What is the best way to do a DIY video.

[NothingToDoCrew]

Hi guys, i didn't want my channel to be a DIY channel, but we make a lot of really unique things for my videos and most of my comments are "how did you build this". So i have been making a few DIY videos and i am really struggling on how i put them together. Here is kind of the 3 formats i have used, which do you think is the best?

Show & Tell-- Basically i build something start to finish, then i watch the video and add voice commentary in places i need to explain something.

Say then do-- This method i say what the next step is, then i do it.

Point & Present-- This method i build something start to finish, then i put the thing on the table and i walk the viewers through the steps. This time i fast forward through the footage, but in the upper right corner of the screen is a video of me explaining what i'm doing and gesturing what i am doing.

So which one do you think is the better of the 3? Can anyone recommend any good DIY youtube channels that i could watch to see which techniques they are using??

Thanks!!

 

[Kate's Adventures]

I don't really watch DIY videos myself so I can't really advise on who does them best, but if it's anything like a makeup tutorial (in the way that you're talking through what you're doing to camera), I have a slightly different technique from the ones above.
I film what I'm doing but I do it at a slower pace than I would if no one were watching me. As I do everything, I talk through what I'm doing. I suppose this is similar to the technique you've called "say then do" but I don't try to stop very often to explain the next step. That way, the video keeps a steady pace.
I suppose it's personal preference really, different things work for different people.

 

[CrazyPUA]

Second one, I kind of like DIY where I see step by step while the person is building whatever it is.

 

[Munchito696]

Hi guys, i didn't want my channel to be a DIY channel, but we make a lot of really unique things for my videos and most of my comments are "how did you build this". So i have been making a few DIY videos and i am really struggling on how i put them together. Here is kind of the 3 formats i have used, which do you think is the best?

Show & Tell-- Basically i build something start to finish, then i watch the video and add voice commentary in places i need to explain something.

Say then do-- This method i say what the next step is, then i do it.

Point & Present-- This method i build something start to finish, then i put the thing on the table and i walk the viewers through the steps. This time i fast forward through the footage, but in the upper right corner of the screen is a video of me explaining what i'm doing and gesturing what i am doing.

So which one do you think is the better of the 3? Can anyone recommend any good DIY youtube channels that i could watch to see which techniques they are using??

Thanks!!

The best way to do a DIY video is to do it yourself...

 

[xingcat]

I think it depends on what you're making? Is that too wishy-washy? Some things you really can speed through...look at all those "Tasty" videos that are all over Facebook. If you have the ingredients list, you don't have to watch someone actually going through every step, so fast-forward works. (This is why my own cooking videos feature puppets...otherwise, it can get boring, LOL.) Some things are way better with a full explanation in real-time, like all the beauty channels which show someone putting on makeup or doing hair and talking it through. Your point & explain may work really well for building things, though I think about things like "This Old House," where you see a few steps here and there, but the folks assume that the viewers have enough knowledge that a table will stand on legs, the legs need to be level, etc.

 

[NothingToDoCrew]

I don't really watch DIY videos myself so I can't really advise on who does them best, but if it's anything like a makeup tutorial (in the way that you're talking through what you're doing to camera), I have a slightly different technique from the ones above.
I film what I'm doing but I do it at a slower pace than I would if no one were watching me. As I do everything, I talk through what I'm doing. I suppose this is similar to the technique you've called "say then do" but I don't try to stop very often to explain the next step. That way, the video keeps a steady pace.
I suppose it's personal preference really, different things work for different people.

That makes sense, i guess FLOW is what i was asking about. Your videos are real easy to watch, but i have a hard time figuring out how much should i explain each step then end up with a super long video.[DOUBLEPOST=1456326993,1456326965][/DOUBLEPOST]

The best way to do a DIY video is to do it yourself...

makes sense[DOUBLEPOST=1456327149][/DOUBLEPOST]

I think it depends on what you're making? Is that too wishy-washy? Some things you really can speed through...look at all those "Tasty" videos that are all over Facebook. If you have the ingredients list, you don't have to watch someone actually going through every step, so fast-forward works. (This is why my own cooking videos feature puppets...otherwise, it can get boring, LOL.) Some things are way better with a full explanation in real-time, like all the beauty channels which show someone putting on makeup or doing hair and talking it through. Your point & explain may work really well for building things, though I think about things like "This Old House," where you see a few steps here and there, but the folks assume that the viewers have enough knowledge that a table will stand on legs, the legs need to be level, etc.

I just had an epiphany...If someone is going to click and sit through a whole DIY video, then they probably have some pretty good building skills. I haven't been thinking about who might watch this video enough and i think i over explain everything like i am trying to teach my grandma how to do it

 

[Kate's Adventures]

That makes sense, i guess FLOW is what i was asking about. Your videos are real easy to watch, but i have a hard time figuring out how much should i explain each step then end up with a super long video.

If in doubt, explain too much and you can always edit it down later if it's making the video too long. I deliberately film a bit of me doing the action I'm trying to explain (without talking) so I can use those clips as cutaways. They can then be used to speed up the pace of the video or to cover up jump cuts.
If you do decide to do this though, avoid phrases like "as I mentioned before" because if you need to remove the clip where you mentioned it before, this won't make sense. Alternatively film yourself saying things twice so you have options.

 

[projectorgaming]

Don't over estimate that anyone taking the time to watch your video in it's entirety already is very skilled. They probably aren't, which is why they are watching the video. I frequently watch DIY's, and it is only ever stuff I have no clue about, otherwise why would I watch someone doing what I already know how to. I prefer ones like this, although it can depend on the subject. Let's say your watching a diy on how to build a simple table. I'd go through say the first step, screwing this leg into the top, and go through the measurements, etc, fully explaining it all for that 1 corner. There is obviously 3 other corners, but since you just showed them what to do, fast forward the other 3 and just say something like repeat this step to other 3 sides.[DOUBLEPOST=1456371693,1456371560][/DOUBLEPOST]You could also do the whole thing in its entirety and not fast forward, but I would probably put in some annotations after each step that lets them quickly skip to the next thing if they don't want to watch 3 corners get built after they already saw you do the first one.[DOUBLEPOST=1456371931][/DOUBLEPOST]I'd honestly just experiement with different methods and see where your view count is the highest, or what people comment on it. It's honestly too vast a subject to really nail down 1 method that everyone will like, because even the same person may have a different preference based on the DIY subject. If i was watching a diy vid on building a table, i'd probably want it sort of how I mentioned earlier. However if it was a diy on how to clean your computer of viruses or something like that, I'd probably want to watch the whole thing with no fast forwarding. On another note, if you don't have a wireless mic I'd recommend doing voice overs after. I did some pond diy stuff a while back and I used the on camera mic, and the sound quality turned out terrible since I was moving around a lot doing stuff. Just things to consider.

 

[CrystalD]

The first two are both good options - I personally prefer DIYs where the person is building the thing while describing it, so you can build along with them if you want to. Then showing the finished product at the end and leaving a call to action or something like that.

 

[NothingToDoCrew]

The first two are both good options - I personally prefer DIYs where the person is building the thing while describing it, so you can build along with them if you want to. Then showing the finished product at the end and leaving a call to action or something like that.

Thats hard for me, because i have to build outside or in the garage and i live next to an airport and a highway so it's noisy as heck. Even recording in the house can be tough, luckily i have a fireplace wall in one room that seriously helps. I just finished the video and i'm going to upload it to yt tomorrow, maybe i'll throw it on here and see if anyone is willing to check it out and give some feedback (it's pretty long, but it's a DIY a cardboard car, so at least it's fun)