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Creator of the Week: The Assault
Meet “The Assault”: a stay streaming community that includes a wide range of exhibits produced by Kevin Pereira and his crew at Assault Media, protecting subjects like gaming, tech, pop/geek tradition, WTF randomness, meals, memes, and getting actual.
Members: Alex Corea, Kevin Pereira, Erin Steeby, Yaniv Fituci, Carlos Rivera, Corrado Caretto, Jeremy Hache, Jake Strouckel, and so many extra!
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Patreon Web page: www.patreon.com/theattack
Q+A with The Assault
Patreon: Describe, in your individual phrases, what it’s that you just create:
Jake Strouckel, Advertising and marketing Director: We’re an lively manufacturing group, making video whatnots and podcast pleasure, throughout a variety of pursuits and kinds. And we’re loopy sufficient to do it stay. Issues would possibly get bizarre, however that’s what’s enjoyable. Our exhibits get crazier after they go utterly off the rails.
The Assault – A thrice-weekly selection present, filled with comedy bits, insane stunts, and borderline philosophical conversations in regards to the dankest of memes. Chaotic enjoyable, all pushed by our wonderful group. Alex Corea and Erin Steeby by some means handle to maintain the present shifting ahead, even when now we have to shave a director’s head alongside the best way…
Entrance Web page – A morning present hosted by Kevin Pereira and Alex Corea. Generally we speak about what we discover on the web, typically we simply spend an hour determining if cereal is a soup.
Let’s Do It On The Desk – That is our board recreation present! With a rotating panel of gamers and video games, there’s at all times one thing surprising. It’s a mixture of unbiased and traditional board video games, with a ton of viewers engagement all through the video games.
The Pointless Podcast – Kevin Pereira has been bringing the hearth to the Pointless Podcast since 2012! There are nearly 200 episodes of 1-on-1 (typically 1-on-MORE) interviews that go DEEP. Tech, trampolines, politics, nerdy ish, films, dragons – no matter appears like a very good time.
In 2017, we’re increasing the patron-exclusive applications. We’ve received discuss exhibits round video video games (Spitting Recreation), films (Evening of The Residing Present!), music (Deliver your 12”), and behind the scenes exhibits (The Assault Workers Solid).
How did you get your begin as a creator?
Kevin Pereira, CEO & Host of “Entrance Web page”: I ran a gaming-focused bulletin-board system again at the hours of darkness ages of dial-up modems and fell deeply in love with know-how. In my tween years, I began making audio net exhibits (“podcasts”, eons earlier than there was a pod) about stated love and that advanced into video exhibits as the worth and availability of {hardware} made producing content material potential for somebody my age. Years later, all that nonsense satisfied a number of folks in Los Angeles that I may need what it takes to be a manufacturing assistant, and for thirteen-plus years I’ve been privileged to make and faux my approach within the content material creation trade.
What did it take to finish up the place you might be right now?
Yaniv Fituci, COO: A lot of intestine checks, perseverance, and the relentless assist of our followers. We undoubtedly rely our blessings for the group that’s been with us from the start and made it potential for us to behave on such loopy concepts day-after-day.
At what level did you determine to develop your artistic ardour right into a enterprise?
Kevin Pereira: After years of constructing content material I cared about at G4TV, I knew I wished to proceed creating. However that I additionally loved issues like shelter and meals. As such, a number of years again, I spun up a “manufacturing firm”, and began procuring present ideas round with Yaniv and one other companion. My years at G4 had been an ideal bootcamp, having not gone to movie college or faculty, and that set me up with the boldness and basic information to strike out alone.
What are three techniques you’ve used to develop your viewers over time?
Jake Strouckel, Advertising and marketing Director: Boiling it down to 3 issues is hard, however right here’s what actually helps us:
1. Direct Group Engagement – The extra we talk with our present supporters, the extra enticing our tasks change into to a brand new viewers. By no means underestimate the ability of your group. They’re the rationale we get to make something!
2. Exclusives – We have now content material that exists ONLY for our patrons. Experimental podcasts, particular behind-the-scenes occasions, and precedence entry for group gaming nights make our group a enjoyable place to be.
3. Surprises – It’s one factor to fulfill group expectations with common content material, but it surely’s one other factor utterly to catch everybody off-guard. Particular occasions and surprises assist lengthen the word-of-mouth and attract new viewers. We’ve despatched a turkey to area. We’ve performed a recreation with blindfolds, bananas, and lube. The surprising retains the group engaged, discovering new inside jokes that may be shared.
What has been the best monetization technique for you the final 12 months?
Yaniv Fituci: Adverts and sponsors at present account for 25% of our total earnings, so the vast majority of our funding this previous 12 months has come from viewer subscriptions and stay donations.
When was the toughest time in your artistic profession, and what do you want your current self might’ve informed your previous self throughout that point?
Jeremy Hache: At one level I used to be the present producer for a very bold TV present that was severely understaffed. For 9 months we labored ourselves to dying, our leaders contributed pointless drama and we didn’t even love what we had been making.
The recommendation I’d have given myself is that this:
Don’t let cash, titles or working with icons determine your profession. Do what you like and love what you do. If you happen to’re not in that place proper now, persistently work for it. After getting your dream job, it gained’t really feel like work.
After getting your dream job, it gained’t really feel like work. Click on To Tweet
What’s the biggest problem you face proper now as a creator?
Alex Corea, Host of “The Assault”: I feel our largest problem as creators is identical factor that nearly each creator on the web faces: having sufficient sources to create precisely what we would like. Or, in different phrases, having sufficient moneys to make the funnies. Numerous the (greater) concepts now we have for The Assault simply aren’t potential with out spending some cash, in order that leaves us ready to both compromise or not execute the thought in any respect. And every of these choices preserve me up at night time AND make me cry myself to sleep.
How have your followers helped you all through your artistic profession?
Kevin Pereira: Followers are superior, and I’m honored to have a handful; however group is essential. And with out group, my firm and I don’t exist. Interval. I do know some creators will say you must do it for your self, and at occasions that’s actually the motivation behind executing, however I don’t know if I’m a kind of who might simply generate for the ether. I’m all about our unbelievable group and their unprecedented assist. Be it financial, phrases of encouragement, inventive collaboration, social-outreach, you identify it… we get to do every thing we do due to group. That’s been the case since I used to be swapping pirated video games and mod-files on a BBS, throwing nerd-raves throughout Comedian-Con panels or launching turkeys into area. With out them, we aren’t “us.”
When did you determine to launch on Patreon, and in what methods has it affected your artistic objectives?
Carlos Rivera, Programming Director: We determined to launch on Patreon once we had been trying to create extra alternatives that allowed us to supply content material each day. Patreon has assisted us in connecting with the group on a constant schedule.
What does Patreon imply for artists and creators?
Alex Corea: Nicely, for many creators, it merely means being able to create. I feel probably the most magical factor about Patreon is that it will probably pay folks’s lease and payments in order that they have THE ABILITY to create with out having to waste time on one other job. It’s actually laborious to make a present or a podcast or artwork if you must work at a financial institution or a salt mine or one thing. (no offense to salt miners, huge fan of your work).
Past simply financial assist, I feel Patreon serves an much more vital objective of affirming that what a creator makes is efficacious. Numerous artists are their very own worst critics, and having folks love your work a lot that they need to pay for it’s a large affirmation that what you might be doing is definitely being loved by somebody.
What was the overall suggestions once you first introduced your Patreon web page to your group??
Carlos Rivera: The group completely liked all of the options that Patreon needed to provide. The simplicity of the web site and cell app helped usher in new group members, with out hesitation.
When occasions are robust as a creator, is there something you proceed to return again to, one thing that retains you going and retains your eye on the prize?
Kevin Pereira: Whenever you’re a creator, it at all times helps to keep up perspective concerning the method. Failure is a nasty phrase that may sabotage efforts, sully takeaways or forestall one from ever attempting within the first place. Acknowledge that failure is an possibility, and it’s fully okay should you handle to extract which means from the expertise. It’s perspective. I FAILED to launch a startup years in the past, it was devastating… however I discovered a lot that years later I’m an investor and advisor to some profitable operations and on the precipice of launching a brand new idea of my very own. I’ve hosted and created a number of exhibits that “failed,” however I met fantastic individuals who I get to collaborate with now on different tasks, gained worthwhile expertise and am a significantly better producer having gone by these motions.
Perspective. Breathe, extract the lesson and preserve urgent ahead. You bought this.
Breathe, extract the lesson and preserve urgent ahead. You bought this. Click on To Tweet
What’s subsequent for you? Are there any thrilling tasks or huge objectives you might be working in the direction of?
Alex Corea: Area. Actually. I imply, yeah, there are different issues. I’d LOVE for our present to be stay four or 5 days every week as a substitute of three. It might even be fairly rad to have a pair extra writers on the present. BUT, I truly suppose we may be the primary present on the web to ship one thing into precise area. Like with a rocket. Into area.
Simply… simply give it some thought guys.
If you happen to might problem creators to do one factor that labored for you, or was transformative in your expertise, what would it not be?
Corrado Caretto, Head of Manufacturing: Search recommendation out of your friends and the professionals who’re doing it proper! Essential suggestions is important to the success of any artistic endeavor. Additionally, don’t be afraid to take probabilities and to fail. It’s alright to get knocked astray as long as you be taught out of your errors, get again up, and preserve pushing forward.
If you happen to might collaborate with one creator, lifeless or alive, who would it not be?
Alex Corea: Hoo boy. This can be a robust one. As a result of the folks I’d REALLY need are individuals who I don’t suppose I might deal with speaking to. I’m not usually starstruck, however I feel if I ever received to make one thing with Bizarre Al or Jack Black I’d IMMEDIATELY pee my pants. Like even earlier than shaking their hand, so they’d see I’m pee lined and NOT need to shake my hand.
Additionally, T-Ache. Name me.
That’s all, of us! Need to say hey? Attain out to The Assault right here: