I do not like to do “dated” videos. What I mean by this is I don’t want to do a video that is really only asking for views around a particular time. This could be a gossip topic that everyone will forget about in a year, or a holiday video that is only relevant a few weeks a year.
Keeping this in mind, I also want to do as many “collab” videos as possible. A collab video is a video that you work with other people on. In this case I was asked to be part of a playlist that shows about 20 YouTube channels all doing similar videos. Doing a Halloween DIY/tutorial video does sound “dated” but it is up to the creator to find their own angle.
To find my own angle (and in a limited time) I look at my own material. I do a lot of zombie events but it was not practical for me to time out during an event to a tutorial. This would also make me have to figure out a topic that people are actively searching for. The other large topic that my channel has is AUDIO. I like making audio equipment tests. This now gives me an excuse to play with low budget equipment for a larger audience (since the video will be promoted by others in the collab/playlist).
I decided to buy some cheap ($20) JETech bluetooth receivers/transmitters. This is something I have been wanting to do anyways . . . I was waiting to get a deal on them (maybe a brand deal) but $40 for equipment, I can consider this “toy” money.
Now all I had to do was figure out a way to use these “toys” in a Halloween theme, but also not “dated”. “ever-green” videos are videos that are not considered “dated”. If you watch the video below I believe i figured out how this video could be considered fine for Halloween viewing but also “every-green” in nature.
I really wish I could have done more zombie events this October. One event I am glad I didn’t miss was the Wyandotte Zombie Pub Crawl. In it’s second year this event more than doubled in size. This Pub Crawl benefits Yes Ma’am. The Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital “Yes, Ma’am” program provides free mammograms to uninsured women in the Downriver (downriver from Detroit, Michigan) region on an annual basis (taken from the Yes Ma’am’s website).
Whenever there are zombies walking around a downtown area and not getting hit by cars, I call that a win.
As a YouTuber we are always fighting with our numbers. We want new views and subscribers yet still be true to ourselves (after-all I consider myself my most important client).
Like many other industries there are conventions/conferences to both inform and celebrate our culture (culture and industry meaning YouTube and on-line video and social media in general). I go to events like VidCon and Playlist and get advice from real influencers on YouTube. I do wonder “how much of this is true?” “does everyone think like that? I don’t think like that.” The majority of attendance of these events are not content creators at all, they are 11–18 year-old girls there to meet their favorite YouTubers. These individuals have similar taste in content creators. Say what you will of these fans, they are the reason events like VidCon and PlayList Live are successful and can be so big. I wanted to know what their methods and how they think really are.
My demographic are mostly fellow videographers, those that would like to be, and event/cosplay enthusiasts. I decided to speak to “fangirls” to figure out what (besides content) can I do to expand my audience and gain more followers.
At PlayList Live 2015 (in Orlando) I asked these questions:
What do you look for in a YouTuber?
Who are your favorite YouTubers/who you are here to see?
Why are you a fan of these people?
Do looks, age, gender matter? (in context of who you follow)
Advice to people trying to gain a larger audience?
The most important theme was being relatable. I love the answer “I like vlogs because they make me feel like I am out doing stuff”. Although these girls may not be my demographic, I feel like I can apply this to my videos. Since this even I have started to vlog for a number of reasons, but the number 1 reason is to connect to my audience and seem relatable.
PlayList Live had 2 events this year. At the second event in Washington D.C. I once again decided to ask fangirls questions. This time I focused on how they find new content. As you can tell, I took this video alot more serous.
The questions I asked at PlayList Live D.C. 2015
Who do you watch? (I didn’t include this)
How do you find new content/YouTubers/videos in general?
What do you search for on YouTube?
What do you search for on Google?
What would get you to watch content similar to my content?(event/cosplay videos and/or tech videos reviews)
The results of this surprised me. It also confirmed what YouTube has been saying in their education videos and forums. It surprised me at how little people search for new content. I for one get board and search for random things on a whim. There is usually a pattern to this. However the people I spoke to tend to relay on their current favorite content and YouTube Recommendations to guide them to new content. It is important to note pattern of being relatable is still there.
These polling videos also confirm 2 more things for me. The first being it is better for me to promote myself at events suited to my focus than YouTube events. I may make friends (awesome friends) and learn a lot at these events, but in the end most fans at these events are not my demographic. The second is something I am already in the habit of doing, making people around me part of the event/video. Most of these girls have retweeted these videos. Don’t get me wrong, I think only 2 of them subscribed to me and I am not expecting them to be fans (although if they do that is awesome). Tagging people on Twitter and promoting them is also promoting yourself. I never know who is going to be at an event. I have by accident before included people that had a following of their own, and sometimes they promoted me, and sometimes they didn’t. Getting popular in social media (including YouTube) has a lot to do with luck: being shared by the right person, at the right time, in the right place. By making people feel part of the video (this can be physically and mentally) it expands this possibility.
My YouTube is www.youtube.com/ToadenK please feel free to check out these videos and more. Also comment and tell me what else should I write about.
I have never made a demo with the intent to find work before. Networking has always been the key to finding work for me.
I am told however that I should have a demo. While looking for footage to use I found a demo that I completely forgot about. It was made as a part of a show I was doing for college credit. This demo was never shared before today and was only used as apart of a box set that was apart of my senior credit when I was apart of The Quad Spot.
The Quad Spot was a podcast that was about “The Next Generation of Youtubers”.
I am currently working on a similar show that focuses more on the topics mentioned in the demo, as well as merging traditional media with online and social media. (more information visit StreamLine Buzzer.
I included a Quad Spot clip (I liked the intro I edited) and some various events and footage. I didn’t not include lecture, multi-camera events, or any of the man on the street footage. I just not sure what all to have in a demo reel and how to present it.
Media Litter Sandwich podcast, Reviews, Zombies, Cosplay, and more
