Introducing Art & Gaming YouTube Channel: PennyBowtie

By Ninichi | Contact | Follow

Earlier on this year I connected with Noelle Vestal, an enthusiastic gamer and talented artist who runs YouTube channel PennyBowtie. I was asked to create the outro jingle for this awesome channel and wanted to share it with you! I'm excited to be have had this interview with Noelle which offers you a little bit more information on what the YouTube channel is about, so let's get to know the person behind PennyBowtie...

Why have you decided to create a YouTube channel?

'To be honest it started out as a bit of a rebellious act toward a few family members because they think gaming is a waste of money. After a few months in I had started to go through some tough times, like my mother had passed away, and we had fought for my siblings custody with his biological father. It all happened so fast, and it was really rough but when I started to make videos and stream, even if it was just one or two people watching, it felt really good to know that people were interested in what I was doing. And even better it wasn't because of the game I was playing, or some fandom, They were there because they just wanted to relax and chill. It wasn't forced or 'sub 4 sub'. They were just there. I'm a people pleaser so it's nice to see others are having a good time :)'

Wow what a story! Thanks for sharing that. So, who would you say your YouTube channel is for?

'My channel is generally for everyone, but I did originally wanted it to be more kid friendly, until I realized most of my content started out with horror. So now it's more PG13 or T for Teen. But that's mostly for the games. As for the Speedpaints and the few songs/song covers I've uploaded.'

What sorts of content do you and will you be sharing?

'I really enjoy art and gaming, so that's what I've decided to upload. I particularly like the older games then the new ones that have been coming out. It seems to bring out more of a nostalgic feeling to watch someone play something older.'

How long has it been going for?

'Uhhh, I need to check that lol. And my channel says I've been at this for about 2 years. I feel old lol.'

How important is music to your videos (i.e. the intro / outro / background music etc)?

'I think music is a huge part of my videos, especially since I'm a mediocre gamer, so there's a whole lot of bloopers I manage to squeeze out of recordings. I just want my audience to feel happy, and have a place to chill and relax.'

It was great fun working on the outro for PennyBowtie. How was it for you :-p?

'I thought working with you was a good experience. You were very patient with me and honest. I can tell you're pretty passionate about what you do, so a 10/10 for me :)'

How very kind! Here's the outro, have a listen folks!

(Check out my intros & jingles section if you want to hear some other jingles and/or get some help with your own)

What's the plan for your YouTube Channel?

'I think a big part of my channel that I want to plan later on when my channel has more attention is giveaways and charities. It's originally what I was thinking. I also want to be one of the few, (or the only?) Let's player who will play with random people, or other channels who are just starting out.'

How can we help you with everything?

'The amount of subscribers doesn't matter to me. (I sound so cheesy!). So long as there's at least one person who cares I'll keep going. I currently only have 137 subscribers. I originally thought I would only have 50 around this time. So I can't really complain.'

Is there anything else that we should watch out for? 

'I might be considering a new channel that's nothing but crafts that can be used everyday. Stuff like nerdy anime pins, clay figurines, and top hats. There will be many D.I.Y Top hats.'

That sounds different! We'll definitely be keeping an eye on you and what you get on up to YouTube. Where else can we find out more?

'I do art and other random stuff on twitter and Deviantart.

My Art: https://pennybowtie.deviantart.com/

My Twitter: https://twitter.com/PennyBowtie'

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About the author: Ninichi is a freelance video game music composer and film music composer. She creates music for video games, film and other media, and would be delighted to help you create the music for your game or project. 

Contact Ninichi to explore working with her now

Follow her @ninichimusic

Introducing the Gaming Channel: The Loading Crew

Interview By Ninichi | Contact | Follow

I'm delighted to be introducing everyone to The Loading Crew, this week. I was honoured to work on the intro music for this channel and to get to know the wonderful couple behind this channel. Here's my interview with them...

Who are you and where did The Loading Crew come from? 

'TheLoadingCrew is a husband and wife team made up of 2 independent artists. The husband Stuart is in charge of the YouTube channel and producing video content while the wife Alexandria produces the Web Comics Momma CQ, Jelly Realms Adventures, and the upcoming comic World View.'

What made you decide to set up this channel? 

'We actually had the channel open since 2009. We used to do competitive Yu-gi-oh! content but decided to rebrand as a tabletop channel in 2016 when we started uploading our Pathfinder/D&D videos he played with a few internet celebrity guest friends of ours.'

Tell us a bit about your channel and what sorts of things you cover?

'TheLoadingCrew produces mid to high quality Tabletop RPG games framed as a web series. We live stream long form Pathfinder and Dungeons and Dragons style games. After the live streams, we will take the footage and cut them down into 10-60 minute easy to consume episodes.

We do several things like clean up audio, add animations, and special music to enhance the viewing experience. As of right now, our most popular series are our Sands of Horren Pathfinder Campaign and our Pokemon Tabletop: Utopus Region Campaign series.'

What are your plans for your Youtube channel? 

'Currently, our Pathfinder, Sands of Horren series is over, while Pokemon is still going strong. Currently we are working on creating a new Pathfinder/Dungeons and Dragons like show in the next few upcoming months. This series will have a much high production quality than the other shows on the channel without a set schedule. Currently the project is still largely secret and in the early production stages but we are confident our audience will enjoy.'

Why should we watch it?

'As of right now, there are very few approachable and understandable tabletop shows on the internet. There are a few that are quite excellent and entertaining, but there are many whose barrier to entry are still reserved for fans of TTRPs. Our shows are designed that most people can enjoy it without any need to understand the game that they are based in.' 

Why did you decide to work with me (Ninichi) on the music? 

'I remember reaching out to you, Ninichi, when we dabbled in the Indy Game Scene for a while and when we were looking to commission a cover of a song for our channel in the past. I had heard of Ninichi's work through a few indy game groups and understood she did professional quality work very quickly. We were eager to work with her and her talents. The tune is quite good, we look forward to using it and we hope to do more with her in the future!'

Thanks so much for finding me and trusting me with the intro music to your wonderful channel! It was a real pleasure working with you on this, and here's the track (see above) for everyone to check out.

(Check out my intros & jingles section if you want to hear some other jingles and/or get some help with your own)

Now, hopefully everyone is excited to learn more, so here are some links where you can find out more about The Loading Crew:

• Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheLoadingCrew
• Discord ► https://discord.gg/smDTvrv
• Twitch ► https://www.twitch.tv/theloadingcrew
• Our Twitter ► https://twitter.com/loadingcrew
• Our Website ► http://www.loadingcrewcrafts.com/
• Our Patreon ► https://www.patreon.com/TheLoadingCrew
• Alaina Prana's Tumblr: https://alainaprana.tumblr.com/

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About the author: Ninichi is a jingles composer, game music composer and film music composer. She has worked on a number of games and is a great supporter of indie developers and indie games. If you're looking for music that will help your game to stand out contact her now to discuss your game music needs.

Follow her @ninichimusic

Introducing the Web Series: Dr Glove's E.V.I.L Reviews

Interview by Ninichi | Contact | Follow

This week, I'm super excited to introduce you to a brand new web series aimed at gamers and which promises to be highly entertaining and like no other series or show around! I feel honoured to have been a part of this project and to have created some 'gaming-style' music for this series, and are pleased to share this interview with the brains behind the project...

Please introduce yourself so that we know who you are!

'Hello everyone, my name is Edward Hughes, better and well known as KeikoandGilly, an intermediate YouTube voice actor with much to learn. I have done projects like Ace Attorney Dubs, MLP fan projects like Turnabout Storm and Doctor Whooves n Assistant, Thomas the Tank Engine re-dubs, and many more. I aspire to voice act for anime and games one day, but until then, if you need a good voice on your project, let me know, and I will be there to audition.'

What is your web series about?

'Code-named at conception as #projectevil, Dr. Glove's E.V.I.L. Reviews is about an 80's evil mastermind, Dr. Glove (reference to the power glove he's wearing) being the source of why subjectively bad video games are bad, with potential to branch into movies and television shows in the near future. The premise of the concept is a satire on video game reviews, with enjoyable experiences and good games get bad reviews, and terrible experiences and bad games get good reviews and higher scores.

From time to time, the show will have guest collaborators, who will play horrible games suggested by fans, or from the collaborators themselves, which will be featured as Dr Glove reacts to their live reaction.'

How did you come up with the concept for your show?

'It was a mix of two things:

I was inspired by the content delivered by Angry Video Game Nerd, AngryJoeShow, and Nostalgia Critic on how they did their reviews. Angry Joe uses an alter ego called "Corporate Commander", a spoof of Cobra Commander from an American cartoon series called G.I. Joe, but the character is rarely featured in favour of Joe's personal and intricate review. That was when I decided to create a memorable villain and centre the series around it.

The second is a response to over-saturation: of critics and let's play streamers. While my idea is not completely original, it comes as a rarity as YouTube is, in my humblest of opinions, oversaturated with video game critics, both tame and "Angry" (as AVGN was the start of this fad), and Let's Players such as Markiplier, DashieGames, PewDiePie, and JackSepticEye taking centre stage.

The result is that you see similar if not the same experiences from a multitude of sources, which can lead to entertainment boredom. By taking the concepts on their head, I hope the project is a fun and entertaining experience, one that promotes open collaboration with YouTube audiences.'

Who is the series for?

'I am trying to make the series accessible to everyone, including younger audiences, but the primary market is gamers and those that enjoy games. In doing so, I have to censor swear words or be creative with insulting phrases that mean nothing in particular (e.g. 'You Blubbard! That was my best ray gun!', 'Oh for the love of Evil!!!' Or 'Oh for evil's sake')'

What are your plans for the series?

'Depending on how the series goes, I hope it become a fun project that people enjoy to see as I enjoy making it, and with open collaboration, it will ensure the project is lively as ever. Should I be invited to conventions, I hope to acknowledge the success of the project not just to my idea, but humbly I give nod and acknowledgement to everyone who took part in making it what it is, that includes this blog's very own Ninichi!!!'

What part does music play in the web series and how important is it?

'The project has three vital components, of which are intertwined and interconnected. They are the visual, acting, and music. With the visual, you see the moving imagery and design from both the artwork assets, the game being played, and the characters that set the stage of the performance. Credit for much of the artwork goes to my dear colleagues HowlingVoice, and DreamofSerenity626, for their massive contributions to the setting and character, and the visual effects respectively.

With acting, it provides an experience to suspend disbelief and for the audience to be immersed in the experience.

In both, the music not only accompanies these two fields, but enhances them, which is why it is a very important part in its own right. Every successful YouTube and Internet personality has a memorable theme song, and this project is no different. Ninichi, whom I must give proper praise and credit for, delivered a memorable tune that leaves potential YouTube audience listeners hooked and hyped for the review, wanting to see the performance of Dr. Glove as he either praises or bashes their loathed or loved video game franchise, series, or product.

On top of this, and an amazing three minute version, she provided music for the background, of general mood and atmosphere, reflecting experiences that harken back to 80's cartoons and nostalgia, the mindset where the performance wishes to take the audience back to. Another colleague of mine, Maravex, provided the transition bgm, such as single-player, multiplayer, music, sounds. Together, the music makes a harmonious story in and of itself, which adds to the overall experience one gives to performance to the masses.'

That all sounds wonderful! Let's listen to some of the tracks that will appear in the series:

What was it like working with Ninichi?

'On the one side, very professional courteous, and mutually amicable. Throughout my experience working in collaboration with Ninichi, she demonstrated her abilities to manage the scope of the project's needs and adapt to any changes that were required and where necessary.

On the other side, and pardon me for being a bit too silly in hyperbole, she was an angel and blessing. When I made the announcement for a music artist being needed, it wasn't met well, initially. I feared it may have well gone to deaf ears. In desperation I made a twitter post, hoping it would garner some attention on the off chance, as I did not want this project to fail like some of my other designs.

And then, a mere day later, I get a follow and an interested Ninichi ready and willing to lift the project up with her music. So working for her is like two artists coming together to make a masterpiece, a wonderful experience from beginning to end, and hopefully for more works in future.'

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About the author: Ninichi is a freelance composer and music enthusiast. She composes music for tv & web series, films, games and other media. Contact her: to explore working with her now.

Read more articles like this on the Ninichi music blog. Follow her @ninichimusic

Introducing Gaming Channel: The Stone Zone

Interview by Ninichi | Contact | Follow

Who are you and how long have you been interested in games?

'I have played video games my entire life. I had a rough childhood growing up and games were always my escape. I would put hours and hours into the games I played and always pushed myself to accomplish as much as I could in one game. It wasnt just about beating the game to me. I enjoy getting lost in the game as Im sure most gamers could agree!'

What made you decide to set up The Stone Zone & where has the name of your channel come from? 

'The channel name kind of originated from a couple different things. First off, my name is Preston which growing up my family always joked around and called me "Prestone" or "Stone" :D and some friends actually stuck with the name Stone and it sort of became a nick name for me. 

Now with that said, "The Stone Zone" originated from a very good friend of mine who came into my work one day, which I was just a dishwasher at a restaurant, and I basically had my own section where I worked and he made a comment about walking into "The Stone Zone" and it just kinda clicked. I liked the sound of it so I just stuck with it. A lot of people think it has to do with a "stoner" thing but the name has nothing to do with that. lol'

What kinds of things are you planning to cover? 

'On my YouTube channel, I mainly do Let's Plays and I do some unboxings for game themed products such as Limited editions of games like statue collectibles and such. I plan on sticking with those types of videos mainly, but I am sure I will add some other game related videos. '

Why should we watch your videos? 

'I'm not necessarily telling everyone to go watch my videos, I know some people may not like what I do and others will love it. It's ultimately up to the viewers to stick around and come back and watch. I'm just doing this for fun and sharing what I enjoy with the world. Of course i would love to have everyone come watch my videos and I will always try to keep things as entertaining as I can and I work hard to make sure my material looks as Professional as I can. All I can say, if you're into watching Let's Play channels, just come say hello and give my channel a shot! I try really hard to connect on a personal level with my viewers. '

What were you looking for in the intro music?

'It was hard to say exactly what I was looking for in the music, all i know is I wanted something that worked well with the animation and something that had a good vibe to it! I had a similar sound that I wanted that we used as a reference, but I wanted to make sure It didnt sound to alike. I wanted a unique audio track that would help keep the attention! '

What was it like working with me (Ninichi)?

'It was awesome working with Ninichi! She was very understanding with what I was looking for and she did everything she could to make sure that I got the sound I was looking for. She got the track done in a short time and was very communicative! '

(Check out my intros & jingles section if you want to hear some other jingles and/or get some help with your own)

How are you planning to grow your audience/channel? 

'The main way I plan on growing my channels, basically just continue uploading as much as I can while making sure the quality is professional and let the viewers just decide if they like what they see. Now obviously I promote my channel on social media such as Twitter and Facebook and I try to continue sharing it around as much as I can. Either way, I will continue uploading videos whether people are watching or not because again, this is something I enjoy doing! :)'

Where can we find out more?

'You can find more information on my main social media page on twitter which is just @StoneZoneGaming. I am constantly posting on Twitter and it has links to all of my channels including my Twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/stonezonegaming which is currently my main focus!

StoneZoneGaming on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxTTphG-YoSbHYS-mA4-Ysw'

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Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog! I'm a composer and I write music in a range of styles for games, podcasts, tv series, films and more!  

If you are looking for music for your youtube channel, game, film or any other project, I'd love to get involved. Contact me to explore working together or take a look at my bio: About me (Ninichi) and game channel intros & game music.

Follow me @ninichimusic