Hey everyone!

A Look Back, A Leap Forward

Can you believe Austin B Media has been around for four years? It's been an incredible journey filled with movie and TV reviews, insightful discussions on The Austin B Media Podcast, and interviews with talented filmmakers. I've experimented, revamped, and even launched (and learned from) a newsletter. Whether you've been a Patron or a fan, your support has fueled this passion project from the beginning.

As I celebrate this milestone and look ahead, I'm thrilled to announce the next chapter: Phase Five of Austin B Media! This exciting phase is partly shaped by the valuable feedback I received from the pre-test group and all those who participated in the Phase Five surveys. A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to share your thoughts!

Phase Five is All About...

Movie and TV reviews will remain a cornerstone of Austin B Media. Expect the same in-depth analysis, interviews, and insightful podcast discussions you love. I'm also expanding my horizons with video game reviews, such as Rise of the Ronin, The Gardens Between, Interaction Isn't Explicit, and more. I'll cover everything from the latest indie darling to a hotly anticipated AAA title, keeping you informed about the ever-evolving gaming landscape.

Music lovers, I have not forgotten about you either! I'll be providing weekly album of the week features, but I'm keeping my options open based on your feedback. Upcoming releases such as Charli XCX's BRAT or Dua Lipa's Radical Optimism will be covered soon after release.

Keep an eye out for new feature articles. I might revisit a cult classic like The Godfather, explore specific genres like horror in-depth, or tackle critical analyses of industry trends. I'm excited to delve deeper and give you more insight into the entertainment industry.

Community Updates & Your Voice Matters

Austin B Updates will return and be better than ever! Patrons will receive exclusive access initially, with a public rollout depending on interest. The newsletter will feature weekly content summaries, upcoming releases to watch for, and behind-the-scenes insights.

I plan to incorporate more polls to help your voice be heard, Patron or not, and help shape the future of Austin B Media. Let me know what kind of content you're interested in!

Addressing Specific Interests

I understand that many of you are interested in various types of posts, including podcast episodes, awards coverage, interviews, festival coverage, and trailers. I'll continue incorporating these elements into my content calendar while offering opportunities for deeper dives and posts through Patron polls and feedback.

This upcoming awards season, I will explore the option of live-streaming awards shows as a potential addition to my current slate of awards coverage, depending on feasibility. I'll update you when I have more concrete details (likely once the 2025 awards season calendars solidify).

Spoiler Podcast Status

One piece of feedback I received in my Phase Five Patreon survey is that the respondent enjoyed listening to spoiler casts after finishing a movie/TV show/game. While a return to recording Spoiler Warning podcast episodes is not currently planned for Phase Five, your feedback is crucial. If the current strategy of featuring a spoiler discussion section in the main episode of The Austin B Media Podcast isn't something you're interested in and would rather see these discussions get episodes dedicated to spoiler discussion, please let me know through polls and in any discussions I have with you all.

Restructured Patreon Tiers

I've streamlined the Patreon tier structure to offer more apparent value at each level, focusing on benefits that directly affect your Patreon experience. Here's a breakdown of what you can expect:

• Scott's Sidekick (previously $1/month, now $3/month): This tier offers 48-hour early access to reviews, podcasts, interviews, and articles, as well as other core community benefits like a monthly appreciation post and exclusive Discord channel access. The price adjustment for Scott's Sidekick reflects Patreon's fee structure, where for every $1/month, Patreon takes approximately 30% of each transaction.

• Ramona's Companions is no longer available. The former $5/month tier, Ramona's Companions, has been eliminated to streamline my Patreon tier structure and replaced by the Wallace's Warriors tier, which is $10/month.

• Knives' Crew (previously $15/month, now $20/month): This tier has been repriced to create more of a difference between the Wallace's Warriors tier ($10/month) and the Knives' Crew tier. $15/month felt like a half-step up from that tier rather than its own tier worthy of upgrading. 

• The  Knives' Crew tier reprice also means that the Scott's Squad tier is no longer available. $20/month was a natural step up from  $15/month, and having two $20/month tiers didn't feel right.

• Subspace is back! This tier returns after some time off and will offer the most personalized and impactful experience, focusing more on direct communication, collaboration, and transparency.

New Patreon Tier Structure Recap:

I am excited to announce my revamped Patreon tiers to suit your support and interests better! Here's a breakdown of each tier and its exclusive benefits:

• Scott's Sidekick ($3/month)

  • Be the first to know - get 48-hour early access to reviews, podcasts, interviews, and articles.

  • Dive deeper into the community - access exclusive Patron-only posts, monthly content calendars, and dedicated Discord channels.

  • Monthly appreciation post that highlights what your support has funded.

• Wallace's Warriors ($10/month)

  • Unlock everything from Scott's Sidekicks!

  • Monthly Behind the Curtain posts

  • Enjoy uncut podcast episodes with bonus discussions and outtakes.

  • Access exclusive podcast episodes, including short reviews of movies, TV shows, music, and games I don't have time for, and franchise retrospectives on such films as Planet of the Apes, Bad Boys, The Strangers, Mad Max, and Alien.

• Knives' Crew ($20/month)

  • Unlock everything from the Scott's Sidekicks and Wallace's Warriors tiers!

  • Exclusive reviews

  • Exclusive movie & TV commentaries

  • Directly provide feedback on website features, suggestions, and more through dedicated Discord channels.

  • Exclusive voting power on polls and surveys that influence what I review that week, choose headlines, and more!

• Subspace ($50/month)

  • Personalized thank-you through a video, message

  • Podcast episode shout-out

  • 1:1 Zoom chat to talk about whatever you want (within reason)

  • Choose podcast topics and guests.

  • Creative experiments exclusive to Patrons

  • Quarterly transparency report 

In the Distance

• Coming soon, I'll be pushing for access to festival coverage, such as Tribeca 2024, Nashville Film Festival 2024, Bentonville Film Festival 2024, and so on. 

• Remember that book I mentioned a few times for aspiring entertainment journalists? It's still in the works and will be available in my Patreon shop by the end of the year.

Until next time!