Always the stairs, never the escalator
Do More Project I: Casey Neistat’s path less traveled to heroism.
If you’ve ever visited the homepage of YouTube or seen the Samsung 2017 Oscar’s commercial, you’ve more than likely seen the face of entrepreneur, public speaker, producer of the HBO series The Neistat Brothers, generous benefactor, and leading pioneer of YouTube vlogging: Casey Neistat
Casey fought tooth and nail for what he has. In Casey’s video Draw My Life — Casey Neistat, he shares the fallout from a fateful argument with his mom.
He had nowhere to go. He had nothing to his name. Angry because of her recent divorce from his father, a fight with his mother sent his life into a downward spiral for some time to come.
“She ended the fight by saying ‘Do what I say or get out of this house!’ And I left. I was 15 years old.”
Casey drifted through houses for a while, finally sharing a house with two older girls, including his girlfriend who gave birth to his son, Owen, when Casey was 17. The three lived in a trailer park on his $8 an hour salary.
When Casey’s girlfriend left him, he only had one place to go. He hearkened back to a visit to his brother Van, when he fell in love with filmmaking. He decided not to put off his dream of joining Van, his filmmaker brother, in New York one second longer.
Casey worked as a bike messenger until he got a job with Van on a project for Tom Sachs about his art, his first real film gig. When Casey’s first sublet ended, he moved onto his friend’s couch on September 2, 2001.
He was on that couch nine days later when an explosion woke him.
In this moment, Casey Neistat plummeted into the Hero’s abyss.
His father begged him to leave the city, but he couldn’t. It was a test. He had to fight relentlessly in order to see his dreams through. He stuck with Van, doing freelance videography.
Then, things turned around.
In 2003, Casey made video he titled iPod’s Dirty Secret. It exposed Apple’s lack of a battery repair policy for the first iPod. The video, released more than two years before YouTube was launched, received millions of views on a variety of platforms.
Casey’s first viral video was born.
It brought Casey’s future work massive amounts of attention, bringing about the brothers’ HBO deal, worth just under $2 million. Casey kept making movies, but he had soft spot for YouTube. He became known for short films like Bike Lanes and Make It Count.
Make It Count was commissioned to advertise Nike Fuel, an activity tracker. In a rebellious twist, Casey used Nike’s budget to travel the world with his friend, filming as he went. A video that could be described as his most powerful yet was born. It was the birthplace of the mantra “always the stairs, never the escalator,” and has received millions of views. It embodies Casey’s philosophy of breaking rules to break new ground.
His first vlog entry was published on his 34th birthday in 2015. The purpose the vlog, he said, was to improve by making a movie every day and to chronicle the life of his company Beme and its video sharing app. His channel and content exploded. The daily videos incorporating him, his wife Candice, his daughter Francine, and his son Owen captivated many.
His style, remarkable in its incorporation of timelapses, drones, and upbeat music, and his infamous Canon 70D, Rode VideoMic Pro, and Joby Gorillapod revolutionized vlogging. His whole rig costs about $1,200, amazing when considering the return on that investment.
“If all it took to be good was to have the right equipment, the people who had the most money would always win.”
His endless energy and inspirational outlook on life inspired many to imitate him. Viewers enjoy being immersed in his exotic travels and intimate family life.
Shortly after he ended the daily vlog in late 2016, he sold his company to CNN for $25 million. He still maintains a leadership role and is currently planning a Beme YouTube channel.
One of the jewels of Casey’s career has been his role alongside Jerome Jarre and Ben Stiller in the Love Army for Somalia project.
They raised $2.5 million for the cause.
Casey Neistat, whose life is a flawless example of a Hero’s Journey, has changed lives everywhere. However, he hasn’t quite reached the end of his transformation. There’s still too much life left in Casey Neistat to expect anything less than amazement from him in years to come. Admirers will keep following Casey’s channel, still growing past 7.4 million subscribers, as he raises his daughter, redevelops Beme, and continues to leave huge shoes for admirers to fill.
Sources:
Casey Neistat, Draw My Life — Casey Neistat, YouTube, Feb. 9 2015
Casey Neistat, The Vlog (Playlist), YouTube, Mar. 24, 2015-Nov. 19 2016
Casey Neistat, Casey Neistat’s Guide to Filmmaking, YouTube, Oct. 13 2015
Casey Neistat, Make It Count, YouTube, Apr. 9 2012
Casey Neistat, SPENDING 2.5 MILLION DOLLARS, YouTube, May 10 2017
