Analysing the Slow Mo Guys!

If you like educational videos with an awesome twist, you have probably heard of The Slow Mo Guys on YouTube. As you might have guessed from their name, these two guys, Gavin and Daniel, make videos of things or stunts in slow-motion. However, it's not like your average scientific Discovery Channel show, Gavin and Daniel try their hardest to not only make their videos educational, but also entertaining. Currently, they have over 3 million subscribers. As always, how did these children packed into adult bodies become big on YouTube?

The Slow Mo Guys started in 2010, and quickly became popular because their videos were one of a kind on YouTube; no other channel made the sort of videos they made. Gavin (right on the picture above) worked with Slow Motion cameras before YouTube, as a Data Technician and Camera Operator. He worked on several advertisements, music videos, and even movies, such as Hot Fuzz. In 2010, he teamed up with his friend Daniel and started making videos in which they did stunts, filmed it with a 10000 frames per second camera, and posted these on YouTube.

Their videos started out big right from the start. Not only because they were one of a kind, also because Gavin had experience with slow motion cameras and data, and Daniel was a soldier, so he knew a lot about weapons and explosions and such. This made sure that the second video they made went viral right away, a video in which they made lighters explode.

If there is one reason why these two Brits got big on YouTube, it's because of the awesome and diverse stuff they come up with. From paint bouncing on speakers to destroying a watermelon using rubber bands and from being hit in the face to shooting guns under water. Furthermore, their quality is amazing. The videos are in HD and are edited very well. Not only that, but they are funny as well. As stated above, their videos aren't some boring Discovery Channel show, they actually add humor to their content. They do this by vlogging a bit before, during, and after they film their stunts.

Another reason for their popularity is that they haven't only been mentioned and seen on YouTube, they also made the news several times, which adds to the amount of viewers they have. They even made a video in which two old power station coolers were being demolished, and they got to film it.

After all of this, I hope that you now know why these two British chaps got so big on YouTube.

Be sure to stay tuned for the next YouTuber(s): VSauce!

Analysing Smosh!

There is quite a chance you have never heard of Smosh, unless you're quite the YouTube-fan. This is because Smosh mainly makes videos for a somewhat younger audience, because their videos contains a lot of very cheesy, child-like humor, in my opinion, integrated in sketches. Besides this, they also make awesome parodies and movie trailers which make you forget they are for fake movies! Anyway, as usual, I will try and answer the standard question: How did they become big on YouTube?

The Smosh YouTube-channel was made less than one year after YouTube started, so in 2005. Currently, they have over 15 million subscribers, making them the second most subscribed personal channel on YouTube, behind PewDiePie. Smosh made videos before on another site, Newgrounds, but eventually they quit Newgrounds, and focussed on YouTube. Their videos started out with short sketches, without a lot of editing and cutting, and recorded with a bad-quality camera. Yet, they got popular, because they uploaded regularly and were on of very few who made videos. They simply were the first to come, and therefore the first to get served. Of course, other people who made videos back then had the same chance, but their videos weren't as good and they eventually stopped growing of stopped with YouTube. Smosh however, they kept making videos which is a part of their success.

Secondly, as said before, their videos contain humor, and, surprise surprise: people like humor. They are sort of the same with NigaHiga with their videos, only they are with two and their videos contain less of a message. However, to make up for this, they upload twice a week. This is another part of their success, since they are very active and still manage to make awesome, creative content. Another reason is that they picked their audience very wisely. Instead of making informative, educational videos, they created funny videos for the biggest audience on YouTube: teenagers and children. Almost every teen with a computer regularly checks YouTube, and may come across Smosh this way.

Furthermore, they make their videos seem interesting by making inviting thumbnails for their videos. Even though this is a small thing to do it has a big impact, because people will feel more attracted to their colorful thumbnails, than some boring one. Furthermore, they edit there videos really well which makes them way more interesting and attractive to watch than a poorly put together video. Nowadays, this is done by a professional team, but even when they didn't have those people their videos were put together very well.

After reading all of this, is hope that you've learned why Smosh is such a big hit on YouTube, and as always, be sure to stay tuned, since next post I'll be analysing the SlowMoGuys!

Analysing NigaHiga!

If you've never heard of NigaHiga, or Ryan Higa, you've probably lived under a rock for the past few years. Almost everyone who has ever been on YouTube has watched one of his videos. You know, those random funny videos starring an Asian with 'Teehee' at the end of them? Yeah, those are his. Currently, Ryan has nearly 11 million subscribers, making him the 9th most subscribed YouTube channel. Ryan mostly makes short, humoristic movies with a deeper meaning behind them. Most of these videos are just so random that you don't realise what the deeper meaning is until the end of the video, which allows you to focus on the humoristic part first, and think about the meaning later, making sure you can relax and laugh while watching it. As always, the question is: how did this American dude from Japan, living in Hawaii, get big?

YTF, the entertainment group Ryan is part of

Ryan Higa started making videos in 2006, when YouTube was still a quite unknown website. At first, he created videos of him and his friend Sean lip-synching to certain songs. After this, he started making sketches: short videos with action and humour in them. His first two sketched 'How to be emo' and 'How to be Ninja'. These sketches went viral and this is how he started gaining a lot of subscribers, eventually making him one of the biggest YouTubers. Nowadays, he makes mostly short videos with a meaning behind them. He even made a 30-minute long short movie, and several songs, one of which being 'Bromance'. Furthermore, he was in a entertainment group with some of his friends for some time, travelling around the world performing in different countries. Yet what makes his videos so attractive?

Well, his videos contain a lot of jokes, like seriously. I'm guessing there is a joke in his videos once every 10 seconds, and these don't even have to be good jokes. They can be the most cheesy kind of jokes you can think of, yet you laugh at them, because the context of the video, he visualizes hist jokes quite a lot, and the way he tells them just makes them funny. For example, he has a video about why lamps are awesome, yes you read that correctly, lamps. He explains why he calls his fans lamps: "Because fans make you cool, but once you go cold they go and find the next hot thing to fan. Even when you're not the hot topic and you go completely cold, lamps will make you hot" (Get it? Lamps give of warmth, *badumtss*). Yeah, that joke sounded better in his voice, you should just go watch that video. 

Furthermore, his videos are made very professionally, even in the beginning of his career. They are directed very well and this makes it feel like you're watching a real sort-of movie. Also, his use of special effects and props just give his videos a little extra, making them more funny and more entertaining. He also collaborates a lot with other YouTubers, making sure that their subscribers go over to his channel and vice versa. 

Another thing about his videos is that he gets personal with his fans (or lamps). He asks his lamps to leave suggestions of what videos to make in the comment section, and then creates those videos. He also has fan (/lamp) meetups where he personally talks with his fans and signs stuff for them. 

The last thing which adds to his popularity is his catchphrase with which he ends every one of his videos. The catchphrase is short and simple: 'Teehee'. If I were to say one thing to summarize his videos, it would be 'Teehee', simply because of the facts that he puts this at the end of every single one of his videos. Sometimes I even wait for the ending of the video for him to say it, because it's just so catchy and funny to hear. 

Hopefully you know now why NigaHiga is so big on YouTube, and be sure to stay tuned so next post's YouTuber: Smosh!

TEEHEE!

Analysing FreddieW!

If you like games and action, you've probably heard of Freddie Wong, or FreddieW, his YouTube name. FreddieW is mostly know as 'the Asian guy who makes awesome action packed youtube movies'. He does, in fact, make 'awesome action-packed youtube movies'. FreddieW has or is part of 3 channels: FreddieW, his own, BrandonJLa together with a friend of him, and Node, a gaming channel he has together with some of his friends. FreddieW is the most succesful one with nearly 7 million subscribers. 

FreddieW has been active on YouTube since 2006, making him one of the first big YouTubers. He grew a lot in the years 2006-2011, he even was the 3rd most subscribed channel once. Since 2011, he started focussing on projects outside of YouTube, making him less active than he once was. Yet, how did FreddieW go from small YouTube producer, to a quite well-known filmmaker?

Video Game High School

The answer is simple and is three words long: humoristic action movies. That's really all he does, but he does it in such a way that it looks like it came straight out of a real movie. His video content ranges from 1-minute films to 30 minute-long short movies. He even produced a YouTube webseries called 'Video Game High School', which quickly went viral and has a third season on the way. This is all fairly recent though, made with the help of a whole cast and professional equipment. How did he make these kind of videos when he worked with just his friend Brandon? 

Well, FreddieW is a real special effects magician: he makes amazing content with just the simplest of equipment. Three years ago, when he had only a few gun props and a video recorder, he gained subscribers and views by being one of the very few YouTubers who made this type of videos. Most others were vloggers or gamers, but almost none of them made short action movies. This gave FreddieW an amazing opportunity for growth, which he fully took advantage of. 

Furthermore, FreddieW is really, really creative. He comes up with the most ludicrous ideas and makes a video out of it. From flower warfare to first-person Mario and from him doing cool tricks while his hands are on fire to a video of him being able to freeze time. Making all these awesome videos contributes to having nearly 7 million subscribers, mainly consisting of video game fans and science fiction lovers. 

Last but not least, he lives in Los Angeles. Now you might think, what does this have to do with the fact that he is so big on YouTube? Well, if you think about it, Los Angeles is home to Hollywood, giving FreddieW the opportunity to use some of the equipment there and use a studio every once in a while, which he does. 

Well, I hope you've learned something from this post! Be sure to stay tuned for the next YouTuber: Nigahiga!

Analysing PewDiePie!

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, better known as PewDiePie, is the 2nd most subscribed on YouTube (the most subscribed actually, since the #1 is owned by YouTube itself), was born in Sweden and currently lives in the UK. He mostly makes videos of him commentating over games he plays, with a facecam somewhere on the screen as well. Since his first video in 2010, he has gained over 17 million subscribers, making his channel have more subscribers than the amount of inhabitants in the Netherlands!

As you can see, his amount of subscribers is growing vastly, gaining over 7 million(!) subscribers in just half a year. He earns over 100,000 subscribers per day, making his one of the fastest growing channels. The question is, why does this Swedish guy have such an enormous amount of subscribers?


First of all, PewDiePie, or Felix, has a huge variety in the type of videos he makes. Yes, he mostly makes videos of him playing games while he commentates it, but he plays a lot of different games. From 'The Impossible Quiz', a mind boggling game, to horror games like 'Slender'. Besides these 'real' games, he makes videos of him, sometimes together with his girlfriend, being on websites like Omegle, or screwing around with programs like Photobooth. The advantage of having a lot of variety in your videos, is that a broad audience watches them. He attracts children with his videos of him playing funny games, he attracts teenagers with videos of him playing horror and action games, and he attracts girls by playing together with his girlfriend and because of his facecam, since he is not the worst looking kind of guy.

Secondly, Felix shows a lot of 'emotion' in his videos, even though he overreacts quite a bit. Yet, people seem to like this. They like watching a guy screaming at the top of his lungs when encountering a monster in one of the horror games, or laughing uncontrollably when something funny happens. Not only that, but he also has a very catching laugh. This all contributes to the viewers laughing, which gives them a positive feeling, making them watch more of his videos to get a good laugh out of them.

Furthermore, he makes his videos look very attractive. When scrolling through his uploaded videos, all of them have a interesting, weird, or funny looking thumbnail. This makes people laugh before they even clicked on the video, and makes them interested to see what he has come up with this time. Also, the titles of his videos are in caps lock, making them stand out more and making it more likely people click on the videos.

Last but not least, he interacts with his subscribers. He ends his videos giving the camera a brofist, as if he gives them to his viewers, making it personal. Also, at the 'Shorty Awards', he went over to his fans, talking to them and giving them autographs, to show that he cares about every single one of his subscribers.


Well, that's it for this post! Hopefully I have taught you enough to know why PewDiePie has become so big. If you enjoyed reading this, be sure to give it a follow! :) 

Next time, we'll take a look at FreddieW!