[Greg] Hey, I'm Greg, this is Jared and Jacob, and we're the guys behind Wisecrack
where we make comedy and educational videos.
We're so excited to teach you guys how to make awesome YouTube videos
using a limited budget or what we call broke ass budget.
[YouTube Creator Academy]
[Jacob] You don't need a lot of money to make great content for YouTube.
We had no money. We made really fun shows.
We created our first two shows for less than $500 a piece.
We highly suggest you just think with a resourceful mindset.
As long as you're resourceful with what you do have, you can still
create great shows for YouTube.
[Jacob] You gotta start first with your idea, it's all about the substance of what you create.
The most successful videos on YouTube that are cheap start with what you do have.
If you're creating a music video and you need a set on a rooftop,
find out which of your friends live downtown, reach out
to their friends of friends, or Facebook friends.
You'd be amazed at the kind of resources people volunteer
when they know you're making something on YouTube.
[Greg] It's about making videos that are so irresistible that they must be shared,
and those don't always require a big budget.
[Resourceful story ideas]
[Jared] Hey guys. My name is Jared. Today I'm going to talk to you about creating ideas.
that are going to work within a low budget scenario on YouTube.
First, don't get stuck in the mindset that if you don't have a lot of money
you can't make great videos because it's just not true, especially with YouTube.
Making cheap videos is what YouTube is all about.
YouTube isn't TV. It's not film. It doesn't need to look fully polished to be successful.
Even if your production looks homemade, your audience will love you more for it
because it's real. They can see you in it. Use those limitations to your advantage.
If you don't have an idea of what to make yet, look around you.
Think of what you have. Maybe it's locations,
access to actors, certain props, costumes, collections, whatever.
Or maybe it's something that you know a lot about.
That's a good starting point.
Think about how you can create something compelling using those limitations.
Let's say, for example, you only have access to your bedroom or your apartment.
What kind of shows can you create that uses the bedroom or the apartment as a setting?
Or maybe you've been given permission to film in a school,
then create a show about being at school after hours.
Whatever resources and knowledge you have at your disposal
is a great place to start.
[THUG NOTES] So, for example, for Thug Notes
I had access to one of my best friends, Joe, who just happens to be a literary genius.
So using that, I knew I could count on him to help me create a show about great works of literature.
My writing partner, Jacob, and I knew a ton about Jewish culture and Yiddish language
so we used that as our starting point.
Once you know what you want to go make limited resources shouldn't scare you off.
There are some scenarios that don't even require a ton of money.
If you're doing a reality TV-type shoot you can get away with hand-held shots
or shooting without light rentals.
You're not creating works for a large cinematic screen
where every detail will be scrutinized.
You're shooting for a smaller screen so you can definitely get away with a lot.
A smart thing to do is to create a format where you can create multiple episodes in one day.
So, for example, in Thug Notes, we're able to shoot all the episodes in one location.
It's just Sparky Sweets in front of his library.
Another thing is you're gonna wanna create a format that can be repeatable
something that you're not gonna have to think about if I'm ever gonna run out of episode ideas.
So, for example with Book Reviews we're never gonna run out of books to do
because there are so many classics, people have been writing books for
thousands of years.
So another thing about Thug Notes that makes it very easy
is that it's literally just a two-camera setup.
We have a close-up and we have a wide shot.
All the real labor goes into the writing.
When it comes to the production day, which is always the most expensive day,
we're really just cranking them out.
If you get on set, something's always gonna go wrong.
Set life, creating something,
especially in video,
is one of the most chaotic things you can do.
You have to come in with a very flexible mentality.
You have to say that if something goes wrong
try and use that to my advantage.
So once you have your script ready, you're to move on to the next step: production.
[Resourceful production]
[Jacob] Hey! I'm Jacob.
Alright, so, you have a script you know you wanna make,
well, welcome to production,
one of the most exciting steps in the whole process of making
great videos for YouTube.
Locations are always the first things I think about,
since, without them, you can't really get your job done.
For our first show, I needed a really beautiful home and kitchen
so I called my landlord. I asked her if I could use her place.
And I—I guess I felt a little guilty, but not really. I said:
"Hey Carol, good to hear from you. I hope you've been well.
"Ah, could we use your kitchen for a shoot?"
And I thought, you know, she would definitely say, you know, "No. It's too invasive,"
and she's like "Yeah. I don't care. Come on by. You know. It's fine."
It didn't cost a penny. And she was so happy how the first episode turned out
that she let us use her house over and over again for the show.
A friend of the family generously let us use their beautiful home library for Thug Notes.
Without them, our show would never have been possible.
And I didn't have a budget, but I knew needed something spectacular to showcase the show,
and I found it.
We later used our accountant's office.
Anywhere we could get access to.
If you look hard enough, you'll find something.
So once you have your location, it's time to start thinking about props and wardrobe.
Again, cheap, cheap, cheap.
I borrowed most of the props from my family.
For Thug Notes we borrowed a lamp from a friend.
We got a chair here. We got some free books there.
Before buying anything, be sure to check out free Craigslist,
or other online classified listings in your area.
And hit up Goodwill, the Salvation Army, and other local thrift shops.
So here's a Halloween head that we got for a buck.
We've used it in our Halloween productions year after year.
Props, clothes, locations, you name it.
It never hurts to ask.
If you don't have money to offer people in exchange for what you're requesting of them,
offer to buy them a coffee, or a meal.
It may not change their lives, but people really do appreciate a token of gratitude.
And if you can offer them your company,
you'll be surprised how that can be more meaningful than payment.
On the day, it's finally here.
Let's consider lighting. Maybe your shots don't even require them.
If that's the case—maybe you're shooting outside— great! You're good to go.
But if you do, then maybe get some cheap lights at Home Depot or a china bowl from Ikea.
As long as someone in your crew has experience with basic lighting
you'll probably get away with a lot on a tiny budget.
Just let them know what you're going for.
If you need a tracking shot, but maybe you can't afford a dolly,
well, put the camera on a skateboard, on a rolling chair, on a wheel chair.
That's what we did and it looked just great.
Being resourceful is incredibly important when you don't have a lot of money,
but don't let that scare you off because you can really make great content
without, you know, spending a lot of money.
[Resourceful performances]
[Greg] Hey! I'm Greg. I play Sparky Sweets on Thug Notes
and I'm going to talk to you about performing under limitations.
Being in front of a camera in a YouTube show is a blast.
It's about building a direct relationship with the viewer, my fans.
There's no shortage of aspiring actors,
and every major city has a resource that you can reach out for actors.
Just Google it.
You can also find actors through your local little theater,
or actor troupe, or online actor databases.
And if you need a comedian, consider checking out the local comedy scene.
I'm a stand-up comedian and that's how Jared and Jacob found me.
We had a mutual friend and they put us in touch.
You can hold auditions almost anywhere,
but see if you can get access to a free room that's a bit more professional than your apartment.
You don't want a lot of completely random strangers coming over your place.
You can always screen candidates by having them send you a video submission
for their initial audition.
Just provide them with the script and you can hold your auditions
over Skype or Google Hangouts.
A lot of actors want something for their reel,
so often times, they will act for free just so they can have something
to show for themselves, to attract better roles, get agents, managers.
One thing I suggest is you ask your actors to bring their own clothes to set.
It can save you a lot of time and money,
since your actors probably already have a lot of the basics themselves.
If you need a special outfit or accessory, hit up the Goodwill
or the Salvation Army or any charity shop.
A really important tip which saves a ton of time on set,
which in turn saves you money, is being prepared.
Send your actor the script as far in advance as possible.
Have your actors rehearse their lines,
and if you have a ton of material to cover, consider a cheap teleprompter.
You can find one that works with an iPad for about a hundred bucks on Ebay.
And if you're starting in the video yourself, have a friend direct you.
It's hard to be in front of the camera and also have the ability to judge a performance.
Thanks for watching!
I appreciate it. It's awesome getting this information out,
and if you wanna learn more about upping your production skills,
check out Creator Academy, the annotation right here,
and if you wanna learn more about Thug Notes, boom, check it out right here.
Thanks for watching. Get out there. Work on some stuff.
Create!
[Click to watch more from Wisecrack] [Click to watch more Creator Academy]