I wanted to convey a world-class landscape. This is the first YouTube challenge that a beginner video took on islands in the Seto Inland Sea.

Vol. 2: "Setouchi Relaxation Films" Failure and Why

In 2022, ISetouchi Relaxation Filmslaunched a YouTube channel called

However, the results were… not good.
Nevertheless, it all led to where we are today. In this article, we look back on the failures and lessons learned from our first channel, and the story that led to the birth of "Setouchi Ambience" today.

The challenge of Setouchi footage began on Naoshima. Filming began in February 2022.

I started my YouTube channel, "Setouchi Relaxation Films," in February 2022. I first began filming on Naoshima, an outlying island in Kagawa Prefecture. I made numerous trips to Naoshima, aiming to capture the cherry blossoms in full bloom. The result is a video titled "Spring in Naoshima," which showcases the beauty of the island throughout the four seasons.

I wanted to reach foreign tourists

Our initial target audience was foreigners who had traveled to Naoshima or Teshima. We aimed to create quiet and beautiful footage that would evoke their memories.Scenic RelaxationInfluenced by the overseas channel

He signed up for MUSIC BED for about 60,000 yen a year, and mainly used quiet music such as piano. I created works that I could keep forever in the waiting room of a beauty salon.

Trial and error in initial equipment and editing

For the first shoot, I used a drone called the DJI Mavic Air 2, then switched to the DJI FPV. Terrestrial photography is supported on the iPhone 13 Pro. I didn't have much trouble with operating drones or cameras, but I edited the question.

This was my first time trying HDR video using Adobe Premiere Pro, and every day I was groping around, wondering, "How can I export HDR for a long time?"

The number of views that don't grow and the sense of anxiety

Even the films I worked so hard to create are not increasing at all. The number of subscribers was also very small, and I was shocked the moment I thought, "At this rate, it will take 10 years to monetize." The costs for equipment and music licenses have also been heavy.

I want to do this now: High-performance drones and AI music

Looking back now, I think it would be better if you had used a drone with a telephoto camera from the start, like the DJI Mavic 4 Pro.

Viewers get bored of the monotonous scenery. However, with a telephoto camera, you can naturally capture the passengers of faraway ferry and people on the beach from a safe distance, adding "changes" to the footage.

There are also services that generate music using AI, allowing you to create custom-made songs that are perfect for your own video. Thinking about it that way, the range of creative work could have been wider without relying on high-priced subscriptions like MUSIC BED.

Turning point: Migrating to "Setouchi Ambience"

The real turning point for meNomadic Ambiencewas discovering

That's when I realized it. No one in the world searches for the search term "Naoshima." However, there is always a demand for "ASMR" and "Rain Sound."

I tried taking a footage of me walking around Takamatsu Station on a cold rainy day in the middle of winter, and then posting footage of Ritsurin Park, which was raining, and then I received a much more response than I expected. The Rain Ritsurin Park has been viewed over 10,000 times in one go.

At this moment I decided to "go in this direction."

Unforgettable memories of islands

Even now, I still have a special feeling for the footage of Naoshima and Teshima that I shot for "Setouchi Relaxation Films." In particular, the one-hour video summarizing the four seasons of Naoshima and the HDR footage of Teshima in the summer are important "proof of my first attempt" for me, as I was inexperienced in video production at the time.

"Setouchi Ambience," involved a series of unsuccessful attempts. But there's no doubt that all of those experiences have become the driving force behind where we are today.