My YouTube Video Process
I started creating videos on YouTube in 2018, but for the longest time creating videos felt incredibly daunting. I didn’t have a great process and every video felt like I had to move mountains. The result was that in 2022 I felt burnt out. I wanted to create, but I dreaded sitting in front of the camera, taking hours to edit, and re-watching myself multiple times. I also encountered the same frustrating issues frequently: I spoke too fast, which made it hard to make good cuts; sometimes I’d be fully out of focus, or there would be some noise in the background, or I’d forget to take pictures for my thumbnails. It was very messy and unproductive, and I’d find myself going back and forth trying to fix things that wouldn’t even be a problem if I had taken more time to plan out in advance.
So this year, I decided to take some time to improve my video creation process. That way, not only each video would follow a similar structure but I’d also follow a step-by-step process to avoid some of those issues and be able to scale my production in the future.
TLDR
Create the script
Come up with an idea
SEO research
Outline video
Write script
Plan out shots
Record
Record talking head and b-rolls (record everything twice)
Create motion graphics
Get thumbnail shot
Edit
First pass: rough cuts
Second pass: b-rolls and motion graphics
Third pass: color correction, music and overlays
Fourth pass: review and export
Post
Create thumbnail
Write SEO optimized description, add video to playlist, add in cards and end screen
Write first comment
Share on community and social media
Step 1: the script
The first step in creating a video is to come with a script. But before I can even start drafting it, I have to come up with an idea. Ideas usually come naturally to me as I go about my day, learn something new, see what people have been commenting on my videos and social media, or observe what is currently trending on YouTube.
I’ve learned that there are 2 kinds of videos: searchable videos that attract new people to my channel and non-searchable videos that will cement my relationship with existing subscribers. An example of a searchable video would be “how to draw a face” vs. a non-searchable would be “reviewing my old art” or “studio vlog”. One of them is a common search term on YouTube and another isn’t, so I try to strive for a balance between those two different types of videos.
After coming up with an idea, I want to distill this idea into something useful. What is the point of the video? Is it to inspire, to be entertaining, or perhaps to be educational? This will set the mood for the video (including b-rolls, transitions, and music) as well as guide my script.
Then, I’ll use the “Keyword Explorer” feature on the Tube Buddy plug in to figure out potential titles for my video. For searchable videos, I want titles to have high unweighted scores, which means that there are high search demand with low competition for those keywords. I’ll also try to optimize my non-researchable videos, but those will usually rely more on a strong thumbnail than a good title.
From there, I will start brainstorming the structure of my videos. I create notes of things I want to discuss, as well as a quick outline of the video. I usually want my videos to have 3 parts or main points. Anything over that becomes convoluted and could potentially be split into multiple videos. For example, if I’m creating a tutorial for how to draw a face, I could split it into “the basic structure of a face”, then move on to “how to simplify the face” and finish with “how to create facial expressions”.
At the same time, I’m also browsing YouTube for similar videos to check which ones catch my eye and which ones have performed well. I try not to watch too many so that my video can unique, but I want to understand how I can make my video stand out, both in terms of thumbnail as well as shots and structure. While outlining the video, I’ll sometimes use Chat GPT to brainstorm new points and see if there’s anything else I haven’t considered adding to my video.
After all this prep work, I’ll take the time to write my script. Having an outline makes this process significantly easier as I just need to expand on my ideas. When I first started making videos, I didn’t use scripts, but I now find them helpful to avoid getting lost in thoughts and to make sure I can hit all my main talking points in a structured way. Writing scripts takes a few days as I think about the video and reiterate on my ideas. Another tool I like to use while writing scripts are speech-to-text websites, that allow me to write in a more conversational and natural tone.
Finally, I review my script and color code it according to shot types. I have 3 types of shots: talking head (that’s me, facing the camera), b-rolls (process videos, or anything else that I need to record myself), and motion graphics (moving text and images that I make through Canva). Color coding the script is a great way to optimize my time because I can work on any of the shots separately rather than record the whole video in sequence.
A note: creating long-form videos take a while, so I try to optimize them as much as possible. I’m currently attempting to make at least one short video from each long form video I create as well as a related Instagram post and/or blog post. So while I’m working on the outline and the script, I’m also looking for sections of the video to explore in a different format.
Step 2: the recording session
The next step is to record. As I mentioned above, I split my videos into 3 types of shots: talking heads, b-rolls, and motion graphics. I can work on them in any order, but I try to create both talking heads and b-rolls on the same recording session.
Before recording, I need to setup the stage: makeup, outfit, clean teeth, lighting, and microphone need all to be in place. I usually start the recording process with the talking head since that is the main part of my video. I’ve learned to always record my talking heads twice so that I can avoid being out of focus and can have an easier time cutting the video while editing. I record my videos using the Canon G7X Mark II and record my audio separately with a Blue microphone.
When recording my talking heads, I also take a few minutes to pose for the thumbnails.
After recording my talking head, I move on to recording my b-rolls. For those, the more, the better. I’m still working on creating a b-roll library, but for now, I record new footage for each video (I’m not very organized when it comes to my digital files). While recording b-rolls, I try to take the same footage from a couple of different angles so that I can make the video more interesting.
Finally, I create motion graphics. I use Canva’s video tool to make simple animations to add in text or images to my videos. While this does take a bit more time than just placing the images straight into my timeline when editing, I think it looks much cuter.
A note: when recording my video, I also take a moment to record the short video related to it. Having all the recording taking place in one day makes life easier later on.
Step 3: the endless editing
Now is when the magic happens! Editing is a tedious job, but I found ways to make it a bit more consistent so I don’t bore myself out of my mind.
I start editing by placing all my talking head shots into place. I go through the video once to make all the cuts. Then I go through the video a second time to add in my b-rolls and motion graphics (sometimes I’m working on those while editing, so I’ll add in a placeholder image to visualize how long the animations should be in the timeline). Then I go through the video a third time to add in any overlay text, color correct the footage, and add in music and sound effects. The fourth time is usually the last pass to watch the whole thing before exporting. While editing, I’m constantly analyzing the content: does it make sense? Am I missing anything? Is it engaging? If not, how can I make it more engaging?
Another important piece I’m adding to my content lately is a summary at the end of the video highlighting my main points. I find these helpful specially in educational content and the added bonus is that they make videos longer which helps with watch hours (aka, more $). In the summary, I’ll also try to share a good learning resource if applicable and lead people to other videos or content. This helps in the long term as my library of content grows.
I edit my videos on the iPad Pro using Lumafusion and use the website Hello Thematic for copyright-free songs.
Step 4: the publishing and optimization
Now the hardest parts are done! After the video is created, it’s time to publish it. For that, I need to create the thumbnail (I use Canva and Procreate for that) and add in SEO lingo on the video description. I also add in cards and an end screen and make sure to add every video to an existing playlist on the channel.
After hitting publish, I’ll immediately share the new video on Instagram and the YouTube community page. I’ll also watch the video and add in the first comment, which tends to be a final thought or question related to the content. Basically anything to start off a discussion in the comment section and generate engagement.
The first hours of a video are often the most important, so if I have already created my related content (short video, IG post, blog post), I’ll post them throughout the week to redirect traffic to the video. A trick I’ve been using lately is to switch out the thumbnail of the video a few days or weeks after posting to attract new viewers that for some reason are hesitant to watch it.
And that’s my process on how to create YouTube videos!
It’s not easy, but it’s always rewarding to see the positive response I get on the channel. Depending on how a video performs, I’ll make a note to create a follow up video or expand on an idea. I also like thinking of videos in terms of series so that the work becomes easier to scale.
I hope this article is helpful! Good luck creating videos and please reach out with any questions.
