If you watch car videos on YouTube, then the odds are very good that you’ve at least come across a video from Marty and Moog from Mighty Car Mods. Not only do they operate one of the largest and longest-running automotive channels on that platform, but they also do it without most of the annoying YouTuber slime factor, which has become so common. Now, 15 years into their journey, they’ve released their most comprehensive behind-the-scenes video yet, and it’s pretty awesome.
People who watch MCM regularly are probably aware that Marty and Moog create their own music for the show, but the mechanism behind that part of the show and even the filming and editing is way more elaborate and professional than I would have guessed. The big surprise to me was that the pair have their own custom-built recording studio/office where they do their footage ingest, editing, and of course, composing and recording the music.
The economics of YouTube at their end of the spectrum is fascinating, and seeing what the two have been able to put together over the last decade-and-a-half in one of the most expensive cities in the world is pretty incredible. Especially without the annoying ad reads that most channels have to stoop to. The pair don’t get into details on the channel’s financials, but clearly, they’re not struggling.
Also interesting is the part of the video where they go through the gear and techniques they’ve used to create their videos over the years. It’s a study of the democratization of technology where when they got started, things were expensive and often difficult to use, but now, with everyone’s phone capable of recording 4k footage and drones available on the (relatively) cheap, their focus is on setting a standard of quality for themselves.
Moog, for example, talks about some other channels’ choice to go with bad or missing audio on video, with little more than a disclaimer that they lost the audio or forgot to turn on the mic, etc. As someone that really enjoys a lot of YouTube automotive content, I also find that incredibly annoying, though as someone who hosted a podcast and who has had to deal with technical issues with cameras, etc. I get it.
The takeaway from this 30-plus minute video is that Marty and Moog take what they’re doing seriously, and, more importantly, they still love doing it. Part of their appeal has always been their obvious enjoyment of the subject matter and each other’s company, and this behind-the-scenes peek suggests that none of that is likely to change in the future.