If you’re like me, you’ve always wanted to create your own short films, but have been held back by the time and money required to do so. Recently, YouTube launched a new feature called YouTube Shorts that makes it easy to get started with creating and sharing your own videos, even if you don’t have any filmmaking experience or equipment.
In this article, I’ll explain how YouTube Shorts work and how you can use them to make your own content and share it with the world!
What is a YouTube Short?
YouTube Shorts was released in India in September 2020. In March 2021, Google released YouTube Shorts as a beta in the United States. It was globally released in July, 2021 after releases in different countries.
YouTube Shorts video should be as long as 60 seconds. I can be a good idea to create a YouTube Shorts video of 15 to 60 seconds.
YouTube has evolved into a more social community with its audience creating many of their own videos. Users, however, are now looking for an easier way to create a video using only their phone. This is where YouTube’s new app, YouTube Shorts comes in.
YouTube’s Shorts allow you to quickly create videos when you feel like it as long as you have your phone with you.
YouTube Shorts statistics:
According to a study, YouTube has around 2 billion monthly users worldwide. In addition, YouTube Shorts receives about 15 billion views daily. Study have found that more than 70 percent of YouTube Shorts videos are longer than 15 seconds. YouTube has a 100 million dollars YouTube Shorts creator’s fund.
The good news is that you can use YouTube Shorts to gain long-form subscribers.
Advantages of making YouTube Shorts:
Most of us are used to hearing that one can shoot videos with a smartphone. And so? There’s a whole world of possibilities beyond that. In fact, shooting short clips with smartphones is today’s new way of making videos. If you don’t believe me, check out Rhett & Link! They have over 4.99 million subscribers on their YouTube channel by publishing 5-minute videos.
In Rhett & Link’s case, they shoot most of their videos on smartphones. That’s because smartphones are portable and can go wherever you go. However, in order to make short clips that will cut through social media noise, you don’t have to do it all on a smartphone.
In fact, you’ll probably want a dedicated camera to shoot video shorts on. Rhett & Link, for example, use two Panasonic Lumix GH4 mirrorless cameras with a wide range of lenses. Then they edit their videos with Adobe Premiere Pro CC software. That’s why I love Adobe Creative Cloud! It comes with not only Premiere Pro CC but also Photoshop, Illustrator and other creative software tools.
If you can’t afford an expensive camera, a mobile phone camera with at least 8 megapixels should be good enough. Remember that not all smartphones are made equal, so check out reviews before buying your smartphone.
Some smartphones are better at shooting in low light than others. Some are better at taking pictures with vivid colors. Knowing what you want from your smartphone camera can help you make a good choice.
Once you have your camera, you need to learn how to use it. To improve your chances of getting good footage, practice in advance by shooting short clips with friends or family.
Practice in different lighting conditions – indoors, outdoors, sunny days and cloudy days. Try different angles – close ups and long shots. Keep trying until you know how to shoot something that’s both visually appealing and a good length for video sharing on social media.
Once you have your camera, make a list of what type of videos you want to shoot. Are you going on vacation soon? Then think about shooting fun videos while traveling. What other activities will you be doing? The more specific your list is, the better your chances are that creating short video clips will lead to great results for both your business and social media.
Once you have your plan, create a production schedule. How many videos will you shoot? What do you need to do in order to be ready? How much time will it take from setting up your equipment, rehearsing a scene, shooting video clips and editing them together?
All of these details will help you determine how long it takes to produce one video. This kind of planning is critical if you’re going with an ambitious schedule!
The process of creating a short video:
You can start making video shorts on YouTube even if you’re not a professional videographer. In fact, most people who make these types of videos are regular folks like you who just happen to love sharing what they do or what they know.
If you have an idea for a fun video that gets right to your point, then it might be worth investing some time in creating it. The more engaging your idea is, as well as its production quality, will determine how successful it is once posted online.
As with regular videos, you’ll need to start by developing a script. If you’re thinking about turning your video into a series, then make sure that each one is self-contained enough that viewers can watch any episode without feeling lost.
For example, if your character says something funny at one point but you don’t explain why until later on in another episode, viewers might feel confused.
Next, you’ll need to set up your camera. For videos less than one minute long, a phone or webcam can work just fine. If you want more flexibility with editing options, then investing in a small video camera is an option as well. The key thing is that whatever device you choose will be easy for you to operate so that it doesn’t get in your way of capturing a good shot.
Once you’ve recorded your shot, it’s time to edit. There are a ton of editing apps available for smartphones, including some that are free. One great thing about short videos is that you can create them right on your phone then share them with friends right away. If you have more time or a bigger budget, then investing in professional video editing software is an option as well.
Once your video is complete, you’ll need to post it online. If you want people to be able to find it on their own, then tagging it with relevant keywords is a good idea. You can also link up with other creators or YouTube influencers if they have similar interests as you. This can make your videos more visible than if they were posted alone.
Useful tips for creating a short video:
While you can create short videos from your smartphone or tablet, they’re a bit more convenient if you use a dedicated video camera. For higher-quality videos, it’s better to use a tripod with a fluid mount — or just hold it as steady as possible without having your hand in frame. If you have autofocus on your camera, make sure it’s turned off so that your subject stays in focus when moving around.
The length of your video will also determine its purpose. If you’re creating an short video, aim for a length between 15-60 seconds. The shorter duration is more likely to grab your audience’s attention before they click away from your content.
For product demos, live-action videos, or behind-the-scenes content, you can shoot a longer video. The duration of your video should be based on how much information you have to share.
If you have 10 minutes of content that needs to be shared in 2 minutes, it’s probably not a good idea! To produce short videos for social media sharing — even if they only show part of an action or event — aim for less than 15 seconds in length.
Before you start recording, plan out your shots and scenes. Have an idea of how long each clip should be, which cuts should be included, etc. Use a steady tripod so that when you move around or zoom in/out, it looks smooth. Practice makes perfect!
As you start to create short videos on YouTube Shorts, you’ll get better at shooting them. You may decide that some things work for your content, while others don’t. There are no hard and fast rules about how long a video should be or what it should look like — just use your judgement. Don’t worry about mistakes as you figure out how to make YouTube shorts; just keep making them!
Conclusion
YouTube is revolutionizing how people share video online, creating a new form of entertainment that’s fast, fresh, and even more fun than anything we’ve seen before. In some ways, YouTube videos are like mini-movies — but in others they’re more like still photos. The difference between them can be great or small depending on your style of presentation and how you incorporate creative effects into your videos.
Today we’ve covered several great tips you can use to create professional-quality videos that showcase your creativity, while simultaneously helping you develop an audience of loyal fans. If you follow these simple steps, and put in a little hard work along with some passion, you’ll be on your way to making something truly special. Let your voice be heard!
Now that you know how to create a YouTube short, what are you waiting for? Start creating your own videos today. You can use any of your favorite devices as long as they are connected to Wi-Fi or data. Good luck!