For the past year I’ve been talking about taking my video content to the next level. Bit by bit I’ve been amassing the gear to make it better. This weekend I finished the set up and a funny thing happened: my youngest son came out of his shell.
It started last year at Dad 2.017 when I won a Canon EOS T5 in a random draw.
From there I got a tripod.
Then I renovated our spare room in the basement with a wall unit to set up as a backdrop for videos.
Then I got another tripod for my iPhone and was a little more portable and versatile.
Then I got some microphones for my iPhone and camera.
Then I got some lighting.
And with all the pieces put together in my little basement studio, I invited the boys downstairs to see what I had created. And Charlie immediately came out of his shell. He’s starred in some of my videos before, but he’s usually not keen to talk.
Now, seeing the whole setup, he was eager to start his own YouTube show he has dubbed The Charlie Channel. At first it was just supposed to be “for us,” I wasn’t allowed to put it online. Charlie has a lisp, and is very self conscious of how he speaks. He thinks is voice is squeaky, but he’s a very bright kid and has many interesting things to share.
After watching one show, he asked me to put it up on YouTube. And then he asked to do another episode, and another, and another.
The Charlie Channel is where you will be able to find this guy playing with LEGO, giving drawing lessons, and all sorts of other things.
This is in addition to The Zacharie Show which features Zacharie narrating our family adventures when we explore new places.
I love that my kids are eager to perform. YouTubing may not bring them fame and fortune (apart from the nearly 5M views of me trying to pull Zacharie‘s loose tooth) ..
… but it will give them confidence. They’ll learn public speaking skills, they’ll learn how to present their ideas, they’ll learn to tell stories, they’ll mine their imaginations for creative new ways to express themselves.
As you can see by the gear above, it’s not a terribly expensive setup. It just takes some extra space, some planning, and a desire to create.
If your kids are pestering you to become YouTubers, check out this piece from my friend Nancy at Social Media Citizenship listing some of the things you need to know about putting your kids ‘out there.’ It’s a lot of common sense, I weighed the pros and cons with my boys, and I love that they’re tackling new media with excitement.
If you build it, they will vlog! Go!!