Idea for a first YouTube Video

[tggzzz]

I’ve been inspired by a recent thread to start my own YouTube channel. I’d welcome your thoughts on a possible first video. A possible script and indication of the visuals are....

Video Title: Review of the New Bus Pirate 5

I’ve occasionally thought it would be useful to have a Bus Pirate for quick-and-dirty peek/poke and protocol analysis of modern communications over busses like SPI, I2C. I’ve hesitated because the Bus Pirate 3 is distinctly long in the tooth, but the Bus Pirate 4 “upgrade” can’t do as much as the Bus Pirate 3.

When the Bus Pirate 5 was announced a few months ago, it seemed to be a definite improvement - so I took the plunge and ordered one. It has just arrived, rather late due to a manufacturing cockup. Kudos to the supplier for being open and honest, and offering alternatives. If only all manufacturers were like that.

Anyway here’s the box. Not very pretty, but hey, I’ve never thought Apple’s “delightful box and unboxing experience” to be worth much. I just want to use whatever’s in the box.

So, here it is connected to my computer.
    <video of bus pirate, cable, monitor: 15s>
Oh dear dog, those blinkenlights. Got to find a way of turning those off ASAP; they are so bright they are making it difficult to see the BP5’s screen.

Oops, need to do a bit of configuration to udev. Don’t know what would be necessary on Windows, since I’m not clever enough to know how to use that safely.
    <video of finding and typing in configuration: 60s>

Let’s see what it can do. Need to use LED mode, obviously
    <video of typing a few commands: 60s, including correcting typos>

It works!!! I can change the colour of the LEDs and turn them off. Isn’t that pretty, and good value for money.
    <video shows lights changing: 15s>

OK, back to the starting mode. Aargh. Those blinkenlights have rematerialised. Must Turn Them Off ASAP.
    <video of using help command, finding config, trying it, turning LEDs off again: 60s>
Back to starting mode, and they stay off. Excellent!!!

It looks like I can use it as an oscilloscope, so let’s see how good that is. The specification says it is a 500kS/s scope with a maximum 5V input.
    <video of paper specification: 15s>

Now my edge generator has a 5V 50ohm output impedance with a 250ps risetime, so if just connect it directly to the Bus Pirate inputs with dupont jumper leads, the overshoot will damage the input. To avoid that I need to use an inline 50ohm terminator, which controls overshoot and reduces the voltage input to 2.5V.
    <video of attaching pulse generator and inline terminator and getting the scope working: 180s>

Yes, that too works!!!!

Hey, this really looks good. I can recommend it to everyone

<Fade to black>

-------

Overall that contains around 450 words, so speaking normally at 60 words per minute would take 9 minutes. But realistically I’m not a good speaker used to reading a script, so the ums, ahs and gaps might extend the talking head time to 12 minutes. The video of the operation and results are likely to take an extra 8 minutes, since I’m probably not going to be very good at talking and simultaneously operating the equipment. I’ve also got to reattach connections, and move the camera between shots, so that will probably add 1 minute. The mandatory Google video adverts will add 120s. All in all that is maybe 20 minutes long.

I reckon that video would take me 30 minutes to shoot on a smartphone, and at HD resolution it is the odd 1GB or so.

So, what do you think? Should I do it?

Which of these channel names do you think would be most appropriate?
MyTimeIsMoreValuableThanYours
LookAtMe
WotACleverDudeIAm
YetMoreMonetisedClickbait



For the avoidance of doubt… None of the above applies to content creators who take the trouble to edit the footage, who create a table of contents under the video, and who do more than simply open boxes. Unfortunately such content creators are very much in the minority.

[themadhippy]

I’ve been inspired by a recent thread to start my own YouTube channel. I’d welcome your thoughts on a possible first video.

but first a word from our sponsors

[Bud]

Ifyoulikedthisvideopleasegiveusathumbsupandsubscribetoourchanneltherewillbemorevideoslikethatinthenearfuture.

[armandine2]

I imagine a Jerry Walker style intro section - and a clean-starched-shirted presenter 

[thm_w]

I wouldn't over think it. Name doesn't matter to me.
The rough script you laid out looks good, screencap some use of the software and show the board up close and I will definitely watch.

You underestimate the filming time, IMO.

[tggzzz]

I imagine a Jerry Walker style intro section - and a clean-starched-shirted presenter 

I don't know Jerry Walker, but it wouldnt be a clean starched presenter.

As my daughter once said with a strong tone of incredulity, "I didn't know you had an iron!" . I pointed out that I had owned it longer than I had owned her.

I might even wear a 50yo T-shirt, but I could sell it for a surprisingly large amount of money. FFI, spelunk in the TEA thread

[tggzzz]

I wouldn't over think it. Name doesn't matter to me.
The rough script you laid out looks good, screencap some use of the software and show the board up close and I will definitely watch.

You underestimate the filming time, IMO.

No, that time is about right.

Everything that would be in the video is explained above.

Here's a picture of the board, with blinkenlights.



More info at https://hardware.buspirate.com/

[shabaz]

I too ordered the Bus Pirate 5 (I once bought a Logic Analyzer designed by Ian Lesnet, so I knew the BP5 was going to be a decent device for the low cost!). I, too, didn't understand the LEDs and felt they were unnecessary, but in real life, admittedly, it does look intriguing with the LEDs pulsating! - And there's a chance they could be handy for quick status details if they are programmed for that.

In terms of features, I wish its adjustable output voltage feature was not linked to the logic input voltage level since many (say) 3.3V logic circuits require a different supply voltage to run (e.g.) 5V.

The main reason I was more interested in BP5 than previous versions is that it's using the RP2040, which has a quite decent C/C++ SDK that I'm familiar with. I'd be interested in maybe adding some software features someday.

Regarding videos, I can't comment on what's good or not in terms of content, sometimes it resonates with viewers, sometimes it does not (I create the occasional video, but generally niche stuff, I do not turn on ad revenue etc, so that hopefully any viewers don't get adverts). However, on a practicality thing, personally, I find it hard to talk to the camera without many um/ahs, so I only know of two solutions:

(1) Keep the video very short (for me, that's about 3 minutes max!) to reduce um/ahs to a tolerable level
or
(2) Edit the video. With the bonus that the edited video can be reduced in length to remove additional uninteresting bits at the same time.

Here's some general stuff that I've found helpful, it's just a personal opinion of course; I'm sure plenty would disagree:

(a) No need to say what's in the video if it is obvious. For instance, no need to read out lines of content, if that detail is already being displayed on the screen.

(b) Worth taking plenty of snapshots at the time you take the video, in case you later need to fill some speech space with photos (perhaps some of the video recording was no good or blurry, so at least you have a photo to replace the video for that section)

(c) Regarding demonstrating to a spec, while that's interesting to some, personally, I'd be interested to instead see real-world examples (if possible), e.g., seeing how BP5 is used to capture I2C from a real sensor.

(d) A wall of test equipment (some Youtubers do that!) is hard to work into videos because it seems like visual clutter. It is nicer to see the testbed in more detail instead, covering the entire video frame size.

An example of unedited video. Plenty of errors, like the important part of the mobile phone display is off the screen at times. But at least it's short (3min 37 sec), so viewers do not have to put up with um/ah irritation for long either.


An example of edited video (mostly all um/ahs gone, but also importantly all boring bits removed, and as a result the video is  short at 3 min 20 sec).

[SiliconWizard]

That's funny, but I still think that anyone who makes the effort to shoot videos and upload them, however clickbaity or worthless they are, is still eons better off than the ones who are merely consuming said videos.

[thm_w]

I wouldn't over think it. Name doesn't matter to me.
The rough script you laid out looks good, screencap some use of the software and show the board up close and I will definitely watch.

You underestimate the filming time, IMO.

No, that time is about right.

We will see once its done

[shabaz]

AI auto-generated videos aside, there's definitely something to that sentiment, in that for sure it's a tough thing to do, no matter how terrible the result might look to everyone else. Some skills take ages to learn. I cannot do 'off-the-cuff' videos, I have to prepare a bit, whereas for others it's maybe more natural.

Some things are subtle. For instance, while I absolutely need to write notes or a script, what's written doesn't always flow well in a video. A script to be spoken aloud can sound different from what would read better in a forum or blog post, so some thinking is needed on the fly to decide what to skip out from the script, where to pause or emphasize a bit, etc.

Another issue is that preparing a script might still not be good enough for flow. Most decent videos will be story-boarded first, so that's yet another step that would ideally be learned to identify what messages to convey in the video and then the best way to get there.

Execs, when key-note speaking at conferences, apparently, allocate a whole day per slide that they talk over. So, just 5-slides-worth of video should really take up an entire full week of prep! Just not feasible for a typical YouTube video.

[tggzzz]

I too ordered the Bus Pirate 5 (I once bought a Logic Analyzer designed by Ian Lesnet, so I knew the BP5 was going to be a decent device for the low cost!). I, too, didn't understand the LEDs and felt they were unnecessary, but in real life, admittedly, it does look intriguing with the LEDs pulsating! - And there's a chance they could be handy for quick status details if they are programmed for that.

I hate blinkenlights, marquees, and anything similar that distracts from the content.

The status details are pretty well (and clearly) defined on the LCD screen next to the connector, and also on the VT100 display. As they stand, I'm not aware of then being useful for anything other than eyecandy. I expect that writing your own C code could make them more useful.

In terms of features, I wish its adjustable output voltage feature was not linked to the logic input voltage level since many (say) 3.3V logic circuits require a different supply voltage to run (e.g.) 5V.

My attitude is that the programmable voltage is useful for the IO voltages. I would normally use an external PSU for an external device, but if I can power that device then it is icing on the cake.

The main reason I was more interested in BP5 than previous versions is that it's using the RP2040, which has a quite decent C/C++ SDK that I'm familiar with. I'd be interested in maybe adding some software features someday.

I suspect if I wanted to do something like that, I'd first try to export the datastream up the USB to a PC. If I want to do post processing, I want a decent environment where I don't have to use C/C++ except for poking registers. "Decent" implies statistical processing, filtering, graphing, (etc) and not being constrained by whatever time/space is left available in an MCU.

Regarding videos, I can't comment on what's good or not in terms of content, sometimes it resonates with viewers, sometimes it does not (I create the occasional video, but generally niche stuff, I do not turn on ad revenue etc, so that hopefully any viewers don't get adverts). However, on a practicality thing, personally, I find it hard to talk to the camera without many um/ahs, so I only know of two solutions:
(1) Keep the video very short (for me, that's about 3 minutes max!) to reduce um/ahs to a tolerable level
or
(2) Edit the video. With the bonus that the edited video can be reduced in length to remove additional uninteresting bits at the same time.

That is clearly unfashionable, and not something valued by today's audience. Evidence: all the new videos pushed at you on youtube.

Here's some general stuff that I've found helpful, it's just a personal opinion of course; I'm sure plenty would disagree:
(a) No need to say what's in the video if it is obvious. For instance, no need to read out lines of content, if that detail is already being displayed on the screen.
(b) Worth taking plenty of snapshots at the time you take the video, in case you later need to fill some speech space with photos (perhaps some of the video recording was no good or blurry, so at least you have a photo to replace the video for that section)
(c) Regarding demonstrating to a spec, while that's interesting to some, personally, I'd be interested to instead see real-world examples (if possible), e.g., seeing how BP5 is used to capture I2C from a real sensor.

I agree, but clearly that is unfashionable.

An example of unedited video. Plenty of errors, like the important part of the mobile phone display is off the screen at times. But at least it's short (3min 37 sec), so viewers do not have to put up with um/ah irritation for long either.
...
An example of edited video (mostly all um/ahs gone, but also importantly all boring bits removed, and as a result the video is  short at 3 min 20 sec).
...

The most important thing is to get close to livestreaming the "real life experience" of using it. That means the video cannot be shortened or edited. Clearly that is the case, as evidenced byall the TV shows like "Big Brother", "Love Island", "Gogglebox", etc - which clearly captivate the new generation. Curiously, those were largely anticipated by the famous 1968 production "The Year of the Sex Olympics", and to a lesser extent the 1976 movie "Network". FFI, see gurgle.

[tggzzz]

I wouldn't over think it. Name doesn't matter to me.
The rough script you laid out looks good, screencap some use of the software and show the board up close and I will definitely watch.

You underestimate the filming time, IMO.

No, that time is about right.

We will see once its done

No, that will be right.

The old rule of thumb of taking an hour to post-process a minute of broadcast video is so "last millenium".

[tggzzz]

AI auto-generated videos aside, there's definitely something to that sentiment, in that for sure it's a tough thing to do, no matter how terrible the result might look to everyone else. Some skills take ages to learn. I cannot do 'off-the-cuff' videos, I have to prepare a bit, whereas for others it's maybe more natural.

Some things are subtle. For instance, while I absolutely need to write notes or a script, what's written doesn't always flow well in a video. A script to be spoken aloud can sound different from what would read better in a forum or blog post, so some thinking is needed on the fly to decide what to skip out from the script, where to pause or emphasize a bit, etc.

Another issue is that preparing a script might still not be good enough for flow. Most decent videos will be story-boarded first, so that's yet another step that would ideally be learned to identify what messages to convey in the video and then the best way to get there.

Execs, when key-note speaking at conferences, apparently, allocate a whole day per slide that they talk over. So, just 5-slides-worth of video should really take up an entire full week of prep! Just not feasible for a typical YouTube video.

That's all so last millennium. Off-the-cuff opinions and instant on-the-spot reactions are so important to keep the action and money flowing - just look at all the "front page" videos on youtube. If I don't follow suit, I'll lose out.

[shabaz]

You could fight the power! : ) Network was a great movie. I've not seen Year of the Sex Olympics but just saw on Wikipedia that it was written by the author of the Quatermass movies, so I will definitely try to watch it at some point.

What people find interesting is inexplicable for sure. I have difficulty understanding how kids enjoy watching Youtube videos of people playing Minecraft, for hours on end. Sometimes making them watch something completely different works and absorbs them though, but their natural instinct will be to watch Minecraft : (

[Sredni]

My suggestion to you is to work on the thumbnails. Boobs work great.

No, seriously, I have put up a few horrible demonstrations of a simple circuit that have close to zero views (I have four 'subscribers' and I know them by name :-) ), but the ones which have a piece of paper with formulas scribbled on it as a thumbnail are close to have negative views.
The ones with the scope, or some electronic gear in it get a few dozens views from random strangers, probably by people who think there could be something imteresting to see (and by the time they find the skip button on the screen the video has ended and the view number has increased by one).

Work on your thumbnails.

[SiliconWizard]

Don't forget to get Brilliant as a sponsor.

[joeqsmith]

I’ve been inspired by a recent thread to start my own YouTube channel. I’d welcome your thoughts on a possible first video.
...

Close with: 

Don't forget to like and subscribe.  Make sure to ring that bell.  Consider becoming a patreon so I can continue bringing you high quality content.   

Also, make sure you enable ads.

All nothing I have said or done...

[joeqsmith]

Make sure you follow up with a second video that talks about the uncertainty of the channel.   Don't be shy about the fact you need money.

Again, nothing I have ever done....

[coppercone2]

you might want to look at the old masters like Oprah and Jerry Springer to get maximum audience

[hans]

I think it very much depends what kind of video style you want to chase.

30min for such a format sounds to me like a low-budget shoot with minimal edits. That's OK, but it wont attract masses. Given that YT has quite a hefty watch-time threshold to get monetized, I wouldn't expect to make any money from it unless you're upload with a regular schedule for months to years.

I've certainly thought about doing something similar, but still haven't found the inclination to do so. The trouble for me is I'm a perfectionist and I absolutely cannot stand 'mistakes'. I know that those quirks are the things that people will love and attach to. But I also want the things I say make sense and match with what's on screen. I disagree that uploading 'anything' is better than just consuming.. uploading misinformation is probably worse. Mistakes aside

So given those things, I wouldn't expect such a video to be a quick 30min shoot. You want to prepare your technical work. You need to realign camera gear. You wrote this script. You need to get a good film environment: good sound, lighting, framing, etc. You have to shoot A roll, and if really dedicated, B-roll. You need to piece together this puzzle in editting to make a visually entertaining video, up to whatever standards desired. Certainly I don't have time to "watch" a video with poor audio or long pauses to show trivial information. I hate to say it, but for that reason I don't watch many EEVblog videos start-to-end anymore, because of time. There is simply so much entertaining channels that can squeeze fun stuff <15min.

BUT, as I eluded before with the stuff I've done before , you've got to start somewhere and then build up.
I certainly wouldn't plan on the first video being some kind of endgame. Start simple.
And I don't run a YT channel myself, so: [/my 2 cents]

[tggzzz]

you might want to look at the old masters like Oprah and Jerry Springer to get maximum audience

Certainly not! I have standards.

Several sets, actually, so I can choose between them

[coppercone2]

then there is contemporary genius like the cabbages behind jersey shore

[tszaboo]

Don't overthink it, just make it. You are probably going to get less than 100 views, and it could take a year of constant release with disappointing results before your channel would get any traction. And by that time you either learn how to do videos, or you give up. Use a very good quality microphone, people will instantly leave if the audio is bad. Or if you have a foreign accent like me.

[Bud]

No shaking camera FFS.