%% date:: [[2022-01-25]], [[2021-11-06]], [[2021-09-16]], [[2021-07-10]], [[2024-01-12]] parent:: %% # [[Producing videos]] This page covers everything you need to know about creating videos, particularly for YouTube. ![[16 of 30.png]] Here's a video I made about the process: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/alF6MnA6NvA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> ## Why make videos? Here are some of my reasons for making videos. - Enjoyment. A 10-minute video takes me anywhere from 7 to 15 hours to produce. I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't enjoy it! - It can be the most genuine form of expression. It's significantly harder to edit a video than it is to edit any other form of media. - Videos were a big part of how _I_ got into tech, and I want to pass that on. - I'd rather make a video once than explain the same thing to 100 people. - They're a great way to [[Learning in public|learn in public]]. ## [[Factors for success on YouTube]] ## Strategizing about your channel It can be helpful to try to think long-term about your channel and where you want to go, but sometimes it can lead to analysis paralysis and actually *hinder* you from creating videos. If you think that might happen to you, just create a YouTube channel and get going - you can always think about your strategy and vision later. - Formulate a [[Content Strategy]]. - Think about [[Branding]] and [[Personal branding]]. ## Pre-production process ![[davella-production-workflow.png]] [^davella] Pre-production activities include planning and preparatory steps that happen before a video is filmed. - [[Idea Generation]] - [[Create engaging titles]] - [[Create engaging thumbnails]] - [[Video Forms]]: Choose more popular video types than talking heads, and use tried-and-true content formats to generate ideas. - [[Scripting for video]] - [[Create a shot list]] ## Production process The prodution process involves actually filming videos and the structure used for later editing. - [[Filming]] - [[Video Storage and Organization]] ## Post-production process The post-production process covers what happens after the video and photo assets are created, and involves editing them all the way to publishing the final work. - [[Video Editing]] - Create a checklist or [[NVDH Video|video template]] with a list of things you need to do for each video - Create captions - I use [Rev](https://rev.com) for captioning videos. They have a great integration to YouTube where the captions are uploaded as soon as they're done. - [[Publishing a video on YouTube]] ## YouTube as a business At some point, when you start to get traction, you'll start to think about how to monetize this hobby of yours. A word of warning: being a YouTuber can be an incredibly stressful and anxiety-inducing job. Many, many YouTubers experience burnout. Be aware of this and do a regular check-in with yourself to keep this from happening to you. How do you make money as a YouTuber? Ironically, the money that you earn from your YouTube videos directly is probably the smallest slice of the pie. Most of the money you get will be from tangential sources of income, and every YouTuber's income mix is different. - [[Monetization]]: Different income sources - [[Marketing]]: Self-promotion is a form of marketing, so some of the same principles apply. - [[YouTuber stages of growth]]: Do activities based on which stage of growth you're in. - [[Community building]]: Build a community, not an audience. Let the conversation go both ways. Encourage [[Superfans]]. ## Resources for learning how to make videos on YouTube ### Courses - [[Part-time YouTuber Academy]] by [[Ali Abdaal]] - [[Master YouTube]] by [[Matt D'Avella]] - [[Filmmaking & Storytelling with Casey Neistat]] by [[Casey Neistat]] - [[Project 24]] by Channel Makers/Income School - (indirect) [[Ship 30 for 30]] by [[Dickie Bush]] and [[Nicolas Cole]]: for Twitter rather than YouTube, but some concepts apply. ### YouTube Channels - [Channel Makers](https://www.youtube.com/c/ChannelMakers) - [Catherine Manning](https://www.youtube.com/c/CathrinManning) ## References [^ptya]: Abdaal, A. (2021). _Part-time YouTuber academy_. [[Part-time YouTuber Academy|My notes on this course]]. [^davella]: D'Avella, M. (2020). *Master YouTube*. Retrieved from https://slowgrowth.com. [[Master YouTube|My notes on this course]].