A Let's Play (LP) is a video or series of images of someone playing a video game commenting on it. There are two types of Let's Play - screenshots and videos. This guide focuses on how to make a Let's Play video.
Steps
Step 1. Choose a game
Like Red Dead Redemption or Little Big Planet.
- Choose a game that you are good at and enjoy playing.
- Avoid games that are often used for Let's Play, such as Minecraft, Super Mario 64, or Slender. A saturated audience gets bored. You also run the risk, the higher the more popular the game is, that your Let's Play gets lost in the fray.
- Avoid repetitive games.
Step 2. Find the best way to record your videos
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To record games on your PC, you will need a video capture program. Some examples are listed below.
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Free Downloads:
D3DGear, Camstudio, and Fraps (the free version only records for a limited amount of time and uses a watermark on the video). Macs have Quicktime Player, built in, so that's great.
- If you want better values and functions, consider buying something like Camtasia.
- On most operating systems that use X Window (for example, Linux based systems, BSD software distributions or perhaps Macs) you can use ffmpeg with the x11grab vcodec to capture part of your desktop. It can get very technical and specific, though, because ffmpeg works through a terminal.
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To record footage from a game console, you will need a capture card, video card with video input, DVD recorder, FireWire / USB converter, or AV input camcorder that you can connect directly to the console.
Gamespot.com has written a detailed article on the pros and cons of the various methods - you can click here to open the link
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To record the best audio, use an audio editor like Audacity and a decent microphone.
- Do not speak with your mouth too close to the microphone. Your voice will sound muffled or distorted.
- 'Live commentary' (commenting as you play) is difficult - especially if you play 'blind'. If your comment is unsure or easily turns to silence, consider the idea of 'deferred commentary' instead (record the gameplay footage, edit the video and add the audio commentary).
Do a Let's Play Step 3 Step 3. Record an introduction
Say hello to the viewers, tell them your screen name, and give a brief summary of what's going to happen in the video
Step 4. A brief summary of what happened in the previous video can also be included
Keep the intro short
Do a Let's Play Step 4 Step 5. Be engaging while playing
- Have a sense of humor, especially when you do something wrong.
- Share useful tips or tricks.
- Don't make what's happening on screen look like a play and spend too much time without speaking.
- Use a narrative approach by creating your own story or side story.
- If you're having a good time, there's a good chance the viewers will enjoy it too.
Do a Let's Play Step 5 Step 6. Record an outro
- Choose an appropriate sequence to close the video. Don't cut it in the middle of a cutscene or battle.
- Give a brief summary of what's going to happen in the next video.
Do a Let's Play Step 6 Step 7. Edit your video
- Windows Movie Maker (for Windows PC) or iMovie (for Mac) provide some basic functions, but it is advisable to get a more extensive video editing program.
- Cut out any errors or sequences with too many deaths.
- Make sure the comment is in sync with the video.
- Watch the entire video after you finish editing, to make sure there are no problems.
Do a Let's Play Step 7 Step 8. Upload your video
- Sites like YouTube, blip.tv, Veoh, and Dailymotion are great for uploading videos. You can also upload them to your personal website or blog.
- Watch the video after uploading to make sure everything is uploaded correctly. If not, upload it again or edit it again if necessary.
- Be proud of the quality of your work. Never upload a video with obvious problems.
- Consider using a program to compress your video, such as x264, DivX, MediaCoder, AVISynth, etc. If done right, the quality of the video will not change greatly and the file size, upload time and space used on the hard drive will be reduced.
Do a Let's Play Step 8 Step 9. Join a message board or the Let's Play community to get people talking about your video
- Posting your video in a Let's Play community allows you to receive useful feedback.
- You can find new and practical information on message boards and other players.
Advice
- In-game sounds may be low or high relative to your voice. Use Audacity or an audio recording program of your choice to record vocals separately, which should be a little louder than in-game sounds.
- Keep viewers interested and engaged, perhaps by asking a few questions or a Q&A session.
- Do not dub the dialogue of the video game, unless you are good at entertaining (teasing or joking) with the game's cutscenes.
- Don't upload a video if you think it's boring. Rather, re-record gameplay or re-comment.
- The best length for videos is between 10 and 25 minutes, depending on the game content and videos. If the video is much longer, it is probably best to split it into two or more parts.
- Avoid simply pointing a video camera at your TV or computer screen to record. The video quality will most likely be low, especially if you are making an LP with a portable console.
- Difficult games may need a lot of editing to remove excess content.
- Trim videos to remove computer desktop, emulator window, or black borders. You can do this easily using the free Virtualdub program.
- Avoid doing a 'blind' Let's Play unless you have a lot of experience and are unable to be fun or addicting by improvising.
- If you use subtitles instead of audio commentary, make sure they are legible and stay on screen long enough to read.
- If you make a deferred comment, don't act like it's live unless you're a good actor. Acting as if the comment were live can communicate a little naturalness very easily.
- Don't use video recording software that leaves a watermark (such as Unregistered HyperCam 3) for your video. Pay for the full software, find a free version, or use a program that doesn't leave a watermark.
- Do not resize the aspect ratio of the video.
- Do not upload a video in HD if the picture quality cannot benefit from HD - this includes all games from Gamecube / Xbox / Playstation 2 and earlier consoles. It does nothing but weigh down the video file more than necessary.
- Singing to background music is not recommended. It takes experience and practice. Keep in mind that singing to background music can often accidentally go out of sync with in-game audio.
- Don't narrate the text that appears on the screen unless you can do a good imitation of the characters or have a funny voice to do it - your viewers can read for themselves.
- Keep your comment focused on the game. Don't talk about random topics, like how much you love your cat (unless it's somehow related to the content being presented, adding some humor. Going too far off topic distracts the audience).
- Try to be consistent. For example, people may get tired if you only talk about the game mechanics on the first level, then the game phases in the second level, and finally the things you are about to record in the third and so on.
