Just talking about his self-produced YouTube videos, 14-year-old eighth grader Sean Nguyen can’t help but crack a smile. After all, it’s his passion and what gives him a sense of self belonging.
“I would see other kids and they are really good at basketball or soccer or other sports and they are passionate about it,” explained Nguyen, a student at St. Catherine School in Morgan Hill. “I played sports, but wasn’t passionate about it. YouTube is something I’m passionate about.”
YouTube, which was launched in May 2005, is a growing source of entertainment that allows billions of people from all parts of the world to discover, watch and share original videos and music.
About three months into his online campaign, Nguyen has produced seven videos that are each between five and seven minutes in length, some touching on his Vietnamese heritage and others on simple everyday things that he finds humorous.
“YouTube is where I can be myself,” said Nguyen as he articulated why he decided to share his thoughts with the world. “I feel at home in front of the camera. If I make people laugh, that makes me happy.”
More than a billion users turn to YouTube for just that and each day people watch hundreds of millions of hours on videos and generate billions of views, according to the Google company’s fact sheet.
Nguyen explained that he was having a bit of a tough time at school for saying exactly what was on his mind. He immediately found sanctuary in YouTube, because “I’m my own boss. Nobody can tell me what to say and what not to say,” Nguyen continued.
It is not something he takes lightly either. Each video takes an entire day to produce, from start to finish. After coming up with an idea for a skit, Nguyen does between one to three hours of filming from his bedroom, usually on a Saturday or Sunday. Then, he begins to edit through his footage for up to six hours, adjusting the audio and picture quality to his liking.
“I go with a general idea and speak what my heart tells me to say,” said Nguyen, who then posts the finished product on YouTube for all to see, hear and comment on. “People can tell if you’re not being sincere, so I start with a general idea and expand from there.”
Nguyen, who also is fascinated with images posted on Tumblr, has already attracted 73 subscribers—mostly friends and family—who tune in each time he posts a new video. He tries to give them something they can relate to—and lately he has found his own niche by joking about his upbringing in a Vietnamese family.
“No one on the internet is known for their Vietnamese heritage, so I might continue to play on that and see how it goes,” said Nguyen, who is no one-trick pony with varying video content. His very first YouTube video—and second most watched to date with 273 views—is titled, “Things I’m Good at,” where he adds his own spin on procrastination, watching movies on Netflix and eating ice cream. Other titles include: “The Asian Grading Scale” and “First World Problems” as well as his most recent one, “How to Use Technology to Make People do What YOU Want,” which gained 50 views in one day.
Whatever he jokes around about, Nguyen has gained the support of his parents as well as his classmates and teachers. After all, he gets his funny antics from his father, who got him the Cannon camera and iMac computer he uses to make the videos.
“Usually when we are with the family, I try to entertain them,” said Sean’s father, Tuan Nguyen, who only recently went online to check out his son’s videos. “He has a sense of humor.”
Tuan, an avid photographer himself for years, hopes Sean—who also holds a second-degree black belt in karate—uses YouTube not only to appease himself but also to help encourage his cousins and friends in positive ways.
“I feel like my calling is YouTube. I’m comfortable in my own skin on YouTube,” said Nguyen, wearing a white t-shirt with black writing that reads “Certified Professional Internet Person.”
And he plans on making a career of it like his favorite professional YouTubers such as Miranda Sings and Connor Franta, who both have more than five million subscribers.
“I’ve always looked up to them. They’re what I want to be,” said Nguyen, explaining that more and more people are watching videos on YouTube instead of television shows. “A lot of kids in school are tired of watching TV. They watch YouTube instead because it’s someone they can relate to and not someone who is on script.”
YouTube: bit.ly/1QeIy5A
Instagram: instagram.com/seanguyenn/
Twitter: twitter.com/seanguyenn
Tumblr: seanguyenn.tumblr.com
Snapchat: @sean_780
