For many video content creators, YouTube has become an essential part of their business model; for some, it’s even become their primary source of income. But creating a successful YouTube channel in any saturated niche is a lot of hard work, and there’s much to learn. So I reached out to the owners of some… Continue reading 26 Successful YouTubers Speak Out: “What I Wish I’d Known Before Starting My YouTube Channel”
Distribution
Festivals, Online Platforms, Marketing
How To Use A Mirrorless Camera As A Webcam For Streaming
You can use your DSLR or mirrorless camera as a webcam for streaming. All you need is a free piece of software like OBS, SparkoCam, or CamTwist and (for the best experience) an HDMI to USB capture device to pair your DSLR to your PC. Hardware for connecting your camera to your PC There are… Continue reading How To Use A Mirrorless Camera As A Webcam For Streaming
The Ideal Short Film Length For Festivals: Optimize Your Chances
Even though a short film can technically be as long as fifty minutes and still qualify as short, most film festival programmers agree that the ideal length for a narrative short film is under 10 minutes. That said, narrative shorts between 8 and 12 minutes are still viable, while documentary shorts can be up to… Continue reading The Ideal Short Film Length For Festivals: Optimize Your Chances
Tips on How to Take Photos With Your Video Camera For Best Results
Many digital video cameras, such as camcorders, DSLRs, and mirrorless cameras, allow you to take stills while recording motion pictures (simultaneous recording). Most cameras will interrupt recording to take a photo, but you can always grab a frame from your recording using software on your computer. That’s the short answer. How this is done and… Continue reading Tips on How to Take Photos With Your Video Camera For Best Results
How Do Short Films Make Money? (Tips & Tricks)
When you ask how short films make money, most people will say they don’t! And while that’s true to some extent, you need to think about short films more broadly than ticket revenue and consider options like monetization and branding yourself as a filmmaker. Do Short Films Ever Make Money? The short answer: yes… well…… Continue reading How Do Short Films Make Money? (Tips & Tricks)
What Ring Light Do YouTubers Use? Buyer’s Guide.
Good lighting separates a good, professional-looking YouTube video from a bad one. And it’s what separates a good photo from a bad-looking one. And a ring light can get you good results fast. They’re easy to set up and fairly inexpensive, especially when you compare them to more elaborate lighting setups requiring more than one… Continue reading What Ring Light Do YouTubers Use? Buyer’s Guide.
11 Tips on Achieving a More Cinematic Look
Creating that coveted cinematic look isn’t just about expensive cameras. It’s about all the small choices that go into a sum that’s bigger than its parts. But those choices matter! Here’s a comprehensive guide with tips on how to create a cinematic look. 1. Use 24 Frames Per Second The film industry’s standard frame rate… Continue reading 11 Tips on Achieving a More Cinematic Look
How To Get Better Image Quality On Your YouTube Videos
Update: After I initially wrote this article, YouTube included a new codec called AV1 (aka AV01) AV1 is not to be confused with the old AVC1 I wrote about in the article. AV1 offers better quality than VP09 – even at lower bit rates. It doesn’t look like you can force YouTube to play your videos… Continue reading How To Get Better Image Quality On Your YouTube Videos
My Eight Steps to Making a Short Film
If you’re ready to tackle your first short film but unsure how to approach the process, here is my eight-step plan, which I followed when I made my first short film. Maybe you can find inspiration for how to approach your project. Step One: The Script and Budget – Keep ‘em Simple Rule number one… Continue reading My Eight Steps to Making a Short Film
From Zero to Hero: A Beginner’s Guide to Video Production
The video production process consists of three steps: pre-production (planning), production (filming), and post-production (editing). But before pre-production, there’s pre-planning, where you must ask yourself the most important questions (why, what, and how). The three main steps of video production: I’ve included a video production process flow chart at the end of the article; you… Continue reading From Zero to Hero: A Beginner’s Guide to Video Production