A
Anonymous10/18/25, 20:06No.28677712What makes good auto videos
In late November I'm going to be helping my dad video a body swap in the span of 2 weeks. I've been reading some auto magazines for reference of what to focus on, though it makes it seem like it would be better to split stuff into a blog/video series. We're planning on making about 15-18 minute videos.
If any of you have recorded in a shop before, what are some pointers to not get in the way? And how much editing is in a good video? Any other advice would be appreciated.
11
Replies
A
Anon10/18/25, 20:10No.28677720
i've always wondered about a head/hat mounted go-pro, or a bodycam. maybe together with an eye tracker that some people use while streaming games so viewers can see what they're looking at. always thought that'd be especially useful for car repair so you can see exactly what's being looked at.
but the setup for all of this would be cumbersome and more likely than not get in the way, at least with current tech.
A
Anon10/18/25, 20:22No.28677744
The sad truth for me at least is that it's all about the characters. If you make a video of just the technical work without any editorializing, that technical work has to be incredibly good to stand out, because there are some extremely dedicated autists out there. The videos I watch are made by sympathetic characters (and the stuff they do also has to be interesting to me).Also, be prepared to 1. take twice as long for anything you do because you have to do it with a camera and in a way that the camera can capture it and 2. spend twice as long editing the film as your actual project takes. I'm pulling the factor 2 out of my ass but you get the point
A
Anon10/18/25, 20:35No.28677763
I prefer the Simon Fordman style of video. Decent video shots of the area being worked on. Minimal talking. Clear display of skill/knowledge.
A
Anon10/18/25, 23:14No.28677957
There are two styles. One is the fast paced and personality driven one, where the intricate stuff is shown as a montage, and the other is the autistic kind that shows it all in detail and includes all the info like torque spec and etc.
A
Anon10/19/25, 02:57No.28678256
A camera with a good, fast focus and an ND filter. Lighting is important, but can just turn into glare without a filter.
Speaking without going
>ummm
>uhhhh
>errr
all the time. Insert part diagrams to clarify parts, etc.
A
Anon10/19/25, 03:07No.28678273
Like some of the other anons have alluded to, the hardest part of aut/o/ youtube is finding a good balance of technical information and personality. It's extremely easy to go overboard on one or the other. Too technical, and your viewer retention is going to be shit because there are already plenty of other much better videos on body swaps, and you'll have nothing to differentiate your videos from them.
Too heavy on the personality, and your channel stops being about cars. And unless your personality is really good (which is hard to do on camera), nobody will want to watch your stuff.
IMO, two of the best channels that strike a good balance are Super Fast Matt and Aging Wheels. Whether you like their content or not, they both have consistent (and I think, entertaining) personalities while not foregoing some of the technical information people tune in for.
An example of a channel that leans way too hard into the personality is Casey Putsch. He began omitting all technical information and put the focus on himself and, since he's unlikable, his channel is stagnating and suffering because of it.
Just watch some car youtubers and see what you like, and try to pick up on the way they pace their videos. I worked with a decently large auto youtube channel for a while and saw how tough it can be behind the scenes, but can be fun and lucrative if you do it right and sink the time into it. Make sure to get more than a single camera angle and dont neglect some establishing shots.
Good luck.
A
Anon10/19/25, 03:11No.28678281
Just do the work and explain what you're doing. Think of it like a math or engineering lecture, but in the field
Anything else is just creating a cult of personality with a car in the background
A
Anon10/19/25, 05:23No.28678436
Something must go catastrophically wrong for it to be worth watching
A
Anon10/19/25, 05:31No.28678440
Car repair YouTuber here.You need a decent camera, so no cell phones.
Something with an APS sensor or better.
Canon EOS M are still fairly affordable.
A used one with a 22mm kit lens we'll set you back about $350.
You also need good mounting.
Have a mini tripod, a large tripod and a gooseneck flex mount.Lighting is extremely important and working on cars oftentimes has bad lighting.
So you need a light box.
You can get them off Amazon for like $50.But the most important aspect is simply editing
That's where everyone fucks up.
Get rid of the fluff is where experience comes in.
No one wants to watch you fumble around with a socket for 30 seconds.
Example:
Show the socket going onto the bolt.
3x speed un bolting the fastener.
Then show you removing the socket
Then Removing the bolt with your hand.
All of that should be maybe 5 seconds or less.
