German
Really good videos
Every minute hundreds of hours of new video material get uploaded to the web, and that’s just on YouTube! Making a video on your own today is super easy. You only need a smartphone!
But if you really want a really good video, you’ll need a bit more. We’ve got some tough tips about how to get great videos, what you should watch for when setting up a YouTube profile and how to deal with hater comments.
An important part of the work happens while you’re shooting. To produce a really good video, you should have a precise plan, like a movie script. Where do you shoot? How long and what time of day? Do you want to use props? Who should join? And what are you going to talk about?
Less is more: You don’t need to buy special, expensive equipment before you try to shoot a movie. Instead, you can experiment a lot with just your smartphone camera. For example, a super tripod can be an old music stand, and you could use a pair of sunglasses as a light filter. Try to speak into the camera, just like you would look your good buddy in the eyes while talking. The more at ease you are, the more lively your video will be.
Editing your videos is important for captivating your audience. There are many, often free programs, for cutting your video. A few funny effects are also worthwhile. There are lots of explanatory videos, called DIY tutorials, on YouTube already. Watch your videos carefully once you’re finished one more time. Only when you are absolutely sure that your video is ready for the world to see, only then should you actually really upload it.
To comment on videos or upload your own, you need a profile. It’s even more important to pay careful attention to how you publish it. Because not all of your private information should be seen by the public eye. It’s nobody’s business what your real name is or what your telephone number and email addresses are. Be careful with users who ask about your private contact data. Better yet: ignore them completely. You wouldn’t go around telling strangers in the street where you live, would you?
Did you know it’s illegal to use your favorite musician’s music for your video? Filming people you don’t know and uploading movies of them is too… Did you know that? It’s the same story with photos that you didn’t take. These laws are called intellectual property rights, or copyrights for short. Don’t upload any video that might break these laws. If you want to use music for your video, the YouTube video editor offers you copyright-free music.
Anyone uploading videos should be aware that they might receive comments. From time to time, stupid or really nasty mean comments pop up. You can protect yourself on YouTube by turning off the comment function for your video. But maybe you want your friends’ nice comments, so you just use the settings so that you choose which comments are made public. Of course, you can always just delete the really mean comments. If anyone really insults or offends you, you should report them. Or you should talk to your parents and friends about what to do.
On YouTube, there are lots of professionals. Because being a YouTuber today is a real career. Lots of money can be made with videos that present products. This is advertising, but it’s not always clearly marked as such. If you see a YouTuber show a certain product or talk a lot about his or her newest purchase, beware: It might not just be a funny story about their honest opinion. They might be paid to tell you how much they like it. That’s dishonest because advertising should aways be recognizable for what it is.
