How to Make 34 Videos in 30 Days: Ideas, Workflow, and Tools

How to Make 34 Videos in 30 Days: Ideas, Workflow, and Tools

You don’t need a production studio or a giant team to ship 34 videos in 30 days. You need a tight system: clear themes, repeatable formats, a sprint calendar with buffer days, and a small stack of tools that turn ideas into publish-ready videos at speed. This playbook breaks down the why, what, and how—so you cross the finish line with better skills and a durable content engine.

Why aiming for 34 videos works

• Specific target beats “post more.” A concrete number (34) forces scope decisions, resource planning, and a publish rhythm.
• Compound learning. Every upload returns data about hooks, topics, thumbnails, and delivery. Thirty-four reps compress a year of “occasional posting” into one month of accelerated feedback.
• Algorithmic momentum. Platforms prioritize frequent, reliable uploads. Consistency improves recency signals, viewer session time, and the chance your next video gets picked up.

Why 34 (and not exactly 30)?

• Adds four buffer days for illness, reshoots, or edits that run long.
• Encourages stacking formats: long-form + shorts across channels to compound reach.
• Rounds up your “one a day” into a stretch goal that builds margin into the schedule.

Define audience and goals

Before you hit record, know who you’re speaking to and why they’ll care.

• Choose 3–5 content pillars that bridge what you know and what your audience wants.
• Example pillars for a creator-educator: Creator Tools, Workflow, Monetization, Audience Growth, Case Studies.
• Map pains and desires.
• Pains: “Editing takes too long,” “I don’t know what to post,” “My videos don’t get views.”
• Desires: “Publish faster,” “Grow subscribers,” “Earn income.”
• Validate demand before filming:
• Search signals: YouTube auto-suggest, Google Trends, “People also ask,” Reddit threads.
• Competitive scan: Sort top channels in your niche by “Most popular,” note topics, lengths, hooks.
• Lightweight tests: Post a 30–60 second “opinion short” to gauge interest and comments.

Build a 30-day sprint calendar (with 4 buffer days)

Your goal: 34 videos in 30 days by stacking formats and reserving recovery time.

• Channels and cadence:
• YouTube long-form: 2 per week (8–10 total).
• Shorts/Reels/TikTok: 5–6 per week (24–26 total).
• 4 buffer days: no filming; use for recovery, backlog, or emergency edits.
• Stack formats:
• Each long-form becomes 2–3 shorts.
• Mix native shorts (camera-facing tips) with repurposed long-form highlights.

Expand ideas fast: from pillars to 34 titles

Turn each pillar into repeatable series templates. Aim for at least 7 titles per pillar to surpass 34.

• Problem–Solution: “Fix [pain] in 10 Minutes: [tool/process].”
• Myths: “5 Myths About [topic] Killing Your Growth.”
• Teardown: “I Analyzed 10 Viral [niche] Videos—Here’s the Pattern.”
• Behind-the-Scenes: “My 45-Minute Edit Workflow (Step-by-Step).”
• Challenges: “I Posted 2 Shorts a Day for a Week—The Results.”

Example expansion for “Workflow” pillar:

• “Stop Wasting Time Editing: My Shot List Template”
• “Batch Filming in 90 Minutes: Exact Schedule”
• “Automate Captions with [Tool]: 5-Minute Setup”
• “Notion Content Calendar: Free Template + Tutorial”
• “7 Hooks That Boost Watch Time (with Examples)”
• “I Tried 3 AI Editors—Which Is Fastest?”
• “The 4-File System That Made Me 2x Faster”

Pre-production system

Consistency starts with a pre-flight checklist you can repeat.

• Hooks: Write 3–5 options. Lead with a cliffhanger, counter-intuitive insight, or bold promise.
• Outlines: Bullet beats; don’t script every word unless needed for compliance or precision.
• CTAs: One per video (subscribe, comment a keyword, download lead magnet).
• Thumbnails: Draft concepts alongside titles. Design for “squint test” clarity.
• Research workflow (15–30 minutes per video):
• Trends: Google Trends, YouTube Trending in your niche.
• Keywords: TubeBuddy/vidIQ, AnswerThePublic, Keyword Planner.
• Proof: Screenshots of similar videos with high views relative to channel size.

Template snippets you can paste into a doc:

Title (v1–v3):
Hook (0–5s):
Payoff (what they get by minute 2):
Beats (3–7 bullets):
CTA:
Thumbnail concept (3 words + emoji sketch):
B-roll/overlays needed:

Batch production made simple

Gear checklist (keep it light)

• Camera: Your phone (modern iPhone/Android is plenty) or a mirrorless (Sony ZV-E10, Canon R50).
• Audio: Lav mic (Wired or wireless) or a small shotgun (e.g., Deity, Rode). Prioritize audio over camera upgrades.
• Lighting: Window light + sheer curtain; or a softbox/ring light. Aim light 45° off-axis, eye-level.
• Support: Tripod, small light stand, phone clamp; optional teleprompter glass if scripting.

Lighting and audio basics

• Kill echo: rugs, curtains, bookshelves. Record in smaller rooms.
• White balance: lock it. Don’t let auto mode shift mid-take.
• Sound floor: turn off AC/fans; place mic 6–8 inches from mouth.

Shot lists, timeboxing, and delivery

• Shot list: A-roll beats + must-have B-roll (2–3 cutaways per beat).
• Timeboxing:
• 20 min: Set + light + audio check
• 60 min: Film 4–6 shorts
• 60–90 min: Film 2 long-form
• On-camera delivery:
• Use bullet prompts, not full teleprompter, for natural pacing.
• Reset quickly: clap between takes to mark edits; keep energy up.

Editing pipeline and templates

Your goal: fast, consistent output.

• Reusable motion graphics: intro/outro, lower third, subscribe pop, chapter markers.
• Captioning: Auto-generate, then refine (CapCut, Descript, Premiere + plugins).
• Presets: Color LUT for your camera/room, audio EQ/denoise preset, export presets per platform.
• AI-assisted cutting: Use jump cut tools (Descript, AutoCut, Autopod) to remove silence and filler.
• Aspect ratios:
• Long-form: 16:9
• Shorts/Reels/TikTok: 9:16
• Square for feeds: 1:1 (optional)

Sample ffmpeg one-liners for resizing/cropping:

## 16:9 to 9:16 vertical crop (center crop 1080x1920 from 1920x1080 source)

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "crop=1080:1920:420:0,scale=1080:1920" -c:a copy short-vertical.mp4

## Burn subtitles (SRT) into a short

ffmpeg -i short-vertical.mp4 -vf "subtitles=captions.srt:force_style='Fontsize=24,PrimaryColour=&H00FFFF&'" short-captioned.mp4

Suggested project structure:

/Project_34in30
  /01_RAW
    /LF/2025-01-Week1
    /Shorts/2025-01-Week1
  /02_ASSETS (music, LUTs, SFX, motion)
  /03_PROJECT (NLE project files)
  /04_EXPORTS
    /YouTube
    /Shorts
    /Reels
  /05_THUMBNAILS
  /06_SOCIAL_COPY

Repurposing engine

Create once, distribute many.

• Slice long-form into shorts:
• Identify 3 “aha” moments per long-form. Aim for standalone value (no “as I said earlier”).
• Add bold captions, punch-in zooms, and a clear micro-CTA.
• Cross-post smartly:
• Native uploads outperform links. Post to Shorts, Reels, and TikTok separately.
• Vary first 2 seconds and caption length to avoid duplicates feeling stale.
• Convert blogs ⇄ scripts:
• Turn outlines into blog posts for SEO; turn older blogs into 60s scripts with one main point.
• Automate with no-code:
• Use Zapier/Make:
• When a video is exported into /04_EXPORTS/Shorts → auto-upload to Google Drive, create a Notion item, schedule a reminder.
• Tools: repurpose.io, Buffer/Later for scheduling, Tella/Veed/Descript for quick edits.

Example automation outline:

Trigger: New file in /04_EXPORTS/Shorts
Actions:
  1) Copy to Drive folder "Shorts Ready"
  2) Create Notion row (Title, Platform, Status=Schedule, Link)
  3) Create Calendar event with publish time + checklist link

Performance tracking

Define success ahead of time and iterate every 7 videos.

• Core KPIs:
• CTR (click-through rate) on thumbnails/titles
• AVD (average view duration) and Retention at 30s/50%/90%
• Views per hour (early traction)
• Comments per 100 views (engagement depth)
• Follows/subscribes per 1,000 views (conversion)

Iteration rhythm:

• Every 7 videos, run a mini-retrospective:
• Keep: what outperformed?
• Kill: what underperformed twice?
• Try: 2 new hooks, 1 new format, 1 new thumbnail style.

Sample 34-video calendar and guardrails

Below is a starter 30-day plan that hits 34 videos by combining 10 long-form uploads and 24 shorts. Swap days to match your life; keep the pattern.

Count: 10 long-form + 24 shorts = 34 videos. Four buffer days prevent burnout and support quality.

Guardrails to avoid burnout

• Time caps: Hard-stop filming after 2 hours per session.
• Batch mentality: Film more on high-energy days, use buffers on low-energy days.
• Templates > novelty: Reuse structures; change just the story.
• Health rules: Hydrate, voice warmups, daily screen breaks. Your next idea needs a rested brain.

Sustain momentum after the sprint

• Normalize to 2 long-form + 3 shorts per week.
• Keep the “every 7 videos” retrospective rhythm.
• Build seasons: 4–6 week themed runs per pillar, with a one-week recovery.

Tools that help (and what to skip at first)

Start simple. Upgrade when bottlenecks hurt.

• Planning: Notion, Google Sheets, Trello
• Research: Google Trends, TubeBuddy/vidIQ, AnswerThePublic
• Scripting: Docs, Obsidian; optional TTS for cadence practice
• Filming: Your phone, Rode/Deity mic, softbox/ring light
• Editing: CapCut, Descript, Premiere/Final Cut; Autopod/AutoCut helpers
• Thumbnails: Figma, Canva; remove.bg for cutouts
• Automation: Zapier/Make, repurpose.io, Buffer/Later
• Analytics: YouTube Studio, TubeBuddy A/B, Sheets dashboards

Skip for now: complex multicam rigs, expensive lenses, overproduced motion packages. Velocity beats polish in this sprint.

Your first step today

• Pick 3–5 pillars and write 7 titles per pillar.
• Schedule your 4 buffer days.
• Outline your first two long-form videos and six shorts.
• Record tomorrow—edit the day after—and you’re already on the path to 34 videos in 30 days.

Summary

This guide gives you a lean, repeatable system to produce 34 videos in 30 days by combining clear pillars, a sprint calendar with buffers, and streamlined tooling. Focus on consistency, batch workflows, and iterative learning to build momentum and sharpen your creative skills quickly. Finish the month with a durable content engine you can sustain at a healthy weekly cadence.