Definition of Done (DOD)

I have been struggling with making videos for some time. I feel that a video isn’t perfect, I immediately get very stressed out. I don’t know whether to refilm or not, I don’t know what to do with the existing footage.

Here is a process that I came up with when sitting with the feelings for a bit:

1. Acknowledge that part of you that feels that things are missing or could have been said better by coming up with ideas for a new video to shoot (that might be almost the same or different)
2. Feel the feelings of discomfort in feeling not perfect, slow down, nothing else is important
3. Search for what the video wants to be, just like searching for beauty in the world to paint
4. Focus on the areas that are most clear or exciting to you.
5. Paint in broad brushstrokes, you don’t need the best takes at first, just focus on laying down the footage so you can see the context of how everything relates to each other
6. Develop the video around the areas that are most clear and start to fill out the details
7. Focus on the transitions

While we are at it, maybe I can think of ideas for how I can approach filming a video:

1. Come up with a short writeup on what feels like the right flow
2. Come up with some concepts of what the shoot will look like
3. Set up the shoot and lighting
4. Do three takes, first take is a direct recitation of the script, but as the takes go on, let the video become what it wants to become

Or just do step 4 and call it a day. You don’t need a script, you don’t need a plan.

I wonder a lot sometimes on when I should make a video and when I should just restart (like in art). I think there is no right answer, but making a “mediocre” video is not for the artform of Youtube, it is because I am learning Youtube. Anything you want to learn will have many imperfect tries to succeed.