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TalesOfSigmar

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Personally, engaging relevant #GoodContent is what might pique my interest but what will have me stay and I guess more importantly return is more the, unseen, scaffolding propping everything up, so...

1) Good presentation skills and super importantly scripting. Some people are great improvisers (on camera) but most really are not, so actually having a tight script to at least then riff on is key. I think a good host/presenter can make nearly anything fun to listen to, or at the very leats tolerable to have on in the background. There's lots of podcasts for instance that are just brutally obnoxious and even when they're delivering potentially  #GoodContent I just can't even with them.

Some of my favourite RPG podcasters can rattle on for ages about, for instance, the correct colour that salt'n'vinegar & cheese & onion crisp pockets should come in (blue & green respectively of course) and I'll listen enraptured for hours, whereas I don't think I've ever lasted more than 2 minutes into one of those 40K Theories videos on YouTube without wishing Exterminatus upon the host and everyone in the comment section.

2) Probbaly equally important, good editing skills, Warhammer in pretty much all it's forms is frankly an awful spectator sport but at least you can brutally edit film down to make it more watchable. Much like I really have zero interest in watching 2 interminable hours of a close up of someone's thumb to figure out how to paint a certain colour scheme I really don't need to watch an unedited 3 hour game as people bumble around a table measuring things like the world's worst DIY channel.

3) Decent graphics, camera shots etc. So much easier to do all this stuff now that even something as potentially dull as a battle report can at least be livened up and made more interesting with good digital on-screen graphics, interesting angles etc. Bring that ****** to life and make it look fresh, not like something from a geocities site.

 

 

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There's already a few channels out there doing battle reports, so try to figure out what makes yours different. There's definitely room for another, as long as you've got a unique flavor. For example RR1s are a little goofy and they definitely get across the idea that the game is supposed to be fun.

 

If you're doing a competitive report, maybe do a quick rundown of why you chose the lists you chose, and what they're each hoping to achieve. If you're doing a narrative report, anything you can do to make it feel like an immersive story will make it more fun to watch. A few of the channels out there are just "some dude showed up, here's his army, now we're playing. Here's a close up of a dice roll, because that's real fun to watch, right?" As long as you bring a little more than that to the table, I'm sure people will be into it.

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2 hours ago, TalesOfSigmar said:

So in the New Year I'm looking at launching a AoS YouTube channel focussing on AoS and Warcry battle reports, both competitive and narrative.

The question to the wider community, what would you want to see on a proper dedicated AoS YouTube channel?

A decent phone is fine to film with. The audio on it isnt. You need better audio than that. 

Content wise, just make sure you;re having fun while making it and it will translate to the audience. 

If you want some advice on gear or editing don't hesitate to send a personal message. maybe my trade (filmmaking) will help me give you some pointers.

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What I'd like to see: 

Technical:

1) Good lighting, good microphone, good audio (not the same thing as good microphone) display ownership and use of a tripod. 

a) Lighting. Good lighting is a must and honestly with LED lights it shouldn't cost all that much. The bigger issue is having space to make sure that you've got the light around the table so that its clear (plus any light softening attachments if you use them). Good light makes the video easier to see and its really critical to the visual experience. 

b) Good Microphone. This pretty much goes without saying, have one, use it right. 

c) Good audio. This is linked to the above but goes further. For example consider the surroundings, trying to hear what a person is saying over a microphone in a busy gaming hall is a nightmare. You can't turn the volume up becauase you get downed out by the background noise. The same is true of a room that echos etc... Sometimes the best option is to not have any audio recorded live (save for your own notes/reference) and then to narrate over the top when you've a closed quiet environment. Perhaps also using backing music during the game (again don't record live, play it over the top using editing tools and be sure to use paid for music/royalty free/your own). 

d) Tripod. Wobbly camera syndrome is a pain. It makes it harder to view and often ends up with the focus moving all around and missing focus. Heck I've seen people doing painting videos with the camera on auto focus and the focus just jumps all around as well as the camera wobbling. Keep it stable and use anti-shake features when needed. 

e) A script. As noted above many people can't improvise and many of those who can started with scripts (they aren't fully improvising, they are going off a history of lots of scripts which gives them structure in their mind so they've got a lot more to hand ready to use). Don't be afraid to re-record segments and practice your lines. This is where voice-overs work best because you can get that part working well. Of course if you record later you will need to learn some tricks - recording too much during the event so you've some "waste time" on the reel; or even using different camera angles on the same event - again you're stretching the video to meet the audio. Just avoid what GW sometimes does with their Becca Scott videos (Esp the early ones) where they throw in random face angles for no reason. 

 

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#1 Get your rules right! If in doubt, look it up on the spot and play on as you can always edit it later. Nothing worse then seeing people getting rules blatantly wrong or, not being sure and just deciding to play it a certain way (i.e. wrong) without bothering to check. 

#2 I like the above idea, for competitive battle reports, of explaining the theory behind the list and what you are trying to achieve, especially in relation to the scenario. 

#3 A little focus on the scenario and its objectives goes a long way. Too many battle reports gloss over it (I havnt committed all scenarios to memory and am unlikely to have my GHB handy to look up what the objectives are ). 

#4 Reports of different lengths wouldnt be a bad idea. Some 30min, some 45min and some 60min+. Could be different versions of the same game if you could be bothered.

#5 After action summaries are always good for analyzing what worked and what didnt. You could have fun with the format of this as most reports I've seen just have the players sitting on the couch or at the desk having a chat and it can be a little bland. 

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I’m personally a big fan of MWG and Guerrilla Miniature Gaming (and Tabletop Tactics but that’s 40k). I like the commentary, the banter, the fluidity and the production value. They’re filmed in a soundproof room (no exterior or crowd sounds), very well lit and they use their camera to get good views of the minatures (which are always painted to a high quality) and dice rolls. I personally do not like birds eye views. 
anyway, just my 2 cents. I’ll check out your channel regardless. 

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Edit stuff down.

I can't stomach most AoS youtube content because of length, along with the inherent unwatchability of AoS from a spectator standpoint. Longest I'll usually last watching a battle report is 3 minutes into the game proper.

I'd much rather see a series of photographs and a voiceover giving a far more terse overview of the game than a full on recording of the game.



 

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Cheers guys this is valuable feedback for sure!

We’re going to record this weekend a test report to get an idea of length to record, best practices for shooting, camera/audio quality, how long to edit and publish etc.

As we starting off we’re limited in equipment, got two bright led video lights, a tripod for an iPhone XR to record video as well as some mics for audio. As long as the first couple of test records go ok (we might even release them on YouTube as a tester to get an idea of feedback etc) then we’ll invest in better cameras etc.

Could find after the first couple of test records it’s just not for us but until you try you’ll never know right?!?

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Sounds like a good plan - just remember a good battle report, or any video, takes time. With practice and experience that time reduces and you don't "feel" it as much, but the first one might feel like you're spending ages to get only a few moments worth of video. So don't lose hope. You might even start with something like Warcry or another short time-format game just to get experience. IT might give you something shorter to complete, even if the mechanics of recording a short and a long game might well differ. 

 

 

I think one important element is to have a clear vision on what you want to deliver with your channel and with each video. Some people just want a game summary; some want in depth tactical chat; some want a super casual level of general chatter noise etc.... So go in with your vision and make it clear what you aim to deliver. Remember you can always mix it up with multiple different types of content; just be sure to title/label them clearly at the start so that people know what to expect from the video.

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I have noticed some trends/interesting things relating to aos and miniature battle report in general on youtube.

Getting battlereports on armies that have been just recently updated or released seems to help getting noticed.

RULES getting them right is important on battle report, huge rules error can ruin wieving experience especially if it affects the outcome or the game.

Personality is really important, people need to enjoy your voice and presentation style.

Visual beatiful armies are just sweet for the eyes, also different angles for awesome scenes on the battle field is nice to see mid battle report (striking scorpion does that in their report tho they are 40k)

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This whole battle report thing is getting old already. There is several well known channels with established followers. Dont see how your gonna make any headway here unless its not just your usual battle report.

Personally i would watch videos that are tightly scripted narrative campaigns. Even if it was a single player type thing. There is all this stuff in books about playing narrative with rules and stuff but it still feels incomplete... Like thanks for all that info but how do we use it? What does a narrative campaign or battle really look like? How does it unfold and where/how do we add the narration? Like as we move our units? Upon setup and conclusion to battle? Do units talk and scenes narrated as the dice roll? I think Games Workshop leaves it kinda open ended on purpose so that players can do as they feel fit but it leaves questions...

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