Posting videos and asking for criticism

Question

Would it be okay to post a video that I've made, asking for constructive criticism? I would like to know what I could have improved, what's good in the video, and an overall rating. Is that ok?

Answer 1

Based on the FAQ, this kind of question doesn't fit well, because it's not not very easy to answer, so much as discuss.

You should only ask practical, answerable questions based on actual problems that you face. Chatty, open-ended questions diminish the usefulness of our site and push other questions off the front page.

We don't have the "push other questions off the front page" problem right now since the site is fairly slow-moving, but I think any precedent we set now ought to be done with the understanding that the site will grow.

That said, the chat can be great for this kind of question- I'd encourage you to post your videos and get a discussion going there! If specific questions come up from it ("People recommend I try this one effect, how is it done?") they can be asked on the main site.

Answer 2

Posting videos (and audio) for critique should definitely be on topic, although probably not in the way you presented it here. You can't simply post a video and ask "how can it be improved?" or ask for an overall rating.

In order for us to successfully "critique" your video, it will need to fit within a few criteria. Please take a look at the meta posts from Writers SE, which has successfully adapted the criteria for a good subjective to provide constructive Q&A-style writing critiques.

Adopted from Guidelines for asking for a critique:

Are you coming to AVP SE with a specific question about a specific video you have produced? Great. AVP is a community of professional and aspiring engineers, producers, editors, and enthusiasts spanning the fields of audio, video, and media creation, and we would love to answer your question.

In order for us to be able to successfully answer your question, it will need to fit within a few criteria.

• You must have either a specific question about your sample or specific guidelines for the critique.
• Your video piece must be a concise illustration of your larger question. Do not post entire videos and ask "what do you think?"
• Your question must be phrased in such a way that answers can be objectively voted on by the community here
• Your question should encourage answers which explain their reasoning and back up any subjective statements with experience or recognized authorities.
• While your question should give us an idea of your own style and what you intend to do with your included video, the question should encourage fair and impartial answers.
• Please do not submit and entire video piece and ask us for a general critique or suggestions for improvement.

When it comes down to it, Audio-Video production is largely a topic about doing. The idea that a site about Audio-Video Production doesn't allow talking about our specific videos isn't the way the industry works. It isn't the way we get better at what we do.

Yes, critiques can be subjective, but subjective topics can be okay as long as you make efforts to focus them on contructive criteria. We think that video critiques — as long as you keep them specifically directed — can fit firmly in the "constructive" category.

Bottom line, a video site should be about video. Same goes for audio.