What to Do When Old Videos Come Back to Haunt You

We all have some old video projects floating around out there that we’re not particularly proud of. It’s not unusual, when looking back at our past videos, to suddenly see all the imperfections we missed when we were originally working on the project. Each new production teaches us new skills and elevates the expectations we hold for ourselves and our work. We may cringe at our old videos in part because we are retroactively applying the same standards we apply to our current projects, but of course those old projects will never measure up.

At Videomaker, with a 30 year history, we've many such projects. As technology and image quality have evolved, so have our videos. We’ve also gotten much better at presenting information with time and experience.

Even looking back as few as ten years, when we first started uploading to the Videomaker YouTube channel, we see plenty of humorous instances where videos we once shared proudly in no way meet the standards of quality we strive towards today. Most of our early uploads fall short of today's standards in both production value and information presented.

Take this video we posted in 2007 — Videomaker’s Composition Tips 101.

Watching it now, we can find numerous gripes. Our “tips” boil down to one brief explanation of the the rule of thirds, and even that is incomplete and hastily illustrated. Compare that to our most recent iteration of this lesson, and you can see exactly how much our style and presentation have evolved over the years.

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When comparing our old work to the work we are capable of today, it’s important to remember that both are part of your development as a video producer. Styles change, technology progresses and we continue learning and improving. So instead of cringing at your past work, consider it a vital step in a larger journey towards video production mastery. Videomaker will be here to help and learn with you along the way.

Nicole LaJeunesse
Nicole LaJeunesse
Nicole LaJeunesse is a professional writer and a curious person who loves to unpack stories on anything from music, to movies, to gaming and beyond.

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