I'm going to post these here, and provide a link to this blog entry on my main channel, to save some space in my channel description. I should also be able to provide more detailed responses to the questions.
If you have a question you feel is frequently asked, and is missing, feel free to suggest it. If you need clarification on any of my responses, just ask.
Thanks.
---
1) What programs do I use?
* Sony Vegas 7.0 (For all videos before and including In the End)
* Sony Vegas 8.0 Pro (For all recent and future videos)
* FRAPS (High quality, full screen recording)
* Hypercam (For recording quick scenes, that I may not need, such as quests)
* Audacity (I do any audio editing, such as voices, here)
* Adobe Photoshop CS3 (Most, if not all, my edited images are made through this)
2) Can I add you?
The answer is no, for many reasons. For one, I do not even have enough space to add all of my real friends, those who I talk to often and do activities with. But perhaps more importantly is that I probably do not even know you. It's rough when someone you may know so well doesn't even know who you are, but unfortunately, I can't seek to find out the names of everyone who watches my videos, speaking with them, and getting to know them. It's just beyond my capacity.
Some have asked me why I can't free up some space to add them, since surely I have at least 1 person who isn't on anymore. Again, I probably don't know you. I'm not going to remove someone I do know for someone I don't. Think about how the person I removed would feel if they came back and found out? Or better yet, imagine if you've been my friend for some time, and I remove you in place of someone I didn't know? It's just too unreasonable. So with great dismay, no, I cannot add you. Please do not ask and make me look like a bad guy by turning you down, because it is not done to hurt any feelings.
3) Can you be in one of my videos?
This is one I get a lot, and I know it seems like a reasonable request by those asking. However, I don't just create my videos with just any random people. In fact, my videos typically always focus simply on me and my character, and a good number of clips don't have any other characters in them except myself. Those who I do have with me are typically always friends, those who I have added, and people I know I can explain directions to, knowing they'll be followed. I can't get that kind of trust with strangers, unfortunately.
The only exception to this response is when I may need a large number of people for a clip. I will generally allow anyone within the vicinity or in my clan chat to join, so long as they have what I'm looking for in a clip.
Besides that scenario, I simply cannot create a list of all the people who have asked, and go down the list seeking out their help, without even knowing if they can fulfill my needs for a given clip. So as with the previous question, please simply don't ask.
4) Can I be in one of your videos?
This one I'm a little more lenient on. But just a little. Again, if I don't know you, chances are I won't. I don't like it when people want me in their video, simply so they can have a recognized name in their cast, and get people to view it for that reason alone, and ignore the actual quality of the video.
Typically I do lend a hand for friends if they ask, and friends of friends if need be. I rarely turn down the opportunity to help out a friend in their videos. I like to be a part of their work, and to see my character represented through their editing skills. So if you're my friend, and you want to ask me to be in a clip, PLEASE DO. Also, if your friend is looking for someone to help, but doesn't have anything they need, and you know I have that requirement, don't hesitate to ask. I typically trust that my friends have good taste in friends as well, so therefore the friends of my friends are usually my friends as well.
For those asking to do an interview, this section with their answers, and the existing interviews on YouTube are more than satisfactory. There truly is no need for another. If you are simply curious about something, and want my reply, ask. However, I will not sit down with you to be asked a bunch of questions to give you popularity for having contacts with known names.
5) Can I subscribe to your channel, rate your video, comment on the video or channel, rate a video, critique your work, or feature it?
If you ask me straight up, no. I don't like it when people ask me to do something such as that, because it tells me all they're interested in is the numbers, and it coming from someone whom others may recognize. As with all the other scenarios, I don't like that. If you have good quality work, act in a professional and friendly manner, and are an active part of the community, you WILL get noticed. Then when people notice you, and find out that you reached the point you're at without any assistance or harassing others, they will be more inclined to lend a hand in getting you the recognition you deserve.
For those who may think that such a thing cannot happen, I am living proof to say otherwise.
6) What would I recommend you do to get noticed and respected in the community?
First and most importantly, don't let everything you do be in an effort to get attention and popularity. If you want to be noticed and respected, that's fine, but don't let it mean everything to you, or it will destroy you.
So with that warning said, here's what I suggest...
Quality is always more important than quantity. This applies to more than just your videos. If I find a good video on YouTube, I check out that person's channel. I check for how often they deliver that level of performance. If it's not often, and their video quality is not consistent, I will pass them up. Others will as well. We want to see great videos when they come out. Yet we don't want 20 videos that were hardly given and effort to spam our subscriptions box and make us miss those quality videos. Also, do not think that having a large number of statistics on a video or on your channel means anything at all. Again, quality over quantity. I have seen countless videos with far more views, comments, ratings, and favorites than my own, yet when I glance at the comments left, and the average rating, they prove to be very misleading. Don't let yourself be mislead.
Another piece of advice I have is to act professional yet kind, and respectful yet tough. Although YouTube is just a place for people to get together and enjoy videos, people are going to be more trustworthy that a guy with proper grammar and sentence structure will deliver quality videos than sum1 who speeks lyke this l0l, u no? It has no real affect on the quality of your videos, but it does take away from your credibility. However, this doesn't mean you can't be playful at times. Nobody likes a person who can't smile once in a while. =) Enjoy the company of your friends, and let others see the fun side of you (when it's safe to show it lol).
When interacting with people you don't know, be respectful. Comments can easily be misinterpreted, considering you can't read a person's body language over the internet to see their emotions or a hint of sarcasm in their text. Therefore, when in doubt, give them a chance to redeem themselves. NEVER go on the offensive, and try to be more crude and obnoxious than the other person. It does not help your image, and I have lost respect to many great video makers because of their lack of respect towards others. However, this doesn't mean to let others push you around. Have confidence in yourself and in what you do, and don't hesitate to object to something you disagree with.
Although those things don't really help the quality of your videos, it does make people more inclined to trust you, respect you, and want to support you on the internet. It also helps to define you as a role model towards others, and be someone they can look up to. You may never meet a person from the internet face-to-face, but they can most certainly have a very positive influence in your life and your values.
Lastly, be active! If people don't know who you are, what you're like, if you act like a regular person, or don't know if you respond to any comments, they'll quickly lose interest in you. Try to talk with people over the internet, even those you don't know. Answer questions from time to time. Let someone know when they leave a touching or funny comment that you appreciate. They're little things, but it makes you a part of the community, gets your name out there, makes the experience more enjoyable for you, and it gives you a reason to stick with it.
There are probably a million other things I can suggest, but I believe that's a good starting point. =)
7) When is my next video?
Although it may be an unusual concept to some, I do not plan out every aspect of my videos, schedule when to record them, know how I will edit them, and when it will be uploaded. Go figure.
I work on my videos as I feel the motivation to do so. I never rush them, or simply record something just to get something completed in the video. For that reason, a simple video may take me months, simply because I lack the motivation to make it.
Because of this, I NEVER have a planned upload date for a video, or even a rough time frame of it's completion. My life is far too unpredictable for me to give such estimates. I often give updates via my blogs and occassionally update videos, so if you're interested, WATCH/READ THOSE! DON'T ASK ME!
On a side note, many are concerned about the fact that I haven't created a full RSMV in over a year. Well, if they watched the video with my RSMV Compilations, they would know I've worked on a great number of projects, and have not come close to calling it quits either. So although it's been a long time between RSMVs, I have no intentions of quitting video making any time soon.
---
Questions may be added at any given time to reflect upon missed questions, or questions that have risen in their times asked. I will try to give notices of such changes, or mark newer additions in the list.
With that said, if you have any suggestions, questions, or need for clarification, simply ask and I'll provide whatever assistance I can. Thanks.
