BranimationsYT on Creator Burnout, Authenticity & Internet Culture Craving Real Creators Again

Meet Brianna, also known as BranimationsYT, a creator known for her raw storytelling, introspective commentary, gaming content, and authentic conversations around creativity, social media, mental health, and internet culture.

In this episode, we talk about Brianna’s journey from starting YouTube at 12 years old to building an audience through vulnerability, authenticity, and long-form storytelling content that deeply resonates with viewers online.

We also dive into creator burnout, the pressure of the algorithm, influencer culture, parasocial relationships, authenticity on social media, short-form content, attention spans, storytelling on YouTube, and why audiences are craving more real and relatable creators again.

Brianna shares her thoughts on editing styles, why over-editing can hurt videos, how she structures her content without scripts, the dangers of chasing trends, and how creators can stay authentic while still growing online.

We also discuss internet criticism, dealing with hate comments, building confidence online, neurodivergence, creative self-doubt, and why creators should focus more on personality and ideas rather than trying to perfectly fit into a niche.

Whether you're a creator, editor, gamer, storyteller, filmmaker, or someone trying to build an authentic audience online, this episode is packed with insights on creativity, vulnerability, storytelling, and navigating the modern internet.

Learn more about Brianna:
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/c/xBRIxxMOOREx
Twitch:
https://www.twitch.tv/branimationsyt
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/branimationsyt
TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@branimationsytofficial

CONNECT WITH US
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Instagram: / vidprosedits
Facebook: / vidprosedits
LinkedIn: / vidprosedits

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Brianna Moore is proving that authenticity still works on YouTube. In this episode, she breaks down how being real and honest helped her build a deeper connection with her audience. So, Brianna, thank you so much for doing this and being here with us today. So, for people who don't know who you are, can you describe a little bit who you are and what you do today?

SPEAKER_00 0:19

Yeah, absolutely. Uh hi, my name is Brianna, also known as Branny. Um, I run the channel Branimations YT over here on YouTube. And um I do a lot of things from gaming to talking about the big and small things that might be on all of our minds. Um I do I do a little bit of everything.

SPEAKER_01 0:37

Awesome. And your content feels very reflective, very personal. What is it like for you? Was that like a choice that you've made from the beginning? Is it something that it's just who you are and you decided to post it online? What is the process for you?

SPEAKER_00 0:52

Okay, well, I had originally started YouTube, and you can't see these videos on my channel, but um, whenever I was very young. And even from then, I had always done things that were very authentic to me. And I will say, even though I feel like I have always been myself, um, I've also allowed myself to transition and I've allowed myself to be more vulnerable over time, and kind of allowing myself to be more open has been a choice that I've really had to make over the course of me doing YouTube thus far. But it's it's paid off, I think.

SPEAKER_01 1:26

And what were you doing before starting taking YouTube seriously?

SPEAKER_00 1:30

Uh, before then, um, I was actually going to college for neuroscience. Um, and what really had started me taking YouTube seriously was um I had some financial things going on and I couldn't afford the next semester. So I really took that as a kick in the pants to do what I really wanted to do, and you know, now we're here.

SPEAKER_01 1:54

Um how did it help you being who you are today on YouTube? Do you think it's connected somehow?

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Honestly, um I will say throughout my life, I feel like I have transitioned from being kind of like a shy person, and YouTube has really allowed me to come out of my shell a little bit. And I think even while I was trying to do the whole college thing, I wasn't nearly as social as I am now. Even in person, I'm a very shy human being. So doing YouTube and connecting with everyone has really changed myself, you know, for the better.

SPEAKER_01 2:34

I see that you're like a very introspective person and you have a very introspective style in your videos. So I do think there's something connected there. And do you think that's where you shine with your content? If you were to say, What's your biggest strength on YouTube that you feel like people are starting to connect with you now?

SPEAKER_00 2:52

Honestly, I would say the introspection and just being myself, because there was a period where I had tried to do the typical, like, oh, let me script, oh let me edit this way. And it just, it wasn't me, but whenever I started being vulnerable and just saying really what I was truly thinking, not only did people start connecting with that, and I was getting more engaged responses from my audience, but I was able to grow not only my audience, but also as a person from that, I think.

SPEAKER_01 3:26

But also doing that, you put yourself in a very vulnerable space because you're putting your thoughts out there, you're putting yourself out there. What was it like for you mentally? Were you scared at one point? Were there comments that you know kind of made you want to stop? What was the process like?

SPEAKER_00 3:43

Well, honestly, honestly, that is that's such a loaded question because I was very afraid. Um, there was a video that's now privated on my channel where I was talking about Andrew Tate, and I had just said what I thought at the time, and I had gotten a lot, a lot of lashback. And I privated the video, and I'm like, oh, I'm not gonna do that again. But it really took me reaching a point where the people who get it get it, and the people who don't don't, and kind of just connecting with the people who do, even though I still feel that kind of fear sometimes, but focusing on the connection with the people that do understand has really helped me kind of get through that.

SPEAKER_01 4:29

And do you have an advice to anyone going through that right now? People that want to put their selves out there, put their thoughts out there, but they're a little bit scared of the, you know, of the comments they're gonna receive.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

Yeah, and the best thing that I can really say is, you know, life is too short to not be true to yourself, um, whether it's things you want to say, things that you want to do. And also something that might seem harsh, but something that's really helped me personally, is the fact that not everyone is gonna vibe with you. Not everyone is gonna like what you have to say, and that's okay. But the people who do, you know, and the people that do understand, they're the ones who matter. And as long as you are fulfilling yourself, that's what matters.

SPEAKER_01 5:12

And it seems like to you being authentic on social media is really important. So, what does being authentic online mean to you, if you were to describe it?

SPEAKER_00 5:23

Being authentic online to me, um, I see it mistaken a lot on social media that in order to be authentic, you have to overshare, you know, and I don't necessarily think that's the case, but being authentic to me is just telling your truth, you know, and not flowering your language and not hedging yourself for anyone.

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Yeah, that's something very interesting because I I actually wanted to get into this. Because where do you think it draw the line of being real and over-sharing?

SPEAKER_00 5:55

See, and this is something that I've had a really hard time kind of doing myself, because there is a video that I have upcoming where I talk about a friend of mine who had passed away. And, you know, I talk about that and that experience because it taught me something, and I felt as though it could teach other people something as well. But in terms of oversharing, I think as soon as it's something that you haven't really processed, or it's something you are still working through, or it could put you in physical or mental danger, I think that's where the line kind of needs to be drawn in the sand.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

Have you ever felt like you were losing your authenticity at any point when you were recording a video? Is there anything that you do to come back to who you are and redo it?

SPEAKER_00 6:45

Honestly, yes. And I'm so glad that that's something that you asked because while there was that point that I had mentioned where I tried to script, or um, as I refer to it in my own content, as there was a point where I was trying to make videos that were kind of reactionary. I I was reacting to other popular things that were happening just because I'm like, oh, that's what's popular, that's what'll work, right? But whenever you know you're reacting to these things, that it's not something that you personally care about, you know, like it's not that's what I mean with authenticity. Like you talk about your true things that you care about, right? And whenever I found myself slipping away from that, I really had to step away and I had to take a break and really do that introspection of what matters to me. And sometimes even when I'm recording, if I find myself getting that kind of influencer voice, I kind of take a step back and I'm like, okay, like I kind of imagine like I'm talking to my friends and not in the parasocial way, because there is a line there, but I think whenever you are making videos and talking to your audience, and it's like you're talking to those people that resonate with you, you shouldn't have to have you don't have to put on a face for them because they vibe with you, you know.

SPEAKER_01 8:10

Yeah. Do you think audiences can tell when you're just performing authenticity or versus actually being authentic? Because it it's interesting because you mentioned the the influencer voice, and it's a very real thing that I talk a lot about in my videos too. But it seems like for some people it works and there's an audience for it, but it seems like now on YouTube people are actually looking for more authentic creators, and it seems like storytelling is like doing a comeback. So yeah, I I really want to know more about your take on this when you see like this type of content, how how you feel about it.

SPEAKER_00 8:49

You know, I would say if we go back to like 2016, 2018, you know, we really started seeing this more aesthetic, idealized version of life on social media. And I think for a while there, whenever we see that aesthetic and we see that influencer voice, as that being something that was newer at the time, you know, it's like, well, maybe this is how life is supposed to be. But then whenever, like I feel, as you said, people are looking for more authenticity and like trueness and storytelling now. And I believe that especially because of us kind of recognizing what our real lives like actually entail and what we deal with, it's easier for us to recognize that I don't want to call it fakeness, but kind of that um manufactured aesthetic, right? And honestly, whenever I see that content now, I I understand because as you said, there is a market for it for sure.

SPEAKER_01 9:50

It's commercial.

SPEAKER_00 9:51

It is, it is. And at the same time, though, I kind of sit and I think to myself, of we know what our lives are like, and why, as social media in my mind, it should be something that connects all of us together. And if that's the case, why, in my personal opinion, why would we want to connect to something that's not real? So I I get frustrated when I see that, but I I understand it.

SPEAKER_01 10:19

Why do you think people resonate with authenticity so much? Because I do have this take that people now they're kind of lonely. If you look around, everyone's on their phones. So I feel like whenever they're watching a creator, it's kind of like they have this parasocial relationship and it's their friend. So I do think it's a lot of responsibility to do this. Why do you think people resonate with this type of content? Do you think there's a deeper meaning behind it?

SPEAKER_00 10:43

Honestly, I really do because whenever I sit and I reflect on it myself, because as I keep mentioning, we know what our real lives are like. Yeah. And in my personal experience, even whenever we go to like, if we go to like a doctor's appointment or something, like we're all forced to be in that obligatory small talk of like, oh hi, how are you? How was your weekend? It was great. Even if it wasn't, you know, and it seems not only is there this kind of manufactured like life on social media, but it's also present in our day-to-day conversations as well. So when we can really break away from that and we can find a person that's like, oh, that's real, like I relate to that, I experience and resonate with that, then I think that's why people tend to latch on to that so hard. Because that realness, even in our day-to-day lives, seems to be dwindling a lot of the time. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:41

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SPEAKER_00 12:29

While I do think it can be part of your personality and who you are as a person, it's something that I have had to learn myself. Because, you know, I would say, like, just in my life and throughout me doing YouTube, I have been authentic to myself. But I haven't been as authentic as I could be, because I I've always had these moments of like, oh, don't like, don't do this, you're being cringy, or like maybe you're flying a little bit too close to the sun. You know, but kind of, you know, letting that go is something that I've learned over time. So I I think that is something that people can learn to do.

SPEAKER_01 13:08

One thing that I think is very interesting about your content is that sometimes it can be very like chaotic energy, and then there's this deeper reflection. So there's this crazy juxtaposition, which is very cool. Is that intentional? Is that just how your brain works? How do you find the topics that you want to talk about? Do you actually research on what's relevant right now? Or is it something like I'm gonna talk what about what I'm passionate about only?

SPEAKER_00 13:35

Well, I will say a lot of research used to go into my content whenever I was making the more reactionary things. And there are some things that I have wanted to talk about that I'm like, well, I have an opinion, but like I want to learn a bit more about this first. But the idea itself stems from, hmm, this is something that I've been thinking on a while. If I'm thinking about it, someone else must be thinking about it. So I'm gonna go and I'm gonna go and talk about it.

SPEAKER_01 14:03

How do you structure your videos? Because I know you mentioned you don't actually have a script. Do you have topics so you don't actually lose yourself, or do you just turn your camera on and talk?

SPEAKER_00 14:15

Well, it it really depends because um in some of my earlier videos, like let's say three, four months ago, I I had made one on AI and distinguishability. And I always have such a hard time with scripts, I just can't do it. I sound like a robot. So the furthest I will go into that is maybe making a list of like bullet points if I really don't want to lose something. But a lot of times, if I structure anything, um, I had did a video on George Orwell's 1984, and I say what I want to say, but I'll have a Google Slides presentation and it's like, oh, here's some things I want to talk about, here's some pictures, you know, to keep myself but also everyone else on track. But most of the time, if I'm being entirely honest with you, I'll just be at my desk and I'll turn on my camera and be like, oh, I want to talk about this now. So that's just what's happening.

SPEAKER_01 15:09

That's really cool. But whenever I tried to do that, I would talk for like an hour in front of the camera and then I would go into editing, and the video would be like eight minutes or nine minutes long, and it would take me such a long time to edit the video.

SPEAKER_00 15:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:24

Is it like that for you?

SPEAKER_00 15:26

Uh sometimes it is, and you know, I would worry about like, oh, like Brie, you're going around in circles, you're saying the same thing in three different ways. Come on. But I will say though, um, a lot of times that rambly kind of style where I talk in circles, like that's just how my brain works. And you know, I've had a lot of people give me criticism for that, like, come on, get to the point, whatever. But also with the type of audience that I want to curate, there are some people who heavily resonate with that energy, and yeah, it it ties into the authenticity that I try to bring because that's the way that I speak, so why shouldn't I present it that way?

SPEAKER_01 16:08

Yeah. Are there people that inspire you on YouTube?

SPEAKER_00 16:12

Oh, yes, there there are so many because I I have a few staples that I've always watched. Um, PewDiePie, I will say, was one of my first inspirations uh for YouTube because I just loved how real he was. Like I remember his amnesia horror game series where he just reacted how he reacted. But um also as to this day, I don't really watch a whole lot of YouTube, if I'm being entirely honest. Um, but if I watch anybody, I typically watch uh Daz games and just how he is and how he says what he's thinking, like that's very inspiring to me.

SPEAKER_01 16:53

Yeah, it's interesting because when you mentioned you had a lot of um people that inspire you, in my mind I thought about Emma Chamberlain. There's something about you that is like an energy that it's very similar and very raw, I think.

SPEAKER_00 17:08

Thank you. And I've I've gotten that comparison, but if I'm being honest, and this is so embarrassing to admit, I've never watched any of her content. So whenever people make that comparison, I'm like, thank you. Because like I I don't have enough information to form an opinion, but I I appreciate it nonetheless, because it seems like a compliment.

SPEAKER_01 17:29

Yeah, it is. It definitely is. She knows what she's doing, and I think she created like a safe space, especially for women, I would say, just to be themselves on social media. And I think you're you're also doing the same thing, you're doing your own version of it, and that's awesome. So when you're watching a video, what's a good video for you whenever you do watch a video?

SPEAKER_00 17:51

Ooh, a good video for me. Okay, if we if we tie this back into I if I watch any, I watch gaming videos, right? But if I don't, I'll watch. Um, I'm not sure if you've watched any of Daz's videos before.

SPEAKER_01 18:06

I haven't.

SPEAKER_00 18:07

Yeah, but he has a channel with his friend Will called Off the Hook, and they'll be like cooking some random things that they've seen on TikTok, and it's very unedited, and it's just very raw and funny, you know? Or if I do watch gaming videos, uh Mark Applier's old Five Nights at Freddy series, where like okay, the lack of jump cuts is really what's appealing to me. Almost the less editing, the better.

SPEAKER_01 18:36

Yes. How do you do your editing usually? Do you try to not edit your videos at all? Have you ever recorded a video and just posted it?

SPEAKER_00 18:46

Ooh, no, as much as I've wanted to, I have not, because a lot of times, whenever I'm sitting and thinking, like I stumble over my words a lot, and I'll I'll pause and sit and think for maybe a minute or two to try to gather my point back again. But I kind of switch in between editing styles just depending on the video, because sometimes it's just plain cuts to cut out just like long silences, or sometimes I like to do um black screens with just text, and the font is my handwriting, so minimal just text and pictures, so people like understand what I'm talking about for emphasis, but I don't I hate retention editing or like the TikTok editing, and I I try to avoid that at all costs if I can.

SPEAKER_01 19:37

It seems like being like having an artistic style is the most important part for you. So before you started your channel, have you uh had did you have like a draft of everything that you wanted to do? Did you think about everything before your first video, or was it something that just happened along the way?

SPEAKER_00 19:56

Honestly, um I had started my channel when I was I I'm 23 now. I started my channel whenever I was 12. And someone that I had watched a lot of at the time was, you know, Lily Singh and Matthew Santoro. So I wanted to make a skit, so I decided I sat up my phone on like a few stacked books, and I'm like, all right, Brie, we're gonna do a skit. And then it kind of just happened, and then I posted it and it was done. But I didn't do any editing because I didn't know how to edit. So I would anytime that I would think like a cut in the footage was appropriate, I would go up to the camera, start, and then stop it, and you can see where I start and stop the footage. So it was very, you know, it just something was a spur of the moment because I'm like, I gotta do it. So I did.

SPEAKER_01 20:46

Yeah. Is there one video that you noticed things shifted completely for you? Was it overnight?

SPEAKER_00 20:54

Okay. Well, that's the thing because my channel has gone through so many phases because I did those few skits whenever I was younger, and then I got into gaming videos because gaming, it's it's where my heart lies. Yeah, you know, and but I noticed though, I had made this video talking about um events that had happened with a developer of a game called Bad Parenting, and that was my first video that really blew up. Um, it had over half a million views, and I didn't know I didn't know what to do with that. I still don't. But I noticed though, I'm like, what was different about this? Because I was I was late to the drama. I was late, so I didn't think it was relevant anymore. But it was almost an hour long, and it was just me sitting and talking and saying what I thought. And then that's when it really clicked of oh, I just need to say what I think, you know.

SPEAKER_01 21:55

Do you do you look back and try to analyze it and like be a little bit more critical about it and try to understand why it happened.

SPEAKER_00 22:05

Yeah, because I I will say that like the relevance of the topic at hand really, you know, was what really pushed it. Because at the time, I probably had I had less than 10k at the time. So I was still very small. And that helped. But honestly, you know, me just being like off the cuff and being blunt, you know, I think was what really gave it that extra push because I was a bit more harsh and a bit more like in depth with my thoughts on this kind of drama as opposed to the other videos that I had seen afterward. And I think that appeal of just me being real was what did it for some people.

SPEAKER_01 22:51

After that video, did you think like, oh, I can do this full time? Or were you not sure yet?

SPEAKER_00 22:58

Honestly, I wasn't sure. I can't say that I didn't hope, you know, and because I like whenever it comes to YouTube and what I make off of YouTube, like I I had originally started making videos as much as I did because I was having health issues. So I couldn't work a typical job anyway. And it was something that like it's a hobby, it's a passion for me. But if I could make it into a job, you know, I would love to and that's something that I've really put a lot of effort into but without selling it to people of like hey I want money because that's not at all not at all what it's about.

SPEAKER_01 23:41

No. How do you keep people engaged? Because you mentioned your video was almost an hour long. Is there any technique that you use or do you do you try to like do you have moments that you're like hey I have to be funny now because I have been serious for too long what what goes into your mind when you're actually recording?

SPEAKER_00 24:01

Well honestly whenever I'm recording now I will say that like I just say what feels right to me in a moment. And whenever I it comes down to editing I will say because for that bad parenting video I did way more jump cuts than what I was comfortable with you know because if I did that video again um I would do it differently and allow a bit more space you know but whenever it comes to keeping people engaged um like as I said being blunt and just being real is a huge one but cutting out super long silences leaving them when they're appropriate and kind of depending on the seriousness of a video because for the one that I've yet to release about my friend you know I just minimal cuts know nothing other than that. But whenever it's a video of me talking about an abstract concept like consciousness if I'm giving an example it's like oh let me put up a black screen with some pictures to kind of help people visualize. And I I think that helps a bit.

SPEAKER_01 25:08

And how long does it take for you to record a video?

SPEAKER_00 25:11

It really just it really just depends because I've had some be as short as 10 minutes but I've also I recorded one recently that was over an hour long. So whenever I'm going to record something I try to allocate a couple of hours just because I never know like it just depends on how much I want to yap that day and how much I've been thinking about the thing that I'm talking about.

SPEAKER_01 25:36

And do you do it all yourself or do you have people helping you?

SPEAKER_00 25:40

I wish I wish I had someone to help me I I've been doing everything myself since the very beginning and I've had so many kind people reach out to me and be like hey Branny do you need an editor? And it's like yes I do so much but I the thing is though is that um one as selfish as this may sound I'm kind of scared to let someone in to do that because I have my way of doing things but also like I quite frankly not to talk about monetary aspects of this because it's something that I don't really like to talk about but I quite frankly I don't make enough to give someone what their work is worth. And I won't let someone do something like that for me if I can't give them something that's worth their value and their time you know I completely understand that and agree with you.

SPEAKER_01 26:38

And uh one thing that is uh hard for me is if you have to edit your videos yourself it's I at least I have a problem with that watching yourself and hearing your own voice is that an issue for you what was the process like do you feel comfortable now watching your own videos the thing is is whenever I was younger and especially back in the era of like 2020 even though a lot of those videos are private now I had a very hard time watching myself like Brie, you're being cringy ew.

SPEAKER_00 27:11

But now you know like especially where I've tried to kind of um honor my own authenticity it's become a lot easier what I personally have trouble with is not me listening to myself but if one of my friends is across the room playing one of my videos I'm like ew turn it off like that's that's where my embarrassment comes from do you share it with people that you know because I know a lot of people that when they start a new channel they don't want their friends their families to know about it. Well I will say whenever I first started my channel I was very very wary but then in middle school people found it I got bullied for it I didn't think too much about it but then as of now whenever I was doing all the gaming things let's say last year I I was very open about it because I was proud of what I was doing. I was excited about what I was doing and kind of same now because YouTube and just I see YouTube as an art like as creation and that's always been a fundamental part of me. So again to honor my authenticity being open about that you know is something that I've gotten more comfortable with and it's something that was necessary for myself.

SPEAKER_01 28:31

And how do you feel about creating short form content? Because I know you create a lot of long form content but now there's like this huge um boost in the algorithm for short form content. What's your take on this do you think attention span is shorter now? Do you think this is a myth? How do you yeah where you stand?

SPEAKER_00 28:52

I absolutely if someone were to ask me do I think our attention spans have degraded over time a million percent yeah I I believe that so much. And it probably started with things like Vine as much as I love Vine and I had talked about you know the um YouTube starting with the jump cuts because you remember the storytime videos back in the day whenever if a teenage girl was telling a story and she paused to think for three minutes, that three minute pause would be in there. But with short form content I have gone so back and forth on this because it's kind of a tug of war of doing what's true to you and doing what's popular. And the platform differences are just crazy because with something that's done amazing for me on Instagram or on TikTok I typically tend to have more engaged people on those platforms despite my audience on YouTube. With YouTube I feel like YouTube Shorts it I don't want to say it's been geared more toward brain rot than I would be comfortable with but I've gotten more like hate as opposed to like genuine engagement on YouTube Shorts so I've really gone back and forth on that.

SPEAKER_01 30:12

Yeah I do agree with you I I do feel like YouTube content when it comes to short form in a way is a bit more commercial and brainwrought and I think that rawness that we usually look for you you might find it on TikTok mostly I don't think even Instagram I don't know it's interesting that you mentioned that somehow it works for you because I see a lot of people complaining about the same thing on Instagram. Yeah it seems like if you want to be more authentic you have to go on TikTok.

SPEAKER_00 30:41

Oh yeah and that's the thing because I recently back in December I had had a couple of videos on TikTok go absolutely just viral from me just recording thoughts that I have in a moment. And that's really what I've started doing because on let's say Instagram reels I had tried for a while to really gear into like the cozy gaming type things and really looking into those trends and no matter how often I tried to recreate something that I saw it never worked for me. But then as soon as I started oh I'm having a thought let me record it and then post it to Instagram somehow that's what started working for me. So that's what that's just what I've kept doing from that point. And do you think we can still do storytelling the same way that teenage girls used to do it like five or six years ago do you think we can actually leave those pauses there or have things shifted I will say as much as I wish that we could keep doing that I think I don't think it's something that we can necessarily do to the fullest extent and it get as much attention as we would want it to at this current moment with like the attention economy and like how our literacy and our attention spans have kind of degraded over recent years. But I do I don't think it's hopeless though like I think it's something that we can really work back toward if we put that effort into it.

SPEAKER_01 32:09

I agree I do in a way I do think that's coming back. I do think if people want to do it this year it might be the right moment. I have analyzed a lot of channels that are just like raw and storytelling content and it seems like it's growing again. So if there's anyone watching and they want to do this kind of content I do think I do I do think it's up to us to bring it back. Yes you know like oh is it working now it might not be but if we all start posting this again it might you know yeah because as like yeah because as I said like I really thought that social media should be a place for all of us to connect and whenever we're all kind of seeing issues of oh we don't like this brain rot oh I don't like how this works it's up to us to change that and I don't think it's something that's a hopeless situation.

SPEAKER_00 32:59

It's something that is attainable. It's just it's just going to take a bit of work.

SPEAKER_01 33:04

One thing that I want to know is do you think creators overedit sometimes and what's like a small editing advice that you could give people that usually they overlook in order to do something that it's not like overly edited yes I feel like you know and I've been guilty of this as well like creators a lot of times we over edit because we're like oh are we going to keep their attention like is maybe something that I'm saying doesn't sound right but I think if I had to give any editing tips at all you know if you take a couple of seconds in between saying something or even if you're saying a sentence and you stumble over a couple of words that's okay.

SPEAKER_00 33:46

Someone's not going to stop watching you because you made a mistake in what you're saying. If anything it helps relate because it's like oh this isn't a performance this is a real person like talking to a camera and I think you know instead of cutting those things out and making it overly polished kind of leaving in those little mistakes it's more beneficial than harmful.

SPEAKER_01 34:10

And do you think editing can fix a bad video?

SPEAKER_00 34:14

No 1000% no and a lot of people would disagree because I think you know if you take a bad video and you put a bunch of edits on it like I think it can you know help keep people's retention to keep watching the video but that doesn't change the quality of what's being said.

SPEAKER_01 34:37

What matters the most to you like if you were to rank idea personality and edit how would you do it?

SPEAKER_00 34:44

Idea personality and edit personally I think the idea and the personality those two were tied for me because I think what makes a good video is if you have an idea you know have that idea you know and execute it. I don't think the edits they're important but I would say they're on the bottom of the list because if you have a really good idea right and you put it out there and it is in fact a good idea you don't need edits to make it good. The personality you know if you have a good idea people are going to keep watching regardless but the personality it's you know it's the icing on top of the cake you'll eat the cake regardless but the icing helps you know yeah what do you think you have improved from when you started rowing on YouTube because I'm assuming each video you do something better than your previous video. Yeah I would say so and I think you know kind of straying away from having the obligatory like influencer voice or having to do like a formal intro and outro and kind of just talking more casually it's something that I've struggled with a lot but I feel the further that I grow on YouTube and the more videos that I make it just it gets better over time. Do you think like you're still figuring this out yeah every every day as soon as I think I'm like Brie, you got it you got your niche you got it figured out three months from then no I don't and I'm rethinking what I'm doing and I think you know for creators like for anyone watching that might be a new creator and because some of the advice you hear is oh pick your niche right that's a huge one I this is a piece of advice that I always just throw out the window because I think as long as you're doing what you are interested in the niche it the niche doesn't matter. People come or should come for you. You know and I think kind of coming to that conclusion and not focusing on a niche as much has really helped me come into that as well.

SPEAKER_01 36:51

I think the niche is your personality you know because we we are human beings we like different things we in life we don't talk about just one topic. So you know you just feel it and if you have something to say about it if you have an opinion why not turn your camera on and just talk about it. So I do agree with you and I talk with a lot of big creators and they mention the same thing that niche actually like having a niche might actually hurt you in the beginning. So we don't know where this came from from or if it's you know something that used to work in the algorithm in the past and not anymore. Because I do notice that things change. Like from when you started to now do you think anything has changed in the algorithm and how important is the algorithm for you?

SPEAKER_00 37:36

Do you think about it at all very so much has changed in my opinion because even from you know the types of edits that people prefer like something that's very notable to me is if you take Minecraft let's plays if you're the type of person that watches those it's really shifted from oh a person just turning on their camera and like all of the pauses and them just going throughout the game as opposed to now it's like we have to have like it's almost like a game show some of them like I survived 100 days. Like it seems like things have to be more produced to in order to be pushed sometimes even if that's not what people desire. And that's yeah and that's just one of many and the algorithm it is only important to me only because you know it my videos don't always get pushed out to even my subscribers and kind of trying to do that tug of war with the algorithm of oh am I titling this right? Am I doing the SEO and my description right and all that but at the end of the day you know the algorithm is just a tiny piece of the puzzle. It's not the full thing what you are doing and the things that you are saying like those are the important things.

SPEAKER_01 38:58

Do you feel some sort of pressure when you talk about the algorithm or SEO? Do you think new creators should be thinking about those things or should they just do it?

SPEAKER_00 39:09

You know I think learning about things like SEO and CTR, you know, those are things that are important because as I was explaining to someone in a call the other day um CTR for new creators or anyone that might not know it is your click through rate. So anytime that someone sees your video come up in a feed that percentage is how often they click on that video. And sometimes that can help you with things like thumbnails and things of that nature but you also have to take into consideration as well whenever your videos get pushed they don't always get pushed to the right audience right away. So the things like SEO and CTR they are important but you have to keep in mind that like they are not the full picture.

SPEAKER_01 39:58

And how do you think your audience found you how do you think if there's anyone watching this and they're like hey I want to post a video but I'm scared that the wrong audience is going to find me what advice would you give them to find the right audience?

SPEAKER_00 40:13

Honestly I have had so many videos get pushed to the wrong audience because you'll see some of my videos now like if you look at the comment section sometimes like it's very divided of people who vibe with the video and people who don't and I think for new creators that are wanting to make a video but are nervous of it getting pushed to the wrong audience the best advice that I can give is be confident in your idea and if it gets pushed to the wrong audience a lot of times at least in my experience it'll get pushed to this audience but then slowly you know the right people for you will start to trickle in and if you kind of accept that all this is just part of the course like this is just part of what happens you know it's a lot easier for you to keep going and eventually find your people.

SPEAKER_01 41:09

And I mean it's kind of sad to say this but hate comments are also engagement in a way so if they're actually being hateful in a way they're helping you in the algorithm. Yeah so yeah it might push the video to more people so I think you just have to learn how to prepare yourself and know who you are so those comments will not affect you at all. I think it's important to have some sort of support system.

SPEAKER_00 41:36

Do you have that what what's your support support system like honestly I will say my biggest support whenever it comes to life or my content is um my fiance Tom you know and I have um I have a couple of friends who I'll talk to about like I'll post a video and sometimes if I get hate comments a lot of times unfortunately whenever you post things on the internet it's whenever you get a hate comment a lot of times it's not criticizing your idea or what you're saying it's criticizing you you know and whenever you get more comfortable not just with your ideas and what you're saying but also with yourself and being able to be open and vulnerable with people around you like hey this is bothering me kind of that combination of things like it really helps you get through that and again just like your videos getting pushed to the wrong audience if you kind of just accept like oh this is just what comes with posting on the internet it it gets a lot easier.

SPEAKER_01 42:38

What is it like for you the uh experience of creating a video and being a video that you think is gonna do really well and it then it doesn't does that happen often are there videos that you think this might not be a good idea and it actually surprises you and does pretty well all the time all the time on both ends of the spectrum and whenever a video doesn't do as well you know sometimes like I can't say that I don't get upset and that it's not discouraging because you know whenever I create things like it's something that like I put myself into and kind of like oh it's me talking about something and it kind of separating that some people don't vibe with the video as opposed to taking that personally helps but it's also nice at the same time on the flip side whenever I'm like I don't know if I really presented that idea as well as I wanted to or this is kind of a weird take and then a lot of people resonate with that and it does well that kind of makes up for the videos that don't do as well because it's like oh well my audience just didn't vibe with this right now because a lot of times you'll have that happen.

SPEAKER_00 43:51

You'll have a video not do great but then a few months later you look back at it and you're like wait it's getting views all of a sudden what's going on so it's kind of just a Sitting and waiting game and kind of not getting discouraged too early and kind of seeing those experiences when a video doesn't do as well as a learning experience of, oh well, maybe I'll present this way next time, or like maybe I'll do it this way. And it's if you see things as a learning experience as opposed to a failure, you know, that's really that's really where it helps.

SPEAKER_01 44:26

So do you think you can talk about the same topic but in a different way, let's say a month later, and it might work, or once a video does not do so well, you kind of like hold back a little bit?

SPEAKER_00 44:38

Um sometimes, you know, I might hold back a little bit and I might wait, depending on the topic. Um, but sometimes I feel like you can present an idea in a different angle. But for me, and this is just a personal preference, but if you make a video about, let's say, something that I've seen a lot recently is people talking about um Gen Alpha and their their literacy, right? Yeah. Um if you make a video about Gen Alpha and their literacy and you have a certain take and certain points, and you want to talk about it again, I feel as though like you can use some of the material and some of the points that you did in the previous video, but I think just for yourself, but as well as for your audience, like adding more, adding more points or changing things up a little bit, like that value, that value matters.

SPEAKER_01 45:31

Sometimes there are topics that you know everyone is talking about, and they're like, if I make a video about this, I know it will get some views. But for beginners, even if a topic is very relevant, sometimes they post a video, they don't get a lot of views. So people there's like this big question of is growth predictable or unpredictable on YouTube? How do you think it works?

SPEAKER_00 45:53

Uh honestly, I think there's a little bit of both because whenever you are starting a fresh channel from scratch, a lot of times I would say probably between five and ten videos, you know, the I hate to mention the algorithm because it is important in this aspect of the algorithm takes a bit of time to learn what your channel is about, what you are about, and what your videos are. So sometimes if you don't have a few videos do well and you did get discouraged, you just need to get past that threshold. But whenever you are making content, like let's say you do social commentary, and all of a sudden you're like, oh well, there's this popular game out. I like games, I'm gonna play a game, and you do that, even though it can either flop and not do great because it's not in your typical niche, or sometimes that can be your breakout, you know, and it really depends because in that particular scenario, sometimes people make those, you know, unexpected videos that are a bit different, but that's where their true self and their authenticity shines. And I think that's a lot of the reason why people have these breakout growths is because they're really they just got into flow state and they didn't realize that they did, you know.

SPEAKER_01 47:12

Yeah. I think it's all about trusting your intuition and not really data. And I know you don't really like talking about the algorithm, but I'm actually curious to know was there any moment that the analytics actually influenced your creative decision, or did you block it and never let that happen?

SPEAKER_00 47:30

I wish so much that I could say that I never focused on analytics and I never focused on views, but that's that's not true, you know, because I had started making videos about uh censorship about seven, eight months ago, and they had started blowing up out of nowhere. And even though it was something that was passionate to me and something that I wanted to talk about, you know, like as soon as I seen those videos do well, something in my brain, I was like, Well, I gotta make more videos about this. And eventually it I burnt out because I was making videos about so many heavy topics that like it was just it was draining. And whenever I was like, Well, I'm gonna revert back, I'm gonna do what I want, and I would go through these phases of, oh, this is what I want to do, when in reality it was still kind of being, you know, influenced by like, oh, did this video get a lot of views? Is the CTR good? But as you said, you know, like even though your videos, if you have a few, do really, really well, and then you try something different and they might flop, right? You kind of just need to, as you said, trust your intuition as opposed to that data. Because even if you have like, let's say 10, 15 videos do absolutely amazing, but then you burn out and you're like, oh, well, I'm not gonna make videos for a while because that was a lot, then the algorithm is like, oh, well, you haven't made videos in a while, so we're not gonna push your stuff as far. So if you're making things that you like and that you want to make, it's a lot easier for you to gain steady momentum as opposed to going up exponentially and then just dropping off.

SPEAKER_01 49:16

I know you pretty much post what you like and you try just to be yourself in front of the cameras, but even though with we try to be ourselves, do you have do you think there are moments that you self-doubt yourself when posting a video? Have has that happened like recently?

SPEAKER_00 49:34

Um sometimes, just the way that I speak sometimes, because I had came out recently about my neurodivergence, because I had had a lot of hate comments um talking about my neurodivergence. And you know, whenever I had gone to post that video, I was very vulnerable, you know, and I'd kind of doubted myself of like, oh, is this the right thing to do? But something that I've noticed is that even in some of the videos where I am more emotional or I'm more vulnerable, and even though it might not get a lot of views, because you know, not everyone knows me, so why would they click on me? Right. I've noticed that the audience that I have that is there, even though it might not have a lot of views, a lot of like the interactions that I have with my audience, they're a lot more deep and they're a lot more personal. And I value that more than the view metric.

SPEAKER_01 50:30

Because a lot of people say that whenever you're creating content, people don't click on your content for you. They click because they want to learn something from it and they stay because of you. Do you agree with that? And if so, what do you try to, what is the vision, the message that you try to give through your titles or thumbnails that you know people can get something from your video?

SPEAKER_00 50:53

Honestly, I I both agree and disagree. And I say that because for people that don't know you at all, like kind of the best way that I can explain it is if you're in a lineup, there's a few people, and one of them is your friend, and the rest of them are strangers, you're gonna go to your friend first, right? Because why would you go to these strangers? But if one of these strangers has something beneficial or valuable advice to give you, then you might go to them. So for gathering new audiences, pulling them in with value, not just clickbait or things that's like going to rage bait them or what have you, giving them something of value is really important. But for people who are your established audience and people who are already there, you know, you have to kind of cater to them as well. Because whenever you are so focused, because I see so many new creators get focused on, you know, I need to get more subscribers, I want to get more followers, whatever. So they focus on bringing people in and not maintaining the audience that they've already maintained, you know.

SPEAKER_01 52:03

Has posting online changed how you see yourself?

SPEAKER_00 52:07

Yeah, in a way, because there was a time where, depending on the content that I was doing, like I started just saying what I wanted to say and talking about things like literacy and AI, because I had fallen into this trap of feeling like I'm contributing to the brain rot and I'm contributing to like our degrading attention spans. And for a while I had almost viewed myself as a spectacle, you know. But now that I'm talking about the things that I am in the way that I am and trying to not just maintain authenticity for myself, but also encourage it and other people, I see myself in a better light, like I'm doing something useful, and that you know, that that gives me purpose.

SPEAKER_01 52:55

Yeah, and that's a great way to kind of end things because I do have one final question that is if someone is trying to build something online and do what you're doing today, what would you tell them? How would you advise people?

SPEAKER_00 53:09

The best piece of advice that I could give to anybody that is wanting to create videos and just do things on the internet is just be yourself. Be don't be afraid to be cringe, be embarrassing. You know, as long as you are doing what you like, you're not hurting anybody, you're not spreading misinformation, and you're just doing you, that's the best thing I think anybody could do.

SPEAKER_01 53:35

Awesome. That's a great way to end things. Thank you so much for doing this and saying yes, and please have this moment to promote your channel or whatever you'd like.

SPEAKER_00 53:46

Yes, of course. Thank you. And to anyone who likes gaming or talking about big existential things, societal things, or you just like to sit and listen to people yap, could you can come over and hang out on the channel on Branimations YT. And hopefully I will see you there. And thank you so much to VTOR for having me on. And it was it was such a pleasure.

SPEAKER_01 54:08

Thanks for it was a pleasure.

SPEAKER_00 54:10

Of course.

SPEAKER_01 54:11

Building an audience online does not mean becoming someone else. Sometimes the thing that makes people connect is the part that you were afraid to show. Subscribe, leave a comment, and I'll see you in the next episode. Bye.