Friday, October 9, 2009

Unleash the YouTube Producer Within You! (Part 1)

Last I checked, YouTube ranked #4 (globally) with Alexa for the most visited websites on the internet. With an audience that diverse, the potential is there to make an absolute fortune. In order to do so however, aspiring video producers must play their cards just right. Viral is what you aspire to create, because if your video goes viral, you will become an instant internet sensation. You will have swagger, pull, and most importantly, power. With power comes money!

So what makes for great viral TV? Well for one thing, you will need a high quality video camera, which is capable of shooting high definition video to shine on YouTube. Flip Video makes a great ultra high definition camcorder which is capable of shooting 120 minutes of HD video on 8 GB of built-in memory; no tapes or additional memory cards are required. (See Image Below)



If you own an iPhone or Blackberry, then you are already all set up to shoot superb high-def right from your phone! These high tech devices are quite capable of recording ultra high quality videos, which you can then upload directly to YouTube.

The Viral Factor

The simple fact remains, unless your video is noteworthy of being shared with people in mass, it probably won't make you a single red cent. But what makes for a memorable video? What makes a memorable video turn into a viral video? Let's take a closer look at some of the YouTube viral video categories, across the board.

The Insane

I'm sure you've probably seen the many, many viral videos which have been produced out of sheer insanity. Remember the little boy who visited the dentist, and was videoed still buzzed up on Novocaine? His name is David, and the video is "David After Dentist". This video has almost 32 million YouTube hits to date! The best part of it is, exploitation of a minor for fame is crazy as hell, isn't it? I think so.

The Unique

These days, some of the most explosive viral videos are those based almost completely upon the premise of uniqueness. Think about it this way, when you shop for a new car do you settle for the same make/model that your parents have? Or do you shop for the car which is unique to you? YouTube surfers similarly shop for videos which are one-of-a-kind.

Think about some of the most recent viral video hits. Remember the wedding party entering the church, then proceeding to dance down the aisle to a hip-hop song? The "JK Wedding Entrance Dance" was the first of it's kind. It's uniqueness, coupled with the comedic factor of a wedding party having so much fun on their wedding day, made it an instant monster viral success. To date it has well over 27 million views!

The Spin-Off

About a week or two after "JK Wedding Entrance Dance" came this spin-off "JK Divorce Entrance Dance", which simply took the success of the first video and followed up on it. Much like a successful television sitcom spin-off - "Cheers" spun "Frasier", "Happy Days" spun "Laverne and Shirley", "Grey's Anatomy" spun "Private Practice", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" spun "Angel", etc, etc., captivating viral videos can also have successful viral spin-offs.

This concludes part 1 of this topic. Stay tuned for part 2 which will discuss a few more categories where great viral videos normally fit. Then we'll talk about some ways in which this strategy can be employed by just about anyone.

While you await part 2 of this tutorial, I recommend that you check out this fabulous  Easy Video Player, which is currently being used by many of the big players and YouTube producers.