Yugi-what? How do I even?
For a few of you who wish to start a YouTube channel, producing YuGiOh content, start by knowing that it is not easy and will take a lot of hard work and dedication before you even start to get to where you want to be.
A channel simply doesn't get noticed just like that and all of a sudden you have a few thousand subscribers, it doesn't work that way. What will most likely happen is that you'll be stuck on an agonizing climb towards 100 subs and then an even more agonizing climb towards 1000. If you feel as if you're not up for it, exit this thread.
Now, for those who have decided to remain, I'll share the resources I use to make my YouTube videos.
~
For those who want to record themselves talking like many of the "famous" Yugitubers, examples being Wuphlez, Azneyes, GalacticGod, Cyberknight, just a few among the many, what you'll need is a decent camera, a location and good lighting. Also confidence and a clear voice if you find yourself lacking in those areas.
Location and Lighting:
There are so many videos of people talking in front of a camera... and you can't even see their face because it's either too dark or too bright. Appearance is everything and if your viewers can't see you, you might as well show something else on the screen. I'd much rather look at some cats jumping around a house than a glob of darkness spouting card games at me.
Choosing a quiet location would also be preferable.
Confidence and Clear voice:
When I click on a video, I want information. And such information can easily be blocked due to the the receiver, me, not being able to understand your gibberish.
You also need to have self confidence. It doesn't matter if you've won the Nobel Prize for being the ugliest person alive and dead, I couldn't care less about your face as long as you give me the content that I want.
That being said, you shouldn't feel the need to do something you're uncomfortable with either.
Etiquette:
For those that don't understand this word, it means manners. Be aware that you are on screen and that your video will be uploaded online for many to see. Said video will also be replayed over and over.
That wouldn't be so bad, except for the fact that there are often too many YouTubers that lack a whole load of manners when making a video.
Coughing all over the place or making disgusting noises that sound as if someone is sticking their dangly bits into your bodily orifices is hardly something I would want to listen to when watching an informative or entertaining video.
~
Now, for those who wish to include content which involve use of programs like Dev, DN or YGOPro and the likes, you would need to be even more careful.
Occasionally, you would probably find Yugitubers like YourYugiohChannel or dpYGO showing YGOPro footage. All is fine in that, but when you have a channel like TaintedWisdom, YGO4RealMen or my own, a channel showing only game footage, it can be very difficult to keep up with all the other current Yugitubers.
Recording and Editing Software:
Find one that you can use and are comfortable with using. Your options in recording software range from Fraps, to Bandicam. While your editing software can range from Movie Maker to Sony Vegas. Some software such as Camtasia Studio even come with both.
The software used isn't necessarily a big deal, as long as you can produce good quality videos, you're good to go.
PC/Laptop specs:
Now, when I first began, my laptop was incredibly slow, and I recorded duels at less than half the original speed. To tackle this, I had to speed it up while editing.
PC specs are somewhat important because you want a smooth frame rate. It doesn't matter if it's high or low because if it's smooth, you can easily edit it to suit a speed you prefer.
However, if the frame rate is all over the place, something is going wrong and you either need to close all other running programs when recording, or just get a new machine.
Fast videos are good, but too fast and your viewers will find it hard to keep up. Too slow and your viewers will lose interest.
Music:
This is 2014, coming up to 2015. Don't make videos with no sound because this isn't a showing of silent movies.
You can find various bits of music from all over the internet. Try to keep the music suitable for what you're doing and make sure it's not copyrighted.
On the subject of sound, you must take into consideration the volume levels. You don't want one video being quiet and then your next video to be blasting music. It's even worse if you somehow mess up the volume levels in a single video.
~
Finally, the most important thing above all is, unsurprisingly, content.
When starting a channel, you are inevitably competing with the hundreds of other channels that are already way ahead of you. If you're not careful about your content, you won't get very far.
Who are you?:
This is an important question to ask yourself. What makes you special? What makes you stand out from all the other Yugitubers? Do you have any signature traits? When you watch other Yugitubers, what do you notice?
Wuphlez, with his ridiculous hat and glasses, dpYGO and his dry humour, YGO4RealMen and his crazy ideas, Cyberknight8610, Mkhol40, DuelistDragonGirl, SimplyUnlucky, all of them have something that sets them apart from each other.
But what sets you apart from them?
What do you do?:
Now, all is fun in showing yourself winning duels or broadcasting the latest Yugioh related news... but do you take into mind that countless of other Yugitubers will be doing the exact same thing?
You must be unique. You must do things that others have never done before. Because that is what gets your viewers interested.
Would you go to a channel to watch a video of Qliphorts wrecking everything or a channel that has a never before seen and incredibly inconsistent combo strategy?
I don't know about you, but I'd rather go see the latter. Because I see the former everyday and already know what to expect.
When to upload?:
Now, we all know that in order to grow a decent fanbase, we need to stay connected with said fanbase. And you do that by uploading videos regularly and replying to comments.
When starting out, wait until one video gets popular enough before uploading another. Then, as your sub count rises, start uploading regularly, preferably once a week as that's usually a solid number.
Don't stop the uploading. Keep the content flowing and make sure that it's high quality. But that's only when you are starting out.
Once you think you've gotten popular enough, you can take a bit of a break. The mass of uploads is only to get your name out and about. Once you're popular enough and have a decent amount of content on your channel, it will naturally get more popular.
It is at this point that you can start uploading videos irregularly. Believe it or not, irregular uploads are sometimes more appealing than the channels that upload regularly. Due to an irregular upload schedule being seen as less monotonous.
~
Lastly, don't be afraid to get connected. Find yourself a group or try and get in contact with some of the already popular Yugitubers. Connections can only help your channel grow if you know what you do is good.
-Alikaey
