My 5 month Break, why?

It's good to be back! But why was I gone? Well, for starters, I bought an appartement! Besides that I also started a new Bachelor's study! So TIME is the main factor. Also the weather has been awful and the video making process while riding got to me a bit...

It's known that making videos take a lot of time, but not until you upload once, twice or even more each week for like a year do you realize just HOW MUCH work it is. Here's a little breakdown on just some of the factors I have to consider. 

First and most important question: 'WHAT do I want to upload? It's not like I'm traveling the world in which case the footage just keeps on coming. What will work in my schedule? What do I like? What will my viewers like? What will most likely get some views? Won't the same kind of videos get boring? How do I change it up? What is the story going to be? If I want the video to be good, these are questions that I have to ask myself. A lot of the time 'the story' gets left behind because I just want to go ride...

2nd question: 'WHERE do I go?' If I decide the video is going to be a ride, I have to think of a location. After years of riding, all close-by destinations begin to feel the same, not only for me, but for my loyal viewers aswel. If I want to upload each week, I better figure something out. That's why I love to go for camping trips, TET tracks and events if possible. Those are more interesting to watch and one trip can give me footage for a couple of videos. Of course those trips are not possible each week or each month..

3rd question: 'WHO do ask or do I go alone?' If I decide to make videos on my own, I have to think of a way to make the video watchable. Going with 1 extra or multiple people is more fun, BUT, it's not easy... First of all the WHEN question is a challenge. In winter it's always dark after work and people tend to make plans in weekends so you have to schedule something at least a week or 2 beforehand. Also a big thing is filming while in company of others. When do I film and when do I socialize? How do I involve people? Do they want to be involved? Most people don't like to have a GoPro on while riding, because filming and riding isn't as easy as it sounds (when do I record, I can't push this with my big gloves....). Most of my riding buddies are a bit camera shy so it's hard to get a conversation going. Most of the time it's me asking a question and getting a short answer. How do I make that interesting? SO, filming with other people can be more interesting, but it's also a lot harder.

NOTICE I HAVEN'T EVEN PICKED UP THE CAMERA OR STARTED THE ENGINE 'TILL THIS POINT

If everything is planned to go ride,  I can't just crab the keys and leave, I have to make sure I bring all my camera equipment and that it's fully charged. If I go camping that's easier said than done. On day-trips I always have to bring a topbox or panniers to bring all my stuff. The spontaneity, which I love to be a part of riding, can get a bit lost this way.

While riding, you always have to be thinking of what and how much you record. Remember to stop recording and the battery will run out in 20minutes. Having too much of the same footage can get really boring so how do I change it up? Different angles can help, but I only have one GoPro so I have to be prepared to stop frequently to change it up, also change batteries,  etc, etc, etc. Doing this alone, okay, but with other people, not the most pleasant thing. In group, most of the time, I'm also the navigator. Not so easy to combine with filming.. Also at the front of the line, you only have the road instead of at the back you can film the bikes in front of you. The thumbnail is always better if you actually take a picture during the ride, instead of screenshotting a moment in the final edit, what most of the time I end up doing. 

ALRIGHT, now we are back home, time to start editing. My videos are not super complicated to edit but each one will take about 4 to 6 hours to edit. In the beginning when I wasn't used to it, that could be double. While many people see this as a chore, this for me can end up being the most fun in the whole process. When I'm done with the first edit, I have a 15-30minutes video, which I rewatch 3 or more times to keep cutting stuff out to make it as compact as possible and hopefully not boring. I try to make sure the title and thumbnail are eye-catching and then: UPLOAD.

FINALLY, the best part of this hobby: sharing something that I hope both me and my viewers enjoy!! The videos at this point will get everything between 300 or 1000 views the first 24 hours, which most of the time is a good way to predict how popular it will continue to be. My most viewed videos are all REVIEWS, because when you have a small channel, you get most of your views through what people type in the search bar. Only a few people subscribe and those people are mostly interested in reviews, so my average video will not engage most of my followers. 

So why do I do it? Simple! While it can get exhausting, being creative, making something out of thin air that you will have forever, is worth it to me. Wanting to upload frequently, makes it so I go out riding more, which makes for more memories. My videos hold so many memories that I will always be able to look back on. Also the sweet comments and people that come back because they like what I make and who I am, are what motivates me to keep at it!