About Youtuber / Vlogger

Before the internet, it was laughable to imagine that people could actually make a career out of shooting videos and posting them. And yet, when the video-sharing platform YouTube started in 2005, YouTubing and Vlogging quickly became one of the most exciting professions youngsters chose to pursue.

In 2017, Aamir Khan even made the movie – Secret Superstar that told the story of a YouTuber who went on to become a singing sensation.

A YouTuber is a YouTube videographer who creates and posts educational or entertainment videos for the consumption of netizens. A blog in a video format is a vlog. And although it can be as informal as flipping the camera onto yourself, recording yourself speak and posting it online, its potential of making you rich and famous makes it serious business.

For the purpose of definitions, professionals with a YouTube channel who post videos for the consumption of others are YouTubers while individuals who create video diaries and share it on YouTube are vloggers. Technically, YouTubing requires a higher level of video production and presentation expertise than vlogging. Also, a YouTuber can easily become a vlogger; the vice versa requires some level of mentoring and training.

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To become a successful YouTuber or a Vlogger, you must have good insight and knowledge in the field of video production which is the process of creating videos by capturing moving images.

There is no minimum academic qualification required to become a YouTuber or a Vlogger. In fact, many successful YouTube professionals are as young as eight years old. Yet, it must be remembered that pursuing an academic qualification in this field will teach and enhance the skills needed to be successful in this profession. Plus, it will also help you network with a community of people with similar interests.

Video production is an integral part of the curriculum offered at the most renowned film schools across the world. With the world’s most flourishing movie industry in Hollywood, the United States is naturally the best country to pursue courses in film and video production.

The Los Angeles Film School (LA Film School) offers a 3 years Bachelor of Science in Film Production course that includes digital editing, production design and production management in its core curriculum. The New York Film Academy amongst several courses in fine arts offers a 3-years accelerated intensive Bachelor’s degree program in Film Making. As part of the training, students learn to direct, edit and produce videos in all formats ranging from 16mm to 35mm in HD and RED Dragon. The Columbia University offers a 4 years BA in Film Studies program. Some of the other schools in the US which offer postgraduate, diploma, certificate and short-term programs are American Film Institute, California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), the University of Southern California’s USC School of Cinematic Arts, Boston University’s College of Communication and the Colorado Film School.

Canada is the second best place to pursue courses in video production. The University of British Columbia offers both BA and BFA courses in Visual Arts. The Carleton University has a 4 years undergraduate program in film studies. Concordia University, Montreal also offers a 4 years Bachelors of Fine Arts in Film Studies course. York University’s Faculty of Fine Arts offers BFA (Hons) programs in Media Arts and Production. The alumnus of this institute has worked with filmmakers like Deepa Mehta and Jennifer Baichwal and have contributed to several prestigious institutions, independent production, and distribution companies.The Toronto Film School, Vancouver Film School and the Simon Fraser University are some of the other institutes that offer courses in filmmaking and video production.

In India, Asian Academy of Film & Television (AAFT), Noida offers a 3 years B.Sc. Cinema + Diploma in Cinema with Specialization in Cinematography course. TheWhistling Woods International Institute of Film, Communication & Media Arts has a 3 years BSc. course in Filmmaking in Sound Recording & Design. The Annapurna International School of Film And Media, Hyderabad has a 4 years Bachelor of Film and Media program.

Career Prospects

With over a billion users, YouTube is the largest video sharing platform on the internet. A major portion of the online content is now in the form of videos. Netizens spend one-third of their online time on watching videoswhich is why YouTube is now a site only second to Google in terms of viewership.

This is also the exact reason why online marketers have shifted their focus from other platforms to YouTube. Because video content now is in such great demand, the career prospects of YouTubers and vloggers with a large number of subscribers have skyrocketed.

To start your career as a YouTuber/ Vlogger, you must first acquire and get ready with the basic equipment. The first step is to invest in an HD camera, a microphone and a tripod to hold the camera. You will also need editing software to edit your videos. Most courses in video production will equip you with the basics of video editing. If you are an amateur, then you could begin with the Windows Movie Maker software to edit your videos. It is easy to use and comes installed with Windows. Finally, think of a name for your channel, create your account and start posting videos. Creating and posting simple video diaries takes not more than 2-3 hours of a day. However, a 3 to 4-minute video on a specific idea or concept can take up to 10 hours including the time spent on ideating, creating content, filming, editing and uploading it.Some of the most popular types of videos which gain maximum views on YouTube are:

As a video producer or a vlogger, apart from YouTube, you will be able to post your videos on the following video sharing platforms as well:

  • Product Reviews & Unboxing
  • Tech & Gaming
  • Tutorials/ How To’s
  • Food, Travel, Fashion & Beauty
  • Weight loss & Healthy Living
  • Humour and Prank
  • Vimeo
  • Dailymotion
  • Twitch
  • LiveLeak
  • Break
  • Metacafe
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Jobs & Salary

With a degree in video production, besides being a YouTuber and a vlogger, several other job options will open up to you. There are many job opportunities for video production professionals in television, movies, advertising and news reporting. Following are some of the other job profiles you could consider with your video production skills:

Film/video director
Film/video editor
Technician - broadcasting /film / video
Programme researcher- broadcasting /film / video

YouTube video content can be monetized through advertising and paid product placements. In order to start making money through your YouTube videos and vlogs, you must sign up for an AdSense account on Google which keeps a track of the number of authentic views (impressions) on your videos. Video ad income is directly proportional to the impressions.

Ads placed on your videos make money when they are clicked by viewers. You get your payment when the AdSense account collects a $100 or equivalent (if you are in any other country other than the US.) A typical payment of $18 is made to an American YouTuber/Vlogger per 1000 ad views (which have been viewed for at least 30 seconds.) There are several examples of YouTube celebrities who have made millions through ads on their YouTube videos. An alternative way of making money through your videos is when a sponsor agrees to pay you a certain sum for reviewing or featuring their products in your videos.

In India, since companies can market themselves online for a much lesser budget than in other countries, YouTubers/ vloggers make around $7 to $8 (approximately Rs. 500) per 1000 ad impressions.

Pros & Cons

As a YouTuber or a vlogger, workwise, you will be fairly independent. However, to be successful in this profession, besides the technical skills, you must continue to be dedicated and remain patient. Here are some advantages of being a YouTuber or a vlogger:

Pros
  • The work is always exciting since every day you do something new
  • You create your own schedule and work on your own terms
  • You get to inspire and motivate your fans/followers through your videos
Cons
  • Since the job requires you to appear in front of a camera, you must always be well groomed
  • Fame and money takes time in this profession. Popularity depends on viewership
  • You must constantly come up with innovative videos idea to engage your subscribers

Famous Personalities

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg

With his online name as PewDiePie, Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg has 60 million followers on YouTube and is one of the most popular YouTube celebrities. This teenager is a video game commentator and his videos show him playing different video games, while a box on the screen displays his reactions to the game. His latest estimated earnings have been reported to be $12 million.

Ryan

A child YouTube star, Ryan is a 7-year old whose videos are a combination of toy unboxing and personal vlogs. He has close to 14 million followers on YouTube and his reviews have been known to impact toy sales. Ryan is one of the 10 highest paid YouTube entrepreneurs and his latest earnings have been reported to be $11 million.

Bhuvan Bam

The creator of BB Ki Vines, Indian celebrity YouTuber Bhuvan Bam has 7.5 million subscribers on the video sharing platform. He posts two to eight minute long videos on the life of an urban teenager and makes Rs. 300,000 to Rs. 400,000 per video. Bam has posted more than 115 videos on various topics like exams, girlfriends, parents, teachers and house help..

Timeline

2005 YouTube is founded/ the first video is uploaded

2007 YouTube is launched in nine countries

2009 YouTube gets one billion video views per day

2012 PSY’s Gangnam Style becomes the first video to get 1 billion views after becoming the most-watched YouTube video


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