Bleeding on the Page: The Case for Radical Vulnerability

Hi y’all,

Thanks for joining me for another episode of The Vandalist. It’s been a wild ride since my last video caught a bit of the algorithm. From landing sponsorships and monetization to connecting with some of my favorite creators, it’s been an unexpected but incredible win. This is the power of the internet!

In my last video, I explored quality vs. quantity against the YouTube algorithm. While I didn’t run a long-term experiment on posting weekly, the success of focusing on quality spoke for itself.

For my latest video (linked here — watch it before reading this!), I pushed the limits of quality even further—but without the usual YouTube packaging. Conventional wisdom says that a video’s title and thumbnail are the most important elements. A beautiful thumbnail means nothing without a strong title, and sometimes, an "uglier" but more engaging thumbnail can outperform something polished.

I poured the same 100-150 hours into this new video, yet after nearly a week, the numbers aren’t climbing like last time. The takeaway? Strong storytelling alone isn’t enough — packaging is just as crucial. I’ve been A/B testing different titles and thumbnails, and we’ll see if it makes a difference in the coming days.

Scripting Like a Writer

When I started scripting this video, I knew I wanted to talk about motivation — but another educational-style breakdown didn’t feel like the most effective way to do it. Instead, I approached it like a short film.

I scripted it just as I would for any of my narrative projects, detailing performances, cinematography, sound design, and VFX. No one else would be reading this script, but writing it in vivid, poetic language made my filmmaking process more precise. It felt like an evolution from my looser scripting for A-roll/B-roll videos. Going forward, this is how I’ll approach anything more complex than a simple shot list. It’s extra work — but completely worth it.

If you’re curious to see the full script, reply to this email, and I’ll send it over!

The Fear of Vulnerability

Every day since writing, I debated scrapping this project. It felt too raw. Too uncomfortable. Too cringey, even.

Melodrama, when unearned, can feel manipulative — it can push viewers away instead of drawing them in. That’s why deeply emotional storytelling is easier to pull off in long-form narratives like TV or film, where you have time to build toward it. In a short film or YouTube video, every second must be earned.

Vulnerability means exposing your fears, flaws, and weaknesses — things people could use to diminish you. But here’s what I’ve realized: vulnerability isn’t weakness. It is power. When you own your struggles, they lose their weight over you. No one can call you out for it, because you own it. Instead of making you smaller, vulnerability makes you relatable. Trustworthy.

In an era of curated perfection—highlight reels, viral clips, and dopamine-fueled content — I believe there’s still space for the raw, unpolished, deeply personal stories of our lives.

What’s Next?

My next episode will focus on beginner/intermediate filmmaking — what I’d do if I were starting my narrative career from scratch. Many of you have asked about the technical side of my journey, so we’ll start there before diving into more advanced topics on feature filmmaking, directing, producing, distributing, and of course, more philosophical topics on leadership, facing rejections, and building permissionless work, wealth, and happiness.

Beyond videos, I’m working toward making The Vandalist more than just a channel. I want to build a value-based brand that offers:

✅ Unique, hyper specific digital products for filmmakers
✅ Unique “all-access” filmmaker competitions
✅ Fully sponsored/paid retreats
✅ On-set livestream workshops
✅ Webinars, merch, and more.

All centered around the idea of creating permissionless work — the ability to build, tell stories, and make an impact without waiting for approval. I want to create a live community where we can all interact, make friends, and build each other up along this crazy journey of becoming a modern artist.

Thanks so much for being a part of this journey, can’t wait to build this path forward with you! Welcome to the cult 😉🎂 ~TPK

My latest episode, if you haven’t seen it already: