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I might want to make better looking videos for Youtube

2K views 14 replies 8 participants last post by  GentleHands McCoy 
#1 · (Edited)
I have no plans of investing too much into my Youtube "career" but at least I want the film quality to be better.
Right now I film with this old thingy right now:



And yeah, it's definitely not the best.

What do people use for shooting their videos? Most Youtube channels have pretty decent picture quality but it's a fuckign jungle with all different cameras...

It's good if I can use the format to edit with Blender becuase I'm sort of getting used to that and dont want to leran anything else to edit videos (Blender is multitrack, super important)

Here's one of my later videos. It's all blurry and stuff, not sharp and nice like other channels I look at
 
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#2 ·
I'd rather see less polished/professional looking videos.

Every asshole with a YT channel spends all their time making their damn videos look like they were produced by Martin Scorcese, and not enough time making sure that the content is worth watching.

Just shred face instead.
 
#8 ·
I'd rather see less polished/professional looking videos.

Every asshole with a YT channel spends all their time making their damn videos look like they were produced by Martin Scorcese, and not enough time making sure that the content is worth watching.

Just shred face instead.
Yeah, my favourite channels all stayed on pretty basic gear and quality and just made good content until the channel made enough money for them that they could upgrade the equipment and dedicate their time to make it a full-time thing. Their content quality stayed high because that was what they focused on building. The rest is just icing on the cake.

I've also seen quality go down when they get fancier equipment because they don't know how to use it and are out of the comfort zone they were succeeding in.
 
#9 ·
Basically any recent Samsung or Apple smartphone will probably take better video than your current camera. That said, to get a really noticeable difference you'll need to get into a DSLR and a decent lens, as well as more intentional lighting. It's a rabbit hole of new gear and techniques to learn about and it's not cheap.
Maybe your right. My priority is NOT my Youtube channel at all. It's something I do for fun.
Guess I'm overthinking this.

And I will never give up on my button phones! :metal:
 
#7 ·
I'd argue that good lighting is more important than a good camera.
Take a look at Ola's latest studio tour, for example. At least 2 pro/studio style light setups:


Otherwise, most modern cameras are capable of good quality 1080p. Just take the time to learn the settings for the camera, and make sure that it's on a tripod and not balanced on a guitar stand or something. Hell, even a GoPro is good enough if you take the time to set it up.
 
#10 ·
You can still shred face, be funny and make interesting videos while your production value improves. You don't have to sacrifice one for the other. Just buy a lighting kit on Amazon for under $100, it's all you need and your phone-shot videos will look much better because of them.
 
#11 ·
In general what you want is a more dramatic depth of field, to make things look more dramatic than they are. You don't want to overuse depth of field to the extent of a djent video though.

I agree with Quigs that it's better to err on the side of casual than rampant self promotion, and in general I wouldn't use "djent style" editing.

Whenever I do pictures of bands they are like, "How did you make us look so fucking massive and respectable on a shitty stage in a dive bar".

The answer, of course, is criminal abuse of depth of field.

Also, djent photography has ruined the angle in general, but shoot up at yourself. Not down. That's basic photography/cinematography 101. You angle the camera up at a subject to make them appear more respectable/powerful, whatever. Once again, moderation is key here, since "djent youtube" videos also overuse that technique.
 
#12 ·
Here's an example of a guy having fancy equipment and not entirely knowing how to use it. This guy was the drummer in my old band, and this video has been doing well for him. That said, he blatantly fucks up near the start of the video, goes off time from the track, and decided to use this take. Plus, he has decent cameras and lights, but clearly doesn't know how to use them to their best. He has mics and an interface, but isn't great at using them or mixing drums. His brother and I think another friend of theirs help him out with filming/editing/mixing sometimes, but in general I've found his videos are just not great for how much money he has put into them.

 
#13 ·
Speaking as someone who does videography and photography for a living, the MOST gains per dollar invested is in lighting. Part of what makes "good" (and expensive) cameras good (and expensive) is how they perform in low light. I've compared $2000+ cameras to $200 cameras in "full light" and it's hard to see the difference between the two but when you're in low light, you're asking an inferior lens and inferior processor to do too much, and that's when you get noise or blurring.

And Aaron's right about the modern Apple/Samsung thing but it doesn't need to cost you much. I think any iPhone 5 or newer (which, locally, I can get for under $100 on craigslist) and a soft box or two (<$50) would get you looking as good as a lot of the YT channels you probably watch.
 
#14 ·
I would err on the side of saying "avoid lights". That's just too prissy. Don't take it too seriously. That's incredibly obnoxious. Daylight is the best light. Don't you live in Scandinavia? Should be lots of beautiful light up there.

A bit of work on angle and framing though is perfectly acceptable.

Don't stop doing your regular off-the-cuff videos though. The occasional one that is better framed/cleaner is fine though.
 
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