Hi Everyone. So how would someone get into making P.C. and tech videos like Pauls hardware or Tek syndicate? is it really as easy as getting good equipment and setting it up right doing product reviews and cool custom P.C. builds and a video like the Tek weekly? I am really curious what it takes to make a channel, build an audience and grow the channel. I would like to do what Logan and Paul and Kyle do. What would be a good way to start? It seems like an amazing community to be apart of and I would love to go to events like CES and PAX and film. Also i would like to do cool videos like the crazy builds Linus does from time to time. I know there are quite a few channels out there doing this but that just adds to the challenge. I do not mean this is a hey I want to do this and be better then everyone else thing I just want to be like the cool kids like Logan and everyone.
All of this may sound easy, but there's a ton of work involved in each thing you listed:
1). get good equipment - unless you already have a list of the best equipment, from mics, cameras, tripods, studio equipment, and everything else that you don't think about until you need it, etc etc this can take quite some research and a lot of cash
2). set equipment up right - this is a rabbit hole in and of itself. I would imagine that tinkering with mics and things is a constant battle for most channels
3). doing product reviews - are you going to buy all the stuff you review? This will be a tough way to make money unless you have a large group of folks subscribing to your content. If you want to have clients or partners source hardware for you, then you need to create a network of clients/suppliers. Then you need to keep in contact with them, discuss contracts, compensation, rules (there's always strings attached), shipping, etc etc etc
4). video like the Tek - its not all that easy to create lengthy weekly shows that keep folks interested. You'd need to develop quality weekly discussion topics and keep things fresh. Then you need to edit and publish everything, which can take forever.
I can't remember if it was Barnacules or Jay, but one of them said that they were working a lot more running their media ventures compared to their old full-time jobs. Think owning your own business - a lot of business owners work 60, 70+ hours a week. If you like what you do, then that obviously helps, but the point is that it is not an "easy" road.
TL;DR: running a tech channel of any size can be a shit-tonne of hard work
Easy was poor choice of words on my part. I believe it was Jay that said he was working 60+ hours a week on his channel. I would like the challenge of it. There isn't much I have to do to occupy my time for a while. You have very good points and 3). is where I am lacking the knowledge. I haven't a clue how to set it up to do product reviews so I don't have to buy everything since that is very costly. I want to give it a go and see what comes of it but I don't have prior experience like Logan did with Tiger direct or Paul with Newegg so I don't know how to get started. Being on camera i know is going to be the easy part compared to the hours of editing and work to set it all up.
Good luck with your new channel! TechTubers seem to be having fun.
A wise boss once told me "If you love what you are doing, you will never work a day in your life."
Go for it, Work hard, Be consistent, Don't give up.
I suggest conceding at the start that you will never make any money, so when you do succeed and get paid it's all gravy.
I tried making a few videos just to see what it was like. I was doing a racing game channel for a few weeks. I don't have good equipment (Nvidia Shadowplay, a cell phone camera and a $8 mic). I had no idea how to do video editing, but I did enjoy it. I'm Adobe trained but not in video so I used a Lynda.com free trial to learn the basics. Ultimately what made me quit was crap equipment and I wasn't willing to invest in it. Losing a long recording after your third take is highly frustrating, especially when one is doing stream of consciousness commentary that can't be repeated.
Well about all I lack in equipment for a good setup is a DSLR camera. I have a Razer Siren which is a good mic and a beefy computer that can handle lots of video editing.