Welcome!

Hello Builders,

Today, we got:

• how Sam Sulk broke YouTube to hit 1.2M subscribers in 8 months

• More crazy developments in AI video

• Popular tools

Let’s begin…

Case Study

Meet Sam Sulek.

Sam is a fitness YouTuber who has EXPLODED in popularity the last 8 months, going from 0 → 1.2M subscribers in just 8 months.

But if you watch his videos, you might be a bit confused how he grew so quickly.

On the surface, he’s doing everything “wrong”. No editing. No crazy hooks. No captions. Static boring shots.

But that’s where the accidental genius to his content lies.

Here’s 3

1. Sam

Sam’s X factor is himself. When his freakish physique pops up in the thumbnail, you have to click through.

At 5’10”, 240lbs with fitness model bodyfat, he’s aspirational.

At just 21 years old going to college, he’s relatable.

Young men, due to the destruction of the family unit, are always looking for role models. Gym culture is one of the last places where atomized guys can develop themselves, find a sense of purpose in life & meet bros

Sam is this gym bro, at scale.

His content helps brings people together to better themselves. His calm way of speaking is keeps you listening. His effort in every set is motivating. And he makes you feel like you can do it too.

Takeaway: What unfair advantage or obsession do you have that translates to interesting video content?

2. Presentation

A recurring theme in Sam’s comments section is praise for his authentic approach to creating content.

When fitness YouTube first started with guys like Elliot Hulse, it was about bros making simple videos to show form, answer questions & solve problems.

But, as influencer culture rose & money came into the space, fakery & bullshit optimized for clicks took over.

For awhile, people enjoyed it. But, as with every trend, it had a shelf life. Fitness content became a sea of sameness. Now, in the post-COVID world, people are craving connection & community more than ever.

So, in the current context, his videos are exactly what the fitness community is craving. The lack of editing, captions or music is refreshing.

Sam’s content is a perfect example of “right place at the right time”.

Takeaway: Keep track of trends, but always be looking to where you can break the mold. Live your life, share your story.

3. Storyline & Consistency

Sam’s initial “season” of videos are all focused on 1 theme: his bulk.

Day in and day out he was on a mission, and his audience was here for the ride. This led to insane audience retention.

Foundational psychological principle → People enjoy certainty.

If you can give them something daily, you’ll build immense trust & loyalty.

The second aspect to this is ridiculous volume.

Sam kept you updated every single day for 8 months. 222 videos total(!).

In that same timeframe, most serious creators get between 8-40 videos out.

Takeaway:

Brutal consistency & overwhelming volume will always be a working strategy.

AI x Video

Watermarks are dead.

This new AI tool makes it extremely easy to remove objects, such as people & watermarks, from videos. While it’s not for public use yet, this just shows AI is continuing to get crazier by the day.

Gaming YouTuber is replacing himself with AI

A prominent streamer & gaming YouTuber created an AI model of himself to be in his videos.

Feedback from his fans has been harsh.

Will this time saving measure allow him to scale? Or will this disconnect between his audience & himself destroy his brand? We’ll have to wait and see.

iPhone 15 image stabilization is crazy.

Watch this clip & get your mind blown.

Popular Tools

Capcut: the most versatile editor for short content. Useful on both phone & desktop

Captions: the easiest way to put high quality captions on your video

HeyGen: Create full AI videos from text. No shooting or editing required. NEW: automatic translation from English to other languages.

Opus Pro: Handsfree AI video content clipping. Automatic captions, cuts & titles.

envato elements: Get royalty free stock footage, music, sounds, graphics, templates and more under 1 subscription

Cinema P3: Turn your iPhone into a cinema camera

Canva: The easiest to use graphic design tool around. All our thumbnails & logos have been spawned from Canva. You can now make videos on it, too!

eleven labs: scary good AI voiceovers

That’s a wrap

If you have anything interesting to share, send us a DM on Twitter: @tigerjvideo & @videobuildersio

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