Recently, I created an analysis/commentary video in regards to the success of Piggy and how MiniToon managed to accomplish what he has in less than a year. I attempted to provide a balance between analysis and commentary to ensure that it’s not too boring for those disinterested in development while hoping to still provide sufficient value for those who are there for more of the development aspect.
As this is the first video I’ve done in this style, I would appreciate any feedback in relation to some of the points listed below the embedded video (along with anything else you’ve taken note of):
Value of Analysis
There are definitely sections of the video where I know I could have improved upon the analysis that was provided, but some of it may have been sacrificed for greater accessibility to a wider audience. I wanted to avoid surface-level analysis but I was concerned about the length of the video if I were to go in-depth on everything that was brought up. As a result, some of the elements mentioned may need further interpretation on the viewer’s side to connect it with some of the overarching points that I tried to develop.
Clarity & Brevity of Explanations
I was fairly satisfied with my explanations, particularly during the Gameplay/Story part of the video, as I feel as if I was able to keep it somewhat concise (in comparison to how in-depth it could get) while making it clear what stood out and the impact certain aspects had on the overall experience of the game. Considering I have little experience with creating analysis videos, overall, I’m happy with how this aspect turned out during the overall video.
Bias
Inevitably, there are biases that influenced the end result of the video although I tried to keep it to a minimum. Piggy was a game that I was somewhat unfamiliar with prior to the production of the video, as I had previously tried the game out on a few occasions across the year but never ended up enjoying the gameplay enough to fully complete any chapters (levels). However, I had been familiar with the game to some regard, as I had occasionally watched videos about the game’s story/lore in the past, so I didn’t go into the project completely blind. I would have liked to include some constructive criticism for the game within the video, but I was unable to find a suitable place to do so. Furthermore, I would have included any flaws that may have not been addressed that could push people away from the game, but there wasn’t anything substantial that I came across while researching for this project. However, that could have come down to the distribution of time and focus invested into gathering data for specific aspects I wished to address while planning the video.
Visual/Audible Experience
I was somewhat struggling to find the right balance with the audio levels for the music utilized in the video, as I tested it with different audio outputs (Speakers, Phone Speaker) to determine what would be an ideal balance for those listening on different devices. On the other hand, I was satisfied with the visual aspect of the video for the most part, however, there were many sections where I was unsure what should be shown on the screen to go along with the commentary. Edit: Additionally, I wasn’t used to the inflection required when trying to develop the video storyline to keep the viewer interested, as I typically create tutorial videos that don’t require it in that particular fashion.
Background
Since not everyone may have been familiar with the game or the developers behind it all, I tried to incorporate MiniToon’s development background as a precursor to understanding what Piggy is about. I believe that any background information included was relevant to getting a better understanding of MiniToon and how he ended up creating Piggy, however, there may have been some unnecessary details that could’ve been considered “fluff” that were unnecessary. For example, the specific mention that some of his games fell under the “SCP Foundation Genre” may have not been necessary, however, I was originally going to use that to tie the idea together that his prior experience with horror games contributed to creating a horror game that wasn’t entirely reliant on jump scares/one particular facet of scary games/etc. (this was also why I didn’t mention one of his newer games outside of the horror game genre, Iron Assault), but I ended up not directly mentioning that.