andrgl
-
Posts
525 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Articles
Posts posted by andrgl
-
-
Last year my main channel made about 60k USD. No YouTube ads, strictly affiliate pay from having viewers click a link to my site and then from there visit a merchant like Amazon, Walmart, etc.
Here’s my deepdive answer:
I make product reviews in low competition niches. The videos have ridiculously high production value and tend to outrank any competitors for ~2-3 years on search and autoplay list.
So on average I make about 4K a month, but that doubles or more around November and December.
This year revenue is down as my older videos lose rank and I’ve been slowing down on producing more content. I could wind up making half of what I did last year if I don’t start uploading more videos.
Today I build sets and furnish them using free stuff I get from kijiji or craiglist. I made modular flats with double sided walls (tile one side, wallpaper other side) and can build a room with windows and a door. I have props for a kitchen, bathroom, office and workbench. I can also kinda make a living room.
I currently use an FS5.2 and A6500 with Sigma 18-35 and 50-100 glass. I use a 5-axis Kessler Crane Second Shooter for camera control. Lighting is mostly from Aputure: C120Ds, LS1Ss. I also have a number of Quasar tubes with Kino housings.
I shoot 4K raw at either 30 or 120fps and upload 4K30. Edit using DaVinci. Motion graphics are done on After Effects. Sound and VOs are captured on a Blue Yeti with me covering myself with a heavy blanket while sitting on a super thick carpet. Voiceovers are heavily processed in Audition.
I wrote all the code for the website myself. The only expense is paying for the domain name. Each niche subdomain is hosted on a Google App Engine project which reduces my overall traffic and allows me to squeak by on the fee tier. YouTube is used for the video hosting. The web scrapping is done on a free tier Google Compute Engine project. I use Sikuli to grab prices from websites I don’t have API access to and google search cache as a backup. Google Sheets is used as a GUI for the database, which a python script accesses to generate a flatfile DB and then is uploaded to the appropriate GAE project every 24 hours.
Long story short, I don’t use Wordpress with plugins. I use Google servers with custom code to have a lighting fast website, so people are more likely to use the website and click my affiliate links.
WAY TOO MUCH INFO RIGHT?
But more importantly:
Is this a viable route for you to make money on YouTube?
Sure, I guess. At this point 7ish years in, I’m bored of making these videos.
It took probably 4 years to turn a profit with my most recent gear purchases. I’ve spent a lot on equipment to keep my interest.
Lately it’s way too much fucking work. It was nice proving this could work but I work a full time job that pays me way more money.
There’s no way for me to replace myself and earn a revenue as whoever I teach will inevitably just strike it out on their own.
I tried to help my last GF to make her own content: makeup, handbags, etc... big mistake. I don’t recommend mixing work with friends.
-
On 6/6/2019 at 8:18 AM, Mattias Burling said:
I came very close to ordering the E2 this week. Was interested in the slowmotion.
But after some research there where a few things that was annoying, design wise. But the big deal breaker was the h265. God I would hate having to use that. If the slowmotion had been available in Prores I could have looked the other way on the, imo, weird connection placements.
Also the 240fps uses lineskipping. Lots of aliasing. Basically useless for deep focus.
Their cameras are not without their issues but offer great value for money.
I'm glad they are embracing positive lock lens mounts. If they add SDI next generation, their cameras will end up on a lot of productions.
-
23 hours ago, Adam Kuźniar said:
Viltrox EF-M2 is optically identical to the Metabones in center of the shot, corners are a bit blurry. However is that worth the difference? If I was shooting a movie for the cinema, I wouldn't skimp on that, but as I'm mostly shooting for youtube and web delivery, there's no way anyone can see the difference and none of my clients ever commented on that.
I have it, I had zero issues with it and I think it's worth the price.
Exactly, who cares about quality or ripoff products? I mean, is it worth the difference knowing you paid the creators instead a Chinese company that simply stole the design? It’s not like the guy who designed the optics that were copied even posts in this forum. Everything should be as cheap as possible, especially the work you do, you should strive to deliver at lower costs.
-
42 minutes ago, Kisaha said:
Also, have you people noticed how bad the 80s and 90s and even early 00s, series look right now?
Seinfeld was shot on film and looks awesome remastered.
FUN FACT:
If you're watching a 16:9 HD version, you're actually seeing parts of the frame that were originally matted out!
-
On 5/5/2019 at 12:53 PM, Django said:
If the editing is tight, nobody will notice the gap in resolution, even on a 4K 55" OLED TV.
It's shocking how shit my old FHD footage looks upscaled on a 43" UHD panel.
Even on YouTube the difference is obvious.
-
3 hours ago, thephoenix said:
it does not
Yes it does.
7 hours ago, Kisaha said:Does the free version imports H265 files?
Windows is missing the codec, you can get it free from Microsoft here:
-
Wow the node process difference between Sony and Canon is nuts.
Doesn't Canon have patents for BSI? Have they build any sensors with it?
-
1 hour ago, zerocool22 said:
Well yeah, big production companies will not change their camera inventory into an unknown brand what their clients dont even know about. Kinefinity is more aimed at freelancers/low budget filmmakers/hobbyists, so Z-cam could def hurt kinefinity(bigger companies will not care)
You should join the unofficial group on Facebook. You’ll see production shots of their cameras. These aren’t being used by hobbiest.
The Kinefinity has pro features: modules, SDI, swappable mounts, proper SSD support, wireless lens and video streaming, more RAW and ProRes codec options.
The Zcam lacks these features and is priced accordingly.
Kinefinity has never priced their cameras for the low-end market.
You also have to piece together all the things to build your camera whereas Kinefinity has packages ready to go.
-
42 minutes ago, KnightsFan said:
Up until the e2 series, you needed to pay tens of thousands for a kinefinity or red for those diminished returns, and now its down to $5k.
$54,500 for the MONSTRO 8K VV and $5,995 for the Z CAM E2-F8.
This thing is going to wind up as a B, C and crash cam for so many productions...
-
-
Competing on price is a terrible business. Anyone and everyone can be the cheapest. Customers that prioritize a lower price over quality aren’t worth working for.
Think about any service. The cheaper the rate, the lower the talent.
Why would a professional accept less for creating a better product?
-
19 minutes ago, AnthonyBert said:
Sorry to disappoint - Went for a test of the Zcam E2 with CVP in London: 16 stop - Not true, unless the C200 has 17 stops - Testing along side C200 and more DR on C200 - The camera is well made and has an interesting size, but for me the rolling shutter was the deal breaker... It is a good effort thought. Lovely little screen on the top, but it needs to be off centred a bit more. Solid construction. I did not buy it just because of the rolling shutter. The image coming out is very nice. Autofocus I did not try but talking to Philip Bloom at the BVE he clearly expressed that the AF was unusable....
You have any side by side footage?
-
1 hour ago, Kisaha said:
Don't they have the 4K S35 camera also for October/November release? Their current m43 one is too knew also, definitely they need resources for firmware upgrades and bugs e.t.c
It takes almost 2 or more years for Canon (still waiting for that C100mkIII!)/Sony to produce a cine/video camera, it is amazing if the Z cam do 3 and a half in one..
They’re planning to release 5 cameras in 2019:
E2 C
E2 GS
E2 S35 6K
E2 FF 6K
E2 FF 8K
Canon and Sony are slow, old, behemoths. Literally dumpster fires of money. They need to sell 10,000x units to make a penny.
Being a tiny company in China you could stay afloat selling 500 cameras a year. Their government basically subsidizes industry with cheap loans and no cost shipping.
-
9 hours ago, majoraxis said:
Or you could get the Pocket 4k Cinema Camera and shoot windowed HD at 120 frames per second with a crop factor approximately 1.38% (so your lens would not seem as wide) and if you shot 4k you would cover approximately 2.7k at the wide end and depending on the lens as you zoom in, many zoom lens have a large image circle on the long end, so you could even shoot greater that 2.7k and in crop in post.
The other interesting thing you could do is attached your lens to PL-EF adapter then to an Aputure DEC Vari-nd Wireless Lens adapter to m4/3 mount, then to the camera. That way you would have a high quality adjustable remote controllable ND filter, which would allow you to shoot the lens open or close to it.
Further more you could try adding a 1.4x extender in between the the PL-EF adapter and the EF to m4/3 adapter. That should come close to covering the sensor and I assume will cover the send if your zoom into the image a bit.
If you want 105% coverage, Tokin makes a 1.6x PL to PL extender so 12.52 mm x 7.42 mm becomes 20.032 x 11.72 and more than covers the Pocket 4k cinema camera sensor, but you lose more than a stop of light, though with the Pocket 4k this is less of an issue.
Only interested in 4K.
Trying to get a hold of a rental unit at the moment.
-
Wowee, these lenses seem perfect for cine use.
- 35mm f/1.2
- 50mm f/1.2
- 85mm f/1.2
Manual focus, crazy fast, full frame, identical 86mm fronts, even looks like focus gear placement could be uniform.
Anyone using these lenses to shoot video?
-
Anyone try using a Blackmagic URSA Broadcast with S16 lenses?
Super 16 aperture: 12.52 mm x 7.42 mm
Broadcast sensor: 13.056 mm x 7.344 mm
4K, 60 FPS, 12-ish stops of DR, internal NDs, SSD recording, SDI out, real PL mount... very tempting.
-
Oh for fuck's sake Andrew. Your post somehow made it to my newsfeed titled "EOS R Getting External RAW Recording".
Canon will never give the EOS R that ability. It's not part of the Cine lineup. Be happy with Canon LOG.
-
The Nanguang Pavolite tubes are a great cheapest option too. No built-in battery or DMX though.
-
The Pocket 4K has better IQ but the FS5 has features I need:
- No crop, full coverage S35 or Full Frame with a speedbooster
- 4K 120fps RAW cdng
- positive lock EF mount with metabones cine
- inexpensive SSD media
I was patient and got a used FS5II and a Odyssey 7Q bundle for under USD$3500.
-
37 minutes ago, mercer said:
OT - but how do you like the FS5ii Raw? Is the Odyssey CDNG only or can you shoot ProRes Raw with it?
Also, how’s the Venice color with the internal 10bit 1080p?
No ProRes RAW, does ProRes HQ and CDNG.
Shogun Inferno is the better choice for shooting ProRes, as it does ProRes RAW.
Unless shooting RAW or you can grade SLog, the baked in Sony look sucks. It’s not as bad as the original A7S but I haven’t seen anything special with the supposed “Venice” colour. Maybe the highlight rolloff is improved? It’s a Sony camera, and the straight off card image leaves you feeling underwhelmed.
The FS5 is a poor man’s Red. Does HFR well enough. Plus coupled with a cine metabones adapter and Oddysey 7Q you get a complete cinema package.
The Mini Pro G2 is looking like a good challenger. But I’m skeptical that it will do HFR with a single SSD. Also, the EF mount doesn’t lock the lens. A remote follow focus will torque the **** out of the lens and cause a visible jump, ruining your shot over and over.
I also had an awful time with noise in the mid tones with the original URSA. So when I properly “exposed” I was left with like 6 stops of latitude when shooting 60 frames and above. I want to see how well this new sensor handles UHD at 150.
Never got a chance to work with braw, so maybe that will fix the issues you usually get with capturing cdng.
-
Wow 150fps! But I remember the issues I had with the OG 4.6k with nasty noise at 40-50 IRE. And that was only at 60fps.
I heard it got better with the pro and braw, but I’d wait for tests before ordering the new URSA.
Price is also higher than what I paid for a used FS5II and Odyssey 7Q.
Any word if the SSD module is capable of recording those high frame rates?
-
I'm going to go with the Odyssey 7Q as it offers CDNG recording at 4k60 and 4k120.
It's also surprisingly easy to find used ones with drives and the paid upgrade, for under USD$1500.
-
Is there anything cheaper than the FS5 for 4k120 RAW?
Only other camera I could find was the Sony FS700R.
-
Making Money on YouTube for Idiots (Me) 2019
In: Cameras
Posted
@kaylee
Yeah, my competition makes low quality videos. So the idea was to make cinematic content.
And yeah, it’s hard enough to get people to leave YouTube to visit a website so I skip on ads to up my chances.
I also agree with you. If you make videos that people will visit for years to come, you’ll get a steady trickle of money from Adsense.
Product reviews have a limited shelf life. I may start to enable ads on my older content at some point.
I think a cool idea to make affiliate money income could be done with film making tutorials / BTS stuff.
Basically: use a gimmick to get a cool shot (special light, specific lens, brushless gimbal, drone, smoke machine, whatever.) Play the finished video at the beginning, show how you achieved it and then give a link to a website showing more photos, a write up, and a product list of the stuff you used.
add affiliate links to the products.