The Exchanges

Q Oh, what did you see there that you didn't put out?

A Well, I mean, the main thing is like that, you know, the, the shop Chaz had like, I think it was three and a half weeks and this is how most autonomous zones go from what I've heard. The first week is like, everyone's got the spirit of the revolution. You know, there's like lots of seminars and reading, and there's clear organization. The second week, it has more of like a Coachella vibe. You know, it's like a festival. There's drum circles and fire spinners, and it looks like a scene from Burning Man. The third week, and I'm not sure why this happens, it's just hella tweakers. Like, all like the meth smokers set up tents, and it's just like a shit show, and then the drug dealers come, and then.

AI assessment note: “The first week is like... The second week... The third week... it's just hella tweakers”

Q their own? You know, it's at the end of the day, it's not the social platforms or the news, uh, media that's making statements or, you know, demonizing each other. I guess they play into it, but oftentimes we end up getting sucked into it, not you and I, um, but you know, the people, and I'm curious, you know, is there a level of personal responsibility here as well?

A Yeah. I mean, I think there definitely is, is, you know, and I think about that all the time, you know, are you were to just, are you supposed to just say that people have very poor information literacy or are you supposed to say that they are bigoted and they're just dumb or they are, I don't really know. I think it varies from person to person. I mean, I think certain people certainly are hateful and they latch onto hateful ideology that they, because they don't like people. But I also think that most people think they're doing the right thing. In the world. Most Trump supporters think that they're saving America. Most people in the streets, like rioting and destroying shit, believe that they are ultimately creating a sort of space for conversations that will better the country. I think there is, I just don't think there's that much hate. I think that there is a lot of brainwashing, but I think people, people in their day to day actions think that they're doing the right thing. Everyone, not everyone, but I would say maybe 80 to 90% of people do believe that they are doing something that will be for the common good eventually.

AI assessment note: “I think there definitely is, is, you know, and I think about that”

Q it's like for someone like you, who's just starting out and sort of the, um, the potential, uh, landmines you might encounter. So we talked a little bit in the first half about your relationship with doing things, media, Um, they gave you 45,000 dollar a year salary. They gave you the RV and they said, go have at it. And why don't you pick up the story from there?

A Well, I mean, first I just want to say that I have no problem with doing things media. You know, I don't want people to go out and say, fuck them or whatever. It's like, just follow what I'm doing next. Because at the end of the day, yes, I signed a really shitty full management deal that limited my creative freedom, not creative freedom. Yeah. Fucking limited my freedom as an individual. Everything I did was owned by someone else for a long period of time. And even to this day, I can never access any of it. It's not mine. I put my heart and soul into something for two years and still someone else owns it. And someone who I have disagreements with and I don't, I'm not friends with.

AI assessment note: “I signed a really shitty full management deal that limited my creative freedom”

Q My question is, um, yeah, what, what ended up unfolding with your relationship with them? Why are you on your own now?

A So basically, you know, we, it was great for a long time. Uh, I wasn't getting any percent of the, uh, profits from Patreon, YouTube, merch, anything up until the show went into out of the red and into the black or the green. The show started making money about six to eight months into it. So for a while it was them coming out of pocket. They took a gamble in the first place. Uh, started succeeding. Started coming in. So then they offered me, uh, you know, 20%. You know, bear in mind I was producing the show almost entirely by myself. Filming, researching, editing. They were just assisting with, uh, you know, some feedback here and there, but mostly merchandise, customer support is what they offered, and obviously promotions through their various pages. They'd repost me, and that would drive traffic to the all gas, no brakes page. So, after a long time, You know, things took off. I was only making 20%, but I was happy with that, because we were making a 100,000 dollars a month on Patreon, and the merch drops would make a couple, 250,000 in a day on a merch drop.

AI assessment note: “they offered me, uh, you know, 20%”

Q Was it like a long form format of what you were doing for YouTube?

A Yeah, a little more upgraded, a little more serious, a little more political, but it'll be announced soon. We'll talk about that when we get there, you know, because I can't say much without being under fire. Uh, the movie, people, people were really selective. So basically, uh, I'm working seven days a week doing this movie, and of course the movie is going to come out in a year or something like that. That means I can't make as much content for Instagram and YouTube and Patreon. So that means doing things media got less money. Patrons started dropping. Views started dropping simply because I could not make any more content. I was too busy. I was overworked beyond belief after two years on the road, segueing directly into a seven day shoot schedule for a movie. You know, and I'm only telling, I'm only saying this all because, you know, these details, uh, leaked in the New York Times and everything like that. I don't want to experience the company, but, uh, you know, they started pressuring me more and more to make capital C content, make this, make that. So I said to them, Hey, listen, man, I'll make more content, but I need more money at this point. I mean, you know, I was happy with 20% when I was living on the road, but I'm working on a movie full time. If you want me to work two jobs, I can't be getting this low amount of money for You know, and plus they're partners on th…

AI assessment note: “Yeah, a little more upgraded, a little more serious, a little more political”

Q Were you able to find that out through reporting or how do you, how do you know that?

A Oh yeah. All of my, everyone I knew who was there, everyone screaming, even the city reported it. I mean, the cops have purposely abandoned it. And we're like, take this because they want people to do some dumb shit so they can be like, look, they're looting and burning. And, you know, only a small percentage of protests have that element of destruction. But, you know, you know, on one hand, I understand it. Like in Minneapolis, I understood it a lot. Because it was like, this is the expression of the people. This is the first time they're seeing this, this imagery. And that's what you got to do to get people to listen. Initially, I understand the purpose of it. You know, just as, just as many people came out to protest the Trayvon Merton murder, but there was no looting and no damage and no one gave a shit because the reality is that the mainstream consumer public seems to care more about property damage than lives lost by police. So initially I think that it can, it can be a good tactic to get people's attention. But I think that if their attention has already gotten, I don't see the point of continuous destruction. You know what I mean? Like months after the murder, the shit going down in Portland where they're just breaking everything, talking about the militant decolonization of the American plantation. It's like, you know, you guys maybe can do this shit here, but you lea…

AI assessment note: “everyone I knew who was there, everyone screaming, even the city reported it”