Users like PopularMMOs, BeckBroJack, and Designer/Gamer have inspired him to try emulating their seemingly simple design by creating his own content generation channel. Of course the bulk of the work falls on me considering he's only 8 years old.
When he approached me about his idea, I was skeptical. How much work would this entail? What risks are involved? What content does he want to post? What are his goals?
What To Do When Your Kid Wants to Create A YouTube Channel
Summary of Discussion Topics to Cover
- Purpose, Goals, Aims
- Plan, Design, Initial Setup
- Laws
- Technology
- Cost
Creating a successful YouTube channel is more difficult and time intensive than it seems. Adhering to copyright laws, child labor laws, and being careful not to compromise the minor's safety are important things to consider when starting a feed for your aspiring underage creator. Strike a conversation with him/her about the five main points above.
One article in the Washington Post nicely outlines some key topics to discuss with your child.
First things first, I wanted to know why. Why does he want to create this channel? Is he expecting to be like his idols? Does he hope to be famous or get free toys?
To my surprise, he gave me a business proposal, stating the aim of his content to be 1) showcasing his Lego mod creations, and 2) talking about in-game discoveries of his favorite video game. He didn't want fame, nor expect to become super popular. He legitimately believed he had a lot to say about his topics of interest and that other young builders like himself would be curious to see his designs.
Satisfied by his reasons, I began researching how to make a channel. Turns out, it's not as intuitive as you might guess.
My example scene to match his proposed name of Dragon Slayer.
He needs an avatar photo, a background photo, a username which hints at what his main content centers around, a theme, and a basic understanding of how to avoid copyright violations.
Read a great beginner's guide on setting up a new channel HERE.
Deciding, setting up, and agreeing on an avatar for his channel was weeks of arguments. The reality of running this channel as his production manager sank in. How are we ever going to land on a production process? How should he address his audience? Should he be in the shot or outside?
Some of my uncertainties were resolved organically throughout the trial and error process. For example, he already had ideas about how to introduce himself and talk to the audience. I wanted to let him decide as much as possible, this being his project. Some things I had to set aside my tendency to micromanage for. Other issues, however, required my careful attention.
Honoring Copyright Law
We kept stumbling on what constitutes copyright infringement. Can he feature pre-designed sets in his play?Read more about YouTube's policies on Fair Use and Copyright HERE.
Fair Use only applies in certain arrangements of content where the message is granted new meaning, the material is factual and cited properly, the copyright owner did not lose out on profit from your use, and/or the portion used does not make up the majority of the video claiming to be original.
As YouTube states, "There is actually no silver bullet that will guarantee you are protected by fair use when you use copyrighted material that you don't own." Possible infringement is judged on a case by case basis.
According to Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976,
"allowance is made for 'fair use' for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."Intent is everything. If you're imaginatively playing with a toy set (making stuff up as you go), one could argue you're granting it new meaning and original story. But if you showcase the set without clearly identifying it, you enter the realm of copyright infringement because it may be mistaken that you are portraying the toy assemblage (especially with Lego) as your own build.
Every time my son wanted to feature a Lego creation, I had to ensure the majority of the design was not directly taken from an established set Lego sells. If it is, I strongly recommend asking for permission. Featuring a product in your own video may require permission from the company, and its not worth going through the effort of filming just to have your video taken down, or worse.
Child Labor Law
If your child's channel is going to earn revenue via advertisements or sponsorship, you must be wise about what to do with that income. There are federal and state laws about child labor, so check your local government's laws if you reside in the USA.Find an overview and list of government links at the U.S. Department of Labor website.
In general, the laws regarding child labor restrict the hours a minor is employed for in a week, and regulates which occupations or situations are deemed too detrimental to a youths health or education to participate in. There is a lot of concern among lawmakers right now about adults exploiting children stars on YouTube for cash income or gifts. Sharing videos of your kid has roots as far back as the first recorder. Sharing videos online for ad revenue is newer with the advent of social media sites.
Make sure your child is the one who wants to participate in and contribute, if not lead, this venture.
If s/he does make revenue, talk to a financial advisor. One smart way to handle the money is putting it in a trust for the child to draw from when s/he is an adult. Such earnings can be designated for schooling or toward a down payment on a first home. This way the money is protected from others, and the child cannot frivolously spend their earnings.
There are grey areas with child income. Consult an accountant for help filing taxes if the child makes over $6000 in an annual period.
Also make sure they know, as inviting as social media platforms can be for generating an income, chances are your kid won't make enough to matter. Don't let them buy into the get rich quick scheme of it.
What really goes into those breezy 20-minute streaming videos
After a few weeks of side-stepping the issue, his dad and I finally discussed with him the actual expenses surrounding this venture.
In order to accomplish what he was asking me, we would need to purchase equipment to allow for in-game audio and visual recording during play, learn video editing, and dedicate multiple hours a week to the channel.
For every 20 minute video a good creator posts, s/he had to record roughly an hour of footage. Every time you hear them say "I was messing around with this earlier..." or "So, it wasn't working for a while, but now..." or you see a skip ahead "1 hour later", original footage and time spent experimenting was cut from the original video.
The number of unseen man-hours that goes into a short video is an industry recognized cost of production. However, to the young eye, it looks easy. All you do is live record and be bubbly and you'll get famous! Unfortunately, this isn't the reality.
These highly viewed creators have expertise in their fields, however marginal. They understand the technology, applications, software, and skills required to produce a short video every day/week/month. Editing, filming, adding fun links, animations, music, stickers, or filters, and being consistent to their theme within the purposes of their venue is expertise. Even if these skills could be easily learned with today's user-friendly apps, there is no getting around the number of hours you must be willing to put in.
Sponsorship and ad revenue are primarily how they make money. So understand, for the most recognizable names, creating content for the channel is a full-time job.
When my son asked me to manage this channel for him, he was asking me to dedicate many hours to learning which software to use, how to use those software, film, and regularly edit using that software.
His father, who is an experienced online gamer, estimates every 1 hour of footage requires approximately 4-5 hours of editing time. Why? Because of cuts, stringing multiple videos, adding animations, syncing issues, uploading and tagging, and any extras. Just creating a simple introductory theme to add at the beginning of each video post would require an original music clip plus animation. If you have animation experience, maybe this is an easy step. For me, with no video or animation experience outside recording from my android, there is a rather significant learning curve I would need to embark on.
Technological Setup
Rather than simply say 'no' to my son's request of the second part of his mission (since it wasn't working to simply say 'no' the other dozen or so times), we outlined the costs associated with two basic setups needed for us to be able to record and upload video plus audio with game-play to the internet.Option 1
$500 Buy a PS4, which has a record function (currently we still have a PS3)
$30 Purchase a new copy of the target game (which would require him to start over without his current data on the Nintendo Switch)
$40 Buy an audio headset with jack (even a cheap one can be $40)
Option 2
$500 Build a new computer (since we are currently utilizing work laptops as our PCs)
$30 Purchase/download a PC copy of the game
$40 Buy an audio headset
Discover other, more serious, setup options for streaming from Logical Increments HERE.
Either way, we would spend $600 just to have a setup in our home which would allow for in-game live recording, editing, and uploading. This isn't the sort of financial commitment our family is prepared for.
However, if he wanted to learn how to do minor editing, we could begin to teach and learn with him as an aside. Also, if he wants to do this as his hobby or career in the future, we will support him as reasonably as we can. We have no problem with him wanting to be a gamer or YouTube channel creator. But for us to live-stream for him right now would demand more cost and time than we are willing to spend. The burden would need to fall to him. Price of doing what you love.
There are computer setups which go as high as $5400. For gamers who already have decent gaming setups, starting a channel like my son wants would be fairly easy, I imagine. Some kids with channels had parents who were software engineers or professionals in the computer industry, allowing their kid to have a leg up in doing this sort of hobby/profession. We do not.
Breakdown of Cost and Editing Time estimated for producing streaming videos
This doesn't mean he won't be able to, merely that it will require a larger initial investment we want him to work for.
The Moral
The take away from this conversation with our son was him recognizing the ACTUAL costs of production for a YouTube gamer. He learned these popular channel creators are experts in what they do. And kids who have their own channels have help from parents who already have or are willing to dedicate the time learning and editing film and streaming.It was difficult for me to slash his hopes by saying "Doing this to the level you're asking of me would not bring me joy." But it was a good opportunity for him to explore a possible career in technology and gaming, and to reinforce his appreciation for his favorite YouTubers.
In the end, he accepted that if he wants to be a YouTube star, he will have to learn how to perform the necessary functions.
Our Compromise
What I was able to offer him instead of a live streaming setup is quality video recording with my camera and minor editing of live Lego creations play in random outdoor and indoor settings. He was so inspired by this idea, he jumped onboard for an outing to the forest.
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