Notifications
Clear all
2019-12-27 11:04 am
But if I win "El Gordo", I can buy all forum members "Final Cut Pro", but unfortunately the winners were drawn last week for this year.
Just don't be like that reporter who saw the numbers, realized she had the winning ones and quit her job live on the air. Only afterward she realized that she had shared the prize with hundreds of other people and only actually won about 3,000 Euros.
I had a friend in Edmonton who won 6 million about 25 years ago. The best I've ever pulled in was 1,000 dollars, not exactly enough to retire on. And I'm sure that with the number of tickets I've purchased in my life that Lotto Canada is ahead.
But I did "win" two bucks and a free ticket last week!
?
"Never trust a computer you can’t throw out a window." — Steve Wozniak
2019-12-27 1:44 pm
And once your amazing YouTube channel takes off and you start earning revenue from it you can upgrade to something better. That's how I've purchased all my equipment.
From what I hear, and you are probably well aware of this. you don't make much of anything from YouTube videos for the first year or two. I don't know if that's true, but that what I've heard that's the typical situation.
The other thing is whether or not the videos even get many views, likes, subscriptions, and so on. So success will also depend on how well the videos do. I could end up making all "duds". I don't know if I have a personality that viewer can hack watching. ?
In fact, I'm hoping to hide myself as much as possible and try to focus on technical devices and screen recordings for the most part. But I do plan on speaking directly into the camera for the introduction to explain what the video will cover, and popping back into the scene for explaining details, and a summary at the end. But other than that I'll be hiding behind the camera as much as possible. ? I'm not that great to look at so I'm sure the viewers will appreciate it when I get out of the picture. ?
I plan on using tripods for all camera shots, so no sloppy held-held videos. I'm also going to try to get the best lighting I can muster. I also wear glasses so I need to pay attention to make sure the glasses aren't creating distracting reflections like when I'm looking at a computer monitor, etc. There's a lot to creating decent videos, as I'm sure you are aware. In the summertime I may run into unwanted noise distractions as well. Not so much in the wintertime.
So yeah, there's tons of things to consider. I'd like to get the channel off on a good foundation. In fact, I have a slight problem with the backdrop. I really don't have a nice subject-oriented background like you do. We can always expect to see you with the Workshop tools and things behind you. While your pile of junk is behind the camera where we can't see it. ?
I don't have a nice workshop large enough to create a backdrop specifically for these videos. The best wall I have for a backdrop right now is a large stone fireplace with aquariums on the mantle. And tons of musical instruments hanging around it. As well as a large set of drums that will also be seen sitting in front of the fireplace. This would make a great backdrop for a music-oriented channel, but I'm not sure if it's going to make sense for a robotics channel.
The other idea is to hand a "Green Screen" behind me and insert artificial backdrops. More learning curve on my part because I've never worked with green screens before.
It seems like this will take me a year just to figure all this stuff out. Instead of being on the runway ready to take off, I feel more like I'm in the drafting shop trying to decide what kind of airplane to design.
DroneBot Workshop Robotics Engineer
James
2019-12-27 2:53 pm
If you do decide on using "green screen", this where you could really make something fantastic with Blender. Perhaps even a speaking avatar with the spooky robo-pi mask. ?
And here is how to do it:
I don't know whether you know about them but there is an outfit in Rotterdam offering 15 images a day for free at textures.com. Not only textures but also backdrops for Blender.
You might like to check them out, they have a library of over 130000 pictures.
2019-12-27 2:53 pm
From what I hear, and you are probably well aware of this. you don't make much of anything from YouTube videos for the first year or two. I don't know if that's true, but that what I've heard that's the typical situation
True. And now that YouTube has changed its monetization policy you won't make a penny until you have at least 1000 subscribers and 240,000 minutes of view time.
But it's not always a fact. Some people have gotten rich in a year or less. This year YouTubes' biggest earner was 8 years old. How long do you think he's been at it?
I'm not that great to look at so I'm sure the viewers will appreciate it when I get out of the picture.
And I'm great to look at? I wouldn't worry about that aspect of it. And lots of channels in this genre never show the presenter.
In the summertime I may run into unwanted noise distractions as well.
I wish it was only in the summertime for me. The noise next door is seriously impeding my ability to make any videos. Until I soundproof I may have to stop for a while.
While your pile of junk is behind the camera where we can't see it.
Actually I'm a bit of a "neat-freak", so there is no pile of junk behind the camera!
And tons of musical instruments hanging around it. As well as a large set of drums that will also be seen sitting in front of the fireplace. This would make a great backdrop for a music-oriented channel, but I'm not sure if it's going to make sense for a robotics channel
I don't agree, it might make a GREAT background! It's different, and different is good - it distinguishes you from the other channels.
The other idea is to hand a "Green Screen" behind me and insert artificial backdrops. More learning curve on my part because I've never worked with green screens before.
Don't even think of trying to Chroma Key until you have everything else figured out. I have a greenscreen set up in another area of the basement, and video lights on the ceiling. And try as I might, my silver hair ruins every take.
You can get a plain white or black photographers backdrop really cheap from a local photo store or online from Amazon or B&H Photo in NYC.
It seems like this will take me a year just to figure all this stuff out.
Yes, you're a quick learner so I'm sure you can do it in a year. Personally, it took me closer to three years, and I still haven't got it right!
Here is what you do:
- Start! No matter what your equipment or tech situation is, just start filming stuff. Use any camera that you can find. Or skip the camera and just use screen captures. But until you start filming on a regular basis you're not going to be able to do this.
- Get the sound right! Learn how to get great sound, with your musical background you probably already know something about microphones and sound mixing. Sound is probably the MOST IMPORTANT part of a video! I'm "shouting" there because it is so true - you can have the best quality video but if the sound is bad no one will bother with it. And I suspect you probably already have some excellent microphones.
- Learn your Equipment and Software. Learn how to use your video editor. Learn how to use Audacity to do noise reduction and fix your sound. Get a workflow established.
- Put stuff on YouTube. Don't worry if it doesn't get views, it likely won't at first. Right now you need to learn how to upload, how to use the features in Creator Studio. Go through the lessons on the YouTube Creator Academy, they are really worth the effort.
- Make more videos. Make them short, make them long, try different things - it's a science experiment! Change one thing at a time (like any good science experiment) so you know what is having a positive effect.
- Find your USP. A USP is a Unique Selling Point, if that's a foreign term to you. And you're a pretty unique person Robo-Pi! You write poetry in a tech forum and work with artificial intelligence in a room full of musical instruments! Why not incorporate your poetry or music into your channel? To make it on YouTube you need to be a bit different. Look at what Jennelle Eliana did - probably the fastest-growing star in YouTube history. And she did it by being unique - over a MILLION subscriber in less than two weeks from her first video.
- Rinse and Repeat. Once you find a formula that works then do it again. And again. And again.
I made literally dozens of videos before I got one that worked. Took well over a year. None of them are on my channel anymore, they were my "science experiments". From these experiments, I established a Video Outline template which I made in Google Docs and still use to this day. You may have noticed that most DroneBot Workshop videos follow the same format, from start to finish. That's no accident, it's the result of those experiments.
And you have a major resource I didn't have when I started - you already have an audience! Right here on this forum. You're the "star" of this place, you have more posts than anyone here. make some test videos, post them here and lets us see them. You'll get a lot of constructive criticism, learn from it.
You can do it Robo-Pi! And I'll be your first subscriber. Just remember me when you're hanging your Gold play button up on the wall!
?
Bill
"Never trust a computer you can’t throw out a window." — Steve Wozniak
2019-12-27 3:13 pm
This year YouTubes' biggest earner was 8 years old. How long do you think he's been at it?
And Russian to boot, I heard. So he had quite a limited audience despite 145 million Russians.
That is not a very encouraging prospect for a seventy year old noob. ?
my silver hair ruins every take
Don't worry about it, mine has turned white at 64. And it is falling out too!
2019-12-27 4:05 pm
Thanks for the great advice Bill.
I'm trying to get started making videos just to experiment with. And I hope to be doing that very soon. I have the two main cameras out on tripods, but I see that I definitely need to work on proper lighting techniques.
You're right about the sound. I've been working with sound and I have a recording studio in my cottage. So I have really good condenser microphones and I know how to edit sound with Audacity and other programs. I won't be using the sound from the cameras. I know how important great sound truly is. When I click on a video that has terrible sound I click off immediately, even if I really wanted to see the subject matter. So sound quality is important to me. I think I have that much covered.
Why not incorporate your poetry or music into your channel?
I don't want to scare people off. ?
The first video I would like to make is simply an introduction to the channel. An explanation of what I hope to cover on the channel. I have specific content that I want to share. It will all be related to Robotics and A.I.
I was thinking of having the following main topics:
- Robotics Prototyping
- The Alysha Project
- Speech Engines and Semantic A.I.
- Perceptions and Neural Networks
I would like to organize each of these into a series of lessons similar to how Paul McWhorter does his lessons. Keeping each category in its own YouTube Playlist. And trying to produce videos on each topic potentially weekly. That's a lot I guess since this would require four videos a week. But I'm thinking again, about how Paul McWhorter does his. He might make several videos in one day, but only makes them available once a week. In this way he can get ahead of himself so-to-speak.
The other thing I'm hoping to do is to have a lot of videos already to go before opening the channel. This way I can have a months worth of videos already recorded and just need to upload them on a weekly basis.
For example, I could have Robotics Prototyping videos every Sunday. Speech Engine and Semantic A.I. videos every Wednesday. Perceptions and Neural Networks every Friday.
The Alysha Project videos would be sporadic as they are basically updates on a specific robot build. Kind of like what you are doing with DB1.
Anyway, that's the plan. As you say I need to START making videos! I guess I just need to start making them and not worry about how they will be received. Just treat them like as if I'm giving college lectures and let the cards fall where they may.
You're the "star" of this place, you have more posts than anyone here.
That probably makes me more of an annoyance than a 'star' ?
DroneBot Workshop Robotics Engineer
James
Page 2 / 2
Prev