1. Content should fall into either of two categories
    1. Maker related content - projects, how-tos, tool/equipment reviews, site tours, member interviews, etc.  This category will be made publicly available and the goal is to drive membership and possibly revenue from the channel subscriber base.
    2. Makersmiths internal content - internal classes, refresher classes for certifications, how to use X tool videos, etc.  This category will be private and only made widely available to MS members.
  2. Video, audio, and edit quality of public-facing videos is very important in order to gain and maintain subscribers. We will be publishing an “Intro to Video” guide to help our creators learn the basics of video shooting.
    1. Video should be easy to watch and of decent quality.
      1. Video should be published in 1080p (1920x1080)
      2. Good framing of shots. 
      3. Good focus.
      4. Well lit.  Not too dark, not too bright.  To some degree this can be fixed in post-production, but it is not quick or easy to learn and the better tools for it are not free. It’s *far* easier to just get it right when shooting.
      5. Solid/stable shots, either from tripod or steady-handed camera person.  Limit the number of handheld camera shots.  
    2. Audio should be clear and easy to listen to.  We will be publishing an “Intro to Audio in Video”  guide to help our creators learn the basics of good audio.
      1. No peaking - which is when audio gain is too high and causes that loud crackly noise on the audio plays back.  This must be adjusted at the time of the audio recording.
      2. Minimal distracting ambient noise.  Wind, loud background noises.  This also needs to be managed during audio recording.
      3. Relatively even volumes between sections of video.  This can sometimes be fixed in post, but it’s a lot easier to manage it at the time of recording.
      4. No high volume, harsh sounds such as sharp metal on metal, hammering, loud tools, power tools, etc.  These sections should have lowered volume to make the sounds more bearable or possibly even muting on short sections.  Mostly can be fixed in post.
    3. Editing should be clear and concise.  We will be publishing an “Intro to Video Editing” tutorial to help our creators learn the basics of editing
      1. Only keep the shots you need to tell the story. Make multiple cut passes. Collaborate and request feedback on your rough cut versions.
      2. Repetitive tasks should be sped up or cut.  A voice-over or text on screen can help tell the story.
      3. Make sure the “story” makes sense.  Fill in with voice over or text on screen if necessary. 
      4. Write a script prior to filming. It will help keep shots clear and concise and will help minimize the amount of editing you’ll have to do later.
      5. Place queue cards, a whiteboard or a screen with your talking points or script near the camera so you can reference them while speaking to the camera.  This will help minimize filler words such as “like, um, and” and make editing easier as well.
      6. Create a storyboard before beginning to shoot.  This will help with many facets of the content creation process, such as figuring out what you actually need to film!
  3. Framework of a Makersmiths YouTube Video
    1. Intro Sequence - This is a quick intro sequence provided by the Video Committee that should be the beginning of the video.  This should always be first unless you want to do your greeting and hook beforehand.  If decide to have a hook or greeting, it should be short (5 to 10 seconds) followed immediately by our Makersmiths Intro sequence.
      1. Intro sequence is available here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1HVQLo-zyOEZ52Cp5LJfsf4-aLEvMwiaf
    2. Welcome the viewer to Makersmiths.  Introduce yourself and describe the project/video.
      1. Example script here: Hi!  I’m <name> from Makersmiths.  Today we’re going to <do stuff>.  Let’s get to it.
    3. Core video content.
    4. Wrap up - Discuss final project thoughts.  Invite the viewer to like/subscribe/comment. Invite the viewer to watch some of our other videos. Thank the viewer.
      1. Example script here:  I hope you enjoyed <project>.  If you did, it’d be great if you could like/subscribe.  We read all the comments, so if you have questions or suggestions, please add them.  If you’re in the area, we’d love to have you come by and check us out!
    5. Outro Sequence - This is a short outro sequence provided by the Video Committee.  Outro should be J-Cut into the tail end of your video.  You will note a section of black video at the beginning of the outro.  This is the portion that should be cut out for the J-Cut.
      1. Outro sequence available here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=13ZDI7znd69JZH-LMSJqJBN20bLy3lomc
      2. J-Cut tutorial video here: J-Cut Tutorial
  4. Submitting a video for consideration for publishing
    1. Videos can be submitted in the following ways
      1. If you have access to the share drive you can navigate to the Media Group/Projects folder (link below) and create a new folder with the name of your project and place your media in the new folder.  Then inform the Video Committee of your submission via the Slack channel #video https://drive.google.com/drive/u/3/folders/1TtA1gn62jmHczq95AyZ1G3yqwgqClrUs
      2. If you do not have access to the share drive you can contact the Video Committee directly via the #video channel in Slack and ask for assistance in submitting your video.
    2. All videos will be reviewed by the Video Committee prior to publishing.  The committee will check on the following criteria
      1. Appropriateness of content for the channel
      2. Inclusion of required framework bits.
      3. Quality of video, audio, and edit.
    3. If changes are required to your submission you will be informed and given guidance on correction.  Content creation is an iterative process and sometimes multiple drafts will need to be done.  If you need help with the editing, the video committee is more than willing to assist.
    4. Once your content has been approved you can choose when and how the final publish is done.
      1. Publishing can be done immediately with no fanfare.  If you wish your video to be added as an event to the Makersmiths calendar contact the Scheduling Committee.
      2. Your video could be published as a scheduled live premiere in which case you/the video committee will be able to chat with watchers as they watch the video live for the first time.  Scheduling of this will be partially dependent on Video Committee member availability.
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