For many months now, viewers have been spamming the “Mind Blown” emote every time I go live. Still love seeing my head explode, but my signature emote now has company. If you’ve got a tier 1 sub to twitch.tv/inthirdperson, I hope you enjoy this trio of new emotes!
As a viewer, streaming looks like it’s all fun and games. Going through the process has taught me that there is a lot to enjoy in front of the camera. Gaming is always a pleasure, but the most satisfying part of the experience comes from making new friends all over the world.
But to gloss over the myriad of stressors involved with the hobby would be a disservice. As a streamer, there are a plethora of potential stressors that can make this pursuit quite the challenge. Every person has their own unique set of triggers, but these are the things I fret over every time I go live.
Streaming for the past few years has taught me that it’s basically impossible for one to be a natural streamer. Being good at it requires one to possess skills in a myriad of otherwise-disparate disciplines, from video production, audio production, public speaking, marketing, and more. Furthermore, there’s a bunch of weird skills that you’re not going to develop until you go live. Heck, the actual part where you play video games is but a small part of the discipline.
Because of this, making mistakes is inevitable. Lord knows I’ve made many. It might be embarrassing in the moment, but what’s important are the lessons learned from those experiences and how you recover going forward. Here’s are just a fraction of the mistakes I made and how you can address them faster than I did.
“Person Playing Video Games” is probably the single largest form of content that exists in the world of live streaming. There’s nothing wrong with that. Will be the first to admit that the vast majority of my streaming content is in that format. I also have no shortage of amazing memories that have come from game streaming. Odds are, this type of content will be my bread-and-butter for the foreseeable future.
Even so, I have ambitions of doing more within the medium. Boss Rush – a talk show I host with Jason, Mat, Jon, Kris, and Rachel – is just the start.
My big focus for 2020 is video content. I want to continue growing as a streamer on Twitch while also establishing a presence in the realm of pre-produced YouTube content. For those who’ve taken the time to check out my streams or my recent run at YouTube content, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Both platforms require creators to work with video, but the processes for creating content for each are very different. Here’s what I’ve learned so far based on my time working with both.
For many Twitch streamers, attaining Affiliate status is a major milestone. It allows streamers to generate revenue from Twitch’s built-in tools while also acting as status symbol. You don’t have to browse very far in the world of gaming social media to find streamers that prominently display the title in their profiles. Heck, reaching that level was so important to me at one point that I went down a depressive spiral during my quest.
When the invite to join Twitch Affiliate finally came in, I pounced on it. But is that the right move for everyone? Probably not. Though I’m no longer weighed down by the stress of not having Twitch Affiliate, having the status hasn’t magically transformed me into a better or more important creator. It’s also limited my options in a few key ways. Here are some things you should know before you accept the deal.
[UPDATE: Seeing a lot of confusion in the comments regarding where I toggle the settings. I use these cameras with my OBS setup, so I make all the changes within OBS. If you’re not using OBS, you can try Logitech’s webcam software. Admittedly, my experience with Logitech’s software is awful and I quickly deleted it when it wouldn’t give me the level of control I needed. However, if you’re not using your camera within the context of streaming or video recording, it might be your only option.]
The Logitech C920 is a great starter webcam. The Logitech BRIO is arguably the best webcam on the market. Even so, I noticed issues with my image with regards to my skin looking washed out and my overall image looking a bit grainy.
Turns out that both of those issues can be fixed by getting more hands-on with the camera’s settings. In case you’re looking to squeeze more out of your Logitech webcams, check out these tips!
In the midst of creating content to celebrate In Third Person’s 10-year anniversary, I noticed that we were nearing another milestone. That milestone is now.
Not really sure what to say here, as I kind of spent all of 2019 celebrating the site’s longevity. However, it feels like a missed opportunity if I don’t acknowledge it in some way.
(pauses for 20 minutes to think of an angle)
How about this?
Wanting to be taken more seriously in the world of streaming, Mixer sent shockwaves throughout the industry by getting the exclusive rights for streaming’s biggest star. The platform still has a lot of work to do before truly becoming a rival to the likes of Twitch and YouTube, but moves like the Ninja signing have gone a long way towards building name recognition. At the very least, when people discuss streaming platforms, Mixer is usually mentioned on that list as an equal.
Recently, I streamed on Mixer as part of a stability test for my ISP. Because I was having issues streaming to Twitch and YouTube, they wanted me to try Mixer in hopes that they could isolate my network issues to something relating to RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol). Twitch and YouTube use RTMP, while Mixer uses their propriety FTL (Faster Than Light) technology. Here are my notes from that experience.
[This post is part of a blogging collaboration by Later Levels and Hundstrasse called #BloggersWhoStream. Make sure to give them both credit and follow the hashtag on Twitter for more posts from the community!]
Building the game streaming setup of one’s dreams is an evolutionary process for most. It’s an expensive hobby to get into and the majority of those interested in pursuing it don’t start out with the equipment they need to produce a high-quality product. For example, I started streaming in 2017 with just the laptop I already had. Great for blogging, but it didn’t have the horsepower to display my gameplay and camera feeds at the same time.
More importantly, it’s a hobby that you really need to try for yourself before you go all in. Just because you like playing video games doesn’t mean that you’ll like playing them on stream. For instance, I love playing Tetris Effect when I’m not on stream and no one’s watching. However, when I streamed it and no one watched, I came away from that experience feeling miserable.
The outcome of no one watching was the same, but the dynamics and expectations change when broadcasting was introduced to the mix. The worst thing one can do is to buy all of the most expensive equipment and realize after the fact that they don’t actually like how streaming warps the gaming experience. You’re better off starting with whatever you have and determining whether you want to pursue it further.
This tour through my streaming setup is the culmination of my journey thus far. The road to get here was filled with failure, doubt, and MacGyver-esque life hacks. Even so, I truck along thanks to everything I’ve learned, the friends I’ve made along the way, and positive impact I’ve made on the world. From providing entertainment, to those that tune in to the money I’ve raised for charity (over $2,000 and counting for Extra Life!), I don’t take any of this for granted. All of this has inspired me to continue honing my craft and improving as a streamer on every front. As long as I continue to grow within the hobby, so will my streaming setup. Without further ado, let me show you where the magic happens.
In Third Person 