Posting a variety of videos on food, gaming, makeup and life in general, YouTube has become a large part of social media. YouTube is a platform of tutorials, advice and other ways to escape from the real world. It is a place for people to be creative and break out of their shells.
But what people rarely consider is how much time and effort goes into making content, myself included. So, out of curiosity, I decided to try putting the “you” in YouTube. I wanted to know exactly how much time gets put into videos while being a full-time college student.
The process was rough, especially when coming up with the first video. It takes a lot of creativity to come up with something that’s different from what is typically seen, yet still fun to watch. It was also extremely difficult to find the time to sit down and film.
The next step was to prepare the video and set up for it. I used a phone tripod and my iPhone 6s to record the video. I figured I would start with something basic, where the guidelines are, for the most part, set out already–a “What’s in My Backpack” video.
I set up my phone and started recording; I’d never felt more awkward in my life. I kept having to stop to think of what to say or to fix my hair. And hearing it back was awful, because I hate the sound of my voice.
I barely made it through the whole video, and editing is a whole other thing. In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to post the video, but I still want to try again.
After stressing out about the video, I began to wonder how so many people make their videos. I decided to reach out to YouTuber Hailen May for an interview for advice and information on making content.
With almost 8,000 subscribers, Hailen May started making videos about two years ago while she was enrolled at Bishop’s University in Quebec, Canada.
May has described herself as extremely introverted and shy. She started making videos because she “wanted to be more extroverted and grow more confident.”
Hailen May started off vlogging on her iPhone’s front camera. She admits that it was very awkward at first. She did not have any editing software starting out and had to learn everything from scratch.
This year, she started using an HD camera–a Canon Rebel T3i and then a Canon Rebel T6i. She also uses Filmora to edit her videos. Her set up for videos has changed a lot as well. She went from just a light, a camera and a makeshift tripod, to using a whole setup.
She estimates that most videos can take at least 10 hours to render and edit,and some take up to 20 hours. Preparing for a video takes about 2 hours, and she films about one to four videos a day.
YouTube has opened up many opportunities for May, one of which includes being part of a TV series called Socially Not Disturbed.
She tries to motivate as many people as she can. She advises people to keep trying and be persistent.
“In the end, it will turn out wonderful as long as you work at it,” Hailen May says.