How a YouTube Channel Ignited My Film Journey by Sarah

How a YouTube Channel Ignited My Film Journey by Sarah - August 2024 Scholarship Essay

I stare at my iPad, my eyes sparkling as my favorite YouTuber exclaims, “Thank you for watching. Don’t forget to…” All of a sudden, I got inspired. Quickly, I swipe out of the video, and I put my little sister's arm off my back by placing it by her side, smoothly getting up from my unoiled bed, tiptoeing while I attempt to sneak to my family computer without a sound the wood creaks with every step I take. Hearing my stepdad snore as loud as a boar, I decided to take each step with each snore. Finally, pressing the keyboard, I quietly log in, slowly typing YouTube, where I click enter shortly after. My mouse hisses while I scroll to the button “Create your channel.” I chose the name SarBear Slime, and little did I know this channel would change my life forever and inspire my love for film.

I began filming slime videos where I could express my creativity with all the variety of slimes you can make with borax and glue. Almost every day, speaking through the camera as if it were my friend, I asked questions to the audience, showcasing what I was doing and posting utterly raw footage. I also started to involve my little sister, making fun silly skits with horrible acting; those moments were prime childhood memories for me.

Ding! I received an email with the subject “SlimeBlowout Invitation.” Running to my mom, I ecstatically shared that I had been invited to sell slime alongside my favorite slime YouTubers. Grateful for the opportunity, I immediately said yes. People admired my slimes at the event, and I was amazed they loved my creations. I discovered a contest with five minutes left. I tore a box and added slime, creepy eyeballs, and colors. Minutes later, I was thrilled to win despite the other people's fancy entries.

Years later after that event, I was selected for my high school’s film team, I was allowed to showcase my creative mindset, and it was an enjoyable experience that didn’t feel like work when a video project had to be due. Unlike any other class in high school, I relished every second of an assignment, no matter how hard it was, because I could be inventive. Joining a group filled with unique mindsets like mine, encouraged me to want to be better and has made me better by building a sense of open-mindedness to different ideas. Yet one thing I struggled with was my filmmaking teacher. I knew she wanted the best for us but many times it felt like she constantly put us down every day when we walked into her class. I resented her for causing me to dislike filming which was not like me but later on, I realized she did it out of passion and love. She showed me there is always room for improvement and that her harsh words should never make me question my innate skills, therefore, I grew stronger by others' opinions and gained many skills from early on and now.

Even a non-Newtonian fluid could get me onto a news article at nine years old not only by my hard work but by taking a chance on my creativity. I’ve taken these experiences and memories with anything I create and wish to create more. Individuality is beautiful, and being yourself awards spectacular outcomes. When rewatching my first YouTube video, bad lighting, camera angles, sound, and horrible editing embarrassed me. But, seeing raw footage of me enjoying myself reminded me of the joy I had creating something I loved. “Isn’t that what we all strive for?” Looking back at my newer videos, I see how I've improved and it motivates me to keep inventing and being a creative thinker. My hopes for the future are to continue growing and blossoming to new heights in film and business, creating my strides in this industry.