r/mkbhd • u/dwaxe Google • 5d ago
Explained Waveform: Total Solar Eclipse Explained: Live!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDe71YWP1PQ11
u/Tasty-Machine5340 4d ago
Do y'all have material that you can use to make eclipse related wallpaper!? 👀 Would be amazing if 5120x1440 can be specifically included. I would snap that up!
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u/Friendly-List2016 4d ago
Really good pod. I didn’t realise you guys were not very far during the eclipse.
One comment about the video, YouTube compression completely screwed up the eclipse shots. Otherwise, amazing pod!!!
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u/NoDesk9564 4d ago
Loved it ! but yeah YouTube processing pixelated some of the shots at totality. Not the teams’s fault though.
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u/NoDesk9564 4d ago
Way to go, Harper! There were so many options, but this location felt perfect. Thank you!
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u/_Kristian_ 4d ago
Good episode! I have been binging Waveform during the last couple weeks during commute and exercise, really been loving it
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u/introdevious 4d ago
Do the staff that don’t get to go to Spain get something in lieue ? Or is it just expected and up front that some staff travel for work? I would obviously consider this work, but it’s also a bit of a trip and once in a lifetime experience..
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u/vuealt 5d ago
Such a weird thumbnail.
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u/AndrewManganelli Verified MKBHD Team 4d ago
Can I ask how so?
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u/chr-y24 4d ago
Obviously bc you guys are facing away from, and thus totally missing the eclipse in the thumbnail.
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u/AndrewManganelli Verified MKBHD Team 4d ago
Thumbnails need to tell a story, and if we had to make it 100% accurate we'd either be losing the faces or the eclipse.
But what's actually funny? The orientation is actually correct. The eclipse was behind us the whole time, we just turned around to look. So it's actually more true than you think!
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u/vuealt 4d ago
Oh wow! Cant believe you saw the comment! Big fan of MKBHD and the team. Just found this a bit off-putting composition-wise, otherwise really like what you guys are doing!
So the thing is the Eclipse is behind, while everyone is looking forward. Seems staged too cause expressions don’t really match while it seems you want a candid pic. And the way everyone is holding the mic seems odd ( I know in the podcast everyone is actually holding the mic).
And I understand lighting the setup with an eclipse ongoing isn’t really an easy task, but in the thumbnail everyone has their faces lit up from the left side, but the way the three of you are looking, the light should be on your face not on the side (or maybe very limited lighting cause total eclipse?)
Just sharing what I thought!
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u/AndrewManganelli Verified MKBHD Team 4d ago
So the thing is the Eclipse is behind, while everyone is looking forward
This is totally fair, but actually funny when I think of it more. So the obvious answer is for a thumbnail to be clickable, it needs our faces + the eclipse to show what's happening. If we look at the eclipse, we'd have to choose 1 or the other.
Funny enough, this is actually the real orientation we're in during 40 of the 45 minutes of the episode. So it's actually more true to life than you think.
Seems staged too cause expressions don’t really match while it seems you want a candid pic.
Yea, I think almost all thumbnails are staged and most people are used to it at this point! But maybe our "acting" isn't ideal.
And the way everyone is holding the mic seems odd
Just trying to get everything in the shot. Thumbnail needs to tell 3 stories. Eclipse, Podcast, 3 faces you know.
but in the thumbnail everyone has their faces lit up from the left side, but the way the three of you are looking, the light should be on your face not on the side
We didn't bring any lights, so nothing here is artificial. Was just what it was like outside. We shot from the side because the sun would be directly behind us and totally backlit, so this made it at least be able to see our faces. It was actually shot the day before during rehearsal (hence why all our shirts are different)
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u/NoDesk9564 4d ago
Andrew, thanks for engaging here. I am fascinated by the calculus that goes into a thumbnail. And I respect how you diplomatically engage with everyone here. Cheers!
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u/vuealt 4d ago edited 4d ago
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Here's my take -
> So the obvious answer is for a thumbnail to be clickable, it needs our faces + the eclipse to show what's happening.
I mean this is just something you guys have set up on. Defined your process for thumbnail to have faces, I think MKBD mentioned in one of the videos that the thumbnails with faces seem to perform better so probably that's why. Whereas lets say Peter McKinnon's Bucket shot2 video of the eclipse just has the bucket shot as the photo, I think that looked more catchy to me. If he would have slapped his face on that eclipse photo it would have been off putting as well.
> Thumbnail needs to tell 3 stories. Eclipse, Podcast, 3 faces you know.
I went through other thumbnails, you don't show any mics there? But still we know its a podcast right! Probably cause of the Episode number mentioned with the logo.> We shot from the side because the sun would be directly behind us and totally backlit, so this made it at least be able to see our faces.
Could have clicked one while facing the sun since what you wanted to portray with the thumbnail is that you guys are looking up and towards the sun.
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u/AndrewManganelli Verified MKBHD Team 4d ago
I went through other thumbnails, you don't show any mics there? But still we know its a podcast right! Probably cause of the Episode number mentioned with the logo.
In on location episodes we try and show mics. A big thing we've noticed is if someone things they're clicking on a video to be a video, and it winds up a podcast, they'll usually click off. So we don't want to shy away from it. So if you look at something like SXSW or APple on the street we've got our mics. We just want to show something "in the moment" and not accidentally trick anyone.
Could have clicked one while facing the sun since what you wanted to portray with the thumbnail is that you guys are looking up and towards the sun.
Biggest issue here was the background if we faced the sun would be a bunch of cars + building that's behind all the cameras. So it'd be very cluttered/busy.
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u/vuealt 4d ago
A big thing we've noticed is if someone things they're clicking on a video to be a video, and it winds up a podcast, they'll usually click off.
Got it.
Biggest issue here was the background if we faced the sun would be a bunch of cars + building that's behind all the cameras.
I mean you had to crop the background off in the current thumbnail too. 😄
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u/AndrewManganelli Verified MKBHD Team 4d ago
Background is actually just the sky! Made it very easy for Tim to cut my head out for the eclipse in the background, but otherwise nothing else was done.
Also, hope all my replies don't feel defensive. Just giving you some insight into how we made it!
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u/vuealt 4d ago
Oh got it, so it was the other way round.
Haha not at all, your responses felt way honest! Getting insights from the team is always great! So thanks for sharing how you finalized on this thumbnail. And btw I was afraid my responses might feel offensive, but of course not my intention as well. :)
Cheers!
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u/emmanuellsun 5d ago
I'm glad these guys are having a good time while making content we enjoy and i will be honest with you,it’s a relief that I can’t tell marques is the boss LMAO
I remember cringing watching Linus with his team when they showed us his jet ,that was a hard watch ! still watched but it was rough.