In Awe of The Neistat

Boy do I love the sun. After not seeing it for about a week it really gives you a boost getting a fresh hit of vitamin D in the morning. It’s something you really take for granted on the sunny streets of Cairo. Anyway, another day, another blog. I’m going to take a bit of a detour today and talk about Vlogs. Thats right, Vlogs, not blogs. Vlogs are one of the most popular types of video on YouTube, and they were something I was considering doing, and might do in the future. But this week is an important week in the history of Vloging, as arguably the greatest Vlog of all time just got shut down by its truly inspirational creator, Casey Neistat. If you have never heard of Casey Nesitat, you’re in luck, because you have over 2 years worth of Casey Vlogs and videos of the highest quality to enjoy. I myself only discovered Casey 2 months ago. My only other experience with Vlogs was ShayCarl about 3-4 years ago and I had not really followed a Vlogger since. Discovering Casey’s Vlog though, was a formative experience for me.

Casey Neistat’s Vlog was an example of a human being at the height of his productivity, at a level I could not understand. Every single vlog was, to me at least, immaculate. Why? Because it was the perfect representation of what a Human being (in this case a YouTuber) can achieve when they put everything they had into something, every single day. You may think I am exaggerating here, but let me break down to you the amount of work Casey has to put in, to shoot just ONE Vlog:

1. Grab a breathtaking Timelapse of New York City
2. Grab breathtaking drone footage of New York City
3. Shoot literally EVERYTHING throughout the day (while on your electric skateboard no less)
4. Set up shots that cover your entrances and exits. Then go back and get the camera/perform the action. (This means that you literally have to do everything twice.)
5. Seamlessly maintain your train of thought (and crucially, vocal inflections) between the numerous shot changes you make even while in your own studio.

And if you thought that was alot of work, this man also spends 4-7 hours in the evening just to EDIT this monster together. And it’s no surprise that it takes that long. He has to sift through ALL the footage he captured that day, find out how to piece everything together to give the Vlog the pacing and tone he wants, and manage the soundtrack. The soundtrack, which by the way, is always different and by a different artist. He manages to do all of this while simultaneously running an App startup called BEME. And having a wife and kids.

I became addicted to this Vlog, not just because Casey himself has possibly the most infectious energy I have ever seen, or because his shots are often mesmerizing. But because I was in awe at the amount of WORK that was put in to create this 10 minute video that so perfectly captured the previous day’s adventure. I think the reason I became addicted to watching Casey and his unbelievable grind, was because (as discussed before) productivity has been an issue for me in the last few years. Now admittedly this was due to circumstances out of my control, and I am much better now, but the difference between my energy levels at my worst and Casey’s at his best were at the same time startling and thrilling. Through his Vlog, Casey had shown me the extreme opposite end of the energy spectrum, and it gave my hope that I can one day reach his level of vitality, productivity and enthusiasm.

It came as no surprise to me that Casey Neistat decided to end his Vlog on November 20th 2016. It was, in Casey’s own words, becoming too easy for him to produce. It was not stimulating or challenging for him anymore, having mastered the art over the past 2 years, and he wanted to focus on making videos that took more time for him to produce and were more rewarding and challenging for him. And in a way, Casey was right, it was becoming too easy. He had developed an unbelievable rhythm, which while being very effective, made the blog take a more predictable structure. But this does not take away from his brilliance. In fact, him choosing to drop the mic at this time is another sign that his is a story of a true master of his craft, and it is only just beginning to unfold.

In a 2015 video entitled Fat and Lazy, a title that presumably put people (with thin skin) off because it has a very low 1.5 million views, Casey bares his productive soul, breaking down his daily routine and his 24 hour day, as well as his personal philosophy. You also get a great glimpse of his awesome studio and the neon sign at the entrance to his office that says ‘work harder’. A phrase also tattooed on his left wrist, just in case he forgets (and a pretty nice-tat that I will probably copy). You can start with this video, or go straight to anyone of his other Vlogs, you will not be disappointed.

Thanks Casey for doing what you do (and for stopping).

More tomorrow.