Why Episode 52 Took Longer — and Why That Matters
The setup
Episode 52 was shot in Columbus, Ohio. The artist is Robinthacut.
By this point, this was the 52nd interview I’ve done for the series. The project has taken me to different states and a few different countries over the years — the U.S., Korea, Japan — but this one was local.
From the beginning, it was easy. Rob was cool right away. Same age range, same general energy. He brought a couple friends with him and it never felt stiff or formal. That matters more than it probably sounds like, because the easier the room feels, the easier everything else becomes.
The checklist
A few episodes back — maybe five or six before this one — I started using a written checklist for every interview.
It’s not fancy. It’s literally just a document where I write out every part of the process so I don’t have to keep it all in my head. If there are a lot of moving parts, I need them written down and referenceable, otherwise things slip.
That checklist follows the project from start to finish. Planning, shooting, editing, publishing. I update it as I go, but the core idea is the same every time: don’t rely on memory.
What we shot
For Episode 52, we didn’t just do the interview.
We shot:
A 30–40 minute interview, split into two halves
A music video
Song reactions (three songs)
A photo shoot
The interview was actually the last thing we did that day.
For the photos, I changed things up. I’d been using a big softbox for a long time, which made everything look soft but also kind of flat. It wasn’t wrong, it just wasn’t saying much.
So I took the softbox down completely and switched to hard light — just a Godox AD200 Pro. I liked it a lot more. The shadows were stronger than I wanted in the background, and I think I could’ve controlled them better, but overall it felt like it fit the project more. It gave the images more shape.
Those photos ended up doing a lot of work. They became the carousel post, and they’re also what I’m using for the thumbnails for the uncut interview and the music video.
The time gap
Here’s the part that really defines this episode.
The interview was shot on October 24.
I started editing on October 25.
As I’m writing this, it’s January 6th.
That’s I don’t even know how long.
Not because the edit itself is hard — but because life happens. Work, obligations, limited time windows. Editing happens in pieces when it can.
And honestly, that’s okay.
If I can shoot 52 interviews while juggling everything else, then time isn’t really the enemy. Rushing is.
Gear and learning
For this episode, I also tried a new microphone system — the Godox Magic XT1. Not sponsored. It was just easy to use.
But the point isn’t the mic.
The point is knowing your tools well enough that they stop getting in the way. That applies to every medium. Cameras, microphones, brushes, software. You don’t need everything — you need to understand what you already have and what it allows you to do next.
What the episode is actually about
What I was trying to portray here wasn’t a conclusion.
It was a question.
Who is Robinthacut?
Why does he make music? Why does he put work out the way he does?
I don’t think I can answer that for him — and I don’t think I should. The only real way to get close to that answer is to watch the uncut interview and form your own judgment.
That’s the point of the series.
Where the project is right now
This episode also sits at a transition point for the series as a whole.
Right now, the biggest limitation is space. I don’t have a studio. I need one. There’s also no real income attached to this yet. Stickers exist, but they’re closer to donations than products.
Vinyl is coming next.
The plan is to make interview‑plus‑music records for underground artists. One record that documents where they were at this moment in time. The manufacturing side is figured out — a pressing plant in Toledo, Ohio — and the designs are in progress.
Nothing is being overextended. Records only get made when they’re bought, unless an artist wants to invest upfront and press in bulk.
The goal isn’t scale.
It’s documentation.
Looking forward
This episode took several months to edit. That’s not sustainable if there are 40+ artists already lined up.
So the process has to keep changing. Keep tightening. Keep learning.
That’s really what Episode 52 represents.
Not a finished product — but time, stretched out enough that you can actually see what’s working and what isn’t.
Uncut interview (primary record)
Story video (this article’s source)
