Questions From An Aspiring Youtuber!

Hello,

My name is Dyahmeister, I'm an aspiring YouTuber/streamer who specializes in Demonology warlock. I hope I'm not taking up too much time at all, I just find that you're the best candidate for someone who can answer me fully:
1) On average, how many hours would you say you take to put together a single video in just playing alone (i.e. running battlegrounds to get footage for a BG montage)? Is it just until you get something that feels good to you, or are there specific guidelines that you set for yourself to achieve?

This one really depends on what type of video it is I'm hoping to record! If it's something like an arena montage, a duelling series or some kind of guide video, I find I can - most of the time - record all of the clips I need in 1 day, and maybe have time to edit them on the night too!

But if it's, like you said, a Battleground montage, things aren't as simple. A Battleground montage, whether it's a short minitage or a full-length movie like Cobrak 16, takes considerably more effort to put together! Recording a good 2v1 clip is far more difficult than winning a good arena game, for example. In one session of arenas you might have enough footage to create a short arena video - on the flipside, you can very often spend all DAY in Battlegrounds and come out with not a single 2v1 clip! If I had to put a number on it, I'd say 3 days of recording (3-4 hours a day  to not wear yourself out) is around how long it takes to get the footage I need for a good minitage! For a much longer, beefed-up movie like Cobrak 16 or 17, it can easily take months of recording.
As for 'guidelines' I impose on myself, I guess there are a few. A clip is only good to use in a Battleground montage if:

• The clip is at least a VERY entertaining / skillful 1v1! Of course, 2v1s or better are better, but some 1v1s can be too good to scrap!
• I am playing completely alone. If another Horde helps me at anypoint, the clip is almost always instantly scrapped.
• Opponents aren't too bad! Trolls love to rip on videos in which you face inexperienced players who are clearly new to the game or PvP. I've had 4v1 clips before that I've just had to delete because it turned out my opponents were playing somewhat like bots!
• And this final point more applies to bigger movie releases! A clip recorded for a big, full-length movie should be impressive. It has to be special in at least 1 of 3 ways.

1. Skill: Show you playing exceptionally well. 
2. Entertainment: Dropping to 1% health and still winning / Critting insanely high 
3. Epicness: Doing something never seen before!

2) Where did you learn your media editing? I want to begin the process of learning how to make videos (I'm restricted to Window's Live Movie Maker due to funding), and I figure you could maybe point me in the right direction.

It was mainly through self-interest I found Sony Vegas! It was before I even left school that I started tinkering with Vegas, learning the basics of cutting a clip, altering and adding basic effects, adding music etc. So, although this might not help you out much, it was almost all self-taught for me! Aside from the occasional Youtube video tutorial explaining how to do the basics, how to render at the highest quality, I learnt by tinkering with random effects on my own, finding what worked and what didn't work by a long process of elimination. I didn't mind though; I was a passionate about editing back then as I am today - it was like a virtual playground for me discovering Vegas. If you're after learning the program quickly, I'd recommend Youtube videos! There are tutorials and guides all over Youtube for Sony Vegas. If it is getting Vegas on your computer that is the problem, I'm pretty sure there's free trials that you could at least begin to learn and muck around with as a kind of future investment!

If you are restricted to Movie Maker completely for the time being, I'd say focus on having your clips flow in-time with the music. That is something that is hugely important at any level of editing that can be done using even basic software. And as for Movie Maker effects, I'd have to say 'less is more'! Windows haven't done the best job of equipping Movie Maker with the most awe-inspiring effects, so I'd actually advise staying away from using them in most cases - but, of course, trust your own judgement on that too!


3) Will you or have you made a warlock on the US realms? It's disheartening to an extent to not have any famous streamers/YouTuber warlocks in the US realms apart from raiding, and even that selection is sparse.

I made one some time ago, but couldn't summon up the determination to grind my way to level 90! And if I'm honest, gearing another Warlock to full would also be a big struggle I feel.But I wouldn't want that to be disheartening to you! Back in the days, it were Warlocks like Drakedog and Boneshock who's montages inspired me up to create videos - one is Korean and Boneshock is Russian I think. There was no way I was ever going to see these people in-game, let alone be able to talk with them. But I didn't NEED to talk to them or play with them - I got all of the motivation and hype that I needed by watching the videos they made. Whether it's my videos, someone elses or even just your own imagination (which comes in time!) there's always a way to motivateyourself!


4) What did you find to be the best way to get your channel(s) out there? I know you said in one of your recent videos that you had a big hit during a particular bug timeframe, but were there any other steps that you took to ensure success to some extent?

My answer to this question is always the same! As long as your happy with your gameplay and overall video production skills - you know you have good content that people will want to see - the next step is to put yourself out there!
I started out by posting around on forums, but I'm not sure that reallt works too well. Similarly, posting comments advertising your channel on other people's videos can come across as intrusive to the author and viewers of that video, so be careful not to over-do that, if at all.

Collaborate!

This is the ultimate way to get your name out there. Find a channel of a similar size to yours and basically message them, ask them if they're up for working on a video with you! It might be 2v2s, some duels - anything really. And when you upload the clips, you each provide links to one another's channels! Of course, this is more effective if you can work alongside a bigger Youtuber, but for that you have to get lucky (I did!).
But that is the best advice I can give for anyone starting out on Youtube who feels their channel could do with some more exposure. It puts your name out there a bit, attracts new viewers from the other channel AND makes for a good video for your current subscribers!


Anyhow, hope you didn't mind me answering these questions via a Blog post Dyah! They would've been a bit too long combined to answer in a video.
Stay Destro man!