I have just launched a video essay and a new series titled Why Write. I also have another series going on called Why Read.
In this video essay, I tried to do so much. I wasn’t really focused on my video essay. I tried to improve 1% (think: I added other people’s clips for better argumentation) here but I feel like I should be (at least now) more focused on publishing the content than just improving 1%.
1% Improvement can Backfire
1% improvement, if you think about it, can distract you from the work that you want to do. I initially was thinking of “mastering” After Effects so that I can make videos in documentary styles as Vox does. But that needs a lot of time and effort. And as a student balancing life, studies, and writing, things get delayed.
But I have also noticed that I don’t really notice animations that much. It's one of these 80% of the work that just gives 20% results (as per the 80/20 rule that I believe).
For example, if a Vox documentary sucks, then the reason it sucks is not that it had bad animation, but the writing of the video (script) or wrong approach sucks. No amount of good-Pixar-styled-or-hand-drawn-animation won’t make it good. What sucks is not the bad animation but the content.
The main focus of my video essays is my writing. And that’s why I call my videos Video Essays.
Joseph Everett, the person behind What I’ve Learned YouTube channel does not use sexy animations but I still adore his video essays. My most favorite video essay was on meditation.
I think I should strike a balance between them. And make sure I atleast follow my fundamentals and principles (that is having depth in writing).
So don’t forget to watch the latest video essay, and write comments, I read them all.
Update: Haha, look at the timing, Thomas frank has a video on the exact same thing, being a perfectionist.