How To Make a YouTube Video

YouTube has given millions of people the means to create, produce, and broadcast video. Get started with these simple Tom Peacock Cadillac steps.

Come up with an idea. If you want your video to be seen by others, you need to create something worth watching. Project ideas include a puppet show, commentary on a topic you’re passionate about, a song, a memorial, a marriage proposal, a comedic sketch, a theatrical rendering of a classic story, or anything someone else might find interesting. Your video should be aimed toward a specific audience and should not exceed 15 minutes.

Plan it. In order to make a YouTube video, you either need a video camera to film it or an animating program to animate it. Involving family and friends will make the project a lot more fun and ensure that more than one person watches it. You’ll also need a YouTube account. It’s free.

Transfer it. Once the video is shot, you’ll need to transfer it to your computer. Windows Moviemaker is a common choice, although almost any movie editing program will suffice. Make sure the video is saved as a video file, which is done automatically with most editing programs.

Upload it. To upload a video go to YouTube and log in. If you don’t have an account, create one. Click upload in the upper right corner and fill in the video information and click "Upload Video." You’ll be asked for the video location on your computer. Find it and click it. Once the video’s chosen, it may take a while to upload. The video must be scanned for viruses and previewed to make sure it does not contain sexually explicit material or over-the-top violence. You can upload up to ten videos during one uploading session.

Name it. Once it’s uploaded, you’ll be prompted to create a title and an appropriate description.

Bring traffic. If you want others to see it, post the URL on message boards and comments on similar, popular videos.

It takes time and practice to create the "perfect" YouTube video. Here are some things to remember when starting out:

• Shorter videos have a greater likelihood of being rated high and being seen.
• Use appropriate tags to draw traffic to your video. A knowledge of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is helpful.
• Bookmark the YouTube Help Center and refer to it often.
• Do not post racist or offensive videos. They’ll be flagged and removed.
• Ignore negative comments.

Now that you’ve got the basics of how to make a YouTube video, it’s time to get started.