(Facecam) Is this a good idea?

[Zack Wellman]

So, I've recently been experimenting with the use of Facecam in my videos.

I've got a heap of awesome feedback from the users of /r/letsplay and I've decided to do this instead.

Normal gaming videos, such as Let's Plays, Showcases & One-off games will have no facecam. This is to keep attention on the game, and if there's a point where the game is boring or hard, there is no 2 minute phases where I have no expressions on my face.

When it comes to horror games; shockers and other games that have high-reaction rates, facecam will be on.
That way you can see my fear, hilarity and other shenanigans.

Is this a good way to go about this?

 

[MattyGreen]

So, I've recently been experimenting with the use of Facecam in my videos.

I've got a heap of awesome feedback from the users of /r/letsplay and I've decided to do this instead.

Normal gaming videos, such as Let's Plays, Showcases & One-off games will have no facecam. This is to keep attention on the game, and if there's a point where the game is boring or hard, there is no 2 minute phases where I have no expressions on my face.

When it comes to horror games; shockers and other games that have high-reaction rates, facecam will be on.
That way you can see my fear, hilarity and other shenanigans.

Is this a good way to go about this?

Yeah seems like a good idea. Facecam is good for when people are watching for your reaction rather than focusing on the gameplay. So when you think your reaction to the game is more entertaining than the game itself put on the facecam. Stuff like scary games or sports games when you're against someone are good facecam games in my opinion.

 

[GooseBoots]

I think you're on the right track. It really boils down to the question: Will adding a facecam add to or detract from the audience experience for this game? Add? Go for it! Detract? Ditch it. Your audience will likely understand why you're using it when you do, and why you're not when you don't - and will appreciate it either way.

 

[Zack Wellman]

I think you're on the right track. It really boils down to the question: Will adding a facecam add to or detract from the audience experience for this game? Add? Go for it! Detract? Ditch it. Your audience will likely understand why you're using it when you do, and why you're not when you don't - and will appreciate it either way.

Well I've just started a Let's Play of the RPG "Darkest Dungeon", and I believe that all attention should be focused on the in order for the audience to not only help me play the game better, but for them to properly understand and enjoy the games premise.

 

[GooseBoots]

Well I've just started a Let's Play of the RPG "Darkest Dungeon", and I believe that all attention should be focused on the in order for the audience to not only help me play the game better, but for them to properly understand and enjoy the games premise.

Right - makes perfect sense.

I could actually see that particular game going either way, though. As I'm sure you're aware, the game can be a bit like desperate hooker - it'll screw you real fast and real hard, and is usually pretty cheap. For that reason, a facecam could be good for capturing that "what just happened" expression.

If you have the option of recording them separately, you could get the best of both worlds. You could show only the game up until the moment some bullshittery happens, at which point you cut to a full screen of your expression, and then cut back to the game. There may be episodes you never use what you've recorded from the facecam, but you'd always have access to it if you wanted to inter-cut some reactions into the episode. Certainly not something I'd try with every game, and something you'd wanna use tastefully, but it's something to consider.

 

[Zack Wellman]

Right - makes perfect sense.

I could actually see that particular game going either way, though. As I'm sure you're aware, the game can be a bit like desperate hooker - it'll screw you real fast and real hard, and is usually pretty cheap. For that reason, a facecam could be good for capturing that "what just happened" expression.

If you have the option of recording them separately, you could get the best of both worlds. You could show only the game up until the moment some bullshittery happens, at which point you cut to a full screen of your expression, and then cut back to the game. There may be episodes you never use what you've recorded from the facecam, but you'd always have access to it if you wanted to inter-cut some reactions into the episode. Certainly not something I'd try with every game, and something you'd wanna use tastefully, but it's something to consider.

I might experiment with that; yeah.

Not a bad idea, thanks for that! ;D

 

[PineappleRocket]

So, I've recently been experimenting with the use of Facecam in my videos.

I've got a heap of awesome feedback from the users of /r/letsplay and I've decided to do this instead.

Normal gaming videos, such as Let's Plays, Showcases & One-off games will have no facecam. This is to keep attention on the game, and if there's a point where the game is boring or hard, there is no 2 minute phases where I have no expressions on my face.

When it comes to horror games; shockers and other games that have high-reaction rates, facecam will be on.
That way you can see my fear, hilarity and other shenanigans.

Is this a good way to go about this?

Personally, I find facecams to be an overdone trend, but for horror games they make sense. I'd also say for lets plays they make sense. Honestly, I find channels that have facecams on half of videos and none on the other to be slightly confusing, as you grow used to one style or the other. So find the style you like, and stick with it. In the end, your channel is about you!

 

[Zack Wellman]

Personally, I find facecams to be an overdone trend, but for horror games they make sense. I'd also say for lets plays they make sense. Honestly, I find channels that have facecams on half of videos and none on the other to be slightly confusing, as you grow used to one style or the other. So find the style you like, and stick with it. In the end, your channel is about you!

Yeah, I've spent ages working on it without Facecam. Might just leave it at voice entirely, much easier to capture attention through that then distracting the audience with over-reactive emotions

 

[PineappleRocket]

Yeah, I've spent ages working on it without Facecam. Might just leave it at voice entirely, much easier to capture attention through that then distracting the audience with over-reactive emotions

But hey! If you think its a good idea then definitely go for it! I just watched your video on "Poof". You have good video quality, and if you keep the facecam I'd suggest moving the angle of it, and maybe scaling down the size of the facecam window a bit. It kinda takes up a bit of the game.

Also! I'm trying to do some written reviews on game, and I've been interested in Poof, is it worth picking up or it did it lose it's fun factor as you progressed?

 

[Zack Wellman]

But hey! If you think its a good idea then definitely go for it! I just watched your video on "Poof". You have good video quality, and if you keep the facecam I'd suggest moving the angle of it, and maybe scaling down the size of the facecam window a bit. It kinda takes up a bit of the game.

Also! I'm trying to do some written reviews on game, and I've been interested in Poof, is it worth picking up or it did it lose it's fun factor as you progressed?

Poof is pretty good; but yeah, I kinda stopped enjoying it after the second or third death. The gameplay is great, but a checkpoint system after major grabs (the golden egg, for example) would be great.