From how we make, consume, and share video, YouTube has utterly rewritten the rulebook on all of these. As Carol Vernallis describes in ‘YouTube Aesthetics’, the site is a heterotopia of concepts, genres, and styles that showcases the inventiveness of its also user. Do-it-yourself artists have resorted to everything from mashups and parodies to rapid editing and unexpected visuals to break through in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Francesco Casetti further elaborates on this idea by describing YouTube as a ‘assemblage’. YouTube is dynamic and changing in ways that flexible cinematic systems haven’t in the past hands-on days. This is an ecosystem formed by the confluence of the viewers, producers, algorithms, and technology. What sets YouTube apart is that everything is available here, from viral videos to passionate vlogs. So even though the platform presents itself as a free-for-all, it’s organized by algorithms that move users in particular directions but also promote wandering.

One of YouTube’s most famous examples of a viral film, “Charlie bit my finger,” stands as a perfect example of the site’s D.I.Y.-verse and viral possibility. This video, shot by a family amateur with a plain-vanilla home camera, went viral. Its success is a reminder that anyone can create memorable, viral content that will resonate with a worldwide audience in the YouTube ecosystem without help from a major production house. The naked, unstructured magnetism of “How to with John Wilson” embodies the YouTube ethos of do-it-yourself creative exploration, in which low resources can lead to innovation.

At the core of YouTube is DIY culture. Viral videos were originally funny, often low-/no-budget videos created by ordinary folks. That spirit remains. Vernallis explains how artists employ dramatic visuals, rapid-fire cuts, and experimental techniques to capture and keep our interest. All it takes to make something unforgettable is an original idea and the nerve to risk it. You do not need a huge production studio.

And this is where Casetti’s concept of “bubbles” comes into play. Viewing YouTube on your phone feels personal, even if you’re watching it with friends or by yourself. In this way, the site is resistant to amnesia because it is designed to adapt to you, serving up everything from short, funny clips to long reads.

Ultimately, though, YouTube is not just a platform — it’s a playground for creativity. It is where professionals and amateurs gather, and new methods of storytelling are invented daily.

 References  

– Vernallis, Carol. ‘YouTube Aesthetics’. In: ‘Unruly Media’, New York: Oxford University Press, 127–154.  

– Casetti, Francesco. “Assemblage.” In: ‘The Lumière Galaxy: Seven Key Words for the Cinema to Come’, New York: Columbia University Press, 60–82.  

– ‘Charlie Bit My Finger’ (2007). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM)

Natsue Barthes – 33776906