I Wrote, Narrated, Scored, and Edited My First Video Essay — Here’s How
Hi there! This landing page is for my project where I wrote, scripted, narrated, scored, audio/video edited, and published a rewrite video for the show Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba, documenting my process along the way. Regardless of the video’s topic, the process by which I developed a video and the principles behind it stand on their own. Enjoy!
What’s my project?
I created a rewrite for the anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba, covering its first season and movie. I’ve written, scripted, narrated, scored, edited audio and video, and published Part 1 myself, with Part 2 in the works. I’ve documented every step of my process, including the skills I learned, and how those skills and the principles behind them can be applied across the board.
Why this project?
I like talking about things I love. I enjoy consuming media and breaking down its mechanics, finding what works and why it does.
I’m a creator. I love creating in whatever form I can.
I didn’t initially plan on making this project part of my portfolio, but I realized how valuable it could be to showcase my capabilities. I’d love work where I can apply my strengths and principles, and there’s no better way to earn that than by showing what I can do firsthand.
My Step-by-step Process
1 — Creating My Rewrite: How I got my inspiration and wrote my version of Demon Slayer.
2 — Creating My Script: How I took my narrative and optimized it for narration.
3 —Narrating My Video: How I learned to narrate through trial and error.
4 — Learning Audio Editing: How I learned various types of audio editing.
5 — Scoring My Project: How I added music to my video to tell a story.
6 — Editing My Video: How I learned video editing and how I could tell my story through it.
7 — My Intro and Outro: How I learned to create and optimize my video’s intro and outro.
8 — Final Details and the YouTube Algorithm: How I primed my video for the YouTube algorithm by applying SEO research.
The Skillset For My Video
- Story writing: Investing your audience, utilizing narrative elements, refining and optimizing product
- Scripting: Script formatting, refining presentation, immersing your audience
- Narration: Expression, tone, pace, pronunciation,
- Audio engineering: Audio recording, mixing, editing, cleaning
- Music scoring: Understanding narrative tone, music selection, and editing
- Video editing: Editing footage, using techniques like zooms, pans, and different transitions
- YouTube Publishing: Beginner SEO knowledge, beginner video marketing knowledge
The Skillset For This Portfolio Project
- Storytelling: Investing your audience, showcasing an evolving process
- Analysis: Highlighting my processes, emphasizing skills
- Presentation: Optimizing my posts to convey my abilities
- Transparency: Showcasing room to improve and willingness to learn
Tools
Studio One 5
Davinci Resolve 16
4K Video Downloader
My Project In Hindsight
I was able to learn a lot of valuable insight through this project. I tested my storytelling mettle for the first time, and I was happy to see it pay off. I learned various kinds of production, gaining new knowledge and appreciation, as well as handy skills.
Having the satisfaction of knowing I created a quality project is a great feeling. I easily poured over a hundred hours into this video, and while a lot of it was frustrating, I learned and grew through every minute of it. My video is only Part 1 of what I initially began production on, so I still have Part 2 to build. Overall, this project was an experiment to see what I liked, and how much I wanted to invest in projects I was creating. While I’m still not sure what my creative future looks like, I know that I charted unknown waters through the process of this video.
I’ve been worrying for a while that I wouldn’t be able to find a job that I enjoyed. My skills were pretty niche. Could I easily find a job where I got to be a storyteller? I figured I’d need to just work a boring job until I got my efforts off the ground, but now I think differently. This project helped me realize that my storytelling knowledge can be applied across the board. Everything is storytelling. Marketing, for instance. The skills I learned were in the context of storytelling, but the principles behind them can be applied anywhere. I’m incredibly excited for my future and the endeavors that will allow me to do what I love, regardless of the medium.
Wanna watch my video? Here’s the link! Enjoy, and I’ll see you when Part 2 releases!
