Youtube

About two years ago I started a Youtube channel. It had a terribly embarrassing name that at the time I thought was a good idea. My videos were on a low quality camera and in a few of the beginning videos the camera even fell and I left it in the videos. I watched a few recently and thought I can't BELIEVE I ever thought these were good. As I started to watch more recent ones I realized that they got better progressively over time. My media is now a PC computer, Windows Movie Maker 7, and a Nikon Camera D5100. I used to have to verbally address the steps in my videos as I did them because the old movie maker didn't even have a narration option. What I meant to say is I've come a long way.

I needed a new start from my old channel because as I've changed over the years and matured I felt that my channel must as well. In STAC I've learned so much about shots and how to make videos have more flow. I was missing those aspects on my old channel. I've also learned how to cut down footage so that you only need the necessary film and are not watching any unneeded extras that will bore the audience. I also learned that from the statistics Youtube shows me on my videos that the average viewer will click the link to my video and watch slightly less than half of the video. This has brought to my attention in order to keep the viewers interest, have the best footage at the beginning, to hook them in and interest them. Youtube also works on PR and such. I started out posting my videos the summer of 8th grade and began with on average 40 views from posting the links to my videos on facebook, where as now I get about 80. Most people in school know about my videos and tell me they watch them which I find so humbling. I'm just doing what I love and I guess people appreciate that. Youtube in a way is sort of like STAC. I've in so many ways had to be creative, because in order to stand out, you have to have a distinct personality, creativity, and be unique. You need a distinct personality in order to establish a relationship with your audience To bring them into your life and make them feel as if they are a part of the life you live. For creativity, you need to come up with material that is your own. Of course they don't just materialize in your head and you steal ideas from others, but you need to be creative and you cant go around stealing other people's make-up looks because it would be the same video recreated. When Halloween videos role around you need to think of ideas that people will search and want to be. Once you establish a audience base you can basically come up with whatever you want, but until then you are trying to give the people what they want. Unique goes hand in hand with creativity, you never want to be the like someone else on Youtube, because why would someone be interested in something they've seen already?

For me the hardest part of making videos is the actual filming. Most of the time I have a very busy weekend with homework and social events so I try and film whenever I can. Trying to shoot videos yourself is extremely challenging. When I do make-up tutorials its so much easier because the cameras right in front of me and I can focus it myself and press the record button. In my last video I moved as away from my camera as I could but not far enough, so that from a sitting position I couldn't hit the focus button with my toe. On the other hand with fashion videos it is impossible to do singlehandedly. I cannot get the shots I would like by myself. I have to rely on others for that and you can't rely on others to follow through like you can yourself. I struggle with finding someone available constantly. I also struggle with getting rides to locations I intend to film at. I consider Youtube a side job from school. I try my best to put up videos every week or so because being consistent also makes a Youtuber great to subscribe to.

Youtube has taught me so much and contributed to my growth as an artist.