Most of the gameplay videos on YouTube are of no interest to anyone. Filmed without preliminary preparation, they contain many unnecessary, often prolonged scenes without any processing. But nowadays, there are tons of video genres people are interested in. Just a few simple actions and proper video editing software can turn a boring clip into an addicting gameplay overview and attract much more views.
If you want to publish your playthroughs to YouTube, it’s important to understand the following: in most cases, people won’t watch your entire video. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, it is quite difficult for modern Internet users to keep their attention on the same video for more than a couple of minutes. Secondly, most often, a walkthrough is watched in order to solve a specific problem. For example, a player is stuck at some point and wants to figure out how to go further. Or the person is looking for a capacious overview of the best moments of the game for inspiration or distraction. In both cases, the raw gameplay recording will disappoint the viewer. To make your video useful and engaging, you need to apply at least minimal editing. Given the fact that the selection of video editing software is impressive, it will not be difficult to choose nice tools to work with.
In this article, we will tell you how to make your videos better.
How to prepare to record a game video
The first question to decide is the genre of your gameplay video. If you are shooting let’s plays or videos about the full game walkthrough, there is almost no need to edit the footage because the audience is initially set to the “all-inclusive” format. However, if you are creating instructions for passing specific moments in the game or want to publish a splice of the best moments, you will have to master a few editing techniques. Let’s start with how to prepare to record the game.
Plan and focus
You might feel like making a plan for shooting a game video is overkill. However, the lack of a plan can turn into a disastrous video.
You do not need to write down the text of voice comments and step-by-step actions in the game in detail, but understand what exactly you want to shoot and why it is necessary. Start by asking yourself the following questions:
What genre will my game video be?
So, it’s time to decide: passing the game, let’s play, review, or a selection of the best moments? Once you have chosen a direction, stick to it. Don’t lose focus. Imagine a situation when a blogger promises to show you how to pass a certain level in the game, but instead of showing what was promised, he drags on the video and speaks for a long time on different topics you are not interested in. Such videos are annoying and cause a feeling of disrespect for the viewer. That is why it is important to always keep in mind a pre-planned vector. Gaming videos published without editing can be really annoying.
What is your goal?
Are your videos just a hobby, or would you like to get channel views? The answer to this question will help you decide which game to choose to play and what exactly should be included in the video.
For example, if views on YouTube are completely unimportant to you, you can skip this point and choose what you want without looking at the audience’s requests. However, if you are still determined to develop your channel and get feedback, we recommend doing a little research on what gaming topics YouTube users are interested in.
If your topic answers one of the frequently asked questions, then the chances of your video reaching the top become much higher. Well, the video brought to the top will quickly bring both views and subscribers.
Make quick keyword research before creating a gaming video
So how do you know which keywords are popular on YouTube? There are several tools for this. For example, for English-speaking queries, it is convenient to use the Answer The Public tool. In addition, you can always analyze the “Search for Similar Queries” section in Yandex. Enter a suggested topic in a search engine (for example, “how to get through fortnight”), and then at the bottom of the page, see what questions are most relevant to this topic.
What will the soundtrack be?
This is a fairly simple question, however, it is very important to answer it before you start recording gameplay. For example, if you plan to record voice comments while playing, be sure to test your microphone ahead of time. And even if you want to add music to your video, game sounds can be important too. Think about how the audio will be recorded, and make sure that your technique allows you to make it happen.
Poor or lack of sound in a gaming video is one of the most common mistakes beginners make. To avoid it, you should install and test your video game recording software beforehand.
Recording
Depending on whether you are playing on a computer or on a console, you will need to choose a tool for recording the gameplay. In case you are playing on a computer, everything is pretty simple. There are tons of free desktop video recording software out there, and choosing the right solution won’t be difficult. For example, Bandicam is one of the best solutions. Bandicam is a convenient software for Windows that can capture anything on your PC screen as a high-quality video.
OBS Studio is another nice tool that works on both Windows and iOS. This software is completely free. If you don’t like both options we offer, consider Screen Recorder. This tool can help you to record screen, record audio, add text, arrows, add logos, and so on.
If you are using a game console, ideally, you need a dedicated device for recording games. With the help of the HDMI connector, such a device displays the image from the TV on the computer screen and allows recording in real-time. It is best to purchase a device that will record both the sounds of the game and your comments.
Some bloggers set up a camera in front of a TV and thus record the game. This is not the best idea, as the picture quality will inevitably suffer, and your efforts will be wasted.
Installing software to edit gameplay footage
The preparatory process is over – it’s time to move on to the editing. When it comes to editing tools, Movavi video editor is a nice choice. With the help of this tool, it is possible to cope with any task. The interface is simple, the selection of video correction tools is nice. Moreover, if you are interested in how to record internal audio on mac (which may be pretty problematic), Movavi can help you with it.
Conclusion
Editing game videos is practically no different from editing any other video. In both cases, plan and preparation are required, as well as basic editing skills.
Remember that creating a let’s play or a walkthrough is a creative process, and you will definitely need inspiration at some point. You can find it on the forums and in the communities of the same bloggers like you. Hopefully, with the help of our recommendations, you will be able to choose the right video software and record audio and video easily.
