I wanted to get into YouTube commentary, and I'm not sure entirely how I should go about it. Any Suggestions?
How to do Commentary?
- Thread starter ST4RK1LL3R56
- Start date
Well personally I'm terrible at it, I just make mine up as I go really. I do script videos that are not live commentary's but only a little with just words spaced out so I know roughly what to say. Then I just fill in the blanks live. Commentary mainly just takes practice, you'll get better at it over time.
I've been praised for my commentary as honestly I don't shut up. I never use scripts, but as I see it you always want to keep your audience engaged with you and your content. My one rule is to have the least amount of dead-air as that's a momentum killer right there. Watching cut scenes and stuff like that is acceptable, just not when you're playing.
One tip is try and keep your mind busy. One way you can make sure you have stuff to talk about is make a list of one worded random stuff, and if you feel you're stuck, just take a look at the list and see if anything pops out at you. You never know, a word such as *Tummy* could generate a conversation where you talk about your hatred for the teletubbies or a story where a fat man tried to sit on your legs one day and your knees almost snapped like chicken wings, which for sure that man ate that day. Stuff like that.
One tip is try and keep your mind busy. One way you can make sure you have stuff to talk about is make a list of one worded random stuff, and if you feel you're stuck, just take a look at the list and see if anything pops out at you. You never know, a word such as *Tummy* could generate a conversation where you talk about your hatred for the teletubbies or a story where a fat man tried to sit on your legs one day and your knees almost snapped like chicken wings, which for sure that man ate that day. Stuff like that.
I'm not really as good in commentary since there are dead silence moments in my video, and I have "brain cramps" and my train of thoughts just derails itself. Plus, I am having a hard time finding the most fitting word for a situation, and I take up sometime to remember it.
If you're just starting then most probably you'll have a hard time saying what you want to say. If you want to make a script, go ahead and do so. But if you are going to use it while saying the commentary in front of a camera, just make sure you are not looking at the script the entire time. You can practice running over the script first. In that way, you already have an idea what to say, and you can add a couple of things if you want.
If it's gaming commentary, then all I can say is just keep doing your best in every video and time will come you'll realize you have been more talkative than ever. You'll eventually get more confident and you don't even have to think what you have to say, your mouth will do it for you. Just make sure you don't really come off as a loose cannon and just firing, you might offend somebody or say something insensitive and inappropriate.
If you're just starting then most probably you'll have a hard time saying what you want to say. If you want to make a script, go ahead and do so. But if you are going to use it while saying the commentary in front of a camera, just make sure you are not looking at the script the entire time. You can practice running over the script first. In that way, you already have an idea what to say, and you can add a couple of things if you want.
If it's gaming commentary, then all I can say is just keep doing your best in every video and time will come you'll realize you have been more talkative than ever. You'll eventually get more confident and you don't even have to think what you have to say, your mouth will do it for you. Just make sure you don't really come off as a loose cannon and just firing, you might offend somebody or say something insensitive and inappropriate.
Just don't be boring and unenthusiastic like I sound. I sounded best when I was playing with friends.
just let it flow, talk about the game as you would do with your best-friend...like having an epic convo
Commentary should be relaxed and above all you, make it fun and explain about the game or memories to start you off.
I'm terrible at commentary, but when watching others on youtube I always like when people are concise and knowledgeable in the subject.
Just talk, the more videos you make the easier it gets you build confidence and knowledge
Look for fun or interesting facts about the game talk about that, do a QOTD and answer it
Look for fun or interesting facts about the game talk about that, do a QOTD and answer it
It takes quite some time to get extremely comfortable on camera. If you're talking about commentary in a let's play or just over a game related to the game, I would simply suggest that you try to talk as much as possible without leaving any silences, if you're running out of stuff to talk about, you can always rely on "fun facts" about the game. I'd also like to add that in commentary, you only have your voice & words to convey your emotions, and how certain events make you feel. A tiny microphone is all that you're represented by to the viewer. This means that you will probably have to go a bit over the top so that it convey through in your voice. Take all your voice intonations and make it times 10, I exaggerate a bit but you get my idea.
If you're making commentaries on a specific topic, then I would definitely recommend taking a bit of time before you start filming, to write down some keywords and come up with a structure so that you don't forget to say anything you originally wanted to.
Of course all these small tips are mainly based on my own experiences and these are what I found to work best for me personally, I strongly suggest you test out different styles of commentary till you find your own
If you're making commentaries on a specific topic, then I would definitely recommend taking a bit of time before you start filming, to write down some keywords and come up with a structure so that you don't forget to say anything you originally wanted to.
Of course all these small tips are mainly based on my own experiences and these are what I found to work best for me personally, I strongly suggest you test out different styles of commentary till you find your own