interview YouTuber Interview: Ghost Animators!

[Sacrifice 2,278]

Hello Newspaper Readers! The Newspaper is back with yet another episode of YouTuber's Interviews, featuring Ghost_Animators! Your love and positive feedback for this series motivates us to bring more.

Let's start with some introductions. Would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

I’m Ghost Animator. We are actually twins, but we always use “I” in conversations so it doesn’t confuse anyone. Some people say that is more confusing though. 

By the way, here's a playlist you can listen to while reading this interview. 

Spoiler

 

 

Now, on to one of the most casual and simple questions: How did you start playing Tanki Online?

One of my school friends once recommended me Tanki Online. I gave Tanki a try during summer holidays in 2013. I always liked playing 2D tank games on mobile and PC, so I really enjoyed playing Tanki. 

That's great! You're now one of the most well-known tankers around with your amazing YouTube channel. What inspired you to be a YouTuber?

I'll break this down into two sections: How I became a YouTuber and Tanki YouTuber.

YouTuber:
I had a few YouYube channels before I started my Tanki channel. Around 10 years ago, when I didn’t have the internet on PC, I used to watch AMV’s (Anime Music Videos) on my sister’s mobile. I really liked watching them, so when I first got the internet in like 2011, I started creating AMV’s for fun. I created 4 of them over the course of a year and uploaded them on my first channel. After that, I started working on a few other channels in my free time. One them even got good views. 

Tanki YouTuber: 
I once asked in Tanki chat, “Who is the most famous player in Tanki?” and someone said “Portes_S”. When I searched it, I realized that he is a YouTuber with almost 50k subs. That was the first time I came to know that Tanki Online YouTuber is a thing. Soon, I started watching other Tanki YouTubers (Miki3, Pizzarafic etc). The content every TO YouTuber used to make was a lot similar to AMV’s, just that instead of anime montages, it was a montage of Tanki gameplay. That’s when I first thought that I can create a Tanki Online channel. I first gave it a try in 2015, uploaded 3 videos and got 40 subs by spamming my channel among my Tanki friends . It was allowed to spam channel in public chat that time . I left Tanki after Summer Holidays 2015 because of studies. And later, I finally started the channel again in Nov 2016, during the last year of my High School.

Ah, what a large journey. How would you define your struggle being a YouTuber to gather subscribers?

When I started my TO channel, I already had some experience as a YouTuber. In Nov 2016, I had around 50 subs and by the time it was Feb 2017, I was at 1 000 subs, so the struggle was not much this time.

Is it difficult to maintain views and subscribers?

Maintaining views usually may depend just on consistency, content type and quality of your videos, but in the current situation of Tanki, it also depends on how popular Tanki is in the given moment. 5 years ago, you may get 100k views for the same content which will give you 8k-9k views now. If I talk about the content that used to receive 20k views an year ago, it may only receive 10k views now.

It’s also hard to notice the difference at lower sub count. Like if you have 500 subs, you can easily maintain your views and even double or triple them by improving your content, but at a higher limit like 25k+ subs, the effect is quite noticeable. That’s one of the reasons why most of the Tanki YouTubers usually leave at this point. Because at this point, even if you are improving your content at a good speed, it doesn’t guarantee any increase in views.

It's clearly visible in this stat: the most subscribed EN YouTubers (Active)

• 1) 60.5k subs - Me 
• 2) 16k subs - Jay Tanki Online 
• 3) 15k subs - Jumper

There is a big gap which you can see. This gap is created by Tanki YouTubers who left or shifted to other games.

I still try to make sure that my every video crosses the 100k mark in a period of a few months, but due to decrease in Tanki traffic, it requires me to put more and more effort each time to maintain it. 

Maintaining subscribers, on the other hand, is not that difficult. Subscribers don’t usually unsubscribe in general situations as long as you are active and providing the content they subscribed for.

 

I see. You put in a lot of effort in your videos, but inevitably, there are a few haters here and there. How do you deal with this criticism?

In the words of great Filmmaker James Cameron himself...  “---- the haters” - (You know if you know)

If someone is constantly being toxic, you can hide him from the channel. Generally from what I see, I don’t think criticism does any help when it comes to creating videos.

See, there is always someone who may find your content uninteresting or bad. That’s why videos with even millions of views have many dislikes. So it’s important to understand that even without creating perfection, one can reach the top. On a platform like YouTube, anyone has the ability to criticize, and if you focus too much on the criticism, you may end up making your content even worse.

The best thing is to understand the truth. In my case, I understand that my content can always be improved or made better. No matter how great I think I edited a video or how great I think the recording was, I understand that it can be made better. This understanding helps me to focus on the things that eventually help me to improve my content and I'm not affected much by the criticism.

 

That's a very good mindset. Moving on to the actual video-making process: How do you create such unique content in your videos? 

Firstly, I properly arrange all the recordings. If it’s a gold box montage or such video, I will watch every single clip and rate them on their “Epicness/Rarity” from 1 to 5. This way, while making videos I know how many epic recordings I have and I can then properly distribute them on the best parts of the song.

Not kidding. 

Spoiler

Now for editing, I first start by creating a basic draft without any effects, just so I can get an idea.
After completing the draft I start doing the finalizing stuff like adding effects, adjusting beats, color corrections, changing clips etc.
For this process I will watch the full draft and list the changes that I think are required. After listing I start working on them and then I just repeat this process multiple times. 

Example from my latest videos.

Spoiler

 

Is it difficult to maintain the YouTube channel along with real life? How do you do it?

It isn’t if you know how to. A small story will explain this better:

There were 3 friends in a boat fishing in a small lake. One of them suddenly stood up and said,“I feel like taking a walk”. They were in the middle of the lake so the others laughed. But just a few seconds after, that person starts walking on the water. The other two were shocked . Moments later one of the two said, “I should join him too”. He stood up and started walking on the water. 

At this time the 3rd person was like .

He said to himself, I will do the same thing. He stands up and says “I feel like waking too”. He starts to walk, but he drowns. After quite an effort he manages to get back on the boat. Now he gives another try. He steps on the water and again he drowns.
He manages to get back on the boat again but now he was very tired and exhausted.

The other two were watching him and one of them whispered to the other,“Should we tell him where the stones are?” 

Nothing is impossible or difficult if you know the way.

A YouTube channel will require some time. If you want to maintain it properly along with real life then you need something for managing time, like a timetable. I’m not saying to make something complex, complex is good but even simple will do the job. For example, you can make a habit that you will spend certain fixed hours daily on you channel. That way, working on a channel will not interfere with other things. Otherwise, what usually happens is that you need to upload a video tomorrow, you start working on it today, and you are compromising time given for your other important things. At the end, you are stressed out, you have anxiety and most probably, the video is still not complete. So, in conclusion, make a manageable timetable and things will work out.

 

Mmm... very good advice! Moving on, let's get to an integral part of video-making: software. What software do you use to take your videos to the next level?

Video Editing: Adobe After Effects
Image Editing: Adobe Photoshop or Photopea (free Photoshop Alternative)
Recording: Mirillis Action

This is what I use but it doesn’t mean that these are necessary. If you don’t know how to use After Effects, you can still get great views just by editing using any free editing software.

 

What is YouTuber TO Program and what are its benefits?

Tanki Online has a program where you can register and if you get a certain amount of views per month, you will get a certain amount of containers monthly.
There are 5 other benefits too:

• Spectator Account - 8k Subs
• Special Paint - 20k Subs
• Can join EN YouTubers Discord server: 2k Subs
• Press Account - 3k Subs
• Dream Tank - 1 Million views per month

More details can be found in the Wiki. There is a thing that views are rewarded and not the quality of the content, but before there was nothing for YouTubers. So it is indeed a good support.

I see. And on to another topic as we're about to wrap up. What are your future plans for your channel? What sort of videos can we expect?

To get 1 Million subscribers on a Tanki Online channel. 
That is the main goal for this channel. And it doesn’t matter how popular the game is. I will still figure out some way to get 1 Million subscribers on a Tanki Online channel. For future videos, I plan to shift more towards meme edits like my TANKI_ONLINE.EXE Episode 0 and voice content.

Now, let's shoot a different type of questions. What is your most favorite update in the game at the moment and why?

New Overdrives. They make the game more dynamic and allow for diverse strategies. They also provide possibility for funnier content. Plus, they are non-upgradable, so it’s good for non-buyers.

What is that one thing you would like to be implemented in the game?

I would like it if the game can be made more skill based. Online games which are skill based generally follow a cosmetic only model for their economy.
So I would like it if Tanki Online can successfully shift to a cosmetic-only economy, which will allow developers to make updates that can make the game more skill based.

Any advice you would like to give to other aspiring YouTubers?

Make what you like. But what you like may not get views. So you need to make what you like and which still can get good views. 

To do this, watch the most viewed videos in the genre you are working on. It may be Tanki, maybe some other game or other type of content.
Now try to find things that you like in those most viewed videos and try to implement them in your videos. You can start adding one thing at a time. And you don't have to limit yourself to just the genre of your content, you may find something really good in most viewed videos of totally different genre. Like for Tanki, you may find something good for channel while watching video by MrBeast. So always look for what you like in popular videos. If you follow this method then eventually after some time, you will be creating content that you like and which is getting great views.

 

Any last words before we close?

Spoiler

Turn off the playlist, turn on this music and continue reading xD

We hope you enjoyed this installment of the YouTuber Interview Series. It's been a while, but we'd like to continue the series. Which YouTuber do you want interviewed next? Let us know in the comments, and we'll do our best to bring you the next episode soon!

[Person_Random 4,991]

If you're an aspiring YouTuber, then you might want some words of wisdom from the best EN content creator: Ghost Animators. Check out the interview right now and grow your channel with the advice from the best!

[Sacrifice 2,278]

Been a while. Omg. I am feeling nostalgic. Brings back them memories from the pandemic. Wow man. Like, how many months? Half a year almost since the summer break of 2020. Feels like almost forever. 

Nevertheless, I loved interviewing mr ghnost amnininiterator. Nice lads. 

I wanted to continue this series to cover almost all of your fav YouTubers, but my Reporter career was cut short with all the college responsibilities. Though I am hopeful if you annoy random enough, you might get another episode in this series. 

:') 

[Devoid 2,601]

Good article, one of (if not) the most creative YouTubers out there for sure...I especially liked his twist on Among Us, featuring Tanki props, the time dedication behind that is admirable from a video editor's point of view

Spoiler

On 8/19/2020 at 11:16 AM, Sacrifice said:

• Can join EN YouTubers Discord server: 3k Subs

This number has, since the time this article was published, been changed to 2K subs, just FYI

[AV-Gamers 1,251]

I was waiting for this interview from last month  and i appreciate with your answer about maintaining views and subscribers.

 

[Spektrix 440]

Nice Article! And thanks for  the information ghost :D

[Sacrifice 2,278]

Everybody thanks ghost for interview and nobody thanked sacrifice for conducting it. Journalism can be tough innnit.

Edited February 2, 2021 by Venerable
Thank you Sacri :wub:

[Only_Event 252]

Is the dream tank juggernaut? 

[esh90 20]

I can hear his voice while reading the interview... 

[goduchiha7 1]

Loved the interview and Ghost's response. I was always a fan of Ghost and always will be. And  I love Tanki Online!