haha, that's a perfectly acceptable approach (c.f. almost all of my work til last year). Sometimes you just can't find physical media as well- one of my fave movies has never had a UK release- and then you don't really have any other option (alas. please someone release nice blu-rays of Taiwanese New Wave movies plz)
no worries, glad you enjoyed. your content looks very good, very specific and consistent- both great attributes. good luck with the ongoing improvement in recording and writing!
@@Indietrixyeah just keep doing these quality videos and the fans will poor in inevetibally.However,you must not give up on your dreams. Might i ask to branch out more if you'd like anime or video games eventually you'll double your viewers. if you'd ask my opinion try doing a jojo video essay like sniper eyepatch wolf other than that keep up the good work
thanks for the feedback bud! i'm happy just focusing on films for now, although there might be some video game content in the future as i'm pretty interested in how storytelling in that medium is developing.
Wow, I really like your style of teaching. I recently shifted the focus of my channel to include video essays and found your channel shortly thereafter. I appreciate this three-part series you took the time to create in providing detailed information on how to write, make, and edit video essays-it's spot on!
For me, the footage is the most straightforward process, as I just updated my VHS capturing setup to a Dazzle DVC100 and using Virtualdub to upscale the footage to 1080p60. Yeah, it's VHS quality, but it's still better than nothing! I have a pretty cheap microphone, but the sound quality isn't that bad! To me, as long as the audience can understand what's being said, that's the most important! Plus I just started using Davinci Resolve, which, from what I have heard, has some neat audio editing tricks up its sleeve!
Cool! There is also some impressive upscaling capability in DaVinci Resolve, although a) can’t remember if it’s free and b) it’s very processing intensive
I used to write out talking points, memorise and deliver those + improvise a bit. It took forever and wasn’t that reliable! Now I use a teleprompter for most of this stuff (reviews a little less, and plenty of other bits of content are unscripted). Teleprompter is good, but takes a bit of practice and you have to be mindful of your delivery- easy to look a bit dead behind the eyes!
This was great-thanks very much. I honestly only have one question…over the years, I’ve heard some RU-vid creators that make video essays about movies and television talk about getting copyright strikes or having to take their videos down by RU-vid or having other people or companies “claim” their videos, causing the creator to lose potential money from ads placed on their videos. I was just curious, how do you go about navigating all of that in the video essay/movie critique and commentary space on RU-vid? Do you worry one day your hard work and content will simply be removed? Or that you channel might get taken down? Or that you won’t be able to be monetize your hard work because a person or company says you’re using their intellectual property? Or do you feel a lot of this talk/worry is really just overhyped and it’s not as big of an issue as it seems? Just curious about your opinion. I’d like to start and give it all a try, but I always worried about the uncertainty when it comes to this particular issue. I can’t quite tell if it’s genuinely a problem that’s always looming over RU-vid creators and/or giving them constant headaches…or if it’s much ado about nothing?
RU-vid is always changing its copyright system, and almost never in favour of creators. A lot of spurious claims are made, almost always for the maximum period of time allowed before being dropped. I regularly have claims on content that is very clearly fair use/fair dealing, such as trailer excerpts. This happens even when I was actually granted screener access by the copyright holders! Bots just don't care. One good change YT made a few years back is that for the period your video is in dispute, the money is directed to escrow, meaning whichever party ends up winning the dispute gets the earnings from that period. As it happens, monetization is a pretty poor income stream for RU-vid, so it doesn't matter to me that much anyway. So while it's annoying, it's not the end of the world, and I've never had a full copyright strike. It is important to have the limits of fair use/dealing in mind when editing- always make sure your use is limited and editorially justified. I have a template document to argue my case regarding fair use/fair dealing, and it's almost always successful. I have only once re-edited a video (for the famously litigious rightsholders of Battlefield Earth), and only a few times escalated to a higher level (where you have to prepare basically a timestamped document arguing the use of each clip). Long story short, I hope this doesn't dissuade you. It's annoying, but a minor part of my RU-vid / video essay experience.
@@Indietrix Wow, first off, thanks for taking the time to write in-depth about the whole process. I appreciate it. I'm curious...so when you say you sometimes get "claims on content," you're saying that is completely different than a "full copyright strike?" Also, when a claim on content is made, you're saying that you then have to either wait for RU-vid to decide on who was in the "right"...and in some cases (perhaps rare cases, admittedly), may have to argue your case on fair use directly to RU-vid? Sort of like how a PayPal dispute works? Just curious about the process of it all, as I always see so many video essays on RU-vid but never get a full picture on what creators go through behind the scenes. I'm definitely not dissuaded to make video essays. I'm just interested in knowing what I could be in for. I agree that I would never rely on RU-vid for full income. At the same time, I admit I would be disappointed to work on a video essay for three months only to have someone swoop in at the last minute to claim "credit" for it, and in turn, snatch any revenue my video may earn in the future.
Hey,great video, I wanted to know whether you write something like an A/V script too so you know what footage to put at the exact timestamp what edit you would want there, or do you just come up with what to put there on the go while editing
hey, thanks! I talk about this a bit more in the video before this one, about writing scripts, but yes- i do sometimes use a visual script, although I tend not to be timecode specific except for important sequences or very small shots I'm likely to miss while scrubbing back through. It's a taste thing though- I'd rather take the time in the edit instead of making super deep notes, and some people like it just the opposite way around.
Quick question what if I want to make a video about a film on Netflix or any other streaming Service? How could I get that footage? Thank u so much man this video had a lot of info I needed🙏
Hey, good question! I have never captured from Netflix so couldn't say for sure. You could possibly use a capture card or streaming box to capture the footage, although I'm pretty sure there'll be strong copy protection either on your computer or the footage source (PS4 has this for instance). Not quite sure how you get around that, but pretty sure it's a major violation of end user agreement anyway!
@@connyjules2317 If you're on windows 10, if you press windows key+g there's a menu that pops up that lets you record your desktop. I've had this work for some streaming services, but not sure about any violations too.
Be careful with Netflix stuff, they blocked every video I’ve made worldwide that uses footage from them for 3 weeks. It’s extremely irritating. The only ones they haven’t blocked were when I just used images.
Random question! I make video essays and I'm looking for a way to record portions of movies I own in iTunes for my videos. Obviously, Apple has preventative measures to prevent this from happening. But I wanted to check with people smarter than me to see if there is a way around this? Again, I "own" the movies on iTunes and it's just for my use. All I want to do is take a clip here and there for my video essays but cannot for the life of me figure out how to do it! Any help would be appreciated! Thanks man! :)
Thanks! Actually while making this video I had to go and learn more about post-production for audio to match the two different mics used (a lav mic in the to-camera shots and my Yeti mic for voiceover). If you're editing in Premiere, the Essential Audio tab already has some pretty good presets; mostly you can get by adjusting those to suit the tone of your voice. If I do a follow-up to these videos I will go into more detail on this!
While I would never do this, if someone screen recorded footage and kept it under 5-6 seconds per clip will that person still get a copyright claim? Thanks for your help!
If I am trying to do more education/informative videos, I'm finding it hard to find resources on how to go about getting and using video clips of specific things like interviews of people or a company or product. How do I go about getting these clips and using them? I see a lot of channels doing it but cant figure it out. I'm familiar with fair use, and don't want to just use unrelated stock footage. Any advice?
If you're looking for specific videos like a named person doing an interview about a subject, that should be pretty well covered under fair use (assuming your use is justified and the subject discussed in the interview is relevant to your video/argument). You can use RU-vid downloading services for this (I used Y2mate but it can be a bit hit and miss depending on the settings of individual videos). If you mean footage of people doing more general things, like model or stock footage, it's worth looking at a range of stock video sites- free ones include Pexels, Videvo, Videezy. It can also be surprisingly affordable on a subscription basis, although I'm not sure how much more choice that would give you; I use Soundstripe for music sometimes which is both pretty cheap and seems to have a good variety of footage.
yeah, i buy them! b/c most movies are on netflix/amazon i can usually watch them before purchase to make sure they are right for the essay, and making notes then speeds up the process once i get the physical copy. second hand places are good for cheaper media and often have a wider selection than amazon or wherever you get blu-rays (as they will have movies that are no longer in print)
Thank you so much for taking the time to do these videos. One quick question: Can I buy or rent footage from RU-vid and download it or record it? I'm good at writing and editing audio, but it's just the footage part that's stopping me from creating my video.
to be as safe as possible legally, you should own a copy of the film. some video essayists do use screen recording and downloading software to cover streaming films, but I don't so can't help you there.
@@Indietrix I appreciate your help any way 🙂 I'm sure I'll figure it out. I mean, there are plenty of video essays out there that have manage to analyse streaming services
Thank you so much for this series! I'm currently working on my first video which mentions a specific production of Shakespeare's Hamlet. The only available footage of this production is on RU-vid. I've been planning to use a screen recording in order to show that footage, but was wondering if there might be a better, more reliable, solution? Thank you!
no worries, glad you enjoyed it! You might be able to use an online converter to make that recording into a usable editing format- i use y2mate for instance. However, quite a lot of videos have restrictions on them that means this isn't possible; in these cases, I'd use your screen recording solution.
Hey! I wanted to ask if the essay is not about film and the the shots have to be actually captured. What comes first, the written material for the voice over or the shots we need to capture?
Both ways are valid! Some essayists like to capture footage and then craft argument after; some like to write and then plan shots (an AV script as outlined in this video works well for that). Personally, I find the former a longer process with a longer output, but often more conversational; the scripted approach means a tighter final product but can be overly rigid. It’s up to you and your preferred working style.
You could use a capture device or screen-recording software, although there are hitches with both and the legality of it is more questionable because you don't own any of the media you're recording.
I use an external blu-ray/DVD drive to read the disc- I got a pretty cheap, generic one branded as 'Coolead', but there are plenty online. Check the reviews before purchasing!
Indietrix Film Reviews Thank you! I think I found one where one of the reviewers said they could upload their movies so I will go ahead with that one! Are there any good free alternatives to MakeMKV that you know of?
MakeMKV is basically the only Mac software that does this as far as I know- I've not had a Windows computer for years so couldn't recommend anything else, sorry!
@@fllicksick you could always reach out to rightsholders, but tbh i'd be surprised if you even get an email back, let alone a yes. If you are making a video essay you can argue for the ability to use footage from films/tv/games under 'fair use' (or 'fair dealing' if you're in the UK). This essentially allows you to use footage in certain contexts, like education or criticism. RU-vid explains it well here: ru-vid.compolicies/copyright/#yt-copyright-four-factors The thing to remember with this is that it is a *legal defense*, not a cut-and-dry blanket permission to use copyrighted material. Make sure your use is justified and limited, and you should be fine!
Hi there! If I wanted to make youtube essays on reality TV shows where it's mostly me talking to a camera (Much like how you are in this video) but I cut to short clips (like contestant confessionals, or competition challenge moments) very briefly, are those usually protected via copywrite claims? An example of this might be me explaining an absurd scenario in Survivor where I explain that a contestant is upset about his birthday, then i'd cut to a clip of the show where that player is bitching about his birthday, then i'd cut back to me where I carry on in my review/analysis of the show. Are these types of editing tricks normally protected? Do clips need to be under a certain length?
So all use of someone else’s work will always be protected by copyright, but in this instance if your clips are presented for critical context (you’re reacting to them or using them to illustrate a point about the work), then you can argue for fair use/fair dealing protection. I’d say about 70% of my essay videos get flagged for copyright claims, and in almost every case contesting them works in my favour. I don’t use any editing tricks etc, but plenty do.
yeah that's totally a viable strategy! I use Y2Mate to download RU-vid content where it's needed. You will have to search a bit more to find suitable clips. News can be a bit hard to find and is often only accessible through paid licensing for older clips, but you can have some luck- I used news/awards footage for this essay: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-BkDCP2ptoIM.html
yes, probably! and this will also happen if you use ripped sources like dvd/bluray. You can contest it, but if they don't block the video and just take the revenue, I often let it slide. if it's any consolation, you will probably not make enough money off YT advertising to really worry about that anyway. (huh, now that I've typed that out, it doesn't seem like consolation at all).
If I’m sourcing from a trailer on RU-vid or whatever, would I put it through the same application you mentioned to make the footage palatable to work with?
Edit them out! You can cut out a breath from the voiceover, but my advice is to leave the gap where it is- otherwise the pacing of a voiceover can sound very rushed. You can use room tone, basically a recording of the sound of the room/mic with nothing else happening, and lay that underneath so that people can't hear the gaps. This isn't necessary if you are using music, but I sometimes do it anyway.
@@Indietrix thanks for that. I just noticed that like myself, you have a mix of Shout and Arrow blu rays which are different region lockings and i just wanted to confirm you use that drive for both types.
I plan on making a video covering the new (heavily flawed) Disney+ exclusive The Book of Boba Fett. Obviously, a physical copy would be impossible for some time, do you have any recommendations on the best way to secure all the footage I need??
Can you please fill me in on whether you can, exclusively, use movie clips in a video essay? I'm editing and I have my voiceover covering all the footage, and the clips are wildly out of sequence. However, I don't wish to cut to stills or anything similar-I just want to stick to the film footage itself. Can I do that on RU-vid without issue?
hey- yes you definitely can do that, although you may get a copyright claim (which you can appeal). Be careful to use only the clips you need, with a specific reason to use each clip (to explain a critical point, for instance); if you're using the film consistently for critical commentary, your edits substantively change the film, and your end product couldn't be used as a replacement for the experience of watching the film itself, then you *should* be okay. This has some good additional information: cmsimpact.org/code/code-best-practices-fair-use-online-video/#one
Handbrake is used to rip DVDs, but for legal reasons doesn't come packaged with the stuff needed to actually neutralise copy protection. However, installing that stuff is very easy and widely available info online. Otherwise, I'm pretty sure MakeMKV can rip straight from DVD; you could then convert that to an easier format for editing in Handbrake. good luck!
Any tips of reading a script and you suddenly messed it up. Do i need to re do the voice over again from scratch? Sorry this might be a dumb question XD
i do that all the time! i usually run my recording for as long as i need to get things right- including dealing with unfamiliar pronunciations, long sentences and emotional moments. Then I edited the voiceover to pick out the best bits and get rid of the rest. If your voiceover environment is nice and quiet, you should be able to do this without the gaps being too noticeable; you can also run a 'room tone' recording (this is a few minutes worth of complete silence recorded by your mic) underneath to cover the gaps.
I mean, obviously you shouldn't pirate movies, and if you were to use footage from pirated movies, it would a) show a disregard for the filmmakers you're discussing, and b) could be used as proof that you pirated movies, so... don't! DVDs are cheap as is the equipment to rip them for essays- I say go the honest route.
hey! i'm a film video essayist, so i can only speak with expertise about this area. In the first video in this series, I explain as much, although I think lots of this would apply to tv and video game essayists as well. That said, I think the voiceover, scripting and editing advice I offer is broadly applicable. In terms of sourcing footage, I'd assume that you rely on stock footage and motion graphics? I have literally no knowledge about the latter beyond basic text stuff, but for stock footage I rely on Pexels, Videvo, and Videezy. Internet Archive also has some good stuff, and even surprisingly has some content scanned direct from 35mm, which is fun for historical projects. Just be sure to check the licenses as always!
I can only speak on film essays because that’s my speciality - but for sure there are many other topics covered by video essays! I think creators like Defunctland, Game Maker’s Toolkit, and Philosophy Tube all have good examples of different topics in video essay format.
