Inspiration vs Ripping off content

[J-Hill]

Hey,

I have been on YouTube a while and very rarely do I feel inspired to do stuff via the works of other people.

However recently I started a vlog inspired by many different creators including neistat, I didn't want to copy him but sometimes I would use techniques I learnt by watching his work.

In my most recent of these I got a few comments stating I was ripping neistat off. Now this was never my intent it was just from my mind.

How do you know when you are being inspired and when you are just copying ?

 

[Farley Productions]

That's a good question that I sometimes end up asking myself too.
In my opinion if you take the style/context of their video and change it around to make it your own then it is not copying. Where as if you just try to make the same exact video in the same exact way and even copy how the guy speaks, edits, where he goes in his videos, music, etc...then I would call that copying. Which I don't think you are doing in the slightest.

Back when I was active on my gaming channel I didn't know how to commentate on my gameplay videos and would sometimes act similar to someone I watched on Youtube every day. One day a person commented and told me how "similar" I sound to this other guy. It got me thinking and I noticed just how similar I was speaking. So I stopped watching my favorite Youtuber at the time to try to find my own way to commentate and entertain and become my own person. Which has worked very effectively today. Cause I would never want to be the exact same as someone else.

Not sure if that helps but I hope it does. =]
Have a good day.

 

[babyteeth4]

It is a good question. On one hand you want to keep your original voice, on the other hand there are trends that your viewers may want to see your perspective on. Stylistically I'd say it's okay to imitate whatever you think makes your video look and sound good, after all most video imitates old film and television to some degree. I think some imitation is unavoidable, but you should always be working on your own original voice as well.

 

[TheDutchTexan]

I am inspired by many YouTubers. And the format I now have is directly influenced by ThatDudeInBlue and big on tv car shows such as Top Gear. I don't think anyone can be 100% original anymore. Copying content in my book is a literal copy or verbatim. You literally take someones words and make them your own. I always try to be myself, and not get influenced by others. If something is the same or similar, you know it was because of the same thought process. Not because you watched a video and copy what he said.

 

[J-Hill]

All these replys are great! And they're really helpful, I am glad people don't think I am ripping people off. I do have to work to find my own style in the influence but that will come with time I suppose!

 

[Gaijillionaire]

Nothing is truly original

For me, I've said many times that I don't watch anything on YouTube that is produced for it. the reason being that even if you try to be original you still subconsciously add in things you're influenced by. And to stay on my own track I don't look at what else is out there. I should say that it did bother me once and I tried to a make a video similar to someone No one said I was copying but I didn't like the end product because it felt like it was someone else and not me in the video. Anyway that's how I do it. And at the very least when you stay blind you can truthfully say you never heard of em