TenEighty Shortlist: Ewan McIntosh

TenEighty have dived into the depths of YouTube to find the next generation of stars for our first official shortlist. The ten selected creators have less than 15 thousand subscribers and we believe they deserve more. And it wouldn’t be a YouTube shortlist without a Scot with backcombed hair: Ewan McIntosh.

Name: Ewan McIntosh
Channel: radhaggis
Launched: May 2, 2013
Most Popular Video: A RAD BEGINNING
Subscriber Count: 9,232.

TenEighty’s Clare Fitzgerald selected Ewan for the shortlist, applauding how much he’s accomplished at such a young age. “His vlogs aren’t your typical, run-of-the-mill update-y stuff and you can tell with each one he uploads that he’s got a lot of weird and out-of-the-box ideas in that head of his.

“At only 16, he’s already making material that you’d expect from far more experienced YouTubers (I mean, come on, he’s already written and released a short film!). Whether you’re looking for inspiration or are just interested in a little nonsensical banter, I can guarantee Ewan’s videos are the ones for you. They’re pretty rad.”

TenEighty UK: When did you first start making YouTube videos and who/what inspired you to do it?
Ewan McIntosh: I technically started uploading assorted videos (most of which to this day have very few views) in mid 2012. However, I created radhaggis in July 2013 and I think that’s when I really started to get into it. At the time, Charlie McDonnell was one of the biggest vloggers in the UK, so naturally I watched a lot of him and was influenced by his work.

However, I’d say what actually drove me to start was finding a guy called Ellis [Anastasiades] who was my age making videos – that’s what really made me say, ‘hey I could do this, too.’ Oddly enough, I am now good friends with many of my initial inspirations, like Matt Houghton and Quinn Humphreys, which is always nice to look back on.

T: What was the first YouTube video you remember watching?
E: I can’t remember exactly, but I imagine it was one of Jonti ‘Weebl’ Picking’s animations back in 2007. I can remember being a young kid and watching them endlessly with friends. It was probably Narwhals, actually. I used to be obsessed.

T: Which video of your own are you proudest of, and how did you go about making it?
E: I’d say Nature Drugs, which often surprises a lot of people. It’s far from my most popular or aesthetically impressive video, but I think I love it because of how homemade it feels.

I made it with some friends in school one afternoon for YouTube LoFi week, and the fact it had to be released the day after meant a lot of it was improv, which I think makes it much funnier. I am probably most fond of it because of the fun I had creating it, but I think it’s definitely something that people enjoyed seeing too, as it’s not staged in any way. It’s just me running around with a pin mic and some paper and having a laugh.

T: If you could go back to when you first started making YouTube videos, what advice would you give yourself?
E: I always find this question hard to answer because there are a number of different paths I could have taken which would’ve led me to different places to where I am now. I guess I’d stay stick with it, and know when a video isn’t worth uploading, because at times it’s very tempting to make quick and lazy videos for the sake of it.

As for sticking with it, it’s very hard to go for months with only a few subscribers. However, things do get better! I guess I always appreciated my audience, whatever it’s size, though; I remember getting my first subscriber and instantly jumping up to make something new for this one stranger on my channel. It’s odd looking back on it, but I think growing slowly over a number of years has helped keep me very down to earth and really engaged with what I make.

T: What are your opinions on the YouTube community?
E: Everyone – including me – always looks back on the community when they started, thinking ‘those were the days!’ It’s hard not to, as with YouTube very much becoming a mainstream media platform, the community can feel lost at times.

Despite that though, it has driven content to become better and better, so although the community may not be as small and cosy as I first remember it, it’s much more exciting and real to be a part of these days – it really feels like you’re out there doing things!

T: If you could collaborate with one other big YouTuber, who would it be and what type of video would you make?
E: In all honesty, I want to collab with Zoe Sugg and Alfie Deyes’ pug. Is that allowed? She’s not a YouTuber really, well, she’s a dog. But I was watching a video the other day where she was doing tricks and it was the best thing ever. As for the video, I guess we could do ‘BRITISH BOY AND PUG EAT DOG FOOD’. I haven’t really thought this through. Although if all my future collabs were with dogs, I wouldn’t complain.

T: If you were CEO of YouTube for a day, what one big change would you implement to the website?
E: I was almost tempted to put something really nerdy and technical here, but I imagine you’re looking for something more directly exciting, not an increase in streaming bit rate or colour depth. I’m sorry.

A way for the homepage to show smaller creators would be wonderful for getting people noticed though, as these days it always feels like it only promotes people who already have a huge following.

T: What do you predict will be the next ‘big trend’ on YouTube?
E: I honestly hope it’s something creative that pushes people to think more outside the box. I’m always nervous to join in with tag and challenge videos for fear of creating things that don’t really have any meaning to me. However, let’s face it, it’s probably gonna be the dog food tag. I’m still down for that.

T: Where do you see yourself and YouTube in ten years time?
E: I definitely still hope to be making online videos in some form, I love the personal aspect that comes with them. As for with YouTube in particular, I honestly have no idea.

If the platform continues to develop as it’s done over the past 10 years, then I’ll absolutely still be here in one way or another. Remembering what it was like in 2007, when I first started using it, and seeing it where it is now gives me a lot of hope for the site. It just needs people to stick with it.

T: Which video from the last 10 years of YouTube do you believe sums up the platform at its finest?
E: I know I’m only meant to pick one, but I have two and they’re for such different reasons I can’t choose between them.

Firstly, I’d say Tom Ridgewell‘s asdfmovie as it perfectly sums up all the crazy things that are on YouTube and also how it’s possible to entertain millions of people worldwide with a video that was probably made with a couple of friends in a few hours. What always blows my mind is that I still hear kids walking around today shouting ‘DIE POTATO’ or ‘I LIKE TRAINS’, and remembering all of that comes from one little video on the internet.

Secondly, I’d also say Casey Neistat’s Draw My Life. It shows how brilliant YouTube is for storytelling and it’s true power to really reach out to people on a personal level that television and radio will never have be able to. I think that in itself is what makes the site so brilliant.

Keep checking TenEighty throughout this week to find out who else is on our shortlist. Alternatively, if you’re feeling inspired to start making your own videos, check out some of the following articles:

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