I was approached by Futuromic Malaysia (official distributor for Nikon in Malaysia) to do a project on their latest camera, the Nikon Z50 II. At first I thought it would be something to do with me reviewing the camera, or shooting some sample images with the camera to be shared on their socials. When I asked further it was none of the above assumptions I have made, in fact they wanted me to do something with my YouTiube, about making a video as a content creator and share my experience using the Z50 II in such capacity to a real life audience in one of their consumer events. I immediately jumped in and said yes! The images shown in this blog entry were all taken by my amazing friend, Van Ligutom.
Based on my experience using the Z50 II to make a full video, I prepared my talk for Nikon, sharing every single step from start to finish on my process of creating that video. From how I shot sample images with the Nikon 28mm F2.8, to drafting my video script and doing necessary research work, then the filming process of A-Rolls and B-Rolls and finally the post-production process, especially color grading before publishing the final video on YouTube.
I shared the full details, from full camera settings, to the tripod that I used, to audio control and monitoring, which wireless microphone I have used for the video, why monitoring audio is important, and everything that I can think of sharing, I shared during the session. I talked about why I did not shoot in Log format and opted for flat profile 8-bit video instead. I emphasized the importance of reviewing every single footage. I talked about the use of ND filters for cinematic footage. On top of that, I shared how to manage a shoot as a solo content creator, minimizing tasks, simplifying workflow and getting as much done with as little effort as possible. I talked about why I prefer filming outside - instead of the usual "studio" setup with professional lights and all those flashy red green blue disco lights in the background like any other YouTubers did - I prefer the natural look and I am primarily an outdoor photographer, I love street photography!
Most importantly, I made it clear that a YouTuber is not a videographer or cinematographer. I am a photographer making YouTube videos, I don't pretend to be a cinematographer of film maker, and I don't have the passion or interest in film-making. Likewise, a Hollywood or high grade film maker may not necessarily be interested in making YouTube videos, those are entirely worlds apart. YouTube is a platform to share conversations, or your passion, you broadcast yourself, it is like a TV channel but you have control over it, it does not have to be super polished or "Hollywood" grade in terms of production.
I shared plenty of experience being on YouTube for more than 5 years already. Some monetization tips of course, but most people in the audience were new, so the aim was to make them see that YouTube was not an impossible mission and anyone can start making videos, as long as they have a passionate topic to talk about. Passion is important, because you don't become a YouTuber for the sake of becoming a YouTuber. You use YouTube to talk about something you love - your passion, and if you don't have that, the channel won't fly. I also talked about how the first 100 videos will suck, but you still have to go through with it, because you cannot just magically be perfect in just a few videos published online. It is a long process, a journey, a lot of self-learning, and a lot of mistakes to be made.
At this point, I hope the presentation gave some valuable insights on how I became a YouTuber, and the work I have put in it. I wanted to contribute something different to the crowd, I wanted to add value to the talks. It was a full day event split into two sessions - morning and afternoon. Each session has two speakers sharing different topics. In total of morning and afternoon sessions, there were 4 speakers and 4 talks, and I was the only speaker who was a guest presenter and not a Nikon Ambassador.
I have had a fun time sharing whatever I can on my YouTube know-how to the audience in this talk. I can only hope the audience could gain something useful from the 1 hour session. Maybe I have encouraged some of them to start making YouTube videos!
