Director Brian

Happy 10 years of Joy Charged Gamerz 🧡

8 months ago | [YT] | 10

Director Brian

Good afternoon, everyone. Last night, I did my recording for the Resolution of 2026 video, and without beating around the bush - this is going to be the last one I do. It also won't be like previous ones and won't have any discussion or announcements for any projects - just talking about my plans moving forward, as described in my second to last community post.

It's gonna be jarring, but ultimately this is going to help me in the long run.

See you tomorrow. 💙

8 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 18

Director Brian

Hey folks, quick PSA - YouTube has been automatically enabling Restricted Mode for a lot of users, which results in LOADS of videos being inaccessible, regardless of visibility. A good chunk of my videos are among them as well, so if you've noticed my channel missing a couple, it's likely been enabled for you.

To disable it on desktop, just click on your profile pic in the top right, and you should see it right in the drop-down menu.
On mobile, just go into your settings, and you'll find it under "General".

While I'm not as bothered by this since content creation is more of a hobby for me (I unmonetized most of my GMod videos lol), I know a lot of creators rely on this platform that need viewership - that and I'm sure you folks still wanna see my videos, so I figured it'd be best to keep y'all up to speed. Spread the word wherever you can!

Take care folks! 💙

1 year ago | [YT] | 16

Director Brian

A Change in Plans

Greetings; curious, concerned, simple visitors, or fellow subscribers/followers.

I’ve been quiet for a bit. In other news, the sky is blue - what’s changed, really haha

I’ve had a lot of time to really think about where my life has been going since my last big hiatus from 2022, and while there’s still a lot of things I’m trying to figure out, a general basis for it is starting to take shape; in order for my productivity and creative energy to truly thrive, I need to make a big change that prioritizes making it a passion I can truly enjoy for myself, and not just building the foundation for that joy off of other people’s appreciation and love for it.

Don’t misinterpret my words - I am forever grateful for all of the positive and constructive reinforcement that a lot of you folks have given me over the years to make this journey of mine fun and memorable. I’ve met a lot of amazing people throughout my time crafting stories that meant as much to them as it did for me, and to see many of them branch out into their own passions and opportunities they wouldn’t have imagined themselves doing years ago brings a big smile to my face. I will always appreciate those I’ve met finding their place either somewhere out there in the world, or on this wonderful cesspool that is the internet. I’m also just as grateful for those that have inspired me into making many of the ideas in my fucked-up noggin come to life. I don’t know where I’d be without any of them, and I always look forward to their next best thing so I can cheer them on just as much as they and many others had for me.

But times change, and so must I - not for the sake of others, but for myself. I’ve been trapped in a cycle of constant burnout for reasons that I continue to learn more about as time goes by, and with every positive step that I make, I always find myself one step closer to breaking that cycle. But some steps require mantling or breaking past obstacles that otherwise impede my progress, and the worst part is that they’re not even put there to make the journey more difficult - they’re a PART of that journey, and in order for me to keep moving forward, I need to make some difficult decisions.

Before I continue, I just want to clear the air and provide some reassurance so that none of ya’ll take this the wrong way - I’m not going anywhere. I’m still gonna be doing what makes me happy, and while I got a lot of ideas on my mind, I need to make this change that I’m afraid others might find hard to get used to. But it’s also possible that these concerns could be a big fat nothing burger and that nobody will actually mind this new process. Anxiety is still a bitch lmao

Let’s get this out of the way; I’m going to be privatizing my plans from heron forth. Forget what you already know about any projects I’ve talked about, regardless if it’s something I have a large focus on, temporarily put to the side, or completely abandoned - I want to start things off with a clean slate. This isn’t to say that there are any that are being cancelled, but even if that were the case, this change primarily means that I’m not going to be talking about those things from now on. I’ve said this in a multitude of ways, and almost every time I never actually commit to it because throughout my creative hobby, I’ve always been heavily reliant on trigger happiness to determine whether or not I want to start something, talk about it, and release trailers or teasers for them. It’s one thing to do what you love, but you can’t just stick with that and make promises you can’t keep, otherwise you’re not just disappointing others, but yourself as well for feeling like you’ve failed people. This is the reason why I relabeled ReFreshed - Familiar Territory from Episode 1 to a Pilot Episode. Up until it’s release, it never occurred to me whether or not I would even be interested in making a follow-up, as I was relying too much on my trigger happiness that I got too excited for what the future could behold if it were to turn into a new series. By labeling it as a Pilot episode, it emphasizes that whatever happens next will be my decision to make, and I’m not about to get anyone’s hopes up with a promise that I can’t keep anymore. For Depths of the Archive, it’s reveal in early 2024 was done out of impulse, and despite my Resolution of 2025 update, I didn’t really know when I would be ready to start this, if at all. While it doesn’t hurt to keep people up to speed when needed, unnecessary updates out of obligation or personal pressure with no real progress made or shown don’t really help. It’s basically me just saying “I’M NOT DEAD!!” when most people probably know that and don’t really care unless expressed otherwise. It’s easier for me to just go with the flow I’m in.

And that’s about it. I’m going to be keeping rather quiet publicly when it comes to things that I’m working on, but regardless, ya’ll will know when they come out as per usual. I apologize if this seems like I’m distancing myself from those that have been watching me for a long time, but I assure you all that’s not the case. I still enjoy talking with you guys, I appreciate all the kind words you’ve given me over the years, and I enjoy making things that bring you all joy in many shapes and forms. I just need to do this for myself because when you get older, sometimes things get harder, especially when you’re so used to doing them a certain way but can’t accommodate for it anymore energy-wise. One thing I can say with confidence is that this will put a lot of pressure off of me, because pressure is the last thing I need when trying to enjoy something for the fun of it all again.

Now that it’s official, I’m gonna get back to it. Whatever that may be, you’ll know. Much love, folks <3

1 year ago | [YT] | 15

Director Brian

An important change will be unveiled tonight when I get home from work. For some it might be strange, for others it might mean nothing at all. For me though, it's going to help me a lot in the long run. Stay tuned.

1 year ago | [YT] | 12

Director Brian

Welp - guess some things are unavoidable

Just a heads up, the pilot episode for ReFreshed *may* end up being delayed into early October due to things going slower than expected. Make no mistake, I'm JUST stretching ever so close to the end, but I will need more time, and I figured I'd let ya'll know in advance.

Thank you for your patience 💙

2 years ago | [YT] | 29

Director Brian

HAPPY 7TH ANNIVERSARY TO THE TORMENTED!! Hard to believe it's been this long since the original video came out in 2017 - a lot has changed in my workflow and creative process, some for the better, and some for the... ehhhh- strugglesome stuff, to say the least. I might not look back onto the original series with as much fondness as I would have back then, given the amount of influence my hyperfixations had on shifting the story in a completely different direction that I wasn't too fond of later on, but had it not been for the passion I had to not only start it, but expand upon it in ways I wouldn't have imagined back then, I wouldn't have learned a ton of skills that would help me improve on projects like it moving forward.

Sometimes thinking big doesn't always mean making something good though, and I recognize that some of the directions I was taking this series was anything but clear cut and focused, but it was the first time I had tried anything like it, and it never works out perfectly the first time anyway... or at all actually, my perfectionism basically stemmed from this series as I tried everything to stray away from what was common and have people step out of their comfort zone. I believe I succeeded on that front, it's just laying out too many projects and failing to keep many of them going where I wasn't too successful lmao.

But as I said, a lot has changed, and with ReFreshed having been in the works since the start of 2024, I've been trying to figure out the right kind of mindset to enjoy working on stuff like this again. While I haven't found anything that clicks on every front, I can safely say that I've reached a point where it's not only easier for me to jump back in when I'm feeling creative or productive, but also allows for me to take care of myself again when needed in between all of that. I can actually look back at what I've been working on with a sense of excitement and satisfaction that I was able to pull it off, and any free time I spend afterwards feels like I deserved it. Games are becoming more fun to play again, I'm realizing the importance in keeping up with actual priorities, I'm finding myself adapting to a new sleep schedule, and through all of that, things are slowly but surely becoming comfortable again. I feel content where I am, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna stop moving forward.

Anyway - with all that out of the way, it's worth noting (again lol) that the 7th Anniversary gift will be premiering at 1:15PM EST. While I wouldn't get your hopes up or expect any more details on the Pilot Episode (formerly Episode 1*), there is one thing it will unveil; the release window. With the workflow I've been going at, I've made enough progress to say that I'm comfortable sharing when it will be ready, and I'm more confident that this thing will be done in the window I've set for it. Of course, there's always room for delays, so again - don't get your hopes up, I can be unpredictable at times lmao.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVdpz...

*TL;DR - ideas have been piling up and I'm not sure what other direction to take it, so I'm treating it as a Pilot - like the original Tormented, and playing things by ear, that way I don't stress myself too much before it's even started. Just figured I'd point that out

But with all that said - thank you all so much for your support over the years. I'm looking forward to showing you all what I've been cooking up, and I hope you're all just as excited to join me for it! Much love, folks! 💙

2 years ago | [YT] | 27

Director Brian

Hey folks! Just a heads up to anyone confused, there were a couple visual issues on the upcoming premiere I didn't notice before that I had to fix up, and it's been reuploaded into a new premiere - just letting ya'll know in case you set a reminder and it doesn't show. Thanks for understanding, and stay tuned!

2 years ago | [YT] | 9

Director Brian

Production on The Tormented: Refreshed Episode 1 is now fully under way

2 years ago | [YT] | 44

Director Brian

"Did I ever tell you her name?"

1/15/24

2 years ago | [YT] | 21