This interview was conducted on December 25, 2016, by Aidan Dunphy
Mikeisnotsosmooth is a YouTuber with over 3,200 subscribers.
Q1: How and when did you discover YouTube?
- I remember discovering YouTube back in High-School in about 2007/08, I originally used it for educational purposes, but then I started to discover content creators and since about 2012 I’ve been an avid YouTube watcher.
Q2: Can you remember what the first YouTube video that you ever watch was?
- Yes, it was ‘Tom Lehrer’s “The Elements” Animated' which I discovered in 2008, the year it was posted.
Q3: Can you remember what the first video game that you ever played was?
- Yes, it was the very first Crash Bandicoot game on the Playstation. I think my parents bought it when I was about 3 years old and I started playing it at a very young age.
Q4: How many YouTube videos do you think you've watched in your lifetime?
- Oh my gosh, well I’ve just had a look at my ‘liked’ playlist and I’ve apparently ‘liked’ over 5,000 videos from this past year alone, so based on those statistics probably well over 10,000.
Q5: Who was the first YouTuber that you were a fan of?
- It was AmazingPhil as one of his cooking videos was suggested to me, and after watching that I binge-watched all of his main channel videos in the space of about a week! I still watch Phil on a regular basis.
Q6: Who influenced you to make YouTube videos?
- My biggest inspirations were Dan and Phil as they were the first YouTuber’s I watched properly.
Q7: What do you think about the new YouTube Advertiser-Friendly content guidelines?
- Though some people are concerned that this is putting too much of a censor on the sort of content people can put out there, it doesn’t personally affect me too much, my videos do sometimes include some swearing but apart from that I don’t like to make them too controversial.
Q8: How did you come up with Mikeisnotsosmooth as your main YouTube channel name?
- I knew from the beginning I wanted my channel name to be something original and catchy that still involved my name. I remember writing notes on my phone trying to think of names, some of which were: ‘MikeIsNotSoCool’ (reference to charlieissocoollike), ‘SwalesFails’ and ‘TheMikeIsNotSmoothShow’, but in the end I settled on ‘Mikeisnotsosmooth’ as I think it rolls off the tongue best.
Q9: Was Mikeisnotsosmooth your main YouTube channel name when you first created your YouTube channel?
- Yes, I’ve never changed the name of my Main Channel.
Q10: Currently who is your favourite YouTuber or YouTubers?
- I seem to discover new YouTuber’s all the time, so I go through phases, but at the minute my favourite without a doubt are Rhett and Link (Good Mythical Morning). I only discovered them a few month’s back but now I find myself watching their videos daily.
Q11: Do you have a favourite and least favourite video that you have uploaded?
- I can’t settle on a favourite video as there are a few I’ve really put my heart and soul in to, but I did a video back in 2014 about having the hiccups and it was so rushed I decided to delete it, so that’s my least favourite.
Q12: What is your favourite part about having a YouTube channel and being a YouTuber?
- I love being able to express myself in video form. Before I had a YouTube channel I used to draw and write a lot, but now I put a lot of my time in to video-making instead as I love the response I get from my viewer’s.
Q13: What made you want to upload all Vlogging videos?
- Well when I first started out on YouTube I thought vlogs were the ‘safest’ option for me. I liked the simplicity of them, the fact I could just talk to a camera for 10 minutes and then edit it down and upload it, but now I’ve come out of my comfort zone a little more and I sometimes like to branch out and make comedy sketches or parodies.
Q14: Do you play video games in your free time that you don't record and upload is so what games?
- Yes, I bought a Playstation 4 earlier this year, and I love playing Uncharted 4, Grand Theft Auto, Need for Speed Rivals, DeadPool and Until Dawn.
Q15: What is your favourite video game?
- Definitely Crash Bandicoot 2, a true classic!
Q16: How many video games do you own?
- I have various different consoles (including my Playstation 4, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo 3DS and I sometimes play on my brother’s Playstation 3) so I think in total I have about 30+ games.
Q17: Do you watch your own videos after you upload them?
- Once my video is uploaded on to YouTube I tend to watch them all the way through just to be absolutely sure there are no mistakes once it’s up on the platform, but after that I don’t watch them unless they involved my friends. There’s a vlog I uploaded back in July 2013 where I went to London with my Sixth Form and I think I’ve watched that about five times since I uploaded it just for the memories.
Q18: You currently have over 3,475 subscribers on your main channel and over 875 subscribers on your 2nd channel, did you ever think you would have that many subscribers?
- I can honestly say I never expected for that to happen, I remember when I first hit 50 subscribers I posted a print-screen on Facebook thanking everyone who’d Subscribed, but the fact it’s continued to grow ever since is really heart-warming and inspires me to continue making videos.
Q19: You currently have uploaded 72 videos on your main channel and 10 videos your 2nd channel, did you ever think you would uploaded that many videos?
- I think when I first set out on YouTube I didn’t think I’d still be doing it nearly four year’s down the line, but I fell in love with it pretty early on and I plan on making a lot more. But if Mike from 2013 knew I’d uploaded almost 100 videos across my two channels, I don’t think he’d believe it!
Q20: Currently your most viewed video has over 2,050 views, did you ever think one of your videos would have that many views?
- No, I’m still shocked about it, I think that video was where a lot of my Subscribers originally discovered my channel from as it was one of my earlier videos.
Q21: What is your lifetime subscriber and video view goal?
- I wouldn’t say I really have a ‘goal’ as such, I’m just going to continue making videos as I enjoy them and hopefully more people join the small community I currently have.
Q22: What was your lifetime subscriber goal when you first started uploading YouTube videos?
- Again, I wouldn’t say I ever had a goal in mind, I was happy when I saw that 20 people had saw my first video, so the fact I now have over 3,000 Subscribers is still mind-boggling.
Q23: How long do you think YouTube will last?
- I think YouTube is going to be around for a long time. The platform is always changing to keep up with the times with new layout’s and suggestions and whatnot, and with new features like YouTube RED I don’t think the end is anywhere near in sight.
Q24: How long do you think you will be uploading YouTube video?
- For as long as I enjoy it, so again, no end in sight!
Q25: Are you planning on going to any YouTube/Gaming conventions?
- I can’t say I am but I’d love to have a look in to some and possibly visit in the future.
Q26: What advice would you give to someone who is trying to make videos on YouTube?
- I’d say do it for the right reasons. Don’t get in to it with the intention of trying to “Make it big” or be the next PewDiePie, do it because you enjoy it, and if you don’t get the view’s you hoped for, don’t let that discourage you, it takes time to build an audience. Just have fun with it!
Q27: What is the future for you and your channel?
- Hopefully my content will continue to get bigger and better over time, I’d love to branch out a little more and include things like short films, Music Videos and sketches rather than just sticking to vlogs.
Q28: Have you ever done a interview like this before?
- Well, earlier last year I met up with a Media Agency (‘Youth Media Agency’) to do an interview about my channel then. Here’s the link to that interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYuVbvHBpUQ.