If there's one thing I've learned on the content creation side of the RUclips screen, it's that the only way to make videos worth watching is to make ones for you. Nobody else. If other people like what you make and hop onboard, that's great, but if you publish a video and it gets 200 views and fizzles out, then that still has to be a win too, or else you're going to have a miserable time making videos, and if making videos makes you miserable, what's the point? Keep it up, man, and make videos *you* like. The channel doesn't belong to anyone else.
Real. I'm starting to think building a RUclips career is just about getting lucky enough to have a single video get picked up by the algorithm, then continuing to do the single thing people expect of you forever. Which sounds, yknow. Creatively exhausting. Rushing to put out as much stuff as possible does give you more tickets to the lottery... but if you actually want to make things you're proud of and not demolish your own mental health, that's not really the best option. Also, thank you soooo much for captions. B-)
I just recently discovered your channel, and are slowly working trough your backlog, good stuff. RUclips is a difficult environment right now, small creators usually get the short end handed by the all mighty algorithm. And despite Google starting out as THE search-platform of the internet, their search options are horrendous for RUclips... even if you try to search for something specific, RUclips shows way to much unrelated stuff, fking click-bait videos at the top, and old videos I already watched not related to the search term. And with how much Google wants to get into AI, it will only get worse.
I was thinking of you rushing the ending of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 when you brought it up and the only thing I could think was "what a shame". I'm glad you're focusing on your enjoyment, both for games and videomaking! Also, great script, and this video format was pretty engaging. Thank you!
So it's kinda funny, but I feel like the last three videos I've made have all covered exactly what you're talking about, but in different ways. The ASMR and Remina vids cover the parasocial stuff, and my Look Back essay covers what you're describing, which is really the cost of making art. All that to say, I'd had a lot of the same things floating around in my head, like you I think there will always be a tug between making art for art's sake and making art to advance your career. There's a saying, "the problem with film as a business is that it's an art; and the problem with film as an art is that it's a business." I think the best compromise I've found is to let the "business" aspect inform certain aspects such as when to release something, but never let it touch the content. You say that you don't know why your Termina video blew up, but I think you nailed it: right time, right place. I've had the same thing happen, albeit on a smaller scale, with my Scott Pilgrim video. I put that one out a few weeks before the show dropped, and that was planned. Of course, I couldn't plan that it'd get a couple hundred thousands hit, especially since I was at the 750 sub mark. But right time, right place. With that said, the content of the video is sincere, absolutely and undoubtedly. Everything I shared was heartfelt, and they were things I'd thought a lot about back when I first read the series, years ago. But yeah, if there hadn't been a show coming out, I don't know if I'd have made the video when I did. And I think it's natural. I think it's normal that if something is hot and exciting, then you'll be drawn into it too. I don't think that's cynicism; quite the opposite. It's fun For me, I have to make videos because if I don't, I'll feel worse. The pain of creation is less than the pain of inaction. With that being said, take breaks. I'm taking breaks more often and feeling better. In fact, I'll be on break from YT till probably the first or second week of July. Don't burn yourself out I think the parasocial aspect is complex, bc people form connections to others they don't know; before RUclips, people did this with bands or actors, and you even do this with certain characters, where you develop an affinity for them. Of course, this isn't quite the same as a full on obsessed stalker or something. For me, I've learned to trust that viewers will do what's best for them. I don't want to waste anyone's time, so I try to make quality stuff (hopefully I succeed lol), and if someone doesn't like it/doesn't think it's a good use of time, they know what's best for them I'm rambling; sorry. I feel like there's a lot here to dissect and I think there are some things I see a little differently, others I agree with/struggle with myself. It's complex One last thing: there was a three month break last year where I didn't make videos, from Feb 2023-May 2023. It was for personal reasons, but it gave me a lot of space to think about making videos and think about what I wanted my channel to be. It was a great experience, at least in hindsight. I'm grateful for that time. But I've had similar moments since then, where I sit down and ask, what am I really doing? And then I reframe and recommit, and we keep going. It's tough, but I say take time if you need it. Definitely take time. Message me if you'd like, lmk if there's anything I can do to help Wishing you the best, Alex
If there's one thing I've learned on the content creation side of the RUclips screen, it's that the only way to make videos worth watching is to make ones for you. Nobody else. If other people like what you make and hop onboard, that's great, but if you publish a video and it gets 200 views and fizzles out, then that still has to be a win too, or else you're going to have a miserable time making videos, and if making videos makes you miserable, what's the point?
Keep it up, man, and make videos *you* like. The channel doesn't belong to anyone else.
Thank you so much for your comment man, it means a lot!
Real. I'm starting to think building a RUclips career is just about getting lucky enough to have a single video get picked up by the algorithm, then continuing to do the single thing people expect of you forever. Which sounds, yknow. Creatively exhausting.
Rushing to put out as much stuff as possible does give you more tickets to the lottery... but if you actually want to make things you're proud of and not demolish your own mental health, that's not really the best option.
Also, thank you soooo much for captions. B-)
Glad to hear you enjoy the captions (Sorry for the typos, I was very generous in those lol). And thank you for watching!
I just recently discovered your channel, and are slowly working trough your backlog, good stuff.
RUclips is a difficult environment right now, small creators usually get the short end handed by the all mighty algorithm. And despite Google starting out as THE search-platform of the internet, their search options are horrendous for RUclips... even if you try to search for something specific, RUclips shows way to much unrelated stuff, fking click-bait videos at the top, and old videos I already watched not related to the search term.
And with how much Google wants to get into AI, it will only get worse.
A dang shame about the site but thank you so much for checking out my videos, glad to hear your getting some enjoyment out of them!
I was thinking of you rushing the ending of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 when you brought it up and the only thing I could think was "what a shame". I'm glad you're focusing on your enjoyment, both for games and videomaking! Also, great script, and this video format was pretty engaging. Thank you!
Thank you for watching! That game is so cool, the DLC too!
Your sincere awkwardness is delicious
Bones at your feet, enjoy!
So it's kinda funny, but I feel like the last three videos I've made have all covered exactly what you're talking about, but in different ways. The ASMR and Remina vids cover the parasocial stuff, and my Look Back essay covers what you're describing, which is really the cost of making art. All that to say, I'd had a lot of the same things floating around in my head, like you
I think there will always be a tug between making art for art's sake and making art to advance your career. There's a saying, "the problem with film as a business is that it's an art; and the problem with film as an art is that it's a business." I think the best compromise I've found is to let the "business" aspect inform certain aspects such as when to release something, but never let it touch the content. You say that you don't know why your Termina video blew up, but I think you nailed it: right time, right place.
I've had the same thing happen, albeit on a smaller scale, with my Scott Pilgrim video. I put that one out a few weeks before the show dropped, and that was planned. Of course, I couldn't plan that it'd get a couple hundred thousands hit, especially since I was at the 750 sub mark. But right time, right place. With that said, the content of the video is sincere, absolutely and undoubtedly. Everything I shared was heartfelt, and they were things I'd thought a lot about back when I first read the series, years ago. But yeah, if there hadn't been a show coming out, I don't know if I'd have made the video when I did.
And I think it's natural. I think it's normal that if something is hot and exciting, then you'll be drawn into it too. I don't think that's cynicism; quite the opposite. It's fun
For me, I have to make videos because if I don't, I'll feel worse. The pain of creation is less than the pain of inaction. With that being said, take breaks. I'm taking breaks more often and feeling better. In fact, I'll be on break from YT till probably the first or second week of July. Don't burn yourself out
I think the parasocial aspect is complex, bc people form connections to others they don't know; before RUclips, people did this with bands or actors, and you even do this with certain characters, where you develop an affinity for them. Of course, this isn't quite the same as a full on obsessed stalker or something. For me, I've learned to trust that viewers will do what's best for them. I don't want to waste anyone's time, so I try to make quality stuff (hopefully I succeed lol), and if someone doesn't like it/doesn't think it's a good use of time, they know what's best for them
I'm rambling; sorry. I feel like there's a lot here to dissect and I think there are some things I see a little differently, others I agree with/struggle with myself. It's complex
One last thing: there was a three month break last year where I didn't make videos, from Feb 2023-May 2023. It was for personal reasons, but it gave me a lot of space to think about making videos and think about what I wanted my channel to be. It was a great experience, at least in hindsight. I'm grateful for that time. But I've had similar moments since then, where I sit down and ask, what am I really doing? And then I reframe and recommit, and we keep going. It's tough, but I say take time if you need it. Definitely take time.
Message me if you'd like, lmk if there's anything I can do to help
Wishing you the best, Alex
Thanks for sharing your thoughts dude, you mentioned some great stuff I want to think on. And likewise Noah!