by Rory Van Gorp

Ever since I started thinking of what I wanted to do when I grew up, I knew I wanted to
make something, make something I could show to people, make something people would feel and understand on a deeper level. I wanted to be a creator, showing emotions and feelings some people may not see everyday. Whether it’s the hardship of a family who’s lost a loved one or someone battling with depression, I always wanted to create powerful, engaging and emotion- provoking content.

I wasn’t sure how exactly I could do that. I knew the concept, I knew I wanted to make
people feel, but I wasn’t sure how do accomplish that. As I was reaching the middle of my teen years, I started to discover movies and the deeper thought behind them. All of the sudden, movies I had enjoyed before showed me so much more. It showed me all the meanings that could be hidden just in one frame, even without a line of dialogue.

I began watching more and more movies; movies that made me feel something. From
movies like “Dead Poets Society,” which shows the effects of a suicide, to a puzzling movie like “Memento,” which leaves you in confusion trying to resequence the scenes in your head for the plot line to fit together. These movies soon led me to something different yet similar to movies: YouTube videos.

I had always been aware of YouTube, but I had never seen it in this way. Youtube is an
incredibly versatile platform for creators to create whatever they want. The platform allows people to make anything they want and put it out there for people to see. It’s not as expensive as making a movie. You just upload it, and instantly everyone in the world has access. One of the first channels I found was Casey Neistat.

Neistat is the reason I am inspired to create content and pursue a career in a related field. Neistat started by making wedding videos and worked hard to get to the point of selling a vlog to the entertainment giant, HBO. Since then Neistat made an app called Beme, which essentially failed. However, CNN saw promise in Neistat’s new company and offered twenty-five million dollars for it. As of today Beme has changed into Beme News, which is a YouTube channel that researches specific stories and makes very detailed videos about that topic. Beme News is making people feel the news again.

Overall, I want to join the field of digital media and journalism to make a difference, make something people want to see. I don’t want to contribute to the noise but make news and storytelling content that makes people feel.