Creating Videos for YouTube

Photo credit: Sean MacEntee

If you have been following me for awhile, you may be familiar with the fact that I produce my own videos on YouTube. This is not necessarily a challenging exercise, the only problem is that you need to have the right software to bring it all together. Creating your own video requires a few components in order to be successful, but the bottom line is that you don't really have to be an expert, although the more you do it, the easier it will be. I think the most difficult task for me was obtaining software that was open source (or FREE) that was easy to work with, not to mention compatible with my operating system.

Video Credit: UbuntuHelpGuy

The three basic ingredients for a video would be;

Content.

This is usually based on the information that you would like to get across, whether it is a “how to” video, a “review”, or an opportunity to share your “opinion” about something, or somebody.

Artwork.

Because a video is all about visual, either pictures or recorded video is advised, after all, watching a black, or some other color screen is pretty lame and your audience will probably lose interest very quickly. Before and after credits will usually make your video appear a little more professional.

Sound.

Whether you are simply reading from a cue card, or talking about your concerns, audio will usually soften the impact on your viewers. This is not always necessary, for instance, if you are recording yourself live, it may end up taking away from the impact on your viewers. The most important thing you need to know is this, if you use information acquired from the Internet, (other than your own) make certain that you assign the appropriate credit to the owner.

Software that I can afford

Photo credit: Wikipedia

I don't know about you, but I hate to spend money, especially when I don't have any to spend, so naturally I am going to look for every opportunity to save a few dollars, whenever possible. I have been telling you guys about Libre Office for some time now and as long as I have the opportunity, I shall continue to do so. It is for this reason why I am in shock to find out that so many people are still using Microsoft Office. Now I realize that there are people out there that are simply not as frugal as I am, but is that any reason to throw your money down the drain, especially when you can do the same thing for FREE?

Video Credit: Nixie Pixel

I have been asked time and again, what sort of accounting software I use, after all, everybody needs a place to keep those numbers, especially when they have to give a rundown to their government. There was a time that I used Quick books to help me keep my numbers straight, but when the software became outdated, I decided that I would no longer use it, not because it lost its touch, but because I refuse to pay for an upgrade. Frankly I believe that software companies should provide lifetime upgrades for their software, especially since they charge so much for it. Of course, the smartest thing to do is to get a free alternative, or just write a spreadsheet ledger to track the few dollars that you have, like I do!