The Vlog; The mouthpiece of the present

April 15, 2015

During their studies, young people are overwhelmed with avalanches of text, which is why outside of the seminar they demand more pictures and fewer letters. YouTube is unique in the social media landscape and is still rapidly growing - because more and more people are expressing their views through video posts. UNIGLOBALE presents two vlogs (video blogs) - one offers high-quality entertainment and hits the nerve of the times, another is a modern way to place criticism and discussion on a new level.

Mirella Mag

Mirellativegal - that's the name of Mirella's YouTube channel, which already has almost 96,000 subscribers after a good year and a half 'on air'. The woman from Nuremberg likes things picky. Some of their topics: What can you do in an empty apartment? Why do girls and she especially cry at the sight of the MTV Video Music Awards? What do you write in your friends book when you're eleven years old and are you still into Justin Timberlake ten years later? The economics student looks into the face of the absurdities of everyday life and is very entertaining at the same time - in doing so, she stands up for those who are considered to be rather outdated. Typical Girls began her YouTube career as a follower of beauty gurus who gave tips on hair, makeup and clothes. In 2012, she set up her own small camera to shoot a haul because she had just ordered a package full of makeup. “Nobody knows this video except me,” she replies when asked whether the first work could be admired somewhere. At some point she shared her opinion on beauty, fashion and lifestyle with the public. Soon, some viewers noticed that the delicate girl with the big mouth was quite funny and asked for contributions far removed from the rouge reality. Since then, her blog has featured a colorful mix of comedy, vlogs, music and various other things that interest her.

“Nobody who isn’t a YouTuber themselves can understand how much time it really takes to create the posts,” says Mirella. Thinking up an idea, shooting the video, post-processing it, picking out music, uploading it, making notes, writing the info box and creating a thumbnail – these are the first steps. Added to this is sharing on all social media sites, commenting and attending events. But the stress is worth it when her fans nag her.

Criticism on all channels

Axis Jump_Title Photo_Team Axis jump – It all started with the fact that there are not enough formats with socio-political content for a young target group in the German media landscape. Helene, Marion, Aurelia and Sebastian themselves belong to the target group, Generation Y. They all studied audiovisual media at the University of Media in Stuttgart and wanted to close this gap in the media landscape with their blog 'Axis Jump'. They wanted to turn the knowledge they had gained from their studies into something practical and let off steam in various formats – video, text, photos and design. But the focus is on the videos because “you can reach young people in particular with videos,” explains Helene. “We don’t take glossy pictures, but rather try to depict reality as truthfully as possible.” This includes the fact that you can often see team members at work in the axis jump vlog. The aim is to give viewers a kind of insight behind the scenes. Since the vlog went online, the students have produced and published an average of two video contributions per week. While for interviews they usually only plan an hour for the conversation and a day for post-production, elaborately produced contributions such as the report on the Swiss start-up 'essento', which sees insects as the food of the future, are significantly more time-consuming. It is important to the students that they create contributions with added value that resonate with the times and their viewers. In the future, the workload will be somewhat limited because everyone has completed their bachelor's degree and is looking for new challenges in internships and master's studies. Whether it's the European elections, Primark or the 2014 World Cup - the critical students will continue to be part of the discussion
stimulate.

FAQ

Mike Suminski is a filmmaker, photographer and video blogger. He answers the most pressing questions on the topic.

What is included in the blogger's initial equipment?

A small SLR camera (e.g. Canon 700D) with the kit lens (18-55mm) is sufficient. A tripod wouldn't be bad either, a cheap one is enough to start with, e.g. B. from Hama.

Which editing program do you recommend?

I recommend Adobe Premiere Pro. This is suitable for both beginners and professionals. The stripped-down version is Adobe Premiere Elements.

How do I come across well?

You should feel comfortable and just be yourself. Don't copy role models that you find funny yourself, the artificiality will be noticeable and that doesn't come across well. So my tip: just be yourself. As simple as it sounds, it really works.

Where should I present my video?

Clearly, YouTube is the strongest medium for videos today. Vimeo is also suitable for music videos and short films.

How often should I blog?

Often enough, but not too often. You should provide your community with content regularly, but you shouldn't overdo it either. Like a television show, a blog post should have a set day and time.

A tip from a professional?

Don't forget the note at the end of the videos: If you liked the video, give a thumbs up, subscribe to the channel and share the video with your friends!