I'd like to offer thoughtful reviews of your channels

[CP Games]

It'd be my pleasure to give you a review. I'm intrigued by your thumbnail and title already.

Ahaha, thanks that would mean a lot :3 And yeah we do tend to have a lot of titles like that xD

 

[nikkisy]

Can you make a review of my channel if you're still doing this? I would apreciate anything to improve. Thankyou ♥

 

[TMBH]

Please go all-out on my channel. You don't have to be afraid of giving criticism .

Dear Squeal Cat’s owner,

Your channel is different from the other channels I’ve reviewed in that your channel consists entirely of you making cat sounds that vaguely follow the tunes of beloved songs. Other channels don’t do that. I was tempted to write you a goofy snarky review because you have a channel where a cat sings songs, but I’m not going to because you’ve got a good following and you’re clearly putting thought and energy into the thing.

Obviously this channel is not your life ambition, but it is fun and if you squeal long, hard, and strategically enough, you could even make a few bucks on it eventually. I see that you’ve joined a partnership network, which is cool because they let you use that awesome voice over guy in your channel video. That comes off very well by the way. It’s self-aware and does what an intro video should do: It shows viewers what to expect, and it makes people like you/laugh. You also have ridiculous thumbnails that again demonstrate self-awareness and a good sense of humor. Your growth has been really efficient even though you’ve posted relatively sparingly, and you’ve had a few videos that have really garnered a nice amount of views.

Honestly I wouldn’t change anything, because your whole concept is a tongue in cheek mockery of YouTube popularity that makes people laugh. You’re achieving that. I submit this shot of my kids watching one of your videos as evidence.



If you decide that you want to offer meaningful commentary on the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, you might want to create a separate channel, because I don’t think Squeal Cat is the right spokesperson to resolve that. Then again, it might be worth a try to do a Squeal Cat reads and comments on the news bit.

It’s fun. Good job.

Best,

Matt

 

[Squeal Cat]

Dear Squeal Cat’s owner,

Your channel is different from the other channels I’ve reviewed in that your channel consists entirely of you making cat sounds that vaguely follow the tunes of beloved songs. Other channels don’t do that. I was tempted to write you a goofy snarky review because you have a channel where a cat sings songs, but I’m not going to because you’ve got a good following and you’re clearly putting thought and energy into the thing.

Obviously this channel is not your life ambition, but it is fun and if you squeal long, hard, and strategically enough, you could even make a few bucks on it eventually. I see that you’ve joined a partnership network, which is cool because they let you use that awesome voice over guy in your channel video. That comes off very well by the way. It’s self-aware and does what an intro video should do: It shows viewers what to expect, and it makes people like you/laugh. You also have ridiculous thumbnails that again demonstrate self-awareness and a good sense of humor. Your growth has been really efficient even though you’ve posted relatively sparingly, and you’ve had a few videos that have really garnered a nice amount of views.

Honestly I wouldn’t change anything, because your whole concept is a tongue in cheek mockery of YouTube popularity that makes people laugh. You’re achieving that. I submit this shot of my kids watching one of your videos as evidence.

View attachment 28496

If you decide that you want to offer meaningful commentary on the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, you might want to create a separate channel, because I don’t think Squeal Cat is the right spokesperson to resolve that. Then again, it might be worth a try to do a Squeal Cat reads and comments on the news bit.

It’s fun. Good job.

Best,

Matt

Hello Matt,

Thank you for your extensive response. What I really do love is that shot of your kid laughing because I didn't know my videos could result in that when I started. Thank you for sharing that!

Yes, it started off as a project from marketing perspective, the idea is that a good marketeer could sell turd and make money out of it. So I tried creating some videos and tried to gain viewers with it. That went better then expected and this project kinda got out of hand. I don't think I will become rich with this but we never know.

By the way this is not the first time somebody showed my vids to kids. Maybe I should make an attempt also targeting young kids with nursery rhymes and see if that could gain traction through Youtube rankings

 

[Animazing]

I'd love every feedback I can get thank you in advance!

 

[FudgyBiscuit]

Hi, a bit of feedback on my channel/videos would be very much appreciated if you get a chance.

Thanks very much in advance!

 

[Kelkschiz]

I'm really enjoying doing these reviews and I plan to keep offering them. As I said from the outset, I'm not any kind of YouTube expert (if I was, my channel would be doing better), but I am a long-time writer and college history teacher and I've graded a lot of papers and projects with care over the years. Doing these reviews has value for me in that I learn from watching what others are doing well and poorly, and in that I get to connect with you, my peers, who are trying to solve the same riddles I am. I hope that these reviews have value for you in that I'm willing to give meaningful feedback and big-picture observations about the direction and ethos of your channels. I does take me some time to generate quality reviews and I appreciate all of your patience with me in that process.

The constant high quality of your reviews are one of the highlights for me on this forum. Although I don't have a lot of time to spend on YT at the moment, for some reason I do find the time to read through this review thread because I find it rewarding in several ways. Not in the least part to find things to improve on my own channel some day. It's also nice to see someone writing an elegant balanced review; I am intrigued by the whole feedback process.

Although you don't call yourself a youtube expert, your experience level is obviously way above the average youtuber, both on the technical side as well as on the creative side. I can imagine at some point doing these reviews will become less rewarding to you. If that should ever happen, I would like to ask you to think about making a comprehensive work that harnesses and expands on the numerous topics you discussed in your reviews.

In any case I would like to thank you for your ongoing work here.

 

[MrWapk]

The constant high quality of your reviews are one of the highlights for me on this forum. Although I don't have a lot of time to spend on YT at the moment, for some reason I do find the time to read through this review thread because I find it rewarding in several ways. Not in the least part to find things to improve on my own channel some day. It's also nice to see someone writing an elegant balanced review; I am intrigued by the whole feedback process.

Although you don't call yourself a youtube expert, your experience level is obviously way above the average youtuber, both on the technical side as well as on the creative side. I can imagine at some point doing these reviews will become less rewarding to you. If that should ever happen, I would like to ask you to think about making a comprehensive work that harnesses and expands on the numerous topics you discussed in your reviews.

In any case I would like to thank you for your ongoing work here.

I very much agree!

 

[TMBH]

Would be awesome if you could take a quick look at mine, thanks

Dear Shawn,

I’ve been away from my computer for a few days and I’d already taken an eternity in getting back to you, so I double apologize for the wait. I’ve enjoyed looking at your very young channel and I have some thoughts.

Right off the bat I see that your production value is pretty respectable for a one-month old channel. When you’re facing your natural window light in your room, you look pretty good and your background works well. When you get away from that spot though, the levels are quite a bit more erratic. Adding lighting or making sure you’re properly positioning your shoot to literally put you in the best light possible is very important because it tells people that they’re going to be watching something well put together. If the lighting sucks I’m almost always instantly out, because bad lighting tells me the effort is low, and I can simply click my mouse a couple of times and find another similar channel that looks better. I can’t stress the importance of this enough. I’m sure you’ll keep getting that dialed the longer you work on it.

Your audio is usually good enough, but getting rid of the roomy echo should be a priority.

At times I can tell you’re going for a webcam look, which is fine as an artistic choice, but it isn’t the most flattering because it distorts the edges of your image. When you’re as close to the camera as you are, that includes your head, which makes you look weird at times. I don’t know what kind of camera you’re using, but if possible, the ideal focal length for undistorted filming is 50mm. It closely imitates the human eye’s perception of reality and it makes viewers feel like they’re watching something actual. That’s important for a vlog because vlogs generally try to convey a sense of reality. This is a taste issue, but an even, undistorted 50mm shot tends to work for lots of people.

At times your eyeline (where you’re looking when you’re on camera) wanders. This makes it feel like we’re talking to someone with a lazy eye and it’s uncomfortable (no offence to people with lazy eyes). Knowing where to look when filming is important because it makes you more engaging and conveys confidence on screen. This absurdly simplistic video might help:

I like that you’re trying your hand at getting into character and mugging a little for the camera. This is something that you’ll improve at with practice. My advice here is to film, then review footage, think about what you liked and what you didn’t down to the smallest details, then film it again and repeat until you’re happy with every aspect of how you came off in your video. This matters because you’re the star of the show and the happier you feel with your presentation, the more confident you’ll feel, and the better you’ll come off. This is real and it matters. Viewers can tell whether they’re prepared to articulate it or not.

You’re trying your hand at cutting together multiple shots, and that’s good. It’s a little rough around the edges, but that’s to be expected. Better cuts and better camera position will improve the quality of your videos in a hurry. This video will help:

I like your vlog content much better than your gaming content. I know you’ve only done one gaming video, but your commentary was sparse, and the footage wasn’t dazzling enough for most people to care. It’s just not the kind of thing that people are likely to flock to, but GTA fans might watch until the end. You have enough going on in terms of personal energy and presentation that it doesn’t play to your strengths to roll video game footage. Your channel is much stronger when you’re on screen.

You mentioned in your most recent video that you’re considering messing with your format a little, and I think that’s fine. Trial and error is a good idea, and you’re not married to anything here yet.

Yours is a tough channel to review because there isn’t a ton there yet. What I see is rough at times, and also has some good moments. You’re at your best when you’re well-lit, close to the mic, and giving high-energy commentary. You’re at your weakest when it’s dark, when you’re editing between cuts, and when you aren’t confidently looking into the camera.

It looks like you’re in the experiment and figure it out stage. I think you’re making progress and I think you have good charisma on camera. Finding some wheel-house subject matter that you can keep talking about to provide value to your audience and trial and erroring through the production process learning curve should probably be your priorities right now.

I wish you all the best as you move forward.

Take care,

Matt

 

[itsseanhere]

Dear Shawn,

I’ve been away from my computer for a few days and I’d already taken an eternity in getting back to you, so I double apologize for the wait. I’ve enjoyed looking at your very young channel and I have some thoughts.

Right off the bat I see that your production value is pretty respectable for a one-month old channel. When you’re facing your natural window light in your room, you look pretty good and your background works well. When you get away from that spot though, the levels are quite a bit more erratic. Adding lighting or making sure you’re properly positioning your shoot to literally put you in the best light possible is very important because it tells people that they’re going to be watching something well put together. If the lighting sucks I’m almost always instantly out, because bad lighting tells me the effort is low, and I can simply click my mouse a couple of times and find another similar channel that looks better. I can’t stress the importance of this enough. I’m sure you’ll keep getting that dialed the longer you work on it.

Your audio is usually good enough, but getting rid of the roomy echo should be a priority.

At times I can tell you’re going for a webcam look, which is fine as an artistic choice, but it isn’t the most flattering because it distorts the edges of your image. When you’re as close to the camera as you are, that includes your head, which makes you look weird at times. I don’t know what kind of camera you’re using, but if possible, the ideal focal length for undistorted filming is 50mm. It closely imitates the human eye’s perception of reality and it makes viewers feel like they’re watching something actual. That’s important for a vlog because vlogs generally try to convey a sense of reality. This is a taste issue, but an even, undistorted 50mm shot tends to work for lots of people.

At times your eyeline (where you’re looking when you’re on camera) wanders. This makes it feel like we’re talking to someone with a lazy eye and it’s uncomfortable (no offence to people with lazy eyes). Knowing where to look when filming is important because it makes you more engaging and conveys confidence on screen. This absurdly simplistic video might help:

I like that you’re trying your hand at getting into character and mugging a little for the camera. This is something that you’ll improve at with practice. My advice here is to film, then review footage, think about what you liked and what you didn’t down to the smallest details, then film it again and repeat until you’re happy with every aspect of how you came off in your video. This matters because you’re the star of the show and the happier you feel with your presentation, the more confident you’ll feel, and the better you’ll come off. This is real and it matters. Viewers can tell whether they’re prepared to articulate it or not.

You’re trying your hand at cutting together multiple shots, and that’s good. It’s a little rough around the edges, but that’s to be expected. Better cuts and better camera position will improve the quality of your videos in a hurry. This video will help:

I like your vlog content much better than your gaming content. I know you’ve only done one gaming video, but your commentary was sparse, and the footage wasn’t dazzling enough for most people to care. It’s just not the kind of thing that people are likely to flock to, but GTA fans might watch until the end. You have enough going on in terms of personal energy and presentation that it doesn’t play to your strengths to roll video game footage. Your channel is much stronger when you’re on screen.

You mentioned in your most recent video that you’re considering messing with your format a little, and I think that’s fine. Trial and error is a good idea, and you’re not married to anything here yet.

Yours is a tough channel to review because there isn’t a ton there yet. What I see is rough at times, and also has some good moments. You’re at your best when you’re well-lit, close to the mic, and giving high-energy commentary. You’re at your weakest when it’s dark, when you’re editing between cuts, and when you aren’t confidently looking into the camera.

It looks like you’re in the experiment and figure it out stage. I think you’re making progress and I think you have good charisma on camera. Finding some wheel-house subject matter that you can keep talking about to provide value to your audience and trial and erroring through the production process learning curve should probably be your priorities right now.

I wish you all the best as you move forward.

Take care,

Matt

Thank you very much Matt, I read through all of that and will take a look at the videos shortly, that has actually shown me what I should do to make my content more better and appropriate thank you very much this has really helped Good luck with your channel aswell