How to Make Project Content People Actually Want to Watch

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Projects are boring - but great photography and a great story can redeem them. Learn the tricks and tech to transform snoozeworthy footage into captivating and educational videos.
Join me LIVE every Monday and Wednesday at 12:00 PM Mountain time! All streams are right here on KZbin - subscribe to get notified.
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Argue with me over whether AR is BS (it is): zackfreedman
My wearable teleprompter: • What's On My Face? A W...
My photography gear:
📷 Canon T7 - amzn.to/3fsF55l
📹 Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4k - amzn.to/3eWrc0e
📐 Neewer 77-in Tripod - amzn.to/3frkwGB
🔍 Macro filter lens set - amzn.to/3fxH2xB
🔍 Panasonic Lumix 20mm f/1.7 lens - amzn.to/3osWRcV
🔍 Sigma 70mm f/2.8 macro lens - amzn.to/3bCMH4f
💡 CRI 97 photo-grade LED strip - amzn.to/33VTYrz
🔒 Tilta BMPCC cage - amzn.to/2S6Zp4a
⛓ Metabones Canon-MFT adapter - amzn.to/3eWrR1I
💾 SanDisk 1TB Extreme Pro SSD - amzn.to/2Ro0HIm
🍓 Raspberry Pi 4 kit (for OctoLapse) - amzn.to/2QunRMy
My printers are Prusa i3 Mk3S+'s! shop.prusa3d.com/#a_aid=Voidst...
Bonus cheat sheet for you awesome description readers:
👉 Set ISO to your camera's native ISO ➡ Select aperture (f-stop) for your desired depth-of-field ➡ Adjust shutter speed for perfect exposure ➡ Adjust ISO if necessary
👉 CRI below 80: Not appropriate for photography. CRI 90: Good. CRI 95: Excellent. CRI 100: Clear, sunny daylight.
👉 Always use a tripod! Consider a macro lens, filter, or extension tube for close-up shots.
👉 Three-point lighting: One light near the camera, one off to the side, one behind. Use diffuse light, not spotlights!
👉 Ways to add motion to static projects: (Don't reuse shots!)
👉 Take many shots from different angles and cut in rhythm with a story
👉 Crop or zoom in to allow viewer to inspect a detail
👉 Add light or motion to the project - give the camera something to see
👉 Add people to the shot - use the project
👉 Embed the project in a story or a skit
👉 Pull focus - sweep focus across the surface of the project
👉 Use a dolly, gimbal, or slider
👉 Clear away grime, clutter, cables, and controversial items. They're distracting.
👉 Show what the viewer is curious about, not what you want them to hear. Imagine they're in the shop with you, and let them take the lead.
👉 Keep a brisk pace and use quick cuts. Don't dwell on any topic too long.
👉 Give the viewer quick previews and sneak peeks so they can preview the end. Mystique is manipulative.
👉 Reveal details over time to keep the viewer from eating the entire steak in one bite
👉 Don't show the viewer the same scene twice, or use the same fancy technique twice
👉 Don't show the viewer things they've already seen in other videos - especially the design/fabrication process
👉 DO show the viewer esoteric, skill-intensive, artisanal, cutting-edge, and other exotic steps they're unlikely to have seen - they're educational and make the viewer feel like your video is valuable.
👉 Constantly look for ways to make your shots cleaner, your writing sharper and your storytelling more engrossing.
All music is by Gramatik and used as permitted by the artist:
- "In My Hood"
- "Back to the Future (instrumental)" feat. ProbCause
- "Adriatic Summer Nights"
- "Smooth While Raw"
- "Spoiler Alert"
- "Cool Thieves"
- "Tearin' it Up"
- "Just Jammin'"
- "The Swing of Justice"
Monotremes oviparous, ovum meroblastic

[@0hate9]

* tells you how to do his job * yep, this guy loves open-source.

[@BeefIngot]

He also relies on no one coming along and doing it better and stealing his spot because he knows no one actually reads the source. Definitely open source.

[@whatdoiknow7836]

Yeah but now we need a tutorial on how to do 'clever puns' and 'wicked burns'

[@michaelzimmer4850]

@@whatdoiknow7836 Defiantly scripted with the wearable on his face. But most impressive non the less!

[@xWonderxBreadx]

As somebody who wasted money and time on a Media Arts degree, I have to say, you knocked like 3 classes out in 25mins. Could've saved me 6 months and a caffeine addiction

[@maxman1244]

Only came out addicted to caffeine? Hell, sounds like you came out an absolute winner, that or are omitting *some* details for KZbin guidelines 😂

[@xWonderxBreadx]

I can neither confirm, nor deny having any knowledge regarding what you are referring to

[@jeremytate4795]

The caffeine addiction would come anyway, so be glad you go it out of the way. :)

[@TheDIYWarrior]

Same 😂

[@tanmay______]

"The viewer is trusting you to show them what they want to see" Damn.

[@joshhardin666]

that's certainly a powerful thought, however, for those who want to see more, you can't. for viewers who wish to see less, they can skip though. it makes sense therefor to leave more in so people can choose (by scrubbing) what they want to see. - time stamps are also amazing for helping people see what they want (and in many cases how much of it)

[@macelius]

*even if they don't know they want to see it yet

[@FrozenDozer]

@@joshhardin666 Well that's the beauty of KZbin I guess... there are tons of channels that go into every minute detail with very long videos, and then there's channels that just show you the cool stuff.

[@wakjagner]

"It's the shots you take and the story you tell." ... You hear that, Liver, its go time!

[@ZackFreedman]

Oh no what have I done

[@JustLost1030]

@@ZackFreedman Nothing he wasn't already looking for an excuse to do.

[@ZackFreedman]

I've learned you should set your aperture, THEN set your shutter speed to 1/(2X) where X is your framerate, THEN set ISO to lock in exposure. It minimizes motion blur. If you ever get anxious about releasing something because it might be wrong, feel free to come back to this comment. I made a 30-minute "how to do camera" video and didn't know what shutter speed did. No sarcasm, I have some great commenters.

[@alfarofilms]

Did you manage to get around to shutter angle?

[@tanmay______]

So many meta jokes, it's like I'm watching Community

[@horacegentleman3296]

Community: The Movie soon, bröthër.

[@EvenTheDogAgrees]

Cool. Cool cool cool.

[@christopherwiley5859]

I'm literally watching Community

[@ZackFreedman]

@@christopherwiley5859 You're dual-wielding videos? Can I learn this power?

[@Hackvlog]

@@ZackFreedman Are we all in the movie right now?

[@maxman1244]

Me, a Canadian, Listening to the closing credits while working on my own project. "The Quebec separatist movement" I had to stop for a second 😂

[@alexandrevaliquette1941]

Me, a guy from Montréal, Québec, trying to find Dinkel's e-mail for recruitment.

[@CryptoTonight9393]

8:35 I cant tell the difference between the shot with the 97cri and the 80cri they look identical to me. Even pausing them and even looking at it through multiple monitors. So no the difference is not obvious

[@BestFleetAdmiral]

"Clean your workspace before filming!!" *laughs in AvE*

[@ZackFreedman]

He takes the inverse strategy of blanketing his mess with metal chips and sawdust so no one can see it

[@RandomMan1]

It's definitely stage dressing, AvE chooses specific clutter to include, and then to knock out of the way. It makes a more visually appealing shot, and a dynamic scene.

[@AirsoftAbominations]

biggest impediment to content creation for me is having to tidy up

[@The.Talent]

1:45. I literally have diagnosed inattentive type ADHD and I noticed the Polaroid swap.

[@BrainSlugs83]

I also have ADHD-PI, and I did not. 😅

[@odeldodelhorst7549]

i have ADS and i also noticed

[@alexandrevaliquette1941]

I have STD and nobody noticed it.

[@professord8888]

I didn't notice it, but I also did not get board just watching the colors spin. Wasn't even looking at the photos.

[@Thefreakyfreek]

Same

[@jaspervandenameele4834]

That part about cleaning up cables... You know your audience well

[@stevenspencer8905]

Heya Zach huge fan, Finally you're talking about somthing in my wheel house. I went to film school, own my own production company in detroit, and currently work as a creative Visualization artist for a super big company in detroit. Your thoughtfulness when it comes to these videos is amazing. The techniques and main concepts shown in this video I'd like to just say are spot on. You did a pretty good job of explaining the exposure triangle which I know is hard for alot of people to grasp at first. Going over 3 point and camera techniques is one thing but, CRI color accuracy is awesome. I can really tell you care about what you do and have been watching since the beginning of your boom on KZbin. Also though the BMPCC series has entry level prices they are far from entry. My company owns two of them and we even shot a feature film on a 6k and anamorphic lenses they are full fledged cinema cameras as far as I'm concerned. They are no alexa mini but I would argue the curve of diminishing returns does not worth buying anything in that realm especially for what you are doing. If I would offer any advice. Experiment with different lighting scenarios. Look into negative fill and bounce lighting, or even harsher key lights. This can make the self shadowing more dynamic on the project and give it a bit more form and shape. Another thing you can do to help remedy the static problem is a little camera movement. A slider shot can go a long way. Thanks for being awesome Zack, love to see the process 👍

[@Misack8]

1:44 "you don't even realized that I swapped these Polaroids halfway through the shot" But I did...

[@Paul-A01]

Honestly I hoped it was part of the project.

[@xWonderxBreadx]

Don't act like we didn't see the Dancing Bear

[@lezorn]

Here is a cookie for you 🍪

[@Misack8]

@@lezorn Thanks, but I don't accept cookies

[@mf--]

I was trying to rationalize how they could have changed before he explained.

[@Deschrette]

This video worked, I honestly meant to watch for a little while while I was waiting for my shower to heat up and I ended up turning off the shower to watch the video intently. Nice job!

[@darkshadowsx5949]

install a tv behind sheet of glass in your shower wall and somehow make it voice activated so you can change video hands free.

[@hiyorun]

If he's my teacher, I would never skip class.

[@wooviee]

It's the passion. I never had passionate teachers in school outside of elective classes.

[@syber-space]

As a technology teacher: I can tell you it's possible, but not continuously. Creating content as streamlined as this can take tens or even hundreds of times as long to plan as to execute in person. During my first year teaching it was all I could do to keep up and convert content to my own style. After a year or so, once content is roughly optimized, this kind of thing is possible. Not for every day, but for a few. Plus, you definitely wouldn't want to keep up this pace for 90 minutes everyday. I don't think anyone has quite that much energy. I do love using videos when teaching for that reason though.

[@syber-space]

@Gabriel Quittemappreciation is far better than pity for teachers. Most teachers chose to teach for some reason, and it probably wasn't money. That said, the actual teaching is often overshadowed by planning, grading, management, administration, curriculum, etc.

[@Slushee]

Most teachers try their hardest to be as "correct" as posible, and that makes matters boring. The good teachers explain stuff just like a classmate would, without using the exact words but getting the message accross. He's one of those I have a teacher who takes half an hour to explain something and overcomplicates stuff with hard terms. When a classmate asks me to explain what he was explaining, thet get it instantly.

[@syber-space]

@@Slushee I see that as possibly coming from two places. The first is as you say, a wish to be as correct as possible, but the other might be from time. It's hard to remember what it's like to not know those things if you surround yourself with people who do. This is an issue grad students and professors seem to have the most trouble with. The more personable a teacher is, the more they seem to understand that flaw. They still do need to meet their language requirements though, so sometimes it might be intentional. Sorry to hear most of the teachers you've had haven't been too great at that...

[@poptartmcjelly7054]

My macro lens is a bigass lens from a car foglight that i glue to my phone with double sided tape. It takes ok macros, but i like it most because the DOF is narrow so when i take pictures of small sub 1mm features it gives them alot of depth.

[@JamesKao3D]

Great tips! Especially on the lighting! You mentioned macro extension tubes in passing on your coverage of macro photography, and I wanted to add that macro extension tubes are quite cheap ($30-40 for a set of 3), and since they contain no optics, produce extremely high quality images. I have had very positive experiences with macro extension tubes to get more use out of existing lenses. The main drawback of extension tubes is that they have extremely shallow depth of field, so for a given lens/tube combination, your camera needs to be positioned in a fairly exact position a few inches away from the subject. I set up a macro station in my workspace with a pedestal for an object and markings for exactly where I should place the camera, but finding that point for a given set of lenses/tubes the first time requires some hunting. A side effect of this is that since the camera needs to be so close, the camera itself may create shadows, and you may need a camera mounted ring light.

[@lukes_3d]

0:04 that's a remix of my Hovering cup / planter! Yay! Thanks Zack for making my day :)

[@MichalKottman]

My favorite way of setting up the camera - choose "Auto", point to where you want to shoot, half-press the button, remember the ISO/f/shutter speed values, then go to manual and set them. Done.

[@barlowjmb]

Dude. You called it, I’m blown away by your Jedi mind tricks

[@missingpartsclub]

Nice video! That's a lot of information to digest in one block. Many thanks though, I may implement some of your suggestions in future videos as I am guilty of all of the aforementioned transgressions. Thank you for bringing to my attention just how crap my videos are. With the addition of your suggestions I just might, some day, earn one of those much coveted gold play buttons. Thanks for putting the video up!

[@arax20]

Looking forward to your new videos!

[@morluche91]

Hello Ian, Your videos are nowhere near crap, and i love following your adventure trough life since quite a while now. I hope you're doing well and post some new videos when you feel like it. I am 100% sure you'll get the coveted play button at some point, absolutely no doubts about that, it's just about _when_ . I wish you a wonderful day sir.

[@PccChocolate]

Found your channel about 3 days after the singularitron vid went up and I’ve been bingeing your vids since. Definitely one of my new favorite maker content creators. Keep up the amazing work!

[@alexbrown1050]

I daydream about making my own videos and interesting projects and this is... amazing. Your engaging scripts kept me listening for the start, but when I see the actual video I get a sense for the effort put into them. Explaining it is smart.

[@DirtyEars]

Stoked to see the streams and all the new content coming up!!

[@Jeffmorgan1991]

Currently, the creator I am most excited to see a video notfication from. Thanks for the great work!

[@drew899]

I just recently picked up a Lumix G95 camera and a condenser mic to start making project videos but I’ve been too nervous to start. This is exactly the kick in the ass I needed.

[@TheMixflow]

I love how this channel has grown in quality! loving the content

[@ChildOfAnAndroid]

Okay this was ridiculously helpful, Zack! Thanks for making this one. I will definitely be coming back to it the next time I record a project, I don't think i've ever gotten much further than the camera knowledge! Pitching things at audiences is hard as hell lmao

[@ZackFreedman]

Awesome! I hope something in here helps you take your next video to the next level.

[@mecha1133]

0:43 idk about that man, that spiny thing in the background is the only thing I was paying attention to.

[@TheAliceQuo]

The best part of this video is that you broke all your own rules to prove the point, yet kept me engaged through the whole thing.

[@darkstargemini6760]

im so glad i found this channel i haven't been able to stop watching this content.

[@muha0644]

This is seriously the best video on how to make any kind of content. You even covered a lot of topics used in literature, like Chekov's gun for example, and this video is gonna be really helpful to any content creator. Seriously, good job. In hindsight it seems so simple, but even Newton was called a genius when he explained that "things fall down when you drop them".

[@oadka]

Wow, I don't think anyone's explained hobby/engineering film making like this ever before! Thanks!

[@TerraMagnus]

A good cheap macro lens could be getting an old manual focus wide angle lens like a 28mm… but you get something called a “reversing ring”. It is a ring that threads into the FRONT of the lens, and the other side has a bayonet mount on your camera… so it mounts the lens BACKWARDS on your camera. Ever look through a telescope backwards and everything gets tiny? It’s kind of like that but in reverse.

[@BrainSlugs83]

This whole time I just thought your autofocus was broken and was really annoyed that things came into focus so slowly.

[@jonathonmodders7808]

you're not slick! cut at 0:39 "I haven't cut a single time since that title card" Although I guess this proves your point! Love the vids! Edit: Guess I'm not a millennial

[@JustCuzRobotics]

This is incredibly insightful, but also tough to watch for a channel like mine. I have tried really hard to make the engineering and process the focus rather than just the results at the end. I definitely think my audience is in some ways different from yours, but keeping viewers' attention is certainly a struggle for me. think a ton of the filmmaking and B-roll tips you mentioned will be super valuable and I'll definitely borrow some of those strategies. Thank you for making this!

[@ZackFreedman]

I don't think you need to dumb down the video - it's all about showing people what they want to see, at a pace and style that makes time seem to melt away. Try doing a video call with a friend, and watching their face while they watch the video. You'll instantly spot places where they start to perk up or lose interest.

[@newburypi]

That is so f'n funny. During the section on clearing clutter you showed the soldering iron that distracted me earlier in the video. I clearly remember refocusing my attention to the tool, as it is similar to the iron I use (Hakko). I don't love your videos, and the hand gesture thing I somewhat off-putting, but your info is on target and your quirk draws me in. Hope to see more :thumbsup:

[@beavisul]

Thank you for all the effort you put into these videos

[@ashleighfarnham5586]

This was really enjoyable and your lighting setups are awesome.

[@unfa00]

I found this just in time before I started editing that home studio makeover making-of. Now I see what I need to do to make that interesting!

[@dmzackk]

You are by far my favorite content creator. There are others that I like, but, I must say, nobody does due diligence like you do. It reminds me of me. Well done.

Man you're great, love people sharing like this

[@BIindsid3]

As a photographer I approve of most everything in this video. Nice info.

[@jhvnhjifgvbv8126]

Was there anything you didn't approve of

[@piconano]

Thanks for the excellent crash course on videography and film making. I bet you took a course or two. I'm new to your channel, and I curse Google for not recommending you to me sooner. You're a goldmine of smarts and puns.

[@Lozoot2]

Quick couple of protips from a photographer: Buy used lenses. ESPECIALLY old, used manual focus lenses. Adapters between different mounts are dirt cheap, too. If you're doing this style of "talking head" video you don't need autofocus. In fact, autofocus can become a pain in the ass (cue AvE's catchphrase, "fffocus you fffu-") and can make a long take completely unusable. And here's a tip for those of you wanting good macro shots on the shoe-stringiest of budgets: detach your lens and flip it around so it's on backwards (ideally print or buy an adapter). Works especially well with zoom lenses!

[@ZackFreedman]

Totally true about old lenses. I actually put this in the script, but cut it for brevity. Autofocus and optical image stabilization aren't necessary for project videos.

[@EJTechandDIY]

Thank you for this video, I really struggle with many of the things you mentioned.

[@mrfochs]

At 4:45 - I think it should state, "the lower" the number, the... F/1.8 has shallow depth of field and more light where as F/32 is almost a pinhole lens with nearly no light but everything is in focus (within reason).

[@Malaphor]

Fantastic work! Explaining what was engaging was engaging enough to keep me watching through the end. I'm so proud of how much you've grown in such a short time. You're on your way to be the next Mark Rober. 👏👏👏

[@JD96893]

This is a really great video! So many great tips, i will be sure to use some of these on my pc tech channel!

[@_Michael_01]

This vid is a 10/10 thanks for the practical education Zack! :)

[@LetsPlayKeldeo]

Can I say that this Project thing happening and all is really nice to see people solder and "Fixing problems" showing the way and showing where it went wrong and how you went to fix those problems

[@ZackFreedman]

I try to mix as many of the real-world frustrations into my videos as possible, but there's a limit. They can kill the momentum and give the video an unpleasant, two-steps-forward-one-step-back cadence that makes them frustrating and disheartening to listen to.

[@LetsPlayKeldeo]

@@ZackFreedman tbh Its probably just me but I really enjoy those kind of videos like Colin from This Does not Compute really seeing the struggle and steps he had to take to get where he finally succeeded that makes the end product oh so sweeter / even when he wasnt able to fix it / build it's the Journey that was entertaining enough. But I'm probably just not like a normal viewer as I enjoye "My Mate Vince" videos where he repairs stuff whilst learning about it / not having been confronted with those things before and seeing him learn and get better even if it's for about an Hour and at the end the Laptop still doesnt wanna start is so satisfying and just amazing to put on

[@okupatronix15]

great video Zack!! 💡📸 how did you make the scrolling LED display??

[@Johneyap]

Zacks energy level before used to make me uncomfortable Zacks energy level now makes me want to watch more Thank you for these tips, I am attempting time lapse videos. They are very much appreciated, and your content is always entertaining. And it's because of that energy level.... It's over 9000!!!!

[@alfarofilms]

Tbh as soon as I noticed the shirt around 35 seconds in, I couldn't stop thinking of how much more elegant of a design the letters could be on that really nicely colored and textured material (Imagine a diagonal 'D&D' instead of the whole words, with a hyper stylized and thinned down version of the font type that spans from rib to rib and shoulder to hip) to make it more appealing and subtle to where one could throw on a sport coat and it would look prestigious and refined. This isn't relevant at all, but it happened. That shirt is dope.

[@derekmcdonald2168]

This is exactly what I’ve wanted for soooooo long

[@Nathanboi211]

Thank you for considering so much, I really do enjoy it.

[@SmashedHatProject]

Like I learnt in film school, "when you're operating the camera you must act like a pervert"

[@melody3741]

There really should be a word for people who get really upset when someone else insinuates that they have a normal human brain and react to normal human things. You know, every time someone posts an illusion or talks about people's attention span or some negative aspect of the human brain there's always someone who feels the need to pipe up and tell everyone that they are different.

[@dsnineteen]

Nuh uh, I don’t!

[@MakerMeraki]

Holy crap! This meta video is one of the best videos ever! Informative AF! Thank you!

[@brownell10]

More photog ed than tech school night class for a year. Nice. The 1 element a person can't just go buy is a charisma like yours... I'm smacking the like button by your 3rd joke. Plus, you and Brooke have a team charm that really makes it. Thanks, Zack!

[@heyitsandrew2209]

Zach you are the best. Its like you read our minds and then post a video about it.

[@The.Talent]

Hey Zack! I have an idea for a project. If not you, anyone else can pick this one up, cause I don't quite have the skills or the know how. *Objective:* Create a document camera for university lectures that doesn't suck! *Features:* 1) laser indicators that show on the surface /Exactly/ where is in the view of the camera and where is out of view. 2) physical button/dial/slider to control white balance/brightness/focus. many of my lecturers have dark skin and wear white shirts, or vice-versa. this constantly blows out the balance. the focus moves between their arm and the paper they are writing on. grr. *Bonus points:* ultra portable, minimal setup, ease of use for technophobe lecturers, plug and play, always, share the build on youtube/github, etc.

[@jr5234]

I once made an avatar-inspired floating mountain fountain thing with a levitation platform like this, some moss, small rocks and an ultrasonic fog maker. It was pretty cool but if anything bumped the puck or power fluctuated at all it would slam into the baseplate so violently it destroyed the setup and sprayed bits of plants and water everywhere.

[@ZackFreedman]

Oh no! I didn't have any spontaneous crashes, but it's definitely delicate. I might replace the plastic top panel with a thick layer of neoprene to prevent accidents.

[@alfred0231]

20:30 I 90% agree. But there's one hair. KZbin is home to tons of gaming videos. Games are repetitive. But often they still want to show the journey, if they cut the activity then it breaks the story; it didn't happen. And cool edits are cool. For Rust, Welyn chops up the footage and matches a beat, "SOLO RAIDING AN ENRAGED GROUP - Rust" - 7:45. For LoL, Bausffs videos have a similar edit: "KOREANS DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT!" - 3:45. There's also a lot woodworking video that focus on the therapeutic side of making a project. But woodworking might be the exception, not the rule.

[@cgwworldministries83]

I really like engaging content that reads like a well written paragraph. Subject, explosion, wrap-up. It's not hard to do but it is easy to mess up. Then leave me wanting more but don't leave me hungry.

[@andrewadams9686]

This is invaluable info! You should charge for this kind of wisdom! Also, where is your Patreon link?

[@ZackFreedman]

Sponsorships, ads, and community support are more than enough, no reason to put the best stuff behind a paywall. I forgot to put the Patreon in the description! It's patreon.com/zackfreedman .

[@Mippi12]

You are awesome Zack !

[@lockdownudein]

This was amazingly helpful! Thank you!

[@williambilse]

Funny story, I used to sell branded knives. We had a giant novelty pocket knife just like the one in this vid, for display purposes. I was working a trade show and while standing around talking with some other reps, I was fiddling with that big knife. Suddenly, I DROPPED THE BLADE OF THAT KNIFE ON MY INDEX FINGER LIKE A GUILLOTINE. Then I passed out and went face first into a table covered with catalogs. When I came to, there were like 12 people looking down at me. The marketing company I worked for had a perfect 13 year safety record until this happened. This is my dads favorite story.

[@gavinrea1501]

"they just want to see the shiny thing shine" words every project youtube should live by

[@3DMusketeers]

Great video! Definitely some awesome advice! We are working on growing our channel currently and have been working towards project videos so this was perfectly timed!

[@Rickc-qt5fy]

Do you actually use your water cooled oscilloscope

[@EthanSeville]

Probably considering it cost 5 figures

[@CameronCrosby2468]

Great video! I would love some in depth electronics design projects in the future

[@ZackFreedman]

There will be a lot more electronics now that we're streaming. Before, laying out circuit boards and waiting for them to get delivered took too long to make weekly videos, but now the option is open.

[@CameronCrosby2468]

@@ZackFreedman Cool, very excited!

[@bkslsh]

INSANELY good advice here man. Thanks so much. Gonna take this to heart next time I sit down to make a video!

[@ScamstinCrew]

Not complaining but didn't realize how long this one was. Going to have to circle back when I have more tome to watch it all start to finish. Youve done an awesome job so far covering all the points and not rushing through this dense subject matter while covering it concisely. So dont take this as a reason to try and compress your videos shorter.

[@bryanbruggeman8357]

Your lines are pure gold, puns and all

[@ThomasHeade]

Another way to cheap out on a macro lens is to mount your lens BACKWARDS. You can get an adapter mount that screws into your filter ring.

[@DamnCyrus]

These are actually really nice tips. But also holy fuck congrats on the amazing channel growth

[@fritzwalter1112]

A t little tip for time-lapse of people moving: Experiment with the exposure time. A long exposure makes the time-lapse look way smoother, since stuff that's moving will get some motion blur. Try an exposure time of half the intervall, at which the camera takes photos.

[@ZackFreedman]

That's a good tip. Next time lapse, I'll set the exposure to something really long for some nice blurriness.

[@johnpaulabadines3610]

Shooting beyond f/11 is actually not recommended since the image gets softer due diffraction. Even though f/20 has more depth of field, f/11 looks better and sharper at 5:22.

[@SuperMakeSomething]

Awesome video! Some great tips here!

[@digitalchaos84]

I love your videos but I honestly thought id just watch this one for a minute and move on.. but here I am at the end and thinking just how good you really are.

[@jrc3d674]

This is the first time that I have found the patreons before the video even ended... way to proud of myself

[@sicotronicypunto7460]

I love the benchy filled frame hahahaha

[@tedvolz9674]

Hi Zack (or to anyone else who can help me), got a question that is out of context of this video. I'm a newbie to 3d printing and I need advice on what on the best filament would be for my project. Printer = CR-10 S5. My project = printing multiple shells that fit together to make a larger single object. Building a metal subframe for the shells to fit together on and then reinforcing and securing to subframe with common fiberglassing techniques on the inside of the shells. Then filling & sanding & painting on the outside of the now singular shell by normal auto techniques (bondo, auto paint, etc.). Will need to be able to withstand outside summertime heat & direct sunlight. Thanks Ted

[@bumcubbles98]

Whaaat you got to use gramatiks jams, awesome! Also i like your silly jokes and references which keep me around for videos

[@shawnmulberry774]

You are the man. Thanks oh and metric is great.

[@spacedudejr]

It’s like a commentary on the creator market while being a great tutorial. This is what creators should be talking about when they asked how to be a KZbinr

[@bob2859]

Regarding "native iso" - use the lowest sensitivity that gives a clear image. The sensor signal is amplified always, there is no magic level where there is suddenly more noise. Lack of light causes noise, not ISO setting.

[@veritas_est]

Wrong, especially for video. Basically the sensor when running at a native ISO doesn't have to do any signal damping or boosting of signal resulting in a better result. Check out some of Gerald Undone's videos for really good testing of native isos. You can actually graph the noise levels of a given image at different isos, and see why duel native ISO has been such a huge advance.

[@cellularmitosis2]

This is gold!

[@brickyplace4791]

Damn, Grammatik out here keeping the background on point 🔥

[@vardhanmahajan7135]

This is gold

[@DissyFanart]

I really like the things you said the viewers don't like, specifically watching people put things together and the little details that went into making things work :(

[@anthonypoole4025]

Fantastic training. This is true edutainment 😎

[@_gamma.]

I love the stuff scrolling by that led matrix

[@ZackFreedman]

I have some silly, silly Patrons.

[@BenEBrady]

Ok, you're weird enough that you earned my sub.

[@woofcaptain8212]

really good video, I think to what degree you follow some of these ideas determines what type of audience you will receive. This is the guide to the lowest common denominator, but I think there can be value is specializing too.

[@ZackFreedman]

I gotta push back a bit, because this is definitely not how you make videos for the lowest common denominator. That would put basically zero focus on the project itself - the entire video would be using the project, especially on others. See Michael Reeves zapping people, Mark Rober fart-spraying strangers, Corridor Digital doing really anything, etc. I think there's this idea that some people are so erudite that they transcend the desire to be entertained, or that they have such intense mental strength that they can lock their attention on something drab through sheer force of will. I don't think either of these are very common, if they exist at all.

[@tomfoolery2913]

@@ZackFreedman I watch many "boring" engineering videos from research labs and creators alike, which are almost always basically just showing the project, talking through the steps and rarely showing their face. Maybe I am an unusual person, but I do believe there is a niche for in depth engineering content. Engineers like seeing the engineering of others, and although it may never reach as mainstream appeal as more story based content, there is still a place for it. It somewhat makes me sad when I see content where the details have been cut, I feel it removes me from an opportunity to learn something. Perhaps it is not worth catering to people like myself, but we do exist. There have been numerous successful channels based entirely on delivering niche content in extraordinary detail, "knyght errant" for example. I think more "content" focused videos can be good and successful, but they are often more likely to fall into obscurity as they don't have as captive of an audience. Don't take any of what I've said as an insult please, I really love your videos, just thought it could be interesting to give my perspective. Have a nice day :)

[@frogs84ss]

You kept me for 26 minutes. Well done. Some great info seriously.

[@egillis214]

Preach... I hate 90% of the garbage backgrounds on most shots. Yup dynamically planning content is a must