# Behind the Scenes of "[How Astro Bot Broke the Fourth Wall](https://youtu.be/nFlGhgdu3sc)" <div class=iframe-container> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/nFlGhgdu3sc?si=S0UgkWEP_otz4v_n" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> 👋🏻 Releasing this one took a *whooooooole* lot long than I anticipated. I definitely fell into a slump and just kicked the ol' can down the road. But I did *ship* and that's important. A key factor in sticking with this particular can was my mind wouldn't let go of this idea. I was captivated by the end credits sequence of *Astro Bot* so much that I knew I wanted to make this video. No amount of can kicking would stop its creation. There's a good bit to go over and explore, but before I dive into the proper breakdown, I wanted to draw your attention to my [[Memory Card]] newsletter, which I've been sending out all year as a real-ish time chronicle of my creative process for making **The Thing™** (aka these video essays). If you enjoy these Behind the Scenes deep dives, I think you'd enjoy Memory Card. You can subscribe [here](https://buttondown.com/MaxFrequency). And, of course, a heartfelt thank you to **you**. I know these posts are beefy, especially on top of the essays themselves. I have a passion for sharing my process and helping teach people however I can. Plus, I learn from the process too. So, just like Team Asobi, I would like to say "thank you." Now onto the behind the scenes! ![[250924_Astro Bot_Thank You.jpg]] ## Timeline I decided to sort of follow through with my idea from [[Behind the Scenes of The Spirit of Super Mario Galaxy#Timeline|last time]] and "nix" this section. I'm not very good at timestamping crucial days and events. [[Memory Card]] is the official timeline for my essays now, but that doesn't mean I can't highlight some moments from along the way. The range of newsletters that cover this essays creation is [[Memory Card 37 – Intermixing Linearity]] to [[Memory Card 58 - How Astro Bot Breaks the Fourth Wall]]—that's 21 newsletters over a seven month period. I "locked in" the *Astro Bot* essay as my next one at the end of May, so by that milestone, it took four months to make this one. Here's a list of my favorite or key entries during this one's creation; - [[Memory Card 39 – Cabin in the Woods]] - [[Memory Card 44 – What Came First - The Video or the Thumbnail]] - [[Memory Card 47 – Japanese Jazz Think Sessions]] - [[Memory Card 49 – And the next Essay is...]] - [[Memory Card 50 – Broken Glass]] - [[Memory Card 53 - Integral Shenanigans]] - [[Memory Card 54 – Mellow Runway]] - [[Memory Card 56 – Too Many Systems]] - [[Memory Card 57 – The Warm Glow]] You'll notice that the selected entries get closer and closer in numbering the closer to the launch of the essay. Out of this little list, here are some of the lessons that stand out to me - Don't bogged down with high level systems; don't let the tools get in the way of the making. - Where there is a will, there is a save file out there. You don't have to play/replay an entire game to find a section, especially in older titles. - Plant your flag in the ground on your next target...but be willing to [[Memory Card 59 – Flip Flopped|change it up]]. - Thumbnails are vital. Work on them at the outset. Speaking of which, I'll be workshopping the next one soon. What do you think? Both of my lessons learned and this new structure for the timeline section? Let me know. I dig it. Feels like there is more focus and value. ## Writing I am a bit embarrassed at how long it took me to write 1,316 words. That equates to roughly a 4:42 minute read—non-dramatized for video, of course. I wasn't sweating over the prose so much as not dedicating the time to working on the script. During the research process, my ideas were getting *out there*. Sure, there is an almost endless list of fourth wall break examples in games.[^1] At one point, I had the idea to look into [ARG](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternate_reality_game)-type games and campaigns. I wrote down that path felt "like scope creep." I took tons of notes and read plenty of scholarly papers.[^2] I didn't quote or cite any of them besides Steven Conway's *[A Circular Wall? Reformulating the Fourth Wall for Video Games](https://web.archive.org/web/20161005141051/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132475/a_circular_wall_reformulating_the_.php?print=1)*, but I sure read them. At some point though, I decided to trim a *ton* of fat. I could have easily turned this project into a 40~ minute essay that went all over the place. I decided though to reign it in and focus on the why and how of *Astro Bot*'s credits since that is what brought me in to this concept in the first place. This would let me keep it tight, explore a singular element of game design and (hopefully) keep the audience's attention. I did do the Stephen King [[Memory Card 54 – Mellow Runway|six week rest]] review method after I completed the first draft. I didn't maximize those six weeks for other projects, but the affect on reviewing *this* script was good. I came back with fresh eyes, fixed mistakes, edited elements, and felt fired up to get back into the making. I will continue this practice, although I *may* shorten the loop (or, you know, actually take advantage of that time to work on other Things™). ## Production The production process for this one was fun and straight forward. I did fun edits, fun shots, executed fun ideas. I think that kept me engaged and eager to make. ### Audio I [[Behind the Scenes of The Spirit of Super Mario Galaxy#Audio|still feel stuck]] in this limbo of wondering if I am recording myself at too low of a volume. I have since brought the level up a bit, so we shall see if I feel better in future essays and podcasts. I do think my mix was good this time around with no loud transitions or snafus. The [soundtrack](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxCxW3Sbhy5ZRJI8wfhGrJD3UJGPdjCRw&si=S3Z7ttoLcFN_FiA0) is almost entirely from *Astro Bot*. I had fun just throwing the game's album on shuffle and writing down songs that I thought would work. I struggled with the opening music though since I didn't want to lean into *Astro* music until I say what the video is about (despite everyone knowing from the title and thumbnail). I ended up downloading a 10 hour video of the PS5 first boot background music and just trimming out a few minutes to lay under the opening *checks timeline* 21 seconds. Excessive? Yes, but it works. I did get to do a favorite editing trick of mine a couple of times in the video, which is lining up audio from one clip and syncing the music so that the song is seamless between the clip and my essay. I did this in [[The Games That Got Me Through Our Miscarriages – A Video Essay|The Games That Got Me Through Our Miscarriages]] with the [Razbuten video clip](https://youtu.be/bfqu3lOoQD8?si=BL-FNQwegvb-dFoI&t=436). For *How Astro Bot Broke the Fourth Wall* I did it with the Game Awards clip near the start and then with the end credits of the game when I break it down. This kind of edit feels so slick to me and I *loooooooooove* doing it. I also had lots of fun including the audio from certain clips, like Daffy in *Duck Amuck* or Psycho Mantis from my tube TV. Speaking of tube TVs, I did include the audio of the game clips during that CRT montage. To give the sound a lo-fi feel, I added "Television 2" and "Telephone 2" from Final Cut Pro's sound effects to give it that texture. I think that helped ground the clips in the moment I was trying to sell. ### Video This essay features a wide range of footage. I've got your standard B- and G-Roll, but then I have some fun screen recordings, special effects, and a full blown set designed shot to show off how the Psycho Mantis fight was intended to go down. Let's start there. During the writing and ideation process, I became [[Memory Card 53 - Integral Shenanigans|attached]] to showing off the `HIDEO` moment from the Psycho Mantis fight in *Metal Gear Solid*. The only way to do that is by showing the game on a tube. ![[250925_MGS_CRT Psycho Mantis Red Glow.jpg]] This was a fun set to build and design on the floor of my studio. I packed it with easter eggs, including some you can't really see because of my head.[^3] I tried to use my PS1, but as it turns out, my PS1 needs a tune up (laser, I think). So I used my PS2 with good ol' composite cables. I wanted that authentic kids-playing-on-the-floor feel like I used to have in my youth. I was heavily inspired by [8-Bit Music Theory's album cover for *Let's Play*](https://8bitmt.bandcamp.com/album/lets-play).  At the very end of production, I realized that I squandered an opportunity for a **major** fourth wall break of my own. I did the entire Psycho Mantis fight off this tv and filmed it all. I should have looked straight at the camera at the end and used it as my own break like the [credits sequence](https://youtu.be/T1XgFsitnQw?si=UP0ldRAy1vVfAgE3) of *Ferris Bueller's Day Off*. I am quite upset at myself for not envisioning this sooner and making it a reality. I could have faded in after my credits, shown a little clip of the end of the fight, and then crushed it. Even writing about it bums me out. My other CRT idea was a branch from the `HIDEO` concept. I toyed with the idea of capturing raw gameplay and imposing it on a clip of a blank CRT. That morphed into using this concept to showcase the different examples and the range of fourth wall breaks in games. I liked this idea because two of the games were meant for CRTs while the other two were not. I thought it'd be a fun and captivating way to show the clips. My first test was just a proof of concept video. I snapped a photo of my Trinitron, brought that into Final Cut Pro, and cropped my gameplay over the top. You can see that [here](https://youtu.be/tSe06tvqqi4?si=ieMwxrkgpSSEgZ7s). <div class=iframe-container> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/tSe06tvqqi4?si=MMUlVTCruvTt4SSC" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> My next step was perusing around online for free stock footage of a CRT. I wasn't going to get the artsy look I want in my studio with my current lighting. I was searching on Pexels and found [this](https://www.pexels.com/video/close-up-of-a-static-television-8546323/) red and blue drenched shot that looked real cool.[^4] I [tried](https://youtu.be/gnehknLnQhY?si=tHlGiAA4VaC1SiiJ) my hand at masking, but the subtle push in proved to [difficult](https://youtu.be/ltjhJgVEo_E?si=wXp1FDbzv69_CBn4) for my novice masking hands. <div class=iframe-container> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/gnehknLnQhY?si=tHlGiAA4VaC1SiiJ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div> Still wanting to do that shot, I sought out a static (heh) shot of a retro TV and landed on [this](https://www.pexels.com/video/crt-no-signal-static-20063221/). Being static made it so much easier to mask and I think the final effect came out super well! I also used [GameSack](https://www.youtube.com/@GameSack)'s Retro Video Final Cut Pro [plugin](https://www.gamesack.net/scanlines.html) to apply a litany of effects to make the crispy 4K60 capture look old and crunchy. I love this plugin and always have a great time playing with it. If you use FCP, you owe it to yourself to install this. I want to share my backup plan for if I decided faking this effect wasn't worth it. I would edit the montage like normal and export it in a format compatible with my PS3. I would then hook that console up to my CRT and play the video off the console and film the TV. Then I would import that footage into the timeline and sync it up, replacing the cut I just made. I still like that idea and may use it someday. Feels like a neat and super practical way to implement this kind of effect; sorta Casey Neistat style. Another big idea was a fourth wall break of my own by using the power of screen recording software! I wanted to make reading Wikipedia more exciting and engaging than a big wall of text. So I mashed Razbuten's idea from "[I Hope This Video Doesn't Suck](https://youtu.be/7HiNO5Q-mmY?si=fWBqIByLDJ_mMX9a&t=90)" with the macOS desktop staging from [[You are a better writer than AI. – Josh (with parentheses)]] and tried to execute my own vision. Staging and staging in a *consistent* fashion between takes was surprisingly more tricky than I anticipated. I wrote down rough ideas in my Field Notes on my desk and then played with views and framing. My original take stayed far too long on the Wikipedia page, falling back into the same kind of boredom a wall of text would have produced. So I went back and tapped into the live element of video and the visual nature of a fourth wall break with the [montage](https://vimeo.com/60845952?fl=pl&fe=vl) from Leigh Singer. I feel like I balanced the right level of metareference without being overbearing. I tried to strew references and jokes all about for the curious viewer without detracting from the message. I'm proud of this one's implementation. The last big video effect I thought of early was implementing the Rick Dalton pointing meme from *Once Upon A Time In Hollywood*. Surprisingly difficult to find 4K footage of [that scene](https://youtu.be/npAz2MMLCr8?si=jzdYBb5oZb-cZm0I) given its [meme-dom](https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/pointing-rick-dalton). I found one clip from some Persian YouTube re-upload channel that slapped a watermark on the footage. The mark was just enough out of the way from me to mask Leo. I was *this* close to buying a 4K Blu-Ray of *Once Upon A Time In Hollywood*.[^5] I did rip that clip from *Duck Amuck* from my Blu-Ray of Looney Tunes. So crisp. So clean. One idea I did not plan from the outset was my handling of the Steven Conway quote. That man is hard to find online—major props to him. I would normally take a photo of the quoted individual and slap said quote next to them. My issue with the *three* Conway photos I found was that they were low res, like, super low res. No amount of upscaling was going to save those. I had to pivot. I started leaning into this idea to copy Mark's [stylized quotes](https://youtu.be/h5qfCQiHg04?si=VroIayfpGkmvmNGA&t=189) for his videos on [Mark's Rec Room](https://www.youtube.com/@marksrecroom). But what could represent a Senior Lecturer in Games & Interactivity at Swinburne University of Technology? I landed on who I assume is the [most famous video game professor](https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Professor_Oak). Besides being the perfect candidate, picking the opening scene from *Pokémon LeafGreen* was easy because I had the [footage](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtyecyePmh8uEIfLjulph-8YO53tCop-V&si=qWjW2-x8-T1BqQte) and the [font](https://superpencil.com/work/johto-mono) to make it work. I think it came out well and proved to be more engaging than my usual image with text combo. ### Gameplay I am pleased to report that just blind recording all my gameplay does indeed work. Thanks for listening to my sick justification for keeping terabytes of footage around. Back when I played *Astro Bot* in January, I wasn't planning on making a video essay about it. When the credits rolled I (obviously) changed my tune. I was glad to have every* second of footage. Alas, not all the recording was smooth. I had the same problem I did when recording gameplay for [[Behind the Scenes of The Spirit of Super Mario Galaxy#Gameplay|The Spirit of Super Mario Galaxy]]. > "I did find myself running into a problem though and I still have not figured it out. Sometimes the capture would stop in the middle of a session and split videos up, losing a few seconds between stopping one clip and starting another." My *Astro Bot* footage is riddled with this problem. It's been a major factor in admitting that [[I Can't Rely on My 4K60S+ Anymore|I cannot rely on my Elgato 4K60S+]] now. While this is resulting in a drop in quality from 4K60 to 1440p60, I need a reliable setup before a higher quality one. This change will also result in no more HDR capture. While the quality snob inside my heart is broken up about this, the editor in my head is not. I have had issues in the past changing the color space from Rec. 2020 (PQ) to Rec. 709 and *Astro Bot* was a victim here. The highlights were far too blown out. It's just a tad muddled when converted, despite my best efforts. I suspect I will have to be more conscious of color space conversion in OBS now and dial even more settings in, but again—I need a reliable setup first. If after all that, you still need some 4K60 HDR footage of *Astro Bot*, look no further. Knowing this essay was coming out, I've been uploading my playthrough to the [Max Frequency Library YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@MaxFrequencyLibrary) daily. You can see all the *Astro Bot* G-Roll [in this playlist](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLtyecyePmh8uvAR6IztTVD6HtPOAO9nj0&si=yUM8MjQ2wAb5f5ya). And I just have to talk [[Memory Card 53 - Integral Shenanigans|one]] [[Memory Card 57 – The Warm Glow|more]] time about the Psycho Mantis encounter and getting that footage. I wrote about finding the save data in [[Memory Card]] so I won't rehash that here, but there was something delightful about experiencing it on real PlayStation hardware, particularly with my original *Symphony of the Night* save data from my PS3 *also* on the memory card. Yes, I also migrated my save from 2015 when I played *SotN* for [[Millennial Gaming Speak – Episode 9 - Castlevania and Kickstarter|Episode 9 of Millennial Gaming Speak]]. I am a save data fiend. I've only played *MGS* twice. My first time was on my PSP where switching controller ports was a system menu option. While I'll never forget that entire experience, it was far from ideal. The [[Returning to Shadow Moses — My Journey back through Metal Gear Solid|second time]] was the GameCube remake *The Twin Snakes*. That has its own flare, which I adore. There is an authenticity to using real hardware, tube TVs, and data. There's something you can't fake. Perhaps that it is all in my head, but after hours of trying to find a solution to finally hearing Psycho Mantis say "You like Castlevania, don't you?" in regards to *my* save was pure delight. ### Editing Here is the final timeline for the video; captured off my dad's insanely wide monitor where I was working when exporting this essay. ![[250922_Ultrawide Timeline.png]] I love a good 10 minute video to edit. The timeline feels so *manageable*. After laying down some footage it feels like you are almost done. It's an encouraging feeling, not drowning in a whopper of a timeline. It also means I can spend more time trying new techniques or polishing old ones. I futzed with masking. I used it on Rick Dalton and in the *Persona 4 Golden* TV transition. I wanted to use it on *Duck Amuck*. Right after the Daffy line I included, the painter's brush swipes down to reveal a farm. I wanted to mask that out and have it "paint" in my screens of bots. I thought it'd be fun, but I struggled with it. Instead of banging my head, I just scraped the idea. There was no spoiler warning this time. There were two reasons; A) I forgot to include it ([[250929_Astro_ Unused Spoiler Warning.jpg|I made it!]]) and B) I felt like what *was* a spoiler was so minor that saying there were spoilers would deter viewers. I am quite spoiler sensitive, so I trusted my filter. I hope that's okay. I love the Thor resurrection in *Rangarök*. That is the most recent and might be the biggest spoiler-y thing. The *Outer Wilds* clip is an optional achievement so out of context that it felt more like a "if you know, you know" type nod. I think not having the spoiler warning helps the pace of the video out of the gate too. I'm not putting 5~ seconds of reading on the viewer right out of the gate, which I assume is an automatic "NOPE" or fast forward for most viewers. I haven't heard an outcry due to the lack, so maybe I should trust my filter more and perhaps include a warning in the script itself if the whole video is about something truly spoiler focused or in the video's description. This was my first essay on my new-to-me M2 Pro MacBook Pro. It rendered the 4K60 video in a snap. I had no real hiccups or stutters. It was a dream for me. ### The Thumbnail For this essay, I tried designing the thumbnail before I did anything else. I heard that you have to lock in the thumbnail and title first, since getting people to click is the only way anyone will watch the video. Makes sense. I had only two sentences written down before I started exploring and making concepts. > "One or multiple characters reaching through/breaking the glass? Astro Bot as Drake shooting the screen? That'd be super clean." With that clear image in my mind, I set out to make it a reality. My biggest challenge was getting a transparent layer of broken glass. It was so cumbersome that I wrote an [[Memory Card 50 – Broken Glass|entire newsletter]] about how I used AI image generation to come up with something useable. I still don't love the final glass layer, but it is better than aimless wandering in Google Images. I suppose my only other option would have been to buy a glass pane, hit it with a hammer and make my own shattered glass. That would have been cool. After locking in Drake Bot shooting the screen, I felt like the thumbnail was complete. Only at the end of production did I consider adding text to the image. 😅 I liked the idea of the hole in the glass representing the "O" in "broken." That felt fourth wall-y and grounded. The final version of the thumbnail you see actually came about while writing this article! I noticed that my original concept had this blur behind all the broken glass, but then ever version afterward lost that effect. I toggled off a layer along the way, so I fixed it. It's never too late to tweak or change a thumbnail! ![[250926_Astro Thumbnails_Elizabeth concept v1.jpg]] ![[250926_Astro Thumbnails_bot drake concept v2.jpg]] ![[250926_Astro Thumbnails_bot drake concept v3.jpg]] ![[250926_Astro Thumbnails_bot drake concept v4.jpg]] ![[250926_Astro Thumbnails_bot drake concept v5.jpg]] ![[250926_Astro Thumbnails_bot drake concept v6.jpg]] ![[250928_Astro Thumbnails_bot drake concept v7.jpg]] ## Response I have been surprised by the response to the video. Having not uploaded to the essay channel since February and it only having a few videos, I didn't expect to hit near 400 views in a week or so. The response has been entirely positive, which is always great. Fun to get comments that say "your thumbnail is fantastic" and "DUDE. I THOUGHT YOU WHERE A BIGER YOUTUBEER. HOW ON EARTH DO YOU ONLY HAVE 73 SUBS. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!" Real encouraging stuff, even it the ALL CAPS is a bit much. I did share the video on the *Astro Bot* [subreddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/Astrobot/comments/1nnp8ix/how_astro_bot_breaks_the_fourth_wall/). Seemed like a fitting place to share. It helped drive some views and gave it a little boost. I might try this technique going forward, especially since I don't have a real social media presence. ## Performance / Stats - Final essay file/folder size was 700.23 GB - Final video file size was 3.67 GB - Final essay word count was 1,316 - Final behind-the-scenes word count was 4,767 - After one week of being published, - 363 views - 306 unique views - 10.4K impressions - 14 watch hours - 5+ subscribers - 16 likes - 0 dislikes - 6 comments ## In Closing In my [[Behind the Scenes of The Spirit of Super Mario Galaxy#In Closing|last]] "In Closing" section of one of these I said, > "I also feel like these things need to be a bit shorter. 😅 My next few I am going to hone in that craft. Say more with less. Refine, refine, refine." I may not have *remembered* writing that until just now, but I did *do* it. While the time it took to make the video was far too long, I made a shorter one. I think I said more with less. I refined, refined, refined. As usual, I am encouraged at the end of this process. I am looking forward to the next essay and new ideas. I have eager anticipation for wrestling with my creativity and processes. I look forward to learning, improving, and shipping. Thank you all for watching and reading. I'll see you in the next one. Until then... ## Inspiration - *[A Circular Wall? Reformulating the Fourth Wall for Video Games](https://web.archive.org/web/20161005141051/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/132475/a_circular_wall_reformulating_the_.php?print=1)* by Steven Conway - [Breaking the 4th Wall Movie Supercut](https://vimeo.com/60845952?fl=pl&fe=vl) by Leigh Singer - The opening fourth wall break in Razbuten's "[I Hope This Video Doesn't Suck](https://youtu.be/7HiNO5Q-mmY?si=fWBqIByLDJ_mMX9a&t=90)" - The use of macOS as a stage from [[You are a better writer than AI. – Josh (with parentheses)]] - The [album art](https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a1046494527_16.jpg) of *[Let's Play](https://8bitmt.bandcamp.com/album/lets-play)* by 8-Bit & The Single Players - [[MFP50 - "Certified Yapper" with Mark from Mark's Rec Room|Mark's Rec Room]] and [his stylized quotes](https://youtu.be/h5qfCQiHg04?si=VroIayfpGkmvmNGA&t=189). - This Lara Croft [thumbnail](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FqjzDwcNns4/maxresdefault.jpg) from "[Best Fourth Wall Breaks In Video Games! Secrets & Facts](https://youtu.be/FqjzDwcNns4?si=afU6U8MVvgBZnbm1)" by The Easter Egg Hunter [^1]: Some favorites I cut, *Doki Doki Literature Club*, *Metal Gear Solid 2* and *3*, *Eternal Darkness*, and *Tetris Grand Master*. [^2]: There's an unsent draft of an idea of a [[Memory Card]] newsletter about this. Here's all I wrote; "Academic research paper rabbit hole...kinda fun. Haven't read one of these since college. Each one refers to another. Endless?" [^3]: Also, my neck hurt far too much after filming this. I am getting old. [^4]: I went looking for examples of masking footage to a CRT and I knew my pal Javed Sterritt of Good Blood had done it in his [[Line By Line - A Documentary on the Localization of Majora’s Mask – The Hyrule Journals|Majora's Mask doco]]. Color me surprised when I [recognized](https://youtu.be/bW4Ya2R2B6M?si=vw6BMI3O6e9Oi_s9&t=56) the red and blue CRT shot. [^5]: And *WALL-E* too. I toyed with the idea of showing the scene where WALL-E is crushed but there is **no** high quality footage of that scene online.