, Danny Wallace, J.Wilgoose Esq. from Public Service Broadcasting, Iain Lee. And then spending two days in a nuclear bunker to film the finale, with a bunch of brilliant people all pulling in the same direction, which was as ambitious as anything I've ever done. That was an incredible process. Plus, having the support of backers, who trusted me to do my thing.

Lastly, I get to work with my wife on all of this. Having the support of somebody at home, who's at my side through it all, gives me to confidence to push things forward.

CTW: And what was the most difficult thing during the process?

Paul: Running out of time and money on the finale in particular! I really struggled financially last year because of Found Footage. It's my own ambitions; I don't tend to do things by halves, but I really wanted to reward the backers with something special. I do tend to throw myself into projects, and go above and beyond. I can't help it though. It's a sickness!

CTW: You're very open about discussing your career on the Digitiser 2000 site, but is there anything you've ever regretted writing about?

Paul: Not really. I'm pretty cautious as it happens, and there are obviously things I don't mention. That said, I hope the producers and director of Pudsey don't think I hate them or anything – they were nice people, and I don't blame anything for the reception of that film other than snobbery.

CTW: If money were no object, what would you like to create?

Paul: Right now, it'd be more Digitiser The Show. I'd love to do a lot more, and go bigger in scale. Much as I don't really enjoy being in the spotlight – I'm dreading it coming out – I have gotten a bit of a taste for the performing.

We had such a laugh on set, and I think I now know how to present a TV show in a way that fits with me. I see it like writing, really – it's still about constructing something, albeit in the moment, finding the best way to get information across, or to make something funny. I write quite instinctively, from the gut, and I think I learned to tap into that when we were on set.

I'm not a comedian, but I've learned – through doing things like Cheapshow live – that I can think on my feet. I can feel myself getting better at it. It's almost like I'd love to make these things, but not have to show anyone!

CTW: What one piece of underrated comedy do you wish more people knew about?

Paul: I don't know how familiar people are in the UK with Eric Andre, but his Adult Swim show was just astonishing. In terms of how far you can deconstruct something with editing, and push the tolerance of the viewers, and still make it watchable, it was a big influence on Found Footage. It's real Marmite TV, and very brave in that respect. It's a slightly crueller vein of humour than I'd be comfortable doing, but properly funny.

Also, Nathan For You; a comedy documentary series featuring real people. There's a bit in one episode where he goes to utterly ridiculous lengths to confront this incredibly strange guy who skipped the line at a hot dog stand, and I laughed so hard I pulled a muscle.

CTW: And finally, if you could interview yourself, what question would you most like to ask?

Paul: Oh man. I dunno. I already know most things about myself. Probably: When are you going to have a holiday?

petril

Quote from: biggytitbo on October 19, 2018, 07:57:31 AM
AIDS isnt a virus, MR DIVVO.

Quote from: madhair60 on October 19, 2018, 08:05:46 AM
It is now.

and that's why Wolfstenholme's line on the BBC is better remembered than Hugh Johns one on ITV

Pauline Walnuts

#50
Part 2 out now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4EuYuEigRE

It's even longer than the far too long first episode.


edited to add

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdMWnD7qCz4Y7FbbbfyDq5g/community?view_as=subscriber



A man who will never improve. Just fatter. Do you see?

Twed

The ol' "disarm the criticism by preempting it all".

Pauline Walnuts

It's worse than that, he's using it to attack people who correctly say it seriously need editing, and it's dated 'lol random'!!!!!!11!!





Could it be Mr. Hairs was the funny one?

He's funny, he's just really fragile.

He must know that Digitiser was divisive and that changing the format would cause more division, and that a cast of YouTube oddballs would cause more division and that his budget was tight so it would all look a bit amateurish. And once he knew all that, he'd be ahead of the curve and could hold his head up high and know that he delivered the best product he could under the constraints he had, comments be damned.

But the fact he compiled the bingo card after the first episode went out suggests he was completely oblivious to that which is really worrying. I backed this (and Found Footage) on the basis that it was allowing him to make the vanity projects that he'd enjoy making without having to worry about audience reception or commissioning but he clearly isn't enjoying it at all.

I'm not sure I could back another of his projects considering just how miserable it seems to make him once the public get their hands on it.

Mango Chimes

Quote from: lazarou on November 12, 2018, 05:34:13 AMAside from his more general-purpose cuntiness, this is your regular reminder that he was a central figure in the whole Chris-Chan mess a few years back and went to great lengths to publicly humiliate a mentally ill person for the amusement of just the worst bunch of utter arseholes.

I'd never heard of this so just looked it up, and Jesus Christ it sounds grim.

madhair60

Been thinking about it and I genuinely hate Larry Bundy.

Chriddof

Rose missed a trick by not going the cheaper, easier and more faithful route - just animate some Teletext-esque characters (Man With A Long Chin or Gossi The Dog or whatever with basic lip sync, the odd moving limb) and have them talk about retro games. For any special guest, film them and greenscreen them in next to all the Teletext, like a form of Space Ghost Coast To Coast without the in-built division of that show's business with everyone appearing on TVs. That to me is more how I would have imagined "Digitiser - The Show" when I was younger.

As for Larry Bundy, I used to be subscribed to him on Youtube up until very recently and while I felt a bit suss about him and his videos, at the time I felt it was worth giving him the benefit of the doubt. Genuinely had no idea he'd been involved with all that disgraceful ChrisChan shit, and when I found out about it thanks to this thread I unsubbed.

biggytitbo

I haven't watched this yet, but of the youtube people they've had on, Octavius is the only one that has any kind of comedic chops. Her videos are quite funny, in the kind of super low budget way that strips them of any pretension. Kim Justice's once's are the best made and most interesting, most of the others are ok but they suffer from various degrees of annoying youtube voice syndrome.


I don't really know why any of them are in this though.

RicoMNKN

I'm quite enjoying it as a retro games show rather than a comedy.

I think the main problem is that it's a panel show format playing to an empty room and so the studio silence can feel a bit odd.  I think the more vlog-ish bits like the Show and Tell work far better because you don't notice the lack of an audience.

I'm going to continue watching, anyway. 

Chriddof

Quote from: biggytitbo on November 20, 2018, 01:46:08 PM
I haven't watched this yet, but of the youtube people they've had on, Octavius is the only one that has any kind of comedic chops. Her videos are quite funny, in the kind of super low budget way that strips them of any pretension. Kim Justice's once's are the best made and most interesting, most of the others are ok but they suffer from various degrees of annoying youtube voice syndrome.

I was going to mention Octavius and Kim Justice. I also like both of them - and Octavius in real life seems to be a very nice person and genuinely humble in a way you tend not to see in Youtubers. Kim's videos are very good and are willing to touch on subjects no other retro gaming channel would attempt, such as this very dark one on a Jim'll Fix It related ZX Spectrum game.