Gearhead Garage — A Focus on the MK3

[XofXtimeX]

Hey y'all!

I know this is a hell of a bump, but we've finally finished and released Episode 1: The Supra!

https://youtu.be/4ykZ6KkCoow

We focus heavily on Zach Denney, President of ECUMaster USA, as well as Bryan Thompson & Clint Baird with Dynosaur Performance and Powerhouse Racing here in North Central Texas.

There were many, many delays and obstacles we encountered along the way but we're so stoked to finally bring this to the community! I'd love to hear your feedback in regard to what worked for you, didn't work, what you'd like to see more of, less of et cetera.

Thank you all so much for your patience and support!!

Nick

 

[plaaya69]

Awesome content Nick. Subscribed

 

[the t3d]

We need more of this kind of stuff, so keep it up!

 

[figgie]

very nice production! Great work!

 

[KenHenderson]

Really, really well done. Thanks to all involved putting this together. Nick, you're a natural, man.


Ken.

 

[suprarx7nut]

Very cool! I'm looking forward to more progress on that MK3!

Subscribed and looking forward to the next episode! What sort of cadence do you expect between episodes?

 

[XofXtimeX]

Hey guys, thanks SO much for the support! Your feedback is super helpful, and I'd love to hear all of you guys' thoughts below.

Plaaya69 - Thanks man!!

the t3d - Agreed! Thanks!

Figgie - Thanks! You know how folks say "So much ends up on the editing room floor?" Well that's the case here. We had so much footage that we just needed to whittle down to make a good structure.

KenHenderson - That means a lot coming from you, Ken. First of all, it wouldn't have been possible without the support of this community. Not to mention the rest of the donors, and mainly our editor who worked magic with some sub-par shots. I have lurked for a long time and drooled over your meticulous build. Its a thing of beauty. Well done!

suprarx7nut - You and me both, man! I've really enjoyed your content, especially with Ookii. I also stumbled upon your website a while ago, I think you produce some really neat stuff! Very clever voltmeter! I also plan on following your Door Improvement write up ASAP.
As far as cadence, are you referring to time spent in between releases? If so, it's hard to say. Our next episode has been planned to feature domestic classics. When I was growing up as a teen in the car scene, it felt like such a rivalry between import and domestic, and I believe part of our mission statement is - regardless of the platform, its all passion and hard work and that should be unifying. Anyways, my schedule as a union actor and my editor's schedule as a union stage manager makes it tough, as we're often on the road working in different regional theaters. However, we usually have a month here and there throughout the year to film. We are tentatively planning on filming back in Texas this mid April - mid May, then editing when we're back on the road. We do need to decide a few things, and I'd actually love everyone's input on this...

How did the Roundtable work for you guys? Was it something that dragged on too long, or did it hold your attention? Do you think your non-car related friends would enjoy it?

My trouble with it is this - Being a car guy, I loved doing it and watching it. However, its the most expensive shot in the entire episode because we had to mic everyone, use a big overhead mic as a backup, and have three cameras on it the entire time. It also took about 3-5 hours to film which is a lot to ask people to donate their time. The idea of it, again, is unity. Bringing everyone together to talk about this episode's focus. I happen to like the structure of the episode, but can totally see if it drags.

What do y'all think? Any feedback is helpful!

Again, thanks guys.

Nick

 

[Piratetip]

Great video, much better than most of the in your face Youtube content out there.
Very professional, excellent work.

Capturing the dedication and passion for vehicle builds / specific platforms is what I like to see.
Regardless of what type of vehicle or brand its always good to see what drives people.
I am partial to videos that dive into a more technical aspect / specific build details rather than the entertainment value, but thats just me.
A good balance of everything is probably the best route for these types of videos.

One series I watched recently that may give you some good ideas is - Races to Places - Dakar Rally 2018 - Lyndon Poskitt
Really excellent set of videos showing the work required for a couple guys to bring a KTM 690 Rally bike to race in the 2018 Dakar Rally.
Everything from the full teardown and rebuild of the bike prior to the race to the logistics, paperwork, people, different cultures, lack of sleep, repairs, the race itself, challenges associated with that ect...
The only thing this set if videos was missing for me was more raw video footage of the actual race itself.
More chest or helmet mounted raw video footage of him riding though the terrain each day would have been great.
Unfortunately the Dakar Rally association only allows 30 minute clips at a time from what I understand, so they really had to condense it down.

Anyway keep up the good work!

 

[suprarx7nut]

Hey guys, thanks SO much for the support! Your feedback is super helpful, and I'd love to hear all of you guys' thoughts below.

Plaaya69 - Thanks man!!

the t3d - Agreed! Thanks!

Figgie - Thanks! You know how folks say "So much ends up on the editing room floor?" Well that's the case here. We had so much footage that we just needed to whittle down to make a good structure.

KenHenderson - That means a lot coming from you, Ken. First of all, it wouldn't have been possible without the support of this community. Not to mention the rest of the donors, and mainly our editor who worked magic with some sub-par shots. I have lurked for a long time and drooled over your meticulous build. Its a thing of beauty. Well done!

suprarx7nut - You and me both, man! I've really enjoyed your content, especially with Ookii. I also stumbled upon your website a while ago, I think you produce some really neat stuff! Very clever voltmeter! I also plan on following your Door Improvement write up ASAP.
As far as cadence, are you referring to time spent in between releases? If so, it's hard to say. Our next episode has been planned to feature domestic classics. When I was growing up as a teen in the car scene, it felt like such a rivalry between import and domestic, and I believe part of our mission statement is - regardless of the platform, its all passion and hard work and that should be unifying. Anyways, my schedule as a union actor and my editor's schedule as a union stage manager makes it tough, as we're often on the road working in different regional theaters. However, we usually have a month here and there throughout the year to film. We are tentatively planning on filming back in Texas this mid April - mid May, then editing when we're back on the road. We do need to decide a few things, and I'd actually love everyone's input on this...

How did the Roundtable work for you guys? Was it something that dragged on too long, or did it hold your attention? Do you think your non-car related friends would enjoy it?

My trouble with it is this - Being a car guy, I loved doing it and watching it. However, its the most expensive shot in the entire episode because we had to mic everyone, use a big overhead mic as a backup, and have three cameras on it the entire time. It also took about 3-5 hours to film which is a lot to ask people to donate their time. The idea of it, again, is unity. Bringing everyone together to talk about this episode's focus. I happen to like the structure of the episode, but can totally see if it drags.

What do y'all think? Any feedback is helpful!

Again, thanks guys.

Nick

Nick,

Thanks for the words on my content. I wish I could upload more. Just not enough time in the week/month!

Yeah, I'm wondering when we can expect episode 2! (and then 3 and 4, etc...) One thing I've noticed is that regular postings help drive views and subs a TON. It's hard for people to get invested if you're only posting once every few months, but if it's every couple weeks or more often that you're releasing some content you should see your subs increase exponentially. I've had a very hard time making that happen, so I totally understand not being able to put out content as often as you'd like - especially when it's a caliber similar to yours. I struggle on a much more basic level!

Your content was very well produced. If anything, I would say more than you need to really drive views. For me, I want more raw and technical footage than your average person. You could drop the roundtable altogether and I'd still be just as interested in the series. For me, hell, put a good mic on a literal 2' wide round table, sit the 4 guys/gals around it and shoot with a couple cameras. That's all I need as far as production value. The hanger with the cars was great and you had some great camera work so it came together nicely, but don't be afraid to keep the content low tech. The high production value is cool, but we're really going to watch for the people and cars. The good content will shine through whether you're using a $5k+/day film crew or a couple mid-level consumer cameras and mics from Best Buy. Some of the most successful people on Youtube simply use a cheap camera and mic that they hold themselves. Not suggesting you sink anywhere near that level, but you could definitely afford to lose some production quality if it meant you could produce more content.

It was really neat to see some prominent folks in the community interviewed for the episode. I've seen Zach post on the forums, but it's cool to put a face to the name and see his car. I'd trade the roundtable altogether for more solo interviews with some technical footage. Let's see Zach tune a car for 30 seconds and offer up a helpful tip on his ECU. Let's see a car mid-build in the shop at PHR with a 30 second explanation of a challenge they overcame on a unique build feature or let's see a high speed run of one of their cars at an event, etc...

Whatever you do, I'll stay tuned in. You're off to a great start and that mk3 will keep me coming back every episode. Let us know if you're in other media that we can watch as well. I'm happy to go out of my way to support a fellow enthusiast.

Great work!

 

[XofXtimeX]

Great video, much better than most of the in your face Youtube content out there.
Very professional, excellent work.

Capturing the dedication and passion for vehicle builds / specific platforms is what I like to see.
Regardless of what type of vehicle or brand its always good to see what drives people.
I am partial to videos that dive into a more technical aspect / specific build details rather than the entertainment value, but thats just me.
A good balance of everything is probably the best route for these types of videos.

One series I watched recently that may give you some good ideas is - Races to Places - Dakar Rally 2018 - Lyndon Poskitt
Really excellent set of videos showing the work required for a couple guys to bring a KTM 690 Rally bike to race in the 2018 Dakar Rally.
Everything from the full teardown and rebuild of the bike prior to the race to the logistics, paperwork, people, different cultures, lack of sleep, repairs, the race itself, challenges associated with that ect...
The only thing this set if videos was missing for me was more raw video footage of the actual race itself.
More chest or helmet mounted raw video footage of him riding though the terrain each day would have been great.
Unfortunately the Dakar Rally association only allows 30 minute clips at a time from what I understand, so they really had to condense it down.

Anyway keep up the good work!

Thanks man, I appreciate that! We toss around the idea of more technical footage from time to time. We are concerned though that it would drastically narrow our audience base - not that its very large right now. That said, I do have some footage I've snagged on my phone, suuuuper low budget stuff of some installs of random electrical components the car needed. Just not sure how to integrate it in to our channel yet, as we're trying to keep our channel strictly well produced stuff. Still thinking on that one.

Nick,

Thanks for the words on my content. I wish I could upload more. Just not enough time in the week/month!

Yeah, I'm wondering when we can expect episode 2! (and then 3 and 4, etc...) One thing I've noticed is that regular postings help drive views and subs a TON. It's hard for people to get invested if you're only posting once every few months, but if it's every couple weeks or more often that you're releasing some content you should see your subs increase exponentially. I've had a very hard time making that happen, so I totally understand not being able to put out content as often as you'd like - especially when it's a caliber similar to yours. I struggle on a much more basic level!

Your content was very well produced. If anything, I would say more than you need to really drive views. For me, I want more raw and technical footage than your average person. You could drop the roundtable altogether and I'd still be just as interested in the series. For me, hell, put a good mic on a literal 2' wide round table, sit the 4 guys/gals around it and shoot with a couple cameras. That's all I need as far as production value. The hanger with the cars was great and you had some great camera work so it came together nicely, but don't be afraid to keep the content low tech. The high production value is cool, but we're really going to watch for the people and cars. The good content will shine through whether you're using a $5k+/day film crew or a couple mid-level consumer cameras and mics from Best Buy. Some of the most successful people on Youtube simply use a cheap camera and mic that they hold themselves. Not suggesting you sink anywhere near that level, but you could definitely afford to lose some production quality if it meant you could produce more content.

It was really neat to see some prominent folks in the community interviewed for the episode. I've seen Zach post on the forums, but it's cool to put a face to the name and see his car. I'd trade the roundtable altogether for more solo interviews with some technical footage. Let's see Zach tune a car for 30 seconds and offer up a helpful tip on his ECU. Let's see a car mid-build in the shop at PHR with a 30 second explanation of a challenge they overcame on a unique build feature or let's see a high speed run of one of their cars at an event, etc...

Whatever you do, I'll stay tuned in. You're off to a great start and that mk3 will keep me coming back every episode. Let us know if you're in other media that we can watch as well. I'm happy to go out of my way to support a fellow enthusiast.

Great work!

I absolutely get that, man! Life gets in the way sometimes. As perfectly demonstrated by our gap from our campaign, to filming, to releasing. Our schedules make it very difficult.

I think you're absolutely right about how to increase viewership and subscriptions. So back when we launched this, the idea was for the cinematographers, editor, and myself to really get to flex on a given project. So as odd as this sounds, our goal wasn't necessarily to produce a ton of car content in order to get monetized on YouTube. Especially now since the monetization rules have changed so drastically from what they were a few years ago. Don't get me wrong, that would be great, but it's not necessarily the aim. Actually, our goal initially was to get a few episodes under our belt, and pitch it to a streaming service. We would have a show, a creative crew, a guaranteed audience etc. We want to produce something that we believed was missing in other shows we've watched -- heart. Our focus is absolutely on cars, Gearheads, and tuners. However, it's also a conduit for the other artistic folks involved to do their best work as well. My concern is if we focus on cranking out content, that someone on the artistic team will be shafted and underutilized, which would negate the idea of the project. That being said, I really do believe there's a happy-medium, like you're talking about. Believe me, looking at our spreadsheets on what it cost to produce one episode, and what our goals are for at least a couple more, we need to find places to trim on the budget, without question.

We do have full interviews of the 4 folks used in Episode 1 that we may be able to finesse in to some additional content thats enjoyable or watchable. Is that something y'all would like to see? Like 3 minute cuts of interviews? We could time the releases out to help with traffic to the channel as well.

Lastly, our sponsorship with Mishimoto just got approved! So I guess that gives us an idea of what project will be done in episode 2

Thank again guys!

 

[suprarx7nut]

Thanks man, I appreciate that! We toss around the idea of more technical footage from time to time. We are concerned though that it would drastically narrow our audience base - not that its very large right now. That said, I do have some footage I've snagged on my phone, suuuuper low budget stuff of some installs of random electrical components the car needed. Just not sure how to integrate it in to our channel yet, as we're trying to keep our channel strictly well produced stuff. Still thinking on that one.



I absolutely get that, man! Life gets in the way sometimes. As perfectly demonstrated by our gap from our campaign, to filming, to releasing. Our schedules make it very difficult.

I think you're absolutely right about how to increase viewership and subscriptions. So back when we launched this, the idea was for the cinematographers, editor, and myself to really get to flex on a given project. So as odd as this sounds, our goal wasn't necessarily to produce a ton of car content in order to get monetized on YouTube. Especially now since the monetization rules have changed so drastically from what they were a few years ago. Don't get me wrong, that would be great, but it's not necessarily the aim. Actually, our goal initially was to get a few episodes under our belt, and pitch it to a streaming service. We would have a show, a creative crew, a guaranteed audience etc. We want to produce something that we believed was missing in other shows we've watched -- heart. Our focus is absolutely on cars, Gearheads, and tuners. However, it's also a conduit for the other artistic folks involved to do their best work as well. My concern is if we focus on cranking out content, that someone on the artistic team will be shafted and underutilized, which would negate the idea of the project. That being said, I really do believe there's a happy-medium, like you're talking about. Believe me, looking at our spreadsheets on what it cost to produce one episode, and what our goals are for at least a couple more, we need to find places to trim on the budget, without question.

We do have full interviews of the 4 folks used in Episode 1 that we may be able to finesse in to some additional content thats enjoyable or watchable. Is that something y'all would like to see? Like 3 minute cuts of interviews? We could time the releases out to help with traffic to the channel as well.

Lastly, our sponsorship with Mishimoto just got approved! So I guess that gives us an idea of what project will be done in episode 2

Thank again guys!

Understood with the monetization vs professional experience and demonstration. I think that comes through in what you've put out. Quality over quantity is a great mantra.

Yeah YouTube monetization has really changed recently. I'm still under their new limit so I lost my revenue stream entirely. Not that it was significant, but it did pay all my web-hosting expenses and then some. I'll need to roughly double my viewership to start getting anything, but as with you, that's not really why I'm doing it.

I trust you'll strike your happy medium soon enough. I think some extended interview segments would be great in between full blown episodes.

Congrats on the sponsorship!