By RUBEN CARRILLO
It is a Monday night and she has her video camera ready for the next big video she has been preparing for the last couple of months. She hits the record button and begins.
Videos on YouTube make people laugh, cry and feel all of their emotions at the same time. Laughing and crying could not be evoked without Yo
uTube posters who like to show who they are by posting original videos.
YouTube creators Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim, who were previously all employees of PayPal ,launched YouTube Feb. 14, 2005, as a way for people to share videos.
Three students use YouTube to sing, to cover songs and produce makeup tutorials.
Sophomore Kevin Schoeppler makes videos of his musical covers of artists like Green Day. He hopes one day the videos will reach his favorite band.
“I would love to make a [YouTube] video with Green Day because they are so unconventional. They seem crazy, fun and seem like awesome guys to work with,” Schoeppler said.
Schoeppler posts covers because he has a passion for the drums. Posting these videos is how he expresses himself. His “Holiday Drum Cover” has 121 views.
“When I make a video of me drumming, I can record it, and I become better because I can see my past mistakes,” Schoeppler said.
Senior Erika Plogstedt posts videos on how to apply makeup without a big expense. She began this hobby the beginning of her sophomore year.
“I post makeup tutorials because I [remember] I was in the position that most girls are in and didn’t know anything [about wearing makeup],” Plogstedt said.
Plogstedt saw videos on YouTube and felt inspired to create her own. Plogstedt’s video, Queen Beeuty Contest Entry, has earned 5,734 views. This video is Plogstedt trying out for the Queen Beeuty Contest. She painted her face like the Cheshire Cat from Alice In Wonderland.
Sophomore Rebecca Gage makes YouTube videos of herself singing covers of songs, like Taylor Swift’s version of “Silent Night”, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Lisa Layne, “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People, and “Jingle Bell Rocks” by Bobby Helms. When she starts to sing she gets into a zone and can’t be tamed.
“I sing to get exposure and for people like my family who are out of town [so they can watch me],” Gage said.
Gage made her first video, Finals Winner Announcement, about 11 months ago. It is Gage singing at the American Idol Experience at Disney. Her dream is to make a video with Taylor Swift.
“[Talyor Swift] is my favorite singer and she seems like she would be fun to work with,” Gage said.
Unknown singers in the past have used YouTube to land record deals. These three students are trying to become the next big thing and make a name for themselves.