Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “Linus’ 10 Rules for Good Videos”.
We have a document called how to write good videos um and most of it is stuff that I would consider to be kind of um common sense to a degree, but it’s also even something that’s common sense. It’S still helpful to have written out as as a reminder right. So here’s how to how to write good videos uh one, the ten laws of Linus, one, don’t waste the viewer’s time. What’S the point make your point as concisely as possible, while maximizing Clarity. Tell me why I should care number two control, the scope make sure your point isn’t too broad. Think of the game portal. Its shortness is its greatness, recognize when something has gone on for too long.
This involves reading it to yourself at full volume, no whispering and seeing if you run out of breath or patience, number three load up the learning outcomes so lay out the learnables for each section of the video. They should come fast and furious at the beginning front load the video to improve retention. Number four, make it personal.
Why should I care either apply it to the viewer, assuming the subject matter is Broad enough or to yourself or Linus, or someone recognizable. Five ask questions out loud then answer them. This one is so important. I expect if you are given a task, that you will ask questions and then you will answer them out loud to me later and if you don’t answer, if you don’t ask any questions, you won’t get any answers and then I’m going to tell you. Why are you here giving me a report when you haven’t asked any questions and you haven’t found any answers right, that’s not always fair! You don’t always want questions to be asked because you’re busy. No, no, I mean asking them to yourself.
Okay, ask questions out loud then answer them is is like for for videos like that’s it’s just such an effective storytelling technique, but Linus. Why on Earth would they have it shaped like this when a square would be so much uh more efficient to you know, pack in next to each other and maximize volume, I’m so glad you asked the shape of a cylinder. Is you know whatever right, uh maximizes, the materials you know whatever um number six provide context, it’s not always obvious how good a screen is or amazing microprocessor feature is.
Is it the price that makes it amazing? Why should I care that? One comes up. A lot number seven remember who you’re talking to every video is a potential gateway drug that pulls the viewer deeply into the hobby. But some videos have a more technical level of discourse than others. So don’t talk down to the audience about a highly technical subject, but don’t always assume pre-existing knowledge. Number eight plan for the payoff know what the payoff will need to be so that the video culminates in something satisfying Lord of the Rings would have sucked. If we never got to see Mountain Doom, don’t forget a negative outcome is still an outcome. It’S part of the journey and a journey can be an outcome. You just need to plan, for it number nine tell and show us how to feel – and this is where this is from our Internal Documentation. If you break it down, ninety percent of YouTube is reaction, videos reacting to news or life or Tech. Don’T tell me what’s happening if you can show me how to feel what’s happening so, instead of – and this is an example from a video where someone scripted it and brought it to me – and I said: yeah – it’s okay, but here’s how it needs to be yeah. Look at this pixel 6 5G in the corner, but when I type these digits and check phone information, it says I’m on LTE what the heck. Why would I say all that when I can just say, but when I type this LTE, what the heck? I don’t have to say check phone information.
It says I’m on LTE. I have to show emotion. I have to show you how to feel um number 10 have fun. Fun is infectious and so is misery. If you have a bad time, making a video find a way to make it fun or you will fail, which will create more misery, which will create more failure. .