Casey Neistat, digital creator and cofounder of BeMe, is joining NAB Show this year for “Do What You Can’t with Casey Neistat.” You can register to attend for free with code AMP05.
A self-taught filmmaker, producer and YouTuber, Neistat will be on NAB Show’s Main Stage at 10:30 a.m. (PT) on Wednesday, April 17 for a conversation with NAB Show host and What’s Trending founder/CEO Shira Lazar.
Here, he confers with NAB Amplify’s Emily M. Reigart about social media, spatial computing, success within the creator space… and, of course, sunglasses as a way of life.
You’re famous (infamous?) for wearing your sunglasses on camera in all sorts of situations. Can you share the backstory behind this signature look?
Great question! I started wearing glasses in my videos for a very practical reason — so it would appear that I’m looking directly into the lens, but when in reality, I was watching the camera monitor to make sure the shot looked correct. After some time, people started to see it as ‟my look,” so I just went with it — now I even sleep with them on!
There is a great quote: “With my sunglasses on, I’m Jack Nicholson. Without them, I’m fat and 60.” While I’m not fat, 60, or Jack Nicholson, I do appreciate what he was saying here.
You’re active on a number of social media platforms. Do you have a personal favorite format, or one that you find more challenging to create content for?
YouTube will forever be my favorite. I still think it’s the #1 place for creative expression. As social media has drifted towards monetizing influence, sharing hot takes and chasing likes, YouTube is the last bastion for storytelling.
If you were a creator trying to break through in 2024, how would you try to differentiate yourself?
You have to be honest. There is a huge void of truth in the creator landscape — the temptation is to find someone who’s successful and copy them. The audience will always reject this. Instead, find your truth and tell it.
Your motto is “do the impossible.” What’s your next impossible project?
I’m not sure that’s my motto. I’ve never been able to find any success in following the traditional route in life, the paths we’re told to take. Instead, I try to find my own.
When I think of the future, I point my compass at what’s the most rewarding. Currently, that’s being a dad to my two little girls.
Will spatial computing and technology like Apple’s Vision Pro change how you create content? If so, how?
Maybe, but I don’t know. I still fancy editing software to make straight cuts, the same style of editing that used to be done with scissors and tape. As technology continues to progress, telling a great story remains the same. It’s hard, it’s human and the technology is simply a tool to help communicate — not the story itself.
