It's content that counts (as if we didn't know)

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TimStannard
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It's content that counts (as if we didn't know)

Post by TimStannard »

In November 2010, I posted a short video on YouTube filmed by our then Chairman, Jeremy Holder, and edited by me.

Apart from posting on the Digital Director forum for feedback, our own club website and maybe emailing to one or two others, the film has had no marketing whatsoever.

In September 2011, the film had received 10,000 views.

It has just (September 10th, 2012) exceeded 50,000 views.

It includes no chart topping music, no shots of celebrities, no stunts, no trains, planes or automobiles (or boats), no humour, no beauties in bikinis or less, no porn, no cute kids, no furry animals, no stunning landscapes and there are no "tags" which are designed to appeal to people searching for such subjects.

What's more, viewer retention is the highest of any of my videos, staying above 90% until the playout/credits.

I'm just wondering whether we can draw any conclusions.

I'd suggest the main one is "choose a niche subject" if you want views. Whilst I think the film is well narrated (no rehearsal - the guy is a natural), well filmed and recorded and, without wishing to blow my own trumpet, well edited (all of which must contribute to the viewer retention) the fact that it has been so successful in terms of views in comparison to my other films, must surely be down to the content - it's a sort of "how to" film, although it explains a process rather than tells you how to do it.

Had this film been posted on Vimeo, I doubt whether 10% of that number of people would have found it, though those who did, might have left comments on the film construction rather than the subject, so they might have been more useful to me.

This is the film;

youtu.be/
Tim
Proud to be an amateur film maker - I do it for the love of it
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Dave Watterson
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Re: It's content that counts (as if we didn't know)

Post by Dave Watterson »

Wow. The stats are impressive.
In its educational way so is the film.
Now I understand why in Scotland "harling" (called "rendering" in the south) is the norm. All that hassle just to make brickwork look pretty!

You could, of course, test your theory and put the film on Vimeo too ...

Since the usual links to similar films include others on the subject I checked a few. Ugh. Some were simple recordings from a static camera. Nothing was so well made and clear as yours.

Dave
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TimStannard
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Re: It's content that counts (as if we didn't know)

Post by TimStannard »

Dave Watterson wrote: Since the usual links to similar films include others on the subject I checked a few. Ugh. Some were simple recordings from a static camera. Nothing was so well made and clear as yours.
Thanks Dave, I guess being "best in class" definitely helped this film's stats. I think these sorts of films require (a) someone who knows the subject (b) someone who knows how to present and (c) someone who knows how to put a video together. Outside the professional arena, most of thse films are made by people who meet one, or at most two of these criteria. Jeremy and I were extremely lucky that in Dave we met someone who had both (a) and (b) we only needed to provide (c).

I'm off now to find another niche market where no-one owns a tripod or off-camera mic.
Tim
Proud to be an amateur film maker - I do it for the love of it
john ingham
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Re: It's content that counts (as if we didn't know)

Post by john ingham »

i enjoyed that Tim, straight to the point..no pun intended, very well filmed and very educational,
infact !!!! i could not of wished for a better posting from you... Ummm i hear you say :lol:

One of my suppliers has been trying to create a video to show how to maintain a floor, he found out about my new found hobby and has asked me if I would be interested in filming it...

I have explained that i am total novice..but yes, I am more than happy to give it a go, if nothing ,it will be a learning curve

they have now asked me what my fees are....... ive said I would be happy to do the shoot for free and if they feel the film is good enough, they can either just pay my expenses or make a donation to a charity i subscribe too.

how would one, if using vimeo place the film onto a website, i know you can paste the URL but with youtube you can actually place the clip , is this at all possible with vimeo ?

john
Keep trying, for one day you will get it right
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Dave Watterson
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Re: It's content that counts (as if we didn't know)

Post by Dave Watterson »

Almost all the main video-hosting sites allow you to "embed" films on another website. (Occasionally the film maker may have removed the option to do so.)

On Vimeo put your cursor on the picture and on the upper right some options appear: choose "share".
That opens a panel below the movie with the necessary code in it and "selected" so that you can copy it easily.
It is worth looking near the bottom right of that panel for "Customising", when clicked that reveals useful choices.

The code you copy is simply pasted into the code of your website.

Do note it goes in the code of your website.

Most website creation tools show you what the page will look like - if you paste code there your visitors will just see the code. But there is usually a way of letting you see the code behind your website. It is in there that you paste the video "embed" code.

Dave
john ingham
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Re: It's content that counts (as if we didn't know)

Post by john ingham »

You are a star dave,
Thank you
Keep trying, for one day you will get it right
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TimStannard
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Re: It's content that counts (as if we didn't know)

Post by TimStannard »

john ingham wrote:i enjoyed that Tim, straight to the point..no pun intended, very well filmed and very educational,
infact !!!! i could not of wished for a better posting from you... Ummm i hear you say :lol:

One of my suppliers has been trying to create a video to show how to maintain a floor, he found out about my new found hobby and has asked me if I would be interested in filming it...
Thanks, John. Isn't it funny how something we filmed almost by accident a couple of years ago can be of some use to you here and now? That's the beauty of friendly forums such as this.

I'm sure you'll enjoy the experience and rise to the challenge of making a "how to" film. If your man is anywhere near as good as Dave, it should be a doddle (well, apart from getting the light right, getting all the shots, before, after, during, close-ups of detail, cutaways, capturing the narrated audio, getting some foley, editing the narration into a cohernt piece, editing the visuals to match, mixing the audio)
Tim
Proud to be an amateur film maker - I do it for the love of it
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