When I look back, I am proud of the quality of my videos and how they have improved over the years.
Last week, Part 1 of this interview introduced Steveo Supremo, the man behind the YouTube channel and Facebook group, Thrill Maxx. It covered his growth into becoming a coaster and amusement park enthusiast from his childhood to present day. Here, in Part 2 of his interview, we will get to know more about Thrill Maxx. Steveo talks about getting the channel off the ground and what it takes to keep things running smoothly. You know Steveo the enthusiast, now meet Steveo the content creator.
Taking the Thrills to the Maxx
Social Beginnings
Q. How long ago did the idea for Thrill Maxx come to be? How long did it take for things to start taking shape?
A. I thought of the idea to start Thrill Max in early 2019. I kicked the idea around for only a couple of weeks before I started laying the groundwork.
Q. How did you come up with the name, Thrill Maxx along with its branding, logos, etc.?
A. The reason Maxx is spelled with two x’s is based off the ride Maxx Force, which my then home park, Six Flags Great America (SFGAm) was opening the same year. I thought it was only fitting since both debuted the same year.
Q. Did the channel come first, or did you build off your social media accounts?
A. I started off with my Facebook group and thought I would use it to gain a few subscribers for when I launched the YouTube channel. I said to myself that I would be happy with 100 members, but when I launched the Facebook group it started to gain traction faster than I expected. It reached 1,000 members in its first two weeks or so.
Q. Were there any channels or content creators out there whose content you enjoyed prior to launching Thrill Maxx?
A. I really enjoyed Coaster-net, Coaster Studios, and a handful of others prior to starting my own channel.
Pre-Launch Preparations
Q. Did you have any background prior to Thrill Maxx with content creation of any kind, or was this all new to you?
A. While I was attending Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Mo., I worked for the local news station KSN16 as a camera operator. I learned how to shoot video in that role. Later in life, I became the business development director for a communications company in Chicago. There I learned not only how to run a business, but also how to market and brand that business. These two jobs laid the foundation for what would later become Thrill Maxx.
Q. Did you have to go out and pick up equipment to start things off, or did you have mostly all of what you needed to get things underway?
A. I had to go out and get a lot of equipment prior to the channel launching. I had to obtain a laptop, editing software, and I upgraded my phone to the best Samsung phone on the market at the time. These helped me start shooting and editing my content.
Q. What were some of your earliest struggles in getting Thrill Maxx off the ground?
A. Creating all the branding items such as logos, video intros and outros, the YouTube banner, etc.
Maintaining the Thrills
The Launch
Q. When did the channel officially launch?
A. The Facebook group started in April 2019 and the YouTube channel was launched a month later.
Q. For anyone reading this who might be learning about Thrill Maxx for the first time, can you explain a little about what they’ll find on the YouTube channel?
A. Thrill Maxx provides viewers park tour videos, theme park shows, and on-ride videos, if the parks allow them. In October, Thrill Maxx becomes FrightMaxx to cover haunted houses and Halloween events at theme parks across the country. From Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve, Thrill Maxx becomes JoyMaxx to cover Christmas and holiday events in and out of theme parks.
Going for a Ride
Q. How often do you find yourself creating content, or planning future content? Give us a glimpse into what it’s like running the channel.
A. I typically use the off season to plan out my next season and the parks I will be attending. This includes setting up dates, hotels, and budget for each trip. From there its all about executing that plan as the season goes. The hardest part of running a channel like this is fighting through being exhausted from traveling and going to all these parks. Then I have to sit down and motivate myself to edit the video footage and post that content.
Q. I asked about equipment earlier, can you share what you use to film and edit your content?
A. Since I need a compact camera set up being at theme parks, I use my Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra to film most of the park tours and off-ride footage. I use this so I can easily put my camera in my pocket while riding. I also use a pair of sunglasses, with a strap, that have a camera built in for on-ride footage – with park permission. In post production I use the Adobe Suite to edit video while using my Samsung Book Pro laptop. Yes, I love Samsung products.
Reviewing the Ride Thus Far
Q. How has the channel evolved since its launch? Any changes in philosophy or the content offered?
A. The content really hasn’t changed much beyond the sheer volume of videos posted.
Q. Are your earliest videos still on the channel today? If so, are you proud of how much you’ve grown since then?
A. Every video I have ever posted is still up on the channel. When I look back, I am proud of the quality of my videos and how they have improved over the years. I use different angles and editing tricks to enhance my videos now. I am super happy with how the videos intros have improved too.
Q. Knowing what you know now about content creation and promotion, what is one thing you wish you could back back in time and tell yourself?
A. Not to be too hard on myself if things aren’t perfect in each video. Just create and push that content out. You can always improve as you go.
Thrilling Viewers
Q. How has the viewer reception been up to this point?
A. Most of the videos have a 90 percent thumbs up rating, so I would say that the response has been very good. It would be even better if everyone took a moment and smashed that subscribe button! Yeah, shameless plug.
Q. How has growing the channel and social media been since it’s launch?
A. It rapidly took off in 2019 and has definitely slowed down a bit since then due to the pandemic.
Q. Like those I’ve interviewed for We Were Inverted thus far, you’re someone who regularly engages with the channel’s viewers. Do you feel that communication plays a vital role in helping the channel grow?
A. I absolutely do.
Q. Have those interactions helped you come up with content for the channel?
A. Yes, they absolutely have. I love when members and subscribers offer suggestions of what they want me to cover and which parks I need to film.
Q. Care to say anything to all those who have supported you thus far?
A. Thank you so much for all the love and support. I can’t do it without this amazing community that you have helped me build. Together we not not only be a light in darkness, but we will help others take their thrills to the maxx!
Maxximizing the Future
Q. It’s fun to set goals for yourself, whether it’s launching new content, or getting to a certain level of interactions with your viewers. Are there any goals you’ve set for yourself or the channel you’re hoping to achieve?
A. I would love to reach 5,000 subscribers on YouTube. I am currently about 35 percent there, but need more Thrill Maxxers out there to come join the fun by subscribing to the channel.
Q. In Part 1 of this interview I asked if you had any travel plans on the horizon. Is it safe to say that wherever your travel, you’ll be aiming to add new content from those visits?
A. I film and create content from all the places I travel. I am still currently finalizing plans for the 2022 season. You can stay up to date with these plans as they are announced by joining the Facebook group or subscribing to the YouTube channel.
