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:
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)
Feel the feelings of discomfort in feeling not perfect, slow down, nothing else is important
Search for what the video wants to be, just like searching for beauty in the world to paint
Focus on the areas that are most clear or exciting to you.
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
Develop the video around the areas that are most clear and start to fill out the details
Focus on the transitions
While we are at it, maybe I can think of ideas for how I can approach filming a video:
Come up with a short writeup on what feels like the right flow
Come up with some concepts of what the shoot will look like
Set up the shoot and lighting
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.
Tai chi class was very interesting. I had a thought when the instructor was answering a question by one of the students. They were asking whether or not the movement called the “whip” was supposed to have a whipping motion. The instructor told him that as a beginner you always want to go slow. She also said that she teaches with words.
I was thinking that I can apply this Tai Chi mentality to some of the things that I work really hard to do such as work or Valorant or content creation.
Some thoughts I want to try out:
Do things really slow and relaxed. Speed up if its easier, but as soon as it gets hard, go slower and more relaxed.
Focus on the kinks, uncomfortable parts and keep working them out (my thoughts, not usually used in tai chi)
Speed up when it feels really easy
Speak aloud what you are doing, in order to be more intentional
Follow a predetermined routine
What I want to try for my LinkedIn 50 days of posts: