randomencounters

REport: Raincoat Incoming!

HeyJ, everyone! Sorry for a sparse update, but we're between projects a bit again. We're definitely planning some cool stuff, though, so stick around for details!

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: It's "Automated Dialogue Replacement," AJ

Hello again, fellow humans! AJ here with a super short update for you regarding this week's musical... and maybe a little extra. ;) We'll check in with you again soon. Thank you so much for your continued support of Random Encounters!

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Filming Funkin'... NO JOKE!

Yes, the Friday Night Funkin' musical is REAL! I know a few of you out there were concerned that it was just an April Fools' Day joke, but here's actual footage from the filming that took place over the weekend! We would've shared this REport earlier, but didn't want to spoil the joke and ruin the fun! It was great to see Jules and Adriana for the first time in a year and they were a pleasure to work with (as always)! I've been assembling a rough cut of the project throughout the day and AJ is actually recording Gwen's vocals as I write this, so there's plenty of work still to be done! We'll update you again before the project premieres on April 9th!

Beard Salute!

~Nate

REport: On Stage for Funkin'

HeyJ, everyone! Our stage is mostly set (HA, GOOD ONE!), and we're expecting our co-stars tomorrow evening. Things are moving along for some Friday Night funkin!

...am I using the word "funkin'" correctly? ._.

You guys have been super patiently waiting for filming progress, as well as updates finally on a few of our other music videos in development, so I'll try to make sure you get a peek behind the curtain on something new by the end of next week. In the meanwhile, though, stay tuned for a bit of on-set shenanigans over the next couple days -- and thank you for helping us acquire a last minute "speaker" for this. The cardboard box was... well... actual trash... We're grateful you made an alternative possible. <3

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Working (?) Late on FNF

HeyJ, everyone. I forgot to upload this last night (it's... been a long few days...), but here's a quick check-in on our progress with the Friday Night Funkin' musical. We're expecting to be busy again this evening, so hopefully we can show you some additional progress shortly.

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Preparing for a FUNKY Date!

HeyJ, guys! Looks like you figured out our next project, so it's time to tell you a little bit more about it! We haven't made a ton of headway yet, but there should be more to share shortly. Thanks for sticking with us while we figure out how best to handle our 12th (13th?) pandemic musical. We've needed your support more than ever and are super grateful for all the encouragement you've given us!

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: A Wild Third Channel Appears!

HeyJ, everyone! Super sorry to leave you in the dark about some of the massive changes going on (we literally were deciding several within the past 48 hours!)

We concluded, thanks in part to The Stupendium sharing some rough metrics with us, that uploading every Friday on RE indeed led to a stigma against us in the algorithm -- YouTube has literally classified Random Encounters as more or less a "behind the scenes" channel that occasionally uploads a music video... and why wouldn't they, when 3 out of 4 videos we upload tend to be special features? That definitely impacted their willingness to share us with the nearly 4 million subscribers we have, though, who (YouTube has observed) don't make a steady habit of watching behind the scenes videos online as often as other gaming or music content. Awkward situation, but it unfortunately makes sense for an unfeeling machine. >_<

We'll be monitoring the situation over the next several months, and I've reached out to some other YouTubers (like MatPat!) for further advice. For now, though, this will clear some "misunderstandings" with the algorithm, we hope, and also free us up further to focus on producing musicals. We set out ten years ago to make video game musicals, and we've since posted a TON of other content... but RE is still designed for bringing games and characters to life through fun music, and we're excited to emphasize that again on the main channel. :)

And, of course, still spend time with fans each week on REplayed, while sharing bonus material periodically on RExtra for anyone still seeking a glimpse behind the scenes at RE. Not that we won't keep showing you some of that (unedited) here on Patreon! ;)

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Channel Changes Planned

HeyJ, team. Got an update for you all as to where things are headed with RE. This week will move forward as normal, but the rest of March will be likely affected. Thank you all for your support and understanding while we do our best to continue making great content but also ensure it reaches every member of our audience (and future fans who haven’t had a chance to see RE yet!)

Feel free to drop your own observations and insights in the comments. Again, apologies if any of this comes as a disappointment. You are the last group we want to let down, and we appreciate that no matter what the algorithm decides to do, we can count on the small army of dedicated Patreon Encounterers here to still watch our videos. 🙂

Beard Salute!

~AJ

REport: Welcome Aboard, Mateys!

We're so busy working on wrapping up this new musical that I almost forgot to post this REport! Enjoy one last look behind the scenes of our C+ Shanty before the musical premieres tomorrow!

Beard Salute!

~Nate

REport: OUTSIDE EXISTS?!

HeyJ, everybody! Using the combined powers of better weather, lower COVID numbers, and cutting edge MASK TECHNOLOGY, we were finally able to film out in public again since last summer ("Ice Scream Fun" was our last excursion into the unknown wilderness of Southern California, though it was only filmed after business hours, between 10pm and 2am).

It was really great to be outside shooting again, though I think everyone else had the same idea... but without the filming part. That's what we get for trying to pick a filming day that's not cold and windy, I guess. ;_; Either way, production has begun on A C+ SHANTY, and it's actually being expanded to include some extra material we hadn't originally planned for -- and couldn't have included without your support! We're confident it will seriously elevate the whole musical and are super grateful that you've all given us the means to make big, last second changes to projects like this. ^^ We all know the things you post on the internet last forever, so we want each and every musical Random Encounters posts to be as 100% awesome as we can make it, and thanks to all of you... this one just got awesomer. ;)

Keep an eye out for more REports about our C+ shanty and more! Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Late Musicals Get a C+

HeyJ, everyone! Bad news: we've fallen behind on production this week and are going to need an extra week to get our Animal Crossing sea shanty together. ;_; Check out the video for more details (and a little comparison of its music, which has gotten SWOL and piratey since you last heard it!)

We know the delay will impact some rewards and cause some disappointment, so feel free to leave us your thoughts or suggestions down below if you have 'em. We appreciate the support you give us and hope you're still excited and proud of what we're making together. :)

And it wasn't said in the video, but we've had animators working on no fewer than 3 music videos for the past year, so it's very probable that, even excluding "Out for Blood," RE will end 2021 with at least 12 new musicals. ;) We're confident we'll catch back up!

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Welcome Back, Baby!

HeyJ, everyone! Excited to give you the next bread crumb along on our trail of progress! It's not the next episode everyone's been waiting for, but I think it's a good start toward the bigger things we've had sidelined so long. We're blitzing straight into February's musical this weekend, so keep eyes open for a quick-change... I think we'll all be in for a bit of whip-lash!

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Baby's Getting Back!

HeyJ, everyone! We're working on a little micro-set and an updated costume for next Friday's FNAF-inspired video, but I swear there's more happening still behind the scenes! Thanks for sticking with us through the slowest part of the year while we get the gears turning for a few other fun things -- we couldn't do this without you (sometimes we aren't sure how we're doing this at all...)

Can't wait to get over the last bumps of 2020's pandemic and launch into the amazing, opportunity-filled year we all hoped 2021 would be! No matter what, one way or another, we'll do our part to make it special. ^^ Thanks for helping us make it happen!

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Sea Shanty Ahoy!

HeyJ, guys! Got a couple updates here for you, including some Animal Crossing puppets, the start of a sea shanty, and a little secret project we've been working away at behind the scenes... Thanks for your support on all of these things and more!

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: This REport is at Least a C+

HeyJ, team! Sorry for sparse updates. We're definitely still active and should have plenty to show you shortly. Here's a little bit to start the ball rolling!

Thanks as always for backing RE, especially during tough months like January. As always, we really appreciate your generosity, as well as your patience waiting on REport videos. ;)

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: WHO MADE THIS MESS?!

HeyJ, guys! Here's an update from on set of FRUIT NINJA: THE MUSICAL! And yeah, even Southern California gets pretty chilly (particularly at this time of year!) We ended up with snow flurries once we wrapped filming for the night!

Patrons who join us on Discord, please note that I will need to delay Friday's usual post-musical chat until 4pm Pacific, as I'll be doing some recording business earlier in the day. Anyone who wants to hang out for a bit before REplayed, though, can stop by the Patreon Discord server then. ^^

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Raining on the Fruit Ninja's Parade!

HeyJ guys! Filming has started... but there's not enough to show you yet. :( We'll be back at it over the next few days, around the weather. Stay tuned for updates!

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Gaze Upon the EVIL SHERBET SHOGUN!

Konbanwa, Encounterers! We're up late again doing costuming, music editing and more! Here's some of our progress on this month's (late blossoming) musical, FRUIT NINJA!

We're expecting to be filming in the next few days, so stay tuned for the first footage from on-set!

Beard Salute!
~AJ 

REport: WILL IT CUT?!

HeyJ, guys! It's time to truly test our katana's limits, and we've pulled out all the stops -- er, fruit -- to find out whether this bad boy will... *puts on shades* ...cut the mustard... 😎

Thanks for backing the channel and stay tuned for more details coming soon!

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: The Great Katana Test

HeyJ, everyone! One quick update for you all: we've started getting some props in for FRUIT NINJA: THE MUSICAL... but one big problem we might face is how to -actually- cut through fruit... Our katana is more a replica than, er, a functioning instrument of death, which might inhibit how effectively it performs in this project. >_<

With that challenge in mind, Nate's been working the sword on a whetstone to see whether we can sharpen it up enough for some juicy fruit-slicing action. Having had a crack at a couple apples with it myself (off-camera), I can verify that it DOES chunk fruit into pieces, but it's probably not ready to tackle thicker fare still. Take a look at its first couple cuts in action!

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Enter the FRUIT NINJA!

HeyJ, everyone! Thanks for all your kind feedback after the last (very long) REport. As you can see, we chose a project and moved forward, and we're expecting to have a lot of fun with it. We did see all your suggestions as well, though, and are certain some of them will be on the table in the future. :)

We have a lot to do in not a lot of time, but hopefully that means we'll have plenty more to show you before next week. Thank you again for backing all the wild antics on Random Encounters!

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: What Are We Doing?

HeyJ, everyone. This is a rather long and rambly REport, so let me give you the summary: we don't know what we're making still, and we're struggling to make much headway, as 2020 took a lot more out of us than we could have imagined. But month-long breaks aren't really a thing we feel good about, either (at least, until YouTube changes their algorithm), so this is a candid discussion that includes several projects we very well might make, but also the dilemmas we have in pursuing them. Please take it all with a grain of salt, because one good joke or melody can materialize in an instant and turn our whole opinion upside down. Right now, we're basically hunting for that inspiration for one of these (or something different).

Thanks again for being understanding and patient. You and your support mean a ton to us, especially after such a taxing year. We definitely still have several "deserving" concepts to work on, but current conditions have knocked most of them out of our reach. Hopefully we'll find something we can both make AND deserves to be made... but more importantly, whatever we make, we'll do our best to make as awesome as possible.

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Early Look at RE Awards 2020

Happy New Year! We were just finishing up filming the RE Awards video and wanted to drop you guys a line to thank you for your support and assure you there will be musical updates headed your way again soon. 🙂 We hope you all enjoyed safe and relaxing holidays!

Beard Salute!

~AJ

REport: Christmas Cards Away!

Merry Christmas, Encounterers! We're just finishing up some loose ends here before the holidays, but there's never a bad time to give you guys an update anyway. :) We hope you're enjoying a little time off, are staying healthy, and are looking forward to an exciting new year just around the corner. Enjoy a sneak peek at some music for the 2020 REwind video while you're at it!

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Granny's Final Night!

As promised, here's the final REport from filming Granny Chapter 3! With filming wrapped, we've been hard at work putting the project together and adding the finishing touches for its premiere! Hope you're all as excited for this release as we are! See you tomorrow!

Beard Salute!

~Nate

REport: Eight Hours Later...

Here's part two from the last REport. Let's just say it was a very long night, but that we got through more of the project than we expected to and have since wrapped the rest of it. Keep an eye out for one more on-set REport soon (and the finished musical on Friday!)

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: On Set AGAIN... with Granny!

HeyJ, everyone! Thanks for sticking around waiting on updates. We had over 100 shots scheduled for this musical, but the sun ended up beating us before we could wrap... >_< So we have a bit more planned tonight and then some wild editing to whip through. There should be a couple more REports in between!

Also, this musical SHOULD be up Friday, but we don't know what time yet. :/ IF it launches as normal (12pm Pacific), I'll hop in our Patreon Discord to voice chat a bit after the premiere. If this needs a few more hours, though, it'll launch at 5pm Pacific (just a few minutes prior to REplayed!), and since we're filming a double episode, the Patreon voice chat will in that case be pushed to AFTER the second episode's taping (i.e. about 7:30pm Pacific). I'll probably be starving or sleep deprived, so expect a bit of loopiness in either case. ^^

Thanks again for your support and happy holidays from your pals at RE!

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Grouchy Goombas and their Three Day Lyric Session!

HeyJ team. We're extremely burned out from this project already, and I'm sorry we're not hiding it a little better... ^^; This one's taking a bigtime toll, but after filming this, we put in a few more hours and got it all mostly sorted. That means we're on track to record and get to filming so we can hopefully make our Friday video release as planned!

I truly hope none of you notice any (unusually) weak spots in the lyrics, because we've really laid into these with everything we've got. Even 60 Seconds: The Musical had less time and attention put into its script ultimately than this one, but the reality is that not all songs are created equal and some musicals ARE simply much more awkward and difficult to tell a story through (especially if the plot is complicated or the rhyming/meter is tricky). Suffice it to say, this was the most intense script of the year, and I'm grateful you're there for us even when YouTube's algorithm would have liked us to quit days ago to spit out something half-baked a bit quicker. You guys are champs. ^^

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Secret PATREON PRIZES!

HeyJ, guys! Since it's been a hot minute and we covered a bit of ground in this, let's recap:

1) No Animal Crossing musical this year, but we'll show some updates once our current musical is wrapped.

2) This month's GRANNY CHAPTER 3 song is underway!

3) But our power is getting cut the night we're finishing post production, so it may possibly be uploaded late... >_<

4) We're giving out some special Shovelwarewolf themed RE trading cards to Patreon Encounterers who have backed us on the Card Carrying tier for all of 2020 (those cards, however, will be available as part of our random card pool for the future, for other Encounterers who weren't able to acquire them immediately).

5) We'll be continuing this "consistency reward" concept in the future, too!

I don't think we mentioned it, but this month's trading cards are still being printed. Shipping will probably be EXTRA SLOW, since both the holidays and COVID-19 are creating massive slowdowns on both production and postal services, but we'll do our part to get them out of our office and on their way as quickly as possible. :)

Thanks again for being there for us during an incredibly difficult year. 2020 kicked our butts at historic levels, and while it created a number of disappointing changes, I'm glad it inspired so many unique projects we may have passed over otherwise (or at least filmed with a few more actors!) Consider yourselves Pros at Life, everyone: we've conquered one of the worst years in recent human history!

Beard Salute!
~AJ

REport: Tying Up AJ!

So yeah, this also happened...

...just another normal day at Random Encounters! Stay tuned for the Granny Chapter 3 teaser tomorrow!

Beard Salute!

~Nate