2021 was the year I tried to step out of my comfort zone and try my hand at making videos consistently for YouTube and a few other projects. Between December 2020 and January 2022 I made 29 videos that I published on YouTube and a couple more for private projects. This is what I learned from all the things related to recording and editing over 30 videos in the last year.
It’s really hard to shoot Youtube videos alone
Recording videos solo is quite challenging. Who is going to check your audio levels, angles, offer additional input or just keep you going when you are frustrated? If you are recording on location or moving back and forth on sets it can be quite a hassle. To help with this I have tried to keep my gear and equipment as mobile and simplified as possible.
Editing sucks but is strangely rewarding
9 times out of 10 creators will state that their least favourite part of making videos is editing said videos. Its time consuming, it’s hard, it can be monotonous. BUT, like anything worth doing it is very rewarding and you get better at it the more you do it. Keep at it, at least until you can afford to outsource it to someone else.
Stop comparing
Stop comparing your videos to people with more experience, training, and equipment valued at 10s of thousands of dollars, a whole team doing everything like makeup, lights, audio, editing, scripting, etc. aspire for growth, learn and improve but don’t beat yourself trying to race a Ferrari in your Honda Civic.
Post the bad Youtube videos too, it’s a learning process
You have to start somewhere and years later when you look back it’s okay to cringe at your early work. You will grow, evolve, learn and get better at making videos as you do more and more of them. Keep it simple to start then build from there.
Use the equipment you have to make Youtube videos
Smartphones these days are video recording beasts. If that’s all you have don’t sweat it. Don’t go chasing bigger, better, and more expensive equipment while failing to create anything thinking that if you only can get the next shiny and expensive thing you will be an awesome creator.
Have a (flexible) workflow
This changed everything for me. Having a set workflow with steps and processes you use to make your videos is important. If you don’t have a workflow you end up being inefficient and redoing things over and over unnecessarily. I’d love to share my own simple workflow in a follow-up post. If you want to see it leave a comment or tweet me @jamaipanese
Uninstall Youtube Studio
Youtube studio can be such a bad source and anxiety and stress as you constantly refresh and check your stats. Trust me and uninstall the app and set aside a set time each week/day/month that you comb through your stats to see what is working and what isn’t. I wish I got this advice earlier.
Video is here to stay
As a stubborn “traditional” blogger, I resisted video for a long time. However more and more people prefer to consume content by video. Many of my posts now have a video version using mostly the same blog post text as a script. The result? My content reaches a wider audience and gives them a choice on how they want to consume it. My Fujifilm Instax SQ6 Landscape photo walk content is a good example of this.
Know your strengths and weaknesses
Try as I might I just can’t seem to relax in front of a camera so I have focused on recording my footage separately then narrating over the footage instead. Know what your strengths and weaknesses are look at various examples of videos/channels and use your own skills to make your content your own. Maybe this year I’ll be able to make talking head Youtube videos.
Are you a Youtuber? a video editor? or just trying something new like me? leave your tips below in a comment or tweet me @jamaipanese.