Building a global channel START FREE COURSE

Building a global channel

START COURSE

Share your stories with a global audience. Channels geared towards worldwide audiences often see an uplift in key metrics like watch time and subscribers. You can increase accessibility of new and existing videos with platform tools that translate and transcribe them. Additionally, certain types of videos tend to be more relevant to all audiences. Learn strategies to boost the visibility of your channel to audiences around the world.

What we'll cover:

• LESSON 1

  Expand your reach globally with translation tools

  YouTube’s a global platform that connects creators like you with millions of viewers all over the world. It’s easier than ever to offer a multilingual experience on your channel and reach a worldwide audience.
• LESSON 2

  Crowdsourcing translations with community contributions

  Community contributions can make your channel more accessible to a global audience without spending a penny.
• LESSON 3

  Produce videos with global appeal

  Certain video formats can work really well for audiences globally.

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Lesson: Shooting in 360-degrees Part -4/4

Lesson: Shooting in 360-degrees

Producing 360-degree and virtual reality videos can be exciting--but also a little complicated because you’re using a camera with multiple lenses. Try out these suggestions for a more successful shoot!

• Directing the audience

  Shooting in 360-degrees for VR and 360 video is more than just the shot--it’s about the entire scene. Virtual reality (VR) and 360-degree videos (360) are designed to put the audience in the center of the video’s universeso it’s key to consider how you’ll guide them through each scene and what they’ll be able to see in all directions around them. In this lesson you’ll find some suggestions and techniques for shooting in 360-degrees. Keep in mind that this is a fast-changing landscape and these are not concrete rules. While there are some general parameters for shooting in 360-degrees, the technology is constantly evolving, so be sure to leave room for experimentation and testing out new things.

  Creators have found success by making sure the VR or 360 video experience is in some way “about” the viewer. Remember, your audience can’t voluntarily move, but they can look around. You can give cues through audio, lighting, and even your actors’ gazes that encourage viewers to check out the scene. Reward their exploration and give them a reason to explore the environment you’ve created. If there’s no reason to look around, you may reconsider whether or not your video should be shot in 360 degrees.

  Before you start shooting in 360-degrees, consider these questions:

  • Where does the audience fit? What role do they play?
  • Are they stationary? If so, why? Is it part of the story?
  • What cues can you add to direct their attention towards the action?

  Because this technology is new, your audience may not expect that your video can be explored in 360-degrees so it’s a good idea to communicate this at the beginning of your video. Beyond verbalizing it, you could also put “360” in the video title and description or add arrow graphics showing them how to view.

  Tips

  • Try using audio and sound effects to guide your viewers in a specific direction.
  • Environments rich with stuff to look at are key. Consider hiding objects that your audience can find.
  • Viewers tend to look where characters in the video are looking. Can your actors use body language to suggest where the audience should direct their attention?

• Treat the camera like a person

  Shooting in 360-degrees requires a special type of camera with at least two lenses. Since the viewer is going to be watching from the middle of the action instead of from behind a camera, it’s a good idea to frame your shots a little differently.

  One way to think about shooting in 360 is to treat the camera like a person. For example, if you hold a 360-degree camera in your hand, the viewer may feel like they are a tiny person in the palm of King Kong. If you place the camera on the floor, the viewer will see the floor and could make them feel like they are six inches tall. It’s more natural to place the camera at the eye level of a person who is sitting or standing.

  Here are a few suggestions for setting up your 360-degree shoot:

  • If you move the camera, it should be steadily, with no acceleration or deceleration, ideally in a straight line with no rotation. Try not to rotate it--panning, tilting, and rolling the camera can make your viewers nauseous.
  • Consider stabilizing your camera on a tripod or monopod.
  • Help viewers know where to look without being too controlling. Verbal instructions are OK for this but can you experiment with lighting and sound cues?
  • Allow time for the viewer to get oriented to a new location. In other words, don’t cut to different scenes too often. Think of each location as the viewer taking off a blindfold. They’ll have a moment of “where am I?” Consider how long it will take to explore each shot, then move on to the next place.

  Tips

  • Give your camera some personal space. Try not to put objects and actors inches away, or it may feel uncomfortable to the viewer.
  • If you’re not sure how long to focus on one scene, show it to a few people and get their feedback.

Is shooting in 360-degrees right for you? Part -3/4

• Is shooting in 360-degrees right for you?

  Now that you’ve seen some of the popular types of videos that are being shot in 360-degrees, it’s time to decide if this format will work for you! While the technology is really exciting, it’s important to weigh the intended viewing experience with productionrequirements to justify whether or not to try out shooting in 360-degrees.

  Remember, the audience is essentially dropped into a scene, so it’s critical to negotiate how they will fit and what you can do to keep them engaged while telling your story. It’s no longer just someone watching but an individual’s experience that you must design every detail of. Spherical video requires a lot of prep and it’s not for everyone. But the work coming out of it is changing the video industry and making experiences that move viewers and get them to take action.

  Try asking these questions when making a decision to move forward with VR and 360-degree video:

  1. Would a 360-degree perspective give your viewers an experience--physical or emotional--that they otherwise couldn’t have? The most effective 360-degree videos are the ones where the technology plays a central role in making it enjoyable to watch. So would this enhance the topic of your video, or just be a visual gimmick?
  2. Will you be recording in an environment rich with interesting things for a viewer to see? Or is there just some blank walls and your laundry basket?
  3. Do you want your viewers to look around?Or would you rather their attention be fixed on something? Sometimes 360-degree videos can actually make people less observant because they have so many options. If you want to focus a viewer’s attention and guide what they see, 360 video may not be the best choice. Or, try using a narrative voice or character to direct attention.

Try it

Search for 360 videos on YouTube and watch a few. If you have a VR viewing device, like Google Cardboard, search for and watch one or two videos in virtual reality. If you don’t have one, try searching on Google for how to find one. What do you like most about each type of viewing experience?

Popular types of 360-degree and virtual reality video Part -2/4

• Popular types of 360-degree and virtual reality video

  360 and VR are powerful mediums for video because they allow the audience to not just watch, but experience the content. Here are several categories where experimental creators are pioneering these techniques to evoke emotion and offer viewers a new perspective on video:

  Documentary: 360 and VR video has been incredibly effective in documentary filmmaking because the audience is no longer just a spectator but invited to take look around. It’s effective because it can spark empathy by conveying the true realities and struggles of others. For example, in ‘Seeking Home’, viewers are pulled into the landscape of the Calais Migrant Camp. Additionally, this production style can invite viewers into places where they otherwise might not be allowed, like North Korea.

  Action sports: 360 and VR videos often shine brightest when there’s a lot of visual spectacle, and there’s nothing like sports and action to provide that.

  Music videos: Music videos have always been on the forefront of experimental filmmaking, so it’s no surprise that directors have embraced 360 and VR. Now, viewers can do more than just bob their head along with their favorite song.

  What does the future hold? There’s endless potential for the types of videos that can be effective in 360 or VR. Keep an eye out for new videos popping up in all genres as creators, like you, infuse style, creativity, and structure to spherical video.

  See it in action

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    Documentary-style virtual reality

    A 360 view of the children’s surroundings makes this story even more powerful.
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    The future of education?
    
    
    
    
    

    Spherical video has the potential to transform educational videos into interactive learning tools. Try clicking around with your mouse or tilting your phone to see the whole sky.

Lesson: Introduction to 360-degree video and virtual reality Part 1/4

Lesson: Introduction to 360-degree video and virtual reality

360-degree video (360) and virtual reality (VR) are hot topics--but what are they and how do they work? Learn why 360 and VR are changing how video is watched and produced.

• 360-degree video and virtual reality: a new landscape

  You’ve probably heard of or seen a new type of video that offers viewers the opportunity to explore a video in 360-degrees with their mouse or mobile device. They can even put a headset on and look around in all directions. This medium is called spherical video and two popular categories are “360-degree video”(360) and “virtual reality” (VR).

  360 and VR were created with the intention that viewers interact with and experience the content, instead of just sitting back to watch. They offer an immersive view that lets each person choose where to look. Both 360 and VR are shot using cameras that record in all 360 degrees. The main difference between them is whether or not you put on a headset to view. While this technology can definitely wow an audience, remember, it’s in its infancy and evolving fast. The information found here is just a guide and not meant to be concrete rules for where and how to use 360 and VR--that part is up to you!

  To watch 360-degree video (360) on YouTube, a headset it not required--all you need is a mobile device or desktop computer. Instead of putting on a headset,  you can explore the video in all directions with a few simple gestures. On desktop, you can click and drag with a mouse or click the arrows in the upper left corner of the screen. On a mobile device, you can drag your finger across the screen or move it around in different directions. (While 360-degree video doesn’t require a viewing accessory, you can watch with an accessory like Google cardboard.) The screen is monoscopic because there is only one set of images displayed.

  Watching virtual reality (VR) can make you feel present in the action of the scene because you must cover your entire field of vision with a viewing device like a headset, or head-mounted display (HMD). When you look into a head-mounted display, the screen is split, so that each eye sees  a slightly different perspective, just as in real life. This perspective gives a sense of stereoscopic depth that you won’t get in 360-degree video alone. It’s the key element that distinguishes virtual reality from 360 and other types of video.

  By nature, all virtual reality videos are shot in a way that lets you see 360-degrees around you. However, because a headset or viewing device is required for virtual reality and not required for 360, 360-degree video cannot always be categorized as VR.

  The future of video is upon us--diverting from traditional ways of shooting and watching to innovative production and experiential videos. We’re just at the beginning and YouTube is excited to be a platform that supports and encourages the evolution of creators utilizing these new technologies to bring their creative visions to life and share them with the world. Don’t worry if a fancy head-mounted display seems out of reach, affordable VR viewer options, like Google Cardboard, are now available globally.

  

  See it in action

  • Rollercoaster ride in 360-degrees

    Try interacting with this video from your desktop by clicking with a mouse, or, on mobile by pressing play and rotating your phone in different directions.

  • From YouTube, you can click and view from monoscopic to stereoscopic

    Stereoscopic is used for VR video when you put on a headset, whereas, a monoscopic view allows you to watch 360-degree video without a headset.