YouTube revolutionised how we experience and understand cinema, breaking barriers between audiences and filmmakers. Historically, cinema was a medium consumed exclusively in theaters, maintaining a clear division between creators and viewers. However, YouTube empowered audiences by providing an accessible platform to create and share their own DIY home videos. This shift diversified the way visual content is experienced and contributed significantly to reshaping the relationship between audiences and cinema. The platform democratised filmmaking, allowing anyone with a camera and internet access to become a filmmaker. By reducing the gap between creators and viewers, YouTube fostered a sense of participation that traditional cinema could not offer. This accessibility has encouraged countless individuals to pursue filmmaking, demonstrating that the craft is within reach for anyone. Uploading personal content to YouTube provides a sense of agency, making the once-daunting prospect of filmmaking more attainable. Through self-teaching on YouTube, aspiring creators learn by doing, developing unique styles and perspectives uninfluenced by formal theories or academic frameworks. This practice fosters innovation, leading to the emergence of personalised aesthetics and storytelling methods that redefine traditional filmmaking norms. The DIY ethos promoted by YouTube has birthed new cinematic aesthetics and expanded creative possibilities, encouraging filmmakers to experiment freely. An example of this is writers/directors Danny and Michael Philippougot initially began their filmmaking career on YouTube. They created viral videos on their channel called RackaRacka content.

Their style was fun, colourful, fast and loud. They then went onto create their debut feature film Talk To Me.

Both had never gone to film school and had self-taught themselves through their YouTube content creation. Consequently, YouTube has not only provided a platform for creative freedom but also profoundly influenced the evolution of modern cinema. By enabling unprecedented participation and creativity, it has bridged the gap between audience and creator, redefining what it means to experience and produce films.

Talk To Me. (2023) by Danny and Michael Philippougot

By Zara Bloom 33751437