Wikitubia:Interviews/LEMMiNO

This interview was conducted via email on February 24, 2017, by Aidan Dunphy

LEMMiNO is a YouTuber that had about 2,388,000 subscribers when this interview was conducted, LEMMiNO now has just about 2.4 million subscribers as of March 14, 2017.

Q1: How and when did you discover YouTube?


 * Probably around 2007-ish. Can't remember how.

Q2: Can you remember what the first YouTube video that you ever watch was?


 * No idea. However, I do remember that me and my classmates used to watch Swedish flash animations during lunch breaks on the school computers. Especially one known as "Krussidull" by a group known as "Krull Productions". Though, this may have been pre-YouTube.

Q3: Can you remember what the first video game that you ever played was?


 * The earliest memory I have is of me and a friend attempting to play Mickey's Wild Adventure and Fighting Force on a broken PS1 that would constantly crash. But also Asterix & Obelix on Game Boy Color, GTA 3 on PC, and good ol' Snake on my Nokia phone.

Q4: How many YouTube videos do you think you've watched in your lifetime?


 * Skimming through my history I found that I watch 27 videos/day on average. So 27 × 365 = 9,855. Assuming my viewing frequency has remained the same since 2007 that's: 9,855 × 10 = 98,550. So roughly 100,000 videos.

Q5: How many YouTube channels do you think you are subscribed to?


 * 61.

Q6: Who was the first YouTuber that you were a fan of?


 * Used to frequent Newgrounds before YouTube, so probably someone like Egoraptor who later migrated over to YouTube.

Q7: Who or what inspired you to start a YouTube channel?


 * I was mostly inspired by the community at large. It seemed like fun.

Q8: What do you think about the new YouTube Advertiser-Friendly content guidelines?


 * I'm fine with YouTube striving to keep their site family-friendly. However, these guidelines are so ridiculously vague that fair and uniform enforcement is impossible. Almost any video could be said to violate these guidelines. Which, I imagine, is exactly what YouTube wants.

Q9: How did you come up with your former YouTube channel name Top10Memes, and your current YouTube channel name LEMMiNO?


 * Top10Memes was just highly descriptive of my content at the time. List videos about memes. LEMMiNO is a portmanteau of "Let me know." I just liked the sound of it.

Q10: What was your YouTube channel name when you first created a YouTube channel?


 * The first channel I ever created was called AnimatedDrawer. I used to upload Pivot animations and skits with my friends.

Q11: When did you change your YouTube channel name to LEMMiNO?


 * Soon after I hit 2 million subscribers in late 2015.

Q12: Currently who is your favorite YouTuber or YouTubers?


 * Two of my favorites at the moment are RedLetterMedia and exurb1a.

Q13: Do you have a favorite and least favorite video that you have uploaded?


 * Favorite: Most recent video.
 * Least favorite: Everything prior.

Q14: What is your favorite part about having a YouTube channel and being a YouTuber?


 * I get to make fun of Denmark on the world stage.

Q15: Do you play video games in your free time, if so what games?


 * Been chasing high-scores on the platformer N++ for a while. Been a bit obsessed with that series ever since the original flash game. I also play a lot of Killing Floor 2, GTA V, and a bunch of VR games with the HTC Vive.

Q16: What is your favorite video game?


 * GTA V and the Grand Theft Auto series at large.

Q17: How many video games do you own?


 * Steam tells me I own 115 games. So 115 apparently. I don't think I've even installed half.

Q18: How did you come up with the idea of doing an Top 10 Facts series?


 * Many list channels were (and still are) overtly lax. Next-to-no fact checking, no sources, one still image per segment, blatant plagiarism, text without narration, and just a dull and lazy presentation overall. I thought I could do better so I gave it a shot.

Q19: How did you come up with the idea of doing an Top 10 Rage Comics series?


 * Like so many others at the time, I found rage comics to be entertaining. So back in 2012 I figured the comics could be translated into an animated format. People enjoying it and thus my channel started to grow.

Q20: How long does it take you to make an Top 10 Facts video?


 * Right now it takes about 3 weeks. But sometimes a bit longer. It depends entirely on the topic I'm covering. Some topics just take longer to condense into a 10-15 minute video than others.

Q21: How long did it take you to make an Top 10 Rage Comics video?


 * About the same, a few weeks or so.

Q22: Will you ever upload another Top 10 Rage Comics video?


 * No.

Q23: What do you use to record and edit your videos?


 * OS: Windows 10.
 * Music Production: FL Studio & Komplete 11 Ultimate.
 * Audio Editing: Adobe Audition.
 * Video Editing: Adobe Premiere Pro & Adobe After Effects.
 * Image Editing: Adobe Photoshop.
 * 3D Modeling: Cinema 4D.
 * Screen Recording: OBS Studio.

Q24: When did your YouTube channel get verified?


 * Soon after I changed the channel name to LEMMiNO.

Q25: Do you make a living from YouTube, if not what is your occupation?


 * Yes. YouTube is my job and sole source of income.

Q26: What is your dream job?


 * Mars Colonist.

Q27: Do you watch your own videos after you upload them?


 * All the time. Mostly to learn from my mistakes and to improve upon future videos.

Q28: Does any of your family members watch your videos?


 * Sure. I think most of my relatives watch my videos every now and again.

Q29: Do you think YouTube should make a play button other then their current 100,000 subscriber, 1 million subscriber, and 10 million subscriber play buttons?


 * I think it's fine as it is. Perhaps a 5 million plaque to bridge the gap.

Q30: You currently have over 2.3 million subscribers, did you ever think you would have that many subscribers?


 * Never. I was content at 100,000 but the channel just kept growing.

Q31: You currently have uploaded 141 videos, did you ever think you would upload that many videos?


 * I honestly don't think about the numbers all that much.

Q32: Currently your most viewed video has over 13.6 million views, did you ever think one of your videos would have that many views?


 * There was a time in my life when 1000 views was beyond belief so not really.

Q33: Out of millions of YouTube channels what is it like to be the 1,026th most subscribed YouTube channel in the world?


 * Neat.

Q34: What is your lifetime subscriber and video view goal?


 * As the channel grows you become a bit desensitized towards all the big numbers. The only real goal I have is to improve upon the content I produce.

Q35: What was your lifetime subscriber goal when you first started uploading YouTube videos?


 * Well, 100,000 was really the only goal I ever had. It seemed like such an impossibility at first. But two years later I surpassed that goal and it was just an amazing sense of accomplishment. Everything after that was just an added bonus.

Q36: How long do you think YouTube will last?


 * Given how difficult it is for anyone to compete against a juggernaut like Google I think YouTube is here to stay and dominate the market for at least another decade.

Q37 How long do you think you will be uploading YouTube videos?


 * As long as I enjoy it, I'll keep producing videos.

Q38: Are you planning on going to any YouTube/Gaming conventions?


 * No plans as of yet but I'd love to. Been thinking of going to Vidcon as well as PAX but I'll let people know on my social media if I ever decide to go.

Q39: What advice would you give to someone who is trying to make videos on YouTube?


 * If you seek happiness, make videos that you enjoy. If you seek wealth, make videos that others enjoy. If you seek both, may good have mercy on your soul.

Q40: What is the future for you and your channel?


 * The near future is more of the same. More list videos and more short documentaries. Right now I'm just focusing on increasing my output. Making more videos without compromising quality.

Q41: Have you ever done an interview like this before?


 * No, first interview of any kind.