Vlog yourself

Video blogging has changed the way we view media online

I have always wanted to be famous or feel what it would be like to be famous for a day.

To be honest, I love attention and when on camera I’ve been told I ham it up a little too much. This being said, I’ve never actually made my own video about my life, so I thought I would do a little research about video blogging, otherwise known as “vlogging.” For those of you who have ever wanted to be famous, vlogging may be your opportunity to get your 15 minutes of fame.

If making videos of yourself sounds like something you would like to do, then you are in luck because there is a website dedicated to “You.” You guessed it: YouTube. YouTube has changed the way we view media online. With the push of a button, you can broadcast yourself to millions of viewers every day.

YouTube is amazing because of how it connects our generation to the world around us. It is the fifth most visited website online and has more than 65,000 uploads a day. Viewers can watch the world’s most hilarious videos, heartbreaking confessions and see plenty of faces that should be on the radio.

Some videos are really embarrassing, funny, serious and, let’s face it, boring. But how often do you get to see a guy sitting on an airbag waiting for it to explode, guys acting out Super Mario Brothers in real life or more cat videos than you can watch in a lifetime? Maybe you’ve seen this kind of stuff in real life or maybe you haven’t. One thing is certain, you can view almost anything on YouTube and even make yourself a star. So, I say go for it.

It amazes me how cool someone can look in a vlog. Vloggers typically choose one topic to discuss or have some kind of message they want to share or make fun of per video. Some vloggers have millions of viewers because of their content and the way they show off their video editing skills. I came across “nigahiga,” the vlogger page of some guy named Ryan Higa. He has over five million subscribers and he just talks about normal everyday situations and topics. But he is downright funny and his visual affects just pull you in. Apparently he has a video series called “Off the Pill” because he films himself when he isn’t on his ADHD medicine. I can only imagine what videos you might find and the things you might hear during his rants.

All you need to get started is a video camera and some form of video editing software. The best part is you can make your videos about whatever you choose. Anyone can create their own video, record their thoughts and plans and share their life story with the world. Not everyone will watch it, but at least it will be yours. For those of you who have never worked with video and editing, you may want to start learning. Maybe you’ll be famous one day. It happened to Justin Beiber, didn’t it? n