My video making process (Patreon)

I've had a few people ask about my process, in various tweets and comments. And while it seems kinda obvious to me - write a script, record your voice and record some footage, stick them together! - maybe it would be interesting to break it down.

I'll be using my most recent video, on Donkey Kong, for an example.

Step 1 - Get an idea!

Some would say this is the hardest bit, but it's easy for me. I have - literally - over 100 video ideas. I wish I could make these things faster to be honest, because I have so many things I want to explore.

The idea is often based on what I'm playing. Or tweeting. I always like to have a specific point, argument, or idea to explore - rather than just a general review. That way the videos are often more generalised and have longer legs.

So this video came from finally playing past the first 3 levels in Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze and being like "woah! This is like all those Mario level designs I've talked about... but crazier!"

Step 2 - Research!

The research process is almost always the most time consuming part. I like to immerse myself in a topic for about a week or two, learning as much as I can and then trying to explain what I've found out in the most concise way possible.

Depending on the video the research process might involve playing lots of different games; reading articles, research papers, and interviews; watching GDC talks and other such videos; listening to podcast interviews; and talking to developers or other people.

This one was basically just all playing. I played an enormous amount of Tropical Freeze; Donkey Kong Returns; New Super Mario Bros 1, 2, Wii, and U; classic Mario; classic Donkey Kong; and a few other games.

I catalogued each level I played, writing notes about the mechanics shown in each level.

This allowed me to speak with more confidence about how each game treats its level design (hard evidence is always better than "this game felt like it did this...") and ended up being very useful during the editing process when i need examples of different things i talk about.

Step 3 - Write the script!

Once I have immersed myself in the topic, I turn to writing the script. This has two major parts:

Part one is basic structure, where I try to find a nice flow, and a way to transition between points. For DK, it was something like this

• introduce DK tropical freeze
• explain how mario's single-mechanic level design works
• relate this to earlier donkey kong levels
• explain benefits and drawbacks
• show how a DK level involves multiple mechanics
• explain how mechanics are related by theme
• talk about other elements of a DK level
• talk about how this feels different to mario

By thinking about it in terms of these blocks, I can move them around if i need a better flow.

Part two is prose. Which is basically turning those bullet points into full text. So that means finding the right examples, explaining it as well as I can, bringing up caveats and preempting questions that viewers may have (always hard, that one).

Step 4-ish - Record footage!

This one isn't really a step because it happens at many different times during the process.

I have an archive of captured footage I can use, I capture pretty much everything I play so i'll get some during the "get an idea" phase, I capture while researching, I capture before recording, and i'll no doubt need some extra footage or some pick-up shots during the editing phase.

I use an Elgato HD-60 for 99% of my footage. Even PC footage - I record through an Elgato and into my Mac. And I have a 3DS with video out for the New Super Mario Bros and New Super Mario Bros 2 footage.

I don't have every game ever made, sadly, so I have to acquire games for footage. I often borrow games and use demos for games that on screen for a few seconds. But I had to buy New Super Mario Bros Wii and U. 

Step 5 - Record vocals!

I hate this bit. I stand in front of a microphone and hate myself for about an hour as I mess up, sound weird, make odd noises, and all that. 

And then I have to listen back to that nonsense for about two hours as I bang it into shape.

For info, I use a Blue Yeti Stereo mic. I have some acoustic foam panels in a warddrobe, but it's nowhere near my computer so i record into my iPad (which also shows my script) using the app Ferrite.

I then use Audacity to process the audio. I run a bunch of filters on it (noise reduction, compression, bass and treble) and then go to work removing breaths, mouth noise, and mistakes. It's long, arduous, you can't listen to music or watch TV while you do it. This is when i start to question my life choices.

Step 6 - Edit!

Ah, this is better. It's still long and arduous but at least I can have some fun and listen to music.

So I lay the recorded vocal track down into a Premiere timeline. And then it's just a case of finding the right video to match the things I say.

I start by filling in all of the bits that need very specific footage. In my videos, I want to have it where about 70-80% of the time, the thing I'm showing is directly related to the thing I'm talking about. It's a pain (and often involves scouring through footage for the perfect shot, or recording extra footage), but otherwise what's the point of making a video?

I very rarely do this in a linear process. I jump around, doing some tricky bits and then some easy bits for a while.

For Donkey Kong, I filled in all of the levels first. so i went to the section on Scorch 'n' Torch and plopped down all the relevant footage. Then maybe Fruity Factory, then the New Super Mario Bros level, and so on.

Then I'll fill in the gaps (where I'm talking about things in general) with more generic footage.

Then I'll think about motion graphics (if they are absolutely crucial, like a Boss Keys graph, then this will happen much earlier in the edit). There wasn't much in this episode - just the level names, some stuff where I showed 2 or 4 games on screen at once, some backgrounds for the retro non-widescreen games, the Donkey Kong tie transition, etc.

Music often comes last. Sadly Nintendo has not released the soundtrack for this game so I had to nab it all off YouTube.

Step 7 - The rest

Before I finish, I mute my voice audio and any sound effects and watch through to make sure the background music is all the same volume. Then I export.

I'll then watch back and take notes on things I don't like (maybe the music is still too loud in one section. Maybe a transition is a bit too quick. Maybe some footage looks wrong. Maybe I forgot to unmute my voice track (Whoops)).

I'll then upload and, if it's a Nintendo video, wait until the automated copyright claim comes in... yep, there it is!

In the first version of this video, Mario music played normally during the section on Lemmy's Swingback Castle. And YouTube's copyright-sniffing robot picked it up.

If I kept it like that, the video would have ads all over it - and the money would go directly to Nintendo. That's no good. One, I don't want ads. Two, I already send way too much money to Nintendo as it is.

So I made the music go double speed during the fast-forward effect, and trick the robot. It actually sounds better in the end! So I upload that, wait again for a copyright claim and... nope, it's all good. 

Finally I design a thumbnail, write the description, upload and tweak the subtitles, and post it on Patreon! 

The end! Time to move onto the next one (I'm on Step 3 of the next video today!)

Let me know if you have any questions about any part of the process.