Category: Blog

*COUGH COUGH COUGH* Oh man… this place is rather… dusty. It looks like I’ve gone a year and a couple months without posting anything here on the main blog.  I mean, our last video, “The Internet” came out in September… why didn’t I post an entry then? HOW COULD I LET THIS HAPPEN?! Oh wow, sorry for yelling. I just… I’m so emotional right now. This website is my pride and joy, and I’ve just left it here to rot. NEVER FEAR, BECAUSE HERE COMES A BLOG POST FOR “THE INTERNET.”

…

So uh, yeah. I forgot how to write for this blog. It seems like all my days are on my tumblr now… sorry Webs blog… IT’S NOT YOU! Well, actually it is. But I still love you!

Oh man, this post is harder to write than I thought. I had to wanted to post something for “The Internet,” but geez, that was so long ago. I know this seems like a cheap way out, and I uh… I’ve done this before, BUT if you have questions about that video, feel free to leave a comment on this blog entry and I’ll get back to you right away! I’m sorry… I just don’t know what to type for this entry. I don’t even know how to connect this post to the Spongebob .gif I used!

“Hey Jeffrey, why are you even posting something right now?”

Ah HA, you caught me! I’m preparing for the return of Nintendo Boy tomorrow! So be sure to check back tomorrow (or whenever June 5th, 2012 will be for you) for a new video… and MAYBE a new blog entry. 😉

Are you a pikachu? Because you electrify me! … Pretty bad pick up line, right? Or… is it the perfect one? Either way, it has a home in our newest video, “See What I Did There?”

While I can never achieve the number of views I want for my videos (300 million), I was quite satisfied with this week. Our new video was released on Monday and received some great feedback right away on Facebook. In fact, at the time of writing, between all the links I’ve posted for the video, it has received 22 “likes,” which isn’t too shabby at all, not to mention the numerous positive comments! I was actually surprised that people liked it, because, well, I guess I never really know how people react to it, but it looks like it did pretty well! Another factor that I am quite proud of is the cinematography at the beginning… I’ve never really tried anything that fancy before, so I recurited the help of Tyler Smith to help me achieve something different, and it was a very cool experience. I also learned, from the feedback of another friend, is the “5-second rule,” where a shot should be no longer than 5 seconds or it becomes boring. Why was that the first time I ever heard of that? She was obviously adressing the main scene of the video where I spew out a couple of Pokemon pick up lines, and while I definitely agree with her, part of the joke was also that the scene was dragged out and uncomfortable. But, it’s great advice and will definitely be used for the next video.

So, yes. I am quite proud of this video. The videos are continuing to improve, right? RIGHT!? If you have any questions or comments about the video, please leave them in the comments and I will be happy to answer them! Also, in case you missed the video (you read this entire blog entry without even watching it first?!), please use the handy links below!

 Watch it in our video theater! |  YouTube HD

Thank you, again, for sticking with me. I promise the next video will not be after another four-month hiatus! EVEN MORE laughs are on the way… STAY TUNED!

OKAY! Enough with the long gaps between blog entries. Yes, I know, I always say that, so I believe today’s animation is appropriate (see what I did there? I’m showing that I keep going in circles with my blog promises) Anyway, there’s so much to talk about. First off… er, actually I don’t even know where to begin. Okay, get ready for a lot to be thrown at you. It’s been four months since we’ve last talked, so let’s just jump right in!

Okay, so right off the bat, the project continues to be alive and well. In fact, if all goes according to plan, we will return with a new video sometime next week! Yes, while you may not here from me months at a time, I’m always busy trying to work on the next thing. Lately, I’ve been focused on my comedy writing on twitter, and as always I’m trying to get the best of what I write into a new video for the project!

I also want to work on revamping the site. I love what I have here, but let’s face it, no one comes here to join the forums… I think we’ve moved beyond that. While I hate to strip away features from the site, I think it would be cool in a minimalist sort of way to just have the blog and the videos on here, nothing more. I’d probably keep the games, but yeah, you get the idea. I feel like people might be overwhelmed and might wonder what to do first when they arrive on the site, so I’m gonna work on fixing that. Perhaps a site-wide redesign is in the works? I dunno. I worked so hard on this theme (css-wise), I don’t know if I could ever let it go!

Next item of business… “Snow Day”… yeah, remember that? If you do, well, it’s probably been a while since you’ve seen it. So why not go re-watch it? That “old timey film” filter took forever to perfect. (; … er, but seriously, it really did take a while to make. CLICK THE LINKS BELOW! :{D

 Watch in our video theater |  YouTube HD

All right, what else is in the news? OH! Obligatory Nintendo news: Well, it IS in the name of the site, right?! Rumors have surfaced today that Nintendo’s next console will be unveiled in the coming months, and will be much more powerful than the other two companies’ consoles. I WANT TO BELIEVE! But obviously though, I’m looking forward to it.

So… what else is there to talk about? I’m happy to talk about anything, I OWE YOU GUYS. If you are reading this right now, I can’t thank you enough for your support. I literally am just incapable of thanking you enough. Especially newer people that I’ve met within the last few months (such as my co-workers, people in my classes, at school, etc), THANK YOU for watching the videos. IT MEANS SO MUCH TO ME. It really does.

More laughs are on the way, so stay tuned!

Whew. Here we are! I’m sitting in a Panera Bread trying to look like I’m writing a novel, but I’m not fooling anyone here. I do have a blazer on, so I guess it helps a little bit. So tonight we are to finish up talk about Team Effort. Yes, you’re sick of it, I know. I am too. I’ve planned this since August, filmed it in between for a release every Monday in September, and now we’re in the middle of October as I FINALLY finish blogging about it, something I normally do the day of the release. Because of these late entries, probably no one will be reading this (except YOU of course… thank you!!) but I enjoy typing my thoughts out. I’M EXCITED TO FINISH THIS, so let’s get it done! *go buys a Panera Bread cookie*

So. Part 4. My favorite episode (although not brightness-editing wise *cough), and the 3 episodes prior to this were all leading up to it. Okay, well that was obvious. BUT I’M JUST SAYING. THIS WAS THE EPISODE! WOO. It was also the episode that caused me the most stress ever for a video I’ve done. BASICALLY, we managed to film Parts 1-3 all in one looong day, out of order of course. Part 4, at the time of filming the first episodes was not clear to me, although of course I had some ideas floating around in my head. Before you start talking smack about me, you must know that I always come up with the endings of my videos FIRST. Consider it a little secret of mine. I just have to know how the video will end because that is honestly the most important aspect of a video. Well, the videos I make, at least. It’s like Public Speaking… the first and last parts will always leave a lasting impression, which is why I always try to open a video with a funny out-of-context one-liner and then something fantastic at the end. This wasn’t the case for Team Effort, because I didn’t know how to tie it all together. I knew all along that I wanted the ending to be a twist, and to make me look like the culprit in Parts 1-3 but then not have me as the person who slacked off. But, I didn’t know how to pull that off.

I wasn’t too worried about it, because after finishing filming on the first couple days of September, I had a month until Part 4 was due to be released. Let me tell you, last month went by SO FAST. I slowly became more stressed because I still didn’t know how to end it, even with me being locked in a room trying to write the ending, as well as asking my sister and the actors for input. Actually, Ashley and Edlyn (the actors) played a large role in how the series turned out. The idea of having a theme for each video (Hunger, Depression, etc) was their idea… now THAT’S a collaboration! I need to give a big thanks to Lauren as well, for helping me film the entire Part 4, including the scene in the classroom that was filmed on a separate day… which you can probably guess is my favorite scene. (;

Alrighty, now for the actual storyline. I was worried it would be too ambiguous, but I believe it turned out okay. THE ENDING: I ended up doing all the work, but I put their names on the project so they got credit too, yet they didn’t know I did that… hence the description… “sometimes being a friend is doing good things for people even if they never know it,” or whatever I wrote, haha. I just sort wanted to do a good moral type thing, like not expecting a thank you for good deeds, but then again you really shouldn’t credit to people who don’t do anything. Uhh, now I’m confused. *panics* CUT TO CAMERA B!

I was a little bummed out when I found out a close friend and fantastic follower of the site said she didn’t catch the reference where in every episode someone asks the “Wanna hang out later!?” dialogue and the following response corresponds with the theme of the episode. That was my favorite little part of the whole series, and I’m sad that people may not have cuaght that. Perhaps a week was too long of a wait to remember? Should I have inserted a “Previously on TEAM EFFORT…” segment? Ah well. I’m learning from all this. I do know that I won’t be doing another multi-parter for a while, so if you didn’t like this, don’t worry because we will be returning to the good ol’ 2-3 minute sketches. The reason I want to work on more videos like that is because… well, when the views of the first episode of Team Effort are 216 and the finale has 87 (these are all at time of writing obviously), I did something wrong. But I wanted to do something different, and you all will never know how hard it was and the things I had to do to pull this off. But oh well, it’s all part of the job… (:

 Watch in our video theater |  YouTube HD

Okay, so you know how OCD I am. I MUST have a blog entry for EVERY video in the “Project Video Updates” category, even if they are just “parts” of a bigger episode. Yes, I’m talking about Team Effort. So, if you’ll excuse me, I will make two quick blog updates (without .gif images — blame the budget cuts) about parts 2 and 3, and then conclude the Team Effort series with a slightly longer post about the finale. So, without further ado, let’s dip into the Part 2 pool, including the most intentionally confusing blog title ever (but not really).

So, Part 2. You know what, I’m gonna watch it again just to refresh my memory. *One minute and 47 seconds later* Well, that was pretty good! So, at this point you can figure out how this video is going to be set up. In the first video, I explain my Point-of-View to our professor, so in this episode Ashley explains her POV. Also in this episode, which I would HOPE you would catch on, is that in the second cutaway of the flashback, while her story is different from mine, some lines are repeated such as the “DON’T EVEN ASK THAT / YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.” I talked to someone who watched them as they came out, and she didn’t notice the reference. ARGH. Ah well, maybe you will? In the off- chance you haven’t watched Pt. 2 (Depression) yet, here are some handy links below! Enjoy!

 Watch in our video theater |  YouTube HD

One more day without a blog post and it would have been an entire month since the “Summer Reading” post! I really need to keep this blog updated with more than just the “Project Video Updates.” If you want to know what I’ve been up to, you can visit my new tumblr (jeffreyvega.com)! I actually posted some production posts about “Team Effort” on there, so now that I think about it, I feel pretty bad for not keeping you guys in the loop over here at NintendoBoy.com. Ah well, let’s fix that right now. I’ve decided to keep this post rather short and I will then shower you with information once the “Team Effort” story arc is complete. But consider this the official notice that it is posted, but there is a better chance that you have already seen it! If you haven’t seen it, then consider yourself lucky, because Part 2 will be posted tomorrow, making it feel like you didn’t have to wait that long.

The production of this video took 3 weeks to prepare and it included meeting with a lawyer, so you can imagine how different and stressful it was for me aside from the “completed in a day” style I’ve been on. But, more on that later. For now, just enjoy and look forward to this “WHODUNNIT?” story arc! (:

As far as the animated gif… well, I just like it. I’m not gonna lie, these awesome gifs are getting harder and harder to find. But hey, no one really reads this blog… right? (;

 Watch in our video theater |  YouTube HD

Well, it’s that time again! That time, where anything that has to do with a current video is officially completed. Usually when I release a video, I advertise the heck out of it for a week. It’s really tedious and tiresome, because people probably end up hating me by the end of the week since every tweet and facebook link I post is about a video they probably already saw because I’m so popular. Ha, just kidding. Despite the annoying work that comes with telling people about my video during “Nintendo Boy week,” I’m excited knowing that literally hundreds of people are watching my work. In the middle of that week I usually post some production stills on our facebook page, and then at the end of the week, when the average views are about 200, I post the outtakes which I’ve put together during the week. All in all, it’s an exciting time, but once that first week is over, it’s officially out of my hands, you know? It’s out for the world to see, and it’s a great feeling. This is also the time that I update the blog which you are now reading, so here we go!

Our latest video “Summer Reading” is definitely one that I am proud of. The pre-production for this video was a quick turn around and we only had one day to do it (but isn’t that how most our videos are?) We filmed on a day where the days before that Ali & Katie were on vacation and then the day after Katie would go back to GA Southern, so there was definitely pressure. There was also some added pressure to the fact that some lady in the book store told us not to film and then there was some even more added pressure when I had to edit and publish the video quickly before Norcross High (most of my fan base) came back into session for the year. I think with all that factored in, this was a pretty successful video. It took a long time to film the final scene as you’ll see in the outtakes, but man was it a fun day. A long day, but definitely fun. In fact, the final scene was decided as we all took a break from the B&N scenes and had lunch at Jason’s Deli where I forced everyone to come up with an idea, which I’m sure you can guess ultimately lead nowhere.

Well SOMEHOW, we did it. Another mostly improv’d video (aside from the beginning and end, which I most always write) is now added to the canon of Nintendo Boy videos. Also, you may have noticed this was shorter than average… how did you like that? I mean, no one wants to sit through a 4 minute video… you should probably start expecting more shorter videos, so look out for that. But not until you finished Summer Reading… also, make sure you finish your summer reading assignment as well!

 Watch in our Video Theater |  YouTube HD |  Watch the Outtakes exclusively on Facebook!

This summer flew by fast. But isn’t that how it always works? For The Nintendo Boy Project, however, the summer crawled. What was hoping to be a summer of my first short film, ended up being the summer of trumpets. That’s not really a bad thing since I am proud of “Trumpet Lessons,” but wow what an adventure I had in order to finally release that video out to the public. May 28th was the day it was filmed, I took about a week to edit and put it all together nicely, and then… *EXPLOSION* I run away in fear that my motherboard has fried on my HP laptop, which sadly is exactly what happened.

The entire month of June consisted of me practically living in the computer lab of the suites during summer semester, which wouldn’t have been so bad if the computers had something other than Internet Explorer (an old verison of it, I might add). I could live it with that, but what I couldn’t live with was knowing that I was so close to releasing a fantastic new video and then have my computer turn off for the last time the night before I planned to release it. I basically had to sit on this video, hoping I could soon extract the video files by taking out the hard drive and hope that I would soon get another computer. Despite Summer 2010 not seeing a single new video, it all worked out in the end when I found out I would be getting a MacBook Pro! From then on I was able to re-create “Trumpet Lessons” with Final Cut Express and FINALLY get it out within a matter of days of getting the computer! From that moment on, I’ve received nothing but great feedback for this video featuring Parker & Dale, and now that I have the incredible technology to make videos better and easier (see previous blog entry), I’ve been working on 3 new videos, ALL AT ONCE! You know, since I can do that now (again, see the previous blog entry)!

So. It might have taken 2 months to get out, but I hope that “Trumpet Lessons” was well-worth the wait. But, only you can be the judge of that, so if you haven’t seen it yet, make it the next video you watch!

 Watch in our Video Theater |  YouTube HD |  Watch the Outtakes exclusively on Facebook!

P.S. Sorry for not being able to post this entry about the video until now, but with my final exams for summer semester (passed all my classes with A’s… WOOHOO!) as well as working to produce more videos, I haven’t had the time to sit down and write this. But as I always say, better late than never, right? (;