YouTube Facility Helps Foster Creative Community In NYC
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Who hasn't seen a YouTube video?
From amateur to advanced, more than one billion hours are watched every day and 300 hours are uploaded every minute.
CBS2's Ali Bauman had a chance to pull back the curtain and take a look inside where some of the masterpieces are made.
YouTube Space New York is 20,000 square feet of all things production with top of the line equipment.
"We're getting access to studios and facilities where we can experiment with new formats and concepts," said Will Johnston who creates content for DanceTrippin' TV, a series of channels that showcase international dance and DJ scenes.
"It's like a kid in a candy store," he said during his first shoot at the space.
The best part? It's all free. The catch? You'll need your own crew and you have to have more than 10,000 subscribers on your channel.
"This is really our way of investing in the creator community," said Adam Relis who is the head of Youtube Space New York.
He said the entire space – from the lobby to the restrooms – is designed to be camera friendly.
"We have our living room set, a loft with a bar," he said.
"You will never find a diner that you can do origami in in New York City," said Jenny Chan, of OrigamiTree.com.
Her channel has 75,000 subscribers, but she said it wasn't easy.
"It was very difficult to get the first 10,000 subscribers – even the first 100 subscribers," she said.
"A combination of luck and artistic excellence, one would hope, but also just dedication," said Evan Gregory, of the Gregory Brothers.
He and Andrew Gregory are known for their music and comedy videos. Their channel has nearly a quarter million subscribers.
"When we come to the YouTube Space, we're kind of exploding what we can do artistically and creatively," Andrew said.
That's just what Youtube wants – for creators to take risks and have their passion for what they do show in their work.
"The videos that are created on the platform are by people working really hard with some of the most advanced technology to make some of the best videos that are out there," said Relis.
There are nine YouTube Spaces around the world – all free for creators with 10,000 subscribers minimum.
For those with dreams of YouTube stardom, our experts shared the following advice: Have an engaging trailer and pitch, make your profile interesting, use searchable terms and titles, make sure your thumbnails are eye-catching, use online communities and your own social media to get the word out, post consistently, use free workshops and analytics, love what you do and never give up.