Why are Talk-Show Hosts so Bad at YouTube? A Closer Look
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- Yes, I normally make maths videos. But it pained me to see my favourite talk-show hosts being so bad at UA-cam. Hopefully this video will help anyone starting out on UA-cam to make slightly better videos.
Main channel is over here: / standupmaths
The Rode smartLav+ mic I use:
www.amazon.com...
The Sony a6400 camera I film with:
www.amazon.com...
Here are all of the clips I used from Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert:
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It’s cool that Seth Meyers shouted you out in his last “at home” Closer Look! Great job reaching them
Came here again to say that.
Yep because Seth is great
Where it was? Link please)
@@JKL_YT You may well have found it yourself by now but, as nobody else has publicly posted the link as a reply to your reply, I've put the link on the next line to make sure.
ua-cam.com/video/TxHhgSIjxDc/v-deo.html
@@kieranhingston946 Thanks
One of the commandments of being a production tech:
Forgive the talent, for they know not what they do.
Seems the more likely explanation, to be honest.
I mean, it’s not their *job*. They’re really good at sitting in front of a camera looking photogenic and talking. That’s it. They neither know nor care nor really *should* care about audio quality, under normal circumstances.
Also, budget is not the only consideration, so is availability. What they were expecting to do is go into their studios and do the show from the same or a similar set without an audience (which is, by the way, what the Dutch TV hosts are doing.). So they didn’t have the gear ready to go when the hammer fell. As you can see right now, setups are getting better, both audio and video and set. They’re basically making work from home workspaces starting from nothing.
This reminds me of John Oliver on Colbert a few days ago, describing how his staff talked him through setting up the equipment in his home via Zoom, with him constantly being on the verge of a breakdown because he kept losing track of the setup and doing things wrong, while other stuff just didn't work as expected.
@@JasperJanssen But they could of watched the news and assumed a lock down was coming so got kit ready for them.
Steven Whiting watch the news? They *make* the news.
Blame the production crew.
I just find it hilarious that even Matt's laptop audio and video are pretty good in comparison
Yeah. It helped that he was already in a room with a bunch of pillows and cushions, instead of a bare hallway.
@@Tfin and the fact he has macbook pro
@@ToMeK3001pro but MacBook Pros have ok mics but the camera units are average
I think your webcam and mic sound was completely serviceable quality, compared to Seth's.
@@mattparker2 you should have recorded in a stairwell or a bathroom :p
@@TheMaplestrip Or on the toilet.
Seth was basically recording himself from inside an actual echo chamber.
Yeah, I thought that you were on Team Apple and their garbage 480p webcam
Seth's audio was so bad I could barely pay attention to his content.
The thing that has bothered me most is the out of place pacing; they’re so used to waiting for applause and laughter that they seem to naturally speak slow and pause when they think it’s necessary.
Uriah Siner yes! Trevor noah is the only one still producing a watchable show imho
One main problem that especially Seth had was the energy compared to the pacing, in his last video, he brought the energy up which significantly mitigated the problems from the slower pacing
@@Falkano John Oliver's doing pretty damn well too.
@@Anaerin Well John Oliver did the Bugle podcast for many years before he got the TV show.
I'd kind of expect a veteran podcaster to be good at recording from home.
Especially since The Bugle was produced internationally.
@@LordZarano John Oliver used to go into a studio in New York to do the recording. Even Andy has a producer to do that stuff and he's been doing it for years.
Honestly I don't think Steven Colbert's was terrible, but Seth really did go and choose the most echoey place in his house huh
Yes, he did. For _one_ episode. The next day, he found a better place, and as time progressed, it's getting much better.
You would think he has an office at least at home
@@francoisviljoen4002 do you know the cost of NYC real estate? A home office? In New York?
Who's here after the Shoutout from Seth. Hit that like!
Yep!
And who of them initially searched for Trey Parker or Matt Stone, like me? :-)
Good on Seth for making a real effort and taking these suggestions.
The parody of Meyer's "and guy who..." jokes were great.
And I thought it were John Oliver "and guy who..." jokes
Pretty much every late night host uses that joke
I know it from Stephen Colbert, he uses that all the time.
SETH MEYERS JUST GAVE YOU A SHOUT OUT ON HIS LATEST CLOSER LOOK!!!! (THUMBNAIL IS STEVE BANNON CUZ HE GOT ARRESTED).
That's where I just came from. When he mentioned "Matt Parker," I was like, 'the "South Park" guy?'
@@cnashford2 Haha I got those same wires crossed, and I've been a fan of Matt Parker for a while. Great video; as a student in zoom classes it shocks me how little effort people put into their backgrounds. I know college kids aren't late night hosts, but I think it's important to keep even lighting (ie, not mixing natural with tungsten), not having lighting behind you (because the webcams drastically adjust every time you move) and elevating your laptop enough so that you're not looking down on it (just a few textbooks from last semester is enough.) It seems like basic stuff, but you'd be shocked at how many heads these obvious issues go over.
@@cnashford2 I was "Does he mean Math gone Wrong and spreadsheets Matt Parker?"
Two more things I remember quite strongly is him being the Euler's-disc-Matt-Parker, and building-making-fire-by-parabolic-mirror Matt Parker.
Not to forget that he collaborated as a perfect-Monopoly-strategy-analysis Matt Parker.
and also a colab as a many-digits-of-pi-at-one-roll-of-paper Matt Parker.
Glad that Seth gave you a "shout-out" with his last at-home show. He nailed the format, and if you helped with that (and you did), then my thanks to you too!
Matt, please! You forgot the most important rule: Landscape, never portrait!
I think all hosts are at least getting that part right
Booooo. Down with landscape fascism!
@@DissociatedWomenIncorporated _rolleyes_
@@jshariff786 😂 I mean I am being serious that while landscape is usually the correct choice for filming things, there's definitely plenty of good use cases for portrait video. But the way I worded it was definitely tongue in cheek, and in this format, they of course would want to use a landscape format.
The reflection on the picture behind him is distracting
So Seth Meyers shouted you out at helping him out with his shows and I've enjoyed them immensely, so thanks for helping him!
Yes! Be sure to nerd out on maths while you're here! Stand-up Maths & Numberphile
Wholesome
I’m a teacher preparing to teach virtually for the entire year. “Sent” here by Seth Myers. Thank you soooo much for this!
A very sincere "good luck".
As some other folks here have pointed out, Matt didn't mention lighting even though this vid contains an excellent example of bad lighting. That's not hard to improve though, just another thing to keep in mind.
Oh, and depending on what you're teaching, you might want to think about using a lightboard. Just search for "lightboard presentation". There are some good tutorials on how to hack together one on the cheap.
I was so excited when Seth Meyers gave you a shout out. I didn't make the connection between the improvements of his show and this youtube video, I wouldn't have actually expected someone on his staff to show him this video and then learn from it!
Can you spin this into coming on to his show to promote maths education/your channel?
Seth did mention how commenters where complaining about his room choices, me included, but i also did not know he got actual advice from this video.
Thanks for helping Seth! :) (I think all of the hosts I watch have improved greatly since March, I am not sure I want them to return to live audience)
Watching an interview with Conan I thought of another reason:
His guests are going to sound bad and if he sounds markedly better, that’s going to be jarring.
Seth actually thanked you in his final video from home. You're a hero.
He was a hero even before Seth thanked him
Man kudos to Seth for watching a critical video and actually wanting to learn and improve from the advice in it! That makes him better than literally any youtuber alive
'Cept for one Matt Parker!
I thought it was so sweet of Seth to give a shout out to this guy for helping him improve the quality of Late Night. ❤
Thanks for helping out my main guy, Seth! It's been a pleasure watching his videos progress over the past couple of months while he's been in quarantine! And after watching this video, I can see why! Solid advice!
7:28 For something distractingly bad, i was expecting someone (e.g. James Grime) to wave in the window
Really nice of Seth to reach out! Game Theory also had a really comprehensive take on this a few months back, but this was much simpler and to the point.
I love that Seth and his team got in contact after seeing this and Matt helped them get it right.
Some additional reasons:
1. the producers of these TV shows are used to dealing with expensive professional gear, and don't have the relevant knowledge to give advice for the more ad-hoc setups.
2. TV has a vested interest in perpetuating the perception that TV is somehow better than "amateur" youtubers (of course many youtubers are anything but amateur)
3. I had a 3rd reason but I've forgotten it for now
Here's a 3rd one: they see this as a short-term problem and don't want to invest any money into from-home equipment even though it would be significantly less than the running costs of a normal production TV show.
If they sound/look good at home with no help then the studio can save money next year by hiring less help.
If you're a professional actor or TV show host, you mightn't have a dedicated sound-proofed space in your home because that's what the studio is for.
@@asailijhijr Have you even watched the video? Matt literally just hung a carpet/blanket up with coathangers.
The 3rd could be unions. As long as it looks amateur, nobody has much ground for complaining. If it looks/is too professional, somebody might be doing things they aren't qualified for.
It took me a few seconds to realize that Seth Meyers was thanking you for helping improve their videos. That made me very happy that he did that.
I was so excited to see Seth Meyers shout you out, especially because I happened to watch this video when it came out and now many months later I got the reference!! It was a nice little “hey, I saw that” moment. It made me smile! Good job!
Same!
Found you after a shout out from Seth Meyers in tonight’s Closer Look. Thank you so much for helping him!
Since "Stay at home" became a thing, I've been insanely hooked on two kinds of UA-cam videos: interesting mathematics and late night talk shows. When Seth Meyers gave you a shout out, I thought, "Things have come full circle...which is better described using π than τ."
yes!
τ is the superior circle constant. I like Matt, but he's wrong on that.
Holy cow! You just got a shout out and thanks from Seth Meyers! Great job helping them out - you apparently had a huge impact!
TTLY! Though some people thought it was a shout out to MatPat?
idk, the 2007 UA-cam nostalgia I get watching them was nice.
Durragas I was just telling my dad that. Idiots who have no idea what they’re doing recording videos and uploading them. It takes me back.
Found this via Seth Meyers shout out on Closer Look, this video is very informative and I love the constant comparisons and improvements.
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The only time the lapel mic sounded decent to me was when you were talking directly at it 🤣
He did put it behind the collar, very easy mistake to make. You don't see it folding over when you are placing it, only after you turn around and face the camera the shirt folds back down.. and since there is no audio monitoring, he does not know it could be better. I'm actually trained to monitor broadcast sound, funnily enough.. for reasons just like this, there has to be one person who can focus on just sound quality for entirety of the broadcast, even when often there is nothing to do, you just sit and listen, ride the faders almost our of boredom...
I also didn't really see how his fancy mic was better than the laptop mic, line seriously, it has less of a reverb but the sound is just kinda dull and unappealing, too
@@ulganen You can comprehend more and easier with the lapel mic, the echos are going to take some extra effort to be removed from the words when we hear things. Comprehension is #1 priority when it comes to sound quality, the message has to get thru first. Often the overall sound quality may be worse but comprehension is better when you use close micing.
When it comes to audio, it is really true that there are no free lunches, it is always a compromise between two set of faults. You have to pick the option that has less errors for the purpose. Music and spoken word have different purposes.
Just the Parker Effekt
@@ulganen Actually, his laptop mic is almost certainly the more "fancier" one. If he has the laptop I think he does, it has dual mics doing beamforming (adding together to amplify sound coming from a particular direction). Some cool math involved in that he should do a video on sometime ;)
Anyways, closer = much easier job the mic has to do.
Love that Seth shouted out the help and direction you were able to provide. :)
Just like the other people here I just heard Seth Meyers say thanks on his video. I am always excited when I see your name pop up somewhere like that. Also glad it looked like he listened because his shows have been the best ones by far lately.
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Just came here from Seth's latest Closer Look. He thanked you for this video among other things lol I came here to watch your video. Love how you're not mocking them, but rather being "hey, I think you would do better doing these things". Loved it, very polite, very Brit lol
Holy crap, you got a huge shout out in the latest Closer Look... That's awesome!
Just watched Seths last home taping and I love how he gave a shout out to you. He is such a down to earth guy and not to proud to acknowledge how much you helped and what a great person you are. Awesome!
Here from seth Meyers last show of the season. He gave Matt a shout out, haha
Me too! So glad Matt got some props!
Good on Seth Meyers shouting you out.
That laptop mic is surprisingly ... not too bad.
Nice job helping out Seth! He shouted you out on his closer look tonight! That's so cool!
This video just got shouted out on Late Night with Seth Meyers which is pretty awesome.
That's why I'm here!
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He actually shouted you out for the constructive criticism. Good pointers and suggestions. Nice delivery.
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I watch 'A Closer Look' so often that I didn't even realise until very late into the video that you used his intro xD
Interesting. I noticed the duplication/mimicking before the intro even came on, and then was still semi-surprised that they used the actual thing, instead of just a parody of it or something.
my favorite parody aspect was the little side commentts about the lhotos
@@saleplains I loved the ending where he used a quote from another person in his last sentence like Seth always does
I came back to this video after hearing on Seth's last at-home Closer Look that he took your advice to heart and directly communicated with you after watching this video. That's pretty cool.
TTLY
Seth gave you a shout out two days ago (by now you must know). Thought that was great--found this (your) video, and although not a 'maths guy' (yet! as currently working on archaeology doctorate not involving maths), would like to get more into maths in future, so subscribed to both of your channels. Good luck with everything!
Seth Meyers totally just gave you a shout-out on his last Late Night At-Home show!
So Seth gave a shout out on his latest show (last from home) to a UA-camr "Matt" who gave advice to late night hosts ... and I said to my wife "I only know one Matt on UA-cam" - and guess what? Hi Matt!
He said "Matt Parker" though
@@user-ty4jy4cp3r Yeah, apparently there are some fans of MatPat & The Film Theorists that mistakenly thought Seth was giving a shout out to him (Matt Patrick). But indeed it was Matt Parker!
Congrats on the shoutout from Seth.
You think they're doing this intentionally to go for a "home-y" feel? I think they just don't know better because they're usually surrounded by people who do these things for them.
Matt mentioned that they apparently also do work behind the camera, so that can't be completely true.
@@dextrodus I disagree. If they wanted to make it homey style while being professionals, they would record with good sound and video and then post process it to add some defects. Usually these people think too much of themselves to look bad on purpose. They work with 50 tech people and are plain and simply lost.
Imagine if they recorded at home but with the usual studio quality video. People would have a hard time believing they recorded it at their homes, because that's not how most people's home videos look. People would think the shows were recorded at a studio that looks like a home.
@@ArifRWinandar like the faked lunar landings.
@@dextrodus I'm willing to bet that work is mostly as producers on other projects, maybe even a directing credit here and there, but on high scale productions they'd have a cinematographer actually in charge of the technical side of things, and he'd likely even have his own crew doing the nitty gritty.
The colours look weird on iPhone
Yeah, it cranks up the saturation to make it 'pop' more. This is because if you post a video on for example Instagram it's been proven that the same video with higher brightness and more saturation gets more likes. It's like the Oled TVs at a store that are severely oversaturated because customers will notice it more.
That's the main reason why you shouldn't actual video on your phone. Not because the quality is worse (I mean it is a bit, but I would say that a new phone camera can be equal or better than that of a 5 or 10 year old camera) but rather because there is software involved which takes away your control.
@@lookieeight1006, Surely you can just change the camera settings?
right? apples can do that, right?
Yeah, his Laptop cam definitely looked better than iPhone.
lookie eight You are probably right that this was the issue here, but that still surprises me.
iPhones are usually known to shoot quite neutral photos that don't do much "enhancing" (i.e. over-saturating) and I thought this applied to their video shooting too.
I've never had these issues with my iPhone X so far. Maybe it has something to do with the accidental left on flash? Third party app?
Matt said he was just slapping this together, I wouldn't put it past him to have put the phone camera on random settings or through a subtle filter.
Thank you, Matt. Your video sure helped a lot of us receive a better quality late night shows. Kudos.
Not only do I hope every talk show host sees this video and takes it to heart, this is a great crash course intro for just about anyone interested in starting a quality UA-cam channel, or frankly anyone who wants tips for a better teleworking experience. Thanks Matt!!
Can I point out the exceptions to this trend:
Trevor Noah on the Daily Show was made to look good at home
Samantha Bea has good production and isn't doing the 'filming at home' cliche.
Egg Trevor Noah has been recording for UA-cam for years, way longer than he sold out to become a tv show host.
Also John Oliver had a professional setup from the getgo. Dunno if it's at his home though.
I loved the reverse Dorian Grey joke at Colbert
Agreed. It was the best joke in this video
Seth Meyers brought me here.
Same
#herebeforeseth
Well.. Seth gave you shout out in his last show from home today! That's how I found this video! Really good tips!
samesies
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I came here from the shoutout. Well done! I thought the EXACT same thing when I saw the first episodes from Late night hosts. I was like, huh? How can we do so much better with no training. You helped them bump up the production quality a ton. Thanks
Seth just gave you a shout out!
Seth Meyers' last nonstudio show lead me here. Thanks for all of these video tips!
Be sure to check out the math-centered entertainment from Matt on Stand-Up Maths & Numberphile. The Parker Square video is short and captures a lot of his good-natured approach: ua-cam.com/video/aOT_bG-vWyg/v-deo.html
came here cuz Seth Myers metioned you. Good on ya!!
So now we all know you thanks to you getting Seth's attention! Well done!
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I'm here after Seth Meyers gave you a shout out at the end of his last show from home. At first, I didn't recognize the name, but as soon as I saw and heard you, I remembered that I've seen a few of your math videos! Thank you for helping out Seth. I was actually sad that his from home shows came to an end. I really enjoyed them. And if anything you said helped him in any way, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It has been pretty rough these last several months. But his show helped a lot. Thanks again and take care, sir! :)
Seth Meyers just gave you a shout-out for this video. Expect an influx of views.
watching this cause you got a shoutout from seth !! so cool 🤩
Came here after the shout out. Been thinking of streaming myself. Thanks for the great advice.
Two add my two pence to this, your piece missed one of the most fundamental things that they've predominantly got right, and you unfortunately didn't, which is to get the lighting right. I thought you would mention this straight away with the sun on the wall from the window, but even when you rotated it's still there reflecting on the picture. Tongue firmly in cheeks all around
I like the uncanny valley theory. I have some more theories:
They want to
a) set an example
b) gain the audience’s sympathy by “being one of them”
c) emphasize how not-normal aka serious the situation is
d) and: this situation allows some new and interesting plot twists. It might be a welcome departure from the visual late-night appearance we all got used to. It is interesting, “fresh” and entertaining now. And it will also make the regular studio setting appear in a refreshing new light when this is all over.
Why I think that: They do not really even have to work from home. There would be easy ways to do the shows with proper equipment in a studio with very little staff. Even from a medical/epidemiological standpoint there wouldn’t be many arguments against it on the small scale of a TV studio (without audience)
it sets a bad example though
@@julianbinder2371 yes. that's why point "a)"
For your last point they really would not be able to go to the studio. We have a stay at home order in NYC except essential work. Their stations would run afoul of several groups not the least of which would be the unions for which all of their employees work.
@@courtney-ray ah, thanks. I wasn't aware the studio was in NYC
I came here because Seth Meyers just said you helped him 😂
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Seth just gave you a nice on air thank you.
I love how you'e adopted the format of late-night-show jokes and "Closer Look". Beautifully done!
I have a remote interview this afternoon, this was surprisingly relevant and helpful.
I just saw the latest corrections when you got a shout out again! Thanks for making the world a better place!
They should have reached out to Some More News who's been doing a late-night format on youtube for years. Neat video, neat change of pace. Stay safe everyone
Here from Seth Meyers, good work!!
I'd love to see one of these guys recreate their set hastily with cardboard boxes and whatever they have laying around
You got a shout out from Seth himself today. :) It lead me here. Good work! :)
I think the talk-show hosts also used to laughter and waiting for it to end before going on, and so they're leaving dead air that goes flat without audience. But that's not a technical fix. You nailed it.
Hey stand-up maths guy! I think Seth Meyers just gave you a big shout-out! Cool.
7:04 I didn't notice how bad the beginning was until you switched back.
I think the problem is that talk show hosts are good at well, talking and hosting. They normally have whole teams of people to make sure they look and sound good.
Yes, but if they have those teams of people, they can still advise them how to do things properly.
@@EduardoBattaglia Except studio teams are experts at using hug expensive equipment in a fully controlled studio environment, not small cameras and micros in a home setting. They should seek advice from on-site live news reporters. Those people are used to doing their own make-up and handling the tech part of using smaller equipment in random places both indoors and outdoors.
@@EduardoBattaglia Over chat. So imagine the worst tech support call ever as they get the talent to plug shit in. I've worked in Hollywood ... I would not want that job.
It's great that Seth reached out to you and that you helped him; his videos really did improve!
nice. you got a shoutout from seth meyers tonight.
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You ARE great at UA-cam. Seth’s shoutout sent me here 😂
Wait? Did Seth Meyers just do A Closer Look about your A Closer Look about his A Closer Look?
Meta.
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I was gonna look you up after watching Seth's last WFH video, but the UA-cam algorithm already have this video in my feed. 🤷🏻♀️
Thank you for filming this suggestion video. It's informative and helpful to non late night talk show hosts too! ☺️
I'm sorry Matt but your lapel actually sounds worse than your laptop. It's very muffled (and has been for years). You should try running it through a simple EQ and boosting the higher frequencies.
It really does...
It's just not well normalized vs the laptop one, IMO
Lapel mics sound much better, but need to be placed properly. For the sake of the demo he just threw it on so it sounded muffled, because it was literally muffled by his clothes.
For normal lapel mic quality, see any of his other videos.
Yeah, the laptop mic had too much reverb from the room, but the lapel wasn't so much better as it was different.
Been a fan for years - and now, congrats on the shout-out from Seth Meyers!
2 iPhones?
I bet you also have a whole package of toilet paper!
And an avocado sandwich every day!
A wise man said: "Don't shoot for the moon, and miss"
Actually I heard "Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you land among the stars."
daminox I’ve played kerbel if you miss the moon you re-enter in an unplanned way.
Specifically, Tom Scott: ua-cam.com/video/V1OG8nn9QcU/v-deo.html. Shooting for the moon and missing makes you look like a knock off.
Was that Georges Méliès? By any chance?
I always thought his conclusion could’ve been much more accurate and even more universal if he’d added “...if you can’t throw the miss away.” Because it’s fine to go for something ambitious if, if it goes wrong, you can just go “Well, we tried” and shrug it away. If you’re gonna have to use it regardless, then you have to be safe.
Seth mentioned this video in his last “A Closer Look”
Aww. So cute that Seth got you to help! Triffic!
Matt you got a shout out by Seth for these tips and more. congrats
Seth sent me. Good job.
Nice shout out from Steth Meyers
Seth brought me here...Shout out to you @Matt_Parker_2 I was thinking at the start of Seth's season someone needs to make a video like this and sure enough there is! He gave you a shout out in his latest video obviously :) Good stuff!
You got it exactly right, they ARE trying to create contrast between the studio show and what’s happening now... But you are correct, the echo and low bitrate are distracting but hard to upgrade in a day, and the video quality is just unacceptable
A shout out from Seth Myers yesterday!
This is really well done. I hope Seth/Seth's team get to see it - I think they'd appreciate the homage.