“Vlogging” is quickly becoming an extremely popular genre of visual entertainment. A ‘vlog’ is a blog post which is in video form. Vlogs started become more popular after the creation of YouTube in 2005, as that provided a platform for people to upload their vlogs for others to see and comment on. And while the internet is filled with thousands and thousands of vlogs; one very creative and smart man saw it as an entrepreneurial opportunity to reach and impact many and has risen to mainstream prominence over the past year.
Casey Neistat had showed interest in expressing his thoughts and ideas through video form from an early age. In 2003, he created a video called “iPod’s Dirty Secret” where he criticized Apple’s lack of a battery replacement program for the iPod and gave reasons as to why they should. In very “David v. Goliath” style, his video actually made Apple come out with a battery replacement policy and the public and the press praised what he had done. Neistat was smart enough to see YouTube as a platform by which he could reach, impact and share ideas with millions of people across the world. And since 2015 has been releasing daily vlogs. What has set him apart from the countless others who have attempted to do so, is the amount of effort, creativity and genius his videos show. Releasing an almost 9-minute vlog every day means he has to plan out his theme for the day, plan out the shots (camera/GoPro/Drone), edit through hours and hours of footage and then upload it onto YouTube within 24 hours of the previous one. The impressive thing is that every vlog is even more impressive than the last, featuring breathtaking shots (especially through Drone footage) of his city (NYC) and he manages to give messages of hope and encouragement to his viewers both young and old, which is a great way to be using the internet for.
I think of him as a great example of a young entrepreneur as he saw a new medium to take advantage of to be uniquely brilliant on, and made full use of it. In additional to a major following, he also found a way to monetize his videos, landing lucrative deals with major companies and was also named GQ’s “Man of the Year” in 2016.
You can visit his channel and see his videos, here.
As a subscriber and regular viewer of Casey Neistat, I know exactly what you’re talking about. Casey’s videos are all unique and interesting, something other vloggers I have watched lack. As a filmmaker, I love the content he creates, and the fact that he’s monetized his adventures in life is so inspiring!
After I got my GoPro camera this past spring, I have really started recording videos of my adventures. I never thought though about how it could be turned into a business. It is an interesting take on the power of video and I can see his business growing in the future as the power of media is growing.
I have so much respect for people who make a living by vlogging – it requires lots of hard work and motivation, and most of all it requires a ton of creativity. It’s also rare for one video to be the reason a big company implements an entire program. I just watched one of his videos, and the quality is unbelievable – especially with the drone’s camerawork!
I love this guy, he’s an inspiration.
YouTubers are some of the most overlooked successful entrepreneurs, in my opinion. Anyone who can make a living off of regularly punching out new content deserves a round of applause. I’ve seen a few of Casey’s videos and I was very impressed with the videography – he has true talent and it’s great to see someone be able to do what they love for a living.