Thanks to Factor75 for sponsoring today's video. Use my link to get 50% off your first Factor box and 20% off your next month of orders! strms.net/factor75_trovarion
Livin The Dream! ;-) I definitely recognize some of your emotions here. One lesson that I've learned is to NOT let UPS, GW, or any other outside company make decisions about what my next video is going to be. YOU get to decide what your next video will be about, not the mail carrier :-) Put sample stock (minis, paints, etc.) in a pile, and use them when the time is right for YOU, which is not necessarily the same day as the embargo date. Obviously SOME product releases will give your video a bit of a boost if you release a video on the embargo date... but IMO there are only a handful of truly noteworthy/ newsworthy releases in our hobby per year. The time-sensitive videos are more stressful to make, and often not as viable for evergreen content. Occasionally there are times when a new release really IS worth your time... but chasing the dragon can be a trap that can lead to burnout. For years I've kept a big list of evergreen video ideas that I'd really like to make someday, and when it's time to start filming a new video I pick from this list something that really fits my mood. This keeps me excited and it gives me a better feeling of control over what I'm making on my channel. Good luck buddy, keep on painting and editing! 🙂
Nice to see your support Brent! I think it really says something coming from someone in the same boat :) Spread that Love and Support! :D #supportbravely ;)
I'm always amazed that you can keep a channel going when you spend so much time supporting others, where do you find the time! It seems that every channel I watch you are always commenting and spreading the love, its fantastic to see, keep up the good work and positive vibes
Thats really well said and definitely one of a many ways to do it. Man, thanks for your community contributions and shared knowledge and wisdom! We need more people like you folks - who think, feel and act their way - not how smb thinks „they supposed to act“. Many thanks and have a wonderful weekend y’all Keep it up Trov, you’re content is also really insightful and enlightening. Kudos and cheers
It's crazy to see how much time a channel about painting actually spends on things that aren't related to painting. I hope you can find a way to make it work for you because I really enjoy your youtube videos and it would be sad to see less videos from such an amazing artist! All the best to you!
Good luck man! I know the struggle. I’m actually very frustrated with how much of my work time I have to spend on things that are actually not painting. And I never have time to paint miniatures and build dioramas that I consider creative and interesting. But all in all, this is still the best job I could’ve ever imagine, so I hope you will manage to find some balance! 😁
I'm a huge fan of the 'educational' content. Even as someone who never paints space marines, I learn a lot from each time I watch you paint one. Keep up the good work
Wow! I loved that video. True transparent real talk. Not common on YT. I really adore this. I hope - from the bottom of my heart - that you find the way that is the right one for you. What your experinece shows me that it is natural to burn out after some time. Been there done that. I do hope this solves for you in the future. I am glad that YT is not my necessary income. Focus for me is being a miniature painter first, an artist, followed by being a teacher, followed by all the additional work. I go the feeling it is almost the opposite for you and I do not envy you. What I adore is that you can be so honest. I like this a lot. It is something I do not see often in the UA-cam Miniature Painting Content Creator scene. I see a lot of burned out content creators who miss out on the important thing: being creative and paint a lot. Christoph, I truely hope that you find your balance again. A balance that relies on you, not sponsors, content races or thumbnail competitions ... there is more in you as an artist. All the best! As a young father I know that mental and physical health is what we owe to our children and families. No money can buy that ... Keep on happy painting and reach out anytime you need someone to talk to! Roman
Burnout is a serious thing. It can lead to much more. It can escalate in depression and self-doubt. Been there done that. I even think sometimes it is necessary to encounter the full fist of it all. The Knock out can explain to you what you need to change to stay healthy. Listen if it happens. I do not wish this to you, but on the long term this escalation is forging your own self in the future and how you react on situation. It does not sound like you are in control as you are too reliable on factors that you just follow and try to catch up. This is not sustainable in the long run. I sent you all my good thoughts that you get out of it in the best way possible for you :)
Love your response Roman. I too appreciate his level of transparency and as someone who has been painting for almost 4 decades now, I still love learning better painting techniques that Christoph, you and others put out into the world. This "inside baseball" look is a really good reminder to me of what it takes to do this as a profession...and I'm grateful.
You’ve been a part of my painting journey since the beginning. The community needs your level of commitment to teaching and quality. Excellence is better than cute and catchy. Just joined Patreon. I hope others will too !
It's not easy being a painter, a creator, an editor, and most of all a father (congratulations!) amongst other things, all at the same time. I just wanted to drop a comment on to say that finding your channel was the biggest help in bumping up my painting skills and made a huge impact on my ability to paint well, as well as wanting to improve with every model I paint. Thank you, dude. I hope you find some balance and if that means less frequent uploads for a while then don't sweat it. I'm sure me and a ton of others will watch whatever you put out when you can. Thanks again!
This was actually incredibly illuminating and helpful as a small painting content creator myself. Though since I'm not full time I'm finding I have almost the opposite problem, I have my video production process pretty well streamlined, but it takes me wayyy too long to actually paint the models, so I just can't release that many videos. It seems if I want to pursue this seriously I can also look forward to a lot of administrative work. For what its worth, from an outside perspective I think your painting, video, and audio quality go a really long way in keeping up the polish of your videos. That's kinda what you were talking about with the 80/20 split. You could probably reign in some of the fancier editing and 99% of us would still think the videos are as good as they ever were. As always good to see a video of yours pop up the feed. We're all rooting for you.
It’s important to work at a pace that is healthy and sustainable. And also work in ways that inspire you. Excited to see where your inspiration and motivations take you next.
Props to you for maintaining your integrity and not accepting sponsorships from companies whom you feel are not reputable. I wish more folks would do this.
Mini painter and filmmaker here. Have you tried doing a live to tape style video? You could hire a camera operator who would switch from camera to camera on a PC/laptop, while you do a live painting lesson. Then you cut down the video in editing later, but it would be way faster because you already have the camera angles you need and basic layout of the video. If you don’t know what I mean, think of a Bob Ross video from the 90s. They used 3 cameras and 3 camera people. But with modern tech one person can do it all from the editing software. Example: wide shot, today we will paint this space marine, cut to camera 2, close up of the marine as you apply the base coat, back to one, now for some dry brushing, then cut to camera 3 which shows the pallet, close up on the brush technique, then go to camera 2 for the painting. Then lasted all you have to do in editing is cut the directions you say, and cut down the video from an hour to 20 minutes and upload. You’d probably cut your editing time in half.
I really enjoyed this “behind the scenes” video. Remember that we’re not here just to watch minis get painted. We’re here to watch YOU paint minis. So feel free to tell your story about painting minis for UA-cam. Everyone loves stories about the hero overcoming every challenge thrown at them, so turn your challenges into content! I can’t wait to see more!
Very cool that you are so transparent with us. I hope it continues to work out for you. You're an important part of the UA-cam painting community and you'd be missed dearly.
You're an amazing talent, a heck of a creator and a wonderful teacher. I wish I could offer some magic "fix it all" advice. Running a business is so much harder than people tend to think if they haven't done it. They only look at what you take in and not mandatory ongoing costs. In my business we get a $10k check and the 30 employees think we're rolling in it. They don't understand payroll is almost $40k every 2 weeks. You've got the lights to keep on, loans and leases to pay, raw materials to pay in 30 days when your clients demand 60-90 day pay terms. It's similar no matter if you're running a big, medium sized or a small 1 man operation. You're no sell out. You've got bills to pay and a family to provide for. Don't ever think you need to apologize for that. The only advice I have is; do what you can, pay your bills on time and keep family first. All the nubs of life who throw rocks can go kick them instead. They've no clue.
you're videos have been a huge inspiration for me. Honestly, you're probably the best teacher and painter on youtube. It takes a rare kind of person to be able to explain things clearly and concisely, and it's even more rare when that person has the actual expertise and skill to back it up. Whatever happens in the future, thank you for all the great content.
I really feel the part about dealing with setbacks. I'm currently getting ready to start producing video content for the first time, which meant getting a proper camera, figuring out how to photo, editing photos, getting a new table so I can have dedicated hobby space and hopefully set for recording there. Lot of setbacks, lot to order, to think of, to deal with. But the guys I will (still hopefully for now) be working with/for are nothing but supportive, which has been great. It's just little intimidating, learning new stuff with a full time job, my own hobby stuff to the side and well.... living. The part about editing taking so much time frankly scares me, but we will see how it goes and how well can I support myself with it financially, possibly cutting time at my day job. It's really a once per life opportunity that has been presented to me, and I don't want to let it slip away. Thanks for sharing all this Trov, it has been very human to peak behind the curtain.
That was a really interesting video, great breakdown! I didn’t realize you were in Austria, Prost🍻. I’m in Canada but my entire extended family lives in Bruck an der Mur. 🇦🇹. Whatever you do with your channel don’t lose any time with your child because it passes fast and you don’t want to miss anything. Keep up the fantastic job though!!!
Hello, and thank you for sharing this information with us, which we, the public, are not really aware of. I'm watching you from France, having just subscribed to your content. I don't often post comments, but in any case I wanted to say thank you for our community of hobbyists. I hope your situation improves, and that the little problems with the carriers and your equipment are resolved. You're a great painter, a great content editor so I'm sure you'll be fine. Oh and good luck with the little one, I'm not a dad but I can see from those around me just how much dedication and stamina it takes ^^. On the other hand, I did notice the little Warcrow box and the Combined Army pack from Corvus Belli 👀...
As hard as it may be to do, just ignore anyone who accuses you of selling out. Any fan you expects you to live the rest of your life as a struggling artist is not a fan at all. I don't care how you get the miniatures or any of the other materials that you use to create your art. The techniques that you teach are the same, and the learning I've gained from you is unmeasurable. Thank you for what your do and for helping me grow in my journey to become a better artist.
100% i want trov to have plenty of cash and time for both the fam and himself. If im getting adds for whatever who cares, the more the better. Hes made my hobby time many times better and i cant thank him enough for it truely..... but hes the NERD.
Deine Videos sind super und sehr hilfreich. Deine Produktions Qualität entspricht der einer kleineren bzw mittleren Film produktions Firma, kein wunder das du ausgebrannt bist. Wenn man alles alleine macht, wofür man drei bis vier Leute braucht, kommt man schnell an seine Grenzen. Das Du so lange ausgehalten hast, Respekt. Jetzt hast Du einen Zwerg und alles steht Kopf, kann ich verstehen, war auch schon dort. Mach ne Pause ordne alles neu, delegiere Aufgaben an andere und vor allem Pflege Dein Talent.
This is some real talk! Thanks for putting it out there and giving everyone a sense of what being a mini painter on youtube is actually about, Trovarion. I think many of us appreciate your openness and authenticity. Respect to you, sir!
Hey, burnout happens. I did this professionally from 1989-2009. I had to change things up many times to get myself back into the mix. The internet came along in 1996, and videos changed the game. I worked 12-16+ hours per day painting when I wasn't working a regular job. I worked for Ral Partha/FASA from 3 January 1999 - 28 October 2000, plus a few jobs for other manufacturers. I retired from doing it as a job when I got married. Now, my eyes and hands can't handle the tiny details. I'm old. Do I miss it? Yes. But not as much as I thought I would. Now, I'm just trying to pass my skills to my children.
I wish you the best of luck with fatherhood, I love your videos and regardless if you slow down production I'll still be here to watch any videos when I can.
Hang in there, sir. As a new Dad, you have the right perspective. That adorable kiddo is your main focus and that's where the energy should be spent. This video is outstanding, and I appreciate your transparency and honesty. You are world class already, and you're rethinking your approach to be a world class Dad. Well done!
Love your work mate. Idea: A lot of top creators use their live content to make shorts and videos about. Maybe set up two cameras where you paint and have parts where you talk, analyse and critique vewers works for example. Like a part at the end of every video where you show and talk about peoples questions and their work from reddit or your discord. Of course its not as professional and polished but most people enjoy personality more than fancy cuts and transitions. Keep it up mate, this is a part where you evolve, its not about failiure :)
For what it's worth, not only that I appreciate your (fantastic) videos about hobby, but I also fully respect and appreciate this video and others like it, where you show the "human side" of hobby youtubing. For selfish reasons of course, but also taking into consideration your love of what you are doing, I sincerely hope that you will find mental, emotional and physical strength to endure all these challenges that you have mentioned and that we can continue enjoying your highly EDUCATIONAL and very entertaining and fullfilling videos in the future. I wish I could do something to help, but the fact that I am not that good at any of the things you have issues with (editing, chasing sponsors, "playing the YT game" with click baits, thumbnails and catchy titles) is the one that always prevented me from even trying to start my own channel. Intuitively I figured that there was a lot more to it than just turning the camera on and starting to paint, and watching this video now proved everything I was always vary of. Seeing it all laid out plainly like you did makes me appreciate and admire you even more, Chris. As a father myself, I just want to remind you that you can always take a break or reduce the video output and dedicate your time to your kid that is only going to be little for a short while. You don't want to miss these precious few years of his life, when his Daddy is more needed than Professor Trovarion. GW is not going anywhere, hobby will be here waiting for you and all of us that value your gift to us will be happy to see your content whenever you manage to share it with us. All the best to you and your family, live long and prosper.
Thank you for sharing this Trovarion. It was extremely interesting for a regular 40k painter/gamer like me to see whats going on behind the scene. I think the part you added towards the end with quality, is one of the most important things about you. You talk about integrity, you talk about giving your most and that is they main reason why you are my favorite painter. I see a lot of other influencers also refer to you when they talk about, who they get inspiration from or who they look up to. You do a kick ass job and I appreciate all the time you have spent chanelling your knowledge to this huge audience. Then an idea. I dont know if this makes sense to you. Here goes: You have made tons of quality content on painting. You have a catalogue of great videos. Could it make sense for you to make a couple of overview videos. Everything about layering/shading/paint brushes/whatever topic and link to older videos you have made. That could maybe channel more views on the same "viewing session". Not sure if this works for the algorithm, but I thought that it would extend how much time we spend watching you as well as create value for all of us viewers. Keep up the great work Trov. /Nico
Thank you for the inside insight into the challenges you're facing in the non creative admin of running a small business. It takes more than most realise. I remember my other halfs frustration over admin and advertising and seeking that customer base, when all she was was to be creative. I love your educational style, and will be here for more when you are.
This is a very interesting perspective, and probably not easy to share. I’ve only recently found your channel and have been gorging on it most days. Your production and presentation quality is head and shoulders above pretty much everyone else. I get frustrated at how slowly my channel is growing, but then I look at the number of videos (not many), and how much effort goes in to them (not a lot) and see there’s no real consistency to the content and I’m like “Oh yes that is perfectly reasonable” ha haa
this channel is like the GRRMartin of painting. I don't know when the next video will come, but I know I will love it when it does. Your knowledge & unique pedagogical approach are the best in the game. I hope you are able to resolve some of these issues, and wish I was in an economic position to support the patreon. Best of luck!
I do not play, I barely even paint, but the videos and pdfs are worth the Patreon subscription. The first video that got me was the grimdark necron, and the techniques used, how you hold your brush, how the paint is applied, etc. has helped me more as an artist in other aspects aside from mini painting. Viewing the critiques in the discord and hearing the info for how to improve has also been immense. I don't know what I'm going with all this, but overall, I guess it just means thanks for putting in the work and the hours. and if you need to change stuff up to take care of yourself, that's more important. Full stop. If you get burned out and can't keep going, then really, nobody gets what they want.
I really appreciate the honesty of acknowledging your feelings. I have a 2 year old one and out of the sudden you feel like you cannot fail anymore. You need to provide with no second chances. Really brave to pursue your dreams and to open your feelings that honest. Really good job on the channel. I have learned a lot about you so keep it on and congrats for both, professional and family success
I love your videos, and though I am not nearly at the level of being able to do most advanced techniques, you are certainly one of the creators I can rely on to break things down to a manageable pace. Always appreciate honesty as well, I think more youtubers should acknowledge and show their audience just how much time, effort and cost goes into the 20-40mins of painting we see. Tbh, I'm more impressed with the redress at the end, those cuff buttons are hard to do one handed :P
Thanks for the behind the scenes - appreciate you still turning out the videos with that volume of overhead to the process. Could you find a partner/shop/youtuber in the UK that could take the delivery for you - then use a different provider to expedite it to Austria? It would be another hop (and a cost) but might be more reliable.
Long time listener, first time caller. Really enjoy your tutoring/teaching style of videos. Good pacing and you make techniques accessible without being patronising. Keep up the good work.
Hey man! Just wanted to say a genuine thank you for all the awesome tutorials and videos you've made! I've been on the patreon and watched your videos for a long while now, I've painted most my black templars in a similar grimdark style and get tons of compliments! I'll support on the patreon and watch your videos for as long as you make them for certain! Wishing you the best and you'll always have a fan in me!
Very insightful - as a new youtube creator, this confirmed what I assumed: That UA-cam isn't something that will let me quit my 9-5, and that editing does in fact take loads of time. I hope you continue to make videos, and that UPS get better (they are the WORST). Big up!! (and congrats on the kiddo!)
Man I do hope you get the problems sorted the best way! Your videos are the best, others try to be wierd and silly to get views. But you always focus on helping us understand why and how to paint! Love your stuff!
Really appreciate the insight into all the work that goes into the videos. Like everyone here, I love your work and just want you to enjoy it and do well 🎉
You are so not a sell out. You wouldn’t be sharing all this behind the scenes stuff if you were. I’m a huge fan of yours and you do so much for this community.
I am commenting because your videos are amazing and I really want you to get noticed more. I got drawn in by your lead hair video where you admit you may have purported fake news. It was really funny stuff. Everything you said in this video makes so much sense. I am in the states. I want you take off. Hoping for the best. But of course this all does take a back seat to being a parent. So I will rewatch all your videos in chronological order. Congratulations and good luck!!
May I ask: Did you watch the guide hair video recently? The video had a massive uptick in views in the last 48 hours and i was curious where that came from - did it get recommended to you or did you find it on an external page?
Thanks for the update. Your miniature painting videos are the best on youtube. We all hope you get back on track, but not at the detriment of your health and wellbeing. Just make content that makes you happy.
Wishing you all the best in this period of time. I hope you get it figured out, you are my favorite hobby content creator. I have definitely learned the most from you and enjoy your style of painting and explanation.
That sounds ridiculously stressful, as a father of a 6 year old I can confirm that he’s getting quicker while I’m slowing down😮💨 I hope that you’ve got a few close friends in the miniature painting world that you can share experiences and help your mental health. I’ve seen a few videos lately from the likes of rogue hobbies, peachy etc talking about their experiences in the content creative world and how they find it stressful. I love your videos and I learn so much, it really comes across the love and effort you put into them.
Man, that UPS problem hits home… I ordered two packages shipped by them and were lost in the mail a week apart. Then the company re shipped with UPS, and the packages were lost again….. what a junk service. But just do what is best for you man! Your content is always appreciated!
Great video that really helped me understand the struggles! All I can say is, prioritise yourself (and your family) and let everything else follow. I for one appreciate whatever content you get out. Good luck and I hope papa nurgle goes easy on you!
Good luck getting things on a better track that frees up more creative space and family time. It is easy to overdo it when trying to tackle everything by oneself. Take the time and keeping fingers crossed the editor works out :)
Brotha’ I am praying for you & your family. God has given you an AMAZING talent, that brings joy to both you, & MANY other people. Stuck with it! This is the part of the journey they don’t put in movies, but you WILL get there! God speed brotha’ 🤙🧐
editing both of videos and working out what to say in descriptions for videos is where most of my time. especially with weaker hardware adds extra time i have noticed. so i am glad to see i am not the only one
Just wanted to say that I'm a US user who really enjoys your content. I find your painting tutorials excellent and easy to follow. I'm sorry it's tough right now, but I appreciate all the effort and work you put into your art. It shows.
It'd be cool to see you roll some dice and game a bit. Maybe a shot with Table Top Tactics or/and Winters SEO. Your painting it top teir. Your design is second to none. Just hoping to see you expand branch out is all. You have an awesome channel.
"If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again". I have loved your channel for years. Your grimdark necron videos got me back into the hobby after more than 20 years out of it. You've been a favourite UA-camr of mine. It's good to see that you have identified some of your strains. While I have loved watching your videos to learn skills and admire your high quality of work. Let's not forget that one of the best things about Warhammer or minature painting is doing it alongside friends and talking to them across the table. Therefore, one thing I'd recommend is to do more collaborations with other UA-camrs with video crossovers. You already communicate with them. This is quite entertaining from an audience perspective, it will both reduce the time thinking about new ideas (because you'd be a part of those of others and vice versa), and it exposes both of you to each others subscribers. It should also bring you a different sense of joy as you will be able to share that feeling of success with your collaborators and professional friends. I'd love nothing more than to see more crossovers, e.g. painting a boarding patrol challenge, with the likes of Ninjon, Goobertown, Miniac, TableTop Ready, Guy, Zumikito, and Byron of Artis Opus. One other thing, you once mentioned that you'd love to have a Warhammer army and that you always admired those seen in official Warhammer content. Please start a miniseries where you paint one miniature a week in your desired army scheme. Each episode doesn't need to be new or flash, it's more so repetitious and simply used to support the release of your novel videos. This will get you a minimum one video per week and after 12 months you'll have 52 models completed. It will also be a good start for your new editor.
Keep at it man, love the videos and look forward to new ones when they drop. Honestly you could paint a generic mini and I would still watch. I can feel your pain and love on the kid. Mine is 5 going on 25.
Thank you for a very interesting run through. I can see your typical high quality in this explanation as in your painting tutorials. Also, watching you continue to learn and grow in response to your challenges is inspiring.
I would be more than happy to see more 'modular' videos. One video of painting a marine = 5 smaller videos covering a single technique for that same marine
Thanks for the update. I couldn't handle the stress and workload being a content creater. I really watch mostly educational videos on miniature painting. But the algorithm really makes it hard to get to quality content.
I completely understand your position and how things have changed. As someone who is also a father, I FULLY recommend getting in all the time you can with your son. The time goes by so quickly and you'll never get that time back. And while I love my daughter and I'm thankful for the time I have spent and continue to spend with her, I have never found myself saying "I wish I had spent less time with my daughter." So 100% do what you need to do to make sure you and your family are taken care of. I think it's easy for us viewers to assume that content creators just paint all day, take an hour to make a video, and then goof off the rest of the day; but it's a lot of work. Thank you for all the content and I hope you all the best. Not only will I continue to watch your UA-cam videos, but I'm going to hop on your Patreon too to help out. Keep up the great work.
Thank you! I really appreciate your courage to be honest and talk about your struggles. I have known that running a UA-cam channel is a lot harder than it looks. We just click on a video and see the fun finished project. We don’t see all the behind the scenes work that goes into it. I work with school aged children and over the past several years I’ve noticed that more and more of them say they want to be a “UA-camr” when they get older. It’s fascinating to hear just how hard it really is and how much time and effort you have to put into it to be successful. Best of luck to you. Take care of yourself and I hope you figure out how to manage your work/life balance. I appreciate your channel and hope to see you continue but I know family, your mental health, and your own peace of mind is way more important than what random internet people say or think. Screw anyone who doesn't back you up and just wants to troll.
The most important thing in your life is now your child. But as you mentioned in the video you know this. I have learned that everything else will be fine as long as you can enjoy the time with you children! I am so glad that I had the opportunity to go into parental leave, not usual for men, and I could take the time for them.
Honestly, dude, you don't even have to say sorry or explain. You can see the exhaustion in your face man. Thanks for all your content, I've learned a lot from your videos, and I love your painting. I hope things get better for you.
When I started painting as a hobbie, you were the first channel that cought my attention. Now I don't search that much and truth is I no longer watch every video of everyone I follow but still, you are my favourite, not sure why just love how you explain and structure your videos ❤
I Feel You man! Especially being an ex-teacher myself. That's why I never went full social media(apart from it being a viper's nest, duh) and instead decided to be the supporting party. That's what I feel best in - sitting comfortably in the shadow and getting sh*t done. Plus, it's much more flexible. Especially time-wise. All in all, I appreciate and respect things You do. You helped me quite a lot on my painting journey and still feel slightly sh*t for dropping off Patreon cause between work, family and sick parents i haven't got a time for a single painting session since like two months ago :( Anyway, just wanted to say that do what makes you tick - as long as it make your gears turn. Otherwise it;s not worth it. Especially with the little copy of You by your side ;) And if You'll ever happen to visit Kontrast (biggest miniature painting festival in Poland) I'd love to get a handshake! Hopefully I'll be a designated photographer there next year too ;)
Thanks for the honesty. If the local editor doesn't work out, maybe talk to other miniature painters, one of them must have an editor for their videos. Don't think anyone here wants to take away from your family time either, not for plastic toy soldiers. I hope you find a path forward that's healthy and works for you.
great video. its such a bless when people share a peak behind the curtain. i wish you the best of luck. regarding the editor - keep in mind its an investment, so if you can get someone to learn to match you style and understand your painting part and vocabulary it will be beneficial long term. its a pain to work with specialists from different branches in the beginning, but once you get the growing pains out of the way it becomes so much easier to do everything and it can help you improve your overall pipeline with insights from their perspective.
These candid videos about the state of the channel and real challenges in running a successful UA-cam channel are super helpful and insightful. I really like your painting videos because I think your style makes it easy to see how to paint technically correctly, which I can then take and apply in my own style. I respect you for sticking to your guns in terms of what you want the core purpose of the channel to be and in terms of which sponsorships you accept. My immediate reflection is man, that many hours editing; you need to find a way to file that down. Would a faster PC help (quicker renders)? Or, maybe do you need to segment your videos between the "big lifts" where you go max on quality, scope, scale (like Dune) and quicker simpler videos (maybe shorter length), which like episodes of a soap-opera you can get out at reasonable frequency without excessive time investment.
Those people that say you’re a “sell out” can pound sand man. You are able to make a living and support your family by doing something you love, and we love watching you do it. It turns out that even being a UA-camr is you know….work.
I think it is very good that you talk also about the downs. About the editor, I hope you can train the person to get what you want. It should be possible.
Respect for making this. I hope you work things out. Your content is some of the best. As a viewer I appreciate quality and honest educational content as opposed to click bait or whatever’s “hot”. I think you do the former really well and that’s what keeps me returning.
Bin auch Selbstständig in der Medienbranche und kann deinen Struggle komplett nachvollziehen. Vor allem bei diesem strengen Perfektionismus keine Kontrolle abgeben zu können, ist eine gefährliche Falle für die eigene psychische Gesundheit. Ich würde vielleicht wirklich nochmal versuchen, einen motivierten Editor zu finden, der eine Sensibilität für die Thematik hat. Natürlich braucht das Einweisen, das Besprechen von Ideen, Feedbackschleifen usw. auch Zeit, aber wenn dann trotzdem 40-50% weniger Zeit für den Editierprozess draufgehen würden, wäre das ja schon eine enorme Hilfe. Glaube in Anbetracht deines enormen Zeitaufwands für das Editing könnte das dein Leben echt krass erleichtern und verbessern!
Even if the topic is a bit difficult I find myself feeling relieved you are openly discussing it. Glad to hear you are not giving up yet, but it's good to put things in perspective. I wish you all the luck, Chris!
My two kids are recently married. I'm forever grateful that I had the good fortune to be close to them growing up. It's a lifelong gift for everyone. You will never get that time back: be with them NOW. Best of luck to you and your family 🙏🏻
He say he don't want trash companies so we won't have a "Better help" ad (their "licenced profesionals" are not all licenced) and we won't have "Displated" too (they don't mind if you sell other art).
Wow man thanks for your openness and sharing your struggles. I know the feeling (different setting but non the less). I also have a Burnout, the company I worked at for 15y got screwed by a investment corporation. Most employees worked there buts off to promises made to us. But they decided to pull the plug and let the company be dissolved. In hindsight it was there plan from the beginning. They messed up the administration so there is no unemployment benefits not even if you are in a Burnout. So going into my 3d month without pay. Life is hard. This is just 1 of the 4 big life problems I am facing. But for me painting miniatures is a real life saver it keeps me somewhat sain. ❤❤❤
Oh no, I would hate to see you go :-/ Hope it works out with that local editor! Finding someone you enjoy working with can be a tough process, but incredibly rewarding, once you find a fitting match. All the best!
I can relate to you. I was developing video games in the past...but most of my time was spent on promotion, marketing, finding sponsors, integrating with social platform APIs etc...and only a small amount of time actually developing games (which was the only part I liked). Than children came (both for me and my designer) so we had to put that on hiatus and stick with day-jobs as developer and designer. Then there was the same problem that we are not in the US but in EU and had some tax issues and sponsors would pay us less than US developers. I admire your perseverance and I am thankful for that (since I like to watch your videos and I learn a lot from them)...but remind yourself that health and family are more important than job and money.
I couldn't really watch him in the past because he made such bold claims. "I'm going to show you how I paint box art miniatures", while painting at a slightly above average level and copying Sergio Calvo's style of painting without giving him credit. Now when he is just a lifestyle youtuber with a warhammer theme, I can stand him more.
@@akvavit0 Huh? "Slightly above average level" is quite a ridiculous understatement. They've made fantastic works in the past, you can't deny that no matter your other opinions on them. For the rest, that I can't judge.
@@nickkohlmann It's for a bit of dramatic effect. But his work has never been at the level of sharpness to make such claims. Also, that squidmar's copy of David Sopers Orruk Megaboss is more famous than the original makes my eyes roll a bit.
Squidmar’s past job was a photographer so he has a flair for the cinematic side and Lucas brings some amazing painting credibility. Emil bringing Lucas on was probably the best thing he could have ever done for his channel
The issues with UPS are so annoying even if my income is not dependent on them doing a decent job... It must be horrible if they screw up and then your left to improvise or need to delay videos. I really appreciate the time you take to make educational videos for youtube. Thank you! I know how hard it is to ignore negative comments but don't listen to people (e.g. being a sell out) who have no idea how much it takes to actually run your channel. Thank you for your hard work! All the best for the future. I really hope that you can find a solution that gives you more time to paint and thus more joy. 8 hours of 160 is just astonishingly small.
Thanks to Factor75 for sponsoring today's video. Use my link to get 50% off your first Factor box and 20% off your next month of orders! strms.net/factor75_trovarion
Livin The Dream! ;-) I definitely recognize some of your emotions here. One lesson that I've learned is to NOT let UPS, GW, or any other outside company make decisions about what my next video is going to be. YOU get to decide what your next video will be about, not the mail carrier :-) Put sample stock (minis, paints, etc.) in a pile, and use them when the time is right for YOU, which is not necessarily the same day as the embargo date. Obviously SOME product releases will give your video a bit of a boost if you release a video on the embargo date... but IMO there are only a handful of truly noteworthy/ newsworthy releases in our hobby per year. The time-sensitive videos are more stressful to make, and often not as viable for evergreen content. Occasionally there are times when a new release really IS worth your time... but chasing the dragon can be a trap that can lead to burnout. For years I've kept a big list of evergreen video ideas that I'd really like to make someday, and when it's time to start filming a new video I pick from this list something that really fits my mood. This keeps me excited and it gives me a better feeling of control over what I'm making on my channel. Good luck buddy, keep on painting and editing! 🙂
Nice to see your support Brent! I think it really says something coming from someone in the same boat :) Spread that Love and Support! :D #supportbravely ;)
Love to see other creators chime in.
I'm always amazed that you can keep a channel going when you spend so much time supporting others, where do you find the time! It seems that every channel I watch you are always commenting and spreading the love, its fantastic to see, keep up the good work and positive vibes
Brent continues to be one of the most supportive and positive people in the community.
Thats really well said and definitely one of a many ways to do it. Man, thanks for your community contributions and shared knowledge and wisdom! We need more people like you folks - who think, feel and act their way - not how smb thinks „they supposed to act“.
Many thanks and have a wonderful weekend y’all
Keep it up Trov, you’re content is also really insightful and enlightening.
Kudos and cheers
It's crazy to see how much time a channel about painting actually spends on things that aren't related to painting. I hope you can find a way to make it work for you because I really enjoy your youtube videos and it would be sad to see less videos from such an amazing artist! All the best to you!
@@advarios i agree with you!
It's how any business works, and when you are an only worker you have to do it all for yourself
Good luck man! I know the struggle. I’m actually very frustrated with how much of my work time I have to spend on things that are actually not painting. And I never have time to paint miniatures and build dioramas that I consider creative and interesting. But all in all, this is still the best job I could’ve ever imagine, so I hope you will manage to find some balance! 😁
Also congrats on being a dad! That’s the best job of all 🎉
I'm a huge fan of the 'educational' content. Even as someone who never paints space marines, I learn a lot from each time I watch you paint one. Keep up the good work
Wow! I loved that video. True transparent real talk. Not common on YT. I really adore this. I hope - from the bottom of my heart - that you find the way that is the right one for you. What your experinece shows me that it is natural to burn out after some time. Been there done that. I do hope this solves for you in the future. I am glad that YT is not my necessary income. Focus for me is being a miniature painter first, an artist, followed by being a teacher, followed by all the additional work. I go the feeling it is almost the opposite for you and I do not envy you.
What I adore is that you can be so honest. I like this a lot. It is something I do not see often in the UA-cam Miniature Painting Content Creator scene. I see a lot of burned out content creators who miss out on the important thing: being creative and paint a lot.
Christoph, I truely hope that you find your balance again. A balance that relies on you, not sponsors, content races or thumbnail competitions ... there is more in you as an artist. All the best!
As a young father I know that mental and physical health is what we owe to our children and families.
No money can buy that ...
Keep on happy painting and reach out anytime you need someone to talk to!
Roman
Burnout is a serious thing. It can lead to much more. It can escalate in depression and self-doubt. Been there done that. I even think sometimes it is necessary to encounter the full fist of it all. The Knock out can explain to you what you need to change to stay healthy. Listen if it happens. I do not wish this to you, but on the long term this escalation is forging your own self in the future and how you react on situation. It does not sound like you are in control as you are too reliable on factors that you just follow and try to catch up. This is not sustainable in the long run. I sent you all my good thoughts that you get out of it in the best way possible for you :)
Love your response Roman. I too appreciate his level of transparency and as someone who has been painting for almost 4 decades now, I still love learning better painting techniques that Christoph, you and others put out into the world. This "inside baseball" look is a really good reminder to me of what it takes to do this as a profession...and I'm grateful.
As a dad myself -- the blessed by Nurgle line killed me. I feel seen :)
You’ve been a part of my painting journey since the beginning. The community needs your level of commitment to teaching and quality. Excellence is better than cute and catchy. Just joined Patreon. I hope others will too !
Your a class painter , I think ppl would watch you paint anything , no matter what mini it was , you be you bro , always 👍💪🏻
It's not easy being a painter, a creator, an editor, and most of all a father (congratulations!) amongst other things, all at the same time. I just wanted to drop a comment on to say that finding your channel was the biggest help in bumping up my painting skills and made a huge impact on my ability to paint well, as well as wanting to improve with every model I paint. Thank you, dude. I hope you find some balance and if that means less frequent uploads for a while then don't sweat it. I'm sure me and a ton of others will watch whatever you put out when you can. Thanks again!
This was actually incredibly illuminating and helpful as a small painting content creator myself. Though since I'm not full time I'm finding I have almost the opposite problem, I have my video production process pretty well streamlined, but it takes me wayyy too long to actually paint the models, so I just can't release that many videos. It seems if I want to pursue this seriously I can also look forward to a lot of administrative work.
For what its worth, from an outside perspective I think your painting, video, and audio quality go a really long way in keeping up the polish of your videos. That's kinda what you were talking about with the 80/20 split. You could probably reign in some of the fancier editing and 99% of us would still think the videos are as good as they ever were.
As always good to see a video of yours pop up the feed. We're all rooting for you.
It’s important to work at a pace that is healthy and sustainable. And also work in ways that inspire you. Excited to see where your inspiration and motivations take you next.
Live your life man UA-cam will be here.
You’ve done enough people will still follow you if you take a break or switch platforms
Props to you for maintaining your integrity and not accepting sponsorships from companies whom you feel are not reputable. I wish more folks would do this.
Mini painter and filmmaker here. Have you tried doing a live to tape style video? You could hire a camera operator who would switch from camera to camera on a PC/laptop, while you do a live painting lesson. Then you cut down the video in editing later, but it would be way faster because you already have the camera angles you need and basic layout of the video.
If you don’t know what I mean, think of a Bob Ross video from the 90s. They used 3 cameras and 3 camera people. But with modern tech one person can do it all from the editing software. Example: wide shot, today we will paint this space marine, cut to camera 2, close up of the marine as you apply the base coat, back to one, now for some dry brushing, then cut to camera 3 which shows the pallet, close up on the brush technique, then go to camera 2 for the painting. Then lasted all you have to do in editing is cut the directions you say, and cut down the video from an hour to 20 minutes and upload. You’d probably cut your editing time in half.
I really enjoyed this “behind the scenes” video. Remember that we’re not here just to watch minis get painted. We’re here to watch YOU paint minis. So feel free to tell your story about painting minis for UA-cam. Everyone loves stories about the hero overcoming every challenge thrown at them, so turn your challenges into content! I can’t wait to see more!
Very cool that you are so transparent with us. I hope it continues to work out for you. You're an important part of the UA-cam painting community and you'd be missed dearly.
You're an amazing talent, a heck of a creator and a wonderful teacher. I wish I could offer some magic "fix it all" advice. Running a business is so much harder than people tend to think if they haven't done it. They only look at what you take in and not mandatory ongoing costs. In my business we get a $10k check and the 30 employees think we're rolling in it. They don't understand payroll is almost $40k every 2 weeks. You've got the lights to keep on, loans and leases to pay, raw materials to pay in 30 days when your clients demand 60-90 day pay terms. It's similar no matter if you're running a big, medium sized or a small 1 man operation. You're no sell out. You've got bills to pay and a family to provide for. Don't ever think you need to apologize for that.
The only advice I have is; do what you can, pay your bills on time and keep family first. All the nubs of life who throw rocks can go kick them instead. They've no clue.
you're videos have been a huge inspiration for me. Honestly, you're probably the best teacher and painter on youtube. It takes a rare kind of person to be able to explain things clearly and concisely, and it's even more rare when that person has the actual expertise and skill to back it up. Whatever happens in the future, thank you for all the great content.
I really feel the part about dealing with setbacks. I'm currently getting ready to start producing video content for the first time, which meant getting a proper camera, figuring out how to photo, editing photos, getting a new table so I can have dedicated hobby space and hopefully set for recording there. Lot of setbacks, lot to order, to think of, to deal with. But the guys I will (still hopefully for now) be working with/for are nothing but supportive, which has been great.
It's just little intimidating, learning new stuff with a full time job, my own hobby stuff to the side and well.... living. The part about editing taking so much time frankly scares me, but we will see how it goes and how well can I support myself with it financially, possibly cutting time at my day job.
It's really a once per life opportunity that has been presented to me, and I don't want to let it slip away. Thanks for sharing all this Trov, it has been very human to peak behind the curtain.
That was a really interesting video, great breakdown! I didn’t realize you were in Austria, Prost🍻. I’m in Canada but my entire extended family lives in Bruck an der Mur. 🇦🇹. Whatever you do with your channel don’t lose any time with your child because it passes fast and you don’t want to miss anything. Keep up the fantastic job though!!!
I’m rooting for you! Thank you for continuing to make videos for us UA-camrs ❤️
Hello, and thank you for sharing this information with us, which we, the public, are not really aware of. I'm watching you from France, having just subscribed to your content. I don't often post comments, but in any case I wanted to say thank you for our community of hobbyists. I hope your situation improves, and that the little problems with the carriers and your equipment are resolved. You're a great painter, a great content editor so I'm sure you'll be fine. Oh and good luck with the little one, I'm not a dad but I can see from those around me just how much dedication and stamina it takes ^^.
On the other hand, I did notice the little Warcrow box and the Combined Army pack from Corvus Belli 👀...
As hard as it may be to do, just ignore anyone who accuses you of selling out. Any fan you expects you to live the rest of your life as a struggling artist is not a fan at all. I don't care how you get the miniatures or any of the other materials that you use to create your art. The techniques that you teach are the same, and the learning I've gained from you is unmeasurable. Thank you for what your do and for helping me grow in my journey to become a better artist.
#TRUTH!!!
100% i want trov to have plenty of cash and time for both the fam and himself. If im getting adds for whatever who cares, the more the better. Hes made my hobby time many times better and i cant thank him enough for it truely..... but hes the NERD.
1000% agree with this, should be pinned
A small advert is a small price to pay for the techniques you show us. A lot of other channels the advert is better than the content.
I hope you manage to work things out; you're definitely one of my favorite channels/painters so I hope to keep watching!
Deine Videos sind super und sehr hilfreich. Deine Produktions Qualität entspricht der einer kleineren bzw mittleren Film produktions Firma, kein wunder das du ausgebrannt bist. Wenn man alles alleine macht, wofür man drei bis vier Leute braucht, kommt man schnell an seine Grenzen. Das Du so lange ausgehalten hast, Respekt. Jetzt hast Du einen Zwerg und alles steht Kopf, kann ich verstehen, war auch schon dort. Mach ne Pause ordne alles neu, delegiere Aufgaben an andere und vor allem Pflege Dein Talent.
This is some real talk! Thanks for putting it out there and giving everyone a sense of what being a mini painter on youtube is actually about, Trovarion. I think many of us appreciate your openness and authenticity. Respect to you, sir!
Hey, burnout happens. I did this professionally from 1989-2009. I had to change things up many times to get myself back into the mix. The internet came along in 1996, and videos changed the game.
I worked 12-16+ hours per day painting when I wasn't working a regular job. I worked for Ral Partha/FASA from 3 January 1999 - 28 October 2000, plus a few jobs for other manufacturers.
I retired from doing it as a job when I got married. Now, my eyes and hands can't handle the tiny details. I'm old. Do I miss it? Yes. But not as much as I thought I would. Now, I'm just trying to pass my skills to my children.
I wish you the best of luck with fatherhood, I love your videos and regardless if you slow down production I'll still be here to watch any videos when I can.
Hang in there, sir. As a new Dad, you have the right perspective. That adorable kiddo is your main focus and that's where the energy should be spent. This video is outstanding, and I appreciate your transparency and honesty. You are world class already, and you're rethinking your approach to be a world class Dad. Well done!
Love your work mate. Idea: A lot of top creators use their live content to make shorts and videos about. Maybe set up two cameras where you paint and have parts where you talk, analyse and critique vewers works for example. Like a part at the end of every video where you show and talk about peoples questions and their work from reddit or your discord. Of course its not as professional and polished but most people enjoy personality more than fancy cuts and transitions. Keep it up mate, this is a part where you evolve, its not about failiure :)
For what it's worth, not only that I appreciate your (fantastic) videos about hobby, but I also fully respect and appreciate this video and others like it, where you show the "human side" of hobby youtubing. For selfish reasons of course, but also taking into consideration your love of what you are doing, I sincerely hope that you will find mental, emotional and physical strength to endure all these challenges that you have mentioned and that we can continue enjoying your highly EDUCATIONAL and very entertaining and fullfilling videos in the future.
I wish I could do something to help, but the fact that I am not that good at any of the things you have issues with (editing, chasing sponsors, "playing the YT game" with click baits, thumbnails and catchy titles) is the one that always prevented me from even trying to start my own channel. Intuitively I figured that there was a lot more to it than just turning the camera on and starting to paint, and watching this video now proved everything I was always vary of.
Seeing it all laid out plainly like you did makes me appreciate and admire you even more, Chris.
As a father myself, I just want to remind you that you can always take a break or reduce the video output and dedicate your time to your kid that is only going to be little for a short while. You don't want to miss these precious few years of his life, when his Daddy is more needed than Professor Trovarion. GW is not going anywhere, hobby will be here waiting for you and all of us that value your gift to us will be happy to see your content whenever you manage to share it with us.
All the best to you and your family, live long and prosper.
Thank you for sharing this Trovarion. It was extremely interesting for a regular 40k painter/gamer like me to see whats going on behind the scene.
I think the part you added towards the end with quality, is one of the most important things about you. You talk about integrity, you talk about giving your most and that is they main reason why you are my favorite painter. I see a lot of other influencers also refer to you when they talk about, who they get inspiration from or who they look up to. You do a kick ass job and I appreciate all the time you have spent chanelling your knowledge to this huge audience.
Then an idea. I dont know if this makes sense to you. Here goes: You have made tons of quality content on painting. You have a catalogue of great videos. Could it make sense for you to make a couple of overview videos. Everything about layering/shading/paint brushes/whatever topic and link to older videos you have made. That could maybe channel more views on the same "viewing session". Not sure if this works for the algorithm, but I thought that it would extend how much time we spend watching you as well as create value for all of us viewers.
Keep up the great work Trov.
/Nico
It's a good idea for sure. I am working on something similar!
Your videos have helped me improve as a painter immensely. I pray this all works out for you. But Whatever you end doing, know you’ve got my support
Thank you for the inside insight into the challenges you're facing in the non creative admin of running a small business.
It takes more than most realise. I remember my other halfs frustration over admin and advertising and seeking that customer base, when all she was was to be creative.
I love your educational style, and will be here for more when you are.
Great video! Struggle that I really understand and reason why left my own UA-cam project. I hope you’ll find most comfortable way to do what you love!
This is a very interesting perspective, and probably not easy to share. I’ve only recently found your channel and have been gorging on it most days. Your production and presentation quality is head and shoulders above pretty much everyone else. I get frustrated at how slowly my channel is growing, but then I look at the number of videos (not many), and how much effort goes in to them (not a lot) and see there’s no real consistency to the content and I’m like “Oh yes that is perfectly reasonable” ha haa
this channel is like the GRRMartin of painting. I don't know when the next video will come, but I know I will love it when it does. Your knowledge & unique pedagogical approach are the best in the game. I hope you are able to resolve some of these issues, and wish I was in an economic position to support the patreon. Best of luck!
I do not play, I barely even paint, but the videos and pdfs are worth the Patreon subscription. The first video that got me was the grimdark necron, and the techniques used, how you hold your brush, how the paint is applied, etc. has helped me more as an artist in other aspects aside from mini painting. Viewing the critiques in the discord and hearing the info for how to improve has also been immense. I don't know what I'm going with all this, but overall, I guess it just means thanks for putting in the work and the hours. and if you need to change stuff up to take care of yourself, that's more important. Full stop. If you get burned out and can't keep going, then really, nobody gets what they want.
Love you dude, thanks for the insight, your content is amazing and I think we all appreciate all the effort you go through.
I really appreciate the honesty of acknowledging your feelings. I have a 2 year old one and out of the sudden you feel like you cannot fail anymore. You need to provide with no second chances. Really brave to pursue your dreams and to open your feelings that honest.
Really good job on the channel. I have learned a lot about you so keep it on and congrats for both, professional and family success
I love your videos, and though I am not nearly at the level of being able to do most advanced techniques, you are certainly one of the creators I can rely on to break things down to a manageable pace. Always appreciate honesty as well, I think more youtubers should acknowledge and show their audience just how much time, effort and cost goes into the 20-40mins of painting we see. Tbh, I'm more impressed with the redress at the end, those cuff buttons are hard to do one handed :P
Thanks for the behind the scenes - appreciate you still turning out the videos with that volume of overhead to the process. Could you find a partner/shop/youtuber in the UK that could take the delivery for you - then use a different provider to expedite it to Austria? It would be another hop (and a cost) but might be more reliable.
Long time listener, first time caller. Really enjoy your tutoring/teaching style of videos. Good pacing and you make techniques accessible without being patronising. Keep up the good work.
Hey man! Just wanted to say a genuine thank you for all the awesome tutorials and videos you've made! I've been on the patreon and watched your videos for a long while now, I've painted most my black templars in a similar grimdark style and get tons of compliments! I'll support on the patreon and watch your videos for as long as you make them for certain! Wishing you the best and you'll always have a fan in me!
Very insightful - as a new youtube creator, this confirmed what I assumed: That UA-cam isn't something that will let me quit my 9-5, and that editing does in fact take loads of time. I hope you continue to make videos, and that UPS get better (they are the WORST). Big up!! (and congrats on the kiddo!)
Man I do hope you get the problems sorted the best way! Your videos are the best, others try to be wierd and silly to get views. But you always focus on helping us understand why and how to paint! Love your stuff!
Really appreciate the insight into all the work that goes into the videos. Like everyone here, I love your work and just want you to enjoy it and do well 🎉
You are so not a sell out. You wouldn’t be sharing all this behind the scenes stuff if you were. I’m a huge fan of yours and you do so much for this community.
I am commenting because your videos are amazing and I really want you to get noticed more. I got drawn in by your lead hair video where you admit you may have purported fake news. It was really funny stuff. Everything you said in this video makes so much sense. I am in the states. I want you take off. Hoping for the best. But of course this all does take a back seat to being a parent. So I will rewatch all your videos in chronological order. Congratulations and good luck!!
May I ask: Did you watch the guide hair video recently? The video had a massive uptick in views in the last 48 hours and i was curious where that came from - did it get recommended to you or did you find it on an external page?
@trovarion hello, sorry for the late reply but it was a reddit post that talked about lead hairs that got me down a rabbit hole.
@trovarion your content is great btw! Even your older stuff I can really see you talent.
Thanks for the update. Your miniature painting videos are the best on youtube. We all hope you get back on track, but not at the detriment of your health and wellbeing. Just make content that makes you happy.
Wishing you all the best in this period of time. I hope you get it figured out, you are my favorite hobby content creator. I have definitely learned the most from you and enjoy your style of painting and explanation.
That sounds ridiculously stressful, as a father of a 6 year old I can confirm that he’s getting quicker while I’m slowing down😮💨 I hope that you’ve got a few close friends in the miniature painting world that you can share experiences and help your mental health. I’ve seen a few videos lately from the likes of rogue hobbies, peachy etc talking about their experiences in the content creative world and how they find it stressful. I love your videos and I learn so much, it really comes across the love and effort you put into them.
Man, that UPS problem hits home… I ordered two packages shipped by them and were lost in the mail a week apart. Then the company re shipped with UPS, and the packages were lost again….. what a junk service. But just do what is best for you man! Your content is always appreciated!
Great video that really helped me understand the struggles! All I can say is, prioritise yourself (and your family) and let everything else follow. I for one appreciate whatever content you get out. Good luck and I hope papa nurgle goes easy on you!
Good luck getting things on a better track that frees up more creative space and family time. It is easy to overdo it when trying to tackle everything by oneself.
Take the time and keeping fingers crossed the editor works out :)
Brotha’ I am praying for you & your family. God has given you an AMAZING talent, that brings joy to both you, & MANY other people. Stuck with it! This is the part of the journey they don’t put in movies, but you WILL get there! God speed brotha’ 🤙🧐
editing both of videos and working out what to say in descriptions for videos is where most of my time. especially with weaker hardware adds extra time i have noticed. so i am glad to see i am not the only one
Just wanted to say that I'm a US user who really enjoys your content. I find your painting tutorials excellent and easy to follow. I'm sorry it's tough right now, but I appreciate all the effort and work you put into your art. It shows.
It'd be cool to see you roll some dice and game a bit. Maybe a shot with Table Top Tactics or/and Winters SEO. Your painting it top teir. Your design is second to none. Just hoping to see you expand branch out is all. You have an awesome channel.
"If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again".
I have loved your channel for years. Your grimdark necron videos got me back into the hobby after more than 20 years out of it. You've been a favourite UA-camr of mine.
It's good to see that you have identified some of your strains. While I have loved watching your videos to learn skills and admire your high quality of work. Let's not forget that one of the best things about Warhammer or minature painting is doing it alongside friends and talking to them across the table. Therefore, one thing I'd recommend is to do more collaborations with other UA-camrs with video crossovers. You already communicate with them. This is quite entertaining from an audience perspective, it will both reduce the time thinking about new ideas (because you'd be a part of those of others and vice versa), and it exposes both of you to each others subscribers. It should also bring you a different sense of joy as you will be able to share that feeling of success with your collaborators and professional friends. I'd love nothing more than to see more crossovers, e.g. painting a boarding patrol challenge, with the likes of Ninjon, Goobertown, Miniac, TableTop Ready, Guy, Zumikito, and Byron of Artis Opus.
One other thing, you once mentioned that you'd love to have a Warhammer army and that you always admired those seen in official Warhammer content. Please start a miniseries where you paint one miniature a week in your desired army scheme. Each episode doesn't need to be new or flash, it's more so repetitious and simply used to support the release of your novel videos. This will get you a minimum one video per week and after 12 months you'll have 52 models completed. It will also be a good start for your new editor.
Your necron videos inspired the color scheme for my army when I got back into the hobby a couple years ago. I'm here as a viewer for the long-haul
Keep at it man, love the videos and look forward to new ones when they drop. Honestly you could paint a generic mini and I would still watch. I can feel your pain and love on the kid. Mine is 5 going on 25.
Thank you for a very interesting run through. I can see your typical high quality in this explanation as in your painting tutorials. Also, watching you continue to learn and grow in response to your challenges is inspiring.
I would be more than happy to see more 'modular' videos. One video of painting a marine = 5 smaller videos covering a single technique for that same marine
Thanks for the update. I couldn't handle the stress and workload being a content creater.
I really watch mostly educational videos on miniature painting. But the algorithm really makes it hard to get to quality content.
I completely understand your position and how things have changed. As someone who is also a father, I FULLY recommend getting in all the time you can with your son. The time goes by so quickly and you'll never get that time back. And while I love my daughter and I'm thankful for the time I have spent and continue to spend with her, I have never found myself saying "I wish I had spent less time with my daughter." So 100% do what you need to do to make sure you and your family are taken care of.
I think it's easy for us viewers to assume that content creators just paint all day, take an hour to make a video, and then goof off the rest of the day; but it's a lot of work. Thank you for all the content and I hope you all the best. Not only will I continue to watch your UA-cam videos, but I'm going to hop on your Patreon too to help out.
Keep up the great work.
you are definitely my favorite and most educative channel, I have decided to become a patreon and hope you will continue making us better! Thank you!
Hope you figure it all out and make it work. Love your painting and videos.
Thank you for sharing, you’re definitely the painter I learn the most from which I have even taken over into my tattoo career 💜
Wow, thank you!
Thank you! I really appreciate your courage to be honest and talk about your struggles. I have known that running a UA-cam channel is a lot harder than it looks. We just click on a video and see the fun finished project. We don’t see all the behind the scenes work that goes into it.
I work with school aged children and over the past several years I’ve noticed that more and more of them say they want to be a “UA-camr” when they get older. It’s fascinating to hear just how hard it really is and how much time and effort you have to put into it to be successful.
Best of luck to you. Take care of yourself and I hope you figure out how to manage your work/life balance. I appreciate your channel and hope to see you continue but I know family, your mental health, and your own peace of mind is way more important than what random internet people say or think. Screw anyone who doesn't back you up and just wants to troll.
The most important thing in your life is now your child. But as you mentioned in the video you know this. I have learned that everything else will be fine as long as you can enjoy the time with you children! I am so glad that I had the opportunity to go into parental leave, not usual for men, and I could take the time for them.
Thank you for the great videos! The effort you put into them really shows. The content is always top quality
Honestly, dude, you don't even have to say sorry or explain. You can see the exhaustion in your face man. Thanks for all your content, I've learned a lot from your videos, and I love your painting. I hope things get better for you.
I'm just getting old
@@trovarion LOL! :D Don't we all! Luckily, it's only hard the first 100 years, it gets easier later...
Really appreciate the inside view on your side of the youtube video production. Tough grind but we appreciate your work!
When I started painting as a hobbie, you were the first channel that cought my attention. Now I don't search that much and truth is I no longer watch every video of everyone I follow but still, you are my favourite, not sure why just love how you explain and structure your videos ❤
I Feel You man! Especially being an ex-teacher myself. That's why I never went full social media(apart from it being a viper's nest, duh) and instead decided to be the supporting party. That's what I feel best in - sitting comfortably in the shadow and getting sh*t done. Plus, it's much more flexible. Especially time-wise.
All in all, I appreciate and respect things You do. You helped me quite a lot on my painting journey and still feel slightly sh*t for dropping off Patreon cause between work, family and sick parents i haven't got a time for a single painting session since like two months ago :(
Anyway, just wanted to say that do what makes you tick - as long as it make your gears turn. Otherwise it;s not worth it. Especially with the little copy of You by your side ;)
And if You'll ever happen to visit Kontrast (biggest miniature painting festival in Poland) I'd love to get a handshake! Hopefully I'll be a designated photographer there next year too ;)
Thanks for the honesty. If the local editor doesn't work out, maybe talk to other miniature painters, one of them must have an editor for their videos.
Don't think anyone here wants to take away from your family time either, not for plastic toy soldiers. I hope you find a path forward that's healthy and works for you.
Best of luck Trov - and congrats on fatherhood!
I still need to visit Australia sometime (nope - that silly joke is /never/ going away)
great video. its such a bless when people share a peak behind the curtain.
i wish you the best of luck. regarding the editor - keep in mind its an investment, so if you can get someone to learn to match you style and understand your painting part and vocabulary it will be beneficial long term. its a pain to work with specialists from different branches in the beginning, but once you get the growing pains out of the way it becomes so much easier to do everything and it can help you improve your overall pipeline with insights from their perspective.
These candid videos about the state of the channel and real challenges in running a successful UA-cam channel are super helpful and insightful. I really like your painting videos because I think your style makes it easy to see how to paint technically correctly, which I can then take and apply in my own style. I respect you for sticking to your guns in terms of what you want the core purpose of the channel to be and in terms of which sponsorships you accept.
My immediate reflection is man, that many hours editing; you need to find a way to file that down. Would a faster PC help (quicker renders)? Or, maybe do you need to segment your videos between the "big lifts" where you go max on quality, scope, scale (like Dune) and quicker simpler videos (maybe shorter length), which like episodes of a soap-opera you can get out at reasonable frequency without excessive time investment.
Those people that say you’re a “sell out” can pound sand man. You are able to make a living and support your family by doing something you love, and we love watching you do it. It turns out that even being a UA-camr is you know….work.
I think it is very good that you talk also about the downs.
About the editor, I hope you can train the person to get what you want. It should be possible.
Respect for making this. I hope you work things out. Your content is some of the best. As a viewer I appreciate quality and honest educational content as opposed to click bait or whatever’s “hot”. I think you do the former really well and that’s what keeps me returning.
Bin auch Selbstständig in der Medienbranche und kann deinen Struggle komplett nachvollziehen. Vor allem bei diesem strengen Perfektionismus keine Kontrolle abgeben zu können, ist eine gefährliche Falle für die eigene psychische Gesundheit. Ich würde vielleicht wirklich nochmal versuchen, einen motivierten Editor zu finden, der eine Sensibilität für die Thematik hat. Natürlich braucht das Einweisen, das Besprechen von Ideen, Feedbackschleifen usw. auch Zeit, aber wenn dann trotzdem 40-50% weniger Zeit für den Editierprozess draufgehen würden, wäre das ja schon eine enorme Hilfe. Glaube in Anbetracht deines enormen Zeitaufwands für das Editing könnte das dein Leben echt krass erleichtern und verbessern!
Even if the topic is a bit difficult I find myself feeling relieved you are openly discussing it. Glad to hear you are not giving up yet, but it's good to put things in perspective. I wish you all the luck, Chris!
My two kids are recently married. I'm forever grateful that I had the good fortune to be close to them growing up. It's a lifelong gift for everyone. You will never get that time back: be with them NOW. Best of luck to you and your family 🙏🏻
3:59 i feared a “better help” ad was coming. So glad it was a meal plan instead
He say he don't want trash companies so we won't have a "Better help" ad (their "licenced profesionals" are not all licenced) and we won't have "Displated" too (they don't mind if you sell other art).
Thanks for the video. I wish you all the best.
Wow man thanks for your openness and sharing your struggles. I know the feeling (different setting but non the less). I also have a Burnout, the company I worked at for 15y got screwed by a investment corporation. Most employees worked there buts off to promises made to us. But they decided to pull the plug and let the company be dissolved. In hindsight it was there plan from the beginning. They messed up the administration so there is no unemployment benefits not even if you are in a Burnout. So going into my 3d month without pay. Life is hard. This is just 1 of the 4 big life problems I am facing. But for me painting miniatures is a real life saver it keeps me somewhat sain. ❤❤❤
As a new dad (4 month), I fully understand your decision and your burden. Still my favorite videos on this topic
The editing is worth it. I usually watch your videos start to finish.
Take your time bro. We can wait.
Oh no, I would hate to see you go :-/ Hope it works out with that local editor! Finding someone you enjoy working with can be a tough process, but incredibly rewarding, once you find a fitting match. All the best!
I can relate to you. I was developing video games in the past...but most of my time was spent on promotion, marketing, finding sponsors, integrating with social platform APIs etc...and only a small amount of time actually developing games (which was the only part I liked). Than children came (both for me and my designer) so we had to put that on hiatus and stick with day-jobs as developer and designer. Then there was the same problem that we are not in the US but in EU and had some tax issues and sponsors would pay us less than US developers.
I admire your perseverance and I am thankful for that (since I like to watch your videos and I learn a lot from them)...but remind yourself that health and family are more important than job and money.
The amount of shade thrown at squidmar 😅
He's a lifestyle hobby youtuber, which sometimes does a bit of actual painting content, almost by coincidence.
I couldn't really watch him in the past because he made such bold claims. "I'm going to show you how I paint box art miniatures", while painting at a slightly above average level and copying Sergio Calvo's style of painting without giving him credit. Now when he is just a lifestyle youtuber with a warhammer theme, I can stand him more.
@@akvavit0 Huh? "Slightly above average level" is quite a ridiculous understatement. They've made fantastic works in the past, you can't deny that no matter your other opinions on them. For the rest, that I can't judge.
@@nickkohlmann It's for a bit of dramatic effect. But his work has never been at the level of sharpness to make such claims. Also, that squidmar's copy of David Sopers Orruk Megaboss is more famous than the original makes my eyes roll a bit.
Squidmar’s past job was a photographer so he has a flair for the cinematic side and Lucas brings some amazing painting credibility. Emil bringing Lucas on was probably the best thing he could have ever done for his channel
I hate to say this but, but this was a really enjoyable peek behind the curtain. I subbed to help with US viewership!
The issues with UPS are so annoying even if my income is not dependent on them doing a decent job... It must be horrible if they screw up and then your left to improvise or need to delay videos. I really appreciate the time you take to make educational videos for youtube. Thank you! I know how hard it is to ignore negative comments but don't listen to people (e.g. being a sell out) who have no idea how much it takes to actually run your channel.
Thank you for your hard work! All the best for the future. I really hope that you can find a solution that gives you more time to paint and thus more joy. 8 hours of 160 is just astonishingly small.
I have a 2 year old and haven't touched a paint brush or played a game in 6 months, so you are doing well!