Video Roundup (Tradecraft)

I've had more free time than usual this summer, with my family out of town, so I've been playing more with game trade videos. I started with some "around the store" topics, but settled in with business interests. I've had readers wondering if I had switched mediums, but rest assured, I'll keep writing. I'm going on vacation in a week, so the videos will stop for a while and I'll consider if I want to put more effort into them when I get back.

If you watch the videos, I think you'll agree they get better going forward. I learned important techniques, like holding the camera horizontally, taking the case off the phone for better sound, trying to use the best lighting (and locking the iPhone to keep it from hunting) and not letting them see your nostril hairs. I've also become more comfortable in front of the camera. Part of that is doing most of the later videos by myself in an empty house.

My goal was to do this without new equipment, and so far that has worked. Videos also get made without a script, editing and in a single take (lucky you). I figure if I need a script, it probably deserves a blog post. As I've gone forward, "one take" has meant multiple takes, and I've gotten comfortable re-shooting the same topic with my thoughts better organized. Sometimes I re-shoot four or five times.

If an idea comes to me and I can organize it in my head, I think it's worth a video. If it's deeply complex, and many of my video requests are complex, then it's probably a better blog posts. Blog posts take more time, especially complex ones, so you'll see I've shot a bunch of little videos in a little over a month.

Anyway, if you like the videos, please "Like" them on YouTube and Subscribe to the channel. Someone recently discovered my YouTube channel and tweeted I was a great resource on finance, known by less than 100 people. You would get that impression on YouTube. It's not that I need personal validation (which is always nice too), I just need to know if it's a medium worth pursuing.

Here's what you may have missed since my last post about videos, in order except for the first two (two parts). There are more besides these, so please explore the channel if you find them interesting.

Introduction to Commercial Leases, Part Un

Introduction to Commercial Leases, Part Deux

The Successful Hobby Game Store

Game Retailer Success

Avoiding Discount Culture

Monetizing Game Space

Process Improvement

Impressions of Kobold Press D&D 5E Products

So You Want to Start a Game Store: Business Plan

Rejection of Expertise in the Game Trade

So You Want to Start a Game Store: Your Income

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