The tools we use for creating YouTube videos

The tools we use for making videos

As urban explorers, we travel to locations of interest and create videos of them. Whilst each video is different, we use the same processes and techniques.

Our camera

Our main footage is shot on a Nikon D5500 DSLR camera. This camera does not support 4K filming, and this is one area where we are planning to upgrade in the near future. We also use mobile phones for filming (Pixel 6a), and these do allow shooting in 4K, but mobile phones have their limitations and drawbacks.

Mobile phones are designed to be as small as possible. This is fantastic for letting you get as many features into your device as possible, but there is no replacement for larger sensors. Most phones do a good job of making the most of the situation, but having a camera with a larger sensor will allow you to capture way more light and get a better result.

Our Drone

We currently use a Parrot Anafi drone for all our aerial footage. We have owned this drone for several years and have not had any issues or problems with it. The Anafi films in 4K and allows you to record in LOG format. The advantage of using LOG files is that more information and detail are saved in the files. This gives you more control over the final footage as you edit it. 

Accessories 

In our camera bag, we take a wide range of accessories that are used for filming…

Tripod and adaptors

Lens blower

LED lighting panels and batteries

Lens cleaning cloths

Dust masks

Wired camera shutter release

Nikor 18-55 mm

Sigma 17-70 mm

Sigma 70-300 mm

File Storage

Whenever you are involved in the creation of media or any form of multimedia production, you will very quickly build up a large number of files. All these files need to be stored somewhere safe and secure. You should never simply rely on your PC to be able to safely store your video files. If you have a serious problem, such as a disk drive failure, you could lose all your data.

In our case, we use a NAS (Network Attached Storage) server as a backup for our files. 

When we come back from filming, one of the first things we do is download all our footage from our devices (cameras, phones and drone) to our main workstation. We then synchronise our workstation to our NAS. This means we now have the files stored on the devices, our workstation and the NAS. This is generally all the redundancy we need, but we also have a cloud storage server where we backup any files we feel are important enough to receive an additional level of safety.

Our NAS server is an HP ML150 G9 system. It runs Ubuntu Server and has 7 x 1TB disk drives installed. We use a system called RAID to provide an additional safety net to our storage system. If any one of the drives were to fail, we can swap the disk for a new one and rebuild the array without losing data.

Video Editing

Video editing is the process of compiling your clips into a completed video. We use two separate pieces of software for our editing. Our main videos are edited using Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve. For YouTube Shorts, we use Kdenlive.

Davinci Resolve is a professional-grade editing suite with incredible tools for all your editing needs. Kdenlive is a much simpler tool to use and will run on much leaner hardware. Our shorts are edited on a simple laptop, so Kdenlive is a useful tool to be able to piece together a quick YouTube short.

We also make use of some additional software within our workflow. For any 3D work, we use Blender. For image editing we use Darktable and Gimp (GNU Image Manipulation Program). Darktable is an opensource raw file editor. Gimp is another piece of opensource software that is an incredible image editing tool.

Free and Opensource

Creating videos can be an expensive activity. We have tried to keep our costs as low as possible. When it comes to hardware and devices such as cameras and drones, there really is no alternative but to pay. Software is a very different story though, all of the software we use is either free or opensource. We currently use the free version of Davinci Resolve. This is provided by Blackmagic Design and has very few limitations compared to the studio (paid) version. 

It is very likely that Davinci Resolve is made available as a free version to get creators involved in the Blackmagic ecosystem. Blackmagic manufactures and sells a wide range of cameras and hardware developed for media creation.

The other software that we use is released as opensource. This means that the software is produced by volunteers who are interested in making great software. Generally, within the opensource community, different people will contribute to specific areas of a project. The entire piece of software will then be released freely for anyone to use. You are also allowed to modify the software to better suit your needs.

As well as using opensource software for our creation tools, we also use an opensource operating system. We currently use Kubuntu Linux as the operating system on our computers.

The key is to find the right set of tools for your specific needs. What works for us may not work for you, and vice versa. Experiment with various tools until you find the right solution for you. Don’t be afraid of change and embrace technology.

Is it still worth uploading videos to Odysee

Odysee is an alternative video platform similar to YouTube. It does not have as many users, so you can’t expect your videos to get anywhere near the same number of views so, is it worth it?

We would say yes, it is because you can set up your Odysee account to automatically grab your new videos from YouTube and sync them with your Odysee channel. This means you only need to upload your videos to YouTube, and they will automatically be uploaded to Odysee with no additional effort required.

 

With a smaller user base on Odysee, it’s fairly certain you will receive fewer views, but with next to no effort required, it is additional exposure for your content.

Will views on Odysee be counted as views/watch time on YouTube?

No, when you place content on Odysee, it is hosted on an entirely different platform. Views on Odysee will not count towards your views on YouTube. This means that any watch time you generate on Odysee will not count towards your total watch time on YouTube.

It is possible you may gain some extra subscribers, though. If users find your content on Odysee and like it, they may look you up on YouTube and subscribe to you there.

What is LBC?

LBC (LBRY Credits) are a cryptocurrency that is used on the Odysee (formerly LBRY) platform. You can earn LBC for carrying out various tasks on Odysee. LBC used to hold a not insignificant value, but in recent times its value has fallen. Its value may grow in the future.

You can earn LBC for creating an account, publishing content, watching content and various other activities. The reason for the collapse in the value of LBC was due to a dispute between Odysee and the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission).

Odysee/LBRY lost their case against the SEC, and since then, LBC has been almost worthless.

How do you sync your YouTube channel to Odysee?

Odysee has made it simple to sync your YouTube channel with Odysee. You can set up your Odysee account to update each time you upload content to YouTube. You simply upload to YouTube, and the new content will soon become available on Odysee.

The initial synchronisation can take some time (weeks), but once you are synced up, new content is generally available on the Odysee platform within an hour of uploading to YouTube.

The first thing you need to do is create an account on Odysee. By using this link. Register as a new user, and once your account has been set up and verified, you can now “Sync your YouTube channel”.

Once logged in you should click the upload icon at the top of the screen. This will present you with a dropdown. Select “Sync YouTube Channel”

From there, you will have the ability to provide Odysee with your YouTube channel details.

It is important to note that Sync is only available for channels with more than 1000 subscribers on YouTube (watch time does not matter).

If you have less than 1000 subscribers, the sync will not complete. In this case, you can simply create a new channel on Odysee and upload your content there.

Summary

Odysee is certainly a very interesting platform, and I will be very interested to see if they can gain a larger audience base. Right now, YouTube is still very much the king of online video, but who knows what the future holds? It makes sense for your content to be made available on alternative platforms.

If you are already on Odysee, we would very much appreciate a follow!

Follow Urbexy on Odysee.

 

YouTube and FilmMusic.io

2025 Update: FilmMusic.io is no longer the same service it was when this article was written. It is now used to host the owner’s music. You can however, still download and use the music within your videos under creative commons license...

From time to time, YouTube creators will receive an email from the YouTube team telling them one of their videos has been restricted or removed. In many cases, the creator will know what has happened and will accept the email. If for example, your work includes copyright material that you are not licensed to use, then you shouldn’t be using it.

YouTube Video Removal Notification Email

Sometimes, though, YouTube does get it wrong, and its reasons for restricting or removing content are false. In these cases, you can appeal the decision and in most cases, you can expect to win.

A couple of days ago, I received such an email informing me that a video had been removed because I included a link to a web page involved in “spam, deceptive practices and scams”. The link in question was to a well-known website that allows musicians to share their work with other creators.

Filmmusic.io is a website that allows musicians to create an account and upload their work onto the platform. Creators can then browse and search for suitable music for use in their projects. The work is generally released under a Creative Commons licence. This means video creators (like us) can freely use the music as long as we give full credit to the artist.

Creative Commons

We include the credit at the end of our videos and also in the YouTube description. It was the link to the Creative Commons licence page on FilmMusic’s website that YouTube did not like.

When I received the email from YouTube, the first thing I did was head over to their website to appeal the removal. To my surprise, the video was not removed. When I went into Creator Studio, there was no mention of a removal. I then went to FilmMusic.io with the intention of alerting the owner to the potential issue. I was pleasantly surprised to see he was already fully aware and had set up a section on his website to highlight the issue…

Sascha Ende is the owner of the FilmMusic.io website, and he has done an incredible job with it. We have been using his service for years and view it as an incredible resource. I believe in Creative Commons, and as an amateur photographer, I release my photographs on Pixabay under a similar license.

I cannot create music, but if I could, I would upload it to FilmMusic.io

You can read the full press release from FilmMusic

Corporations need to stop relying on algorithms to the extent they currently do. Errors like this can do incredible harm to innocent parties. This had the potential to cause serious harm to FilmMusic.io

Upon reading the comments, I was happy to see most people were understanding and “got” what was happening. In reality, it should never have happened.

Welcome to our new website

We have recently upgraded our website. We have been able to retain all of our old content and blog posts.

The new website will allow us to more easily manage our web presence. Up until this new point, we were running a custom-built content management system. It had become apparent over the past year or so that it was time to upgrade to something easier to use and manage.

We have opted to go with WordPress as our content management system. We have also chosen to use two distinct types of content. Or explores section where we write about and share video links to all of our explores and a blog section where we introduce some non-explore related content into the mix. This could be anything from articles to rants.

We have a lot of ideas for additional things we would like to do with this website moving forward. We will continue to keep it regularly updated with content.

Crookston Castle – Glasgow

Crookston Castle is the only remaining medieval castle within the city of Glasgow.

The present castle was built by the Stewarts of Darnley around 1400. It was built on the site of an earthwork thought to be the remains of a previous defensive structure dating back to the 1100s.

Crookston Castle is managed and maintained by Historic Environment Scotland.

The castle has received extensive damage over the centuries, yet what remains is still very impressive. One of the castle’s original four towers is still accessible and offers spectacular views out over the city.

Our video of Crookston Castle…

Duchal Castle

Duchal Castle in Kilmacolm, Scotland

We have visited the remains of Duchal Castle in the past, but it is always interesting to return to a location to see how it has changed. With a very old site like this, it can be very difficult to notice any real changes, especially when they have been in a ruinous state for centuries.

The entire site is very overgrown and loaded with stinging nettles. It’s quite surreal to be within the remains of a courtyard-style castle yet also walking through an area of woodland.

The most substantial ruins are towards the west of the site. The rest of the remains are fragmented across the surrounding area.

If you venture down into the valley from the castle, you should be aware that the remains of the back wall look very insecure and potentially dangerous. Any rock that falls from there could result in serious injury or perhaps worse. You need to be aware of the risk before heading down.

When we visited, the water level in the burn was very low compared to usual, and you could see various masonry blocks that had fallen down the valley from the castle ruins. Some of them appear to be dressed stone, so they were probably from the very exterior of the wall.

Within the “footprint” of the castle, there are few substantial remains. The western site of the site has the most preserved remains, and these are probably 4 meters tall. The rest are small sections here and there that would have formed walls.

The castle was in the form of a courtyard castle, and the remains of the main building are to the east of the site. This is a mound of earth with evidence of masonry and walls visible in areas

Here is a short video we filmed whilst exploring the ruins of Duchal Castle…

Abandoned Hilltop Farm

We stumbled upon this former farm building when looking for another location. We thought the farm was still in active use until we arrived to find it derelict and abandoned.

From the condition of the building, we can only assume it has not been lived in for quite some time. All furniture and belongings have been removed, leaving only carpets and wall coverings. We do not know exactly when the property was abandoned, but we would guess at least 10-15 years.

The surrounding farmland appears to be used as grazing land by neighbouring farms for Sheep and cattle. The building itself is in a poor condition, with the external rendering being damaged. Internally, there is a lot of dampness and signs of water ingress. Due to water penetrating the fabric of the building, the floors feel very soft.

The various outbuildings are also in bad shape. The main outbuilding, which we assume was a cowshed, has been seriously damaged by weather, with large sections of its metal roof missing. The other buildings (mainly brick-built outbuildings) are also in varying stages of disrepair.

Very little is known about this location. We can only guess about its future. It appears this building is perhaps beyond economic repair, so it is unlikely it will be used as a residence again.

Wartime Coastal Battery

Cloch Battery was a coastal defence battery located near the town of Gourock on the West Coast of Scotland. It was operational in both WWI and WWII.

Today, you can still find fragmented remains of the battery site, including the main firing control building, which is located on the hillside above Cloch Point and the Cloch Lighthouse.

Some sections of the battery are hidden in plain sight. One of the searchlight positions has been demolished to only a few feet high. The walls have been capped with decorative topping stone, and it now serves as a viewpoint overlooking the River Clyde.

A guard room has been fully demolished, leaving only its concrete floor. This is now a seating area with benches and also offers views out over the river. On the ground, you can still see where internal walls would have once stood. This gives us a lot of clues about the layout and purpose of the former building.

Cloch Battery is now dominated by Cloch Caravan Park. But when walking around, you can still see evidence of its past. You can still see the concrete walls that would have once been a base for the gun positions. You can also clearly see the location of the magazine.

The Tenement House

The Tenement House in Glasgow is a time capsule into the past and gives us an idea of what it would have been like to live in a typical middle-class Glasgow tenement. The home has been preserved, and it is managed by the National Trust for Scotland. The tenement house was once the home of Agnes Toward. She lived there all of her life (1911-1965). In her early years, she had the companionship of her mother. When her mother passed away, Agnes kept the home and lived out the rest of her life there. Agnes Toward did not change with the times. She was happy with what she had and looked after her possessions. She kept a record of her life through her correspondence, letters and postcards. In doing so, she in effect told her story through her house and its contents. Even when Agnes passed away, her home was still fitted with gas lighting. She did not have a television. Her kitchen was dominated by a large stove that would not only have been used for cooking, it would have been the original source of heat within the home. The main sitting room was well-appointed with horse hair chairs and a warm fireplace. Traces of her past can be found all throughout the house in pictures and letters.

Many people who visit Tenement House may remember being in similar housing either through their parents or grandparents. The Tenement house is thought of as being a typical middle-class Glasgow tenement.

The Tenement House and its contents are going to become more significant as the years go by. For this reason, it is important that The Tenement House is preserved now, so it will be available for generations to come to experience and enjoy.

Video of the Tenement House Glasgow…

Loch Long torpedo test range

We recently made a return trip to the former torpedo test range on Loch Long. We were interested to see how its condition had changed since we last visited in February 2018.

The ruins remain pretty much the same as they were during our previous visit. The jetty appears to have had some maintenance carried out and may be used as a landing port for small passenger craft entering Loch Long.

The upturned bunker is still sitting precariously. We are not sure if this has become insecure and rolled off the raised ground or if this was rolled off its footprint during the demolition work at the site. It’s impressive to see this cast concrete structure resting at such an angle.

The area surrounding the site is very overgrown, and there are traces of previous structures located all around the immediate area.

The following video is from our latest visit…