Name: Hayley G. Hoover, Video Blogger and writer
Major: Creative Writing
Graduation Year: 2012
How did you get your start on Youtube?
I was fifteen and I was just searching for like a way to watch, I don’t know what it was, like a movie online or something. It was before anyone had any idea what copyright laws were going to transfer to the internet. I found this website and I was actually one of the first 1000 members of Youtube in 2005. And there was nothing on it to the point where, on my first day of Youtube, I searched Harry Potter and there were two videos. So that’s my claim to fame: been there forever. But there were a couple of people who were already doing the video blogging thing on there and I found them and I thought it was really interesting and basically I just thought that I could do it too. So I was just trying to emulate what they were doing and then it grew into my own thing.
How do you come up with material for your videos?
Sometimes, it’s just whatever happens to be on my mind, whatever I’m thinking about during my day. Then other times, it’s sort of what everyone on the internet is talking about. I sort of make that into a video because I know people would be interested in talking about it. For example, I made a video about Miley Cyrus a couple of years ago because everyone was talking about her.
What is the process like when you create a video?
It really depends on what kind it is. Like, when it’s just a vlog and it’s just talking at the camera, it could take half an hour. But usually the videos I make it could take a couple hours, where I start to write out a script for it, and then film it and reflim it, edit things, process the video get it up online and keep checking like how it’s being received. I’d say the average one probably takes about five hours.
What is that feedback like?
Oh, I read every comment. But I’m lucky. A lot of people who do what I do get a lot of really horrible, just hate. I have been lucky to avoid a lot of that mostly because I don’t talk about things that are too controversial. Some people talk about politics and things, and you’re just going to get hated. Normally what I focus on is just silly, loving life kind of stuff so people don’t normally feel inclined to tell me to kill myself. However, I have gotten plenty of like “This b*tch is so fat” and stuff, which is ridiculous. A lot of “Stop talking” “I hope you die.” But it’s the internet, so I just take everything with a grain of salt. If nothing is capitalized and there aren’t any commas, I just figure that that person is just a 12 year-old idiot.
What other Youtube projects have you been involved in?
Well, from 2008 to 2010, four of my friends and I started a Youtube channel where each of us had a day of the week and we each made a video on our day for those three years sort of talking to each other and responding to each other’s videos. (http://www.youtube.com/user/fiveawesomegirls) And we came up with this idea in 2008, and it started a new trend where now it’s something a lot of people do, which is really cool. I don’t take credit for it, because my friend was the one who came up with the idea. So that was a big deal and that was part of my life for a long time. Then also, right now, I just have a really minor, second Youtube channel where I just put on stupid things that I don’t want to bother the whole internet with. (http://www.youtube.com/user/annoyinghayley)
How has being on Youtube changed your life?
Dramatically. It is my life basically. It sounds really pathetic but it’s my job and my hobby and where I talk to my friends, mostly. I’ve gotten a lot of really cool things out of it. Like just a few weeks ago, I got to go to a conference in Florida for Youtube people and they paid me to go, which was really cool. I’ve met a lot of really amazing people through it. Like, for example, I had an author I really admire, John Green. And because of Youtube he saw my videos and was interested in me so we talk sometimes. The fact that I get this amazing opportunity because I found this website is really cool.
Check out Hayley on Youtube, http://www.youtube.com/user/hayleyghoover , and on her blog, http://hayleyghoover.blogspot.com/