Hello, everyone!
I’m writing this to fill you guys in on how I’ve been doing and share some of the challenges I’ve been facing these past few months.
Mariotravel209 Animations has definitely been going through a rough patch. Between the Made for Kids situation, a reduction in hours at my part-time job, and a lack of new Patreon signups, I have no doubt that new content will continue to slow down for a bit.
That said, I want to write this post to emphasize the hope I still have. Let’s check this out real quick.
A shift for the better
I know my channel and several of my social media accounts have gone viral, mainly thanks to the popularity of my Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog videos. Unfortunately, this has come with a cost greater than I expected.
According to my analytics, YouTube claims that roughly half of my audience is made up of women in their 30s. Unless there’s an army of moms out there who love watching birds with machine guns or guys from Boston trying to scare a princess pony at a 7-Eleven, it’s pretty obvious that a big chunk of my viewers are actually kids.
TL;DR: A good portion of my audience is children, which means extremely limited monetization options.
I know I sound like a broken record pushing my Patreon and YouTube memberships, but the reality is, the channel needs funding to survive. Without it, I’ll have no choice but to shut everything down. So that’s why I’m initiating a new shift in the channel’s direction.
Valve.
OK, well, it’s not entirely new… Valve content has always had a presence on the channel. But what is new is that the channel will now be shifting its focus primarily toward Valve.
Don’t worry, Mario and Sonic travelers. There’s still plenty of Mario and Sonic content on the way! However, there will be a significant boost in Valve content as I work to steer YouTube’s algorithm back toward my original intended audience: 18+ viewers.
That said, the channel has been in dire need of more Valve content to balance out all the Mario and Sonic stuff, so this is an opportunity I’m really looking forward to. This will also apply to all my other social media outlets.
Started From The Bottom (SFM)
It’s unfortunate, but I think this is a crucial step for the project to finally see the light of day. The original goal was to recreate the entire music video, but with how complicated things have gotten (and let’s be honest, Drake’s reputation has fallen off since 2017), I’ve decided to scale things down and release what’s already been completed.
I’ll share a more detailed update soon, but to sum it up, Started From the Bottom will now be a shorter version to increase the chances of a proper release. If there’s strong demand for it, I might consider an extended version in the future.
Mario Kart Fan Film
That said, I won’t be leaving you guys empty-handed. Once the channel’s situation improves, I’ll be looking to revive a project I started in 2024: a Mario Kart fan film!
Now, I have to emphasize that I’m not getting too hyped about it just yet, since it’ll likely be a while before there’s any real news. But I at least wanted to put it on your radar so you have an idea of what to expect down the line.
Stay tuned for more info!
Source Filmmaker Tutorials and Valve Documentaries
Aside from some of the Valve animations and memes I’ve been producing, I’ve been wanting to share my knowledge and experiences with Source for a long time. This might finally be my chance to do so.
Right now, I’m planning not only to teach the basics of Source Filmmaker but also to share my own tips and tricks in this series. I want to give new animators the opportunity to bring their own creations to life.
Additionally, I’ll be releasing Valve and Source Engine video essays as a tribute to the impact Valve games have had on our lives.
Once again, stay tuned on my social media for more updates!
Conclusion
That’s all I have for now, folks! Remember the channel is still at a rough place and will need all the help it can get and saving it! Thank you so much to all my patrons for your support in me.
Thanks, guys and I’ll be wishing you a happy Thursday!
-Adrian
This post is originally for platinum members, but has now been granted to gold members.
