BTS: How many hours of work does it take to make a Darko.Audio video?

BTS. Not the South Korean boy band, but ‘Behind The Scenes’. Let’s analyze Darko’s video production process. Audio hour by hour…

The review begins with the arrival of the product. Unpacking usually takes about an hour. This includes a visual inspection and a “shelf life” test to make sure everything works as it should. Shipping damage is rare, but I like to catch it early when it does happen. Once I confirm that everything is working perfectly, I set the product aside to sit in the review queue. Yes, there is a queue.

I have been dealing directly with manufacturers since 2016. Why? Because they are generally more generous with product loan time than local dealers. Side-by-side comparisons are only possible if I can keep some equipment after the review is over. Sometimes I buy that equipment, other times the manufacturer extends the loan period.

Once it’s time to review a product, I set it up on a system. That usually means removing everything, including the cables, and then wiping down the surfaces, cleaning the floors, and wiring in a new system. Everything has to be tidy if it’s going to be filmed. This teardown and setup takes about 3 hours.

Now we start listening.

However, I’m not going to count listening hours in this breakdown, as the number can vary between products. A product with numerous connection points will take much longer than, say, a pair of speakers. Then again, speakers are a topic I sometimes go on at length about in side-by-side comparisons.

So: our subtotal sits at 4 hours as we move through the video production.

I need to write up a video plan before Olaf can come over with his Blackmagic Pocket Cinema 6K Pro. Think of it as a written review based on the listening notes taken over the previous few weeks, but in bullet point form. The video plan also includes an extensive B-roll shot list, and in total takes about 6 hours to put together.

Subtotal: 10 hours.

In case you didn’t know: a-roll is me talking directly into the camera and b-roll is when we cut to show a close-up of the product, or the product in the context of the system or room, or the product next to another product for side-by-side comparisons, or music choices.

Why do we go to such extremes? Video is the ultimate platform for showing and telling. Or rather, telling. and showIn my opinion, there is little point in talking about a product if you don’t show what you’re talking about. Also, I only want to make videos whose quality reflects the luxury nature of hi-fi equipment. All hi-fi equipment, no matter how affordable, is a luxury.

So when Olaf comes to visit for a photo shoot, I spend at least an hour setting up the equipment and dusting surfaces before he arrives. Then I spend at least an hour tidying up after he leaves because, more often than not, there is equipment strewn everywhere. In between, we spend at least four hours shooting nothing but stock photos. A few days later, I spend another hour shooting around ten clips of stock footage using a motorized slider.

Subtotal: 17 hours.

The result of all that b-roll work is a folder containing between 100 and 150 video clips, but I can’t start the editing process until the a-roll is ready.

With the ISO and aperture locked on the Sony A7 SIII, I can only shoot when the lighting in the room is consistent. That means a) there are no clouds in the sky or b) the sky is completely overcast. Sunny or cloudy days are not a good option. Once the weather is favorable, I get my camera and microphone ready, pick an album to talk about, and make a coffee to hold while I talk. Coffee helps me relax because even after five years of doing this, talking in an empty room still feels unnatural, which I can see from my mouth-to-brain time, which is still too long. To help me form proper sentences, I have the bullet points from the video plan that I keep handy.

The shooting process for the first roll typically takes about 2 hours, bringing the subtotal to 19 hours.

Olaf colors the footage remotely and then I remove all the misspelled lines and pauses. This usually takes two hours.

Subtotal: 21 hours.

Before adding the bonus material, I sort the 100-150 clips into folders or bins. This takes me an hour, but it’s time well spent: I no longer have to search and search to find the clip I need. Then I spend another hour finding music (fully licensed by Epidemic Sound) to use in the interludes.

This brings our subtotal to 23 hours.

By far the majority of the time (a whopping 12 hours) is spent layering the B-roll over the main footage, cutting the interludes, and adding the animations. Every clip of B-roll must be layered over the main footage. precisely:I learned to never cut off (or go back) in the middle of a word. It’s too shocking for the viewer.

Now our subtotal stands at 35 hours.

You might ask: If video editing takes so much time, why don’t I just pay someone to do it?

Three reasons:

1) I would need an editor who can tell the difference between a banana plug and a coaxial connector, a bass port and a midrange driver, and Google Cast and Tidal Connect. These kinds of people are in short supply.

2) When I first started making YouTube videos, Jana Dagdagan was editing them. Her time at Stereophile meant she knew about hi-fi. Unfortunately, Jana and I spent more time on the phone discussing possible edits than I did making them myself… which is what I ultimately decided to do.

3) The main reason I edit my videos is that it gives me enormous job satisfaction. I enjoy the creative process.

Before I can export the final edit and prepare it for upload to YouTube, I’ll spend two hours fixing the trickier jump cuts and adjusting sound levels. This includes a full run-through before export and another once the video file has been rendered.

Subtotal: 37 hours.

The success of a video on YouTube depends largely on its presentation: the title and the thumbnail. And that thumbnail doesn’t just appear out of nowhere, it has to be designed. Add to that the writing of the content in the description box, and you’re talking about another two hours.

Hello, 39 hours. For a single video.

And that’s not even taking into account listening time and side-by-side comparisons, which I typically do in the evenings and on weekends. Plus, I have a website, podcast, and Patreon to run. To put that into context, an equivalent written review published with manufacturer-provided photos would take around 10 hours to complete; or 6 hours if I didn’t do any side-by-side comparisons.

I’m not saying any of this to complain. On the contrary, I’m very grateful to have this job. I’m also very grateful to every viewer who enjoys our videos.

No, I’m asking because a patron recently tried to guess how many hours it takes to make a video. He said “12 hours”, so there were only 27 hours left. A stark reminder that it’s probably not obvious to most viewers the work that goes on behind the scenes. And judging by their responses, it’s not obvious to many manufacturers either, who seem baffled by my refusal to review their products.

There is no shortage of interest, time is.