Interview with comedy video creator SunnySplosion
Today, we sat down with comedy youtuber SunnySplosion and spoke with her about her success
Today, we sat down with comedy youtuber SunnySplosion and spoke with her about her success
Content creation for Youtube comes in a wide variety, but in the League of Legends community comedy is one of the most well recieved among creators and viewers alike. There are many comedy youtubers in League, but among the most well known is SunnySplosion who, with her friends, has made a wide array of humorous videos to entertain her fans. Today we have the fortune to sit down and speak with her ourselves on her success and growth on youtube as a whole.
Many content creators fall into one of several categories (guides, comedy, group gameplay etc), where would you say you're content fits best?
Sunny: I would say both comedy and group gameplay because I am personally not funny? Like most of the comedy falls on the reaction of the people I play with and their interactions while we play. I could say the funniest thing or the stupidest thing on earth and it really is their reaction that makes or breaks it. I don't believe I have ever really made a solo video on my channel so yeah, group comedy
You started out fairly small and grew extremely quickly in your career. What do you think helped to make you as popular as you are now?
Sunny: Actually, I would say it was a very fortunate series of events and people that I met. First was Sky Williams, he gave me a shout out on his channel that helped so much and he also gave me a shout out on the Riot community channel that just...gave me a huge boost to start. And then NeverCake did a series of animations that got very popular, it's why I'm known as "the person who built GA on soraka", it was one of my most popular videos for a while
Is there anything that you feel personally sets you apart from other creators and makes you unique?
Sunny: I think there is two things that really set me apart. First of all, one strange thing I do is I like to interact with my editors in the middle of a video. A lot of youtubers noawayds have editors and just aren't as open about it, because editors us to release more content as editing is a lengthy process, so I love to just talk to them mid-video and tell them to put in clips or ask them about their day. The other part is the group dynamic, I could literally say anything to my friends and they will just roll with it and be totally okay with it. It makes for some bizarre and interesting conversations and we have a lot of fun with it
Looking back on your career as a content creator, is there one moment or video you are particularily proud of?
Sunny: That is actually a really hard question. I would say that any of my original videos, the ones that I used to personally edit and create are what I am most proud of
Most content creators have been playing League for quite a while, when did you start playing?
Sunny: I started playing in season 5 actually. It was strange getting into League at first because I played with people who were so experienced or such a high rank
Many creators often sort themselves into "groups", like the Sunny Squad or the KarpKrew. Do you tend to stick to your particular circle of friends when youplay or do you reach out to other creators in your off time?
Sunny: I am constantly inviting anyone who is online, I love meeting new people. I think my friends and I that I usually play with complain that we always get stuck with each other and we just love playing with friends and anyone we can get a hold of
In your videos you are often seen playing a wide variety of roles and champions, but is there one role or champion you prefer?
Sunny: If I could play one champion, and nobody would get annoyed that I was consistently feeding, I would say Jhin ADC. As a carry you feel like you have such an impact on the game and it is definately my favorite role, even if I am terrible at it
Many people believe that content creation can be fairly simple, but this is never truly the case. What does an average video release usually look like for you?
Sunny: Okay, so, essentially to make a video it is an insane process for me. I go to school full time, and because I have this group I can rarely record or edit as much as I would like. An average video could be anywhere from two to eight hours of recording, and that can change if anyone of the people I play with need footage as well, which seems insane because the videos are 10 minutes long. From there I compress the video, send it to my editors, and let them do what they need to do with the footage, so a video will be fully released when I can get it back from them.
When not creating content for League of Legends, what are you usually doing to pass the time?
Sunny: Like I said before, I am a student first and foremost, but in my spare time I love to sit down and watch anime. I am also getting ready to study abroad in japan soon, in about four months I believe? So yeah, just a lot of studying and school
When you started out on youtube, did you ever imagine it would end up being a full time career?
Sunny: No way. A lot of people don't know this but I started out doing skyrim let's plays. I woud make part one or part two of just, these little bits of me playing skyrim and I had hundreds of these crappy little let's plays. I have more of those than I have League videos, and it took me a while to get my first hundred subscribers. After that I hit a thousand and then in just a year it was a hundred thousand and it grew from there
Many creators, over time, have moved away from League and gone on to new games or projects. Is this something you have ever considered?
Sunny: It is actually, in fact I think the general concesus around League youtubers is that it's generally a good idea to create a lot of content, because even if you're the biggest in the League of Legends community, you'll still only be as popular as league. For some people, they see that ceiling and realize that limitation of just league, and there is very few limits when you talk about creators like Markilplier or someone like that. I have thought about breaking away from league but I don't game very often and I feel like it would be hard to break away very quickly
If you had the opportunity to go back and tell yourself any one thing as you were starting out, what would it be?
Sunny: I would say...the most disappointing thing is when you have an image in your mind, and reality don't live up to how you feel it should be. Don't try to force yourself to see things in a certain way, just take things for how they are
How do you feel content creators influence League and it's players as a whole?
Sunny: Hmm...I would say that pro players have a huge influence over the games they play, because developers often balance their games and their content around pro play, and they really create the builds and play styles that people pick up on, but comedy content creators? I don't think Riot ignores comedy creators, but we do have a lot less pull and influence compared to other kind of content
Has being a well known creator affected you, or your group, in game at any time?
Sunny: Yes, oh my god. The only time it has affected me has been negatively as well because, there is this well known game my group calls "kill the content creator" where like, if any of my friends or myself get recognized in a game it becomes such a focus. Like, when my friend spencer and I are in bot lane it becomes a five man bot lane constantly. It makes it impossible for us to record or even just enjoy playing the game. It is very rare to get recognized, but when we do it is usually a negative experience
What do you see yourself doing in the near future if Youtube becomes less appealing?
Sunny: Honestly? I see myself just getting a regular job in the computer science field. Even now, youtube is super inconsistent and I am hoping to get a steady job and make youtube less of a focus, just something I could do on the side
Is there anything you would like to personally say to aspiring content creators who look up to you?
Sunny: A few things. First of all, youtube is very random, you could make amazing content and it could just take a while to get picked up because the system tends to favor the people who are already well known. Do research and learn about what youtube likes and just, cater to what people like. Anyone can make it, but you need perserverance and the dedication to keep going as you start out. You don't need a million subscribers to be happy going forward
Wonderful advice indeed. Thank you again Sunny for joining us today, and if any of you would like to see more of her work you can view her at Youtube.com/SunnySplosion, or follow her on twitter and Twitch.tv at SunnySplosion.