🗽 On YouTube, Less is More

Happy Thursday everyone,

It’s been a busy week, but will always make time for the newsletter! Still experimenting with different segments, and I’m looking to continually improve my offering here.

Brought last week’s article to Twitter, and Cleo Abram (RNDR Feature) ended up sharing it on her own page, which was very cool!

Got a few new subscribers this week, so if this is your first edition, welcome!

Hope you enjoy!

- Rickie

RNDR Queue

• The thumbnail caught my attention right away.

• Very cool premise in the video which involves Jesse actually participating in the camp activities alongside his friend.

• Every Johnny Harris video, to me, is so well-researched and produced that I could feature his content every week (though it’d likely get boring for you)

• If you watch anything from this list, watch this video.

• Dodford videos are some of the most well-produced videos on the platform.

• Undoubtable talent from an editing perspective.

• Always an enjoyable watch from his channel.

Titles That Intrigued Me

• I’VE BEEN ROBBED//JerryRigEverything

• I Spent $592,000 On Cars In 1 Week.//Iman Gadzhi

• Acid vs Lava- Testing Liquids That Melt Everything//Mark Rober

• What’s the deal with the popcorn button//Technology Connections

• Real Life Infinite Money Glitch//Daily Dose Of Internet

X to Inspire

RNDR Feature

Cash Jordan is an NYC-based content creator making vlog-style NYC video essays on real estate. He started off doing apartment tours in the city 3 years ago, where he would show off different apartments from a wide range of price points. Over his career, he began to mix in his current style of video essay content around 2 years ago but didn’t start to see game-changing success until recently.

Cash Jordan, admittedly, is someone who has popped up on my radar in the last few days, but after seeing some of his more popular work, it’s easy to see why he’s had so much success as of late.

This week, I break down some components of what makes Cash Jordan’s most popular video about hostile public infrastructure so good, which, as of writing, has averaged 1M views per day since upload! I’ve selected 3 things I wanted to highlight that showcases his ability to tell stories about NYC without the need for a ton of work in post.

1. Say it, Show it

This is a well-known concept on YouTube that ties everything said by the creator to a corresponding visual. This is done all over YouTube; it’s really nothing too special. What Cash Jordan does in this video that makes it so visually appealing is how he uses his B-roll and the type of B-roll that he films.

He could have easily taken a few clips of B-roll that show the particular bench from afar like many creators would in this scenario. However, in the clip below, he uses both the bench and himself as props to make his point about how uncomfortable the bench is.

This is just one example of him doing this, but if you watch the video and pay attention closely, very rarely will he say something to the camera that doesn’t have a related visual associated with it.

2. Vlog-Inspired Storytelling

The entire video feels like he’s talking directly to you, and this is completely intentional. The premise of the video is to walk around NYC and find examples of hostile infrastructure, but the way that Cash Jordan tells this story is what makes this video so compelling.

The reason why I say this video is “vlog-inspired” is because it takes everything good from the vlog format: the journey, the personal connection, minimal post-production, etc., but blends it with the educational video topic in a cohesive manner. This is not necessarily a new topic on the platform; many videos have been made about hostile infrastructure, but the blend of vlog and video essay is a format that is less explored and executed to a tee in this video.

3. Minimal Motion Graphics

The GIF below is a prime example of a moment where he could have popped the article up on the screen in post-production, but he intentionally chose to just show the article on his phone. It, arguably, would have been easier and clearer to pop the article up on the screen in post, but the decision to use his phone speaks to his deliberate choice to keep his videos seemingly low production value.

The reasoning behind keeping his videos low production value could be a combination of many reasons, including wanting to stay relatable to his audience, maintaining the vlog-like nature of the video, or simply because of output (he uploads around 4 videos a week).

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