Video Production Critique, Please!

Hi, I am an amateur YouTuber who is learning FCP on my own.

Here is my setup:—
Focusrite 18i8
Shure SM58
MBP
Built-in Facetime Camera

Final Cut Pro
Logic

Can you please tell me what I can do to improve my video production quality? I want to address the things that can make the most difference with the least amount of effort. For example, my audio sucks, how can address that with a separate room mic.

Here are my videos
youtube.com/channel/UCY_uK9hur86KEuiG8s7yvWw
I am not posting here to increase my YT views. I am hoping that some nice people are here to teach.

Welcome Garett to fcp.co

… without watching your videos, I'd have said: a decent camera, light, more light, an ext mic …
… but then I watched one of yours …



… and: not bad for a start! :woohoo:

a few remarks:
• my critique on 90% on all YT-tuts available: single-shot only! No edits, no b-roll, no close-ups, no "show what you tell". Yep, 'we' are used on that 'style' but, a second perspective, some minor edits … you don't need a 2nd camera, just imagine, you shoot some of your talk to your camera, closer, 30° off the main axis

• framing … you chop off your head, yep, the guitar is the hero (btw: me no musician, but, whoo, impressive!!), but actually it's not 'flesh nor fish' (German phrase) - if you want the guitar to be the hero, get closer; if you want the guitarist to be the hero step back … (maybe, just maybe a less 'distracting' background? Utilizing shallow DoF?

• audio-mix - your talk is undisputed too low … yep, a rock guitar is loud, but when I try to listen to your advice, the next riff blows me away …

Soo, verdict from the German jury: well done so far! Light is great, although 'just' ambient. Audio-mix. Framing. Edit/simulation of a 2nd/3rd camera. = all done for free.

Investments?
Some 'real' camera instead of a facetime-cam … there are several devices, starting at ~5-600$ (on my actual shopping list: Panasonic G7/kit lens) which offer 4k, which offers re-framing in post (=jump cuts to face, hand, fretboard). Some 'flexible' tripod = with a boom, allowing 'interesting' perspectives. (I assume, you have no second person operating the cam?)

… others will make other suggestions …

Panasonic G7 — can I use it like I do FaceTime cam, live in FCP?

I don’t understand what you Troyes to say in your critique of 90% of videos

Thanks for that

Yes wrote: Panasonic G7 — can I use it like I do FaceTime cam, live in FCP?…

Most probably not, but I don't know for sure, wether you can 'abuse' it as a 'webcam'.
The G7 is a 'real' camera, recording to some SDcard; where you import to FCPX from.
(This needs just seconds…)

Yes wrote: …I don’t understand what you Troyes to say in your critique of 90% of videos
…

Sorry, for confusing you. Just my grumpy point of view:
90% of all tutorials on YouTube are: a fix camera shows me someone talking to me… = radio.
A 'movie' has cuts; different scenes, perspectives, locations.

When you talk about accords, I would like to see a close-up from your left hand on the frets. When you welcome me, a closer shot of your head would be nice. And/or from a diff. angle.

90% of tutorials are boring, latest in the 2nd minute… from a 'movie'-making perspective. And you asked for, how to reach the next level.

Simple test:
Imagine, what happens. when you switch off the video in your tut - do I miss anything?
or, vice versa - imagine your tut without audio - do I understand something?
You bring any tut to a new level, when you use basic tools of editing/cam work.-

As the great Frank Sinatra once said:
"Show what you tell. Tell what you show. Showaddy, waddy, doo!" :silly:

I want to learn how to set up a separate camera. I have a Panasonic HD HS9 but I could not figure out how to use it with QUicktime. Facetime camera is easy and I like that ease of use. I would happily invest time in a proper setup if it were easy to use. Where do I start?

Where can I find my mentor, to Skype and message with me.

BTW Sorry about the dictation errors in my previous message. I was speaking into the iPhone. I suspect you did, too as you wrote "accord" instead of "a chord". Am I right?

Yes wrote: … have a Panasonic HD HS9 but I could not figure out how to use it with QUicktime. … Where do I start?
…

No need for QT. Use cam and FCPX as intended, start with the Manual
help.apple.com/finalcutpro/mac/10.3/#/verd0e77425

… suspect you did, too as you wrote "accord" instead of "a chord". Am I right? …

hahaha, no, I'm actually testing Voice Recognition , Dictation and all that 21st cent marvel - "Akkord" is the German word for "chord" … just my bad English/habitual to 'engliphize' words and phrases ... :silly: