I've got something very controversial to say regarding the analog horror genre that I think NEEDS to be said.

A substantial amount of analog horror videos or posts that I have seen on either this Subreddit or on YouTube are, to be painfully blunt, very shit at worst or extremely lackluster at best.

And that's not to say that all analog horror media is god-awful, there are many series out there that have a lot of effort put into them, but they end up playing second fiddle towards some sloppily made stickman PSA or fairy tale/IP slop.

Even some of the more popular series to come out recently are very underwhelming if you look at it from a critical standpoint.

And before some of you come at me with some shit like, "Oh, it's the creator's first time!" Or "They don't have a big budget!" Or "Not everyone could be Kane Pixels!" Or "You're being so mean, they're probably kids!";

One, if you're a first time creator, and you hope to make a series that will net you a huge audience, then you should do your DAMNDEST that your first attempt is your best attempt. If you are putting something online for the whole world to see, then it has to have a good first impression.

Otherwise, why bother with your series at all?

Secondly, you don't need a big budget to make an overall decent series. As long as you know how to edit properly and your VHS filter doesn't look like one of those shitty stock filters, then you already covered the basis needed for a decent analog horror video.

Third, Kane Pixels, as amazing as his prior work is, is his own separate person and you shouldn't be aiming to be another carbon copy off of him.

It's why most analog horror videos set in the Backrooms feels so samey, they all wanted to copy Kane Pixels' style without any rhyme or reason.

And finally, for those who think that someone being a minor would act as a perfect shield against criticism, IT IS NOT.

I do not care if Unknowingly was a kid when he created Man in The Suit or if he made it on his phone or how many YouTubers were absolutely glazing this series.

No hate to the creator, but most of TMITS was very underwhelming and it only got good near the end of its run prior to its cancelation, and that is something that I am not afraid to say.

The same also goes for Foxymations' series and all the cheap rip-offs that it created. Foxymations himself isn't a kid, but my point still stands that someone's age shouldn't act as a shield against criticism.

All of this might come off as very hostile, but this is coming from someone who is still passionate about the analog horror genre, and has witnessed first-hand the utter degradation that analog horror has been going through for the past three years.

And I'm not trying to not knock down any future creators, or dissuade them from making their own works in the genre. I'm just saying what I, and possibly many others, have been holding deep within our chests for awhile.

I'm just one of the few folks bold enough to say it.

With all that out of the way, all I ask is for people to do MORE THAN THE BARE MINIMUM when it comes to creating analog horror.

Don't just settle on slapping a shitty vhs filter on your PSA or public broadcasting video and call it a day. Innovate and expand on it! Go for gold!

Before I go, there's one more thing that I want to say, and its this;

Please for the love of God, watch any sort of vhs media that came out before the year 2000. I grew up with VHS tapes as a kid, and they do not look that shitty. And I'm a Gen Z kid (2002).