How to Become a YouTuber?
I started creating content on YouTube 2 years ago. That's one video every single week. And let me tell you, it's not easy to do this consistently while working a full-time job in parallel. There is a lot to it that happens behind the camera. So, in this blog, I will tell you how I make my YouTube videos, from planning, scripting, filming, and editing to finally publishing them on YouTube. If you are someone who has ever thought of starting a YouTube channel, who already owns a channel and is finding it too difficult to stay consistent, or just curious about my creation process, then stay tuned.
Idea
Every YouTube video begins with an idea. An idea could be solving a problem for someone, sharing my viewpoint about a topic, or just showing my day-to-day life. I am constantly looking for new ideas from the books I read, the videos I watch, or every content I consume. And all the Ideas that get converted into content fall into any of my three content pillars. These are a selection of 3 topics I like to make content about.
And for each pillar, I have a tribe of mentors from whom I can take inspiration from. So, I scout through their content, books, videos, and blogs to find ideas that resonate with me. But the time when I have most of my ideas is when I'm on the go, when I go out for a walk or ride a train and have nothing else to do. But then these ideas come and go. They don't stay in my mind for long and will soon be forgotten if I don't capture them.
According to David Allen, the author of the productivity book
“Get Things Done, our mind is for having ideas, not storing them.”
If we don't write it down, we will forget it. So, I use Apple Notes as my quick idea capture system. If I find something exciting, I immediately open a new note on my phone and write it down.
But capturing ideas is one thing. Converting them into an engaging YouTube video is a totally different ball game. Everyone can create one, two, or maybe 10 videos. But to do that consistently for years, there is a need for a much bigger and more efficient system that saves time. And if we have other priorities to manage parallelly, we need to save as much time as possible. So, I have built a system using the note-taking tool Notion that can take a simple idea as input and create an engaging video on YouTube.
For those unfamiliar with Notion, it is a note-taking app that provides several tools to plan and manage our work and life. I do everything in Notion, from content management to writing food recipes; my life runs on Notion.
Notion Template
At the end of each day, when I do my day review, I move the ideas from Apple notes to my content database in Notion.
There, they lie until they get picked, and I start working on them. And not all ideas get picked up. My content can be well-written and very professionally produced. Still, it won't keep people's attention if it's not on a topic that interests my audience. So, before starting with every video, I ask myself, What's the Point? Why would someone care to watch this? If I don't have a clear answer to this question, I am clearly wasting my time and also the viewer's time.
So, I take my time to think about it and write it down before doing anything else. And for this, I use a template that I created in Notion. What this template does is it automatically adds all kinds of different tasks that get repeated for each video.
And if you see, every project has certain properties that show the most important information of the video as an overview. There is the title for the video, the content pillar it belongs to, and the current status. Here, I can choose between research planning, scripting, filming, editing, or publishing. Also, a number for the project, the video publish date, and a link to the published video on YouTube. I can choose a KanBan layout for the database so that I can filter by status, and it essentially shows me at which stage I'm at with this project.
Another view I sometimes use is a calendar view; with this, I can have an overview of my content schedule. And inside each project, different blocks are defined for each task involved in video creation.
Thumbnail Title
I could make the most amazing video of all time. Still, nobody will ever click on the video if my title and thumbnails are bad. None has time. When people are busy scrolling on their YouTube feed, I got less than a second to break the pattern and get them to click on my video. So, the title and thumbnail should create an intriguing factor for the viewer. For example, see this thumbnail of a video in the channel Veritasium.
I don't think anyone who comes across this video on their YouTube feed can scroll away without checking what happens to the ball. But again, this is not that important for videos on topics that belong in the search category, like how to fill out the US Visa application form. However, having a good thumbnail can increase the probability of your video being seen by a wider audience. Whenever I see a thumbnail that grabs my attention, I analyse what’s so special about it and then add it to a list from which I can later take inspiration.
The thumbnail grabs the attention, but it's the title that leads them into the video. The title should make it clear to the viewer what problem the video is solving or what benefit it can bring. In general, negative statements get more attention than positive ones. If I say people in the Japanese village Osaka live happily, you would be like, Yeah, okay, good for them. But if I say people in a small village in Japan are always sad, you will be like, Why? What happened? So, I refer to other YouTube videos and blog articles and write down a few title and thumbnail ideas even before writing the first word.
Scripting
For most videos, I write a very detailed script word by word. And every script starts with planning. When someone decides to click on my video, they expect me to solve a problem for them or bring some value to their life. And I cannot solve their problem if I don't know who my viewer is. So, I always try to figure out who I am helping with this video. And the major part of my video will be the solutions I can offer to their problem. This kind of planning gives me a starting point to script instead of staring at a blank page without knowing what to write.
The next part is to do my research. Again, I don't have to do much research for a video which is based on my experience. But if I am making a video about a topic I don't have all the information about, I do my research and fact-check what I say.
Only then do I move to actually writing the script.
We talked earlier about the importance of having an intriguing title and thumbnail to lead someone to our video. But then, once someone clicks on the video, I have 30 seconds to prove to them that they made the right choice. So, I have to say or show something that will make them watch through the remaining video. And that's called a hook. And just like in the title, negative sentences grab more attention than positive ones. So, for example, I had made a video on Amex gold card and I wrote this as the first line: I have been using the Amex gold card for the past 6 months, and I am not happy. This is not a card for everyone. So, all those who clicked on this video because they are interested in buying a gold card can't click away without knowing why I am unhappy.
After the hook comes the lead. This just expands on the hook and explains to the viewer if the video is for them and what I am promising. Here, I try to provide an imaginary description of the problem and how their life is affected by this problem. The third part is the story and is optional. I write this if I have a personal experience from my life about that topic that I want to share with the viewer. Everyone has interesting stories in their life. I do, too. Since I am bad at recalling stuff when and where I want, I keep a database of interesting stories from my personal life, which I can refer to if I need them for a script. This is also a good place to prove credibility because once the viewer is clear about the problem, their next question will be, Who the hell are you to talk about this?.
After this, I start writing down the key points I want to convey. I will wrap up by painting a picture for the audience, showing them how their life will change for good if they follow the solution mentioned in the video. In most cases, before ending the video, I will give a strong call to action (CTA), urging the audience to watch another video, subscribe, or visit my website. It is important not to have more than one CTA as it can lead to decision paralysis. Now, I have a clear idea of the concept, structure, and key points I want to talk about in the video.
Now, I start writing the script. First, I will dump all the points about the topic from my brain onto the page. Here, I don't worry about grammar or format or anything. I will just write down anything that comes to my mind related to the topic. The cleanup happens at the next step.
Here, I further expand on the key points and convert the draft into an engaging script. I try to keep the script engaging by creating new points of tension and resolving them. Every sentence should advance the story to the next main point. Otherwise, it gets deleted. Once I finish the first version, I copy it to Grammarly, a grammar and tone checker, and refine the script. Now, I copy the final refined script back to Notion and prepare it for filming.
Filming
Most YouTube videos have 2 major parts, A-roll and B-roll. A-roll is the part where I'm talking to the camera, while B-roll includes all the overlays I'm showing. I try to include as many B-rolls as possible to keep the viewer engaged because I don't want people to get bored seeing my face. Once the final script is ready, I mark the B-roll lines with italics. So when I sit down to film, I clearly know the parts I must say in front of the camera and the parts I must film later. And for those B-roll shots, I create a separate shot list.
The shot list is a database within Notion, and just like the content database, it includes different properties such as the type of shot, the camera perspective (macro, closeup), and frames per second. I also note down the location of the shot and some additional hints for the shots to make it easier during filming. Once the shot is filmed, I mark a checkbox to indicate it's already captured. This looks time-consuming, but it saves me a lot of time during filming. Once all this is ready, I start filming the A-roll. For that, we need to head to my studio.
This is a room in my basement where most of my filming happens, and I got all my shooting gear here.
Starting with the camera, I use a Sony Alpha 7iii with a Sigma 2.8 24-70mm lens on a Manfrotto tripod stand. I have a Godox light with an Apurture120D softbox kept at 45 degrees as my main light source. This angle helps to create shadows and depth to achieve a more cinematic and professional look. I also have a small key light to control the shadows on the other side. I also use practical lights in the background to add more visual interest and texture to the shots. A good lighting setup can elevate your content from an amateur to a professional look.
As important as the lighting is the audio. I use the Rode Video Mic NTG connected directly to the camera through an aux cable. The quality and clarity of the audio that comes out of this mic is incredible. Before I press the record button, I use a gray card to set the white balance and a color card to help me with color correction later during editing. Sony cameras tend to put a yellow tint on the video, and this card helps me to correct the colors to look as natural as possible.
I shoot all the A-Rolls at 4k 25fps with a focal length of 50mm and an f-stop of 2.8. This gives the best quality with that blurry background. To start filming, I simply move the chair and table, set the camera, set the mic close but outside the camera frame, switch on the lights, and I am ready to go. I keep the script open near me on my MacBook while I record so I can look at the script, memorize it, and talk to the camera. I don't use a teleprompter, so each sentence can take 5 to 15 takes to get it right. For a 10-minute video, I record for almost an hour.
Once I am done with the A-Roll, I proceed to shoot the B-Roll based on my shot list. Again, the process is the same. I find the location, set the camera on a tripod, set the lights, and start filming. I always make sure to capture a wide variety of shots and get at least 20 seconds per clip, giving me a lot to work with during the edit. Once I finish the shots as in the shot list, I go to the final and the most exciting part.
Editing
I do all the editing by myself, and this is the part that I love the most. I believe this is where I can bring out my creativity the best. I edit on my MacBook Pro using Final Cut Pro, a professional editing software from Apple.
My editing process involves five major steps. The first thing I do is to import my footage from my camera's SD card into the laptop and then to Final Cut Pro.
For every video, I have a folder structure on my laptop that helps me organize and find files faster. There is a folder to keep all the A-Roll shots, one for B-Roll shots, one for the Final Cut library, one for music and sounds, and one for thumbnails. I also number the main project folder as in my Notion database so that I can get information about any video quickly. Once I have my clips in Final Cut Pro, the first thing I do is to rough cut my A-Roll. I select the best shots from my A-roll and remove all the pauses and breathing.
To make this step easier, after a good take, I always clap my hands. So, later, during the edit, by looking at the audio waveforms, I can identify the clap and make the cut there. Then, I do several more passes on the edit to trim everything unnecessary and refine my story points. Once I have the clean A-roll, I go through the B-roll library and add the clips according to the script. Then, I add all the titles, effects, transitions, and other necessary infographics. Next, I color-correct the video based on the color card.
Once I get the original colors, I do a bit of grading to achieve that unique look. I also clean the sound by adding an equalizer, compressor, and limiter. Finally, I add some music from Artlist to match the feel of the video before exporting it in 4k format. An important part that I haven't focused much on until now is sound design. Sound is half of the experience. So, this is something that I am trying to learn and incorporate more into my videos. Also, I have a checklist to ensure I did everything the way it should be done. I don't use it much because I am very used to doing this.
The final step before uploading the video to YouTube is to design the thumbnail. So, I take pictures based on the examples, do a basic edit in Adobe Lightroom to make it pop a little, and then add the titles using Canva. That's it. Once the video is scheduled on YouTube, I go back to the idea page, take the next one, and repeat all these steps for the next video.
I know all these may be an overkill and a YouTube video can be done with much less effort. Maybe no one cares if the yellow in the video is exactly yellow or some other tint. But I do. Creating content is not just a way for me to grow an audience or make money; it also grows me as an individual. Now, whenever I watch a movie, I look out for the lighting, the composition, the sounds, etc. This has become so interesting for me that I can do this over and over again, even if it doesn't bring me subscribers or money or anything.
If done properly, YouTube is a way out, a way out of the normal race, a way to do things that we love and still make a living out of it. That's the beauty of it. It is not about one particular skill or knowledge. You can take any topic based on your passion, start making content, and build a following. And if you need any help with that, just write to me in the comments or on any of my social media channels. I will be happy to help you with whatever I know. I am also giving you the link to my notion template below for anyone who wants to take YouTube seriously.
There is a lot of blood and sweat that goes behind each video. If you want to support my content, consider visiting my blog page again.
