Create Viral YouTube Shorts

(The last post is a personal perspective on YouTube shorts and how AI (Artificial Intelligence) video tools help enhance the platform content. This article gives some tips for creating the next viral shorts)

YouTube shorts found the right tool to match Tiktok. Now, the new platform has taken content creation by storm. With its popularity, there are YouTube shorts that have already reached 30 million views. It’s hard not to see how lucrative it can be to produce content using YouTube shorts.

On that note, there are a few things that beginners might want to know about YouTube shorts.

Shorts? How short?

Shorts are bite-sized vertical videos—60 seconds or less—that captivate viewers with their straightforwardness. You have 60 seconds to tell your story and amaze your audience. Many content creators have the ingenuity to do this and millions watch their videos. Of course, they do not do it overnight. They have a solid following or subscribers to ensure a single video can go up a million or more views.

Create engaging shorts

I've been hanging around watching shorts almost every night and here's what I know that make those shorts click with their audience. 

Viral posts feature challenges or trends. Challenges go from the ridiculous to the dangerous stunts. Pick what you can catch on video. Many mockup videos also get millions of views so that's what audiences can mostly relate to. Find what will make you stand out because almost everyone has those challenge and mockup videos but not all those that you can find get millions of views. 

Make your thumbnail video and your title catchy enough to make them click and watch your video. Shoot your videos in good lighting condition and edit them if necessary. If you have the time, you can explore using other editing apps for YouTube shorts to improve the quality of your videos. Add captions, transitions, and other amazing effects that will glue your audience to your videos and will make them come back for more.

Put the right hashtag in your video uploads. If you are still new to this, you'll learn soon enough. Check the hashtags on those viral to have an idea of what to put in yours. Make sure your hashtag truly reflects your content.

Engage with your viewers. Be kind. Be nice. Reply to comments and build your following. Make your viewers subscribe and make them share your videos. 

When you have built enough subscribers, you can start hosting ads in your videos. YouTube is going to put a $100M fund for ads. You can have a piece from that fund if you get on the right track. 

Here's a tutorial to help you start an ad campaign on Google Ads for your videos.

AI and Youtube shorts

 

Short, but sweet. 

This is exactly the idea behind YouTube shorts. Videos that are direct and fun to watch. Youtube has its own built-in shorts video maker. It's a breeze. For content creators who want more variety and control for their content, they use their phones to record and edit videos. 

But, for those who want more tricks and effects for their content, AI is the best tool for them. Canva. Clipchamp. There's Kapwing, too. It promises to give what YouTubers want - simple steps to make shorts and unlock the gateway to virality. Flixier is also another application that creates YouTube shorts. The online platform lets users upload videos online. It promises quick and easy steps to making videos. Netflix, Google, and Oracle also use the application. 

Everything is AI now. Where does that place content creators? Content creators used to familiarize themselves with old video editing platforms that take time to learn. They are for the tech-savvy. Yet, in a world of AI, imagination and creativity are just a few keypresses. In minutes, a video that might be YouTube's next sensation can be created. The only thing that creators need to do is to find what is the best YouTube video editing app. 

Now, it seems that Adobe Premiere or Wondershare is aged. The new cool are AI video editors. And, in my observation, companies that hire video editors and content creators demand experience or knowledge in at least 3 platforms. Gone are the days when all it takes for video editors is expertise in Adobe Premiere or After Effects. Companies ask their applicants if they use the latest AI video editing tools. If the answer is negative, it would raise eyebrows. 

These days, a video editor or content creator must flow with the trends unless he/she wants to be left out. Content creation demands fluidity and creativity. Some may reason that AI makes instant editors or creators without the experience of those older in the field. But, then, our world is as dynamic as AI tools - ever-changing, re-shaping, and re-positioning to provide us the best experience. 

Change is inevitable and we should be as welcoming to those changes as the new neighbor who greets us on the first day with a bottle of red wine. Say hello to changes. 

Donald Trump's assassination attempt: What now with a dead gunman?

This morning the world was suspended in mid-air with the news of Donald Trump's assassination attempt. At first, I thought the man was dead. Clearly, he wasn't, even if the bullet almost got him in the head. US President Joe Biden was quick to thank the Secret Service agents who were fast enough to crowd on Trump after gunshots were heard although criticisms are now targeting the Secret Service for failing to ensure breach-free security measures. 

I was busy writing my pitch for The Dial when news notifications of the assassination attempt came. If my article pitch won't get through with The Dial, I have the assassination attempt news to blame. On a serious note, it is shocking that a powerful nation such as the United States would have something as horrific as this when it has all the resources and tools in the world to detect and prevent this kind of incident. 

Similar Assassination Attempts

On other sides of the world, an assassination attempt also came last January when a 67-year old man attacked the Korean Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung with a knife and left him with an injured neck. The man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison last July. 

Another prominent assassination attempt was in 2022 when Argentina's Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner was pointed a gun by a 35-year old man. The man is still awaiting trial for homicide. The same happened to Imran Khan, a former Pakistan Prime Minister. He survived several gunshot wounds in the leg and thighs. 

What was common in all these attempts is that they were done in broad daylight, in the presence of hundreds of thousands of people. In all these assassination attempts, with the exemption of Donald Trump,  the attackers were immediately arrested on-site. US authorities claim that the gunman in Donald Trump's assassination attempt is already dead. 

Breach in National Security

Every nation in the world has established security systems especially those that concern high-profile government officials. Surveillance equipment is usually placed weeks before an event. Security agents usually place a specific area or perimeter to ensure that security systems are placed well and that intervention of any kind is immediately contained. The United States claims superiority in matters like this. Although, we have seen how it failed in its security measures for John F. Kennedy in 1963. Kennedy was shot in the head while riding a presidential motorcade in Texas. 

If these things can happen in a powerful nation such as the United States, where do the lapses reside? Is it the security systems in place? Or are the people behind the security systems to be blamed? The Secret Service would have a lot of explaining to do especially with all the questions circling after the incident. How could have it been possible for the gunman to penetrate the supposed intense security in the perimeter. How could they not have immediately contained the gunman?

Only the investigations into the assassination attempt can answer this. It is also too early to join in the rumors of conspiracies that are starting to spread out. To solve even the most complicated situations, gathering of information and application of the correct analysis is important. This is not the right time to speculate. 

What to expect after Donald Trump's assassination

For the rumors and conspiracies to die down, US authorities should also fast-track the investigation of the assassination attempt. If how well the investigations will push through with a dead gunman, we will see in the coming days. 

On this note, I am reminded of the stealth assassination attempt on Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2020 which also shocked the world. Navalny survived a month-long coma after this. Navalny's camp blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin but he denied the allegations. When the news of Navalny's death came last February while serving a 19-year imprisonment, it didn't come as a surprise that there were rumors of conspiracies with regards to his death. The rumors died down after some time but questions remained unanswered until now. 

For now, an online break is needed after a shocking news.

The Race For AI Graphics Editing

 

I am a Photoshop user and while I was used to its artisanic features back when AI tools were still out of the picture, I welcome the text-to-graphic editing features. The AI Photoshop beta version has been released. The world can now nurture more imaginative digital artists. Imagine 3-year-olds creating their Photoshop art before they can write their names. Upcoming artists can generate more artwork faster. Have you seen those magnificent digital artworks at DeviantArt's DreamUp? Imagine how much more digital artwork can be finished with just a few keypresses and clicks. In this direction, there would be a trend towards larger hardware needs for laptops and desktops and larger cloud hosting capacity. But, that topic is for another day.

There's a bigger question. How can Photoshop or other Adobe applications keep up with the competition? Remember how Kodak lost the advantage because it allowed digital photography to go into other people’s hands? Well, that’s a hard lesson to learn. That lesson took down a huge company and buried it fast so that today’s Gen Z doesn’t even know it existed. I hope Adobe does not pass up the chance to continue its graphics and video editing dominance by creating more dynamic AI-powered tools. 

DeviantArt is taking art into a new dimension with its AI tools for free. Pixlr is also making the buzz. It is free, light and simple. No installations needed. All it takes is a single click to access its homepage. Wondershare Filmora 13 video editor  has also introduced AI-assisted tools. It is cheaper than Adobe Premiere. Newer and lighter graphics and video editing platforms are coming out armed with their awesome branding. 

Sure, Adobe applications have proven their efficiency. Adobe Firefly has stunning AI features that now power other Adobe applications including the AI Photoshop beta version. It is no wonder they remain on top. But, other platforms claim to have the same tools and offer those in cheaper packages. Who can say no to that? I used the text-to-image prompts of Pixlr, DeviantArt's DreamUp and Adobe Firefly AI image generators, and here is what came out: 

DeviantArt's DreamUp AI generated photo

Pixlr's AI-generated photo

Adobe Firefly's AI-generated photo

    Pixlr and DreamUp can seriously compete with images generated by Adobe Firefly. Adobe needs to offer more if it wants its applications to remain on top. In this fast-changing world where the future of technology seems to lean on AI, it is hard to act complacent. Act fierce. Act fast. 

The Cat: Re-imagined

 

Photoshop and Art

 

Whenever I do editing in Photoshop, I remember when I first used it as a college student many years ago. It was still Photoshop 7 then. The application nurtured my creative inclinations. It made me do what comes to my imagination, allowing me to experiment, learn and re-learn the whole process of coming up with something new and unique. My younger self wanted something avant-garde. It was the 2000s. Artists tend to have this kind of inclination, of wanting to own up something innovative.

But, fast forward to now, I have learned that art is re-creating life and conveying the message through particular mediums that best describe how we feel or how we think. Art always imitates life. We look around and we see art everywhere. That fallen mango down the shoulder of the road beside a thrown bottle of Pepsi is art - the contrast between indigenous and consumerism. Or the horn-rimmed glasses placed on top of folders can generate a thousand meanings and prompt you to create Shakespearean poetry. Our experiences in life fuel our creativity. The more we experience life, the more we can create and re-create.  

But, the choice is ours. We chose our experiences. We chose what we create. We chose what to ignore. So, I made mine because I believe in better things. I believe in the ordinary stories, in the practical day-to-day life. I see art in the ordinary lives of people. Because with them, only the truth stands out. They never try so hard to please. They never show to impress. They struggle to live. And that's where the best stories are - ordinary people with extraordinary stories. 

I have wandered many places and met many people. And, always, I see wonder in watered rice fields. I see inspiration in the calloused hands of those who till the lands. I see horrors in the eyes of old folks who survived the war. I stop and take in the laughter of kids running around in wet slippers and muddy clothes. 

There are many stories to tell. In this fast-paced world where every clicks and every word we see online is paid for, it is sometimes a relief to hear stories that shed light on the most basic question in life: What makes us happy? 

For now, Photoshop and my oatmeal topped with mashed banana make me happy. 

What's it for Joe Biden?

 I watched the videos on that US Presidential debate that made Donald Trump sound like a genius. Youtube and other video hosting sites generated millions of views. And 9gag.com also refused to be left behind and continues to have its memes videos about Joe Biden. 

9gag.com users are feasting on this video weeks after the controversial debate

Everyone is saying, even those closest to Joe Biden, that it is time for Biden to leave the race to guarantee a more certain win for the Democratic Party. But, the man is persistent. At 82, he still wants the highest position of a global superpower. In an interview with ABC news after that disastrous Presidential debate, Biden says he is confident that he will win the race in November. 

After the interview, the dismal survey results for Joe Biden didn't change. Surveys do not say it all but they say a lot, still. Four months into the November election, we still cannot say for sure what is to happen.

After all, if a single Presidential Debate could have unmade Joe Biden, then, maybe there is still a tactic for his team to uncover. What if another can save him?

Working with a New Laptop

Three days ago, I bought a new laptop, an AcerAspire 3 15. It has a decent memory capacity and large screen in a relatively affordable price compared to other laptops. I will not be doing any memory consuming work like HD video editing or 3D simulation so the modest specifications of the laptop are just right for me.

I have had no problems with the laptop usage at first. I easily navigated its installed browser and its Office application. I was advised to wait for 5 days before I activate the Office applications online but I forgot and I activated it this morning.  I was also able to set up the 5G wi-fi connection in just 10 seconds. Downloading of applications I need for work was a breeze.

But, what caused me a problem and took me quite sometime to resolve was my video recording in Skype. I needed to send a video introduction for a job I was applying to and I keep having video recordings without audio. I tried and tried for around 30 minutes. I had an early conclusion that it must be a hardware problem. I was already thinking of travelling back to the Acer store to return the laptop or claim my laptop’s warranty. It was a good thing that I first tried to search online about the problem I was encountering. Thankfully, Microsoft Support has the answer. It's just not a good start to be troubleshooting so soon.

Another inconvenience I experienced is not an Acer issue. It is Microsoft OS built-in protection. While I appreciate the threat protection that Microsoft 11 has, I actually had to turn off real-time protection and its firewall to be able to install non-Microsoft applications. It wasn’t a hard chore but still, it delayed some application installation.

There are reviews that claim short battery life for Acer Aspire 3 15 but I was able to use this for almost 11 hours before I was notified of a low-battery status. Charging time took around 2 hours.

I have been an Acer user since 2005. Of course, my experience with their laptops weren’t all good. But, I also do not have horror stories to tell. I think that my previous Acer laptops just reached their time and have served their purpose.

It is just a 3-day old laptop so there’s still much to be seen. For now, it feels great to start work with a new laptop.