contentsfull screen
printcontentsfull screenprintYOUTUBER I 56
you upload them, and don’t put
yourself in danger. For example, if
you want to talk about LGBTQ+ is-
sues online but are scared to come
out in your personal life, vlogging
anonymously by not showing your
face is an option. Always think
about your privacy when vlogging
and be wary of accidentally sharing
personal details that could put you
in danger, such as showing people
where you live.
By thinking about online safety
in advance, you can relax when
vlogging, and the experience will be
more fun as a result.DON’T FEED THE TROLLS
Don’t be afraid to block
trolls — you’re under no obliga-
tion to read their comments. Youcan blacklist words you’re sensitive to so that com-
ments including them are automatically filtered.
If you’re worried about comments, you can get a
friend to moderate them for you so you don’t have to
deal with them yourself.ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY
There’s a huge YouTube community out there
regardless of your subscriber count, and engaging
with it will make your vlogging experience more
positive. You can make friends online by finding
creators in the comment sections of YouTubers’
videos and on social media sites.
Engaging with each other’s content will help you
build up a support network that will remind you that
you’re not alone when it comes to vlogging and that
you can enjoy the experience together.
Following these tips will help you develop a more
fun — and more sustainable — vlogging routine.Emily Eaton is a YouTube vlogger and LGBT+ advocate.Don’t let the camera get in the way of enjoying the moment. Vlogging
should enhance your day, not distract from it.VLOGS
How to Keep Vlogging FunTHE ONLY
PRESSURE THAT
COMES FROMVLOGGING IS
THE PRESSUREYOU PUT ON
YOURSELF.“
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BY SCOTT NISWANDER
SUPER-NICHE
SUPER-NICHE
What Makes the Best Video Essays
So Great?
“Video essay” is a somewhat pretentious term, isn’t it? I’m saying
that as someone who makes them for a living, so I feel like I have
room to critique my life choices.If you don’t know what a video
essay is, just think about a regular
essay, but with accompanying
visuals and music. It’s really that
simple. There’s a misconception
that video essays on YouTube exist
specifically to critique, explain
or analyze films — and indeed it
seems that a vast majority of video
essays do precisely that — but
there’s no limit to what a video
essay can tackle, just as there’s no
limit to what someone can focus a
written article on. Games, music, a
public figure — all are fair game.BUT WHAT IS A VIDEO ESSAY REALLY?
While there will likely be arguments about what
precisely qualifies as a proper Video Essay™, probably
the main signifier is that they tend to raise a claim or
state a thesis, and then provide arguments to back up
their idea. It’s a similar distinction between a think
piece and documentary. Rather than merely present-
ing facts about a subject and calling it a day, a video
essay tends to be more personal and opinionated,
sparking an interesting discussion around analyzing
the subject matter.
That analysis is a critical component that sepa-
rates video essays from reviews of media, as well.
Movies with Mikey from the YouTube channel Film-
Joy is a fantastic YouTube series that is part reviewFILMJOY
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