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This is so cool! My daughter has been watching my videos and I've thought about bringing her into the process, but it hasn't gelled yet. Glad to see you have her along for the ride! digital high five

So for the critique:

Yes, the intro is too long. Not by much, but for some reason, some inexplicable reason... it's too long. I looked over it again and I would say fade the audio as soon as the animation reaches the end of the words and fade the graphic to black and then fade in your video. That's my two-cents. Also, save the full length as a subscribe outtro maybe?

Get the poor girl some headphones and a Y-splitter and BOOM you can both hear the game audio. Just scoot your left and her right earphone cup off the ear a bit so you can hear each other too. http://amzn.com/B000068O5G

Honestly the audio quality is really good considering what you are using. Something tells me that is a pretty high quality headset because it's rare to hear audio that clear coming from a headset mic.

The video quality you are going to address with a better webcam so that will be great! Hanging a cheap sheet behind you as a background will help with a few things and you may even want a diffused light shining at you or bouncing off a back wall to illuminate you further. I've noticed the higher the quality the cam, the more light it seems to want.

I will say, if you enjoy doing these, I would probably watch a super-cut highlight of anything funny or exciting that happens. So you may want two series, one a short highlight reel and then one the full video. After a while, if you notice people like the edited version you could drop the full format or just not advertise those as heavily. If you notice people prefer the full versions, just ditch the editing :) For me, I only have so much time in a day and probably can't sit through a 20 minute video even if I like it. The only way I will is if there is alot going on in those 20 minutes and those 20 minutes are compressing down hours and hours and hours of footage and information. Then I feel the length is worthwhile.

I think it's cute, I love that you are getting her involved, and she's gonna love doing this with you for a long time to come. :-D

Thanks for critiquing my video! I've taken a look at your video that you sent me and I have a few comments on it.

• The title is very long and very confusing. The way it's formatted makes it very hard to read. Also, when it comes to SEO and searching it on YouTube, it is way too specific and finding new viewers will be much harder. I would recommend that you give your Super Mario Let's Plays a special/unique name, and then add a short title after that.
  
  
• For an experienced voice actor like myself, audio is very important to me. It's definitely not horrific audio or anything, but I always encourage people to improve their audio setup above video quality. One of the things you can do is buy a cheap lavaliere microphone (this one is very good) and move to smaller location with carpeted floors.
  
  
• I liked how the video was short and sweet. People generally will not watch long videos, so it's much better for your content to be jam-packed full of good stuff in a short amount of time.
  
  
• I'm not quite sure what your purpose was for the video. Was it a walk through on this specific level? Was it a Let's Play? Nothing that you really did/said made it clear what this video was intended for. If it was for humour, then you should try to add a few jokes or visual gags. If it was for educational purposes, then maybe add it to your title so people who is searching for a way to clear the level can find it.
  
  
• And finally, at the very end when you encouraged people to subscribe, you didn't really look at the camera at all, leaving me an awkward feeling. You should try to look directly at the camera more often and have confidence when speaking.
  
  Overall, I thought it wasn't a bad video at all. You just need to slowly save up and buy some better equipment, make sure your titles aren't overly long and complicated, and be more aware of the way you address the camera. Thanks again for your time and I hope you keep on keeping on!

Sorry I haven't gotten back to you quickly, I've been a little busy lately. Thank your for all of your feedback and the subscribe!

1. I lowered the game audio in my latest videos. I wanted to make sure that the game audio wasn't getting drowned out by my voice, but I didn't know which exact balance was ideal.
   
   
2. I am not even close to an expert on mic's, so I'm not sure which kind I have. (http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Condenser-Microphone/dp/B006DIA77E). I have tried changing its position for my last two recordings to see if that helps.
   
   
3. Thanks for the input on the intro. I'll be sure to fix it up a little bit in the future.
   
   
4. Thank you. It's really tough getting used to just talking to a microphone in an empty room.
   
   
5. I made a twitter last night (https://twitter.com/GoldenJoshGames). I'm definitely going to need some help with SEO though...
   
   
6. Yes! So much growth!!
   
   
7. I have also updated my thumbnails to make them a little bit better.
   
   It would be great if you'd check on my progress by watching my latest video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoIOyzR100c
   
   Thanks again for all of your help!
   

I definitely think you should invest in a better microphone. If you can save up some money and get your hands on a Blue Nessie or a Snowball, it would be the best idea. They are relatively cheap, and you can plug them directly into your computer without the need of an audio interface (meaning they are USB microphones, not XLR). You also might want to invest in a better camera for yourself. I can see that there is some frame bleeding, and I can assume that you're using a webcam. Got an iPhone? Those work better than most personal digital cameras.

Are you capturing your game footage, video footage, and audio with the same program? (Programs like Game Capture HD can do this) If so, you have more control over your content if you record everything separately, then sync them up on editing software.

But overall, you have some great content! People will definitely enjoy your content more as you evolve as a Let's Player, and you'll definitely be able to grow your fanbase. Just keep yourself consistent and try to be as entertaining as possible.

Good luck!

-Gamebomb

This is all in reference to part 3:

Two minor complaints about the commentary, and I've been guilty of it myself for sure, is that you kept going back to a sort of introduction as far as four minutes into the video. "We just woke up in a strange room" and variations of it were repeated a few times.

There are a few times where it seems like you're not sure what to say, so you basically narrate what you're doing/what the game told you do, but not much else. This can work for more animated people, but you're fairly calm so it's not terribly engaging in those moments. I didn't have any issues keeping with it, but I know several people with shorter attention spans that likely would have left the video around those points.

The full minute of outro was a bit long without anything happening/captivating commentary.

The end card itself, though has clear navigation and certainly doesn't take away from anything. I like it.

Humor is a bit dry, but that's not really a complaint as I happen to like dry humor.

Audio and video quality are really good, though you might want to consider finding a way to soften the overhead light source so it creates less of a focused glare (soft boxes are cheap and easy to make.) I recently purchased this set of lighting from Amazon for a really good price, but it does take a bit of room to set it up. Not much, but a little more than some people have.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FG5FQ5S?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

I would definitely invest in a new microphone. The blue snowball is a great starter mic. I use it myself and love it. Here is a link. It's a little expensive, but you can sometimes catch them on sale for $40.

I would also recommend trying to move so you have a different background behind you. It just seems like there is a lot going on and I found myself looking at the stuff behind you more than you whenever I saw your facecam. If it's not possible, then it's not a huge deal.

Your commentary is good and it seems like you can come up with some good quips here and there while playing, which is a bonus. I hope this helped you out some! :)

True, but you could keep something nearby your rig, like a bead case or a pencil case with pop filters inside. Or, if you decide to go the dynamic route, they come in different colors (The ones I look to purchase), which could be easy to spot. Thanks for the well wishes, best of luck to you, too!

Yeah no problem. Here is the mic I use. It's not the best, but it's pretty good for pretty cheap and I'm really happy with it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015K11VME/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

So right away, with the Darkest Dungeon video, I was a little put off by that initial few seconds of pretty much darkness. I feel like adding in a quick intro to just signal "video beginning" might be the way to go. Just like a logo or something.

Also I think breaking up that 40 minute video into 2 20 minute segments would be a good idea... but then again I'm guilty of long videos as well.

I don't know how much you want to invest in something like this, but if you want to keep the webcam on in the corner for your videos, one cool think to get is a portable green screen. I have this one and I really like it. You can just set it up in the background, use OBS to set a chroma key, and you don't have to worry about what's behind you getting in the way.

As for the channel itself... I'd say if you can, zoom in a little more on the girl in the logo. If I'm just looking at your videos, your channel icon is hard to understand/see. Perhaps do away with the body and just have blond hair on a d20? I dunno, spitballing. Also, fill out a little more on the CritiKylie about section. What types of video games or tabletop? How often will you be posting? It looks to me like once a month right now.

I'm going to echo CoinOpProductions sentiments about the audio quality and cut scenes. One exception to the cutscenes is if you feel you can fill it with good comments about it.

If you're looking for a relatively inexpensive mic that has really great quality you should check out the Blue Snowball USB Mic, it's awesome for the price and usually you can get it for around $50-60 dollars on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Snowball-Microphone-Gloss/dp/B002OO18NS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421810461&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+snowball

Aside from that, nice job =)

So I just got a set of these for starters. Hope they work out decently better. I don't want to put to much financial resources in until I really know if I want to do this and if people like me, you know? Anyways thanks for the advice and support!

Hey Dash,

I like it. I've watched a few NWN series and the shorter versions bug me just because it takes a while to get anything done. The only thing I noticed was some Mic clipping and keyboard noise, neither of which bothered me that much. I was watching the globlin fight where you got aggro and had to back off to avoid more.

If it helps ....

I bought this combo for dirt cheap from Amazon. Decent mic, plus the boom things.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XB2R57T/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

I plug into my sound card which is perfect for me. The USB sound card is useless and I don't use the amp so if you can find just the mic and arm combo that would be best IMO.

Someone below left some advice on two utilities ... I tried both and I recommend Tube Buddy, the free version has everything I need.

Thanks! I record my audio in Audacity and currently I'm just using a pretty cheap USB mic (https://www.amazon.co.uk/microphone-Fifine-Condenser-Recordings-Black/dp/B01D4I2UM0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504457973&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=usb+microphone&psc=1), which... I mean it's a step-up from my camera audio which I was using to start with but that's really not saying much haha.

I feel like it's either too far away from me and therefore picking up too much background noise, or too close and distorted/picking up every breath and lip smacking noise which I hate also (Grrr!)

So yeah, if you can point me in the direction of what I should be looking in to with regards to a new mic then I'd appreciate that greatly :)

Totally! I can actually recommend the lights I have (not to sound weird I promise I just think they're good cheap lights). I have now a total of 3 and a umbrella light although you probably only need 2 and could be really creative with reflective things!

Be yourself, or maybe get a buddy to also do it with you. Sometimes an extra person tends to lighten one up and make the commentary a bit more fun. A new microphone would be great, don't know your budget but everyone always starts with a Blue Yeti, a bit pricy but good for one person commentary.

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Microphones-Yeti-USB-Microphone/dp/B002VA464S/ref=pd_ys_c_rfy_405757011_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=418SSJQZ8NXF5F1C8G4R

I didn't have a huge budget for the mic and I read on /r/letsplay that the Samson Metor Mic was a great "bang for buck" choice. I looked at a few review videos and picked it up from Amazon.

Just got it today. Sounds amazing compared to my headphone mic... no surprise there.

With pleasure. Ive had this headset since 2014. Its served me well but now that im doing lets play its definetly time to upgrade. At least the mic.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DU2CHE2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00

Thank you for the feedback!

1. I'll definitely work on the framing.
   
   
2. The mic is a cheap one from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XCKGLTP/ref=twister_B06XPHK8CZ?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 and we're using Quicktime's "Movie Recording" feature to record us and the audio. It took us a while to get it this "good", but I think I forgot to check the TV's volume before recording.
   
   I think we need to get a good default for where the mic sits and what the TV's volume setting. It's somewhat difficult because the recording setup isn't permanent (we record at two different houses).

What kind of camera are you using? Sometimes you can get little baby tripods for some cams.
I think this one works with the logitech c920