THE YOUTUBE ENVIRONMENT- LIBERTIES VS LICENSING

THE ARTIST'S HAVEN

On a commercial level, much of the web is fair game to get public attention. YouTube created the audiovisual library online to allow the entire planet equal footing to promote, share, learn and grow as a community with an open-door policy to unlimited audiences. It's also a great place to showcase and audition your talents under little or no budget.  


RULES and the LACK THEREOF...
On a creative level, YouTube has bred an endless number of future Hollywood producers working straight out of their parents' garages or college dorms.  Under a credit-card budget, an understanding of production software, tons of downloadable resources and friends and relatives for casting-- you too can be the next blockbuster sensation straight out of YouTube.

Editor magazine stated once "YouTube is the home for the clever, the quick and the insane".  It is also the platform by which writers, filmmakers and actors of all levels of profession are marketed to a modern audience seeking new faces and new content and a better source for entertainment than what cable television has spoon-fed us all our lives.  This community has a short attention span tolerant only of quick bursts of information at their convenience.  Where mama's TV trained us to hour and half-hour programming, YouTube puts the audience in the drivers seat with the complete power to choose UNLIMITED in every way.



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NO KICKBACKS FOR GEORGE LUCAS
It's a new day in film making and intellectual property history when lawyers of George Lucas are completely baffled about the massive trend of unofficial license 'borrowing' under the form of TRIBUTES, PARODIES and HACKS.  Where YouTube once locked down your videos and your entire channel for using copywritten songs as a background to your baby videos, almost-Hollywood producers are taking liberties with movie materials to promote their agenda.



Brilliantly crafted, YouTube celebrity producers have earned their creds online through the use of familiar characters, music and film elements.  One 20-million+ example are THE PIANO GUYS.  True world-class musicians performing a Star Wars Parody while completely re-producing the entire Lucas look, feel and characters down to the finest detail.  You may ask "did they ask Lucasfilm for permission... or did the rules change?"  Have the legal sharks finally given up on YouTubers because of the unstoppable flood of pirates and content "libertarians" or are we to expect some judiciary hearing to end this artistic licensing?


MORE ABOUT FAN MADE LUCAS LOOK-ALIKES
There are different (and few) rules of engagement, near-zero restrictions and even questionable copyright monitoring.  A great example are the many FAN-MADE MOVIES that impressively counterfeit popular movie plots and elements. Among them are the endless YouTube Star Wars movies that George Lucas probably never approved:
- Star Wars - Versus: The Way to Shadow 
- Dark Resurrection vol.1
- Star Wars - The Old Republic 
- Star Wars: Threads of Destiny

Because YouTube is FREE to post (or publish, podcast etc), it allows just about anyone to become a producer.  From the rank amateur to the high end pro.  The FREE-dom also allows for unbridled creativity whereas the real investment goes into coming up with strong, original concepts and quality work.  

EDUCATIONAL MARKETING - "WHERE THE GLOVES COME OFF"

EDUCATION IS A BILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS
Since the launch of PBS some 40+ years ago to cable's more recent educational powerhouses like NOVA, TLC, The History Channel (among many others), media and its community of advertisers are more than aware of the gold mine in multimedia teaching.

If modern video has evolved with its audience, so has its content and its presenters. Today's star producers of modern education have replaced the puritanical and pedantic snore-worthy teaching approach with brilliant, topical and quick-witted characters who are (themselves) ambassadors of the web community of quick learners and short attention spans.  They know their audience and they're aware of what it takes to earn every one of them.

NEW APPROACH TO EDUCATIONAL MARKETING

For all the reasons why YouTube is the internet's educational library, many have chosen to re-invent their public image creatively by hybridizing genres- like Entertaining Educational videos (see samples below) to bring new light and style to public awareness.   Combining styles is fairly common and is much a trend in "YouTubing"; by fusing only the best facets of multiple genres and styles makes for brand new innovation to break out of the stale formats of broadcast- capturing the podcast community by their new storms.  Out of this concept, celebrities are born and audiences are generated in droves under what we call "the people's channel".

INNOVATION online is about being remembered and being shared.  Be weird. Be different. Be shameless (if you feel that works).  But whatever you do- don't be boring!   Samples of high-ranking educational video channels and candidates of our OSSUMVID AWARDS 2014

1) FroKnowsFoto: "BEST MEMORABLE PERSONALITY AWARD" - Learning can be light and fun, depending on who's teaching.  Veteran shooter Jared Polin is one of the web's most trusted resources for what to buy and how to use them in terms of DSLR equipment.  Jared keeps things interesting with simple low-tech presentation techniques under a weekly or bi-weekly subscriber-driven show. With a brand like FRO KNOWS FOTO (touting that apparent ever-expanding "doo") and his all-around sparkling personality, Jared is one of my favorite influences and how2 teachers online.

2) The SnapChick:  "SEXY TEACHER AWARD" - Pro photographer Brittany Leigh is as beautiful as she is knowledgeable and successful in the world of commercial photography.  Above all, her somewhat twisted sense of humor and her understanding of the YouTube audience brings her over 400,000 hits on most of her videos for a spin on editorial-style commentaries about products and process.  Knowing that her audience regards visuals above all else, the SnapChick challenges the no-censorship policy of YouTube by turning up the heat on such a cold and dry topic as photography with her sexy-humor style of teaching- including high-ranking bloopers (staged) that you know are silly but you can't help but "like" anyway.  

(FOR MORE WINNERS OF THE OSSUMVIDS AWARDS, STAY TUNED TO OUR NEXT HOW2 REALLY USE YOUTUBE BLOG ISSUE!)

 

Many of these producers are well underway celebrity status in mainstream media. They are regarded for their enjoyable content, their amusing performance and pro-quality output.  YouTube allows them the stage to build a name and a market for peripheral business (ie. selling books, instructional videos, promotional speaking engagements, tv appearances, newspaper/magazine feature interviews and more.)   Some heavy hitters have moved into the broadcast world and beyond, while others prefer to stay on the web continuing to monetize their videos and driving viewers to their respective websites. Either way, YouTube is a self-promoting dream for many of us who have taken the reigns through self-producers, self-publicists or product launchers.

VIRAL MARKETING PART 2- RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

WHAT GOES INTO WEB POPULARITY

On a commercial level, the web is fair game to getting public attention. It's a great place to showcase and audition your talents under little or no budget.  There is little policing, zero budget restrictions and even questionable copyright monitoring.  A great example are the many FAN-MADE MOVIES that impressively counterfeit popular movie plots and elements. 
Among them are the endless YouTube Star Wars movies that George Lucas probably never approved:
- Star Wars - Versus: The Way to Shadow 
- Dark Resurrection vol.1
- Star Wars - The Old Republic 
- Star Wars: Threads of Destiny

Because YouTube is FREE to post (or publish, podcast etc), the real investment goes into coming up with original concepts and execution and producing convincing quality work to earn HITS (and steady subscribers).  The good news is that you are in the exact point in time where you have many references to model after- and even more how-to's (like this one) teaching you exactly how to make it... many of these instructionals are found directly in YouTube.

A successful YouTube Channel must cover these fundamental bases:

1. BE INTERESTING: Raise eyebrows!  At the very least, your videos must have good topics and enjoyable content. Audience enjoyment ranges from humor, stunning visuals, exciting action, educational or just downright FUN!

2. HAVE A SHOW WITH A REAL AUDIENCE BASE (also known as a SUBSCRIBERS): To market anything means to know your target audience- and to get some idea of the demographics (who they are and what they want)

3. PRESENT WELL : Videos are all about presentation. Have a good spokesperson or voice-over is a good thing to have.  Graphics also help a lot.  But overall, you need to keep the audience engaged.

4. BE ENTERTAINING: By now, the YouTube community has just about anything and everything as far as information, where your shot at being noticed means competing for their attention.  Even the driest topics can be presented in an engaging manner to keep them wanting more.  To be entertaining could mean humor, style, graphics/visuals, great cuts or just simply- FUN.

5. NEVER BE SALESY: The last thing you want to do in your channel is to look like a commercial. People tune out of this.  To promote your business, you must must must come up with innovative ways NOT to look like a TV commercial.  The YouTube community has even less tolerance for solicitation.  If you are publishing a commercial, try to keep it fun!

6. COVER THE PROPER TECHNOLOGY BASES (Sound, Picture quality and good edits): By now, the DSLR community has exploded where high school and college students are producing A+ quality productions and are gathering millions of hits for their creative work.  Channels that get real subscribers contain videos that truly cover the essentials for quality video. (TBD)

Building a channel can truly work if you have time (or $$)- but if you believe in a plan, go for it.  If not, you can use the limited videos you have to post in your blogs, newsletters etc.

http://imworx.com/

NEXT:
PART 2: What Goes into a DIY (Do It Yourself) Home Studio
PART 3: Anatomy of a YouTube Video
PART 4: How2 Customize your YouTube Channel
PART 5: How to Market your YouTube Channel

AFFORDABLE STARTER HOME VIDEO STUDIO

To create your own home studio for YouTube purposes is both fun and economical- if you know what to shop for.  The following is a simplified breakdown of a PRO-SUMER menu to get you started on the world of home-studio productions.  PLEASE note that this list is not top professional or commercial grade and will never replace broadcast quality production equipment - but for the purposes of YouTube publishing, the recommended solutions can bring amazing results and will more than suit your needs.

Shopping plan: CHEAP'N GOOD.  Don't go Broke building your studio.  There are so many options online to save $$ on consumer and pro-sumer level hardware that does just fine for YouTube's non-broadcast resolution publishing. Have a budget in mind and try not to go beyond it.  Shopping for gear is an endless black hole for your wallet so be warned!

PRODUCTION STANDARD SUMMARY:
1. Camera
2. Tripod
3. Lights
4. Audio
5. Editing Equipment

1) CAMERA: With today's tech revolution, digital cameras have become so affordable while consumer quality has risen to impressive levels of High-Definition and digital advancement! YouTubers use anything from Mini-Cams, Handi-Cams, DSLR's to full-size broadcast (not economical).  Again, you don't need to spend much $$ to get 1080dpi HD.   In the case of this video (right), this was shot with a Canon t4i- a crop-sensor semi-pro dslr with video function. (This video exercise shows How2 get a filmic look)



TYPES OF VIDEO CAMS YOU CAN BUY (affordable).  Know that there's video cameras and there's DSLR's.  2 different animals. Though both seem to carry much of each others' capabilities these days, 

1) Comsumer Level Camcorder - fixed lens (2-300 range) HD- rec one that shoots 1080p w/ audio input so you can connect microphone.  Lens is OK at best (notice the size of the lens will determine resolution, sharpness and image quality).  IF you should want to buy new, BEST BUY or B&H has demos- you want a person to show you. But when you go to a store - come with pre-established research from the many online shopping carts out there and have a definite price in mind. They WILL try to upsell you!  These range from crap quality to great.


1a) The GOPRO- I know little about this cam but many people love it for its picture quality and portability for action work and capturing hard-to film places.

2) DSLR- an SLR (single lens reflex) photo camera with DIGITAL video feature. Many are fascinated by the output of this video solution but it is NOT to be confused with A VIDEO CAMERA. The audio capability is just not there and it does not hold standard video functions like zoom, xlr inputs and audio mixing.  It does however allow for replaceable lenses and (in many cases) stronger image control as a photo camera (aperture/f-stop, shutter speed, exposure, iso and white balance)- which are film-camera related terms.  You can get a Canon t2i, a t3i or a t4i used (or cheap new) at Ebay for a few hundreds.  The detatchable lens is a selling point and so is the highly controllable  setup but it does require time and patience to understand.  This is getting into photography 101 but youtube has all the lessons you want.

3) Pro-sumer Video Camera (3000 range) If you really want features, buttons and higher fexibility, a true VIDEO CAMERA is for you.  For purposes of a starter, you won't need this but it's good to see what's next as far as upgrades!
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2) LIGHTING KIT: you have many choices online between tungsten and LED solutions- from soft-boxes to photo umbrella stands.  Unlike film, digital photography is much more forgiving and flexible when it comes to light sources. Here's some "cheap and good" studio kits-  lights and backdrops retailing around $350.   Softboxes are standard studio lights for digital filming.  They usually house fluorescent bulbs and are covered by a white diffuser to reduce and eliminate any hot spots on a person or subject.  These soft boxes direct light (anywhere from 1000 watts and up) toward a limited direction to illuminate a controlled area.

Another alternative to softboxes are portable flatware LED panels.  Their brightness can be controlled and they often come with barn doors to shape the illumination.

Remember, without light, you have no image.  Good lighting is crucial- but NOT EXPENSIVE.

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AUDIO MICS:  For dialogue and speech, get a good mic. (do homework on what's good). I use a mic with a battery-powered LAVALIER pre-amp to get best powered sound. Never rely on the on-camera mic; plug a separate quality mic into a camera because the mic that's on the camera will often suck.  There are other solutions like SHOTGUN MICS, H4N recorders but there's where you can truly run into some $.  For the most part, a successful video is about image, lights and sound.

 
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 TRIPODS: For stationary shoots, any photo tripod around $30-45 will do. "Cheap and good" means basic here.  Tripods go up to the thousands, but for the purposes of having a steady camera, you need something light and firm.

FLUID-HEAD PRO TRIPOD: If you wish to explore higher end tripods for panning, tilting or camera motion, look for fluid-heads and semi-pro's (est $100-140).

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SPATIAL CONSIDERATIONS
YOUR SPACE can be anything as small as a 5x5 square area sectioned from a room or a corner of your home to this.  Depending on the amount of space you plan on moving around in, most likely the average home studio will require at least a 10x10 room or a portion of one.  Note that all materials (light stands, tripods, backdrops) are foldable- so once you're done with your shoot, your portable studio can be put away to preserve the harmony in your home.

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EDITING or POST PRODUCTION
This is where the real engineering craft comes in.  Once you've shot your footage, you'll need software to cut and mix the images in order to produce a sequential story.  There are many editing softwares available that are quite user-friendly to the consumer market- most of them are under $100. The best part about software is that all editing how-to's are available in YouTube.  

See our list for the top editing softwares and their reviews.

 

VIRAL MARKETING PART 1- BUILDING YOUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

By now, everyone is aware of the power of YouTube as a marketing platform- as the #2 search product in the world next to Google.  This makes being a creative self-promoter a dream to build your name, your business or your idea.  

So many video channels are out there getting hundreds of thousands of hits- even millions!  They range from ENTERTAINING to EDUCATIONAL - or both.  But what makes them tick is their ability to stay above the INNOVATION curve.  

Boring will not survive YouTube, nor will straight commercials, sales-y or dry informational.    These videos are often created to be posted in YouTube for the sake of hosting for their websites or blogs- but to promote a successful channel will require true originality and that special star-power quality.

The competition for earning credibility and respect is fierce.  To win an audience and to retain them can be a harsh, uphill climb for the battle to earn HITS (and steady subscribers).  The good news is that you are in the exact point in time where you have many references (on the right side of the YouTube display) to model after- and even more how-to's (like this one) teaching you exactly how to make it.

FUNDAMENTAL BASES TO A SUCCESSFUL CHANNEL

1. BE INTERESTING: have good topics and enjoyable content.

2. HAVE A SHOW WITH A REAL AUDIENCE BASE (also known as a SUBSCRIBERS): To market anything means to know your target audience- and to get some idea of the demographics (who they are and what they want)

3. PRESENT WELL : Videos are all about presentation. Have a good spokesperson or voice-over is a good thing to have.  Graphics help a lot also.  But overall, you need to keep the audience engaged.

4. BE ENTERTAINING: By now, the YouTube community has just about anything and everything as far as information, where your shot at being noticed means competing for their attention.  Even the driest topics can be presented in an engaging manner to keep them wanting more.  To be entertaining could mean humor, style, graphics/visuals, great cuts or just simply- FUN.

3. PRESENT WELL : Videos are all about presentation. Have a good spokesperson or voice-over is a good thing to have.  Graphics help a lot also.  But overall, you need to keep the audience engaged.

5. KEEP IT ENJOYABLE: The last thing you want to do in your channel is to look like a commercial. People tune out of this.  But if you are going to do a commercial, try to keep it fun!

6. COVER THE PROPER TECHNOLOGY BASES (Sound, Picture quality and good edits): By now, the DSLR community has exploded where high school and college students are producing A+ quality productions and are gathering millions of hits for their creative work.  Channels that get real subscribers contain videos that truly cover the essentials for quality video. (see: blog on DIY HD-STUDIO)

Building a channel can truly work if you have time (or $$)- but if you believe in a plan, go for it.  If not, you can use the limited videos you have to post in your blogs, newsletters etc.

Copyright © 2014- imworx.com.  This blog is written by a collaborative effort by: Lennard M. Gettz, Carmen Regallo-Dewitt, Gerard Chen and George Gavillan Jr.  Additional content is provided by: Robert Pastorelli & Dina Pastorelli of northshorepromoter.com.

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NEXT:
PART 2: What Goes into a DIY (Do It Yourself) Home Studio
PART 3: Anatomy of a YouTube Video
PART 4: How2 Customize your YouTube Channel
PART 5: How to Market your YouTube Channel