avatarMark Ellis

Summary

An aspiring YouTuber has decided to document their journey from zero subscribers, emphasizing authentic content creation and experimentation over gear and technical perfection.

Abstract

The author of the article is embarking on a YouTube journey starting from scratch with no subscribers, except for themselves and a cousin. They are uncertain about the outcome but are prepared for the channel to either succeed, fail, or achieve moderate success. The creator has set strict yet unconventional rules for their "diary" videos, prioritizing content over production quality and gear. They are using the channel as a testing ground for content strategies while acknowledging that hard work and luck play significant roles in success. The creator's focus is on finding their niche and voice, rather than relying on high-end equipment, and they invite others to join them on this journey.

Opinions

  • The author believes that success on YouTube is not guaranteed and is unlikely to be a "get-rich-quick" scenario, despite many such stories on Medium.
  • They value the process of content creation and the potential for personal growth, similar to starting their own business.
  • The creator is consciously breaking traditional YouTube success rules to focus on content quality and brand development.
  • They admit to a past obsession with gear but now prioritize content and audience engagement over technical specifications.
  • The author is pragmatic about their current gear limitations, using them as a learning experience rather than a barrier to content creation.
  • They acknowledge the importance of audio quality over video resolution and are currently using minimal equipment to ensure content is both watchable and listenable.
  • The creator is excited about the potential of their YouTube channel and is open to the organic growth and development of their online presence.

Why I Decided to Document My YouTube Journey

One day this will be my kingdom. Possibly.

I’m starting a YouTube channel, and I’ve decided to show what happens when you start from literally nothing.

Zero. Not one single subscriber.

Well, that’s not exactly true; at the time of writing, I have two. One is my cousin, the other is me.

I haven’t got a clue what’s going to happen

I genuinely don’t know how this is going to turn out. My YouTube channel will do one of three things:

  1. Work.
  2. Fail.
  3. Sort of work.

By ‘sort of work’ I mean grab a few hundred subscribers and a few thousand hours’ watch time. If I’m lucky. And, if that’s what happens after all the effort, strategising, research and testing I’m undertaking, I’ll be cool with it.

This isn’t a free bus ride. Despite the ridiculous number of get-rich-quick stories you’ll find on Medium, I have absolutely no expectation for this to be one of them. You see, I’ve been around the block a bit, and I know that stuff is largely bullshit.

Hard work nets you a decent income that enables you to buy the stuff you want to buy and keep a roof above your head. Luck and being in the right place at the right time takes you further than that.

No, if this YouTube channel either fails or only ‘sort of works’, I’m totally cool with it. That’s because it’ll simply mean I haven’t found the right niche yet or that I’ve got something wrong.

This excites me, big time, and reminds me of how I started my business. I had no idea how that would turn out, either. It started as a copywriting endeavour and moulded into something far more interesting and diverse.

So, who knows what lies ahead?

I’ve set myself some strict rules

The diary videos I’m shooting are governed by some simple rules. They are:

  • unscripted;
  • quickly edited;
  • contain limited b-roll (if any);
  • random and unfocused in terms of content;
  • inconsistent (I haven’t put together a publishing schedule for them); and
  • recorded when and wherever inspiration strikes.

Basically, I’m breaking every rule in the ‘How to Succeed on YouTube’ rulebook. And I know that, because I’m studying the subject deeply while I build the channel.

These diary videos are a window into what I’m doing for anyone who’s interested, but, selfishly, they’re essentially a test bed. I want to test out thumbnail performance, gently develop the way each video is branded and find my voice.

If you’re starting a channel, I’d recommend doing the same — it’s fun.

Why I don’t give two hoots about the gear I’m using

This is very unlike me.

If I’m honest, it’s an issue that has prevented me from getting anywhere with my YouTube channel in the past.

Gear.

I love it. I’ve spent far too much on it. I’m always buying new stuff without fully considering its ability to provide a decent return on investment. I sometimes, regrettably, value gear above the quality of the content.

However, when it comes to these diary videos, I’ve promised myself that gear won’t get in the way. It’s why, in episode one, I’m filming myself in my kitchen with a tiny fill light as the key light and a daft reliance on ever-changing natural light flooding in from the window to my right.

As a result, it’s garbage, technically. Look — you can even see the light ‘rig’ in the reflection on the oven door.

The second episode is shot in my soon-to-be studio. I forgot to check the aperture on this one and as a result, it isn’t wide enough. Combine that with a hastily rigged-up ring light for the key and equal ignorance about the ISO, and it’s a shade on the dark side.

And then there’s the camera. For anyone who’s interested, I’m shooting these diary videos on my beloved Sony A7Sii with Sony’s take on a ‘nifty fifty’ 50mm prime lens. It’s a beast of a camera in low light and has a wonderful tone that’s a joy to colour grade. But it has dreadful autofocus. It’s why it’s forever hunting in my videos and why I can’t rely on it to refocus correctly if I want to show something to the camera other than my face.

There’s no flippy-around-screen, which means I have to mount a huge monitor on the top of it to see how tired I look. The battery performance is also dreadful, and if I attach the constant power supply to it instead, it adds a horrendous hum to my mic.

It is, quite simply, one of the worst choices for solo YouTube filmmaking.

Lastly, audio. Anyone who knows anything about video knows that audio is far more important than the image quality. Shoot in 8K 10bit RAW in an immaculately lit room and it will matter not a jot if your audio is terrible; people won’t watch your hard work. I’m an audio geek and have been since about the age of 12. But these videos are recorded on a cheapo lav mic, and the only post-processing is a bottom end roll-off to cut out any boom.

I’ve hankered after a Canon C200 for a while now, and I’d love to go the way of an off-camera shotgun mic. I’d also like a better key light. But investing in that gear now wouldn’t make any sense at all — particularly with the videography arm of my business currently on hold due to… well, you know what.

However, the speed with which I’ve managed to get those first two episodes produced and somehow make them watchable and listenable (I’m talking technically, here — I’ll let you be the judge of the content) has taught me that I really do need to peg myself back a bit, gear-wise, until the time is right. No one cares; it’s the content that matters.

Follow me — it’ll be a laugh

This week, I’m hoping to finalise the channel branding and shoot episode 3 of the diary (if inspiration strikes). If you fancy joining me on my journey, or if you’re at the same stage as me in terms of your own YouTube journey, jump on my channel and hit that subscribe button.

Seriously — what’s the worst that could happen?

Join my mailing list here.

This article includes affiliate links for which I may earn a commission.

YouTube
Creative Process
Creators
Influencer Marketing
Behind The Scenes
Recommended from ReadMedium