How to Create a Game Review

Reflections: Before filming

Problems include procrastination, a lack of video cameras (that problem has since been fixed), a lack of stable filming equipment, a lack of experience in editing and incompatible video files based off the camera I currently have at the moment (no conversion software either).

Reflections: After filming

Justification

This video will be beneficial to aspiring reviewers worldwide, since it gives them the basic gist of what to do, but doesn't restrict their creativity, allowing them to act however they please. The video will also be simple to follow, so that in a few minutes, almost anyone could be a game reviewer.

Filming was quite hard, since I did not have proper filming equipment and had to improvise where my camera was going to be placed. I deleted my audio to see if it could be improved, but that was not fruitful and wasting my time. Recording audio was surprisingly easy however; most of my audio was done in one take.

Tone

Making a Game Review

The tone of the video will be light-hearted and funny in order to keep the audience's attention and prevent the instructional video from becoming serious and stale.

Adaptations

I have decided to remove most of the humour of the video, but it will still be light-hearted.

By Reece Skelley

Locations

Games Room

Every gamer has one room where they keep their consoles, so using that room is fitting to the video. The steps concerning filming footage will be filmed in here.

To give the video more of a home-grown feel (since most YouTube reviews are made at home) I have decided to film in 2 key locations.

Narrator

A narrator will be used over the video as non-diegetic sound to explain what the character is doing during the video, instead of the character breaking the fourth wall (which it will do in the introduction and conclusion).

Justification

Narration allows the audience to focus on the information instead of the character, providing more effective communication.

Adaptations

Where will it be placed?

I have decided to use the narrator for every step, as opposed to my original plan of not using a narrator for my introduction and conclusion. I feel this change is for the better as I can now record all of my lines without having to edit the video's audio significantly.

Step-by-step Instructions

Narration will be placed in the steps, introduction and conclusion.

Since the video is an instructional video, a step-by-step format allows the video to focus on the instructions of the video in depth.

Justification

Where will it be placed?

The steps will appear after the introduction, between the inter-titles and before the conclusion.

Without steps, people do not know which process comes first (although admittedly, they can attempt this however they please if they want to).

Bedroom/Office

The bedroom/office is the place where most YouTube reviewers brainstorm, write and record their reviews. The steps concerning recording, writing and editing will be filmed primarily in a bedroom (most likely mine).

Conventions

Soundtrack

Background music gives the video some life and fit into the video's context (i.e. chiptune music) while sound effects emphasise what is happening in the video.

Adaptations

Justification

Where will it be placed?

Instead of having chiptune music, I have decided to go for more upbeat hip-hop music, as I do not have the time to create any chiptune and I do not own any chiptune music. I am also, only placing music between my narration, as it interferes with my narration.

The soundtrack will be placed throughout the entire video.

A soundtrack is needed so that the video does not have a lot of dead space. Dead space bores the viewer, so filling it with music or sound effects removes that boredom.

Five different conventions will be used in the video to keep the video fresh and interesting.

Inter-titles

Inter-titles break up the video and deliver information, e.g. title screen, credits, introducing steps and information based on steps.

Adaptations

Justification

Where will it be placed?

I have decided to include miscellaneous information in my inter-titles, as well as announcing the steps.

Breaks between steps allow the audience to catch a breath and not have to process all of the information at once.

Inter-titles will be placed between steps.

Archival Footage

Camera Shots

Archival footage of other video game reviews give the audience some idea of what the final product should look like.

Close Up

Point of view (POV) Shots

Where will it be placed?

I want the viewers to focus on

the character during the intro,

conclusion and Steps 1, 2 and 7.

The best way to do this is close-ups.

Justification

Archival footage will only be placed in the introduction.

I want the audience to feel like they are inside the character, and experience what he is

doing and the environment

he is in during Step 6. A POV shotis perfect for this since we see from the character's perspective.

How are the audience supposed to know what the final version of a game review will look like? With archival footage, they will know because they will see a game review.

Over-the-shoulder Shots

Mid Shots

To immerse the audience in the video, I want them to feel like they're looking right over the character's shoulder - hence, over-the-shoulder shots work perfectly. This shot will be used during Step 3.

I want the audience to focus on the character and what he is doing during Steps 4 and 5. Mid-shots allow the audience to do that.

Adaptations

I had planned for long shots to be included, but most of my filming took place in confined spaces, so that idea was discarded.

Costumes and Props

Props

Copyright

Costumes

Target Audience

Since most of this video is filmed at a home, casual clothes fit in with the environment. Therefore, that is what will be worn. Jeans, t-shirt - simple.

Adaptations

Props used will be an Xbox 360 (since this is gaming based), Rayman Origins (a video game), a computer and furniture (i.e. desk, couch, etc.)

Because reviews take more than a day to create, I decided to have the character wearing different clothes during some steps to symbolise this.

There will be no copyright issues, since all music in the video will be made either through Mixcraft or home recorded. All items used in the video will be credited to their proper publishers (i.e. Xbox - Microsoft, Rayman - Ubisoft).

The target audience for this instructional video is inexperienced reviewers (so they can learn valuable tips to hone their craft) and YouTube's gaming audience (since they are more likely to create game reviews than non-gamers - obviously).

Adaptations

There may be some copyright issues now, as I have decided to use "Shake Your Rump" by the Beastie Boys as my soundtrack, and I do not know if that is a licensed song or not.