I have a Youtube idea

I've been kicking around the idea of a Youtube channel for a while, wanted to see what the hive thinks.
Basically I would review cars, similar to Doug Demuro, I like his style. The main differences is that it would be a concept like, 'so, you have $X grand to spend on a car. You could buy a new (boring car with no options) or, for the same money, look at this 328, or 9-5, or other interesting car. I'm shooting for the lower end of the market, I'm thinking below $10K, probably below $6K to keep things interesting, and because that's what speaks to me.
I would differentiate myself because instead of speaking in hypotheticals: "sure, you could buy that boring Cobalt for $6K, or you could buy a BMW 328" it would be "sure, you could buy that boring Cobalt for $6K, or you could buy THIS BMW 328. I found in on Craigslist. See the description for a link" or similar. The supply of cars would come from Craigslist, AutoTrader, and the like. basically, as the seller, you know I'm not interested in buying your car from the get-go. I would take a test drive like any prospective buyer, just a little longer. I'm thinking less than 45 minutes. What you would get in return is exposure because I would link your ad in the description of the video, mention that I found it on sale (thus my premise of you could buy that boring newer car or this cool older car) and at the end of the video, maybe do a quick walk around of the actual car being offered.
That's how I shop for cars. I don't want to punish myself by having to drive around in a Cobalt or something like that. I'd rather drive a SAAB or something with 150K than a boring car with 1/2 the miles. I know the challenge would be getting cars to review until I get myself established.

What do you guys/girls think?

This all hinges on you being able to find a seller of a sub-$6k car that's willing to let you screw around with their car for an hour with a promise of a YouTube video. Especially when you start out, it may be difficult to find someone willing to do that. If you try to be completely honest, you'll end up dissing the car to some extent and the seller may not appreciate that.

Your turnaround time will have to be very fast. Like, next day to release. People selling cars won't want to sit and wait. Also, making it about THIS car for sale means you need a local audience instead of a global one unless you're featuring cars that are worth traveling across the country for.

I wouldn't restrict it to sub-$6k. That's what YOU like. But you're not everyone. If you want eyeballs, the cars have to be interesting. Especially if you're featuring cars worth traveling across the country for. I'm not going to fly to Florida to pick up a $5000 BMW 328, but I might fly to Florida to pick up a $25,000 Citroen SM.

Keith Tanner wrote: This all hinges on you being able to find a seller of a sub-$6k car that's willing to let you screw around with their car for an hour with a promise of a YouTube video. Especially when you start out, it may be difficult to find someone willing to do that. If you try to be completely honest, you'll end up dissing the car to some extent and the seller may not appreciate that.

Yeah, that's going to be my biggest challenge if I do this. I figure I'll start with a few videos that aren't for sale, but along the same lines. I can review my Volvo V70 T5M, JRCross has a cheap 944 that he'd let me review, Joey48442 has a miata that he'd let me review. I can scare up a few others. Maybe start the channel with 4-6 videos to start.

Keith Tanner wrote: Your turnaround time will have to be very fast. Like, next day to release. People selling cars won't want to sit and wait. Also, making it about THIS car for sale means you need a local audience instead of a global one unless you're featuring cars that are worth traveling across the country for.

You're right about the turn-around time. I hadn't thought about that. Good point. The bulk of the video won't be about THIS car, just the car in general. This is kind of the forumula:
"If you're looking for a Cobalt, how about considering a Volvo V70R instead? If you do, here's what $X,000 will get you. [insert review]. This car was found on Craigslist. Here's a general overview..." I would keep it general, not in-depth. I don't want to endorse a particular car because honesty can bite me in the end.

Keith Tanner wrote: I wouldn't restrict it to sub-$6k. That's what YOU like. But you're not everyone. If you want eyeballs, the cars have to be interesting. Especially if you're featuring cars worth traveling across the country for. I'm not going to fly to Florida to pick up a $5000 BMW 328, but I might fly to Florida to pick up a $25,000 Citroen SM.

Point taken.

Thanks for the input Keith.

While not related to YouTube, my reservation is this line of thought is only an option for cash buyers.

I think something that would help make things a little easier for you at first is to find people that are having trouble selling their interesting car. Someone who doesn't internet good, or still thinks the local paper is the best way to sell something to a large audience, or maybe people who just don't have the time to do it themselves.

I see enough ads on Craigslist saying "I don't need help with the sale" or something similar, that I'm not sure how many people would be interested in getting a video made.

I feel like this could become a problem down the line too. What happens when the cars are sold? Keep the videos up and the channel populated, and probably people calling and emailing because they can't be bothered to read SOLD? Pull the videos and only have up what's currently for sale?

Not trying to be negative, just thinking about how ...annoying and stupid large groups of YouTube commenters and uploaders can be.

I do really like the idea as a whole though, it would be nice to see a good comparison between the affordable appliance and the (perceived) sports car or luxury car that could be purchased instead.

A good idea would be to get the videos out on Facebook. Local groups, local pages. you could localize a lot of your YouTube traffic thanks to Facebook.

Jalopnik, particularly Tavarish, has a series that does the "you can buy exotic car x$ for the price of new car y$" thing. Still, they don't actually drive the car. Saabkyle04 reviews and drives used cars, some of which are cheap, but his reviews are sterile, and he doesn't mention prices. His family was in the car business when he started, iirc. The Smoking Tire and The Hooniverse used car drives often have a similar angle to what you're talking about. Hoovies Garage does very much what you're doing, but with his own fleet. He has a $300 Jeep, for example, and he walks through every dollar he's spent in one of his videos.

I think there is a lot of room for more content like what you're describing. I'd subscribe for sure.

You'd either need super quick turnaround if you want to advertise particular cars, or you'd need to be much more general about what someone can get for their money.

Think about who the target audience for this channel would be and what information they'd find most valuable.

I think the more general would be better. That would have more lasting value. You could give an expected range of what someone should expect to pay for a generation, make, model, mileage car. Then use one particular car you find online as a concrete example.

The big question then, is how you differentiate your channel from every other used-car review channel on YouTube. Okay, you're talking about good cars at a price point. So what? It doesn't take a lot of time to do a quick search for what I'd pay to buy a car I saw on Regular Car Reviews or Mighty Car Mods.

You could make it more interesting by taking a price point and common car a regular person will buy (say a 2-3y.o. off-lease whatever) then find something more interesting that would still appeal to the same buyer that will cost them less money. Not just cheaper, but that will have comparable reliability. Then comparison test the two cars. Be critical and honest about what you gain and give up with the older car. Do not assume your viewers are interested or willing to work on these cars themselves.

You could make it more informative by doing some real research and comparing the true cost of ownership over 3-6 years for these two cars. Go through what common maintenance you might run into. Calculate it as if both vehicles will be serviced by mechanics, and include how much time you should expect to lose to having each car in the shop. Look at fuel economy, basic wear items (e.g. brakes and tires), and depreciation.

You should be able to show the value of a previous generation 3-series over a 2y.o. Camry/Accord. Or a Mazdaspeed3 over an econohatch.

Don't limit the cars you review to just styles you're interested in. Look at SUV status-cars. Or quirky, hip compacts like the Scion xB or new Mini. Look at gas-sipper hybrid alternatives.

It could also be really cool to make a deal with a mechanic shop to basically go through a PPI on the cars you're trying to show off. If you can develop a local audience, find a shop that will do work for a reduced rate in exchange for the advertising/publicity opportunity (much like how the MCM guys plug the shops they regularly use).

RevRico wrote: I feel like this could become a problem down the line too. What happens when the cars are sold? Keep the videos up and the channel populated, and probably people calling and emailing because they can't be bothered to read SOLD? Pull the videos and only have up what's currently for sale?

I figured I could remove the link to the ad when it is sold. If course that means more maintenance for me. The 'review' portion would be fairly quick and dirty. I wouldn't give the sellers phone number, maybe just a first name. That way the video can stay the same, just the link is removed when the car is sold. The main part of the video would be general info about that model, not specific info about that particular car for sale. I'm just showing a real-world example.

RevRico wrote: Not trying to be negative, just thinking about how ...annoying and stupid large groups of YouTube commenters and uploaders can be. I do really like the idea as a whole though, it would be nice to see a good comparison between the affordable appliance and the (perceived) sports car or luxury car that could be purchased instead. A good idea would be to get the videos out on Facebook. Local groups, local pages. you could localize a lot of your YouTube traffic thanks to Facebook.

I didn't think you were being negative. I appreciate the thoughts and suggestions. I like the FB idea.

Beer Baron wrote: You'd either need super quick turnaround if you want to advertise particular cars, or you'd need to be much more general about what someone can get for their money. I think the more general would be better. That would have more lasting value. You could give an expected range of what someone should expect to pay for a generation, make, model, mileage car. Then use one particular car you find online as a concrete example.

That was my idea right there, just stated way better than I did. Hemmings Sports and Exotic has reviews of cars. The article is general info about that model, and they have a side-bar with 3 examples of cars for sale. Same idea here, except in a video. I want to have a little blurb at the end about the specific car I'm showing because that'll be incentive to allow me to use the car.

Beer Baron wrote: The big question then, is how you differentiate your channel from every other used-car review channel on YouTube. Okay, you're talking about good cars at a price point. So what? It doesn't take a lot of time to do a quick search for what I'd pay to buy a car I saw on Regular Car Reviews or Mighty Car Mods. You could make it more interesting by taking a price point and common car a regular person will buy (say a 2-3y.o. off-lease whatever) then find something more interesting that would still appeal to the same buyer that will cost them less money. Not just cheaper, but that will have comparable reliability. Then comparison test the two cars. Be critical and honest about what you gain and give up with the older car. Do not assume your viewers are interested or willing to work on these cars themselves. You could make it more informative by doing some real research and comparing the true cost of ownership over 3-6 years for these two cars. Go through what common maintenance you might run into. Calculate it as if both vehicles will be serviced by mechanics, and include how much time you should expect to lose to having each car in the shop. Look at fuel economy, basic wear items (e.g. brakes and tires), and depreciation. You should be able to show the value of a previous generation 3-series over a 2y.o. Camry/Accord. Or a Mazdaspeed3 over an econohatch. Don't limit the cars you review to just styles you're interested in. Look at SUV status-cars. Or quirky, hip compacts like the Scion xB or new Mini. Look at gas-sipper hybrid alternatives. It could also be really cool to make a deal with a mechanic shop to basically go through a PPI on the cars you're trying to show off. If you can develop a local audience, find a shop that will do work for a reduced rate in exchange for the advertising/publicity opportunity (much like how the MCM guys plug the shops they regularly use).

I used to write articles for a website that was essentially that. I think it would be a good idea to merge that idea into the videos. Thanks.

Ok figuared I would toss this out there. You know this may sound weird BUT if you run with this pay close attention to your cinematography. Bouncy jittery camera work is not acceptable. Also shorter is almost always better. Look for lead ins with the car in the distance and you use depth of field to change the focus from say a kids Tonka truck to a jeep in the background BUT do it all with a fixed camera on a tripod if possible.

Start with an immediate hook about the car and follow through with it and answer the "hook" at the end.

The key is to separate your self from the want to be you-tube stars that are generally not funny to long winded and the camera work sucks.

I suggest that you get friends and family do "donate" cars to the cause (or even tap local GRM people). To do this right you will need the car for at least a day AND this is if you have a plan in mind before you start. You will have weather, lighting car problems camera problems etc.

I feel that there is a HUGE market for this kind of thing if the actual production quality is better. I have started thousands of YouTube video's only to pass because my 11 year old can make better quality stuff.

Another thing. Take some time and practice your on camera persona. HAVE A BASIC SCRIPT. Points to cover. Being on camera is hard to do well. Another thing to consider if you are serious about this is to take a course in public speaking. Most local community colleges have them. I have taken several to help me with my public appearances and it has been a huge help. Reading a room and carrying an audience is hard to do with them in the room with you. On camera you are doing it blind. With out the feedback of the audience it is easy to suck.

All the above is why roadkill, Finnegan's garage (not the best but way better than most) and even The Grand Tour are all so well liked. Go back and watch these with a critical eye for how they are produced. There is a lot to learn about making things for YouTube.

I think what i am trying to say is that production quality is important and it can be a something that will separate you form the millions of others on YouTube. Another thing to think of is if you make a professional product you may catch the eye of people willing to sponser you. (look at road kill)

Ohhh something I forgot to mention it almost always works better if you do the voice part separate from the filming. Lead in's and what not. Having a Narrator adds a level of professionalize that 99.9 percent of those trying this stuff dont do it and instead try talking on camera.

Get a remote mike that is wired back to the camera. When editing pay attention to sound levels. NOTHING IS MORE aggravating than a video that ahs sound levels all over the place. Even Road Kill does this and it is one of my most hated things. I hate having to constantly be adjusting the sound. You miss things and then get blasted out of your living-room. This is poor production. I have software that lets me easily correct this. (as well as edit video) I swear most people are much more interested in quantity and not quality.

An example of quantity versus Quality. Something as simple as when you say to teh camera "hay the red car over there has super interesting hood ornament" and you pan over to the car. Instead of then walking with the camera over to the car you should cut and then re setup and resume filming the hood ornament. We don't want to see the walking part. (the walking part is the "more" and it does not make things better).

Thanks Dean. Great points. I agree, production quality will separate the men from the boys here.
I was planning on getting a lavier microphone and syncing the audio and video with Adobe Premiere Pro. Are you saying to do 100% of the video as voice-over?

In reply to DrBoost:

Lavalier mics are ok. I've had decent luck with some of the audio technica wireless lavs. To go more pro get a decent shotgun mic (Rode or Sennheiser). You can do a grm boom pole out of conduit and tripods/mounts are pretty cheap - can even do a mic holder from a piece of pvc pipe. Just keep the mic out of the frame. Oh, if you're moving with the camera - use a wagon or chair - something with wheels to keep the walking motion out of it. Dean has great points about separating yourself from the "hey, I've got a smart phone and youtube account, I'm a videographer crowd. Lighting, sound and image quality matter. Planning, practice and scripting help. Cameras that can shoot at 24fps also give a different feel to things.

Premiere pro will let you do multi-track audio. Record your audio live then do another voice-over track and throw in a music track for an extra layer (careful with music - that you have copyright permission - it's a serious fine if you don't have permission and someone calls you out on it). This is also where you have to be careful with matching audio levels.

On the topic - there's a couple of ways in looking at it - so perhaps a buyer has 4-6k for a ride. There's the comparisons of a few year old camry against the interesting car or a lot of buyers may see the 4-6k as a down payment for a new car or cash up front on a lease. Anyway an opportunity to talk about the economics of owning a car - from financing, leasing, insurance implications, cost of ownership...

This is a smart crowd! Thanks for all the input folks.

No not 100% voice over. The key is balance.

My quick example would be. The following. Using the lead in with the Jeep noted above you would do the voice over as you do the depth of field fade. Then cut to you by the car and that would then be you giving an intro in person. Then you do specific shots of the car looking at talking points with you doing the commentary as a voice over. Again you could be using a slow pan or zoom or a depth of field fade for these or film it at night with fadeable lights that can be used to highlight specifics on the car. Again all this is done with a stationary camera. Then cut and you come back with you sitting in the car with a monster hill in the background that is out of focus and you are talking about its hill claiming ability(or lack there of). As you go out of focus and the steep grade comes in to focus. Then you run the test or example filming from the outside a from a distance so you can follow the test with little perceived camera movement while you voice over the the comentary about the test. By the way at the same time you mention the"hook".

Everything I just laid out is probibly less than 5 minutes of air time but will take a full day to setup, film, record the voice over and the edit together. But you will have a very presentable product.

Oh. Consider the use of filters on your camera. I like to use an adjustable polarization filter. Lets you adjust for reflections and adds more contrast.

I like it Dean. When I hit the big time, you'll be my producer.

I was in the buisness in another life. It is why I hate you tube so much. With just a little effort you can be far better than all the other crap out there.

For music keep away from heavy metal. Another pet peeve of mine. Jazz. Ya I know. But there is a reason it is the number one used music in production. It is also old so a lot of it is not copywrited. Lower volume is better. Target it to the audience. And as always less is better it has to complement or possibly set a tone but not dominate. If you can remember the music in a "short" you put to much of it in.

Start watching tv with a directors eye for things that catch your eye. What are the cameras doing? What angles? How many cameras? Where are the lights/what kind? Hard with shadows, full, what direction? Natural light? What do the edits/cuts look like? A typical tv ad will have about one cut per second. A show will run about one every 5-10 seconds (maybe shorter these days). I worked in pro audio years ago and did corp. vids.

Having someone film you instead of doing it selfy style would be good.

Possibly some POV work with a head mounted go-pro like "regular car guy" pieces.

I know it's an offshoot but car repairs are terrible to watch on YouTube because the guy doing the work is always the one filming and never has the camera pointed at the crucial step because it's hard at that moment. If someone could find an articulate tech at a clean and well lit shop and just record everything he did for a month, it'd be the best channel ever!

Looking for inexpensive, small cameras. Not necessarily a gopro, but similar style.....

Dean and oldtin wrote: Some really useful stuff...

So, should this guy be my 'what not to do' model haha.
Not terrible, but not good

I have seen much worse. #1 thing you need to figure out is that you are not the star. The car is. You are just there to speak for/about the car. 99.9% of the people don't want to see you at all. Then there is your voice. You need to figurar out quick if it is a made for TV/radio voice. I have a face made for radio but I have a voice that is also made for radio.

Can you tell story's? Try reading out loud a simple story then listen to it. If you sound like a robot you need to change things. If you have ever read to kids and interjected emotion? That is what you need for an on camera voice. Just tone down the kiddy stuff a bit.

Being good at tv is work. Lots of work. no one appreciates it until they try it.

Last thing. Dress nice. Look well kept.

My only tip is this. You're going to make 2-3 videos that are never seen by the public. Even if you are an excellent public speaker, that camera is a different animal and if you aren't used to talking into it it'll show. Also, low quality is only acceptable if you are doing high quantity, if you are doing 1-2 a month then you need to put money into the equipment and editing. If you look at larger channels, the ones with lower production value are putting out videos daily or at least 2-3 a week.