How to run a Halo News Channel

Community General Discussion
1

Here’s how: don’t.

I’m just kidding… kind of. Since the creation of Halo: CE, there have been plenty of different types of Halo videos out there. MLG-type montages showcase the abilities of certain star players. Machinimas capture the creative abilities of players, turning Halo into a film (a film worth watching, generally). Mods and custom content have been produced in full for Halo: CE and Halo 2, and some even exist for Halo 3 or Reach. Achievement hunters show off stunts and tricks and easter eggs. However, the most common Halo video type today that seems to be the only thing most Halo fans watch nowadays are news channels.

HaloFollower is probably the most notable example, and their agenda is the same: produce more videos, produce more cash. Their videos are all similar in making - a drab speaker narrates a simple script, on what is generally speculation or simple theory. When there is actual news to be reported on, they milk it as much as they can, producing up to even 3 or 4 videos on the same topic. While HaloFollower follows this simple clickbait template, other Halo news channels have also followed a very similar pattern, and now other channels such as Ready Up Live or UltimateHalo exist.

If this is the kind of thing the modern Halo fan will be watching, so be it. However, I want to post this in the hopes that some aspiring channel maker will take this to heart and use it in their creations. If we’re gonna have Halo news channels, let’s at least have them done correctly. I don’t have the time nor the patience (nor the interest) to make one myself, but hopefully my tips can help someone who might make a “Halo news channel”.

1. Your focus is on community and news - NOT money.

One of the biggest reasons that HaloFollower and other clickbait channels don’t produce worthy videos is because they don’t care to. So many people watch their videos that all they care about is generating revenue by using their subscribers. They put flashy titles into their videos (example: “Halo 5 - Master Chief a MURDERER???” or “Halo 3 ODST Port + Halo 2 Anniversary DLC RELEASED!!!”) as the capital letters / flashy wording attract more viewers, thus generating more profit. The occasional exclamation mark and capital letters are fine, but don’t do it all the time. Clickbaiters also make several videos on the exact same topic, as each video means more money. Do not make repeat videos (2/3 videos saying the same thing) for extra money. My point is that you shouldn’t clickbait - it only shows you’re a greedy channel who doesn’t care about your viewers, which will generate bad feelings of your channel. I beg you, PLEASE do not have money as a focus when making these videos. Do it to reveal to the community upcoming information, as well as highlighting important information. Remember your focus - spreading and showing news about Halo.

2. Spread news with purpose, and emotion.
Take interest in what you are doing. Don’t mumble without a care about your video. If you don’t enjoy making these videos, then don’t make them. Take pride in your channel, and spread the news with heart and soul: make it interesting for us to watch! Nobody wants to sit there and listen to some boring guy drone on. Pep up your videos! Now, this does not conflict with my first point; you can make interesting videos without being a beggar. Just make sure your heart is into it!

3. Not every video has to be news related.
Community shoutouts, mod/machinima showcases, and other events would do miracles for your channel and others’ channels. Have news videos and also showcase and highlight other interesting happenings in the Halo world at the same time. At one point, Ultimate Halo did do a pretty good job at this - however, they’ve seemingly stopped (as far as I can tell). Keep your channel interesting. Most, if not all of your subscribers will appreciate a non-news video every now and then.

4. Community outreach is important.

Talk to your viewers. Whether it be on a forum that you create, a different popular forum, or some medium of social media, communicating with your viewers is essential. Twitch streams, game nights, community shoutouts - all of these show that you care about your viewers. This will keep them satisfied and more willing to watch your channel, and it also keeps community as a focus, which I said earlier. That’s still important - you’re making this channel for your viewers and the game of Halo itself, not the money that you get as a reward for what should be good videos.

I hope I’ve emphasized some good points. Now, remember, there are plenty of other channel types you could make that’d be better than a news channel in the first place. However, if you feel it necescary to create such a channel, keep some of these points in mind.

Have a good day.
~ PrometheanSigma

(P.S. - Please don’t watch HaloFollower. They are the prime reason I wrote this as they only care about money, and not their viewers. While I don’t like channels such as Ready Up Live or UltimateHalo either, they care a bit more about their communities than HaloFollower. Please, watch anybody BUT HaloFollower).

2

HaloFollower is pretty bad, but the vast majority of Halo Machinimas are just awful. Some are so bad they are funny, and others simply cause you physical harm from cringing so much. I think if you believe they are ‘generally worth watching’ you haven’t done enough digging past the Digital Ph33r’s and Rooster Teeths’ of the community.

About Halo News channels though…I guess I never really saw the point. Occasionally you get videos of leaked or otherwise relatively unknown content but the vast majority of the time it’s something everyone who reads the front page of Waypoint already knows anyways. And that’s best case scenario, worst case your channel is 25% obvious news, 10% leaked news, and the rest is clickbait and speculation.

Here’s what I think is a good channel. The guy puts out legitimately insightful content, and he does it to help people, not to gain views or money.

3

Preach. It.

4

> 2533274819302824;2:
> HaloFollower is pretty bad, but the vast majority of Halo Machinimas are just awful. Some are so bad they are funny, and others simply cause you physical harm from cringing so much. I think if you believe they are ‘generally worth watching’ you haven’t done enough digging past the Digital Ph33r’s and Rooster Teeths’ of the community.
>
> About Halo News channels though…I guess I never really saw the point. Occasionally you get videos of leaked or otherwise relatively unknown content but the vast majority of the time it’s something everyone who reads the front page of Waypoint already knows anyways. And that’s best case scenario, worst case your channel is 25% obvious news, 10% leaked news, and the rest is clickbait and speculation.
>
> Here’s what I think is a good channel. The guy puts out legitimately insightful content, and he does it to help people, not to gain views or money.

Well, I didn’t mean to make one of my minor subpoints into a seperare argument, but I agree. There are tons of awful machinimas out there. However, most people nowadays don’t really care enough to search past RvB or mainstream machinimas. Bad machinimas do exist, but they’re generally left untouched.

I also agree with the news channel ideal and it being completely unnecessary to make one, but this post was made for the ignorant people who want to make one anyways.

5

Toa freak’s halo canon channel is pretty good…

6

> 2533274812188563;1:
> Here’s how: don’t.
>
> I’m just kidding… kind of. Since the creation of Halo: CE, there have been plenty of different types of Halo videos out there. MLG-type montages showcase the abilities of certain star players. Machinimas capture the creative abilities of players, turning Halo into a film (a film worth watching, generally). Mods and custom content have been produced in full for Halo: CE and Halo 2, and some even exist for Halo 3 or Reach. Achievement hunters show off stunts and tricks and easter eggs. However, the most common Halo video type today that seems to be the only thing most Halo fans watch nowadays are news channels.
>
> HaloFollower is probably the most notable example, and their agenda is the same: produce more videos, produce more cash. Their videos are all similar in making - a drab speaker narrates a simple script, on what is generally speculation or simple theory. When there is actual news to be reported on, they milk it as much as they can, producing up to even 3 or 4 videos on the same topic. While HaloFollower follows this simple clickbait template, other Halo news channels have also followed a very similar pattern, and now other channels such as Ready Up Live or UltimateHalo exist.
>
> If this is the kind of thing the modern Halo fan will be watching, so be it. However, I want to post this in the hopes that some aspiring channel maker will take this to heart and use it in their creations. If we’re gonna have Halo news channels, let’s at least have them done correctly. I don’t have the time nor the patience (nor the interest) to make one myself, but hopefully my tips can help someone who might make a “Halo news channel”.
>
> 1. Your focus is on community and news - NOT money.
>
> One of the biggest reasons that HaloFollower and other clickbait channels don’t produce worthy videos is because they don’t care to. So many people watch their videos that all they care about is generating revenue by using their subscribers. They put flashy titles into their videos (example: “Halo 5 - Master Chief a MURDERER???” or “Halo 3 ODST Port + Halo 2 Anniversary DLC RELEASED!!!”) as the capital letters / flashy wording attract more viewers, thus generating more profit. The occasional exclamation mark and capital letters are fine, but don’t do it all the time. Clickbaiters also make several videos on the exact same topic, as each video means more money. Do not make repeat videos (2/3 videos saying the same thing) for extra money. My point is that you shouldn’t clickbait - it only shows you’re a greedy channel who doesn’t care about your viewers, which will generate bad feelings of your channel. I beg you, PLEASE do not have money as a focus when making these videos. Do it to reveal to the community upcoming information, as well as highlighting important information. Remember your focus - spreading and showing news about Halo.
>
> 2. Spread news with purpose, and emotion.
> Take interest in what you are doing. Don’t mumble without a care about your video. If you don’t enjoy making these videos, then don’t make them. Take pride in your channel, and spread the news with heart and soul: make it interesting for us to watch! Nobody wants to sit there and listen to some boring guy drone on. Pep up your videos! Now, this does not conflict with my first point; you can make interesting videos without being a beggar. Just make sure your heart is into it!
>
> 3. Not every video has to be news related.
> Community shoutouts, mod/machinima showcases, and other events would do miracles for your channel and others’ channels. Have news videos and also showcase and highlight other interesting happenings in the Halo world at the same time. At one point, Ultimate Halo did do a pretty good job at this - however, they’ve seemingly stopped (as far as I can tell). Keep your channel interesting. Most, if not all of your subscribers will appreciate a non-news video every now and then.
>
> 4. Community outreach is important.
>
> Talk to your viewers. Whether it be on a forum that you create, a different popular forum, or some medium of social media, communicating with your viewers is essential. Twitch streams, game nights, community shoutouts - all of these show that you care about your viewers. This will keep them satisfied and more willing to watch your channel, and it also keeps community as a focus, which I said earlier. That’s still important - you’re making this channel for your viewers and the game of Halo itself, not the money that you get as a reward for what should be good videos.
>
> I hope I’ve emphasized some good points. Now, remember, there are plenty of other channel types you could make that’d be better than a news channel in the first place. However, if you feel it necescary to create such a channel, keep some of these points in mind.
>
> Have a good day.
> ~ PrometheanSigma
>
> (P.S. - Please don’t watch HaloFollower. They are the prime reason I wrote this as they only care about money, and not their viewers. While I don’t like channels such as Ready Up Live or UltimateHalo either, they care a bit more about their communities than HaloFollower. Please, watch anybody BUT HaloFollower).

I can’t stand halofollower. They are really aweful. I like you ideas thanks for posting them. I thought this was going to be what the halo channel was but again a big disappointment.

7

> 2533274925892496;5:
> Toa freak’s halo canon channel is pretty good…

I’ve never heard of him. I don’t doubt you, though. All of the good Halo channels are submerged and hard to find nowadays. Searches on Google or YouTube only reveal clickbait spam from HaloFollower or similar channels.