STACK #184 Feb 2020

visit stack.com.au with DANGERDOLAN Q & A

LIFE TECH FEATURE

We've given you the basics on content creation to begin your journey to YouTube stardom, so now it's time to get some invaluable tips from a pro. Australian content creator D.J. Johnson's channel, Planet Dolan, currently has 5.8 million subscribers who tune in for his animated videos that can encompass everything from Weird Family Members and Dumb Complaints, to Scary Home Alone Experiences. Check it out!

projects like the cartoon we're working on. Creative jobs will consume your every thought no matter what industry you're in – YouTube just gives you the freedom to work for yourself. Passion and tenacity are required!

Danger Dolan youtube.com/c/planetdolan

What's the best part of being a content creator? Working on whatever

compelling content and the algorithm will help find your tribe online. Be sure to study your analytics too, it will tell

they first started out, including me. You'll learn with time and experimentation. What is the best way to promote your content and create a community? YouTube has always had an amazing discovery system for new content – so if people are engaged with your videos (they watch them all the way through, they like/comment, watch more of your videos afterwards) then it will promote your videos and gain you more of a relevant audience. Community naturally blossoms from there, even off YouTube on platforms like Discord or Twitter. You don't have to be a networker or extrovert to succeed on YouTube, you just need to create

What got you into content creation? I originally trained as a writer, so I was already putting together scripts on interesting educational topics as research for my novels. I decided to create video tutorials on some of my interests and that led into countdowns. When that took off I pivoted into developing an animation series with some of the contacts I built up and now I'm in that field. Exploring my interests on YouTube in my early 20s got me many millions of subscribers and ultimately landed me in my dream job of writing for animations! What are your best tips for making your first video and creating aYouTube channel? Experiment a LOT when you

projects that take your fancy, doing it in your own hours too. You are

your own boss, which can be both good and bad. It's also a great way to connect with other creators and fans in your niche. You have a great deal of flexibility

you a WHOLE lot about your audience and their viewing habits. How many hours a day do you devote to producing videos?

on where and how you work, too – I'm writing

this from a hotel in Toronto where I've been working on screenplays, visiting animation studios and doing recording sessions with my staff for weeks, and that's ONLY because YouTube made it possible. What advice would you give someone considering a career as a content creator? Be prepared to put a ton of work in, do lots of

When I first got started it was a 10-12 hour work day, 7 days a week on my own for 1-2 years straight. It was extremely hard starting from nothing in 2012 and it's only gotten more competitive since. These days we have a sizeable team of 20-30 running two channels, so it gives me a lot more free time to develop bigger

first get started. Find out what you're interested in making, try new things, see what your audience responds to and don't stop creating things. I personally started out with writing tutorials, moving to gaming tutorials, then educational countdowns to art, animations and now cartoons. Think about all your interests and make videos about those, be it for entertainment or to educate people. Nobody knew what they were doing when

research on other channels and be flexible about what your niche is. Focus less on it being a shortcut to a dream job and more about what you're contributing. What makes you stand out from the other millions trying to make it? Why do YOU like watching on YouTube? How can you improve on it? Once you've figured that out, you'll be able to make something really special – and I can't wait to watch!

34 FEBRUARY 2020

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