I wrote an article for the latest issue of MAKE full of tips for making build videos! Check it out in print or the extended version available online:
3) Shoot while building. Always.
Get comfortable working while capturing video of your projects’ assembly. Documenting your project shouldn’t be a chore, or it won’t happen often enough. It’s better to have too much footage than too little, and the more time you spend working in front of the camera, the more relaxed and natural your movements will be. I’m so used to working with my Magic Arm clamped in front of me that it feels weird to make stuff without it.
Record key moments of your project’s construction. If there are repeated tasks, record the third or fourth repetition so you’ve had some practice before doing it for an audience. You are the cinematographer, so make your project look like it’s coming together beautifully.
5) Write a script
Describe your project as if speaking to a knowledgeable friend. Write down everything you want to include, then prioritize and edit hard. Leave only the most important bits, and save the rest for the description or blog post. Show and/or tell the viewer what the video is about within the first 15 seconds. Read through your entire script at a natural pace. Under 5 minutes? Fabulous. Under 90 seconds? Even better.
Adafruit publishes a wide range of writing and video content, including interviews and reporting on the maker market and the wider technology world. Our standards page is intended as a guide to best practices that Adafruit uses, as well as an outline of the ethical standards Adafruit aspires to. While Adafruit is not an independent journalistic institution, Adafruit strives to be a fair, informative, and positive voice within the community – check it out here: adafruit.com/editorialstandards
Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.
Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.
Python for Microcontrollers — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: CircuitPython 8.1.0 and 8.2.0-beta0 out and so much more! #CircuitPython #Python #micropython @ThePSF @Raspberry_Pi
