How To Start a YouTube Channel

A series of recent emails has led me to answer the question: what advice can you give about making science videos on YouTube?

[veritasium]

Well I've done it three times in the last two years now!

[russellfishes]

The part about the camera subtracting enthusiasm was very helpful.

[veritasium]

I have loved it my whole life, as a child of South African parents. But this morning I feel like I have a salt hangover...

[cienciabit]

I think that when you start a channel you need quantity, because your channel has no projection. As you get more subscribers and views you have to improve your quality vs quantity in order to keep the audience loyalty. 

[CanalSeisMais]

Dude, I hope I can talk as natural as you do someday in front of the camera!

[iKonakona]

Coming from a gaming channel perspective, I think volume of content in the beginning is important because it gets your name out there. I, like most people, was scared if others would like it, but then I decided to make videos for the love of making them, not caring what others think. This helped me get through the "depressing" times when not many people see what you think is your best content.

[veritasium]

well a couple of edu youtubers have managed to be amazing without labs, like say minutephysics, vihart, cgpgrey, vsauce, etc... they seem to get by ok

[mariacovasneanu]

Honestly, I really enjoyed the preamble from the original imploding drum video, even though it was a bit corny - the corniness was self-aware and it made it so funny! Anyway, by the time I was watching that video, I was already hooked on your channel - but maybe a new viewer might be put off by the quirks, so in that sense it should be a good strategy to ”lead with awesome”, just to pull and keep as many viewers as possible. I want to believe that being hypomanic is not the only good recipe for making attractive videos (although a quick scan of the most watched YouTube channels makes that view really difficult to maintain).
I totally agree that people should be more engaged when speaking to the camera, and it's a good thing you're giving these advices! A delayed "thank you"!

[upandatom]

Thanks for this Derek. I love hearing your tailored opinions.

[veritasium]

There are formats - like the MTS files my Panasonic AF100 spits out that Premiere won't use without a transcode.
The rest of my comment is due to the market share of Final Cut when they introduced X, around 50%, plus my belief that most future editing won't be done by movie studies in production suites with Avid. FCP X will have a little dip here, and then I expect it to head upwards.

[demonsXneverXdie]

You should certainly keep making videos while you walk around. It makes it more pleasant to watch.

[Gleanix]

I have taken your advice, and I have just started doing it.
My name is John and I have been working on a science education channel since the summer. My first few videos were admittedly awkward and uncomfortable. However, with each video I practiced and got better and better, and I have recently felt proud of my work, and I would like more people other than my friends and family to be able to see them and give me feedback!

[Aqueous]

This video fits me, like we say in my town, like a ring to my finger. I with a couple of friends had this idea of making videos about videogames in the manner of PBS Game Show, and last night we shoot our first footage. It was all rookie and amateur, the stands for the ligths were chairs on top of stereo speakers. But it is the start.

[schelsullivan]

Your my 11 year old sons favorite teacher, you are making a positive difference in the next generation. Keep it up! and thanks from a geeky dad.

[pauljmorton]

I'm starting to practice speaking on camera for potential vlogging purposes and I'm planning to upload all my attempts and watch them back no matter how embarrassed I feel about it. But I also have an extra bit of stuff to practice because I'm not very good in pronouncing English, so I thought I'd actually make it into a self-development vlog. I'll probably come up with other video series ideas later that would be more interesting to the masses, but I must start somewhere, and why not start by practicing so I'll already be good when I find the other ideas. Thanks for the encouragement, Derek!

[adriaanlambrechts]

I really enjoyed your comments about 'biltong' (apart from all the other awesome advice!): I'm a South African and seeing someone from another country enjoy this as much as I (we) do, is somehow extremely gratifying...Love your show man!

[Wordsnwood]

Love the walking and talking.  Love how you can just *talk* to the camera -- seriously, it does feel like I'm part of the conversation.  Great ideas there, and a lot of food for thought.  

I'm kind of curious as to how much practise it took you with the Hero3 before you could get it to consistently frame your face while walking -- given that it has no display!

[veritasium]

What? Are you lightest in the morning has a very clear explanation part.

[SodaSodsa]

I like how He walks around the street talking about things that more sense than what we learn in school ;)

[HomeofLawboy]

Back then, I had this idea of making videos teaching basic boolean logic and programming, I was holding back because I didn't have a mic and didn't want to use the mic built in the keyboard, but after watching this video I feel so compelled to start doing this... Thank you Derek! =)