Video Ink Reviews - Discussion

[LizEF]

Background

For those who don't follow my Extra Fine Nib Ink Review (EFNIR) series, the latest review post, Kaweco Smokey Grey, will show you where I'm coming from (though I welcome comments about video ink reviews in general - what works and what doesn't).  In my post, you can see the review is in horizontal / landscape layout on a single A5 page.  And the video thumbnail shows how this is laid out in the video - any further zoom and you'd only see a portion of the page at once.

 

Problem

Over on YouTube, I've received at least three comments from folks using mobile phones to watch the videos requesting a tighter zoom so they can more easily read what I'm writing and see greater detail.  As a person who uninstalls (or disables if uninstall isn't allowed) the YouTube app from her phone, and who watches a lot of videos on her computer¹, I confess it never occurred to me that anyone would watch fountain pen ink reviews on a phone, and I have insufficient experience with that activity to judge for myself what would be best...

 

If I zoom in any farther, you can't see the whole page on the screen at once.  But this is the only way I can think of that I'm able to accomplish the zoom level needed for mobile phones.  Specifically, I think I'd have to turn the page vertical / portrait, zoom in to the width of the page, and move the page as I write.  Right now, there's no way for me to physically do this - I'm basically in a home-made light tent, and there's no room to push the page "up" - the light diffuser is just above the video area as it is.  But if this option would work for folks, and is the only way to solve the problem, I could then move on to adjusting the physical arrangement (perhaps by elevating the lighting and diffuser slightly on an inverted, squared, U-shaped frame).

 

Questions

What would you think of that change?  (Please be blunt and verbose!  If you're a computer-viewer and would hate it, I need to know that just as much as if you are a mobile viewer who would love it!)  Alternately, do you have other suggestions for how to accomplish this?

 

Thanks!!

 

¹ Yes, children, they do still make computers, and some folks still have them, even at home...

[yazeh]

Here's my 2 cents:

 

I rarely if ever watch the videos, sorry  

I only watch till the swabs. It gives me an idea of the colour. I like the comparison with other inks and your Jinhao dipped writing sample. (I have one/two EF nibs)

Only once I read your scan on a smartphone, it was laborious but Ok. 

To be honest I find video ink reviews often boring. Though in the beginning of my inky journey, I spent some time watching some,  especially if I want to get/ buy a troublesome ink. But thankfully there are few inks for me  that remain to be tried and tested.

 

That being said, I appreciate your written reviews (i.e. the scan) as I prefer reviews with photos/ scan etc. A written sample gives me an idea of the ink and swabs, comparisons an idea of the range of the colour...

 

Hope it helps...

 

 

 

 

[I-am-not-really-here]

Write bigger? Just kidding...

 

You could try A6 (or just cut your A5 in half) and do not tape it down.  Would that give you room to shift the page up as you write? But with a smaller page the content either reduces or is spread over two sheets.

[LizEF]

Thanks, @yazeh - no need to apologize - I'm good with folks using whatever method of viewing / reading the reviews they wish - including not viewing at all.    I appreciate the feedback.  It helped me realize I'd also have less space for the swabs at the start...  I'd only have room for two cards at a time, so this would increase the video duration and decrease the number of comparisons on screen at once...  There would also be no room on the side for putting the swatch card, like I've been doing lately, or for the water test...

 

Much to ponder - including how to make a "stand" to raise the lighting, or whether to just cut the paper in half - don't like that, though I guess I could just flip it over half way through...  Ponder, ponder.🤔

[LizEF]

34 minutes ago, I-am-not-really-here said:

Write bigger? Just kidding...

  Or just use a fatter nib?

 

After some calculations / measurements, I imagine cutting the A5 page in half and flipping it over to continue the review would work without needing to do anything except lower my jig that holds the camera (not sure how to do that give its design...).

 

I'm hoping, eventually, folks who watch the videos on phones will show up - though perhaps they won't, and that may be part of the issue - perhaps they only watch the videos and don't go to places like FPN or Instagram where I post the images...   We'll see...

[yazeh]

You can ask them on YouTube chatbox, what they prefer

[LizEF]

YouTube has a chat box?  Or do you mean the discussions under the video?  (The latter seems unlikely to garner many comments.)  I guess I could try my "Discussion" tab and see if anyone responds.  That's a good idea - thanks!

[LizEF]

Mostly I'm interested in whether non-mobile viewers would object to the change in format.

[mizgeorge]

I never watch reviews on my phone - but I do watch on a tablet, and on a sized down screen on my main big screen. I like them just as they are, and certainly wouldn't want to see them with a great deal more zoom, which would feel uncomfortable.

 

I think going down to A6 might be too small for me - A5 is my standard notebook size so feels 'right' somehow. 

 

At the end of the day, though, they're your reviews and you must do what works for you.  Just keep doing them please!!

[LizEF]

4 minutes ago, mizgeorge said:

I never watch reviews on my phone - but I do watch on a tablet, and on a sized down screen on my main big screen. I like them just as they are, and certainly wouldn't want to see them with a great deal more zoom, which would feel uncomfortable.

 

I think going down to A6 might be too small for me - A5 is my standard notebook size so feels 'right' somehow. 

 

At the end of the day, though, they're your reviews and you must do what works for you.  Just keep doing them please!!

Thank you!  This is the kind of feedback I'm looking for.  I'll try to gain as many opinions as possible before doing anything, and will likely post a test review with any proposed format change before a final decision.

[yazeh]

46 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Thank you!  This is the kind of feedback I'm looking for.  I'll try to gain as many opinions as possible before doing anything, and will likely post a test review with any proposed format change before a final decision.

I have to agree with mizgeorge. Yours have a uniformity and familiarity which is pleasant.... I'm not sure if changing them will help, that much...

[LizEF]

1 minute ago, yazeh said:

I have to agree with mizgeorge. Yours have a uniformity and familiarity which is pleasant.... I'm not sure if changing them will help, that much...

  Thanks.  I have set it up to be extremely consistent - like a little ink review production line - for my own convenience and so the colors and content are comparable and predictable.

 

I'll take this into account.  I certainly wouldn't change what's included, only the page orientation, where things fit on the page, and zoom level, if I change anything at all.  The review image would have to be two photographs rather than a screen capture.

 

Yeah, lots to ponder.  I wish YouTube analytics would expose how many are using the mobile app vs a browser!

[MsRedpen]

I read reviews on a tablet. Zoomed in picture first, than the video screenshot. All info is there!

Video running just occasionally.

It works perfectly well in youtube full screen. But I must be honest, I am not reading the text on a video (I read it anyway from the screenshot) it is more for overall impression of the ink.

 

Now checked video on the phone, just for curiosity.

Fills the screen (as intended). In a landscape orientation, reading glasses on - and all is good. Anyway, readability depends on the phone screen size, doesn’t it? 

 

I’ll stick to your posts on FPN, for me, they work perfectly just as is. On a tablet.

 

edt: youtube via browser, not app

[LizEF]

2 hours ago, MsRedpen said:

Anyway, readability depends on the phone screen size, doesn’t it? 

Yes, exactly!   That, and your eyes, and how far the phone is...

 

My brother suggested filming in ultra HD so I can zoom in to just the width of the page and still produce it in 1080.  The start of the video could be exactly what I'm doing now and a new portion could be added to the end with the zoomed in portion just for cell phone users, but they'd have to jump to that "chapter" of the video.  Pondering...

 

Thanks for the feedback!

[XYZZY]

If somebody posted a YT comment asking Coppola to edit The Godfather so that it works better on a 5-inch screen, what might the response be?

 

A couple of years ago when you asked for ideas on how to do your reviews, I think I replied with some ideas but also said that I thought the most important thing is for you to find a process that you enjoy.  Don't turn it into a job otherwise you probably won't do many.  I assume you're having fun, because you're still cranking them out and they're still awesome.  That's the main thing that I don't want you to change 🙂

 

The idea of shooting in 4K is interesting.  You could potentially "shoot" exactly the way you do today, but then have more pixels available to produce crops during post-processing.  But if I was doing it, that might be "turning it into a job".

 

[brokenclay]

On 2/2/2021 at 2:15 PM, LizEF said:

I wish YouTube analytics would expose how many are using the mobile app vs a browser!

 

Youtube Studio > Analytics > Advanced Mode > More > Device Type

 

Overall, mobile views are 75% of all video views.

[nativechaz]

Hello there. New guy here – not new to fountain pens, but new to FPN.

 

I watched a couple of your videos. My first thought is: could you do a voice-over, and either read exactly what you're writing, and/or comment on what you're writing and how the review is going? Of course, you would want to do this over the sped-up video and not real time.

 

My second thought is: could you add close-up stills either at the end, or at certain points like after testing the drying time? If people know there will be close-ups interspersed then they might be fine waiting for them as them come. Or, if they know all of the close-ups are gathered together at the end (especially if a timestamp is indicated at beginning), then they can scrub all the way to those.

 

I know it will add to the editing time, but maybe it wouldn't be too horrible on your end.

 

 

[LizEF]

2 hours ago, brokenclay said:

 

Youtube Studio > Analytics > Advanced Mode > More > Device Type

 

Overall, mobile views are 75% of all video views.

Thank you!!  Computers are 22% of mine, mobile 18%.  Of course, that could be because folks on mobile phones don't find viewing the small handwriting pleasant...

[brokenclay]

4 minutes ago, LizEF said:

Thank you!!  Computers are 22% of mine, mobile 18%.  Of course, that could be because folks on mobile phones don't find viewing the small handwriting pleasant...

 

You're welcome. What are the other 60%?

[LizEF]

1 hour ago, nativechaz said:

Hello there. New guy here – not new to fountain pens, but new to FPN.

 

I watched a couple of your videos. My first thought is: could you do a voice-over, and either read exactly what you're writing, and/or comment on what you're writing and how the review is going? Of course, you would want to do this over the sped-up video and not real time.

 

My second thought is: could you add close-up stills either at the end, or at certain points like after testing the drying time? If people know there will be close-ups interspersed then they might be fine waiting for them as them come. Or, if they know all of the close-ups are gathered together at the end (especially if a timestamp is indicated at beginning), then they can scrub all the way to those.

 

I know it will add to the editing time, but maybe it wouldn't be too horrible on your end.

Welcome, new guy!

 

Thank you for watching and providing feedback!  Regarding first thought - I hate the idea too much to do it.  I know others might like it, but seriously, I hate (a) my own voice, and (b) voice-over videos.  It would also add a lot of time to the video production process, and I can't manage that.  Just can't bring myself to do it.

 

Regarding second thought - that is exactly what I did, starting with video #79 - a picture that takes the full width of the screen and scrolls.  I'll be using the "chapters" feature to indicate where the different parts of the video are.  In video 80, I also used a larger zoom image (as large as my microscope will take), but in the same sequence.  When I post video #79, I'll inform those who've asked for changes and ask them to give me feedback again.  This was the quickest and easiest way for me to respond without adding a ton of time or spending more money on equipment, and it doesn't add too much to the processing / editing time.  So I decided to do it and see how it goes before thinking seriously of anything further.

 

Thanks!