How to Make “Faceless” YouTube Videos
Some people find it very easy to appear on-screen in their own videos whilst for others this is definitely an acquired skill!
Then you have people like me that not only have a face for radio but also a deep visceral aversion to appearing in videos in any way shape or form!
To be honest if you wanted to simulate a fish gasping for air after having been dragged out of the water then just hit the record button and aim a camera at me.
So does that stop me from making videos? Hell no!
I use graphics, on-screen demonstrations, stock footage and a whole bunch of things to make video without subjecting my audience to my face.
Here’s a few suggestions on doing that.
Model Car Forced Perspective
One of the oldest techniques in the Hollywood bag of tricks is what is known as forced perspective.
In fact it is still used extensively today, just think Hagrid’s scenes in Harry Potter or the Hobbits in Lord of the Rings.
It takes a bit of setting up and careful planning but even as an amateur you can create some great effects with it.
One of the keys to the effect looking good is that you need to set your camera to deep focus rather than having a shallow depth of field.
On most cameras this is relatively easy by closing the aperture down as far as you can in the manual settings.
On smartphones you can usually do the same but you will have to go into your phone’s camera preferences to do that.
If your native camera App on Android doesn’t allow you that much control you can install the Open Camera App for free to allow it.
iPhones already have access to these settings natively.
The Movavi Text Effect Everyone’s Talking About
To be honest I wasn’t actually talking about this text effect and I am not completely convinced anyone was either!
On the other hand it is a pretty cool text effect and the nuts and bolts of how to pull it off are in the video below.
It is being demonstrated in the Movavi Video Editor but as is the case with most effects these days the specific software is kind of irrelevant.
Even if you are not using Movavi as long as you understand the concepts, it is pretty straightforward.
What’s New in Filmora 13.5: AI Voice Cloning and AI Sticker Generation
OK so keeping up with the latest from Filmora is a bit of a strain because compared to other video editing software they are a bit manic!
I mean I think it was only two weeks ago they released Filmora 13.0 and here we are at 13.5.0 already.
In fact just for fun I opened Filmora on my desktop just before posting this and sure enough there was another update!
Apparently we are now at 13.5.5!
Anyhow this weeks updates are a bunch of new features and additions to existing features which include but are not limited to:
- An A.I. Voice cloning module.
- A.I. Stickers creation.
- A page curl feature which allows you to add a curl to any object or video you are manipulating within the frame and a bunch of other stuff you can see in the video below.
Manually Create and Edit Subtitles – PowerDirector
PowerDirector has always had a dedicated module for the creation of Closed Captions or Subtitles.
In fact it was one of the first programs around to offer this.
Over recent years A.I. capability has been added to it with you being able to create a subtitle file automatically and more.
However sometimes you may have to go “old school” on doing that which is going to involve… manual labor! Oh noes!
Anyway here’s a quick refresher on using the subtitling feature.
How to Increase Views on YouTube in 2 Minutes? (only 2 steps)
OK so the title of this entry is a tad clickbaity but aside from that it is pretty good.
You will see all over YouTube and on static sites various methods or strategies for getting views and growing a YouTube channel.
Sometimes they work, sometimes they don’t.
Most often they cause a little disruption making you think they are working but then things go back to how they were.
The reason a lot of these slightly dubious methods have an initial effect is that they appeal to one part of the YouTube algorithm and create motion.
However very quickly other aspects of the algorithm come into play and it all goes back to where it was.
The real problem here is a lack of understanding as to exactly how YouTube works.
So, back to the video below.
Yes there are a couple of good tips for increasing views which I recommend but more importantly there is a great explanation of how YouTube does what it does.
Once you have even just the basics of that you can see for yourself pretty quickly whether a strategy will have a long term effect or not.
YouTube NEW Feature to A/B Test Thumbnails
A feature that a lot of people have been waiting for from YouTube has finally arrived… for most people.
That feature is A/B testing for thumbnails.
A/B testing has been possible up until now but only through paid third party services so for many people this is a pretty big deal.
If you are only just starting a channel this is probably not a big deal but if you are generating even a small amount of views this can be a real game changer.
One of the keys to getting the click on YouTube is the quality and appeal of your thumbnail and although there are some basic guidelines for what makes for a successful thumbnail, very often you are flying blind.
Maybe the image is not appealing, maybe the visible text is wrong… who knows!
With A/B testing you can make up to three thumbnails, send the video off into the wild and from the results work out which is the best.
Once YouTube has gathered enough information it then selects the “winner” as the thumbnail for that video automatically. Very cool.
Fusion Node Order Explained – DaVinci Resolve Tutorial
If you have been following along with the recent tutorials Casey Faris has been doing in the Fusion Page of DaVinci Resolve then this one may be for you!
If you haven’t then maybe not so much.
Fusion works on a slightly different concept than other parts of the editing process due to is being strictly a post production module.
It works on the idea of Nodes which are adjustments being added to the work you are doing.
For very simple projects this is pretty easy to get a grip on but when your projects start to become more complex, things can go off the rails pretty fast.
So in this video Casey covers what nodes to add at what point of the process and why.
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