How to make better repair videos

[PA4TIM]

I have no shortage in objects for repair videos because I do that for a living but how is an other thing. The repairs I do cost often a lot of time (the short ones already take 3 to 4 hours because most of the time there is no service doc and often also not even a user manual.  And that is without things like reverse engineering and looking for datasheets and parts.

I made a few that are almost an hour and I then already skipped the opening of the enclosure, first inspection  testing, setting up testgear, desoldering/soldering etc.

How do other youtubers do that ? First measuring and then do it over (so much faster) while filming . I do not think viewers like to see someone who is probing for more then an hour. (besides that internet is here still done by the ponyexpress and smoke-signals so long videos uploading and editing cost me 2 days without a usable computer. (Also because I fastest computer is an 8 years old core-2 laptop running Linux, I'm not so interested into computers other then some surfing, mail, datasheets and manuals )

And what about the thumbs up, comments, subscribe etc. I never ask about that because I think people should do that because they want to do that not because I ask.  But I begin to think that is the wrong idea if even Dave still asks that.

https://www.youtube.com/user/pa4tim  :my channel
www.pa4tim.nl

[David Hess]

I was thinking about the production part the other day.  It seems like it would be best to continuously record the entire session with plenty of repetition and then edit it down to the essential parts.

[rsjsouza]

Exactly. The research methodology can be explained in words at the beginning and the investigative part can skip the most boring parts with heavy edits. You should expect/aim for about 1/10th to 1/20th of work hours per video.

[kalel]

Feel free to ask for comments, likes, subscribing, don't worry the viewers are used to this as practically every channel asks that. Perhaps someone does want to subscribe, but forgets to by the end of the video. A reminder would help to ensure it.

Personally, I don't mind seeing some soldering/desoldering along with explanations of how things work, but the only way you can make things work is reduce the needed editing as much as you can.

Good luck with your channel!

[PA4TIM]

I forgot to ask for like/subscribe but I followed the advise.

The charger of my heated motor-jacked battery died. setting 22V on the controller and I was lucky that I was at home and in the room the moment just before it probably started burning. My first reaction, hey, does it has an orange error-led or so. But that was a tantalum burning through the "cardboard" control "thing" display in the sleeve of the jacket.

But it made a nice subject on how to repair something. I am still in doubt if this is the way to go (simple circuits).  My thoughts are that it simple enough for people who want to learn more about repair/electronics can follow the process and learn the basics. And that makes it possible to explain more/better.  I often start to explain things and then after the start to find out I can not go on because then no-one could follow me. f.i if I tell what ESR is, and tell at 100kHz they use the word impedance,,i then have to explain that  that leads to reactance, imaginairy/real, vectors etc. So I try to simplify it just so it is still true enough but understandable. But I have to do that while talking and finding the right English words. Maybe add voice over ? Some advice on that ?

So like you advised I recorded almost everything and explained a lot. But that turned out to be over an hour footage. So I cut it back to 30 minutes.
That is much harder then I thought. I'm not much of an editor. It took me almost 6 hours to do (very slow laptop so a lot of waiting, and you have to look at all footage at least once and the result too so that is already almost 2 hours) And that is only cutting things, not even "special effects"  Now I know why they are named like that, you must have special skills to make them 

The more I do this, the more I respect the flawless videos of channels like mr carlsons, EEVblog, signal path etc. 

So please tell me what to change in this "experiment"  (be gentle, I'm not a pro filmer)

https://youtu.be/BtL75qWsMqE

[Decoman]

I think that a way to improve the viewer experience of *any* video, is:

1) Adding an overlay over the video that show the "topic" currently discussed (particularly nice when talking about wildly different topics throughout the entire length of the video). This overlay would be on screen all the time with non-annoying graphics, not just popping up momentarily when changing the subject.

2) Adding a concise and written description below the video listing all the topics discussed in the video, and with time markers  to get to know where to fast forward if needed.

I guess to preserve the aesthetics of the video, and avoiding adding an overlay, then option 2 would be adequate I think.

[EEVblog]

I don't do many repair videos, but when I do I simply turn on the camera and start troubleshooting step-by-step.
The sequence in the final video matches the sequence it was shot.
This leads to a longer video with lots of dead-ends and mistakes, but some can argue it's more interesting that way.
You could of course fix it and then back produce the video. Or at the least do all the boring checks and narrowing down first so you can then shoot more concise material.

[PA4TIM]

This leads to a longer video with lots of dead-ends and mistakes, but some can argue it's more interesting that way.

I like that, makes me feel better knowing I'm not the only one that chases after a red haring. 
The repairs I do commercial are probably much more interesting but a real quicky is often already 3 hours. The record was around 40 hours.

. Or at the least do all the boring checks and narrowing down first so you can then shoot more concise material.

I do that already. Not for this video because it is a rather simple repair. Checking 10 psu rails on voltage and ripple while you try to find the testpoints from a bad scanned manual is enough to get the biggest die-hards to sleep.

2) Adding a concise and written description below the video listing all the topics discussed in the video, and with time markers  to get to know where to fast forward if needed.

I like the first suggestion but I do not know how to do that in the latest version of openshot (linux) and I am afraid the laptop can not handle that extra load. No budget for a faster one (I only need for this) But option 2 is a nice alternative. Thanks, I will do that.
I already do something in that direction for the video's that are part of a web blog page like this one: http://www.pa4tim.nl/?p=5982

[kalel]

I like the first suggestion but I do not know how to do that in the latest version of openshot (linux) and I am afraid the laptop can not handle that extra load. No budget for a faster one (I only need for this) But option 2 is a nice alternative.

Yes, option 2 is likely sufficient. I think that in your case (slow laptop, many editing hours) the best way is one that does not give you further troubles with editing. I assume your channel is not an effort to make a lot of money, so investing in hardware might not be applicable.

Personally I'm not sure about an on-screen overlay the entire time (I'm not used to seeing them on other channels). If you did want to sometimes add some type of overlay for any reason at all, and if Openshot on Linux is like in Windows (mine could be an old version - I didn't get to use it), then it should be feasible:



That's for an image overlay, there's also Title option to add just text but it makes a .svg file. One great program for making such vector images is Inkscape (you can set transparency add shapes and text easily in it - and of course much more if needed), and I know it is available in Linux.

If exporting takes too long, maybe you could experiment with export options (encoding settings and such). If the user interface is hard (to cut the video parts and etc), maybe there's an alternative specialized video cutting software in Linux that works easier and/or faster. Of course, maybe it's taking you much time just because the videos are long so there is a lot of it to watch, cut and recheck.

You mentioned maybe doing voice overs for certain things. You could of course try this (maybe for one short video) and see if it seems like a good thing or a difficult thing. I'm sure that doing voice overs can take a lot of time (if you need to write the text first or prepare in your head what you want to say, then record, then edit the audio to fix some mistakes, maybe record some parts again, etc.) but it could produce good results if the effort is spent (I do think it is easier to do the voice over than talking directly in English while working if you are not yet practiced). So there's the question of is it worth this additional time and effort or not.

[Assafl]

Troubleshooting can be as interesting as a detective story if edited and paced correctly. Take a look at the videos by "Mr. Carlson's lab". Paul sounds like a detective going through the "oops - someone already played with this so we can't trust it" or "this is a rather interesting layout for an IF circuit" and the like. 

A key, I guess, like any good piece of literature and videowork is editing. Cut as much out as you can. If cutting out a bit doesn't make it less intelligible - cut it out. If a portion is unclear - you can rerecord it later or overdub or overlay with text (if it is small and least important).

I guess it is a combination of interesting electronics (all kinds of old & new stuff), good pacing and then lots of useful tips and tidbits along the way that make the voyage both interesting and useful to the viewer.

Oh - and if it turns out to be a loose connector or burnt fuse - avoid releasing a video (or modify the video to be a calibration, etc.). The most annoying videos are the ones where it turns out 5 minutes into the thing that it was the fuse...

[RoGeorge]

This is an example of a channel with very nice repair videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheSignalPathBlog

[frozenfrogz]

First and foremost: Congrats on stepping in front of a camera

Apart from conceptual and content related ideas, one thing that does improve almost every video shoot is more light. Good quality LED flood lights and soft boxes can be bought for little money nowadays and you get rid of a lot of issues that are strictly camera related. With enough and even lighting, even cheap digital cameras turn out to capture very nice images and you do not have to spend as much time on post-processing the footage once you have your room set up.

[Bud]

This is my personal opinion and i am just trying to help.  You should start from cleaning your desk surface and work area, it looks filthy. Did you just disassemble a car engine on it before shooting this video? Also tools keep piling up on the desk as the video goes, leaving a tiny area for the object and multimeter. Try finding a way to remove them from camera view, maybe put the aside in a box or something, which is still in easy reach but not seen. Keep the work area clean and tidy, the videos will be easier to view and pleasant to view and you gain  more trust as a professional. As it is looking so dirty at the moment i cannot call it professional from electronics perspective. Please excuse me being direct, i am not known on this forum for political correctness.

[G0HZU]

My main observation was that the overhead camera angle was a bit gloomy and monotonous at times. Also, there were times when detailed work on the PCB was too distant for the observer to see. A brief closeup would help at times even if it was just a still closeup image pasted into the video. The bench was a bit grubby but then again so is mine. Mine is even the same sky blue colour and it shows dirt/marks really easily. But it is nice to see a busy workbench as so many of the ones I see on YT or on here are clean/unused like they are a page from a catalogue!

[lem_ix]

I second the more light suggestion, would make it easier to watch. Also thank you for all the videos!

[PA4TIM]

Thanks for the tips. They all are useful.
About editing, my openshot looks different but I will look for transparant settings.

Mr Carlsons and signal path are among my favorite channels. Both is ,masters in explaining things.
Most times I watch repair videos to pick up new "tricks" I can use. For instance the relays tester from Paul made me make a relay-test fixture for my Tek 576 curve tracer. I like making little instruments or fixtures to help me repairing. Things like an opto tester, IC testers, inductor saturation testers, electronic loads, all kind of fixtures. I made my own miniprobe/connector system based on lemo connector parts and mini crocks. If I have to feed a small circuit I have a fixture with banana sockets. I solder thin wires to that and then connect it with banana leads to the powersupplies. Often I connect that fixture to something heavy so it stays stationary. Every time I need an other connection I make it adaptable to one of the "systems" That way I can make all kind of save, sturdy combinations between pcbs and testgear.

Light is a bit a problem because of space. It is optimized for my work. But I will look if I can make something. More light is never a bad thing
The same for the camera. It was now balancing on my microscope arm. I am designing something to mount above me because this does not work and irritates me. I'm thinking about making stills and add them in. I have a very good Nikon D300s camera and lenses and can make macros. The video is done with a JVC videocamera. I'm also working on an adapter to connect a camara on my stereo microscope.

You should start from cleaning your desk surface and work area, it looks filthy. Did you just disassemble a car engine on it before shooting this video?

I wish I could get it cleaner. I wash it often but it does not get it cleaner.  I have no clue what it is. This ESD mat is 6 months old and looked like this after a week.I do a lot of industrial repairs (from cnc controllers to proces calibrators) but they are not dirty (if they are I clean them outside the lab and place them not on my bench) and the rest is clean. 

Also tools keep piling up on the desk as the video goes, leaving a tiny area for the object and multimeter.
Try finding a way to remove them from camera view, maybe put the aside in a box or something, which is still in easy reach but not seen

.

Boxes !, You are a funny guy.  This is partly the way I work.  I often have customers that want to see my lab because they heard from others how it looks like. In some fields would this be negative but for me the effect is positive (like the desk of Jim Williams worked for him) Sometimes there is even less space because of all the testgear needed for a job.

For the video it is a bit different because the camera tripod is often in the way. Normally I keep the screwdrivers and some pliers on the table. I have so much tools that it saves time to keep the one I use for a repair on my table so I do not need to search every time. I have something like 12 big drawers with tools in the lab. Several shelves with probes, lots of test leads and not enough room. All drawers are reachable from where I sit. 6 are behind me, the rest under the desk. If I start a new repair I clean the ESD mat, put all tools, probes, testleads, special gear for a job etc in the drawers/boxes/shelves/other rooms. And during the repair I keep te stuff I need later in the repair again on the desk. I work in there too and like it this way. It seems to work because I have enough work, almost a 100% repair score. 95% of my repairs are test and calibration gear nobody wants or can repair because there are no schematics. I'm not even close to a normal repair shop (regarding the niche marked I'm in)
And my work is more important as the videos. (so I can not make things that limit me in my work to improve videos) I have learned a lot from the community over the years and the videos and my site are my part in passing on knowledge to others.  I would like to move my lab to a bigger space but that is far from easy.

The video's are most times done between repairs. Or for instance if I have to wait to the next day for parts,

[rsjsouza]

I just watched most of the video. A few comments solely based on my opinion:
-- Congratulations on putting the video out. It is not easy to start a channel, especially on repair topics, which are not conducive to a smooth narrative, as things can be impossible/impractical to fix or may be too simple.
-- As G0ZHU pointed out, the PCB work from afar is somewhat boring. I personally skip all this through editing, unless I want to explicitly talk about the soldering process itself.
-- Same thing with the desoldering, especially a noisy one such as yours, which is discomfortable when listening using headphones.
-- As Bud said, the clutter and the gunk on the bench do annoy me a bit as well, but it may be a matter of personal opinion.
-- You lost me a bit on the long introduction before jumping into action, but I have this fault as well.
-- I noticed that sometimes there were moments when you were talking about something when reaching out to pick up a tool, rearrange cables, etc. I personally tend to cut these moments out, as I rarely can concentrate in two things at once - i.e., I start talking as a filler for the moment and tend to keep repeating myself or have these long pauses on my speech while I am actually focused is: "where the heck did I put this tool?"
-- I liked your coverage about the use of the LCR, especially when you shorted the secondary to showcase the bevaviour change on the impedance characteristics.
-- I have a similar Ikea neck lamp as yours, and to me it was only useful for really close ups due to its round illumination pattern. I am very lucky to have 80W of fluorescent lamps over my head, but this is quite important to improve the viewing experience.
-- Since I do these videos for fun, I never asked for likes or subscriptions, but this definitely changes if your intention is to get money out of these.

Overall, on a repair video I usually try to identify the main idea (or ideas) I am trying to achieve with the repair process (the use of the LCR in one video, the desoldering in another, the transistor basics in a third one and so on) and therefore cut out just enough to not lose track of the process. This tends to keep my videos shorter and a bit focused.

(edit) I saw I was late to my reply and several topics were addressed. Sorry for some duplicate things.

[PA4TIM]

I added extra light, cleaned my desk (with soapwater and long soacking I could get it better). I used IPA befor because I do not like water on this desk.  Tried to hold tools outside the video area.
I builded a temporary camera mount on the boom of my microscope so now the camera is above the DUT.  If this working (this first video it worked well) I made a definitive one.

I tried to make more shorter scenes to make it less static and remove things that are not really needed. That is the hardest part.
I'm now trying to mount a webcam on my microscope.

One thing that irritates me is that I often can not find or pronounce the right words. I'm better in writing then talking. I have a rather high words/minute rate in my own language. But I do not know if that is a problem for the viewer.

Not a repair video but  usable for trying the tips you gave me

https://youtu.be/7_oBBoEkQSI

[rsjsouza]

This is a much better video; a lot less distractions and a much better pace and with better lighting.

I tried to make more shorter scenes to make it less static and remove things that are not really needed. That is the hardest part.

Yes, that is the hard stuff. Welcome to the world of video editing.