How am I doing?

I've been making YT videos for about 17 years now and have turned an interest into a full-time job.

Like many amateurs, I started my editing with Microsoft Windows MovieMaker -- because it was free and bundled with Windows. Back then I was using a Panasonic MX400 3CCD MiniDV camcorder but now I'm using a Panasonic HC-X1500 and I've been a Resolve Studio user since version 14.

Most of my videos are actually about relatively boring (to most people) subjects such as old men flying RC planes and drones. I try to make this stuff "interesting" by creating a story, giving the people a "presence" and using techniques which, I hope, make the videos more entertaining and enjoyable than the subject material might otherwise allow them to be.

However, I do realise that I've had zero training in videography, directing or editing so I'm still way off the mark in terms of what perhaps *could* be done with this material and these situations. Howver, having said that, my YT channels are amongst the most popular in this particular field and between my two channels I have nearly half a million subscribers and over 140 million views -- so I guess I'm doing something right.

I figured that right here might be a good place to get some feedback, positive and negative. Don't be afraid to be harsh, there's a lot more to be learned from mistakes than from successes IMHO so I'd welcome constructive criticism.

Here's the latest video (sorry it's a bit long) which simply shows a bunch of old men flying toy planes at an airport in winter. I've tried to use music, camera angles and some of the power of Resolve to make it better than the usual "guy videos toy plane with his iPhone and uploads to YouTube" offerings. If you find it boring, skip to near the end where I use the 600mm equivalent zoom on the HC-X1500 and Resolves stabilization capabilities to present an aerial ballet you won't see anywhere else.

Fire away... rip me a new one and provide any perspectives you feel that might help me make better videos of this subject material using the camera and other tools I have at my disposal.

Couple things I noticed as a viewer.

1. Don't just BAM! start the video. Add 1 second of black and a fade in. MUCH more professional.

2. There is a term in this industry called 'firehosing'. It's...a bad thing.

https://provideocontent.com/amateur-video-firehosing/

Hello.

I will give a few recommendations that, in my opinion, will help improve your videos.

First:
You need a quality intro for your channel. Opener for your videos so to speak. Just a few seconds which you will put at the beginning and end of your videos.

Second:
You can add titles for the characters in your videos. Job title, etc. You can also shoot some interviews with a static camera and interruptions. And paste them into the video in different places.

Third:
Very strong shaking in the frame. Your viewers may get tired eyes from watching. Try to shoot more static scenes. Shoot different interruptions with which you will cover overlap the shaking of the camera. Read about different sizes of plans. Use these rules when filming and editing. Read about the rules of the golden ratio in the frame. You can also use optional equipment to stabilize the camera while shooting. Shooting with two cameras will also help. One, for example, is static from a tripod and the second is in your hands. Next, when editing, remove all the shaking from the frame. Overlap with good breaks.

Fourth:
The music was well chosen. I liked it very much.

Fifth:
The 3D effect at first, in my opinion, does not fit here. Something else is needed. For example fade as advised above. Or something different.


Sixth:
You can also add titles or callouts to airplanes and drones. With various information about the name and characteristics of the model.

Seventh:
You can use different vignettes to darken the sky and give more contrast. Etc.



I hope these tips are helpful to you.

All the best,
Boris

Thanks for the feedback Boris, much appreciated!!

Couple things I noticed as a viewer.

1. Don't just BAM! start the video. Add 1 second of black and a fade in. MUCH more professional.

2. There is a term in this industry called 'firehosing'. It's...a bad thing.

https://provideocontent.com/amateur-video-firehosing/

Thanks for the feedback Jim. The firehosing thing is something that's hard to avoid when you're working in an evironment where things tend to happen very spontaneously, very quickly and not to a script or schedule. Sometimes you just have to go from something like an aircraft flying in the sky to a crash to the pilot's face in double-quick time.

I guess you're saying that should be a cut and not a pan/zoom?

The firehosing thing is something that's hard to avoid when you're working in an evironment where things tend to happen very spontaneously, very quickly and not to a script or schedule.

That is almost exclusively the kind of thing I shoot. It's very much possible NOT to firehose.

You just need camera training.

And then there is the editing. If you HAVE to move the camera while filming to capture something elsewhere, just don't show the move. Edit it out.

And then there is the editing. If you HAVE to move the camera while filming to capture something elsewhere, just don't show the move. Edit it out.

Unfortunately that would more often than not also involve cutting out some of the crucial dialog and leave gaps in the sound-track that would make things much harder to understand.

There are ways around that as well even if you don’t have B roll. Actually you effectively do have A and B roll. A is when people are on camera talking and B is when they’re not - like when you’re filming a plane.

You can keep the dialog while editing out extraneous bits by saving the dialog that gets cut out and then putting it under B roll.

If you want I can take one of your videos and edit it down as an example.

that would more often than not also involve cutting out some of the crucial dialog

If the speaker isn't on camera, and it's likely he isn't if you swinging it around, then you can still include the audio without showing the move.

All of this is what you learn in Film School. If you can't afford a BFA, there are plenty of helpful videos for free on how how to improve your filming and editing techniques.

What about an Intro? Like proper one. And Few aerial shots are kinda shaky, Kindly try to stablish them.