The internet is an information highway; one which has given rise to better connectivity and the spread of pop culture. With online videos being so easily produced through the use of one’s mobile phone and a simple tap on the “upload” button, the content being churned out and posted may not always be the most profound. And yet, there is a certain appeal to these “homemade” videos, which sometimes become highly viral.
Even with a wide and diverse selection, sometimes, browsing through shows available on Netflix just doesn’t cut it. With entertainment taking on various forms, we turn to YouTube; amongst viral videos and tutorials, there exists content which is more personal and unique in its own way. Specifically, we turn towards the world of vloggers and how each video of theirs is representative of their identity and novelty. Thankfully, we have some of them right here within the Atenean campus.
Aesthetic kalokohan: The art of Kali Vidanes
Take a look at any of Kali Vidanes’s vlogs and you’ll notice how intimate everything feels: he talks directly to the camera (which he brings around everywhere) and is definitely not afraid to shoot in public. Vidanes, a third year AB Communication student, started vlogging since December last year. Since then, he’s been vlogging and uploading content every single day. From a regular day at school with friends to a special camping trip with his family, he has a way of making the monotony of everyday routines seem more thrilling to his viewers.
Vidanes doesn’t shy away from admitting that his videos can get kind of silly or, in his own words, “sabaw.” It’s this kind of authenticity that has become a defining feature of his videos. Vidanes’ friends, who regularly appear in his videos, turn into familiar faces like well-loved characters from your favorite TV sitcom. You can’t help but laugh at their crazy antics coupled with Vidanes’ side commentary, freeze frames, and hilarious background music.
Antics aside, Vidanes also wants his viewers to know that he takes vlogging seriously: “There are many facets to my personality and the two facets prominent in my videos are my love for aesthetic and ‘yung kalokohan ko in life, so the best way I could describe my style is that it’s ‘aesthetic kalokohan.’” With his background in production, Vidanes delivers the aesthetic side of his style through cinematic sequences, where he smoothly overlays music onto precisely color graded slo-mo clips. His attention to detail shows how dedicated he is to creatively challenging himself, which is one of the main reasons why he started vlogging.
Vidanes considers his short film Fire to be the best video he’s ever made. “I think it encompasses the things that I really care about, which is my family,” he says. Kali may come off as your typical jokester, however, he is undoubtedly dedicated to his craft.
Beauty, style, and your HappyB: Bea Castro
Stylish, bold, and glamorous, Bea Castro vlogs mostly about beauty tutorials, lifestyle essentials, and OOTDs, but she also covers various types of food, school life, and travels in all sorts of places. Fresh, vibrant, and colored with pastels, Castro’s videos are simple, yet creative and eye-catching especially with her edits and use of illustrations.
Castro goes on to say that her aesthetic is diverse and not constrained to any single form as she adjusts to whatever it is she wants to express in her video. “I like to keep things simple and to compensate for that, I try to add elements to each of my videos that’ll make it more compelling,” she says. Added to this would be inspiration drawn from known vloggers such as Claire Marshall, the Vlogbrothers, and Amy Lee from Vagabond Youth, since they’re able to show a variety of content, yet stay true to themselves and their branding.
Currently taking up BS Management, major in Communications Technology Management (BS CTM) in her second year of college, Castro was reeled in by the idea of talking on camera ever since her grade school days where she would scroll through vloggers on YouTube. Although she wanted to make her debut in high school, the fear of embarrassment held her back until she found a valid reason to do so, namely her very first video which was a trip to South Korea. Castro was then surprised with the amount of positive feedback and this rapport led to the jumpstart of her YouTube channel. She also mentions how she finds more comfort in the idea that she is sharing her life to the public rather than with her friends since there is more excitement in knowing that she is able to interact with people unknown to her.
Even if Castro considers pursuing vlogging as a career and aims to push through with it for as long as possible, she still holds some reservations and does not want to lay down all of her cards at once. Nonetheless, she aspires that her channel will spread positive vibes and serve as a place for people to indulge in the interests they share with her. “What I aspire for happyB the most is a tight-knit and inclusive community. I want my vlogging to bring people closer,” she says.
Moving through the day: Nate Punzalan
Nate Punzalan covers almost anything under the sun and takes his viewers along with him for a different adventure in every video. “I’m not the kind of guy who can just sit down and talk to the camera in my room…I’m more like an on-the-go, talking while I’m walking, showing the camera my friends and everything.”
A senior BS CTM student, Punzalan started vlogging last January as a passion project. He states, however, that it was his sister Janina Vela, a notable vlogger herself, who introduced him to vlogging and pushed him to enter the craft. “Ever since the latter half of last year she’s been urging me to get into YouTube because there’s a market for the things that I like to shoot,” he says. Punzalan also goes on to say how he drew a lot inspiration from Vela after seeing how her rise to fame was born from her zeal and dedication to her work.
Although Punzalan has received brand offers due to his YouTube channel, he’s unsure about committing to vlogging as a career. What’s important to him, however, is that his work serves as an avenue for others to realize that they too, can be influential in their own way. “That’s why I love my giveaway video,” he says. Unlike his other vlogs, he asks his subscribers to share their own passion projects and in return, he would give some of them cameras. “It taught people that they don’t have to look to me for inspiration but they can be inspirations themselves and be inspired by the community around them.”
Straight from the heart: Nadine Co
If you’re into fashion, make-up, and lifestyle videos, look no further than Nadine Co’s channel. With an eye for clean and bright shots, her pastel-hued videos are like watching Pinterest moodboards and magazine layouts come to life.
Nadine is a BS Management senior who got into YouTube two years ago. What started out as a passion project between friends eventually led to an artistic venture. She cultivates her love for fashion and beauty through her lookbook videos, try-on hauls, and make-up tutorials, which have become favorites among her subscribers.
Aside from expressing her love for fashion, Co’s ultimate goal was to create videos that would inspire her viewers. “When I was planning my channel, my goal was to be like an ate to other girls,” she explains. Co has been able to develop a connection with her viewers by producing a handful of personal videos by sharing life advice, giving mini pep talks, and ruminating on her faith. Her viewers seem to feel the same way; in all of her videos, the comments are filled with her faithful subscribers telling Co about their day.
Co’s banner on her YouTube channel features a simple phrase that sums up her vision: “from my heart to yours,” and it’s this sincerity and passion that has catapulted her towards her steady rise to success.
The future is theirs
In the fast-paced age of the Internet, fame and success can come to just about anyone. The real challenge here is how to make that success flourish. With their youthful creativity and go-getter mindsets, these Atenean vloggers are bound to become mainstays in the YouTube scene.