Allow me to gaze upon your channel...
- Thread starter Klink
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Klink
I've Got It
@ClairePlays
Spot on! Definitely improved and now you have a nice, clean and consistent brand for your channel. All you need now is content.
@Insane Ninja Zombie
In terms of channel branding I'm a little lost for words. Normally I'd mention that you keep your brand consistent - one typeface/font, 1-2 colours and throw in a nice, striking logo - however your inconsistency IS your consistency. All of your fonts/typefaces in all of your thumbnails are completely different and are all treated in different visual styles. That similarity is also expressed in your logo but to be fair, credit where credit is due, you've kept that one logo throughout all of your major design elements; channel header, avatar, thumbnails and even logo sting. To be honest there's not much more I can add.
In terms of your content I can hear that your audio is getting better with every video you make. That's good to hear so keep it up. If you haven't already, save up some cash and invest in a USB condenser microphone and pop-filter for that added professionalism. Also keep in mind to mix your audio so that your vocals are relatively loud compared to the game sounds and that any additional sound bites you add don't exceed your vocal volume.
I honestly can't give you any further advice. Minecraft is definitely popular which in theory should result in high view counts, however it is an aging game. Will Minecraft still remain popular months down the line? Should you put all of your eggs into one basket? I honestly couldn't tell you. At this point all you really need to do is keep uploading content on a regular schedule and see what happens.
@Picture~Perfect
Your branding is simple yet solid and perfectly consistent. Well done with that! I have absolutely no further advice or suggestions relating to branding design.
Content wise what you need to do is work on your audio. I can tell you're using a headset mic as your audio peaks quite often and thus distorts quite a bit. If at all possible, save up some money and invest in a high quality condenser microphone to give you cleaner, more professional sounding audio.
Overall what you have now is quite impressive. Work on your audio and your channel should do fine. Best of luck!
Spot on! Definitely improved and now you have a nice, clean and consistent brand for your channel. All you need now is content.
@Insane Ninja Zombie
In terms of channel branding I'm a little lost for words. Normally I'd mention that you keep your brand consistent - one typeface/font, 1-2 colours and throw in a nice, striking logo - however your inconsistency IS your consistency. All of your fonts/typefaces in all of your thumbnails are completely different and are all treated in different visual styles. That similarity is also expressed in your logo but to be fair, credit where credit is due, you've kept that one logo throughout all of your major design elements; channel header, avatar, thumbnails and even logo sting. To be honest there's not much more I can add.
In terms of your content I can hear that your audio is getting better with every video you make. That's good to hear so keep it up. If you haven't already, save up some cash and invest in a USB condenser microphone and pop-filter for that added professionalism. Also keep in mind to mix your audio so that your vocals are relatively loud compared to the game sounds and that any additional sound bites you add don't exceed your vocal volume.
I honestly can't give you any further advice. Minecraft is definitely popular which in theory should result in high view counts, however it is an aging game. Will Minecraft still remain popular months down the line? Should you put all of your eggs into one basket? I honestly couldn't tell you. At this point all you really need to do is keep uploading content on a regular schedule and see what happens.
@Picture~Perfect
Your branding is simple yet solid and perfectly consistent. Well done with that! I have absolutely no further advice or suggestions relating to branding design.
Content wise what you need to do is work on your audio. I can tell you're using a headset mic as your audio peaks quite often and thus distorts quite a bit. If at all possible, save up some money and invest in a high quality condenser microphone to give you cleaner, more professional sounding audio.
Overall what you have now is quite impressive. Work on your audio and your channel should do fine. Best of luck!
Occasional Vlog
I've Got It
We've only just started and could do with some feedback on how we're doing, unlike most here we're just a simple vlog channel and not a fancy gaming channel so I don't know if it's your cup of tea. Look forward to hearing what you have to say.
Willy_Ville
Member
I'd like some feedback 
It's been a month since I've officially started.
It's been a month since I've officially started.
ComradeSupreme
Liking YTtalk
Hey! I'd like some feedback on my channel as well! I just started maybe a little more than a month ago so I'd like to know how it so far. Thanks!
Bomber Brigade
I've Got It
I would absolutely love some advice on how to improve my channel if you have the time please look at mine
Klink
I've Got It
@Occasional Vlog
Don't worry about not being a fancy gaming channel. As the first post in this thread stated:
"There are no stirct guidelines. Your channel can be about anything, target any demographic and be of any size. I'll offer my constructive criticisms regarding content, branding, art or technical issues."
The idea behind your channel is quite interesting. There have been several in this thread in a very similar fashion but not one entirely dedicated to the lives of an entire family. What you have so far content wise is pretty darn good and it helps that the quality of your videos are in 1080p 60 frames per second.
Normally I would recommend microphones but in this instance I can't. Using microphones means having to set some time aside to prepare the microphones for use in an external recorder, placing them on the talent (each family member) and having to set the individual gains. Having all of this extra equipment wouldn't be feasible for you to carry around since a lot of your content is unplanned and for the most part run-and-gun.
What you can do to improve your overall video quality is spending a bit more time on the editing. Let's look at "Picking up the new Car" as an example. When the music kicks in (let's call it the introduction to all your videos), instead of speeding up the footage what you can do is cut to footage of what's in front of you, what's to your side, close ups of the kids in the back etc. It's called 'B-Roll' footage and is basically just additional or supplemental footage you can edit into your videos to make them more lively. Additionally, you can time the cuts to b-roll in time with the text changing on screen instead of using transitions. The transitions you have now are servicable but look cheap and aren't really necessary for your content.
In terms of your branding it's a little inconsistent. Your channel avatar and header use one font/typeface style but your thumbnails and text within the videos themselves use something completely different. The style of font/typeface you've got in your avatar and header is quite grundgy and evokes something not in line with your content, which is supposed to be family friendly. A little channel overhaul is neccessary.
Start with the text in your videos and thumbnails. I've seen that exact same font and treatment (yellow gradient) used quite frequently in other videos so what you should do is find something that is unique to your channel while still being easy to read. Perhaps something handwritten to fit the family friendly theme? There are a number of free font site you can check out like this one (I'm linking to their 'handwritten' section): http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=603
For your logo, definitely make it bold, striking and while different to your thumbnail/video text, keep it within the same family friendly theme. Also think about bright, warm colours you could use; yellows, oranges, reds, lilacs etc.
That's all I've got for you so far. You're not doing too bad for 2 months worth of work. Keep at it and you'll do quite well!
@Willy_Ville
Right off the bat I love your channel branding, from the choice of font, simple logo and the grey colour scheme. It's definitely simple but sometimes that's all you really ever need. Well done, however you should think about implementing your logo somewhere within your thumbnails. At the moment, your current thumbnail design can be easily confused with the millions of Minecraft videos on YouTube.
To be honest I can't really offer much advice to you. You've got a decent quality microphone, your editing is pretty spot on and your content is really well put together. If I do have any suggestion it's to try and branch out from Minecraft and find other games to create machinima videos. There was another user in this thread by the name of @ehmaysi who does GTAV videos which you should check out and take inspiration from. You can find his content here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7nv8LSYAaEAcNsEAZnEINA
Your channel definitely has potential and you've clearly shown quite a bit of skill in your videos. Keep creating videos, learn from your competition and try to be the absolute best you can be. Good luck!
@Willyghee
Your logo and channel header is pretty well designed and it's a shame that design doesn't carry over into your thumbnails or the videos themselves. A consistent branding is everything. Think about incorporating the 'W' logo into one of the corners of your thumbnails.
In terms the direction of your channel, I don't exactly know what it is you want to do. Your first few videos are all gaming related while your later ones are all vlog style videos and skits. Your channel is still young so you have more than enough time to nail down the direction you want to take your channel. Make sure that your brand reflects whatever it is you decide.
You should think about saving up some cash and investing in a high quality condenser microphone and pop-filter for your voice over clips, or a lavalier/lapel microphone for your on-camera work. Either option will give your videos higher quality, cleaner audio instead of relying on the cameras' audio.
Unfortunately that's all I've got with my critique on your channel. Make sure you think long and hard about where you want to take your channel and keep a regular upload schedule. Good luck!
@ComradeSupreme
Your channel beanding needs a complete overhaul. Yes, the image you're using in your channel header is consistent with your channel name but you're most likely using that image without credit, acknowledgement or permission from the original artist. Your branding should be unique to your channel. Additionally, the yellow and red colour scheme from your channel avatar and header (which makes perfect sense given the name of your channel) is not being implemented at all in your thumbnails. Consistency is key here.
In terms of your content, I recommend you save up some money and invest in a high quality condenser microphone for your voice overs. The microphone you're using now is low quality and sounds incredibly cheap. It's a shame since the quality of your video editing is great.
Your channel is young so you've got more than enough time to improve. Take my suggestions into consideration and keep creating content.
@Bomber Brigade
Content wise you need a better microphone. The one you're using is servicable but sounds incredibly cheap, as I can hear a lot of background noise seeping into your audio recording. If at all possible, save up some cash and invest in a condenser microphone to help give clearer, cleaner, more professional sounding audio.
In terms of channel branding it's all over the place; you've got Bomberman art with standard text with a rainbow gradient for your avatar, a nice looking artistic image for your header and none of either are featured or hinted at in your thumbnails or videos. Your channel needs a consistent branding. Think about colours, fonts/typefaces you can use and more importantly try to think about and design a logo that is unique to your channel. Check out this website for inspiration: https://logopond.com
That's pretty much it. You've been doing this for about a year and you're showing no signs of slowing down which is good to see. Work on your audio, work on your branding and your channel will grow.
Don't worry about not being a fancy gaming channel. As the first post in this thread stated:
"There are no stirct guidelines. Your channel can be about anything, target any demographic and be of any size. I'll offer my constructive criticisms regarding content, branding, art or technical issues."
The idea behind your channel is quite interesting. There have been several in this thread in a very similar fashion but not one entirely dedicated to the lives of an entire family. What you have so far content wise is pretty darn good and it helps that the quality of your videos are in 1080p 60 frames per second.
Normally I would recommend microphones but in this instance I can't. Using microphones means having to set some time aside to prepare the microphones for use in an external recorder, placing them on the talent (each family member) and having to set the individual gains. Having all of this extra equipment wouldn't be feasible for you to carry around since a lot of your content is unplanned and for the most part run-and-gun.
What you can do to improve your overall video quality is spending a bit more time on the editing. Let's look at "Picking up the new Car" as an example. When the music kicks in (let's call it the introduction to all your videos), instead of speeding up the footage what you can do is cut to footage of what's in front of you, what's to your side, close ups of the kids in the back etc. It's called 'B-Roll' footage and is basically just additional or supplemental footage you can edit into your videos to make them more lively. Additionally, you can time the cuts to b-roll in time with the text changing on screen instead of using transitions. The transitions you have now are servicable but look cheap and aren't really necessary for your content.
In terms of your branding it's a little inconsistent. Your channel avatar and header use one font/typeface style but your thumbnails and text within the videos themselves use something completely different. The style of font/typeface you've got in your avatar and header is quite grundgy and evokes something not in line with your content, which is supposed to be family friendly. A little channel overhaul is neccessary.
Start with the text in your videos and thumbnails. I've seen that exact same font and treatment (yellow gradient) used quite frequently in other videos so what you should do is find something that is unique to your channel while still being easy to read. Perhaps something handwritten to fit the family friendly theme? There are a number of free font site you can check out like this one (I'm linking to their 'handwritten' section): http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=603
For your logo, definitely make it bold, striking and while different to your thumbnail/video text, keep it within the same family friendly theme. Also think about bright, warm colours you could use; yellows, oranges, reds, lilacs etc.
That's all I've got for you so far. You're not doing too bad for 2 months worth of work. Keep at it and you'll do quite well!
@Willy_Ville
Right off the bat I love your channel branding, from the choice of font, simple logo and the grey colour scheme. It's definitely simple but sometimes that's all you really ever need. Well done, however you should think about implementing your logo somewhere within your thumbnails. At the moment, your current thumbnail design can be easily confused with the millions of Minecraft videos on YouTube.
To be honest I can't really offer much advice to you. You've got a decent quality microphone, your editing is pretty spot on and your content is really well put together. If I do have any suggestion it's to try and branch out from Minecraft and find other games to create machinima videos. There was another user in this thread by the name of @ehmaysi who does GTAV videos which you should check out and take inspiration from. You can find his content here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7nv8LSYAaEAcNsEAZnEINA
Your channel definitely has potential and you've clearly shown quite a bit of skill in your videos. Keep creating videos, learn from your competition and try to be the absolute best you can be. Good luck!
@Willyghee
Your logo and channel header is pretty well designed and it's a shame that design doesn't carry over into your thumbnails or the videos themselves. A consistent branding is everything. Think about incorporating the 'W' logo into one of the corners of your thumbnails.
In terms the direction of your channel, I don't exactly know what it is you want to do. Your first few videos are all gaming related while your later ones are all vlog style videos and skits. Your channel is still young so you have more than enough time to nail down the direction you want to take your channel. Make sure that your brand reflects whatever it is you decide.
You should think about saving up some cash and investing in a high quality condenser microphone and pop-filter for your voice over clips, or a lavalier/lapel microphone for your on-camera work. Either option will give your videos higher quality, cleaner audio instead of relying on the cameras' audio.
Unfortunately that's all I've got with my critique on your channel. Make sure you think long and hard about where you want to take your channel and keep a regular upload schedule. Good luck!
@ComradeSupreme
Your channel beanding needs a complete overhaul. Yes, the image you're using in your channel header is consistent with your channel name but you're most likely using that image without credit, acknowledgement or permission from the original artist. Your branding should be unique to your channel. Additionally, the yellow and red colour scheme from your channel avatar and header (which makes perfect sense given the name of your channel) is not being implemented at all in your thumbnails. Consistency is key here.
In terms of your content, I recommend you save up some money and invest in a high quality condenser microphone for your voice overs. The microphone you're using now is low quality and sounds incredibly cheap. It's a shame since the quality of your video editing is great.
Your channel is young so you've got more than enough time to improve. Take my suggestions into consideration and keep creating content.
@Bomber Brigade
Content wise you need a better microphone. The one you're using is servicable but sounds incredibly cheap, as I can hear a lot of background noise seeping into your audio recording. If at all possible, save up some cash and invest in a condenser microphone to help give clearer, cleaner, more professional sounding audio.
In terms of channel branding it's all over the place; you've got Bomberman art with standard text with a rainbow gradient for your avatar, a nice looking artistic image for your header and none of either are featured or hinted at in your thumbnails or videos. Your channel needs a consistent branding. Think about colours, fonts/typefaces you can use and more importantly try to think about and design a logo that is unique to your channel. Check out this website for inspiration: https://logopond.com
That's pretty much it. You've been doing this for about a year and you're showing no signs of slowing down which is good to see. Work on your audio, work on your branding and your channel will grow.
Occasional Vlog
I've Got It
@Klink
Thanks for the comments, truly awesome job you did there, and has given us plenty to think about and action, we do however have a question about how we are progressing forward.
In the last couple of days we have added a daily vlog section to the channel (identified by it's own playlist, title and episode numbering) which Elizabeth is videoing and editing, and is posted the next day. The occasional event/activity vlogs will continue too, which I am responsible for co-videoing, editing and posting at some date after the event. Our question is should we be concerned about the two slightly different types of videos co-existing on the same channel, or is the greater access to our lives an asset.
Keep up the good work, you should be hired by YouTube as a YouTube Creator Advocate.
Cheers Paul & Elizabeth
Thanks for the comments, truly awesome job you did there, and has given us plenty to think about and action, we do however have a question about how we are progressing forward.
In the last couple of days we have added a daily vlog section to the channel (identified by it's own playlist, title and episode numbering) which Elizabeth is videoing and editing, and is posted the next day. The occasional event/activity vlogs will continue too, which I am responsible for co-videoing, editing and posting at some date after the event. Our question is should we be concerned about the two slightly different types of videos co-existing on the same channel, or is the greater access to our lives an asset.
Keep up the good work, you should be hired by YouTube as a YouTube Creator Advocate.
Cheers Paul & Elizabeth
Klink
I've Got It
@Occasional Vlog
Having the two different playlists (or 'shows' if you want to think about it in another way) won't hurt your channel, as you're giving your potential viewers more content to look forward to. What you should do is make sure that both 'shows' have their own unique brand/look to differentiate between the two. At the moment it's a bit hard to tell as both 'shows' use the exact same text style.
Cheers for the kind words although you give me way too much credit. I'm only offering my advice based on my design/advertising experience and education. If I had millions of subscribers and views then you might be on to something.
Having the two different playlists (or 'shows' if you want to think about it in another way) won't hurt your channel, as you're giving your potential viewers more content to look forward to. What you should do is make sure that both 'shows' have their own unique brand/look to differentiate between the two. At the moment it's a bit hard to tell as both 'shows' use the exact same text style.
Cheers for the kind words although you give me way too much credit. I'm only offering my advice based on my design/advertising experience and education. If I had millions of subscribers and views then you might be on to something.
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