Hey guys!
Wow, we’re actually doing it, this is great. Welcome, and well done for purchasing this course, you’ve just made another step towards being that creator that you visualise yourself being a few years from now, or maybe sooner, who knows. Anyway, this course will be great for you and your career because you’re taking action, creating, making, and committing to creating something where you’ll learn more about YOU as a creator. And that word YOU, is going to be a key word for this course.
I have genuinely dedicated so much time and effort into making this course the best it can be. I’ve really tried to include as many valuable insights as I can, that you can take away and that you can apply to your own path. It won’t happen overnight, it really is a constant development, but by doing this course, you’re learning more about yourself, and what being a creator means to you.
Finding your “You”
So what does that actually mean? I am not sure if I came up with that phrase, but I like it. ///
Nowadays, there is an overwhelming amount of non-unique video content on the internet. And what I mean by that, is basically content that follows trends, algorithms, what’s popular, basically anything that’s made with the intention of getting views and subscribers. It is made to serve the algorithm. ///
And then, as a result, I feel like, as humans, we tend to get distracted by the views, the numbers, and we lose sight of the real purpose of YOU CREATING CONTENT and what that means.
The very essence of being creative is to express yourself and share your unique perspective with the world. That’s what artistic expression is all about: being your unique, and honest self. Personally, I have found more happiness in creating by embracing this philosophy, and I want to help you guys do the same. So let's work together to rediscover the brilliance of authentic self-expression through our content. Because after all, that is the idea of it all, that is, what you’re here to do, THAT IS what you’re supposed to do as a creator.
Your Project
So throughout the course, you’ll be making a video alongside me. It could be short form, sub 60 seconds, it could be longer form.. 2, to 5, to 20 minutes long if you like. Don’t think too much about a target duration, what it ends up being, it ends up being.
Your project for this course is to create YOUR OWN piece of content. “Your own” meaning. Entirely, “Your own”.
You’re not going to think about if you’re going to post it, what will this person think, what will people say. Your project is to look inwards and create something that speaks to you and that YOU are proud of. How often do you actually get the opportunity to do that? An opportunity to create something for you, that you can learn and grow from.
I see a course like this, a lot like a challenge. This is a chance for you to challenge yourself to create something unique to your own character, in this time frame. I had this opportunity, it was a filmmaking challenge I did in 2018, and I made a film which was a real pivot point in my content. The film had this knock on effect, with opportunities, and creating other films. It started a style, and a passion for videos that I hadn’t felt in a while - all from that one action in 2018. And that’s really what I want to give you guys with this course. ///
So anyway, don’t worry, I will help you with every step. What you’re going to achieve will be great! All you need to do is apply yourself, watch the course, and enjoy making something with complete creative freedom! ///
By completing your class project, you’ll have developed your mindset regarding how you approach your content. You’ll learn many of the techniques and workflow tips I’ve picked up over the last 15 years of creating videos. And you’ll finish with a video that you can do with what you want. Post it, don’t post it, it’s up to you, there is no pressure, and no judgment here. This class project is about finding your playground, and making something that YOU absolutely love. ///
Realising Your Unique perspective (connected to Your Project)
It's crucial to note that you're not watching this course to replicate my every move or adopt my editing style. Instead, the important thing is to extract bits and PIECES that resonate with you, and then apply them in your own way. That's how you develop your own identity as a creator. Taking bits of inspiration from people you like and building your unique style around those pieces - I promise you that YOUR UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE is the key to building a successful channel. No one can copy it, and you can tell the world your secrets, and it won’t matter, because they're not you. As Snoop Dogg once famously said, "Who can be you but you?". That’s actually a really good clip, and I 100% live by it /// So let's observe and extract what you like from this course, to make YOUR OWN unique creations.
What is the course made up of?
I’ve split up this course into several modules and, within that, a number of lessons.
It’s a 3 week course, and these modules are spread over 3 weeks. Do your best to keep to the schedule, you really want to use the energy you get from each module, to carry you over into the next module.
Lets breakdown what we’ll cover.
In the first week we’ll cover everything around generating an idea, and what you could consider when doing that. This includes looking into your inspirations, your perspective, and looking into your character.
In week one, we’re also going to look at building a structure in a video, and what that could look like. As well as further ideas around scripting.
Week Two, is everything filming. Different camera setups, microphone setups, lighting - some technical stuff. But also how I approach being on camera, and also approach filming other people too. There’s also a full video breakdown on how I filmed a video too - there’s a bunch of techniques and things I think about in that breakdown.
Week Three, we look at software, file structure, and most importantly, video editing - which includes an extensive look into music, and how to work with music in your edit. We also look at something I like to call a “block edit”, and how I use this to save time. Similar to the filming breakdown, I’ve made a full editing breakdown too.
To finish off the course, there’s some Aftercare where we look at Dealing with Criticism from other people.
WEEK 1
- The Idea.
- Where do you get your inspiration from?
- What does it mean to create content from your perspective?
- Why is including your character in your content important?
- Finding your unique style as a creator
- Idea Generation
- Scripting
- Building Your Structure
- What should your script look like?
- Finding Your unique style when scripting
WEEK 2
- Filming.
- Understanding the difference between cameras, and when to use each setup.
- Camera Settings
- Microphone Setups
- Lighting
- Attention dropoff
- Talking to camera, and things to consider when filming yourself.
- Shooting B-Roll, or filming Behind The Scenes content.
- Filming My Video (Full breakdown)
WEEK 3
- Editing.
- What software do I use? Both on Desktop, and Phone Apps.
- Structuring Your Files
- The importance of music / Where can I get good music from?
- Indexing your music for an edit
- Doing a Block Edit.
- Editing my video (Full Breakdown)
- Aftercare.
- Dealing with criticism.
- Course Outtro
So, there you have it! Please watch and enjoy the course. By all means, make notes if you like, if that’s how you learn. Just make sure you watch and consume the course in a way where you absorb the content - even if you’re not a note-taking person.
Let’s start with the course's first part - The Idea. And don’t panic. You’re probably thinking, “ahh, I don’t have an idea, I don’t know what to make” we’re going to run through idea generation, and you will come up with something great.
Next class
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