Making Videos for YouTube, #89

I was asked by a friend to say a few words about video making for YouTube. Since I know a bit about it, here is my advice on that subject.

Steve,

     You can make some money making videos for YouTube, but not much. Getting lots of views takes plenty of work and dedication, almost a full time job.

First of all, you need to make videos on a regular basis, at least one per week. This takes lots of time depending on your subject. I see documentaries, commentaries, and funny stuff among other subjects. Everything funny is going to work on YouTube guaranteed.

Choosing the right subject is key, content of your video is going to determine if they become popular. Playing all kinds of instruments seems to work, singing works fine, making cover music videos with popular songs works very well.

Some people make video blogs, everyday or every other day. Usually it is something about them. Place a small point and shoot camera in front of their faces and talk about something. Some of those vlogs – video blogs, are fairly successful. Usually work better with younger people, not as good with older people.

Now technical issues. Actually the technical side of the video is not as important as some people think. Basically people watch them on their computers, the home networks are not very fast, so the larger the format, the bigger the file sizes, the worse it gets. Stick with 1280x720p format, 30fps or 60fps, stereo sound, but mono also works. Almost any camera that you can buy these days is good enough.

For vlogging a Canon point and shoot works just fine. I mount it on a monopod so it is easier to handle and can be quite sturdy if you place the monopod on the ground.

If you want to record at home with a DSLR camera, you definitely need a good video tripod. In addition, a good lighting is a must. Lights these days with color corrected bulbs are fairly cheap. If you need a white, green screen or some other color, those are also fairly cheap. You would need a small digital audio recorder with at least one or two microphones. The recorders are not expensive, the microphones can be somewhat expensive. A pair of good headphones is a must.

All editing can be done on iMac using Final Cut Pro. Learning Final Cut Pro can take some time, this is not a very easy piece of software to learn. A large external drive is needed to store all your movies. There is some basic effects software that comes with Final Cut. Additional software is available, prices vary a lot.

Open an account on YouTube, it is very important to use your own name rather than a made up name. People respond better that way. You need to be fairly active, respond to emails, watch and comment on other people’s videos. It is a very good hobby, but do not expect to make much money from it. If you have a regular job, you can only do something on weekends, it is going to be rather difficult.

Once your first video is on YouTube, let me know.

Thank you.

Regards,

Vatsek

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