Day 1255: Watch and Subscribe

It's only been about a year since I really got serious about my YouTube channel, and it's been less than a year since I attended the D23 Expo and was encouraged by several people to sign with Maker Studios. I'm pretty sure it was the odd situation that provided one of my earlier vlogs with thousands of views that got me to continue filming what seems like every second of my Disney trips, and to bring the camera into my own world back home as well. I suppose, however, that it was the addition of a digital camera that really kicked things off, and the journey since then has certainly been a wild one.

And yet, throughout most of that time, I've known that what I really needed was a channel trailer. YouTube launched the system and idea quite some time ago, and despite the fact that I've been aware of the necessity, I never got around to creating one for myself, and none of my other videos really describe everything that my channel is made of. I knew right away that if I wanted a channel trailer, I was going to have to make one from scratch.

The process proved to be quite difficult, and for months I've just pushed it off as something I'll get to later, but now that we're at the start of yet another summer, and my one and only goal over these next few months is to throw myself into the Disney World a little further, I figured there's no time like the present. Over the past few weeks I've slowly been compiling ideas for a channel trailer, and once I found the right music and picked the right opening, the rest of the editing passed by like a dream.

Having finally finished my channel trailer, I figured it would be a great time to throw in a bit of extra promotion for my YouTube Channel here. There are new videos every Friday, alternating Disney Park Vlogs and various other Disney Videos, many of which are often posted here on the blog. I'm really excited about the videos that are yet to come this year and this summer, as I'm already hard at work preparing the video list and scripts so I can film on my next trip to Florida as well as at other locations throughout the next few months.

Remember to subscribe to my YouTube channel for weekly Disney videos, and here's a toast to a whole new summer of fun!

Have a magical day!

Day 1230: Last Summer

In the few years since my family bought a new, digital video camera, I've filmed over 3000 individual videos. An overwhelming number of those have been on Disney property, usually for vlogs, and plenty of them were filmed at home, recording concerts and such. However, a significant percentage of those videos is also made up by smaller videos, filmed at home for my YouTube channel. 

Last summer I really wanted to expand on my YouTube channel. I'd thought about it for years, and I tried a few times. But then, somewhere along the line, I found a groove. It hasn't always been easy, but I'm finding it easier and easier to brainstorm, film, and edit videos that you eventually get to see. However, with a new summer ahead of us, I figured it would be a great time to look back at some of my favorite videos from last summer! 

In one of my first videos of the summer, I told a story of terror...literally. I hated Tower of Terror for pretty much my entire childhood and well into my adult life. This is the story of that hate. 

Following the trend D23 started, I also shared another story: the story of when my love of Disney really started. I searched through pictures from when I was a kid, found an old cassette tape, and geared up for a music filled journey. 

Then, annoyed by some of the questions I get all the time, I created a video about those questions. While I may be just one Disney fan, I'm certain that my fellow fans have heard at least a few of these more than a few times. 

I love trying new things with my hair. I taught myself how to braid and curl and do all sorts of other things to it, and that got me thinking about other Disney hairstyles. You see classic how-to videos all the time, but what about other hairstyles that are less talked about? I mean, who wouldn't want Spaceship Earth hair? 

As I prepared for my trip to Disneyland, it occurred to me that there are certain things we all do before we head on a Disney trip, and this video explored just a few of those habits. 

And finally, at the very end of the summer, I took footage from my trip to Disneyland for a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the original Disney Park. 

I can tell you right now that this summer's videos will be quite different from last summer, but they will have one thing in common: Disney. I've got pages and pages filled in my notebook with ideas for what to do next, and I can't wait to get started! 

Have a magical day! 

Day 1182: Women of the Tomb

Every once and a while you have an opportunity right in your own community to do something awesome, and sometimes it's something you maybe normally wouldn't do. I'm not an actor, not by a long shot. After all, most of what you see in my vlogs is just plain me. That's right, I'm actually that crazy and make ridiculous plans to see all the firework spectaculars in one night. Those are everyday thoughts.

With acting though, you get an opportunity to sort of be someone else for a while, or explore a side of yourself that you normally wouldn't. This year, I had the chance to be a part of a skit at my church on Easter Sunday called "Women of the Tomb," and honestly, it was a lot of fun. Obviously, as I just mentioned, I don't get many chances to act, despite the fact that I did some minor acting when I was younger.

How does this all relate back to Disney? To be honest I'm not entirely sure, but at the same time, it does make me think about how I'm going about making videos. It's about being real, and entertaining, at the same time. You have to have a connection with the audience through a video the same way an actor does on stage, and that's not always easy, especially when the time between a video and it's appearance on the internet, for me, can be months and months.

I like to think, however, that the little bit of acting I manage to do from time to time keeps me on track with my videos. Ultimately though, it's all about the practice. The longer I work on my YouTube videos, the better I get at editing, and the easier it is to sit in front of the camera, even if I'm not at Disney World. I don't think I'm ready to go far beyond my church for acting though, so I think I'll stick to playing my saxophone and filming YouTube Videos at Disney World.

Have a magical day!

Day 982: Editing and Editing

Going into this semester, I knew it was going to be rough. I've got a lot going on, and that's alright, but I do feel like editing has become my free time. There's almost always another video to be editing or working on, a blog post to be written, homework to be done, or some event to be headed to, which makes for a pretty interesting life. I have found, however, that the ideas for videos come more and more frequently, probably because brainstorming for those is a lot more interesting than doing yet another reading for one of my classes.

I'm here to let you know that there's a lot of exciting stuff coming up on my YouTube channel though, and if you haven't checked it out already, now is definitely the time to do so! While I'm running two videos a week right now, that will change in about a month as the vlogs from Disneyland conclude. However, they'll be back after another trip in January, and I'm toying with ideas for all kinds of Friday videos that include everything from Disney World to Cardboard Colin. Just to give you an idea, here's an inside look at two videos currently in production:

I'm happy to announce that my Cardboard Colin Video, Best of Friends, will be premiering at some point in the future! I don't have an exact date at the moment, as a last minute change in the script has yet to be filmed, but a large portion of the video has already been filmed and is ready to go. The basis? Cardboard Colin and I are pretty great friends...and we stick together through the ups and downs of cardboard life, even if no one else quite understands our friendship. Trust me, it'll be an adventure I'm super excited to see the completed project soon!

Channel Trailer

While I don't have a thumbnail for this one, as it's yet to be filmed and is still in the early stages of production, I can't wait to get started on the filming portion of my channel trailer! When I first began doing the videos, I knew a trailer was something I needed to look into. In fact, this one has been in the works for even longer! So someday soon you should be able to see a wrap up of all of my channel in just a few seconds! 

Operation Dole Whip

While it's still a long ways away (January actually), videos for my next trip to Walt Disney World are already in the planning stages! Frank and I are going for what we like to call a "Chillcation" to Walt Disney World, and, as of right now, I believe there's about three or four videos planned for filming while we're there in addition to the vlogs. I got a bunch of positive feedback from my On-Location Disneyland Videos, so I'm excited to try some back home at Disney World! Among these videos? A challenge-based video, a hide and seek video, one based on the chillcation idea, and a Never Before Tried Disney World Foods video! 

Of course, there's still 15 Friday videos between me and Walt Disney World, so there's plenty of other magic that will begin to appear on my YouTube channel! I'm thrilled about what's in store for me in the YouTube community and I've loved every second of dipping my toes in it over the summer. It's definitely a new hobby I've discovered that I won't be giving up anytime soon! 

Are there any Disney videos that you'd love to see but just can't seem to find on YouTube? Let me know in the comments below! 

Have a magical day!

(Note: This blog post was written on September 25 due to a tight schedule).

Day 127: Youtube...Again

I promised something lighter today, so here it is...an extreme non-waste of your time that still takes up a bit of your day. It's totally worth it though, because I love Youtube, and I love Disney, and when you put them together, it can only mean awesomeness.

About a month ago (just over a month ago really), I made a post with some of my favorite Disney themed and inspired Youtube videos, and here's the second set of humorous films to completely make your day!

The Wonders of Disney Animation:

I honestly love this video because it's a great representation of the amazing Disney movies we've come to know and love throughout our lives, and if you're like me, throughout our childhood. The intro is amazing, and then it certainly takes flight through all 51 (Wreck It Ralph wasn't out yet) animated Disney films. The music is spectacular, and honestly I feel like it's one of the most underrated Disney Youtube videos out there.  I could watch it all day. It really makes you want to go back and watch them all over again.

Hitler finds out about EPCOT:

We move on with easily one of the funniest Disney related videos out there. It's been quite the parody of this scene for multiple different scenarios, but this just has to be my favorite. Hitler raging about how Epcot has changed since it's opening is just hilarious...and we find it so funny because we all know that we feel the same way. Is it good we feel like Hitler? Probably not, but I think this is one time where you just HAVE to laugh.

You Know You Are Obsessed With Disney When...:

My final video for this post isn't my favorite, but it certainly is cute...and it's absolutely true. I suggest watching it once just to laugh and then going back and watching again and counting how many of these things you actually do. There are 39 things in this video. My score? 29 out of 39. I'm a little young to remember it as the WEDway Peoplemover, and I sadly don't plan on retiring to Florida (California on the other hand...yes. So maybe 29 and a half out of 39?)  What's your score, and do have any you would add?

I'll have at least one more post with Youtube videos, but once again I ask if you have any favorites? Like I said, I love Youtube, so there's tons that I have (I'll probably do at least one just based on Star Wars later this month), but I'd always love to see more!

Here's today's Disney History: 1989: Sadly on this day, the body of television actor Guy Williams is discovered by police in his apartment in Buenos Aries, Argentina. It is believed the 65-year-old died sometime between April 30 and May 6. The cause will later be determined to be a brain aneurysm. Williams is best-remembered for his lead TV roles in Zorro (1957-59) and later in the Sci-fi series Lost in Space (1965-68). As Zorro-Don Diego de la Vega, Williams had appeared at Disneyland (during the show's popular run) for a series of "Zorro Days" events.

Have a magical day!