Indie Content Creators: From Start To Getting Paid

Entertainment Reviews: Following the stream of summer movies rolling out of the major movie studios, movie review YouTube channels are thriving on the opportunities for new content. One of the most viewed Toy Story 4 movie reviews, with over 118 thousand views, is Andre Black Nerd’s comedic commentary on the film. Andre Meadows, the personality and producer of the channel with almost 700,000 subscribers, reviews the movie, discussing how the increase of people of color in the Disney cast was well played out.. Meadows admits he was originally skeptical of Disney’s decision to use Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key as humorous characters in a cinematic universe not known for “urban flavor” but was completely convinced by their two characters and thoroughly enjoyed their addition to the Toy Story world. Meadow’s dramatic and humorous personality draws viewers to his comedic videos. 

Double Toasted posted a review of “Spiderman: Far From Home”’s marketing campaign, anticipating the July 2 release date. Hosts Korey Coleman and Martin Thomas looked at the technical errors and compared the posters to other Marvel marketing campaigns. Coleman started the channel’s podcast style videos through a  Kickstarter after his original website was shut down and worked with Thomas in a bedroom until the two expanded the channel to now own a studio and have a wildly popular show with over 131,331 subscribers. They are encouraged by fans who have been following Korey since before “Double Toasted” was started. The channel posts every day with the hosts’ take on movies, pop culture, and other things they find interesting around the world in the entertainment industry. 

On the television side, YouTuber Alachia Queen posted her review of the Game of Thrones Season 8 Episode 6 to her over 45,596 subscribers. Her channel focuses on commentary on the Game of Thrones series as well as reactions to movie trailers, especially in the superhero and horror genres. Her down-to-earth, calm demeanor attracts viewers who enjoy seeing straightforward reviews without any extraneous fluff. 

Informative: The rise of the idea that anyone can learn anything online is evident in the numerous YouTube channels dedicated to giving a classroom education through the internet. On the educational side of YouTube, Paul Barbados continues his journey to making videos on every single country of the world through his channel Geography Now! His latest installment is a video in his “Flag/Fan Friday” series, a companion video to his feature on Pakistan, focusing on the Pakistani flag. “Geography Now!” has over 1,600,000 subscribers and is the only channel trying to profile every country in the world, working alphabetically through the “internationally recognized fully sovereign state countries of the UN” followed by the “semi-autonomous constituent and disputed regions of the world.”

Eddie Woo, the head math teacher of a comprehensive school in Sydney, Australia has a similar idea, bringing his over 621,328 subscribers through a math education with mini series on math topics and how they are applied in the real world. Woo started his channel for a student on medical leave who needed video recordings of lectures. He began uploading his videos to YouTube and found a wide audience around the world of people who turn to him for out of the classroom help. His latest videos are a series on exact values and trigonometric equations. 

Lifestyle: YouTuber JENerationDIY recently hit 2,000,000 subscribers on her channel that focuses on DIY, fashion, beauty and food videos. Her first video was in 2013 and in her video “making 2 million scrunchies for 2 million subscribers…(im ded)”, Jennifer Zhang describes how her channel has grown up, from her first video painting sneakers to college room decor. Her most popular uploads include bedroom organization tips and “thrift flips” where she transforms clothes found at thrift stores. 

Erin On Demand is an up and coming YouTuber in the lifestyle sector, with a channel focusing on how to succeed as an independent entrepreneur. The channel is run by Erin Winters who describes her experiences as an entrepreneur as well as tips for people looking to market their companies through digital media.  Her latest videos include “Top 4 Ways to Make Money Using Social Media 2019” and “A Day In My Life As A Full Time Entrepreneur.” Winters has extensive experience working in various news outlets, from Fox 2 News to becoming the first digital correspondent for National Geographic. However, she returned to her home of Detroit because she wanted “to be a part of the growth of Detroit” and her company works with small businesses to help them with their digital marketing strategies. Her over 20,000 subscribers follow her journey as an entrepreneur and learn what techniques she uses to help businesses use social media to their advantage. 

Social Commentary: Comedian Alexander Rodgers posted a #PopRoast video this week, exploring the drama between Nikki Minaj and Miley Cyrus, Cardi B, and other celebrities who have been in the limelight recently to his 39,990 subscribers. Rodgers’, along with his cohost Chris’s popular #PopRoast series shows the two sharing tips from friends of celebrities and various news outlets, reacting to and discussing the happenings between the stars of the entertainment industry with snappy remarks and dramatic sarcasm. Rodgers also has another celebrity gossip series, The Allegedly Show, where he gives his own take on celebrity news.

Following the drama surrounding the YouTube beauty community, YouTuber Rich Lux, with 306,009 subscribers, posted a series of videos explaining the situation, providing some receipts and sharing what he believes is going on behind the cameras. Rich Lux’s channel has a multitude of commentary on drama in the beauty commentary with his humorous takes on who is lying in the media and who is not. He posts a few videos every week, each time there is a new development in the YouTube drama.