How I Made My First Video Essay

Lately, I’ve entertained the idea of making video essays about some of the things I write about. Part of this impulse comes from pure curiosity. Many years ago, I used to create videos and animation and I’m interested to see how the tools have changed. If I’m being totally honest, I also hate the idea that someone else might rip off all the research I’ve put into my upcoming book about immersive experiences. If anyone’s going to rip me off, I want it to be me. So there’s an element of professional pride too, plus a touch of “I bet I could do that.” Through a curious stroke of fate, I’m acquainted with some extremely popular YouTubers, which means I’m under no illusions that any video I make would ever do numbers. I’m too flighty to sustain the level of content production required to build up a big audience, and I like writing too much to give that up. And yet – wouldn’t it be fun to try making a few? First, I had to decide what topic to cover. I have ideas for multi-hour epics, but…