Page 1 – Learning the Basics

This page focuses on the first phase of my YouTube journey—learning the basics of running a gaming channel and publishing videos that eventually became some of my most popular uploads.

Starting from zero

When I began creating content in 2023, everything was new to me. I had to learn how to record gameplay and microphone audio, edit videos to keep them entertaining, and export them correctly for YouTube. At this stage my channel mainly focused on horror games and reaction-based content recorded with a friend.

Learning simple editing

My earliest videos taught me the importance of pacing: cutting out slow moments, keeping reactions visible and syncing audio correctly with gameplay. Even basic editing techniques made a big difference in how watchable the videos became.

Discovering thumbnails and titles

I quickly realized how important thumbnails and titles were for getting clicks. This was one of the first moments where I understood how video packaging affects whether the YouTube algorithm recommends content to new viewers.

I originally learned to use Photoshop with help from a friend. Without his guidance, I would not have been able to create my early thumbnails at all. He taught me the essential tools and techniques that allowed me to design thumbnails with strong facial expressions, bright colors and simple graphic elements such as arrows, symbols, contrast highlights and glowing effects.

Today my workflow combines both manual Photoshop skills and AI assistance. I begin every thumbnail by taking screenshots directly from my gameplay and editing them manually in Photoshop. This keeps the thumbnail authentic and closely tied to the actual content of the video.

When a thumbnail needs improvements I cannot fully do myself—such as lighting adjustments, enhanced color balance or cleaner edges—I use AI only to enhance specific elements. I upload my edited screenshot into ChatGPT’s image tools and instruct it which part to enhance, instead of asking the AI to generate a completely new image. This keeps the original style and gameplay screenshots intact while still benefiting from AI-supported polish.

First popular videos

The image above shows several of my most popular early videos. These uploads include both Geometry Dash tutorials and horror reactions that reached thousands of views.

Why these videos performed well

Looking at these thumbnails, I can now identify a few key reasons why they attracted clicks and views:

• Clear emotional reactions: Strong fear or excitement expressions catch attention immediately in the YouTube feed.
• Visual storytelling: Many thumbnails present a mystery, challenge or reward that makes viewers curious.
• High-contrast colors: Purples, pinks, reds and bright yellow elements stand out well against YouTube’s dark interface.
• Simple composition: A single clear subject makes the thumbnail readable in less than a second.
• Trending topics: Game secrets, event levels, achievements and updates naturally attract traffic.

This learning phase built the foundation for everything that followed. Understanding thumbnails, pacing and topic choice helped move my channel toward the Geometry Dash focus that defines my content today.