Clickbait Casey
With almost 9 million subscribers and 2 billion views, Casey Neistat is one of the most watched and influential YouTubers of our time. From high school drop-out and teen dad, how has Casey become one of the world’s biggest media stars?
Casey was one of the first ‘YouTubers’ to produce daily videos at a professional standard. Neistat created a mini-series with his brother and following the success of the series being bought by HBO in 2008, Neistat took to filmmaking for the commercial world where his movie producing skills were honed and his iconic style was born.
Whilst working in the commercial world, Casey Neistat found his place online on YouTube. Many of his uploads were personal movies which the filmmaker had created throughout his life, from DIY endeavours, to political events. Every video is engaging and honest, and somehow you find yourself watching movie after movie.
After creating two motivational Nike adverts (make it count and DO MORE) alongside a Mercedes commercial, it’s unsurprising, that in March 2015 when Casey released his first vlog, he quickly gained global recognition. Within 5 months, Neistat has doubled his subscribers reaching 1 million!
But what makes his content so watchable?
There’s no denying that Neistat is an incredible filmmaker. He has an ability to edit content in a way that is seamless, making you feel like you’re watching a feature film. He treats his content this way, referring to his vlogs as ‘movies’ with each section a ‘scene’. You are taken on a journey without feeling like you are just watching a stranger tell you about his day. The blend of narration, time lapses, music and montages, provide quality viewing, and once you have seen one, you want to see more.
Casey communicates with his viewers by talking to the camera as though he is talking to an individual. Viewers get a sense they have a mentor and friend whose life they are part of.
In reality, Neistat has created an illusion. His subscribers see a cool guy, with the best gadgets, travelling the world, to an epic soundtrack. But on closer look, the seamless vlog becomes more like a fictional movie with each ‘scene’ taking time, care and planning.
Neistat meticulously positions, frames and lights a shot. But by conveying a laid-back vibe, Casey can connect with his audience easier while keeping them entertained with the high production value.
With the monetization of YouTube, Neistat has become the master of clickbait. reeling his viewers in and ensuring they remain engaged with titles such as “This Was HER IDEA..” and “Fat and Lazy”. The reason: for every person who clicks on a video, the creator earns money.
While Neistat churns out amazing videos each day, looking at the evolution of these videos shows a shift in focus. From meaningful personal videos to drawing in a many views as possible.
Although Neistat is arguable the best vlogger in his ability to tell a story, and communicate with his viewers, it may be the case that he has fallen into the cliché of producing content purely for the purpose of ‘gaining views’.
