The Making of a Walkthrough – Part 3

Filed under: New PC Games — by Major Slack  
January 15, 2010
 
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Next it's time to play all 12 video segments of my 2 hour Borderlands run in my video editor to 'proofread' them, as it were, to edit out all the coughs, sneezes and occasional mumblemouthing. And I also like to add some production value, e.g., my special 'Major Slack Videos' Peewee intro which I add to the beginning of each run and also apply audio and video filters and some other bells and whistles to make a Slack video, well, a Slack video.

All of this playback and editing takes about 4 hours —sometimes more depending on how fancy-schmancy I want the video to be.. :o)

So what are we up to now?

Let's do the math:

  • 6 hours practice session/initial recording
  • 1 hour assembling and repartitioning raw .avi files into 10 minute segments
  • 4 hours playing the segments, editing out mistakes and adding special stuff (Major Slack intro, etc).

TOTAL: 11 hours actual work.

STILL not done.

Now we have to...


Get the Videos Ready for Youtube

Now that all the 10 minute video segments are all polished up and ready to go, they have to be compressed into a file format and file size compatible with Youtube. This compression process is called 'rendering' and since I like my videos to have the highest quality possible, it takes about an hour to render each 10 minute video.

Yep, that's right..

It takes 12 hours alone just to render a two hour long gameplay session into a high quality video format compatible with Youtube. Fortunately, this rendering process can be done on a spare computer and I don't have to sit there and watch it or anything. I just set a video segment to render and come back an hour later and check to see if it's done. So I can do other stuff, e.g., do other work on another computer while the rendering is going on. For example, I'm rendering a video at this very moment while I'm writing this article. (With so much rendering to do, my spare computer is as busy as a rented donkey, lemme tell ya... LOL...)

So that's...

1 hour x 12 videos = 12 HOURS JUST TO RENDER THE VIDEOS.

STILL not done.

Now it's time to think about...


Going Live

Okay so now all 12 videos in my two hour Borderlands run are finally ready to upload to Youtube. Each video averages about 500 MB, an acceptable file size.

So how long does it take to upload a 500 MB video file?

Probably about a minute or two, right?

(*BUZZER SOUND*)

WRONG.

I have the extreme high speed internet package with my local ISP which means super high upload speeds of around 900 Kbps. But the fact of the matter is it still takes about 1½ hours to upload a 500 MB video. So if I want to upload 2 videos per day, that's 3 HOURS A DAY JUST TO DO THE UPLOADING. Now once again, uploading can be done on one computer while you do some other work on another. (You can even work on the same computer but I don't recommend it.)

And how long to upload the entire 2 hour run? Well, do the math...

1½ hours x 12 videos = 18 HOURS JUST TO UPLOAD THE VIDEOS.

Let's Tally Up the Damage

So all totalled, in order to produce a single 2 hour Borderlands run, it takes 11 hours of actual work and 30 hours of computer-running-in-the-background work.

And that's not even counting the time it takes to write up the video descriptions, create video responses for easy navigation from one video to the next and set the videos in playlists. And this is not to mention all the time it takes to play the game through a couple of times in order to learn it well enough to do a walkthrough in the first place.

So now you know what it takes to produce my Borderlands walkthrough or any of my video game walkthroughs for that matter.

And hopefully some of you now have the answer to your questions about why I only (*cough* *choke*) upload 2 videos a day.

And can you imagine? After all that work, some people still have the nerve to post comments on my videos complaining about one thing or another. And I have to take it all in stride because the lengthy description you just read doesn't fit into a Youtube comment reply box.

:o)

So to you, friend, I thank you very much for taking the time to read this.

~ Major Slack - January 15th, 2010

 
43 Comments »

  1. wow didnt even know it takes that much! doesnt your spare comp like.. overheat or sumthin?

    Comment by lzlwordrock — January 15, 2010 @ 7:26 pm

  2. To Mjr. Slack,

    I bow... and salute.

    Sgt. Colon (aka. satso77)

    Comment by Sgt. Colon — January 15, 2010 @ 7:53 pm

  3. Slack...I have no idea it was that intensive...I cannot for the life of me see where you have any time for *cough* real life. I know you are self-employed but Daymn!

    I thought you were cool for the vids but now you are just a step below video godness..Keep it up Slack...Keep it up. I salute you!

    Comment by Nufuhsus — January 22, 2010 @ 8:54 pm

  4. i RESPECT YOU OMG 40 hours to make a 2 hour walkthrough

    Comment by alsix19 — January 23, 2010 @ 3:57 pm

  5. o.o

    Comment by xarriluseth — January 30, 2010 @ 8:33 am

  6. Well, I know how much work it takes, I've done video editing before (never through FRAPS) but through an analog film video recorder for some film fest stuff. And it is amazing how long the editing actually takes... So I just want to say thanks man for putting so much work into this

    Comment by Matt — January 31, 2010 @ 11:51 pm

  7. Quite a lot of work Slack, props to you! You definatley deserve all 3,000 some aught subscribers that you have! It's amazing that you stay on schedule so well, I know I would fail, lol, I'm just too lazy.

    Comment by krbrtson — February 2, 2010 @ 2:32 pm

  8. hands down you have 1 of the best walkthrough's i have ever seen on youtube and i am willing 2 wait longer to see a master work completed :)

    Comment by Pasi242 — February 3, 2010 @ 6:38 pm

  9. thanks for all the hard work, slack.

    Comment by jahoney — February 5, 2010 @ 12:13 am

  10. I had no illusions that this stuff was easy, but this really puts it in perspective. It's a shame there isn't some script or application that could automate more of this process.

    Anywho, cheers and thanks.

    Comment by MermanIShouldTurn2Be — February 5, 2010 @ 2:40 pm

  11. /thanks and im really sorry for being a fag ddnt know what it took :( but keep up the good work

    Comment by Jourdan — February 8, 2010 @ 2:02 pm

  12. i love your vids but please dont sell the alien guns in borderlands it wud be so awesome and when i play some game i name myself ColonelCrazy because of you, Sir!

    Comment by dmmmsarith — February 8, 2010 @ 3:32 pm

  13. oh and in youtube i said you your slow on updating vids sorry for that i didnt know

    Comment by dmmmsarith — February 8, 2010 @ 3:34 pm

  14. Holy shit! Slack, Now, I have a even more respect for you. Damn! I never knew it takes so freakin' long to make YouTube videos... Wow! You are great! You have good quality video walkthroughs with entertaining commentary. Stuff like that is hard to find on YouTube so keep it up Slack!!!

    Comment by Nitesh — February 9, 2010 @ 12:34 pm

  15. thx slack for all the hard work, we salute u solid slack (solid snake lol)

    Comment by Cheeto — February 12, 2010 @ 11:32 pm

  16. Man ...you must weigh 300 lbs or something - all that sitting and eating ... I hope you get out in the sunshine for exercise? :-)

    Comment by Martythemerc — February 22, 2010 @ 3:26 am

  17. @Martythemerc,

    Huh... That's a strange comment...

    Comment by Major Slack — February 22, 2010 @ 9:16 am

  18. Your videos are the best walkthroughs I've seen - very informative and entertaining. My little quip above plays on the time it takes to make these vs the stereotype of the guy on the console - in good fun, do you ever get fresh air?

    Comment by Martythemerc — February 24, 2010 @ 11:59 pm

  19. Thanks Major Slack! Fuck TV! Slack is on the Tube!

    Cheers dude

    Comment by Jonas — February 27, 2010 @ 3:09 pm

  20. all that work slack is really appeciated ive been with you since 5 or 600 subs and its good ur channel grew

    Comment by Navyseal205 — February 27, 2010 @ 9:07 pm

  21. You should respond to the people who still complain about your videos with the URL to this

    Comment by joe — February 27, 2010 @ 11:37 pm

  22. wow...didnt know it took so much time! i'm very thankfull that you are willing to put so much time into this! because i very enjoy this video's because i just dont have enough money to buy all of them :(. So now i can see them without buying them :D

    thanks Rein

    Comment by Rein — March 19, 2010 @ 1:17 pm

  23. WOW! i had no idea that it took so long to produce a walkthrough. i'm astounded. keep up the perfect work. By the way, how come you don't do the weirdest comment of the week anymore? i thought that was a cool feature you did.

    Comment by john — March 21, 2010 @ 6:45 pm

  24. Too bad you just "do" PC games, I'd love to see your take and video on Red Dead Redemption after it comes out. It looks like a good sandbox game. Keep up the work though, and we'll look forward to Far Cry 3 - if they ever get it off the floor.

    Comment by Martythemerc — March 27, 2010 @ 6:02 pm

  25. wow it takes that long to make a walk through 0.0

    Comment by william — April 13, 2010 @ 1:33 am

  26. so on behalf of any and all of your veiwers, i salute and thank you deeply for putting so much time into make your walkthroughs and the entire taking requests things is pretty bitchin as well

    Comment by StgHart95 — April 18, 2010 @ 6:21 pm

  27. you would have to be one of the most patient people i have never met thank you for your hard work. btw what keyboard / mouse do you use? are you left or right handed? thank you

    Comment by overlord — May 2, 2010 @ 10:55 pm

  28. @overlord,

    I'm right handed. Not sure what you mean by "what keyboard/mouse" I use. You mean what brand?

    Comment by Major Slack — May 3, 2010 @ 6:22 am

  29. OMG what a work
    RESPECT

    greetzzz.
    nibio

    Comment by Nibio — June 1, 2010 @ 2:13 pm

  30. your welcome

    Comment by jason — July 1, 2010 @ 11:13 pm

  31. Major Slack. I remember how it all started. Me looking for a Crysis walkthrough. And behold! Major Slack. It's more than appreciable what you and also Mrs Slack are doing. It's commandable! I've never seen a more thorough, dedicated and fun set of walkthroughs in my life. Save one rare exception of the perosn from forumextreme.com who did the Halo:CE walkthrough.
    Keep up the good work Slack. And keep on being Slacktical!

    Comment by Bail'ee — August 9, 2010 @ 5:38 am

  32. HOLY CRAP slack you make hardcore gamers look like chumps , I can't belive you work so hard on those games, you earned my full... hell you should earn everyones full respect and then some.

    Comment by Russ — October 30, 2010 @ 10:01 pm

  33. Major Slack...you have made me laugh out loud in the bookstore where I have been surfing your videos (yes, I get online after work just to download and watch your videos) SO many times, that I have to hold it in from now on. I am a pretty serious gamer; I really can get lost in the atmosphere, and am a viscious online player...so when I watch your videos, I tend to become a bit serious, looking for new angles on rudimentary things...but every time, you make me just burst out laughing with your little "chortles" and almost-casual, Herculenian attitude towad battling in Africa. It is just so absurdly funny. You should be an actor, in movies...and I love your SlackFamily videos. You are just great. Props for doing the 20 pushups. That was over the top.

    Comment by Afrikaan — November 10, 2010 @ 12:04 am

  34. Dude you are like the god of gaming and making walktrhoughs. I just read your article and all I can say is that I appreciate the work you do for people you don't even know and you are doing it so good, that somebody who is watching doesn't even need to play the game. Watching one of your playthroughs or walktroughs is like a gaming experience itself.

    Keep it up :D

    Or as we say in Germany: Alter lass krachen !!

    Comment by Nougat — November 22, 2010 @ 7:44 am

  35. Awesome Walkthroughs, and I appreciate the time you take to make them.

    Comment by Resevilfan14 — December 7, 2010 @ 7:26 am

  36. Yea, I knew it took all this work, one because I posted the top 120 songs of the decade...which took forever. I remember posting on of the dead space videos asking if you got paid for what you do.

    Once again I thank you for the videos. They are truly amazing and funny, and i am loving the Resident Evil walkthrough. And the dead space walkthrough was hilarious. My parents and sibs dont know who you are, but i have been singing "Creepy, crawly, creepy, crawly, creepy creepy, crawly crawly!" around the house because its stuck in my head, and now my whole family sings along hahaha!

    Just know your famous song is now lofting through a familys house in Williamsburg =D

    Thanks a ton, Slack.

    Comment by CyanCrono91 — January 6, 2011 @ 11:22 pm

  37. OMG.... I was thinking about doing a couple walkthroughs of like oblivion and fallouts but OMG... I can't do it with school and everything that is why i only have one word for you...RESPECT

    Comment by Bagel — January 23, 2011 @ 6:15 pm

  38. Man, now I really need to buy a MajorSlack t-shirt, you deserve some money for all this work! (I hope you get a profit on them).

    By the way "to edit out all the coughs, sneezes and occasional mumblemouthing." Please leave the sneezes in, theyre funny and scare the hell out of me :P

    Comment by Heather — March 31, 2011 @ 1:46 pm

  39. I know a lot of people would say that you are absolutely positively crazy for putting that much time and energy into a video. But given the fact that your videos are as entertaining as they are I would say that it's worth it. I myself have considered doing walkthrough videos for certain games but I don't have time for it unfortunately. Having been addicted to your videos for some time now; having watched all your far cry 2, borderlands, Bioshock, dead space , resident evil vides, I can honestly say that a day without watching one of your walkthrough videos is a boring day.

    Comment by Kevin — April 9, 2011 @ 9:42 pm

  40. Oh my god! I didn't it took THAT long time to make your walktroughs! You serously deserve 100.000 views and only thumbs up on ALL of your video's because of that hard work!

    I really appreciate your walktroughs, and I find them really, I mean really really entertaining!

    And people that put lame and stupid comments on your video's don't even understand how much work you do to give us the best walktroughs ever! :D

    -TheHL2Guy

    Comment by TheHL2Guy — April 28, 2011 @ 9:51 am

  41. dude... your just awesome. THE best videogame recorder of all times....

    Comment by R3S1D3NT3V1L4 — November 17, 2011 @ 9:34 pm

  42. well decided to check this out to see What it took ta make it to youtube and buddy i gotta tell ya WOW !!! u cant see it but my hats off to ya !!! that's alot of work and time spent to make a video to put on youtube ! but it looks like fun and i plan to make video's of my own here soon !! thanks for the knowledge

    Comment by Rod — February 20, 2012 @ 1:22 am

  43. To paraphrase some dudes...'(bowing down) WE'RE NOT WORTHY!! WE'RE NOT WORTHY!!'
    But in all honesty i DID knew it wasn't something done in the odd hour of the day, but NOW it gives a whole new perspective on your already great and hilariously funny vids...
    Keep up the good work and hopefully you'll get all the appreciation you deserve and possibly with a very larg paycheck from an interrested 'game-site'?!?

    Comment by fhrvzuidam — April 28, 2012 @ 12:52 pm

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