I know yesterday I said that I was going to make my first video and get it up on YouTube. That didn't happen, or else you would have heard about that. It's not that I didn't try. I ran into a few obstacles along the way.
The Oblivion Video
With Oblivion, I made the character. I tested the software I had downloaded to see how it worked and to see how good it caught my voice and the audio. However, when I recorded a minute of game play, I stopped it because I wasn't sure if it was still catching the audio since I was still wearing a headset. This is when I discovered that it didn't catch any of the game visuals. It was only catching the desktop. So, I couldn't make an Oblivion video and that made me very sad.
The Poker Video
However, that did not stop me! I decided that what I can do is make a video of myself playing poker. I would accomplish the same things, except that it would either be a short or long video depending on how long I lasted in the tournament. So, I actually started recording myself! I got 12 minutes of recording done, and actually learned a few things (there's no evidence of this 12 minutes because I deleted it, but it's not wasted time I promised). Here's what I learned throughout this whole little recording, making my first video ordeal:
- Talking while I'm Playing Poker is Really Tough - I found that trying to play and to say what I'm thinking is very difficult, and probably hinders my ability to play my very best. Communicating my ideas and thought processes only slows down those processes, and trying to explain what I'm doing and what others are doing is tough to keep straight to do before the hand ends. Perhaps poker videos just aren't my thing, at least not yet.
- I Do Need to Plan What I'm Going to Say - Even though I do have experience in impromptu and extemporaneous speaking, I do think I do need to plan some of what I'm going to say. At the very least, I could outline my introduction and a few big points that I want to mention in the video. Obviously, more planning is going to happen for the talk show, the nightly news show, and any other shows that I do.
- I Need More Practice at This - After the 12 minutes, I continued to play and to speak as if the camera was still rolling. If I'm going to do these types of videos, I do need to practice constantly talking and having something to say. The big reason why I deleted the 12 minutes is because there were too many instances where I didn't say anything for several seconds. I would have had to throw out most of it in editing anyway.
Still Testing Software
Today, I spent time looking for a solution to the Oblivion problem, of which I am still researching and testing. First, I looked for an option to play Oblivion in a window, versus the full-screen takeover, and there is no such option (unless its been disabled with one of the mods, but I don't think so). Then, I looked at recording software that's designed for video games, and I found one that's highly rated. It took some trial and error to get the hot keys right, so starting and stopping recordings is easy and doesn't interfere with the game play. I think I have something, but the first one I tried froze the game and I had to reboot. I'll have to try again to see if it was just a one time thing.
That's where I am in this whole video thing. I needed to take a break and write this post before getting back to the problem. Hopefully, it's just about solved and I can actually make a video today. If not, then I might just do a powerpoint or me talking or something. By now, I need to start making some videos and getting some things up on YouTube.