Be Lo-Fi, Not Low Effort

So often when we look around on YouTube we see incredibly high-end production value that seems unattainable to those of us just starting out on the platform. The content that rises to the top is often from creators, studios, or brands that have invested a great deal of money, time, and expertise into creating a highly polished production. If you can’t compete with their team of experts it doesn’t mean you should give up or just phone it in. If you don’t have the money or the people power, then you can always make up for it with ingenuity. Let’s take a look at some content creators who have succeeded on YouTube because of their scrappy utilitarian approach to content creation.

James Gurney

James Gurney is the acclaimed artist and writer behind the Dinotopia series. It’s not immediately apparent how his abilities with his watercolours and oil paints would translate to content creation. Watching a James Gurney video often feels like time travelling back to the ‘90s to watch regional television where everything felt cosy and inviting. What’s most impressive, though, is that he creates his videos using what he has on hand and without any formal video editing or videography training. This gives everything he does a patina of scrappy ingenuity that perfectly highlights the creative and educational content he creates. Don’t wait until you finally get around to learning all the settings on your camera, or finish that course on how to become a professional editor. Just get out there and start sharing your knowledge.

12 Tone

If I gave you some paper, a pen, and a camera could you make a video that gets millions of views? Your initial response may be no, obviously not. That’s why I want you to watch a video by the music theory educator, 12tone. This is one of my favourite examples of making use of what you have. How does a person create an entire channel of educational content centred entirely around timelapse footage of a hand doodling on sheets of staff paper? They do it with charm, knowledge, and consistency. This channel is proof positive that if you have information and entertainment to share you don’t have to be creating content that looks like a Hollywood blockbuster. Just find an idea that works for your subject matter and get to work sharing your knowledge with the world.

Vlogbrothers

The Vlogbrothers are a testament not only to the potential longevity of your content, but also to the importance of finding and nurturing your audience. Both John and Hank Green have incredible success as writers, content creators, educators, event organisers, philanthropists, and entertainers. They built this entire enterprise off of their personalities, knowledge, and a couple of cameras. No flashy editing, no crazy camera work. Just two brothers sharing their thoughts in front of a static camera. Not only do they have the YouTube game on lock, but they have enormous and engaged followings on numerous social media platforms.

Look at Van’s hand written infographics on the large roll of paper hanging in the background. That’s a true Lo-Fi spirit.

Casey and Van Neistat

Two more brothers and YouTube titans. The Neistat brothers have been making films with whatever they can get their hands on for years. They have an aesthetic of pure ingenuity. Even though they may have cinematography and composition figured out, they aren’t afraid to draw a diagram on a big piece of butcher paper with a black sharpie, or use whatever bits and bobs they have laying around to help illustrate a point. This is true utilitarianism and it should be encouraging to anyone with a cellphone and a set of magic markers that they can create compelling content with everything they have on hand. 

Vsauce

Hey, if you’re familiar with Vsauce you may be wondering why I’ve added Michael here. Well, in the past few years he has shifted to making more short form content, and almost all of it is shot in one take. It’s not fancy equipment that provides the entertainment, it's his personality and knowledge. Another key takeaway here is that Michael isn’t afraid to frame his information with a bit of humour (often toilet humour) that contrasts the intellectual air of most educational content. If you can find a way to subvert the status quo and make your audience laugh while they learn, you don’t need all of the bells and whistles.

So What Did We Learn?

Tune in to these channels, absorb that spirit of ingenuity, and forget about fancy equipment or flashy editing. Just communicate your message and get creative with how you do it. If you absorb the lessons of these scrappy creators you’ll be making viral content in no time with just a phone and your own creativity. Stay tuned to the JOI Creative blog for more tips on how to get started making great content with what you have on hand.