Millennials and Crowdfunding

[SailsWithFists]

FWIW: I generally spent 50 minutes in post production for every 1 minute of posted video footage. In the beginning, I had one camera and took 2 minutes of video for every one minute of posted video.

Now I have 6 cameras with two more coming soon. I now spend 70 minutes for every one minute of posted video, and compile 45+ minutes of footage for every one minute posted. It is rare that only one camera runs, as I consider three angles to be best.

Whereas it was just me in the beginning, now the entire family is part of filming and production, which is needed as we now produce for three channels. Plus I have two relatives stateside that assist with raw storage and uploads.

I have two 8TB hard drives, twenty USB thumb drives, and dozens of micro-SD cards. When the drives and cards are full of raw video, they are sent to storage and replaced. Nothing gets deleted. Everything is backed up at least three ways.

When I started all of this, I thought it was going to be a low cost affair. I do not know how much the successful vloggers spend, but if it is anything like me, it is a large chunk of money. My current videos are not sailing related, but we have now amassed almost a year's worth of raw sail life footage. Post production will begin this summer.

Making well produced videos is real, actual work. Yes, maybe it is done in tropical locations, and yes it can be done at any hour any day, but just like changing oil on your engine, scraping the hull, or mending a sail. It is work.

I make videos because I like doing it. If it turns into money, that is a nice bonus. Some do it directly for money, some do not but still make money.

[atmartin]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

Is the thread about Millennials because the OP is a Millennial? I ask as obviously it's not limited to them. The boatworks today guy must be well into forties, so he's a previous generation, his channel is funded by Patreon.

I used Millenial in the title because some of the hatred of vlogs and crowdfunding had an undercurrent of generational conflict.

Didn't mean to exclude anyone.

Originally Posted by Jammer

Dramatization is inherent in human communication of ideas.

Most definitely, but our lives don't actually unfold like stories. Narrative may be the way we frame things, but it isn't the way things happen. If someone is very concerned about the "accuracy" of an event, they're going to find fault in a dramatization of it.

[Dave_S]

It doesn't matter if you like it or not. It is an honest way to make a living.

You are able to watch for free or if you want, you can donate some money but your under no obligation to.

Their income is a true reflection of the value of their product.

[john61ct]

Yes exact same business model as busking, with a much bigger upside

[Fence Man]

In response to the original post.....I am a free market capitalist. If someone want's to pay for what they are putting out there, more power to them. We have a few YouTube videos posted for work/business purposes, and I can tell you that I've never been more uncomfortable in my life than I was standing all alone in a fence line with a camera on a tripod pointed at my face. Holding a camera/video camera in the "selfie" position would likely cause instantaneous cardiac arrest. That said, there are way too many sailing/cruising vlogs, and some of the magic is gone. We've been boat owners for a while now, and even though we've never been liveaboards or ocean crossers, I really do feel like there are some that are doing a good job of showing the reality of the cruising life. Matt and Jessica are a good example of that.

[cyan]

Originally Posted by Fence Man

In response to the original post.....I am a free market capitalist. If someone want's to pay for what they are putting out there, more power to them. We have a few YouTube videos posted for work/business purposes, and I can tell you that I've never been more uncomfortable in my life than I was standing all alone in a fence line with a camera on a tripod pointed at my face. Holding a camera/video camera in the "selfie" position would likely cause instantaneous cardiac arrest. That said, there are way too many sailing/cruising vlogs, and some of the magic is gone. We've been boat owners for a while now, and even though we've never been liveaboards or ocean crossers, I really do feel like there are some that are doing a good job of showing the reality of the cruising life. Matt and Jessica are a good example of that.

I get what you're saying, but I have to disagree that "there are way too many sailing/cruising vlogs". I like the growing choices- if we're going to the BVIs, I can check that out first. Marquesas? Search it. Watch. The whole concept is evolving, and I for one enjoy certain vlogs among all the choices. I agree that the money is diluted a bit with the many choices, but all the better for the viewer. Netflix is doubling their original content every few months. Choice is good, no?

[stevegerber]

I'm currently purely an armchair sailor and I've enjoyed following several YouTube sailing vlogs for several years. One thing that has changed rapidly over the past 3 or 4 years is that production values have really improved on the best channels and I believe that viewer expectations are now much higher than they were 4 or 5 years ago. Just for kicks, I recently went back and watched episode 1 of S/V Delos. It's HORRIBLE! These days I would never subscribe to a channel with video like that!

My expectations, and probably the expectations of many other viewers include: broadcast quality HD video (though not necessarily cinematic) , image stabilization, drone shots, underwater shots, lots of cuts including B-roll rather than continuous footage, clear audio with little wind noise, subtle background music that is not annoying or drowns the voice over, and most importantly: interesting and at least moderately attractive people sailing around doing interesting things. Basically, I want the production values to be nearly as good as broadcast reality TV shows which have budgets of millions of dollars per episode. And this is to be done by just two people who aren't trained in videography. In the middle of the ocean. While sailing a small boat. With only whatever small savings they've mustered...

Sounds kind of daunting doesn't it!? Yet, I think that's the point that sailing vlogs have now reached. When Delos and La Vagabonde started vlogging there was a niche to fill and it didn't really take much to attract an audience. Now the sailing vlogs niche is saturated and expectations are higher. It will be interesting to see what happens over the coming years. Whenever I see a new sailing couple or family that looks like they might have the makings of a good channel for a few years, I encourage them and sometimes give them tips regarding what I expect as a subscriber. Many of them will not last very long so I think it's great to have new faces showing up with new channels to keep me entertained.

One thing that kind of baffles me though is why people continue to patronize the top earning channels. Why don't some people stop funding them on patreon once they reach a certain reasonable dollar value per episode? Though I don't really know what a reasonable dollar value per episode would even be... :/

[john61ct]

People should pay for the value they receive. If the hosts get rich they'll keep doing it!

[SteveG58]

Originally Posted by chris mac

The world is always changing, for good or bad. Go fund me and patreon are tools available today that weren't when I was young.
I, like most, utilized the tools available to me to move my life forward. To make money, raise a family,buy a house, buy a boat. These were my goals.
I don't understand why people get upset over what tools others use to accomplish their goals. They aren't doing anything illegal. They aren't forcing anyone to donate, they aren't hurting anyone.
If you don't find value, don't donate. But why the need to criticize those who do?

I Agee! Some folk clearly can afford to give and enjoy doing so. Their choice! I wish I had something to “sell” that could help supplement my lifestyle!
I enjoy watching some and find others boring. One that I don’t enjoy is a couple who bought a $500k boat and then asks for financial support!

[Dave_S]

I watch one that asks everyone to "buy us a beer" and at the beginning and end of the video they show themselves pouring and spitting beer over each other.

I think they can buy their own.