Michaël | HouseStationLive.com<p>€50,000 FOR AN INVISIBLE SET</p><p>In the Friday Formula 01x02 episode, you can finally glimpse what I’ve been building for years. That set is my greatest pride. A meticulous, ambitious production, designed down to the last detail. A childhood dream made real. Works of art. A central screen where the host uses visuals to support their points. An aquarium. Porcelain dogs. Mugs. A Michael Jackson clock carved from a vinyl record. Friday Formula 01x02 was supposed to be a hundred times better—with a finished set, more competent and motivated hosts, and better production. With more resources. But to pull that off, under the conditions I faced, is already a victory. A testament to determination. To willpower. With no money. No funding. No audience.<br>¯</p><p>_<br>THE SET IS TANGIBLE</p><p>What few people realize is that building a TV set isn’t like decorating a bedroom. It’s about:</p><p>- Ordering hand-engraved vinyls from Ukraine</p><p>- Importing Bazalto chairs from Poland</p><p>- A 3D Ayrton Senna frame signed by Retro Game Craft</p><p>- A custom neon light made in Singapore</p><p>Every item costs:</p><p>- In product price</p><p>- In shipping</p><p>- In taxes</p><p>- In customs</p><p>- In stress (lost parcels, defective goods)</p><p>And there were mishaps: furniture delivered broken, a brand-new fridge that didn’t work (last one in stock), having to call in a repairman. Thankfully, the store refunded me with the invoice. But the mental toll is real. The logistics are crushing.<br>¯</p><p>_<br>A HALF-COMPLETED INVESTMENT</p><p>Over three years, I spent €50,000. For a project that’s only 50% finished. Progressing slowly. Through patience, effort, rational micro-decisions, and a few gambles. And yet, that set has never been seen. Or almost never. Because YouTube buried my videos—like it buries thousands of others.<br>¯</p><p>_<br>THE DREAM OF AN AUTONOMOUS WEBTV</p><p>This project goes beyond YouTube. It always aimed at an independent website, a self-hosted media hub, a 24/7 WebTV. But to make that viable, we needed an audience. The idea was simple: finish the set, then start broadcasting publicly. In the meantime, YouTube would be our window. Our springboard. But YouTube said no. Not with an official rejection—but through systematic invisibility. Like a Tinder match that gets swiped left into oblivion.<br>¯</p><p>_<br>TOTAL DETACHMENT</p><p>YouTube’s detachment is both structural and emotional. If the platform had even the slightest symbolic involvement in video production, it would have a reason to showcase them. But YouTube contributes nothing. It respects nothing. And it can destroy an entire project—effortlessly. Without remorse. Without loss.<br>¯</p><p>_<br>THE CINEMA PARABLE</p><p>Imagine walking into a movie theater, seeing the producer’s logo… and walking out. Then posting a review about the logo. And having that review promoted.</p><p>That’s YouTube.</p><p>People click the three dots—“Not interested in this video”—after only seeing the thumbnail. Not the video. Not even a single second of it. And YouTube pulls your work off the shelves. And it’s not just what you see: this type of negative feedback has a massive impact on the entire channel, cutting its visibility across the platform.<br>¯</p><p>_<br>A COLLECTIVE INJUSTICE</p><p>This article is long. Maybe too long. But I need to go into detail so that people understand the real value of our work. This isn’t about asking for €0.03 per view. This is about repairing a sabotage. For Kévin, Dinoh, José. For the €50,000 spent on an unfinished set. For the €10,000 in TV gear hijacked for YouTube’s benefit. For the ads played on our videos, from which YouTube earns a profit, without retributing the producer — despite the legal obligation tied to authorship.<br>¯</p><p>_<br>THE TRUE COST OF AN INDEPENDENT MEDIA PROJECT</p><p>Let’s assume a minimum wage in France of €1,250/month for 18 months:<br>1,250 × 18 = €22,500. And even that doesn’t cover:</p><p>- The other collaborators</p><p>- Operating costs</p><p>- Business expenses</p><p>- The value of my skills</p><p>I’m the producer, director, host, author, network tech—and more. And I get paid zero.<br>¯</p><p>_<br>THE FINAL HUMILIATION</p><p>One day, I fixed a woman’s computer.<br>– The hard drive cost me €75<br>– My labor was worth €75<br>– A data recovery lab would’ve charged €3,000 to retrieve the files.</p><p>She handed me a €20 bill. Not even enough to cover costs. YouTube is that woman. It decides what your work is worth: a few coins, a handful of cents.<br>¯</p><p>_<br>||<a href="https://hear-me.social/tags/HSLdiary" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>HSLdiary</span></a> <a href="https://hear-me.social/tags/HSLmichael" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>HSLmichael</span></a> </p><p><a href="https://hear-me.social/tags/CreatorEconomy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>CreatorEconomy</span></a> <a href="https://hear-me.social/tags/InvisibleLabor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>InvisibleLabor</span></a> <a href="https://hear-me.social/tags/YouTubeExploitation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>YouTubeExploitation</span></a> <a href="https://hear-me.social/tags/IndieVideo" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>IndieVideo</span></a> <a href="https://hear-me.social/tags/PlatformJustice" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>PlatformJustice</span></a> <a href="https://hear-me.social/tags/WebTV" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>WebTV</span></a> <a href="https://hear-me.social/tags/DIYStudio" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DIYStudio</span></a> <a href="https://hear-me.social/tags/DigitalSabotage" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DigitalSabotage</span></a></p>