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I'm considering posting a review on YouTube. Tips?

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  • breakingcontact

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    Yes, I'll post it here so you all can criticize me.

    What tips do you have for making a good review video?

    I don't have proper lighting or a nice camera.

    I'm mostly just considering this for fun and to increase networking and community.

    What programs do people typically use to edit their videos?
    Military Camp
     

    Moonpie

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    Gunz are icky.
    Show the item from all angles and usage positions.
    Thorough technical description - weight, dimensions, comparison against competing product, materials of construction, real world cost and/or availability, etc.

    Keep your face OUT of the vid unless it needs to be shown.
    We should see your hands on the item, manipulating it. Not you holding it up in front of your face.

    Stay on topic! I don't want to hear your ramblings or opinions on anything except the item under review.
    Keep it short. It shouldn't take 20 bleepin' minutes to describe a simple item like a knife. Write a script beforehand.
     

    TxBigfoot

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    What Moonpie said. I hate nutnfancy's 45min of rambling. Keep it short and to the point. There's a lot of good reviewers on youtube, but there's also a lot of people who love to hear themselves talk.
     

    dreyes89

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    I think Sony vegas, or you can always use windows movie maker(for time being).

    You can always download it and use a key generator to get codes to not have a trial version of vegas.

    Googling around I saw pinnacle, and avid studio.
     
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    benenglish

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    A crappy camera can produce wonderful video if you can hold it still. Handheld video in a review vid is just stupid.

    A tripod, clamp-pod, or camera stand is your friend.
     

    mitchntx

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    I've been producing, shooting and editing for 30 years ... started on 1" reel-to-reel at KLTV in Tyler, Texas. Even spliced a little 16mm ...

    Identify your audience and:
    know what they want to hear
    know what you need to say to get there
    know your subject so you don;t ramble or repeat
    keep it simple and don't use tongue twisting or complicated words.

    Practice:
    your lines (use cue cards)
    your action (know your movements and block the shot so you don;t go off camera)
    your content (say what you need to say ... only)

    Rule of thumb to get folks to watch and learn:
    3 points in 3 minutes (today videos are everywhere, so make your relevant)
    frame the shot (divide the screen into thirds and keep what you are describing framed where the upper and middle third intersect)
    Create a set (don't shoot it in a bathroom or kitchen with hard surfaces where the audio echoes. Pay attention to your back ground)

    Lighting is key. Sunlight is your friend. Don't mix lighting.

    Clean audio ... like said before.

    I use Avid and Adobe Production Suite at work.
    But at home, I have a $49 version of Adobe Premiere Elements.
     

    Mic

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    I've been producing, shooting and editing for 30 years ... started on 1" reel-to-reel at KLTV in Tyler, Texas. Even spliced a little 16mm ...

    Identify your audience and:
    know what they want to hear
    know what you need to say to get there
    know your subject so you don;t ramble or repeat
    keep it simple and don't use tongue twisting or complicated words.

    Practice:
    your lines (use cue cards)
    your action (know your movements and block the shot so you don;t go off camera)
    your content (say what you need to say ... only)

    Rule of thumb to get folks to watch and learn:
    3 points in 3 minutes (today videos are everywhere, so make your relevant)
    frame the shot (divide the screen into thirds and keep what you are describing framed where the upper and middle third intersect)
    Create a set (don't shoot it in a bathroom or kitchen with hard surfaces where the audio echoes. Pay attention to your back ground)

    Lighting is key. Sunlight is your friend. Don't mix lighting.

    Clean audio ... like said before.

    I use Avid and Adobe Production Suite at work.
    But at home, I have a $49 version of Adobe Premiere Elements.

    Now that sounds like the kind of advice you need!
     

    Chirpy

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    If you have a window or even a shop light bouncing off white poster board or even tinfoil from the opposite (dark side) of the subject is a great low rent way to get fill light.

    Even a good flash light bounced is better than nothing, just don't shine directly.

    More info and a couple of pictures of fancy reflectors

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflector_(photography)


    Sent from magic cutting board
     
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    shortround

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    I saw one today that was entertaining. Simple camera, close up shot of a .22 Semi-Auto pistol and some ammo, then some ranting and raving about how the gun chokes on every brand of ammo he tested. Cut away to a view of the disassembled pistol on his work bench, then to a stationary shot of a far wall in his garage after he said he was going to fix the pistol. In the background, you could hear him cuss and swear as he used every power tool he had to "fix" that sorry gun. There was banging, clanging, torching, grinding, drilling, and pounding and lots of cussing.

    When he returned for a close up of his handiwork, he simply replaced the ratty gun with a slick little Ruger MK.

    It was a short amateur video, but it held my attention for all of 2 minutes and 39 seconds.

    Keep it short, simple, and BLUF (Bottom Line up Front).
     

    breakingcontact

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    I was thinking about 10 minutes at most, and putting multiple "jump points" in the video with an intro screen showing the different points in case a person just wants to jump to a particular part of the video.

    I appreciate the tips here. I'm not planning on putting a ton of time or money into this to become the next Nutnfancy or Hickok45.

    I used an E-Tool while building my raised bed garden this weekend instead of proper tools or power tools. I've had it in my bugout bag for probably 5 years and never used it.

    Thought it would be nice to post a review of it as others may have the same in their kit.

    Yes I've used E-tools in the military, but never this particular Gerber model.

    How about what ratio of "table top review" vs in the field use to show?
     

    mitchntx

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    How do people find YT videos?

    Search. So the title needs to be VERY descriptive.

    Audiences today have attention spans measured in seconds.
    If you spend 15 seconds explaining the purpose of the video, you've lost them.

    Hickock45 begins his vids by shooting, not a lot of explaining.

    Think about it ... if I search for a topic and find it, I don;t need any introduction.
    I already know. When I see elaborate intros, I move on.

    Creating chapters is very DVD like. Don;t make your audience work too hard to find the next chapter or FF to the chapter they want.

    Might be better off making multiple videos.

    I face this challenge every day ... creating a message; making it entertaining enough to keep the audience's attention, relevant enough to make it worthwhile, thorough enough to make the point(s) and effective enough to justify my phony-baloney job.

    Finally ... leave emotional attachment out of it. Be willing to take criticism because it's all about making the vid as good as possible.

    I look forward to seeing the finished product.
     

    SIG_Fiend

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    -Have a plan, work your plan. Script it and do some practice runs

    -Straight and to the point. People beat around the bush too much. Most of this stuff can be accomplished in 5 minutes or less, maybe 10 minutes in certain cases, but you really need to have a lot of substance to it for 10 minutes, or people won't watch the whole thing.

    -Have a stable camera platform. Camera wobble is annoying as hell.

    -If doing anything outdoors, watch out for wind noise. Also annoying as hell.

    -Talk to the camera like it's a person or student. It's a lot easier to connect with the viewer if you do that.

    -I have to disagree with Moonpie on one point, at least for some videos. Many times, you want to have your face in the video. Kind of depends on the type of video to determine what's needed. For review videos, yes, we usually want to see some closeups of products, tasks, techniques, or whatever the case may be. If that's ALL the video is, that is extremely boring. Nutnfancy is king of this. 45 minutes of a knife review video macro-focused on a knife on a nondescript table. Entertainment FAIL. Have a mix of both. If the viewer can also see you, your body language, etc. and if you are talking to the camera like it's a person, the viewer will be much more likely to feel like they're hanging out with a buddy, listening to them talk about this stuff.

    Mitch has some solid advice above. ^
     

    breakingcontact

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    This is getting pretty interesting. Just about basic communication really.

    I agree its important to speak in a colloquial way even when reviewing something highly technical. (Unless you want a narrow audience with previous knowledge).

    Even considering doing this has me appreciating quality YT videos more.

    So basically I need to find a stable mount for my camera, choose a location and just do this. Need to test the audio and video quality. I agree 5 minutes should be plenty. Will write out talking points and stay on topic. I might shoot some action footage and just narrate over it so outdoor audio quality isn't terrible.

    Now I'm excited about doing this, just need to make time.
     

    mitchntx

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    I might shoot some action footage and just narrate over it so outdoor audio quality isn't terrible.

    Record the voice-over the same place where you record the live action.
    Abrupt changes in background noise and quality is amateurish.

    Work around ...
    Record 3 minutes of just the background noise. No narration, no dialogue just white noise.
    In post, lay it down on a lower tier track, ramping it slightly and slowly so that the background noise seems seamless and the voice over pops out of the background.



    Two things to remember

    1) It always takes longer than it takes.
    2) It doesn't have to be, just looks like it is.
     

    breakingcontact

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    Record the voice-over the same place where you record the live action.
    Abrupt changes in background noise and quality is amateurish.

    Work around ...
    Record 3 minutes of just the background noise. No narration, no dialogue just white noise.
    In post, lay it down on a lower tier track, ramping it slightly and slowly so that the background noise seems seamless and the voice over pops out of the background.



    Two things to remember

    1) It always takes longer than it takes.
    2) It doesn't have to be, just looks like it is.

    Nice explanation. I can see it in my "mind's eye".
     

    mitchntx

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    Nice explanation. I can see it in my "mind's eye".

    Watch movie credits ... you are doing what a foley operator does.
    Fool the audience into thinking that door actually creaked or bullet ricocheted or Steve McQueen's Mustang in Bullet was a 6 speed.

    Here, we'll hear the birds chirping and an occasional car go down the road in front of your place ... all the while the voice over was recorded in a booth.

    Doesn't have to be, just look like it is ...

    LOL

    Finally, don;t make your on-line edit using 24" hi-res monitors and Dolby surround sound.

    Look at your finished product on a cheap monitor, in mono and on $20 speakers. If it sounds and looks OK there, you are golden.

    think lowest common denominator.
     
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    Andy

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    If you spend 15 seconds explaining the purpose of the video, you've lost them.

    Hickock45 begins his vids by shooting, not a lot of explaining.

    Think about it ... if I search for a topic and find it, I don;t need any introduction.
    I already know. When I see elaborate intros, I move on.
    Definitely this.
     

    Cube

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    do eeeet.jpg
     
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