The rise of content creation has increased drastically within recent years, highlighting the exquisite talent these young individuals possess. Colt Kirwan, a 23-year-old content creator, is one of the millions of creators who upload their well-articulated and unique content on YouTube. Kirwan first discovered YouTube back in 2015 when he consistently kept up with Casey Neistat, a well-known YouTuber and filmmaker with over 12.6 million subscribers. After consuming hours of Neistat’s content, Kirwan was inspired to create his own videos and upload them onto YouTube. In December 2017, Kirwan purchased his first camera, kickstarting his journey into the realm of content creation.
Q: What piqued your interest in content creation as a full-time content creator?
A: I’ve always been naturally drawn to content creation. Cameras, movies, and creativity have always interested me. When I discovered YouTube, it was the first time that something had clicked inside of me and I knew it was something that I had to pursue.
Q: If content creation was not an option, what occupation would you currently have?
A: It’s hard for me to even say where I would be without content creation. I feel like I’ve found that thing that I was meant to do in life and without it, I’d most likely have ended up on the West Coast and worked my way up in the Hollywood movie business. I had a taste of traditional filmmaking in college and I found it rather slow and counted on too many moving parts.
Q: Do you see yourself creating content for the years to come or is this only temporary? Where do you see yourself in the realm of “Content Creation?”
A: I love the idea of being a traditional YouTuber. Just following my love for making videos and building a community is what I care about at the moment. It’d be really cool to be a bigger creator and be one of the greats on YouTube. Although, I have a long way to go before I get there!
Q: Who do you look to for inspiration on YouTube?
A: I like to take inspiration from channels that are original in their style and are creatively unique. Gawx Art is one of my favorite channels to go to for inspiration as his videos incorporate creativity, cinematography, and storytelling all in a unique package that leaves me questioning how he does it every video. Oddly enough, I was a fan of Life of Riza’s channel for her storytelling and filmmaking skills. Now she’s my girlfriend and if I’m ever in a rut, inspiration is only a phone call away.
Becoming a YouTuber was not easy. When he started YouTube in his junior year of High School, the process was strenuous. Kirwan speaks on the beginning of his journey saying, “Starting out was very hard, Tejas (Tejas Hullur, Kirwan’s roommate) said YouTube has a ‘cold start problem’ where there are long periods of zero results but eventually your channel will take off after a while.” After uploading videos for six years, Kirwan began to see engagement in his videos and is now sitting at 89,900 subscribers. Since then, Kirwan has been presented with opportunities that have shaped his journey thus far. The most prominent, filming for fellow New York City YouTubers.
Image Courtesy of Colt Kirwan
Q: You have filmed for Steezy Kane in the past, Casey Neistat briefly, and currently Kelly Wakasa. How do you manage filming for others while simultaneously creating your own content?
A: I always wanted to have a successful YouTube channel but struggled to find my place in the space. I actually started to lose the flame inside me to become a YouTuber towards the end of college but when Steezy Kane first took a shot on me to film for him, that opened my mind to a new field. Maybe I wasn’t meant to be a YouTuber myself but instead a filmer for a YouTuber. I was still making videos, which I loved, and it was the closest I’ve felt to being a part of the YouTube space up to that point in time.
Q: Being a part of the ‘behind the scenes’ in videos for Kelly Wakasa, how is it filming for an individual with a large following and fairly unique content?
A: Filming for a YouTuber like Kelly Wakasa is the best job I could’ve asked for. Sometimes I find it hard to even call it a job because it borders work and fun times. Because of a large following there is more of everything. More eyes on you, more pressure, but also a bigger community and greater impact. It truly is a dream job and I’m going to love looking back on what we’ve done later on in life.
When asked if he prefers to be filmed or be the one filming, Kirwan responds, “I’ve always been pretty introverted but I’ve also slowly become more comfortable in front of the camera. Filming for other creators felt like for the first time, that I belonged in content creation.” When Kirwan was first starting, he did freelance filmmaking in the past but as his work has become more of a priority, he has narrowed it down to filming exclusively for Kelly Wakasa, a New York City-based YouTuber with 1.46 million subscribers. Although Kirwan is typically the one behind the camera, he has slowly but surely become more comfortable having the lens pointing at him.
As of recent, Kirwan’s videos have started to take off, with over 800,000 views on his video, “I ACTUALLY Chased my DREAMS for 1 Year. This is What Happened.” He not only films his own videos but puts extensive hours into editing the footage. When creating his content, he appeals to his niche of the ‘New York City Lifestyle’ and ‘Camera Tips’ while simultaneously incorporating his style of worldbuilding. “Worldbuilding allows me to incorporate ‘Colt’s World’ and my own imagination which doesn’t have to make sense,” Kirwan adds.
Q: In March of 2023, you uploaded “I ACTUALLY Chased my DREAMS for 1 Year. This is What Happened,” recapturing your unique experiences while receiving comments praising your film style. What led you to develop this “cinematography style” that permits you to differentiate yourself from other creators on YouTube?
A: I find that people tend to be a culmination of the things they consume. Part of it is your environment and the people you’re listening to. Another part is the media you consume such as what you are watching and visually taking in. For me, I always enjoyed the vlog style of making videos but also appreciated high-quality cinematography in movies. As I started making my videos, I made them by incorporating what I had learned from watching my favorite creators and films because it was all I had to go off of. If you’re self-teaching yourself something, you’re going to mimic what you learn from wherever you get your teachings from. My style is simply a culmination of what I learned from all of the creators and movies I liked to watch and I’m lucky enough that people have found it unique among the crowd.
Q: In your videos, you include characters; Teddy and Oscar from Sesame Street. Is there a particular reason why you lean towards this aspect of filmmaking?
A: The concept of world-building is the most fun part of content creation for me. Having characters allows for different perspectives in the video. I like to choose things from my childhood to portray as characters because it’s intriguing and you don’t take it as seriously when you’re listening to a teddy bear give you life advice. I think this element of my videos is the aspect of my style that people haven’t seen before and makes my style more unique.
Q: Watching your videos, your audience can assume that the editing process is extensive. What is your thought process when you are editing your own content?
A: A lot of my personality and creativity is portrayed through the edit. I’m very attached to editing because it’s where your style is shown and you construct the story you’re trying to tell. Although it takes mind-numbing hours at times, I believe that it’s an integral part of content creation.
Image Courtesy of Colt Kirwan
Kirwan’s journey on YouTube hasn’t always taken place in the heart of New York City. After purchasing his camera and uploading videos in Upstate New York, he decided to make the move in March of 2023 and embark on a new chapter of his life. Now, Kirwan lives in New York City with his two roommates; Tejas Hullur and Shervin Shaikh, fellow content creators who share the same dream of making it on YouTube. This change in scenery allows Kirwan to be fully immersed in his goals and focus on his career.
Q: You currently live in New York City with Tejas Hullur and Shervin Shares (Shervin Shaikh) How has this change in residence impacted/benefited you?
A: I think it’s a good thing to leave your hometown. Your hometown is comfortable but being uncomfortable is the best way to learn in life. Moving to New York City with Tejas and Shervin has been one of the most important decisions that has led to my current success. Each one of our weaknesses is the other’s strengths and through working together, we build each other up. The people you surround yourself with are a reflection of you. We came together at the beginning of the year with the shared goal of becoming YouTubers and because of my roommates, I’ve been pushed farther than I ever believed and have seen the most growth in my content creation journey thus far.
Q: Living in a big city surrounded by your friends, how do you manage balancing work and life?
A: Very much of my work is intertwined with my life. All of my friends are creators and most conversations are about videos. On a Friday night when everyone’s going out, most of the time I stay in to work on videos and my closest friends are right there with me. I’m still trying to find that balance but at least I’m not alone while doing so and hopefully one day I’ll figure it out.
Kirwan’s impact on YouTube has been notable with thousands of creators and individuals praising his ability to tell stories. His style of ‘worldbuilding’ has appealed to thousands and has inspired those in his audience to upload their own videos. As his appearance on YouTube gradually increases and his face begins to be recognizable in public, Kirwan’s influence has pushed young creators to follow their dreams and to finally, start recording.
