I found the key to viewer engagement Matthias talks YouTube 2023-12-21 | By accident, I disovered that leaving the chuck key in the metal lathe chuck leads to a lot of comments. Comments is engagement, engagement is good, right?Well, the video has done well at any rate.
Where have all the YouTube idiots gone to? Matthias talks YouTube 2023-02-02 | Reflecting on that comments on my YouTube videos are generally more intelligent than they were ten years ago. Usually you would expect things to get dumber over time, so this seems unusual.
My #short was too long, so it earned way more money. Matthias talks YouTube 2022-07-12 | An accidental experiments revealed that #shorts kind of suck for me.
Effects of re-uploading to fix a mistake and analytics malfunction Matthias talks YouTube 2021-12-02 | I accidentaly uploaded a low res version of my latest main channel video. 1.5 hours after that mistake, I re-uploaded a fixed version, then watchend the analytics, only to see the analytics on the first version malfunction! 2 days later, it appears the damage wasn't that great.
Clickbait wasnt always the best strategy Matthias talks YouTube 2021-09-13 | Clickbait wasn't always the best strategy.It seems more and more youtubers are moving to clickbaity titles.And by clickbaity, I don't just man misleading or dishonest titles, but generally trying to be intriguing to get people to watch the video.And from what I see, it appears to be working. I know a lot of yousay you don't click on clickbait, but there is a majority of otherswho do.So why has it goten so long for most of us creators to move onto clickbait?Well, it used to be that there was a different strategy most of us used.Back in 2006, the New York Times had an article titled"This boring headline is written for google"Because before social media dominated like it does today, traffic camefrom search, mostly google.I used to use google trends and google suggest to try to figure out what terms people were most likely to use when searching for a topic, and tried to make my article and video titles reflect that.It was all about trying to provide useful information for people looking for that.But that stopped working in recent years. Google nowadays often just answers the question themselves using stuff they scraped off the web instead of sending you to the page that might have an answer.And nowadays it's all become about standing out on people's feeds, so titles are now all about catching a human's attention to get them to click.But with more creators, competition has become fierce, and everybody is tryingharder to suck people in.And they are successful to a significant extent. I keep clicking on "hide all from xxx" on facebook when it suggests interesting stuff, but I hide one, and facebook just finds then more to suggest to me!And while a lot of these things are enjoyable to watch, it sucks up time, time that could be used being productive, being outside, or socializing.It feels to me like we creators have become like makers of cigarettes.Sure, the smoker's life is enhanced by the experience of smoking a cigarette, but overall, the smoker's life would be better if he wasn't a smoker.
The eras of youtube, and Chad & Steve have a podcast Matthias talks YouTube 2020-11-25 | Chad and steve have a podcast youtube channelyoutube.com/channel/UCcICRrCNf-7Lprkflq_8JowAlso on apple podcasts and other places.Episode where I am guestyoutube.com/watch?v=N53fVBKoMKs
I was billed $75 for a free audible.com audio book! Matthias talks YouTube 2019-05-30 | My audible.com experience. A free trial resulted in nearly $75 in billing. I suspect this sort of "error" in their favour is totally part of the business plan
To get good at making videos you need to.... just make awful videos (cause you need practice) Matthias talks YouTube 2019-03-15 | My notes for when I shot this video (which I kept looking at from time to time, but I cut those parts out)The way to get good at making videos is... to make terrible videos. * Years ago john heisz asked me how to get good at making videos * My answer was, just make terrible videos, and you will get better. You need practice. * The technical aspects you can learn without making videos, But getting the technical side right enough is relatively easy/ * Getting good at the creative part is the pard part. You need to be able to talk to the camera without getting stressed out about it, To do that you need to make videos, and you need to put the videos online. Let your friends watch them. And as you watch your friends watch them, you realize what needs work, even if they like your videos, even if they don't say anything.* Most of us have the abiity to speak naturally and coherently - when we are with friends, but learning to do that in front of the camera, for most of us, takes practice. Don't get stressed out about getting it right. You can always do another take. Or just re say it and cut out the wrong say. But that also takes some practice. to repeat without added emphasis because in real life, we can't just un-say the previous, so we add emphasis to the corrected statement. But after you cut out saying the wrong thing, that emphasis seems weird. And there are lots of other things you will learn when making videos. Just iterate and repeat. No need for special education, just experiment. Most big youtubers got started that way, because youtube used to be a very amateurish place. Everyone did it just for fun, there was no professional youtubers in the early days.* So, just make videos, make awful videos, make them for fun, and repeat. Eventually you will get good at it.
Why a tripod is better than a camera operator Matthias talks YouTube 2019-02-27 | Why I prefer to film with a tripod vs. having a camera operator:* I can take my time to make a video (no pressure)* I can speed up video without it looking shaky* I can make a lot of jump cuts that aren't obviousBut using a tripod has its downsides:* takes time to set up* sometimes I end up out of frame without noticing* Less "professional", but I don't really want that anyway
Dont be an artist for a living Matthias talks YouTube 2019-01-22 | On why you shouldn't try to be an "artist" for a living.Art is about being cool. We all want to be cool, but we are less into admiring the coolness of others. Which is why we profess to like art, but aren't as much into appreciating art as we claim.Upshot of all this, people say they like art more than they do, which can be deceiving.
Changed the channel name, and where this is going Matthias talks YouTube 2019-01-14 | This channel used to be called "The heisz wandel project", but it was never about prjects, and john has lost interest, so it's just me talking about YouTube. And talking a bit about where I see this channel going. I still have a number of topics to talk about, so I figure there is at least another six months of life left in this channel. But there's only so many things to say, so I'll run out of topics eventually.John's video that I referred to:youtube.com/watch?v=8CMjrhrtdccAnd in response to this video, John made another video with his side of the story:youtube.com/watch?v=5RWBP0YBAq8
Why I stopped publishing videos weekly Matthias talks YouTube 2019-01-09 | Originally I published weekly to slow myself down so I would always have a few videos "in the queue" ready to go, but with less time available, it became stressful keeping up. I realized I didn't even know whether others published weekly, so I figured it probably didn't matter much to my audience what schedule I was on.
Why did my last video do poorly? Matthias talks YouTube 2018-12-18 | Speculationg on two reasons, other than whether a video is a good video overall, that can cause it to do poorly.
Using audience retention stats to make better videos Matthias talks YouTube 2018-11-04 | Audience retention graphs are the most useful tool for figuring out how to make better videos. It tells you which part of a vide people find interesting, and which part people skip over.
Why I dont go to maker faires Matthias talks YouTube 2018-10-30 | I always follow these maker faires online, but have yet to find a compelling enough reason to go to one of these in person.
TV shows arent good enough for YouTube Matthias talks YouTube 2018-10-25 | TV shows uploaded to youtube often don't do very well. Despite high production values for TV,I think it's the case of TV shows just not being "good enough" to compete with what's available on youtube, at least for the sort of stuff that people like to watch on YouTube. (yes, I know there is also a lot of junk on youtube, I'm thinking of the sort of videos that people actually watch)
The adpocalypse was a good thing, but... Matthias talks YouTube 2018-10-20 | The adpocalypse was really just a blip, youtube managed to address the problem very quickly with their "algorithms". But there is considerable colateral damage done by those algorithms.
The arc of YouTube success Matthias talks YouTube 2018-10-15 | So you start a youtube channel, and you get some traction, and it's very exciting, it's going places! But growth eventually stops, and you peak out. It happens to everyone sooner or later. Now that infinite future is gone, and it becomes more like a job. With that rush ofgrowth gone, this is where a lot of youtubers hit burn out. But, of course, there will always be somebody new.More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
What happened to the Heisz-Wandel project? Matthias talks YouTube 2018-10-12 | It was my turn to make a video, but having run into tendonitis problems, I was too depressed to make a video, and shortly after that, we decided to move, and then I had no time to make this sort of video anymore. Now that we have moved, I hope to make more "just talking" videos for this channel.John's vision was more that it should be about project collaboration, but for the time being, with my tendonitis problems, I don't anticipate building any projects for the foreseeable future.
The differences between us / response to calling BS! Matthias talks YouTube 2018-06-26 | In response to: youtube.com/watch?v=K_wvc3EGTG0More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
Does YouTube Owe Me A Living? Matthias talks YouTube 2018-06-24 | More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
Ideas on running out of ideas (for videos) Matthias talks YouTube 2018-06-23 | This in reply to John's video:youtube.com/watch?v=olqX_QMbgcsMore about emails I often receive here:http://woodgears.ca/faqMore here:the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
Calling BS on your Change for improvement sake Matthias talks YouTube 2018-06-21 | This in reply to:youtube.com/watch?v=kH7yJ2VYBiIMore here:the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
Are We Friends? Matthias talks YouTube 2018-06-20 | More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.caWhen I talk to the camera like I do in these videos, I do it like i'm talking to a friend, an equal, someone who knows me. I find that helps me be more natural. So, when I say something about some of the viewers, you should not take it like I talking about you. Instead, I'm talking to you just like a close friend would when he's complaining about some problem he's having with his nagging wife or boss at work. And if that's not the kind of thing you want to hear, then these videos may not be for you.
Where do you get your ideas and will you ever run out? Matthias talks YouTube 2018-06-18 | More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.caMy analogy with the adults and child might have been a bit extreme, but you really do need to have a deeper understanding of the factors involved to make intelligent suggestions about building complex things. That's not to say that suggestions have no value, since they may actually get the wheels turning in a different direction to come up with a better solution. But, like I said, that doesn't happen very often.
Sorry I blew up the YouTube channel Matthias talks YouTube 2018-06-14 | Videos referred to:No more shaky camera:youtube.com/watch?v=FCOneRl0M14Lost money getting sponsored by DeWaltyoutube.com/watch?v=SToyIb9tNiYMore here:the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
Is Patreon A handout ? Matthias talks YouTube 2018-06-13 | More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.caThe irony of being criticized for not paying attention by people who can't be bothered to listen to what you are saying.
Enough with the DeWalt animosity! Matthias talks YouTube 2018-06-12 | Thee is too much perceived animosity towards DeWwalt in my previous "I lost mony getting sponsored by DeWalt" video. I had a bad experience, but it's more my fault than theirs. Not going to paint the tools, though I don't like advertising brands. I like unrecognizable brands. I think I'd sooner do Patreon than sponsorships at this point, but plan sales are still doing ok, so I'll leave Patreon tho those who need it more.The video series where John Heisz and I were ribbing each other in his shop:woodgears.ca/misc/heisz_visit.htmlMore here:the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
My (not good) Experience With Sponsored videos Matthias talks YouTube 2018-06-10 | More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.caMy recent deal with American Green Lights for the LED shop lighting was a much more pleasant arrangement, but it didn't involve money changing hands, and maybe that makes the biggest difference. Unfortunately, there really isn't any kind of a tool deal that I'd do in exchange for tools, since there aren't any tools that I want or need (sounds crazy, right?).
I lost money getting sponsored by DeWalt Matthias talks YouTube 2018-06-09 | I eventually set the sponsored videos to "unlisted", but they are here:youtube.com/watch?v=KF40KduxqeYyoutube.com/watch?v=4yzUbxVOGpUMore here:the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
I Can Sit On My Jointer Too And Im Actually Heavy Matthias talks YouTube 2018-06-04 | More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.caIn response to: youtu.be/lmvHLRvyBQ8The easy and effective way to keep the inclined planes aligned with each other is to use the side rails of the jointer, like I did with mine. Springs are not needed to hold them together - I used two large knobs that will clamp it down tight after it has been adjusted.Details on my jointer build here:ibuildit.ca/projects/building-12-inch-jointer
Not Everything Needs Fancy Joinery Matthias talks YouTube 2018-06-02 | Read more here:the-heisz-wandel-project.caWhat's the expression? When you have a pantarouter, everything looks like a mortise and tenon. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should
When its worth setting up the pantorouter Matthias talks YouTube 2018-05-31 | You don't need a "big production run" to end up wit ha lot of mortise and tenon joints. Just one stool can have 16 joints, my lumber rack has 75, shelves I built for the basement have 80. Also pointing out why the extra complexity of my box joint jig is worth it.More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
How accurate and dependable are homemade tools? Matthias talks YouTube 2018-05-29 | More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.caI think it is possible to make a table saw mainly from wooden components that is as dependable and accurate as a factory made machine. However, like I said in previous videos, accuracy and precision has more to do with the operator and his skill and ability.
Does it make sense to build your own tools? Matthias talks YouTube 2018-05-27 | When do I think it makes sense to build vs buy your own tools. To me, the economic argument is always important, but you can't always buy just the right tool either.More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
Change For IMPROVEMENT Sake Matthias talks YouTube 2018-05-26 | More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.caExceptions: My band saw is still around and being used, 8 years later. My workbench predates my time on YouTube.
I think you like change for the sake of change Matthias talks YouTube 2018-05-24 | Just trying to provoke you a bit, maybe launch into a different topic for a while.More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
Table Saw And Tools - Buy Vs Build Matthias talks YouTube 2018-05-22 | More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.caOf course, another major benefit of building your own tools is that you will be able to fix them if something goes wrong, and change anything you want without voiding the warranty.
Constructive Criticism? And Overstating The Obvious Matthias talks YouTube 2018-05-19 | More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.caIn my opinion, criticism is rarely beneficial. It usually undermines the confidence of the person it's directed at, making them second guess the choices they make. Of course that can a good thing if the person is doing something that is flat-out dangerous, but that's usually not the case. Too often the criticisms are needlessly petty or point out things that are either insignificant to the subject, or out of the creators control. One of my least favourite types of comment is the backhanded compliment, where they lead with something like: "I really enjoyed that..." just to go on to the REAL reason for commenting: "but I think you could stand to lose a few pounds. Have you thought about how unhealthy you are?"Or: "Awesome! But if I did it I would make it from good solid hardwood, instead of that weak-ass, cheap plywood".
Too much positivity in the youtube comments Matthias talks YouTube 2018-05-18 | I know negativity in youtube comments can be annoying, but personally, I think the overwhelming positivity is not good either. I'd rather have more critical discussion.Looks like the camera thought the screen was more interesting than my face. Glad the screen isn't readable :) Wasn't going to reshoot it, not for this channel!More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
Cant keep up with the comments anymore Matthias talks YouTube 2018-05-09 | Reply to John's "Are youtube commentsl like mouse droppings"Sorry about the bad audio, but with limited time, I don't do multiple takes on these videos.More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
Are YouTube Comments Like Mouse Droppings? Matthias talks YouTube 2018-05-02 | It probably has a lot to do with the way YouTube handles comments and notifications of replies these days. I know I don't get notified every time someone replies to a comment I make. Add to that the mobile version of YouTube seems to be a real mess (from my limited use of it), and the quality of the engagement has fallen party because of that.More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
Why my videos (and others) arent as good as they used to be Matthias talks YouTube 2018-04-30 | A common complaint many creators get is that "your videos aren't as good as they used to be". Selection bias causes this perception, whether it's true or not.More here:the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
Thoughts on why making channels views are down Matthias talks YouTube 2018-04-29 | This in response to the previous video on this channel by John Heisz.
Has the popularity of the Maker Movement leveled off? Matthias talks YouTube 2018-04-27 | the-heisz-wandel-project.ca
