we have a YouTube channel about building robots based on Arduino to solve certain challenges. We are trying to combine entertainment and engineering in a funny way. the idea is to attract engineers and hobby builders as well as people with no techincal backround and show them how fun robotics could be.
Due to the short average watch time we are now having a sort of an essential question about the content. More or even less engineering? From your side as arduino users and exprests: Would it be better to explain how the robots work in deep detail during the engineering part or is it enough to show the assembly video as an animation and show how those robots acts in the challenge. Explaining two robot in details would end in a very long video at the end and that might be counterproductive as well.
We would be glad if you could you throw a short look at the video and give us your feedback?
what can we do better to get more view time?
Positive as negative constructive feedback will be much appreciated. Thanks.
Many Thanks for you feedback. We appricate it.
It is a good point. Making things abit faster might be an advantage. More information at the beginning is also on the list.
Any other feedback dear community :-)?
We would be very grateful for your opinion. The videos took a ton of work and its a pity that they fade after a couple of clicks.
I did not watch it to the end. I was blinded by lot of smudges. Almost like Japanese blinking cartoon. I've lost interest in a minute. Plus, it is sooo long. Something about beer? Advertisement?
Thanks that you took the time and had a look at the video. So it's that bad? Didn't see that coming. The length is definitely an disadvantage but what do you mean with smudges? Bad picture quality? .
Smudges - e.g. 2:49, screen painted over, swirling text HUMILIATION, FRUSTRATION... Grow up.
You made me watch it again, OMG.
The length of 11min. I would say 3:45 can be absolute maximum and more important, I would start with something interesting. It doesn't have to be the car chase or Ethan Hunt hanging on Airbus Atlas but I think, nobody will care if you offer the first 5 minutes to your struggle with a problems.
Ask yourself, what would you watch? Would you listen e.g. a song on the radio 11 minutes with 3 min. intro and 5 min. solo?
I lost an interest after first swirling text. Jumped in the middle...saw something with the beer, the end. I do not care anymore but maybe other people like it and I am just old grumpy fart.
Anyway, these are my 50 cents.
You spend too much time trying to be funny. ~9 min by my count
and not enough on "engineering" ~2 min assembly animation with ~ZERO details. TBH I learned nothing and entertainment value was meh.
One thing I would suggest that you add an explanation(in a normal voice) of the concept's during the assembly animations. Discussion of the pro's and con's of the 2 concept's would also be good. You do not need to go into "deep detail " but some detail is definitely needed.
In all I think you have the entertainment structure set up well enough but both your vids need more "meat" to them as you never actually discuss any engineering at all.
EDIT: What's a Fedmog?
Here's an Idea. Instead of "punishment" how about afterfight interviews where the contestants discuss what went right/wrong and how they might do better next time.
many thanks for your time and feedback. We agree that we need to change the concept abit and get things going faster and deeper into details.
We discussed the issues we are having in relation to your and other feedback and we think have an idea for the next content that might work just fine: We will splitt such long videos into 5 parts (lenght 2-3min). So we can explain the two concepts in detalis it two separate videos the other videos will be about the challenge and entertainment stuff. So the engineers and hobby builders can get their details and the viewers with non-technical backround would skip those and watch the other parts.
I would suggest focusing on your target audience. It's impossible to make everyone happy so maybe have shorter videos for the challenge, and longer ones with the engineering as others have suggested.
Characters should be relatable to the viewer within reason. The more effects and strange voices you add, the more you take away from that.
Your point regarding the voices is a very good one. That is what we thought as well. We wanted to offer new video concepts since there are a ton of other youtubers doing exactly what we do.
We need to come with an other concept for the voices since we are not really that "free in front of the camera" type of guys.
You put a of of effort in to some interesting designs, I think your audience would much rather see firslt simplified CAD montages of the operating principle, then those CAD montages of the mechanical design, followed by fabrication montages with further explanation by voice (you don't need your face in view, just your words in audio) and then testing. No point wrapping it all up in a "challenge" for mass media appeal, and then giving too few discussions of technical detail. The internet is there for making thngs which are better than the kind of mindless content which simply seeks to gain mass audiences.
for taking the feedback as a start for a new round!