The world of YouTube runs deeper than minute-long cute cat videos. Call it a cultish, virtual Hollywood, but DePaul students and graduates are using the platform to create quality content, build audiences, craft a persona and launch a career in entertainment. A prankster, vlogger, and beauty guru sound off.
Blake Grigsby
Main channel: BlakeGrigsby2
Subscribers: 306,981
Video views: 26,178,629
Watch him for: Pranks, scripted shorts and social experiments
Most notable video: “Kiss Me I’m Desperate” (16 million+ views)
Also appears on: MEM
Junior digital cinema major Blake Grigsby has a viral video — or three — to his name. His first massively viewed prank video, “Trust Fall Attack,” was followed by “Kiss Me I’m Desperate,” clocking upward of 16 million views. “Drive By Compliments 2” even earned him a quick press tour, including a spot on “Fox and Friends.”
Though this recognition leads to further opportunities, Grigsby doesn’t dwell on it. “A lot of the Internet is luck,” he said. “It changes overnight.”
If anything, the precedents place importance on the quality of his videos, pushing original ideas to extreme levels, and endorsing positivity.
The response he receives is mostly encouraging — he’s in this for the laughs — but the line between prank and offense can get blurry and threatens to raise questions when someone such as Sam Pepper, who sexually assaulted women for a prank, becomes a headline. Grigsby emphasized the importance of representing himself well online, both for his sake and for the image of Chicago and DePaul.
Although finding the time to dedicate to school and a budding YouTube career proves to have its difficulties, Grigsby said attending DePaul has been his best decision.
“DePaul has afforded me the opportunity to meet incredible people and make connections,” he said. Faculty and students are often part of his video creating, and he often films on campus.
When talking about his videos, Grigsby said “we.” He is always highlighting his enthusiasm for collaboration and the team behind him.
“If I can share that outlet with students, that’s what I want to do,” he said.
Iliana Raykovski
Main channel: That Gibson Girl
Subscribers: 29,124
Video views: 512,810
Watch her for: Beauty commentary
Most notable video: “How to Apply Liquid Eyeliner”
Also appears on: Polished, AwesomenessTV
You’ve probably sat on your laptop watching a girl with perfect skin apply eyeliner. But you won’t find any TopShop hauls on this channel: Iliana Raykovski isn’t the typical beauty guru.
Raykovski graduated from DePaul in 2013 after studying Political Science — quite the departure from smokey eyes and skin care. From the ashes of an attempted fashion blog and a push from friend and YouTube giant Lauren Elizabeth came “That Gibson Girl,” a channel of beauty videos with quirky editing and silly commentary inspired by the 1890s satirical illustrations of the feminine ideal.
The educational element of her videos comes from endorsing clean products simultaneously safe for the face and the earth. The laughs come from her satirical voiceovers and adopting zany characters who watch more like skits than tutorials.
“I enjoy creating random, comedic characters who drive home a bigger message. I figure if you’re going to have a point of view, it should be delivered in a way that is amusing and entertaining to watch,” she said.
Though her channel is “still a tiny little tadpole,” she is dedicated to building an audience and a strong brand.
“Today’s times call for self-creation,” she said. “You create who you want to become. I’m creating myself, and ultimately my career, one three- to four-minute video at a time. That’s the beauty of YouTube.”
Madi Thomas
Main channel: TheMadiThomas
Subscribers: 163
Video views: 3,180
Watch her for: Weekly themed vlogs, weird news segments
Most notable video: “Best Friend Challenge”
Also appears on: VidTown Collabs
Madi Thomas, a dynamic, loud-voiced sophomore studying Public Relations and Advertising, started her YouTube channel in the same vein as many vloggers — out of loneliness and an unearthed creativity. While attending business school on the East Coast, Thomas said the environment was stifling, and YouTube became her creative outlet.
Now at DePaul, she’s finding her footing in the community. It hasn’t always been easy. A large section of YouTube is made of collaboration channels in which different content creators come together, making themed individual videos every week. Thomas was chosen to join one of these channels. Though it was exciting at first, the experience turned into a competitive power struggle.
“I didn’t start YouTube to get famous,” she said. “So I left.”
Fast forward and Thomas is now part of VidTown Collabs. It happened organically, and a lot slower. The result is being part of a channel with a good dynamic, invitations to the famed YouTube Space, and a progressing future.
“YouTube success should be a goal,” she said. “But don’t let an almost intangible, romanticized notion of Internet fame drive you.”
Thomas also sees her channel as a portfolio, and hopes for it to aid her in pursuing a career blending cinematography and advertising. She recently relaunched her channel, comprised of carefully edited vlogs with original twists on trendy videos and satirical news segments. Thomas also dabbles in photography and producing short films.
“I want to try everything creative if it’s accessible,” she said.