When Casey Neistat makes something, anything, I always check it out. Casey makes movies, TV shows, daily vlogs, snaps and he has just launched a new video sharing app called Beme. Casey is authentic, creative, and a great storyteller. But don't let the DIY style of his videos fool you. He has an incredible work ethic and spends a ton of time and effort making these videos look and feel the way they do. He's probably the best known for his YouTube videos. Here are a few of his most popular ones:
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What makes him stand out even more is the fact that Casey doesn't always use fancy or professional equipment. Many of his videos are shot on a simple point & shoot camera and edited with iMovie. Those fancy timelapses in his vlogs? A lot are shot with his iPhone. This is something that I think people most frequently get wrong about creating content. 99% of the time, it doesn't matter how good or what the tools are - tools are just tools, nothing more - what really matters is the story and how well you do it.
I think about this a lot when I'm sitting in startup pitch meetings, especially the terrible ones. To me, its the same as what Casey says about his movies when people ask him what camera he uses or what software he edits with. It doesn't matter what the tools are. What matters is the story. If after 30 minutes I still have no idea what your startup does or why it will succeed, no amount of clever videos or McKinsey-style powerpoint slides will help.
One of my favorite videos about Casey is this tour of his office. It is a physical representation of how dedicated he is to his work. At a glance it looks kind of crazy, but if you pay close attention, you'll see that everything has been placed strategically to yield the maximum function and greatest amount of productivity.
Beme
Casey co-founded Beme with Matt Hackett, the former VP of Engineering and Head of Brand Strategy at Tumblr. Beme just launched this week.
Beme addresses one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to mobile video: When people try to record something and end up watching it through their phone instead of being in the moment. Firework, concerts, school plays... all they're really doing is watching life moments through a 4-6" screen as they record it and not enjoying it with their own eyes. Don't even get me started on people using iPads to record video while they hold it in the air, blocking everyone's view.
How does Beme work? I'll let the man show you himself:
Beme addresses one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to mobile video: When people try to record something and end up watching it through their phone instead of being in the moment. Firework, concerts, school plays... all they're really doing is watching life moments through a 4-6" screen as they record it and not enjoying it with their own eyes. Don't even get me started on people using iPads to record video while they hold it in the air, blocking everyone's view.
How does Beme work? I'll let the man show you himself:
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So will it succeed? Are we ready for yet another communication platform? Will people embrace or reject the fact that you cannot preview the videos before they are posted? I have no idea. Only time will tell. Message me if you need an unlock code and add me at username: bonam.
I've used Beme for 2 days and here are some of my early observations:
I've used Beme for 2 days and here are some of my early observations:
- Sensor is extremely sensitive. Probably why videos are only shared when they're longer than 4 seconds. Very clever fix and this works well.
- Adding friends and finding their content is not as easy as it should be. I'm sure this will be fixed in the next few iterations.
- Not having a preview before posting - I get that this adds to the authenticity, but does this pose reputational risk? Will this deter bigger social influencers, celebrities, and those that live in the public eye from using the platform?
- I'm inadvertently sending a lot of very unflattering selfies to strangers. Trigger is very sensitive.
- It would be nice if they could bundle the videos by person. I follow Casey, Matt, and Jack (all from the Beme team) and they really bleed the feed - something even Casey says not to do in his Instagram Video. I understand they're seeding the app with content, but right now everything else gets buried under these guys.
I'm a huge fan of Casey and his work. And he's inspiring many others too. As of today, his YouTube channel has 190M views. Just to put that into perspective, less than 120M people watched the last Superbowl (not exactly apples to apples, but a comparison of size and scale). Ask any of Casey's followers to describe him and you'll undoubtedly hear these words - authentic, creative, and hard working. So do yourself a favor and go subscribe to Casey Neistat.
ps. this is not a paid endorsement.
ps. this is not a paid endorsement.
