This TED video struck a chord with me on a couple levels. One being that any creative person has experienced that moment, early in the process of a project, when someone stops by and says something like, “Eh… I don’t get it.” It’s awful to hear. Which is why, in my opinion you never show your work until it’s at least in some form of completion.

Bystanders don’t share your vision. They can’t see the whole from the pieces. So don’t risk the derailment of your creative confidence by letting your husband, girlfriend, brother, or mailman “check out your new project.”

That small piece of affirmation you’re searching for isn’t worth jeopardizing the whole venture. And I suggest this from experience, as I’ve trashed entire short films or videos after hearing a simple “I don’t get it.” So protect your creative confidence! Keep visitors out until you’re ready.

My advice for writers and filmmakers when they find themselves physically stuck or delayed.

Don’t piss and moan and scream at the United Airlines lady! Don’t join everybody else in acting like your lives are ruined forever.

Try doing what I do:

Turn it into an opportunity to sink into the deepest and richest layers of your creativity.  Whoa, that sounded really corny. Especially in italics.

But it’s true. We get so distracted these days by by so many things that we rarely ever reach our most creative states. Our brainstorming stays at surface level, and just when we start to go deep… one of a thousand distractions (usually technology) yanks us up again.

Embrace your next delay.  Sink happily into the solitude. It just might spawn your best work.

And by the way, once you get this mindset down, you’ll find it royally entertaining to watch everybody else piss and moan! It’s actually kinda fun.

How do you handle delays anyway?  Answer below!

Matt Koval here.  Not a lot of people know that it did indeed take me 2 years to get my first 64 subscribers.  I didn’t know what I was doing, yet I kept reading about all these kids getting tons of hits on their videos, drawing mobs of subscribers, and even making a living off of YouTube.

But  it just wasn’t working for me.  Something wasn’t right, and I couldn’t figure it out.

Frustrated, I eventually decided I was too late.  After all, YouTube was way too crowded at that point.  I mean, it was 2008 — the future was here!

But, I gave it another shot.  I mean, if I didn’t get in now, how crowded would YouTube be next year?

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to my own videos (my audience is about to kill me).

If you’ve made up your mind…

Click the big Add to Cart button below.  You’ll then be taken to a PayPal page where you can process your order (no PayPal account required).  After that, follow the directions and you should be watching my first private training video in about five minutes.

Thanks for your time.  If you have questions about Subscriber Magnet, feel free to ask in the comments below.

For those who have decided to join me in the Koval Classroom… get ready, clear your mind, and I’ll see you inside!

Best,
Matt Koval
Raven Pictures

Copyright 2012  / Matt Koval Raven Pictures

YouTube invited me to be the host of this interactive quiz to help promote their new educational initiative, YouTube EDU.  It was also asked that the videos be distributed on my channel.  Most of the deals I’m offered are from corporate brands who want to sell, sell, and sell some more, so it felt nice to promote something purely positive for a change. Plus, the role allowed me to revisit a long-ago stint as a substitute English teacher.

During lunch on the shoot day, I asked the producers why I had been offered the job only two days before production.  Turns out I was the third person on their list, and I only got the gig because the other two had last-minute scheduling conflicts.  ”Oh, wonderful,” I thought.  ”Third-string quarterback time.”

But the other two quarterbacks were… eh, I probably shouldn’t mention them specifically — let’s just say one is a series regular on THE OFFICE, and the other is a long-time staple of SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.  Hey, suddenly being third-string didn’t sound that bad! Maybe I should take a real acting class.  (Nah)

Here’s an article about YouTube’s initiative from Mashable.

"Listen up, hater!"

YouTube is hardly the perfect platform for a traditional, narrative filmmaker. Most scripted projects get buried by the daily video blogs and Epic Meal Times of the world.

It’s an awesome place for “video snacks” and shows that can be made on an assembly-line every week.  But for those of us who like to create content with a touch of, dare I say… artistic value, it can be a long, frustrating road.

A Solution.

There is a way around this, however, as my pals at Wong Fu Productions have proven.  You first build an audience making the video blogs and spectacle pieces, then turn around and deliver an actual story.  Wong Fu are the only YouTube filmmakers I know who can pull 7-figure views with a drama, and they’ve done so using this method.  They’re among my favorite and most inspiring YouTube creators because they so well balance viral-type content with their own artistic integrity.

On a smaller scale, I’ve had success doing this myself, building up the numbers with The Fuplers and other viral types, then delivering something more substantial with 8 Dates.

Of course, this method certainly isn’t easy, and if you’re a true writer type, you’ll most likely vomit at the thought of video-blogging or mass producing disposable content.  I’ve struggled with this ever since I got on YouTube, resisting the model of  ”create, rinse and repeat 1,000 times”.

Producing branded videos on YouTube is tricky business.  Much of your audience is there because they’re sick of television ads and all that is corporately produced.   They like the personal engagement they have with their favorite YouTube star, and consider that person a friend.  But when that friend turns around and sells them something, watch out.  Creators can quickly find themselves in very hot water.  Perhaps it’s akin to having an old friend call to supposedly catch up… and then try and rope you into a pyramid scheme.

My theory on branded videos is that viewers don’t mind being sold, as long as you 1) be honest about it, and 2) entertain their pants off.  An example of the latter is Volkswagen’s viral hit with the little Darth Vader.  The title of the video even includes the word “commercial” (part 1 of my theory).

I’m not saying I entertained the pants off my audience with “Brain Game Showdown”, but I think I delivered a solid Fupler episode, and perhaps a little extra.  I also didn’t try and hide the fact that it was sponsored by Verizon.  Not disclosing such sponsorship can lead your audience to assume it was a trick, and that can get ugly. Should I have told my subscribers up front? Perhaps. But that could have also put them on the defensive, and hey… that’s no way to start watching a video.

Incorporating such a technical service, “4G LTE”, into this traditional setting wasn’t easy, but that’s where good ole Kevin Fupler comes in handy….

What do you think? Is there another way to soften the branded-video-blow? Feel free to comment below!

Imagine a fully grown man sitting on the floor of his dining room, wearing a blonde wig with pig-tails. It’s a hot summer night, and he’s sweating through his costume.  He’s alone and frustrated.  Things aren’t going well.  There’s too much to do and not enough help.  Not any help.

He begins to ask himself questions.  “What am I doing?”  “Is this going to amount to anything?”  “Am I just a complete idiot?”  “Am I irresponsible for thinking there might be some career benefit to doing this?”

The minutes pass.  The ceiling fan whirs overhead.  The man considers the alternative — quitting.  He takes a deep breath, then gets up and turns the lights back on.  Then the video camera….

Yep, that’s been me.  On more than one occasion.  As other YouTubers know, making video content can be a lonely experience, and one that takes a lot of courage.  The end results are rarely visible, especially in the beginning.  But if you keep following your heart through the fog, if you trust your ability, if you keep doing what you’re most passionate about and don’t quit… a strange thing can happen.

You can be rewarded.

 

Thanks so much to those who voted for me in the YouTube NextUp program. I was selected, and will be heading to New York at the end of the month. Funding is to arrive shortly thereafter… along with a lot more Koval internet flicks. :)

Social media consultants are a dime a dozen, and I don’t plan on joining the masses. But after watching too many businesses fall flat on their face with YouTube, I decided to offer some help. My credentials include 145,000 subscribers, 13 million views, and having been through NextUp training at Google headquarters.

“Let’s just make a video and maybe it’ll go viral on YouTube.”

Have you ever heard anyone say this?   I have, and it makes me cringe.

It’s not such a bad thing when it’s applied to home movies or casual videos.  Those don’t involve much time or money. But when business people use this “strategy”, when real dollars are invested into producing a video that only gets 67 views… it’s palm-to-forehead time.

YouTube is a part of social media, yes, but videos are not like tweets or Facebook updates. Videos involve conceptualizing, writing, location scouting, casting, rehearsals, sound, lighting, editing, graphics… and all the details in between.

So with all that involved, you don’t want to squander it by saying, “Maybe it’ll go viral.” That’s not a smart YouTube strategy, or business strategy.

Think of YouTube as a huge, roaring river.

The current of this river is insane, with white-capped rapids and dark, muddy water. Uploading your video without a strategy is like tossing a stone into that river and hoping it will be taken down stream.  Ka-PLUNK!  It drowns in an instant, and sinks to the bottom forever.  The flow of water (video traffic) is just too much.

The first problem I see with most businesses on YouTube is that they don’t spend time in the community.  They don’t realize it’s a social network.  You don’t walk into a party, put your bean-dip on the table (your video) and leave.  You walk in, put your bean-dip down, and mingle.  The longer you stay, the friendlier you get with the others.

On top of that, businesses don’t spend enough time learning the mechanism of YouTube — how videos are connected, how and when to use annotations, the importance of getting viewers to “like” your video, and so on.   It’s not easy when YouTube changes this mechanism every few months — but staying on top of it all is vital to your strategy.

Lastly, a lot of businesses are uploading the wrong kind of content.  It’s too flabby, too long, and doesn’t offer value. Many don’t realize that we’re dealing with an audience that has the worst kind of A.D.D. imaginable. They’re looking for a reason to click away, with a finger sitting on that mouse button.

So, wearing my social media consultant hat, I’m going to focus on YouTube.  I’m now offering one-on-one sessions that include:

1. 60 minutes of research and strategy.  I’ll study your brand, your products or services, and watch any video content you have already.  I’ll then devise a strategy for your YouTube campaign that will get you more views, subscribers, and drive more traffic to your website.

2. 60 minutes of consultation.   I will give you all my ideas, and answer all your questions over phone or Skype.

3.  A Custom Strategy Guide (download).  It’s always a good idea to take notes during our call, but you don’t have to.  Based on our conversation, I’ll later email you a custom .PDF that offers a recap as well as action steps.

4.  Email follow-ups.  If you forget something or have an additional question later, no worries.  I make myself available to you via email.

How do you sign up? Email:  matt (a) mattkoval (•) com   Subject line:  Consulting

I’ll first respond with a few questions about your YouTube endeavors, and we will take it from there.

Let’s get on the horn!

-Matt Koval

I should have written this blog post back in November to announce the new web series, but when you’re a jack-of-all-trades, life is a constant game of prioritizing. I figured it was more important to give the show 100% effort before talking about it. Now that I’ve passed the half-way point on the series, I can relax a bit, tie up some loose ends, and announce my “new” web series.

I suspect a lot of subscribers thought it was an odd choice to go from a wacky comedy like The Fuplers to a more-adult series like 8 Dates. The reasons were two-fold. One, because I missed adult humor. I never intended my channel to be entirely PG rated, but The Fuplers brought a certain audience, and I understand that. Despite a couple emails from annoyed parents, most people seemed to get that I was broadening my range a bit.

The second reason I created a dating show was to work with the sponsor, Spark.com. Spark Networks seemed to be one of the few brands who were willing to get behind a web series without completely smothering it with their sales pitch. We agreed that it was important to entertain first, and sell second. Selling first is a recipe for disaster on YouTube.

As for the production, we shot all the dates in only a few days. Ava’s video blogs are recorded every week, so she can respond to comments from the previous video. In addition to the title slate at the end, traffic is driven to Spark via bonus videos (outtakes, behind the scenes, etc.). It’s a formula that I feel strongly works for all parties involved – including the viewers. They get further value by way of the additional content, and can explore the sponsoring service on their own accord. “It’s organic!”

Feel free to watch all the episodes by clicking here. The series will end in a few weeks and then… and then? We’ll see. I might have to give the subscribers a good dose of the hoodily-hoo. Thanks for watching!

Matt

Tenth was made a handful of years ago, but it remains one of the short films I’m most proud of.  I decided to re-release it on YouTube in higher quality, and also take the opportunity to answer some frequently asked questions about how the idea came to mind.

Below is a commentary video where I not only deconstruct it, but also give you my personal “formula” for brainstorming film and video ideas.  Hopefully you’ll find something useful for your own creative endeavors.

NOTE: If you haven’t seen the original short, you may want to watch it first (below the commentary video).

Also, thank you in advance for watching the brief advertisement.  It’s sort of like tossing change in my tip jar.  :)

The original short: