Current Events > I spent 6 more hours today working on a video essay I'm proud of.

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'd say I went from 31 to 39% done.

Gosh it sure can take a while to work on such things...

I value doing this and am excited to finish it, but I am concerned about setting a goal of releasing 1 video essay per month.

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first

Whats the subject?

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About worms?

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TeaMilk posted...

Whats the subject?

The basic thesis statement of the video comes like 30 seconds in where I say:
By the end of this video I will

1. Demonstrate that the fast and the furious franchise is a self-aware spoof franchise.
2. Reveal what I think is the best written joke in the franchise.

I've gathered all my clips and rewrote the script to near perfection. I've broken it down into sections and have different progress levels to help me track myself

Script:
Stage Blue (Bullet points, comprehensible but wouldn't work as actual script)
Stage Yellow (Rough version, would work but would look very sloppy)
Stage Green (Good version, would work, but should be tweaked/polished)
Stage Gold (As perfect as I am aiming for, locked in)
VO recording:
Recorded
Edited
Video itself:
Stage Blue (All clips are there but not well organized or flowing but wouldn't work as actual video)
Stage Yellow (Rough version, would work but would look very sloppy)
Stage Green (Good version, would work, but should be tweaked/polished)
Stage Gold (As perfect as I am aiming for, locked in)

The 6 hours this morning were getting Preface and Section 1 to video stage blue
The 100 min later were getting Preface and Section 1 recorded and edited (before this I was using text to speech as my audio baseline)

Script is all green
I hate recording VO which is why I keep delaying that.

I'd be happy to get section 2 to blue and/or get the next VO section recorded today.

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TeaMilk posted...

Whats the subject?

Ivermectin
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One_Day_Remains posted...

Ivermectin

Does TC actually believe Ivermectin is good to take?

That's cool man. I think six hours and only making 8% progress is not very much though. You should maybe reconsider your priorities. I've done video essays before, the videos ended up being like 15 minutes each and I probably spent six to eight hours per video? I'm not a super great editor and i didn't have any fancy graphics, but they were definitely decent.

Just for reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6bcuhSUi9U

Like I said, I haven't made many video essays and this was even more of a first foray into it, but I think I did fine.

GirTheRobot posted...

That's cool man. I think six hours and only making 8% progress is not very much though. You should maybe reconsider your priorities. I've done video essays before, the videos ended up being like 15 minutes each and I probably spent six to eight hours per video? I'm not a super great editor and i didn't have any fancy graphics, but they were definitely decent.

Just for reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6bcuhSUi9U

Like I said, I haven't made many video essays and this was even more of a first foray into it, but I think I did fine.

Do you have other videos? I want to check out your quality but I haven't finish DS yet and don't want spoilers.

Also, believe me, I'm looking to outsource work whereever I can, but the few jobs I tried to outsource on fiver ended up costing me like 50 bucks total and I had to redo all the stuff anybody else did.

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joe40001 posted...

Do you have other videos? I want to check out your quality but I haven't finish DS yet and don't want spoilers.

Also, believe me, I'm looking to outsource work whereever I can, but the few jobs I tried to outsource on fiver ended up costing me like 50 bucks total and I had to redo all the stuff anybody else did.

i can show you one other video that's on my main channel, but it was literally the first video essay i ever did, so i think i could do it better now. tbh it's pretty dry and boring, but i guess that's more reflective of the material and the way it was presented rather than, say, my editing skills or whatever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCL6glUVe_s

Also you can probably watch the first half of that death stranding video and get a good idea. there won't be spoilers there.

GirTheRobot posted...

i can show you one other video that's on my main channel, but it was literally the first video essay i ever did, so i think i could do it better now. tbh it's pretty dry and boring, but i guess that's more reflective of the material and the way it was presented rather than, say, my editing skills or whatever.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCL6glUVe_s

Also you can probably watch the first half of that death stranding video and get a good idea. there won't be spoilers there.

How long did that take you to make?

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joe40001 posted...

How long did that take you to make?

I don't recall. At least fifteen hours? But it was also the first time I had ever done that and I used it as a learning experience to get more familiar with davinci resolve. I also wrote original music for it, so I created unnecessary work for funsies. I wrote original music for that death stranding video, too.

If your math is consistent across the board, you'll be spending upwards of 100 hours on a single video, and unless your video is a couple hours long or you have ridiculously in depth graphics there's no reason to spend that time. If it's just editing footage and doing a voiceover and it's a reasonable length (15-20 minutes) it really shouldn't take more than 20 hours of work total.

The fact that you record music probably expalins to me why you don't have nearly the headaches I do when recording VO.

I got a decent mike but I swear to record 1 minute I have to spend like 6 minutes, and that's even with everything going perfectly.

The other thing I am bad at is text for my video. I can waste so much time worrying about the best font.

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joe40001 posted...

The fact that you record music probably expalins to me why you don't have nearly the headaches I do when recording VO.

I got a decent mike but I swear to record 1 minute I have to spend like 6 minutes, and that's even with everything going perfectly.

The other thing I am bad at is text for my video. I can waste so much time worrying about the best font.

just pick a good font and roll with it. i think i literally googled "best fonts for youtube videos" or something and downloaded a pack of 15-20. i had to get the spongebob font for a funny moment in the video tho :P

https://youtu.be/tCL6glUVe_s?t=779

if you're having headaches recording VO then it sounds to me like you need to just practice the technical side of things. I had actually done probably a dozen hours of davinci resolve tutorials from their manual, taking copious notes that I still have before I decided to do that first video essay. it was actually more of a test of my knowledge and skills than anything else. I killed a lot of birds with one stone by making it.

so maybe go back to basics. make sure you know your tech inside and out, then come back and bang out the project.

GirTheRobot posted...

I don't recall. At least fifteen hours? But it was also the first time I had ever done that and I used it as a learning experience to get more familiar with davinci resolve. I also wrote original music for it, so I created unnecessary work for funsies. I wrote original music for that death stranding video, too.

If your math is consistent across the board, you'll be spending upwards of 100 hours on a single video, and unless your video is a couple hours long or you have ridiculously in depth graphics there's no reason to spend that time. If it's just editing footage and doing a voiceover and it's a reasonable length (15-20 minutes) it really shouldn't take more than 20 hours of work total.

If only. Like yeah in my mind that time makes sense. but to get my vid to 4 minutes at stage blue (or maybe yellow) took the 6 hours of video editing along with the 1.5 for audio issues.

The audio think was a nightmare and now it might go a lot smoother. So other sections should go faster, but I've done video essays before: And even when I'm pretty rushed they still take forever.

I'm willing to outsource the work to people on fiver, but everybody there that I've worked with is terrible.

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will your video essay have differing audio quality when the camera is on your face and when it isn't?

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SSJKirby posted...

will your video essay have differing audio quality when the camera is on your face and when it isn't?

depends, but generally yes. when the camera is on your face a lot of people might, say, use a lavalier microphone, and when it's a voiceover they might do a microphone more for podcasting. but tbh, most people won't notice. as long as you're not using the camera microphone when recording your face and getting a lot of bad room sound. i notice that sometimes.

GirTheRobot posted...

just pick a good font and roll with it. i think i literally googled "best fonts for youtube videos" or something and downloaded a pack of 15-20. i had to get the spongebob font for a funny moment in the video tho :P

https://youtu.be/tCL6glUVe_s?t=779

if you're having headaches recording VO then it sounds to me like you need to just practice the technical side of things. I had actually done probably a dozen hours of davinci resolve tutorials from their manual, taking copious notes that I still have before I decided to do that first video essay. it was actually more of a test of my knowledge and skills than anything else. I killed a lot of birds with one stone by making it.

so maybe go back to basics. make sure you know your tech inside and out, then come back and bang out the project.

Let me get section 1 (the first 4 min) to stage yellow and then I could send you the clip. I'd really value your feedback on the areas it's rough and how I can improve it. I don't want to spend 100 hours on this.

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SSJKirby posted...

will your video essay have differing audio quality when the camera is on your face and when it isn't?

I will never been on camera so I won't have to worry.

Honestly I debated hiring a VO person to record my script, but since it's kinda my baby I feel obligated to do it myself.

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joe40001 posted...

If only. Like yeah in my mind that time makes sense. but to get my vid to 4 minutes at stage blue (or maybe yellow) took the 6 hours of video editing along with the 1.5 for audio issues.

so i'm not sure what your workflow is but let me tell you what I do:

before I start the video editing, I've already recorded my script/voiceover so I have an idea of what video clips/still images I want to pull. then, I spend 1-2 hours going to youtube and google images grabbing material I need (I use youtube 4k downloader, it's an awesome freeware app for desktop). so this way, as I'm listening to my voiceover which is already in the timeline, I just drag and drop the relevant media in my media pool.

Inevitably I will need to go back and download more videos and images, but I would say this initial time I spend takes care of about 80% of the material.

joe40001 posted...

Let me get section 1 (the first 4 min) to stage yellow and then I could send you the clip. I'd really value your feedback on the areas it's rough and how I can improve it. I don't want to spend 100 hours on this.

I think your issue could also be that you're treating it like "sections" and trying to get them to perfect. It's better to make a big broad stroke and then go in and do fine tuning. By this I mean it's better to have your ground work laid down from beginning to end, have them all the same "rough" quality, then go back and tighten up the cuts, maybe add more, make sure the cuts match when your VO changes, that sort of thing. It's easier to take a rough, finished product and chisel away at it than it is to chisel away at little bits of a project.

GirTheRobot posted...

so i'm not sure what your workflow is but let me tell you what I do:

before I start the video editing, I've already recorded my script/voiceover so I have an idea of what video clips/still images I want to pull. then, I spend 1-2 hours going to youtube and google images grabbing material I need (I use youtube 4k downloader, it's an awesome freeware app for desktop). so this way, as I'm listening to my voiceover which is already in the timeline, I just drag and drop the relevant media in my media pool.

Inevitably I will need to go back and download more videos and images, but I would say this initial time I spend takes care of about 80% of the material.

I prepped the relevant clips beforehand. But there are a lot of parts I I feel I'm going to waste time because I have things to say but nothing insanely relevant to what I'm saying.

Like if I'm giving a definition of the word "trope" I don't know what that screen should look like. Just the definition I'm saying? If so what font? What background? Solid Color? Something dynamic?

Or if I'm talking about a movie as a whole what do I have as the background video so it's not distracting? Because other times my background videos are super important, but if I'm talking about the overall film, I don't have a relevant clip.

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GirTheRobot posted...

I think your issue could also be that you're treating it like "sections" and trying to get them to perfect. It's better to make a big broad stroke and then go in and do fine tuning. By this I mean it's better to have your ground work laid down from beginning to end, have them all the same "rough" quality, then go back and tighten up the cuts, maybe add more, make sure the cuts match when your VO changes, that sort of thing. It's easier to take a rough, finished product and chisel away at it than it is to chisel away at little bits of a project.

I started out trying to do it that way but I ended up recording my audio like 3 times because each time I had to toss out the whole thing because it of random stuff.

"Stage blue" is my rough draft. It took me 6 hours to get my first section to the "rough" version.

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joe40001 posted...

Like if I'm giving a definition of the word "trope" I don't know what that screen should look like. Just the definition I'm saying? If so what font? What background? Solid Color? Something dynamic?

you're overthinking it.

either roll some B-roll that looks good and isn't relevant, or just take a screenshot of the definition of the word and add some movement.

these sorts of things don't matter as much as you think they do. go watch a video essay and you'll notice there are a lot of times where the video doesn't really match what they're saying. it's just kind of there.

GirTheRobot posted...

you're overthinking it.

either roll some B-roll that looks good and isn't relevant, or just take a screenshot of the definition of the word and add some movement.

these sorts of things don't matter as much as you think they do. go watch a video essay and you'll notice there are a lot of times where the video doesn't really match what they're saying. it's just kind of there.

Some rougher ones are like that, but decent ones seem to take the time to add these little touches.

This is the kind of style/level I'd like to achieve:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbthMC6spAE

And like just the font choice and execution of that first frame isn't hard, but it's very specific. And like I don't know how one lands on that and not a blue background with a Sarif font, for example. Yet I can tell something about that would be "off".

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joe40001 posted...

Some rougher ones are like that, but decent ones seem to take the time to add these little touches.

This is the kind of style/level I'd like to achieve:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EbthMC6spAE

And like just the font choice and execution of that first frame isn't hard, but it's very specific. And like I don't know how one lands on that and not a blue background with a Sarif font, for example. Yet I can tell something about that would be "off".

yeah so like i said those are pretty intense graphics and designs. those definitely take more time and i have no idea how to do those sorts of things haha.

GirTheRobot posted...

yeah so like i said those are pretty intense graphics and designs. those definitely take more time and i have no idea how to do those sorts of things haha.

Most of those things aren't that hard. It's just using a rando after effects template.

The issue is choosing which template and color and font (or background music for that matter) that you should use that I'm totally lost on.

I debated DMing it to you because I'm kinda private about creative things, but screw it lol. Here is the rough (stage blue) version of the first section of my video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0-iWUGaV0k

I know the audio timing is all off and other things like that. But what I don't know is what what to put in the background for video for a lot of the shots where I'm just talking (like the opening). Or what font to use. Or how to make my voice more organic (though that might just happen with better levels and editing).

All those little choices drive me up the wall and I don't know what to do specifically. I in general don't mind it tons, but I simply don't have the time it takes when those kinds of issues/decisions slow me down.

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joe40001 posted...

Most of those things aren't that hard. It's just using a rando after effects template.

The issue is choosing which template and color and font (or background music for that matter) that you should use that I'm totally lost on.

I debated DMing it to you because I'm kinda private about creative things, but screw it lol. Here is the rough (stage blue) version of the first section of my video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0-iWUGaV0k

I know the audio timing is all off and other things like that. But what I don't know is what what to put in the background for video for a lot of the shots where I'm just talking (like the opening). Or what font to use. Or how to make my voice more organic (though that might just happen with better levels and editing).

All those little choices drive me up the wall and I don't know what to do specifically. I in general don't mind it tons, but I simply don't have the time it takes when those kinds of issues/decisions slow me down.

i see. this is definitely much better quality than my videos so i can see why it would take you longer haha. my video essay i went more for the superbunnyhop, scott the woz and jim sterling route...just moving images and videos. yours seems to have more editing skills i don't care to learn. although knowing it's an after effects template kind of interests me.

GirTheRobot posted...

i see. this is definitely much better quality than my videos so i can see why it would take you longer haha. my video essay i went more for the superbunnyhop, scott the woz and jim sterling route...just moving images and videos. yours seems to have more editing skills i don't care to learn. although knowing it's an after effects template kind of interests me.

Well I don't like after effects so I almost never use it, so all the sliding things in my video were just keyframed in sony vegas. I'm going to try to see if there is a different interpolator on the sliding because I think the linear one I'm using isn't the same that nerdwriter uses.

I bet he uses after effects templates a lot more. For mine the only AE template in there right now is the title. Though I'm sure I could save time if I had a fast computer and tons of templates on hand.

The cropping on the tv was done by hand as well, I tried to pay somebody 15 dollars to do that but they did a horrible job and I had to restart from scratch. But that part isn't included in what took me the 6 hours today.

Do you have any thoughts for what I should put as the background for the title/text? Is just footage ok like it is or does it look weird? And for the text is that dynamic background distracting? I think it looks weird as a solid color, but idk.

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joe40001 posted...

Reveal what I think is the best written joke in the franchise.

Tag

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joe40001 posted...

Do you have any thoughts for what I should put as the background for the title/text? Is just footage ok like it is or does it look weird? And for the text is that dynamic background distracting? I think it looks weird as a solid color, but idk.

i don't think it's distracting. i think you're overthinking it, and probably most things, which is why it's taking you so long.

it's better to just do the thing, get a finished product, look back on it and see what you can do better, then keep that in mind going forward. no use pulling your hair out and spending dozens of hours on one singular project like this.

damn bro you got a lot of videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRxSVyInISU

that shit is legit funny haha

GirTheRobot posted...

damn bro you got a lot of videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRxSVyInISU

that shit is legit funny haha

Oh thanks. I was going to do a re-upload of that because the video quality of the source video is rough at a few points and it bugs me. And it barely has any views anyway.

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Thank you for your feedback though, it is helping.

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About 1h45m more today, and got 5% more done. Now at 44% done.

Section 2 is blue
Sections 2-3 are recorded and their scripts are gold

If I can get Sections 2-3 to blue with my audio in there that would be a good goal for today

Ideally get the whole thing to blue or early yellow during this long weekend.

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Only like 30 minutes spent today. Got to 46% done.

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Regretably no real progress today... Busy with work. :/

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Tiny bit more work on the script.

Been very busy with work.

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1h10m today, now at 49% done

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Worked late tonight so I'll have a long weekend to work on it.

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Only like 1 percent more, but I think tomorrow i'll be able to get it to almost all yellow.

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joe40001 posted...

Only like 1 percent more, but I think tomorrow i'll be able to get it to almost all yellow.

Boy was I dreaming there. After 5-6 hours, if I'm being generous, I'd say sections 1-3 are yellow. That still leaves 4 and 5.

Overall I'm about 53% of the way done.

I wish it didn't take like 40-80 hours to make a good video essay

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Keep up the good work!

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BlingBling22947 posted...

Keep up the good work!

Thanks!

I feel like I'm on the right track because I keep wanting to share it with people even in it's unfinished form.

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