Pre-Production
Everything you need to know before you start filming.
- Editing Hacks YouTubers Use To Hook You
This weekend, I found myself watching a video on Film Booths’ channel called something like, “All the biggest creators use these editing hacks”. I found my brain was highly alert, and I was hanging on to every word he said. I could also feel my body was anxious, and it felt like life and death that I had to watch the entire video. - I Bought the Best Vlogging Camera—And It Was a Huge Mistake!
I’ll never forget when I first started travel vlogging, I went out and bought the best vlogging camera money could buy. I spent a small fortune on a Canon 90D DSRL, a GoPro, a DJI Mavic Drone, and a couple other accessories. - Video Storytelling
Three years ago after my ex left our YouTube channel, I saw my views plummet. We’d just gotten out of telling a dramatic medical story, and I didn’t know where to take the channel. I spent heaps of time learning about video storytelling, editing, graphics, trends, and AI, but I didn’t see my views grow. I was so frustrated because it felt like I was doing everything right, but I still wasn’t seeing the results I hoped for. It felt like I had wasted so much time planning, filming, and editing, and for what?! A few hundred views?? - How to beat the YouTube Algorithm.
I often get asked, “How does the YouTube Algorithm work?” This question always takes me back to 2022. In that year, that’s when I saw my views drop from 50k-100k views to 5k-10k views. I set off on a journey to understand how does the YouTube algorithm work. I was in complete “collect data” mode analysing, copying, and ultimately, not seeing the results I hoped for. - Content Pillars – What are they?
Early on in my YouTube career, I heard of Content Pillars. I briefly looked into them and then moved on. As often happens, you learn something once, and then it keeps reappearing in different forms until you are ready to take notice. Well, in the last few months, I’ve taken notice. Content Pillars matter A LOT, and they should not be ignored. So, what is a Content Pillar? - It was something SIMPLE.
Back in 2022, I hired a YouTube consultant to audit my travel vlog so I could finally figure out what was holding my channel back after it had previously exploded. Like a lot of YouTubers, I was on a journey where I was watching every YouTube growth video that I could get my hands on. I was mimicking trending video topics, copying popular thumbnail and title packages, and I was using every graphic under the sun. - The Importance of Glanceability
Imagine you’re on the interstate and you pass a car. In just a fraction of a second, you notice that whoever was in the passenger seat was extremely good-looking. Maybe they threw you a quick smile that is left with you the rest of the day. You’ll see a million more cars, and yet, the moment sticks with you. - Gear 101
When I first started, I went out and bought a DJI Mavic Air 2 (drone), a GoPro Hero 7 (action camera), and a Canon EOS 90D (DSLR) with an 18-135mm f/3.5 lens. Two of those purchases I regretted almost instantly: the drone and the DSLR. - How to Pivot Channel Topics
In late 2022, I realised I had hit a wall with my channel. You may remember when I wrote about audience misalignment, aye? I was experiencing a loop I couldn’t get out of. - The Importance of a Channel Goal.
As part of my course for Adventure Creators, I spend a lot of time coaching individual channels. This week, I helped a channel walk through their emotional journey of being the captain aboard a boat that regularly has rotating crew. - How to PACE a story
Pacing is how we show the different emotions throughout a story, and contrasting emotion is how we emphasize each of those emotions. In traditional storytelling, the pace goes through a flow of tension and release, with each segment of tension getting more intense than the previous. - The Elements of Storytelling
If you watched my latest podcast interview with Maya from Sailing Magic Carpet, you might have seen where, with brutal honesty, she said, “your videos don’t have to be boring just… Read more: The Elements of Storytelling - The BIGGEST reason your channel is failing.
Imagine you’re the director of a highly anticipated movie. From the moment your potential audience sees your movie poster, they are excited and anticipating the day the movie releases. The… Read more: The BIGGEST reason your channel is failing. - Idea Generation
These days, I am aiming to reallocate 40 percent of my time to the idea generation process. This is where I think my time, and arguably yours, is most valuable. - Storyboarding!
Do you ever wonder if YouTubers, specifically travel vloggers, script their videos? If you find yourself watching an episode wondering if it is scripted, completely pulled into the story and… Read more: Storyboarding! - Consistency is Key!
When I first became a travel YouTuber, I often ran across an argument around whether consistency or quality was more important for fast channel growth. Unfortunately, I did not understand that the question itself… Read more: Consistency is Key! - Which Type of Creator are YOU?
Something I see quite often in the Adventure YouTube world is a channel that is doing a refit on their adventure machine (boat, camper, van, etc), and they post videos… Read more: Which Type of Creator are YOU? - STORY IS KING
a point now in my journey where my understanding of this statement has changed. I originally understood it to mean the individual story of each episode, but I would now argue that, while YES that is very important, aspects such as - Branding Is Intimidating! 😱
Designing my brand is one of the most intimidating things I have ever done. When your entire business is designed around YOU, your personality, and your daily life, branding feels extremely vulnerable. - “Viral” Is NOT A Strategy
Last year by pure accident, I ran across Creator Dynamics, a channel run by a former YouTube employee, Matt, whose entire goal is to extend YouTube creator careers. It was this video that reshaped my perspective on how I ran my YouTube Channel. In the video, Matt says the typical creator career lasts about 5-7 years. - Know Your Audience
I made a mistake last year. I was just coming out of medical emergency which stole the fulltime sailing dream, and I put out a bunch of content that was helping me process what I had been through with the hopes of helping others. - Add Value
In 2021, a series of unfortunate events and a unique story caused my YouTube channel to explode. I went from getting 1,000 views per video to getting 50,000 views per video, all within a month.
