amber's channel typifies what is so interesting about the vlogging medium. at first glance her videos look like they cover a random selection of topics from bus etiquette to cash machines, but after watching a handful of the videos patterns begin to emerge. there is a real sense someone who has an appreciation of the past, particularly in the re-enactment videos but also in the letter writing challenges. at the same time, this contrasts with the medium itself as well as with the subjects of some of the videos, and this contrast makes for a really interesting and consistently surprising channel. here's what amber had to say about it...
what made you decide to start your own youtube channel?
I had lost my job and as I began my search for employment I decided to film it so there were a few videos of me scrolling through the internet and then I documented my first trial week at my new job. I am not sure if those videos are still up on my channel or not but they did help me and even made me a friend through them. I suppose the rest of my channel came from there as I began to make other videos that interested me.
how would you describe your videos?
A mess, Haha, there is a bit of everything in there, my hobbies, my family and friends and of course my vlogs and tags. I tend to do the videos that I feel like doing at the time, I have an ongoing, never-ending list of videos I want to make.
what type of camera do you use and what do you edit on?
I started with just my laptops webcam and now I am using a standard HD camera my mum got me.
the letter writing challenge videos are really interesting. do you think people present themselves differently in letters than they would in a text or email?
Yes, I do find that people will often tell you more in a letter then in a face-to-face conversation or through social media. I have also noticed that a lot of people write the same way that they speak. I wonder if this is because we have lost our letter writing skills over the years.
are you going to continue the interviewing not famous people series? also, when you interviewed chelsea, was that steampunk hat you were wearing?
Yes, I do plan on continuing with the series, I just need to find the time to sit down and film them, also get enough people to agree to the videos. It was a Steampunk hat you're right, another little hobby of mine.
can you talk about how you became involved with re-enactments and explain a bit more about it?
Re-enactment is where a group of people get together to portray a period of history. The group I am a part of spans the time of 1800 to 1900 America. So things like the civil war and settlers in the west. My parents met through doing this and so my brother and I were born into it. I love it and couldn't imagine my life without it. I have made many friends through re-enactment and we also get to wear some very pretty dresses.
there's a really interesting contrast on your channel between the old (letter writing, re-enactments) and the new (heartbleed, phones, youtube). was this intentional or is it something that's developed over time?
To be honest it has developed over time and was not intentional. I suppose really it portrays all sides of my personality, I am an avid fan of history but a slave to my generation.
it's great that you managed a daily vlog for a month. did you learn anything interesting from making videos every day? what were the challenges and would you do it again?
Oh Blimey, I went crazy doing those videos, it is a documentary of my descent into insanity. It was hard going to work all day then filming and uploading in the evening. I was lucky to have some very good friends, Chelsea and Laura, who put up with shoving a camera in their faces all the time. I would love to do it again.
the 'short-lived paradise' music video seemed like a bit of a departure and it really worked well with the music. have you considered making more music videos and are you interested in directing?
Yeah I wanted to do something different to my normal videos. The guy who made the music, Nicky Soaralot, Became a good friend of mine and I hope I did justice to his music. I am looking to do another one in the nurture. As for directing it is something I only do well on the spur of the moment to be honest. I would be so erratic trying to direct other people.
i thought the video 'i dont even know what this is' was really interesting because it addresses the question at the heart of the youtube community - how much do we really know about the people posting videos on youtube? how important do you think authenticity is in a youtuber?
Everything I put on is true of me and I hope that all youtubers are truthful in what they say. I do think it is important to not put on a front to your fans.
do you have any advice for youtubers just starting out?
In all honesty I am still starting out myself, but you just have to keep going with it.
can you recommend an unsung piece of art (book, film, videogame - whatever) you love that people may not have heard of?
Art is perspective, what I enjoy might be nonsense to other people but I think maybe I would like to put a good light on fanfiction. In my eyes the kids who write these are amazing writers and have wonderful imaginations. I hope that some of them go on to write novels and get them published in real life. Perhaps not fanfictions but original stories.
what can we expect from your channel in 2015?
A lot more hopefully. More re-enactment footage, and a couple of collaborations are booked for next year, so keep an eye out for them!
can you nominate a fellow youtuber for my next interview?
That Lad Davie. He has been a great help to me since we meet through our love of the internet. As part of his community I have learnt a lot about editing and filming and I enjoy his videos immensely.
subscribe to amber's channel and follow her on twitter.
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thanks to amber goluckie for doing the interview!
if you have your own youtube channel and would like to be interviewed you can e-mail me at pazvsstuff[at]gmail.com or find me on twitter @pazvsstuff
Hi Paz I really enjoyed answering your questions! I hope to see more from you in the future!
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