Indie Content Creators: Midsummer Status
Reviews: Sharronda Williams has been keeping audiences up to date on most of this summer’s television shows and movies on her channel, Pay or Wait, with 17 thousand subscribers. One of her latest videos is a review of Disney’s new live-action Lion King remake which she was able to watch before its July 19 release. Other recent videos include reviews of The Handmaid’s Tale Season 3 episodes and a Midsommar movie review. Williams posts 7 to 8 times every week with around 3.5 thousand viewers watching each snappy review, listening to William’s advice on whether to pay for a movie ticket or wait for it to be released on other platforms.
Comedian Tony Baker posted a review of Spiderman: Far From Home this past week, focusing on how the actors and actresses interpreted their roles compared to previous renditions of Spiderman. Baker’s channel, Tony Baker Comedy has a suite of movie reviews with comedic intercuts as well as video recordings of one of his podcasts, Daddy Issues, where he discusses his experiences as a father. Baker has almost 134 thousand subscribers who watch his casual and conversational movie reviews.
Following the highly anticipated release of Netflix’s season 3 of Stranger Things, rising YouTuber Jackie Jing uploaded her take on the season to her self titled-channel. At 2.5 thousand subscribers, Jing’s channel is a growing force in the reviews sector of YouTube, reviewing both television shows and movies. In her review videos, Jing is careful to avoid spoilers unless specifically noted in her video titles. Her channel also includes her podcast, Tall Girl Tells All, where she discusses relationships and dating.
Informative: In a world where the demand for computer science knowledge is high, it is no surprise that YouTuber YK Sugi, who gives computer science lessons online, recently hit 1 million subscribers. His channel, CS Dojo, contains videos explaining topics relating to computer science, from creating twitter bots to exploring careers in data science. Sugi’s latest video explains how to use a voice-over app that he uses as he returns to YouTube following a brief break due to illness.
Similarly in the computer science world, YouTuber Siraj Raval’s self-titled channel features videos on artificial intelligence and real-world applications of computer science. His most recent video describes his experience creating a bitcoin startup and advice on how his 656 subscribers can do the same. The crowning jewel of Raval’s channel is his music video to his song Data Lit which serves as both a musical lecture and a teaser trailer to his Data Science course. The video has over 150 thousand views and demonstrates his modern approach to education, with videos emphasizing that computer science can be for everyone.
Catering to a more niche audience in the fashion industry is YouTuber Zoe Hong whose channel focuses on educating aspiring fashion designers and those who want to break into the industry. Hong posts videos every Sunday to her 189 thousand subscribers, made up of both seasoned fashion designers as well as consumers looking to shop smarter. Her videos cover a wide range of topics relating to fashion, including runway show reviews, definitions of industry terms, tutorials on design technology, and advice for starting a fashion business.
Lifestyle: Lauren Riihimaki, one of YouTube’s most popular DIY YouTubers reached 9 million subscribers on her channel LaurDIY and is continuing to be a pioneer in the creative arts genre of YouTube. Riihimaki’s channel is made of videos of her trying ambitious crafts and clever clothes makeovers, as well as vlogs and advice videos featuring other prominent YouTubers such as Josh Peck. Some of her most viewed videos show her buying other YouTubers’ merchandise and making over the clothes to create unique pieces, as well as making over her own merchandise.
One of YouTube’s up and coming stars is Ava Jules who is part of a new generation of lifestyle YouTubers making an unconventional living by documenting their lives online. Jules uploads videos doing her makeup for various occasions, choosing outfits, and surviving high school, all with an emphasis on staying healthy and environmentally conscious in her home of O’ahu, Hawaii. One of her recent videos shows Jules and her father participating in a beach cleanup and advising her 1.1 million subscribers on how to make small changes to improve the environment.
Social Commentary: Following the drama surrounding Taylor Swift and Scooter Braun, YouTuber Lovelyti posted her commentary on the ordeal, garnering over 145 thousand views. Lovelyti’s channel lovelyti2003 is one of YouTube’s biggest gossip channels and her videos feature her discussing the latest celebrity happenings with newsreels and receipts included. Lovelyti also sells her own line of tea called Lovelytea, calling her 790 thousand subscribers “tisippers” and building her brand on literal and figurative tea.
YouTuber Candice Pelham also has a brand centered on tea with her channel Daytime Tea Talk. Pelham’s comedic explanations of the latest celebrity news gives her channel a unique twist on the typical celebrity gossip channels. Most of her videos discuss people of color in the entertainment industry and how they are treated by the media. Daytime Tea Talk has 361 thousand subscribers and posts around 4 times a week. One of her most recent videos discusses intrusive paparazzi harassing rapper Cardi B.