Long April Fool's Day Commentary

[Ross Scott]

Hey everyone, I thought I'd give some commentary on my most involved and most sloppily executed April Fool's Day videos yet. I wanted to try for a "double feature" for about a month or two. It almost didn't happen. In addition to my move setting me back quite a bit, audio editor Otto Beumelberg completely disappeared days before the deadline (turns out his computer had fried) and there simply wasn't enough time for me to do all the editing and recording AND the sound editing on both the videos.

 

 

 

For the Halo video, I recorded the footage for that before I left and I just barely was able to coordinate it with enough people I could contact to get it done in time. Even then, there was a very small window of time to record the main scene. Try coordinating something with 7+ people you know and see how stable it is. Even once I had the footage, I left and my computer wasn't reassembled until a while afterwards and I had been very busy without having done much editing.

 

 

 

The Zombie Panic video was even more close. I managed to line up good voice actors in time, but had multiple bailouts and some slow responses. On the morning of April 30th, I still had NONE of the lines recorded by the voice actors (except one, whom I needed a redo from), and I still didn't know if the new guy I picked for sound editing (Phai Giron) was going to flake out with everyone else. Thankfully it all came together, but not without a couple all-nighters for me of recording, coordinating and editing.

 

 

 

In the middle of all this, I was contacted by the host for the site about the forums causing CPU usage problems again and he was threatening to take the site down immediately unless I paid him for the extra usage. It felt kind of like a ransom payoff. I paid him, but the timing couldn't have been worse for that, so I'll be looking into hosting the site myself in the near future, you're welcome to suggest options.

 

 

 

To add to the fun, Machinima.com offered to host these videos (I thought they would be too bizarre for them actually), so that meant I had to get all the videos in at least a day ahead of time. I just barely made the deadline for that. On top of that, they told me it would be released 5pm their time, but then decided to release the Zombie Panic vid 6 hours early without telling me, so I guess they managed to play an April Fool's joke on me! Anyway, I'm happy it all came together. I think the sound editing could have been a little better, but considering how short the notice was on everything, it's amazing it got made at all.

 

 

 

I'm especially happy with the Zombie Panic video, I think it's my favorite April Fool's Day one so far. That was recorded in a demo last year (back when I actually had some time for games) where it's the longest killing spree I've ever gotten as a zombie. For those unfamiliar with the game, if you can get two kills as a zombie before you die, you're doing very well. I got EIGHT in this demo, which basically never happens. It was a perfect storm of things going wrong for the survivors and I thought adding the commentary made it even funnier.

 

 

 

I was worried I wouldn't fool anybody this year since April Fool's Day is the one deadline I manage to meet each year (so far), but a quick look at Youtube comments show otherwise. Machinima.com decided to put a Freeman's Mind thumbnail for the zombie video to trick more people, which led to all sorts of good will being expressed by the viewers. I don't know what I'll do next year, it's a challenge doing something different each time. The only thing you can count on is that I'll never Rickroll anyone, that's just mean.

 

 

 

Since I was so busy on the videos, I didn't have time to look at much on the internet yesterday, so if you saw some especially good AF jokes, go ahead and post them on the forums. All I saw was some stuff from Google and Blizzard.

 

 

 

Finally, while not horrid, the new place I've moved to could use some improvement for recording quality. If anyone has suggestions on cheap material I could line the walls with (not permanently, I'm only renting) to absorb more sound and dampen echo, let me know.

[Alyxx Thorne]

It seems that the forums reached more popularity than your host had CPU for...

[t09]

I've heard that egg carton is a good echo isolator. Should be quite cheap too.

[Alyxx Thorne]

I've heard that egg carton is a good echo isolator. Should be quite cheap too.

Hmm... now I imagine him sticking egg cartons to his walls and ceiling... O.o

[J.C.]

In the middle of all this, I was contacted by the host for the site about the forums causing CPU usage problems again and he was threatening to take the site down immediately unless I paid him for the extra usage.

They can do that? What kind of suck-ass service do they provide? I bet their terms of usage read something like this "Ugh... stuff.... internet... ughh.... poop". Useless pricks. What do they have over there anyway, a couple of 286's linked via rs232 cables?

 

It felt kind of like a ransom payoff. I paid him, but the timing couldn't have been worse for that, so I'll be looking into hosting the site myself in the near future, you're welcome to suggest options.

It was a ransom payoff. You should have told them to stick their hosting service up the most painful body opening they could think of and twist it a couple of times for good measure....

 

PLEASE, set up a Pay Pal Account or something like that. This is all a money thing. We can help you.

 

The only thing you can count on is that I'll never Rickroll anyone, that's just mean.

I wouldn't be mad if I got Rickrolled and the G-Man was dancing and singing in the video

 

If anyone has suggestions on cheap material I could line the walls with (not permanently, I'm only renting) to absorb more sound and dampen echo, let me know.

Ehm... can´t really help you there, all that keeps coming to mind are egg cardboard boxes and heavy curtains

[Ross Scott]

The CPU usage was a combination of a forum bug related to hashing of the WP passwords, bots looking through the forums, and I've been told a misconfiguration on the host's end, who has been too busy to look at it. The latter problem will be solved by me hosting it myself, I just didn't have time to look into it before the AFD videos were done.

 

As for egg cartons I've heard that too. I'd have to find a place that sells them in bulk, then figure out a way to attach them to the wall, it's a high-ish ceiling unfortunately.

[Alyxx Thorne]

The CPU usage was a combination of a forum bug related to hashing of the WP passwords, bots looking through the forums, and I've been told a misconfiguration on the host's end, who has been too busy to look at it. The latter problem will be solved by me hosting it myself, I just didn't have time to look into it before the AFD videos were done.

I'm just glad to hear that we are for once coming near a solution to the CPU usage problem, because it's really a problem that cannot be overlooked. Kudos to you for taking some action!

[t09]

[...] misconfiguration on the host's end, who has been too busy to look at it. [...]

So, they asked you to pay for the things they didn't do?

[_I_I_M_I_I_]

You should have seen all the peeps on the youtubes yelling "HRDRK NO MORE FREEMANS MIND"

It was really amusing, actually.

[Kirkreng]

[...] misconfiguration on the host's end, who has been too busy to look at it. [...]

So, they asked you to pay for the things they didn't do?

Well that is stupid.

[Mr. 13]

You can usually go to a grocery store or somewhere and tell them to save you any extras. Usually they'll do that for free rather than just throwing them away.

 

Anything made of rubber, or a dense packed material that can disperse air will work because of the way sound waves vibrate through the air. Rubber pads, cardboard (maybe drink containers from McDonalds or somewhere), or some other type of material will be able to reduce sound. You really can't get 100% sound proof without actually doing work within the wall itself which I assume is out of your power.

 

Here's a link with some cheap soundproofing techniques: http://www.ehow.com/how_7180272_sound_proof-room-cheap-price.html

[Ryanstraub]

"back when I had time for games", alright Ross, you gave us the tunnel. You can take a break and play some games now.

[Anarki]

one thing I found to reduce echoing in a room is clothes, carpeting(or a rug) or just filling up a room with stuff as they have a natual sound absorber

 

having nothing but a computer in a room will have more echoing than a filled up room with dumped clothes, carpeting/rugs and funiture

[Julie]

one thing I found to reduce echoing in a room is clothes, carpeting(or a rug) or just filling up a room with stuff as they have a natual sound absorber

 

having nothing but a computer in a room will have more echoing than a filled up room with dumped clothes, carpeting/rugs and funiture

 

Thx, now I have this image of a room covered in 70es shag carpeting and Barry White playing...

[J.C.]

Well... you could do a lot worse than Barry

 

[Julie]

Well... you could do a lot worse than Barry

 

omg! I am speechless

 

You made my day!

[icthulu]

Folded cardboard should do it. You need a ton of the stuff to do it properly, but if you bevel a few sheets it should help a little. Put a bit of padding on the cardboard sheets, and that should solve most of your problems without drastic construction or expense.

[Eedo Baba]

Machinima.com offered to host these videos (I thought they would be too bizarre for them actually)

 

You obviously haven't been subscribed to Machinima for a period of 2 or 3 hours. Your videos look benign in comparison.

[jumpyed]

With lots and lots and lots of egg cartons + cardboard + staples = temp soundproofing.

And if you build in sections(customizing the corners though)(2x4 size maybe or 2x2) you can possibly set it up so you can move them as needed from room to room or place to place.

[handspiker2]

...Finally, while not horrid, the new place I've moved to could use some improvement for recording quality. If anyone has suggestions on cheap material I could line the walls with (not permanently, I'm only renting) to absorb more sound and dampen echo, let me know.

 

So did Ross really move to Poland? i thought it was just part of April fools, I guess he might have just moved to a new house/apartment.