No Edits

A few weeks ago, I finally found the wherewithal to record a new video to put on my Youtube channel. I used to pay someone to create fully scripted, beautifully animated videos with smart editing and background music. Now, I’m employed and the business is barely moving. So I knew I couldn’t do that anymore.

But I didn’t realize how much simpler I would have to make the process in order to get anything out, let alone how long it would take me. It ended up being over a year, and, in the end, everything had to go—except me talking to the camera.

I bought a wireless microphone and tripod, clipped in my iPhone, and scribbled some notes on a scrap of paper. I tore off some more paper bits and used them as bookmarks to highlight sections from a book I had just finished. Then, I sat down in my garden chair, hit record, and shot the whole video in one take.

It was far from perfect. Soon after wrapping up, however, I felt that was the best part about it. I looked at the video in my editing software, but, ultimately, I decided to make no edits, barring a brief intro transition and a title card. The rest remained exactly as it was.

The video went live with a few “uh”s and “umm”s—but not too many. I had to start over when reading out one passage. Yet you, the viewer, get one real, honest, unfiltered take. For those of us who still remember the early days of Youtube, if you think about it, that’s what it was originally for. Just real people sharing real moments. And that’s why no edits might be the best edits.

Nowadays, most videos are overproduced. Perfect lighting, specifically arranged backgrounds, highly polished editing with near-Hollywood-level effects. It’s nice to give your videos a personal touch, but if you’re talking about Pokémon cards, showing a tutorial on your computer, or sharing your thoughts on the latest news, do you really need that? No. What you need to do is bring something unique to the table—and no amount of polish can turn a repetitive, mediocre idea into a viral hit.

Sharing my raw video felt a tad scary, but it was also liberating. As if I was starting a movement to bring back the old Youtube. To bring reality back to social media. Better yet, it made the process of creating a video feel simple and fun. In fact, it was so much fun, I did it again a few days later with an idea for a Pokémon Youtube channel, and I actually feel the format is scalable.

If the alternative is to not share the knowledge at all, I say screw the edits. Give us your raw thoughts, and we’ll decide the rest. Humans are happy to wade through a bit of roughness for exceptional creativity and insight—yet even the shiniest turd still smells like poop.