SL video - Linden's Ugly Step child

[Jackson Redstar]

I have thought for a long time about this. Video making in SL is a thankless effort. One or 2 channels get noticed, but for the most part, SL video makers are the ugly kids sitting the corner by themselves. Liden has things like photo contests, the SL Official Pic of the Day, resident's SL photos appear on Linden website headers. But there is so little 'reward' in making sl  video. I know fashion vlogging is the thing now, but creative SL vids still get very little notice. On flickr you have all these groups to promote SL photography, something of course Youtube doesn't do.  I have on occasion posted a screen or a partial clip on Flickr, I might see like 800 or more views, and then checking you tube stats,  I MIGHT see 2 or 3 visits from flickr. It seems to show  in general SL users really could care less about SL videos. Photos, fine, but video, who cares! I know youtuube makes it hard for any channel to be found, but on platforms like Flickr and FB groups it is obvious from the stats that very few have any interest in SL video content. Kinda sad to cause  I seen a number of good video content makers but it just isn't the "in thing" I guess. I know other video makers go though these periods of 'why bother'. I used to post here on this forum when I made a new vid, rarely got a response and checking the stats, rarely a visit to the you tube video.  I don't know about other video creators, but I usually spend money for each video I make, from avi or alt outfits, hair, appliers etc... then of course where we shoot should be a good promotional thing for that sim ... so it is good for the SL economy and IMO, makes SL look good most of the videos I've seen in SL

unless it some crap trolling vid. then guaranteed 10k views at least on youtube and makes SL look like a crappy 1990s video game full of idiots

that's my rant, is all. Sure wish though, SL video makers would get more views and recognition 

[SAULGOODiE]

The best Machinima I ever saw barely mentioned Second Life being involved. I was actually surprised, about halfway through the project (It was a music video), I began to get slightly suspicious that SL was the main tool that was used. Of course, reading the credits I could find that indeed SL was used to create the video!! 

Not sure what the takeaway is here, perhaps the market for SL Machinima shouldn't be SL users? I mean with SL being an interactive platform, maybe folks would rather "Act Out" these films inworld, rather than watch them? Just thinking out loud ^___^ 

[SodaGnome]

I make machinima because I get this creative bug sometimes and so I create. But then other times I just wanna be a zen hermit and do nothing because I get tired of all the hassles and stress that can come from creating. Really in film or music or any creative thing there is this bliss in some parts of the creating process but then there is the "work" part where it stops being fun. Rewards? There are some. When I had my original channel up I'd get messages sometimes where somebody told me they were having a really bad day or week and they said my videos helped them a lot, cheered them up...so there are some rewards in it. When I first made a SL youtube channel 10 years ago, I was getting around 6000 views for each SL video I put up and that earned me zero. If you have even one little second of music in your video you didn't make, you can't monetize it and most of my movies have music. But then even if you don't have music, you need like 100,000 views to make $100. I think when I gave that all up back then I had earned around $25 for like 800+ hours of "work." I think that comes out to be around 3 cents an hour in wages.

I got the creative urge again so I am going over some old videos and putting them back up and working on new stuff... but yea I won't make any money from it. Sometimes it's just fun for me to make something. So that's my reward. One thing I have run into a bunch of times is the technology involved disappears. I have had computers die with all my work on them, and my software which could not be replaced, then I have to learn new editing software.... yea on and on...lol hassles. Like some of my old movies I am slowing putting back on youtube... I had to convert FLV to MP4 with a program I had to download and learn and some movies would not do it and stayed corrupted. Then my video software refused to recognize the MP4 for whatever reason... so I had to play the file while filming it in another program then take those files and run them in the editing software.....It takes me a day to put up 3 six minute videos. Then will windows 10 run any of this software when I am forced to upgrade from windows 7? Prolly not. Cave painting 20,000 years ago may have been funner because their technology was berry juice or something. 

Some people make a lot of money on youtube, but you really need to just film yourself and stick it up... you know like easy to make videos you can put up every day. If you are taking a week or a month to make one video, because of all the work involved, like you mentioned outfits, hair appliers etc..yes and locations, greenscreen...heck in SL I have taken like 4 days to find a way to animate something, but yea you can't really easily make money that way... people demand daily entertainment..that's why pewdiepie got rich..... he just sits there, talks, films it. puts it online. Very little thought or editing goes into what he does and that's how he can put up a video everyday. If you could put up one movie a day, and just got 2,500 views... it would add up to a nice income. But yea one video a month, much harder.

 

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Soda Gnome YouTube

 

[Pryda Parx]

I agree Jackson. For the amount of work that goes into decent machinima it is really hard to get exposure.

Your "why bother" question is very relevant. For me its because I love creating, it's the art that drives me not fame and fortune. Wouldn't it be great if those lovely people at Linden Labs did something for videos like the pic of the day.

"Video of the Week" please please please!

[Jackson Redstar]

Not so much making money on You Tube, i could care less about that, as all my music vids use copyrighted music. And I do like creating.... maybe Ill drop the Lindens a note about a "machinima of the Month" or something lol.. even be nice sim owners who run photo contests would also consider have a category for a machinima on their sim as well.....

 

 

 

[Nikira Naimarc]

Last year, I shot my first machinima with support from Villa Media in SL. In its channel it is also available. For me, the fun of creating the film was the main thing and that also everyone who was involved in this film project had the same fun. And finally, a little bit of pride to read his name in the credits.

That was our motivation to do my first movie. Nida from Villa Media had already warned me against high expectations for high traffic, because our Machinimas will hardly have the chance to become "Blogbuster" on YouTube, even if they are very good. Nevertheless, it was a great feeling to show the finished film on premiere evening to the invited audience inworld.

Therefore, we sit again on our next film project and have a great fun in creating something new creative together.

The way is the goal and if something great comes out of it you also have a beautiful bonus.

Of course, a "video of the week" would be great.

Niki

[mikka Luik]

Video of the week great idea. Here's one. Note lack of wet tee shirts =^^=