Klink
I've Got It
Oh sh- that's a massive backlog. Alright, I've had my coffee and my banana muffin - LET'S DO THIS!
@Lightsen
Glad to see an animator doing well on YouTube. I know I hammer on about frequency on uploads but there is an exception when it comes to animation. There's a lot of work that goes into it that most people aren't aware of, even if things have gotten easier moving from drawing on traditional cells to Flash.
You understand all the principles of animation - follow through, squash/stretch, exaggeration, timing etc - so there really isn't much I can comment on in that regard. However, I have noticed that the 'squash/stretch' technique in your videos by using the transform tools in Flash makes it look really cheap. Sure, it's a quick and efficient method to doing it but you might be better off individually drawing out the squashed frames. It will be time consuming but it will definitely give more life to your animation.
Lip syncing/mouth animations could also use a bit of work. It's typically one of the harder things to do in animation but there is a trick to ease the process (which I should point out you already do). There are several pre-defined shapes you can draw to simulate certain words. It's easier to have a small mirror near your workstation to act as a reference. Say certain letters; A, B, C, D, E etc and look at the formation of your mouth. Do the same for certain phonetics too; ch, sh etc. Look at your mouth shapes and draw them out as you would see them in certain angles.
As I stated, you already do this but what you don't do, and what I learned to do years ago, was to add additional frames transitioning between those key mouth frames. Saying "How are you?" with just 3 frames of animation looks cheap. Saying "How are you?" adding in about 2-3 in between each of the keyframes makes the transitions a lot smoother and a lot more natural.
Anyway, from one animator who hasn't practiced his craft in years to another animator succeeding on YouTube, I wish you the best of luck with your channel. You've shown noticeable improvement over 9 years and I hope to see how your animations will look another 9 years from now.
@CaptainDelugo
You're consistent with your art across your channel header and thumbnails and you upload videos frequently. Fantastic to see. You're also committed to your branding which is also nice to see ("This is your Captain speaking" catchphrase). Microphone quality and audio is also really good, although I have noticed a few plosives creeping through. Invest in a pop filter and if you do own one, keep a bit of distance between your mouth and your microphone. Or add more pop filters, whatever seems more economical.
My only critisism is with the title card to your videos. Yes, it is consistent with everything with your brand but it feels cheap. Having a slow zoom on art doesn't work. You should probably think about having a very quick animation based on that art and also timed to the music you use. I'm sure there's a few animators roaming around YTTalk who would be happy with a commission. There might be one browsing this thread right now.
@Stephen Mottershead
Very nice to see a channel with tech tips and tutorials. Your logo, header, thumbnails and overall brand is fantastic. Your audio quality in your later video is also very top notch and the videos themselves are very well edited.
My only advice is to add a logo sting at the beginning of your videos to remove the few seconds of silence before you speak. You could also add an ender/end logo sting/end card to the end of the video but it's not really necessary. Other than that everything is spot on. I really hope your channel does well.
@Dimo Dimov
Try to incorporate your text styling/logo from your channel header into your avatar. While I'm normally against gradients within text, it's a slight gradient that feels natural and isn't as extreme as say a Green-to-Orange gradient. Thumbnails definitely need work and like I've already mentioned, should incorporate your branding within them. It doesn't just have to be the logo - it can be colours, the font/typeface or the treatment you give to text.
As for the content itself, it's a bit of a mixed bag. I do believe you're using copy written music which is something you shouldn't do unless you have a license or express permission from the rights holder/creator (for both your latest logo sting and for some of your videos like CS:GO - Wallbang style!).
You audio qualty is also lacking so I suggest that you save up as much as you can and invest in a USB condenser microphone and pop filter. It'll do wonders for your videos.
The logo stings (both in your earlier videos and your later ones) are decent but like with your channel art, thumbnails and avatar, it should reflect your brand somehow. Keep the font/typeface, colours and styling consistent across your entire channel.
You do upload quite frequently which is a good way to build an audience. Keep it up and if you work on the issues I've mentioned your channel will do well.
@Hypa Gaming
Your whole brand needs an overhaul. The channel art is nice but it doesn't reflect what you have in your thumbnails, avatar or your title cards/logo stings. At the moment your channel isn't telling me anything about you at all or what you channel does. Instead, it's just a mash-up of things that look great with no thought into how everything should be laid out or how those things work together. Also, definitely save up some cash and buy a condenser microphone as your audio needs serious work.
Take a moment and think about you. Who are you? What do you enjoy? What are your favourite colours? What are you like as a person? Ask yourself as many personal questions as you can and write them all down. That should be the basis of your brand and thus your channel. Do you like the colour blue? Then blue should be the primary colour that is consistent throughout all of your art. Do you enjoy sci-fi? Choose a font/typeface that looks very futuristic and incorporate the colour blue into it.
Your channel is still new so you have more than enough time to work out the issues I've mentioned. Once you get all that sorted you should see your subscriber and view count increase significantly, as it shows you're taking YouTube seriously.
@GamingBlader
Like Hypa Gaming above, there's nothing in your channel art, avatar, your entire branding that is reflective of you. You play Happy Wheels and Soccer Manager. Great! What else?
The same critiques I made for Hypa Gaming also apply to you and your channel. Invest in a decent microphone and think about consistency between your channel art, avatar, thumbnails and logo sting/title card. Branding is key to a successful YouTube channel.
@Mainlygamess
I like that you said you were going for a 'Nuclear Throne' vibe but didn't just copy the art or style verbatum. Inspiration, not copying - good job with that! Avatar and channel art are consistent which is good. Thumbnails are easy to read and you can tell what each video is going to be about.
Again my only major critique has to do with audio. The volume of your audio is fine for the most part (there are a few points where the audio peaks) and the mixing between your voice and the outro (or intro for your earlier videos) is fairly consistent. The quality of your audio isn't up to par and sounds like a traditional gaming headset mic. Invest in a decent condensor microphone for better quality audio.
A minor criticism I have is with your commentary for gameplay videos (Darkest Dungeon and Insurgency come to mind). There are a lot of points in the videos where there's just complete silence. It's a hard skill to develop since anyone who plays games concentrates intently on the game itself, however if you want to have commentary on your videos you need to learn to concentrate on the game while talking. Spend some time practicing by yourself with any game and just start talking. If you want to record it to hear how coherent your commentary is then by all means do so. Do this at least once a day and you'll start to improve immensely.
@TownCape
For your narration with your latest video, talk a little slower and enunciate a little clearer. This advice extends to all your videos as well. Do not mistake this as a jab against your accent. The key to voice acting or even just doing voice over is to be clear above all else. For reference, look at my critique and check out @Mithrill 's channel of voice acting/voice over done well. Every word is easily understood and the way they're said showcases a lot of heart, emotion and personality.
The core concept of your channel is great. Long-form videos detailing specific design principles within games is fantastic to see. Your voice above all else is what will carry this channel forward so you can't afford to be lazy with your voice. I know you're reading from a script because speaking for 15 minutes to over an hour for some videos can be draining. I'm not faulting you for that one. When reading from a script, you still need to enunciate and vocalise in such a way that it comes off natural. If you have to, take a breath, have a moment of rest, drink a glass of water and continue recording when you're ready. You can edit the audio in post to remove those breaks.
I can tell you've bought yourself a decent microphone in the later videos and it definitely helps. Along with improving your vocalisations, you need to work on your branding - channel art, thumbnails and avatar. Nothing there is unique to you or your channel. Instead of using art from The Legend of Zelda, think about creating a logo, channel art and thumbnails that are entirely reflective of you and your content.
@ReconGambit
I wouldn't call myself an expert but thank you for the compliment.
You definitely need thumbnails instead of using screenshots. The whole point of unique thumbnails isn't so much for your channel (it's still important) but to differentiate it from other videos when it automatically appears as a suggested video. Looking at your thumbnails, I can't tell that your videos belong to you or your channel. There is nothing here reflective of ReconGambit at all.
Your channel art and avatar have inconsistent fonts/typefaces. Like everything else, a successful brand is all about keeping everything consistent. If you like the font/typeface from your channel art then use that font for your avatar and your thumbnails. Speaking of your channel art and like the many critiques I've done before your channel, there is nothing that is really reflective of you or your channel. Think about a logo that is unique to you and incorporate the orange as a main colour scheme.
You need to invest in a decent microphone (based on your latest video) and you need to practice speaking before you record. You should try not to stumble in your recordings and if you do, stop, take a breath, have a drink and begin fresh. You want to sound confident, engaging and professional. Not only do you not want to stumble, you don't want to whisper into your mic and speak softly like you did in your Shadowgun Ep 4 video.
I understand you need to have a quiet house so you can't exactly be too loud. If that's the case, commentary for your channel might not be worthwhile. Overlaying midi music over gameplay doesn't work either. Think about getting some royalty free tracks (although you do have to pay for some of them) and editing your videos in time to the music. It might be what you're looking for and it's the best type of content to make given your unique circumstances.
@MichaelNoker
Nonsense, there is no priority list. I review the channels in the order I receive them. Everyone gets a fair review, even your channel.
The font/typeface you used for main heading in your channel art ("Michael Noker") is great and should be incorporated more into your thumbnails. Considering you channel is a vlog channel your thumbnails are servicable but I really think you should change the font/typeface to what you used in your channel art.
From your first video you need to work on focusing. Your camera was set with a shorter focal distance, meaning it looked fantastic when you were up close to the camera but terrible when you were sitting back. For video/film, you can generally fix most things in post (colour, editing etc) but you can never fix poor focus. I do understand that it was a one-off problem, since all of your other videos have perfect focus. Nevertheless it's important to keep in mind.
I'd also suggest getting a shotgun microphone to give you much clearer audio and to knock out the background resonance from your room. On-camera audio isn't great when you compare it to a proper, professional external microphone. Other than that, good work and good luck with your channel.
@Lightsen
Glad to see an animator doing well on YouTube. I know I hammer on about frequency on uploads but there is an exception when it comes to animation. There's a lot of work that goes into it that most people aren't aware of, even if things have gotten easier moving from drawing on traditional cells to Flash.
You understand all the principles of animation - follow through, squash/stretch, exaggeration, timing etc - so there really isn't much I can comment on in that regard. However, I have noticed that the 'squash/stretch' technique in your videos by using the transform tools in Flash makes it look really cheap. Sure, it's a quick and efficient method to doing it but you might be better off individually drawing out the squashed frames. It will be time consuming but it will definitely give more life to your animation.
Lip syncing/mouth animations could also use a bit of work. It's typically one of the harder things to do in animation but there is a trick to ease the process (which I should point out you already do). There are several pre-defined shapes you can draw to simulate certain words. It's easier to have a small mirror near your workstation to act as a reference. Say certain letters; A, B, C, D, E etc and look at the formation of your mouth. Do the same for certain phonetics too; ch, sh etc. Look at your mouth shapes and draw them out as you would see them in certain angles.
As I stated, you already do this but what you don't do, and what I learned to do years ago, was to add additional frames transitioning between those key mouth frames. Saying "How are you?" with just 3 frames of animation looks cheap. Saying "How are you?" adding in about 2-3 in between each of the keyframes makes the transitions a lot smoother and a lot more natural.
Anyway, from one animator who hasn't practiced his craft in years to another animator succeeding on YouTube, I wish you the best of luck with your channel. You've shown noticeable improvement over 9 years and I hope to see how your animations will look another 9 years from now.
@CaptainDelugo
You're consistent with your art across your channel header and thumbnails and you upload videos frequently. Fantastic to see. You're also committed to your branding which is also nice to see ("This is your Captain speaking" catchphrase). Microphone quality and audio is also really good, although I have noticed a few plosives creeping through. Invest in a pop filter and if you do own one, keep a bit of distance between your mouth and your microphone. Or add more pop filters, whatever seems more economical.
My only critisism is with the title card to your videos. Yes, it is consistent with everything with your brand but it feels cheap. Having a slow zoom on art doesn't work. You should probably think about having a very quick animation based on that art and also timed to the music you use. I'm sure there's a few animators roaming around YTTalk who would be happy with a commission. There might be one browsing this thread right now.
@Stephen Mottershead
Very nice to see a channel with tech tips and tutorials. Your logo, header, thumbnails and overall brand is fantastic. Your audio quality in your later video is also very top notch and the videos themselves are very well edited.
My only advice is to add a logo sting at the beginning of your videos to remove the few seconds of silence before you speak. You could also add an ender/end logo sting/end card to the end of the video but it's not really necessary. Other than that everything is spot on. I really hope your channel does well.
@Dimo Dimov
Try to incorporate your text styling/logo from your channel header into your avatar. While I'm normally against gradients within text, it's a slight gradient that feels natural and isn't as extreme as say a Green-to-Orange gradient. Thumbnails definitely need work and like I've already mentioned, should incorporate your branding within them. It doesn't just have to be the logo - it can be colours, the font/typeface or the treatment you give to text.
As for the content itself, it's a bit of a mixed bag. I do believe you're using copy written music which is something you shouldn't do unless you have a license or express permission from the rights holder/creator (for both your latest logo sting and for some of your videos like CS:GO - Wallbang style!).
You audio qualty is also lacking so I suggest that you save up as much as you can and invest in a USB condenser microphone and pop filter. It'll do wonders for your videos.
The logo stings (both in your earlier videos and your later ones) are decent but like with your channel art, thumbnails and avatar, it should reflect your brand somehow. Keep the font/typeface, colours and styling consistent across your entire channel.
You do upload quite frequently which is a good way to build an audience. Keep it up and if you work on the issues I've mentioned your channel will do well.
@Hypa Gaming
Your whole brand needs an overhaul. The channel art is nice but it doesn't reflect what you have in your thumbnails, avatar or your title cards/logo stings. At the moment your channel isn't telling me anything about you at all or what you channel does. Instead, it's just a mash-up of things that look great with no thought into how everything should be laid out or how those things work together. Also, definitely save up some cash and buy a condenser microphone as your audio needs serious work.
Take a moment and think about you. Who are you? What do you enjoy? What are your favourite colours? What are you like as a person? Ask yourself as many personal questions as you can and write them all down. That should be the basis of your brand and thus your channel. Do you like the colour blue? Then blue should be the primary colour that is consistent throughout all of your art. Do you enjoy sci-fi? Choose a font/typeface that looks very futuristic and incorporate the colour blue into it.
Your channel is still new so you have more than enough time to work out the issues I've mentioned. Once you get all that sorted you should see your subscriber and view count increase significantly, as it shows you're taking YouTube seriously.
@GamingBlader
Like Hypa Gaming above, there's nothing in your channel art, avatar, your entire branding that is reflective of you. You play Happy Wheels and Soccer Manager. Great! What else?
The same critiques I made for Hypa Gaming also apply to you and your channel. Invest in a decent microphone and think about consistency between your channel art, avatar, thumbnails and logo sting/title card. Branding is key to a successful YouTube channel.
@Mainlygamess
I like that you said you were going for a 'Nuclear Throne' vibe but didn't just copy the art or style verbatum. Inspiration, not copying - good job with that! Avatar and channel art are consistent which is good. Thumbnails are easy to read and you can tell what each video is going to be about.
Again my only major critique has to do with audio. The volume of your audio is fine for the most part (there are a few points where the audio peaks) and the mixing between your voice and the outro (or intro for your earlier videos) is fairly consistent. The quality of your audio isn't up to par and sounds like a traditional gaming headset mic. Invest in a decent condensor microphone for better quality audio.
A minor criticism I have is with your commentary for gameplay videos (Darkest Dungeon and Insurgency come to mind). There are a lot of points in the videos where there's just complete silence. It's a hard skill to develop since anyone who plays games concentrates intently on the game itself, however if you want to have commentary on your videos you need to learn to concentrate on the game while talking. Spend some time practicing by yourself with any game and just start talking. If you want to record it to hear how coherent your commentary is then by all means do so. Do this at least once a day and you'll start to improve immensely.
@TownCape
For your narration with your latest video, talk a little slower and enunciate a little clearer. This advice extends to all your videos as well. Do not mistake this as a jab against your accent. The key to voice acting or even just doing voice over is to be clear above all else. For reference, look at my critique and check out @Mithrill 's channel of voice acting/voice over done well. Every word is easily understood and the way they're said showcases a lot of heart, emotion and personality.
The core concept of your channel is great. Long-form videos detailing specific design principles within games is fantastic to see. Your voice above all else is what will carry this channel forward so you can't afford to be lazy with your voice. I know you're reading from a script because speaking for 15 minutes to over an hour for some videos can be draining. I'm not faulting you for that one. When reading from a script, you still need to enunciate and vocalise in such a way that it comes off natural. If you have to, take a breath, have a moment of rest, drink a glass of water and continue recording when you're ready. You can edit the audio in post to remove those breaks.
I can tell you've bought yourself a decent microphone in the later videos and it definitely helps. Along with improving your vocalisations, you need to work on your branding - channel art, thumbnails and avatar. Nothing there is unique to you or your channel. Instead of using art from The Legend of Zelda, think about creating a logo, channel art and thumbnails that are entirely reflective of you and your content.
@ReconGambit
I wouldn't call myself an expert but thank you for the compliment.
You definitely need thumbnails instead of using screenshots. The whole point of unique thumbnails isn't so much for your channel (it's still important) but to differentiate it from other videos when it automatically appears as a suggested video. Looking at your thumbnails, I can't tell that your videos belong to you or your channel. There is nothing here reflective of ReconGambit at all.
Your channel art and avatar have inconsistent fonts/typefaces. Like everything else, a successful brand is all about keeping everything consistent. If you like the font/typeface from your channel art then use that font for your avatar and your thumbnails. Speaking of your channel art and like the many critiques I've done before your channel, there is nothing that is really reflective of you or your channel. Think about a logo that is unique to you and incorporate the orange as a main colour scheme.
You need to invest in a decent microphone (based on your latest video) and you need to practice speaking before you record. You should try not to stumble in your recordings and if you do, stop, take a breath, have a drink and begin fresh. You want to sound confident, engaging and professional. Not only do you not want to stumble, you don't want to whisper into your mic and speak softly like you did in your Shadowgun Ep 4 video.
I understand you need to have a quiet house so you can't exactly be too loud. If that's the case, commentary for your channel might not be worthwhile. Overlaying midi music over gameplay doesn't work either. Think about getting some royalty free tracks (although you do have to pay for some of them) and editing your videos in time to the music. It might be what you're looking for and it's the best type of content to make given your unique circumstances.
@MichaelNoker
Nonsense, there is no priority list. I review the channels in the order I receive them. Everyone gets a fair review, even your channel.
The font/typeface you used for main heading in your channel art ("Michael Noker") is great and should be incorporated more into your thumbnails. Considering you channel is a vlog channel your thumbnails are servicable but I really think you should change the font/typeface to what you used in your channel art.
From your first video you need to work on focusing. Your camera was set with a shorter focal distance, meaning it looked fantastic when you were up close to the camera but terrible when you were sitting back. For video/film, you can generally fix most things in post (colour, editing etc) but you can never fix poor focus. I do understand that it was a one-off problem, since all of your other videos have perfect focus. Nevertheless it's important to keep in mind.
I'd also suggest getting a shotgun microphone to give you much clearer audio and to knock out the background resonance from your room. On-camera audio isn't great when you compare it to a proper, professional external microphone. Other than that, good work and good luck with your channel.
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