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glorious! The BBC series is far
from a little-known, niche pro-
gram, but H. Bomberguy’s video
takes the time to thoroughly
breakdown Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle’s cleverly constructedSUPER-NICHE
What Makes the Best Video Essays So Great?
Scott Niswander is a contagious learner. Bow-tie wearer. Host of
Comic Misconceptions on NerdSync.characters, the elements that make a Sherlock
Holmes story irresistible and Steven Moffat’s style
of writing as the co-creator of the tv series. The
video even includes a deep dive into Moffat’s other
work for comparison.
It’s brutal, it’s hilarious and it’s full of H. Bom-
berguy’s personality. This combination has com-
pelled me and many others come back to this
feature-length video essay time and time again.
Pairing your distinct style with your unique thesis
is what video essays are all about!
YouTuber Matt Draper, who makes videos about
movies and comics, explained what makes an ex-
cellent video essay far more succinctly and effort-
lessly than I’ve been trying to do here:
“It’s gotta be a blend of style and substance.
The style is why it’s a video — interesting visuals,
strong editing, music that supports the tone of the
video. The substance comes from strong writing
with a well-supported point — it’s the reason for it
existing in the first place.”HBOMBERGUY
PAIRING YOUR
DISTINCT STYLEWITH YOUR
UNIQUE THESISIS WHAT VIDEO
ESSAYS ARE ALLABOUT!
“
383 010 Superniche - Video Essays.indd 60 2/19/19 3:02 PMYOUTUBER I 61
BY QUINLYN TESAR
Patreon and YouTube go hand-in-hand helping
creators of all sorts keep doing what they love. Here’s
how to optimize your Patreon in 6 steps.
Let’s get creative!WAIT WHY 2ATREON!
In the aftermath of the Adpocalypse and subsequent
monetization changes, YouTube creators are strug-
gling more than ever to support their channels. For
many of us, it’s a passion, but it’s near-impossible to
sustain. Stepping up to fill this gap is Patreon, a site
on the rise praised for providing a base level of stabil-
ity for self-employed creators.
Finding financial support for long-term projects
or a whole channel can prove difficult, especially
considering the lack of profit generated during the
process. Patreon allows online creators to essentially
crowdfund their careers on a monthly basis, which is
an absolute game-changer. Here’s what to consider
when organizing your Patreon: - Be authentic to your style and community.
- Make sure your patrons feel appreciated, helpful
and rewarded.
BUSINESS
BUSINESS
6 Steps to a UNIQUE and Effective Patreon
How to stand out in your niche and create something incredible.
YouTuber KickThePj, aka, PJ Liguori, uses Patreon to fund a more ambitous style of filmmak-
ing and storytelling. With 370 patrons, this Patreon page brings in over $2,000 per month.- Establish clear and tangible
goals, perks, and milestones.
Sound like a lot? Let’s try to
break it down.
. DE(INING YOUR AS2I-
RATIONS
What are you doing or making?
Pick a broad genre, then use your
bio and introductory video to get
into the specifics that brand your
niche and draw in like-minded
people. Are you working on a
specific project for an indetermi-
nate amount of time, or a series of
related projects like a web series?
Tailor your marketing accordingly;
knowing your audience is the
basis for everything related to your
work, on Patreon and elsewhere.
Patreon works excellently along-
side YouTube, since both sites
subvert traditional viewer-creator383 Business - Using Patreon to fund a long term project.indd 61 2/19/19 3:03 PM