The Baldur's Gate video is absolute gold. Even my wife and kids, who have zero interest in such games, found it hysterical.

99% of youtube comments: positive and friendly. The 1% that youtube decides to send as notifications on my phone: incoherent insults.

I stopped checking notifications years ago because youtube was *only* sending me negative ones that would ruin my day, so I definitely feel what you're saying about that...

This video was clearly sponsored by a healthy sense of self worth, authenticity, and integrity. There wasn't even a link to a microtransaction riddled mobile game. Time for me to rant: Every time I hear Joel open up about creativity and the artistic process I learn something new. I love how he approaches art and I feel he truly has earned the moniker of "artist," not just from his work, but his mindset. Even the way he talks about people leaving negative comments on his work is incredibly empathetic. Just him recounting what someone must feel like to leave a negative comment was so refreshing, to see someone actually try to put themselves into someone's shoes and see the pain behind someone's anger instead of outright dismissing them or making them "the enemy." When you made the "Baldur's Gate 3" video, my first thought was, "Cool, Joel Haver did a video on 'Baldur's Gate 3." My second thought was, "This is probably sponsored... Dope, that means Joel got a paycheck," and then I watched the video and enjoyed it a lot. I swear, if Joel Haver ever does a sponsored video like the BG3 one again I'm going to enjoy the hell out of it and probably share it with my friends because I think it's really funny. Rant over. Edit: Artists deserve to be paid for their art, what they do is invaluable to the human experience, entitled audiences should stop shaming artists for accepting payment for their art. You can't eat wishes and dreams.

It was always amaze me that your first big viral hit was parody of a Bethesda game and now you make those exact same types of jokes in a sponsored video and people lose their minds. Every sponsored animation so far has been a Diamond Class Certified Joel Haver Banger FIRST, and an advertisement second. Getting to work on a few of them has been a lot of fun too! I think people just feel their tastes moving away from something they once loved and they want to intellectualize it. Just people trying to look smart for themselves, creating problems where they don't exist. That's my two cents! Keep up the great work!

Sponsored or not, your animations have always been masterpieces. None of them ever came off as an oversell or something invasive, at least in my own opinion. I think your work and the people who love it can speak on your behalf.

Wait, that was an ad for Starfield? I thought that was an ad for succulents…

UKposts takes away the dislike button for creators mental health then proceeds to notify them when they get negative comments. Big brain moves.

I haven't done any sponsors before, but I did make a review for a drawing tablet many years ago. Without even knowing anything about talking business, I just opened my response email with "I want this and this and this, and I'm gonna do it like this and this, and that's what I want" and they just agreed to it. So I think you are definitely on to something. Not to say that every company will be as agreeable, but it's worth trying.

Makes me think twice about how I do sponsorships. In D&D UKposts, most sponsors are indie writers publishing their own books of D&D-compatible content. I only accept ones that I think are making something great, but I totally go with: summarize a few bullet points in 30-60s, pay rent. Recently though, I did a dedicated sponsored video like you described. It didn’t even cross my mind to try a more creative/storytelling approach, so it was basically a 5min ad. The sponsor was happy, it sold a bunch of their books, but I didn’t feel great about it. Plus it was my lowest viewed video, in like, years 😅. D&D UKposts isn’t a huge niche, so I can’t pass up on the standard short plugs. But if I have the opportunity for another dedicated video, I’m going to go a more creative route. Thanks Joel. (Also mean comments suck)

Hey Joel! If you’re experiencing back pain from animating you might benefit from positioning the tablet more vertical and higher up, like a painter on a canvas. I animated flat on my desk for years with crazy back pain until I switched to this way. Maybe it’ll help you too!

I have fought sponsors tooth and nail to keep certain jokes/bits in my ad reads. A majority of the time they let me get away with it. Coming across professionally to them, and letting them know that my audience will respond to the ad read better if I get to keep my jokes goes a long way. But I think you're right, I also get the sense that most creators are just going with the flow, perhaps afraid that if they speak up they may lose the sponsorship.

I love how Joel literally made a video with step by step instructions on how he animates, and yet he gets called out as using AI to make them. Keep up the great work Joel, your very inspirational!

I think that's a good point that creators probably don't think they have the leverage to ask for more creative control. But hopefully if they see what you are doing maybe it'll give them the confidence to ask.

One thing I love about Joel is that he is so charitable in his perspectives and interpretations of others. Like SNL kinda maybe stole his toilet paper bears bit (S+ tier btw, softest toilet paper in the world) and he gives plenty of cover for them by saying that convergent ideas abound and that truly novel comedy is rare. He is so wholesome and understanding and considerate, and then he drops a bombshell that he will die in the trenches fighting comment trolls. I 100% agree and I love it.

The beginning of "Joel Havar Animation Studios". Ain't that the dream? A company with mostly just friends doing the work together, creating art, sharing ideas, having fun (mostly) and making a living. Awesome work, love all your animations. My eyes widened when I saw the nearly 14 minute time for the Lords of the Fallen video. Hats off to you and Mr. Martens.

Joel, you seem to have a big heart for your viewers. You encouraged me to get back into making videos with your oscars challenge this year. I'm back on UKposts and making videos. Thank you.

Joel continues to be just the nicest guy on youtube

When we've grown our channel big enough to get sponsors I definitely wanna do 'em the way you do 'em. Very inspiring stuff!!

You know it's serious when you get Knife-Hand Joel in the thumbnail.

My girlfriend and I love watching all of your content. Doesn't matter if it's your 1 hour movies or your short skits. We always talk about how refreshing your content is because it's authentic. You really know how to capture "normal" human interactions. I hope your back feels better soon.

Thank you for your continued authenticity and transparency on your UKposts journey. That animation is so rad and I love that you got paid to do something you have genuine passion for. ❤

An anonymous troll with a lost soul has entered the comment section. They dish out bad-faith criticism denouncing your authenticity as an artist. What do you do? A. Ignore the troll B. Feed the troll C. Do a loop-dee-loop and pull ~ and your shoes are lookin’ cool

I 100% agree with all of this. I own a small indie game company and I actually did an animation with Trent for one of my games, and we literally just went into it with a slight outline of the story and improvved… improved… improv-ed? The past form of improv… the entire thing and I think it was super fun and turned out really funny. Anyway, point is we just had fun with it and made a creative silly video and I think it’s so much better than any regular ad. So coming from a game studio, thank you for your work in making ads better. You’re awesome, Joel. (And so is Trent haha thanks again for working with me!) Btw the video is called “It’s The BOSS Fight.” By StegTech Games if you want to see it lol

You gotta build a chest-high wall between yourself and the h8ers

UKposts knows that negativity can drive engagement. Maybe they're actively trying to make their platform more toxic because they want more ad revenue? Anyway, it's nice to have someone as relentlessly positive as Joel around :)

"you are nobody until you have a well stocked list of enemies" - Jordan Shanks I think

If more creators pushed for more freedom, everyone wins

Joel is by far one of the classiest artists on UKposts. Love your creative vision, Joel!

I enjoy your sponsored videos. It's easy to recognize that the video is a product integration, and like you said, instead of distracting from an unrelated video or short film, it adds to the art. The ability to set your terms with advertisers is awesome, and it's very cool that there are sponsors willing to let creators run the gamut without infringing. The ads you do are, in my view, a gold standard of how advertisements can be formed on this website, a mutually beneficial interaction between your creativity and art, the sponsoring company, and the audience

Even when you're at the top you can hear people yelling from the bottom. You're success and valuable relationships should be a loud enough response. Keep creating Joel, keep inspiring. Mush love friend 🍄💚

You give a whole new level to being a "creator", elevated and redefined even.

What really gets me is the stuff about sponsors and things like Better Help- where we know there are major issues with it, but so many people were already locked into contracts and have to do them despite heavy criticism from viewers.

everytime i see the faceless dudes in the dead world in lords of the fallen i cant help but think of the one from your vid lol

Feel you on the 99.9% of comments being incredibly kind, and the remaining 0.1% somehow being notification worthy according to UKposts. Engagement by any means necessary!

Integrity cough cough sniper wolf not having it

I think you said it perfectly - saying "no" means potentially impacting your income and your bottom line, so most creators either don't want to do so or don't have the financial luxury to do so.

I would have appreciated a loud and sudden RAID SHADOW LEGENDS sponsor ad during the Curious George animation

I'm sorta disappointed by how people don't seem as pulled in by the Lords of the Fallen video because it's not about as high profile a game this time.

it's nice to listen to you speak about things

JOEL spelled backwards is LEO-J... Joel, is a Thundercat trying to pretend he's people...

I notice that the more earnest the creator, the more they look right into the camera. Instead of looking at the screen. Stay true, bro.

That Lords of the Fallen video is probably my favorite of everything you've made. I was so genuinely invested in the story and laughing at the absurdity.

I honestly wouldnt have known it was an ad, thats the level of quality. Both I've watched were excellent videos, that made me curious about the games.

Joel is under contract from himself to mention his love for movies in every video on this channel

when i see video titles like this one from channels that i subscribe to, I always worry that someone I thought I liked has now decided to lay down a condescending tirade about some self-absorbed virtuoso vision about how they're right and other people are wrong to approach something a certain way, or whatever - and i always get that brief pang of worry, that if i watch the video, i'll no longer really feel like i'm seeing eye to eye with that person anymore, and that i'll start to feel jaded about it, etc etc. fortunately, with your videos, i never feel that. i'm always concerned when i see it still, but the things you talk about are always genuine and as a person, you're unchanging in your commitment to be a positive influence. i don't know what the point of this comment is, really, but i guess just, thanks for not disappointing me/us, and thanks for being who you are in giving well-thought-out opinions about what it means to have a position like you do.

your "commercial" is actually what I would want from a commercial. It reminds me of those thai good life insurance commercials. When I saw the "my dad is a liar" commercial it made me realize that good commercials absolutely could exist and its kinda upsetting that they don't. I still randomly watch that one when I want to feel sad. Which, how effective is a commercial that I am watching it as an american and have had discussions with it friends and sharing it and it wasn't even aimed at us even remotely as an audience?

I really appreciate all the work you do and the way you go about doing it, Joel

What you do with those sponsors is so amazing. The truth is though that they reached out to you because they like you as an artist so of course you can have some terms and conditions as well

You can stand up for your work without trying to make people feel as bad as they made you feel.

It always rubs me the wrong way when I see people mocking creators for replying to hateful comments in order to defend their work, like that's inherently unprofessional or something. I wonder if it's a carry-over from the twisted world of customer service, where the consumer (viewer) expects the service provider (creator) to always be kind to them personally no matter what.

Yo Elden Ring is a great place to start. And the fact that you've *only* done high-quality sponsors means you retain the "if-I-say-it's-good-I-actually-mean-it" vibe that is so rare these days. Really appreciate it and each one of your sponsored vids still made me laugh and cry. One of my favorite UKpostsrs. 6/10

Yours and "internet comment etiquette" always put so much work into sponsored content and make it entertaining. Keep up the good work.

I love the way you do sponsored videos, its crazy how many big games you've got sponsorships for and the videos themselves are so stand out compared to regular sponsorships that'd just be tacked on, you're great joel you've found the sweet spot of doing sponsored content in a way that really works for you I respect that a lot.

Your sponsored animations are, firstmost, hilarious and in the same vein of comedy / style to your non-sponsored ones. That's integrity right there. They remind me of when South Park had a World of Warcraft episode: using the game as a catalyst for commentary on in-jokes with that game's community, rather than a commercial. If the companies paid you, they got their money's value and then some; if you got paid, that's one less obstacle to your other creative endeavors that may have been shelved due to financial issues.

I 100% wholeheartedly agree and I've always thought that if I was a UKpostsr this is exactly how I would want to go about it

I love the sponsored videos you've done recently! I don't even know I'm watching an ad until the very end when it's announced.

This video is just further proof of how Joel is such a good guy and creator for the platform. I found the channel off the animations, but I've had so much fun going through the non-animated content ever since. Just remember, Joel, your fans appreciate you and all your hard work! We'll fight the bastards for ya

Even if the animations are sponsored, they are still very entertaining and I appreciate the effort you and your friends put into your videos, and not just the animations. I did an animation like yours when you made that "how I made this" video and it took me an entire week to make it, and that was mainly drawing it. I just ignore the haters and make what I want to make. I also do make videos with games and they aren't sponsored but they are technically still free advertising for that game. Overall, keep up the great work, been following since I saw your first rpg video on reddit.

The Elden Ring video was so amazing and authentic that I never for a moment suspected it was sponsored because it didnt have any aspects of "I am following a script" it was just a normal animation that happened to be sponsored by From Soft

Joel such a wholesome lil guy

I totally agree with defending yourself against unfair judgements. As long as it’s in a healthy way and not something eating at you.

You're the man Joel. I think a lot of the people making comments like the pinned one from mrzz9020 don't understand the actual work that goes into the production side of things, especially with that type of animation you do. I remember way back when you posted a video about how you actually animate those, and it certainly didn't look easy. Consumers don't always appreciate the effort that creators put in to create their products. Keep up the great work dude, and try not to let the 1% of negative comments get to you too bad. One thing I love about the internet is that you don't have to engage with the bullshit if you don't want to.

you and caleb city are two really good examples of youtubers who do the best sponsors just by being yourselves

I like that the thumbnail looks like you're going on a rant and it's just a sensible talk about art, creating and empathy.

Needed this, Mr Haver. Thanks.

Thanks for sharing, Joel. You're a beacon of integrity in a shady, compromising world.

Thanks for being authentic Joel

I don't usually leave comments, but this video pretty much perfectly puts into words how I feel about sponsorships and how they should be handled. I have my own animation channel, and should I ever reach the point of sponsorships, I would also hate to deflate and borderline ruin the experience of watching the video with an interrupting ad talking about a website builder. Creating a dedicated animation to market a company's product on your own terms is definitely the way to go! I don't agree with everything you said, such as doing a sponsored video without even a meeting to discuss the concept, or that biting back at hate comments can ever be a good thing (although it can be pretty satisfying), but this was a great video! Glad to see that integrity is alive on youtube, where it so often seems like it isn't. :)

Love your stuff and your thoughts on these subjects are very insightful!

I love you and your work

I think the concern about 'biting back' against negative comments is that there is no way to win against these people. They don't care how much effort it takes, because they've never made anything in their life. The best case scenario is that you get some catharsis out it, but more likely it's going to drag you down into negativity where you become accustomed to being defensive and saying things emotionally. Do what you want, but I think it's best not to throw stones at the dogs that bark at you.

Compared to 99% of sponsored videos I love your's. You put so much effort in your videos. I wish people would do more sponsorship videos with your spirit and love.

Love your content and it always seems genuine. I really enjoyed all the ad ones ! And all your other videos.

People lack the confidence to stand up for themselves. You have to consider how your parents raised you. Not everyone's parents give them the love, support, and wisdom they need to advocate for themselves in a competitive environment. I saw how you reacted to your dad's passing and it made sense because you have one of the highest levels of confidence I've ever seen. It's that confidence that makes companies trust you and not everyone can say the same words in the same way.

Reminds me of how Internet Comment Etiquette with Erik (a seriously good channel) makes arguably the best ads on UKposts. He's the only one I systematically turn off my sponsorblock for.

Your sponsored animations are really great works and the only ads i watch on youtube pretty much. I just hope they pay you a lot for this ! They get an awesome, artistic ad that is seen by millions. I"m super worried that they lowball their offer on youtube compared to what they'd pay for similar audiences on TV

Thanks for sharing Joel!

so love what you're doing, it's inspirational to me as an artist

Tbf not all creators have a solid and consistent back catalog of videos to be confident enough to just say "Let me do my thing" and for a company to just trust them with no notes at all

This is so awesome.

You're a gem Mr Haver! Thank you for making these smart, creative and funny films. Please keep it up!

Joel you have a heart of gold, I love your art.

Great job Joel, you’re killin it!

You're a true artist and your transparency and candor is so refreshing. I hope to be able to continue enjoying your work for years to come.

I hope I will keep the same mindset as you once I find my stride.

We create boundaries with our close relationships, it’s important to do the same with our workplaces. That just takes numbers and time

This is a win for all parties involved.

This channel is a gem, love this style of video Joel. I really needed to hear this now. Thank you

Always shaking up the space! Love you and your work Joel, keep up the genius!

i love you joel, it's such a massive inspiration to see people on this site who care this much about the stuff they create

And yes, fighting back is good. It's also to help stand up for others who might be dealing with the same kind of things.

Very well said in every aspect

Joel, you're amazing, thank you for your candidness

this channel is giving me a parasocial relationship of Joel being my father figure or cool uncle

even more than the creative aspect, I appreciate the transparency you have shown sharing this stuff with us. Makes it feel alot less greasy.

I have sent all of these sponsered videos to friends, because they are great. Sometimes I hesitate to send a video to a friend if the sponser part is too cringy.

I like how ya keep it real Joel

you Sir are a huge inspiration to us UKposts creators, keep up the good work.

inspired by ur dedication to storytelling :-)