This Sunday, the 17th April, it will be 5 years since I uploaded my first video to YouTube. That video is called ‘Trying to Cook Spaghetti Bolognese’ and is now private. Sorry not sorry. In fact the first 8 videos I ever uploaded are now all private so congratulations if you’re one of the few who saw them before I got too embarrassed.
My profile pictures in chronological order from top left to bottom right.
I have a special video coming out on Sunday to celebrate this occasion but for now I though I’d take a look back over the years and pick my 5 favourite videos from across my channel. Some of them you may not have seen before and I hope that you enjoy them!
- Animal Tracks
This is a cover of ‘Animal Tracks’ by Mountain Man. I recorded it late at night in my bedroom in Paris playing the guitar with my very limited skills with no microphone, just straight onto my laptop. I then sent it to my friend Bryarly who did the harmonies and sent it back. I love the old school international collaboration style. The little girl in the video is Violette, one of the children I was looking after whilst I was an aupair in Paris. She’s 7 years old in this which makes her 12 now… omg. I remember making this being one of my first tests in creativity. Having an idea and seeing if I could just make something. And I did.
2. Friend Zone
This was my first attempt at a bit of sketch comedy and we played it this way around because I wanted to show that women could be “friend zoned” too. Now though, I’d obviously say to this character and my past self that the ‘Friend Zone’ doesn’t exist. You’re just friends. But if you have other feelings for your friend then you should do something about it or move on instead of complaining about being “friend zoned” and making the other person look like the dick.
3. BOOGIE TIME AT VIDCON
This was my first VidCon in 2012 and now I’m going back for my 5th year as a guest and doing panels and stuff! I can’t believe how far I’ve come in 5 years. This video was so much fun to make and a great way to bond with people at my first ever VidCon. People I knew from the internet, people I’d just met or good friends of mine. I love watching this video back, some people I’m like ‘who is that?!’. And others like Connor Manning just dance-bombing the shot who I didn’t actually “meet” properly until 2014 but his face is in a video of mine from 2012 which is cool! And then there’s Alfie Deyes and Marcus Butler just hanging out in the main convention free and not surrounded by fans. And Chester See!? It’s such a weird mismatch of people and I love it!
4. Interviewing YouTubers at Summer in the City 2012
After VidCon I went to my first ever Summer in the City. I met the Victorious Sponge boys that day and they had a camera and microphone on them and towards the end when everyone was leaving and packing down we just decided to run around and chat to as many YouTubers as we could find. I love the result of it, it just reminds me of the pure joy and excitement that I got from being surrounded by loads of new friends, people I admired and just being a part of this whole world I never knew existed before. I hope that feeling never goes away. Also, Chris fucking Kendall is amazing.
5. I got dumped
I just realised that even though I’m a vlogger all the videos I’ve picked so far aren’t vlogs. But it’s those videos that just capture moments in my life that are my personal favourites and I go back to watch all the time. But here’s an old vlog I don’t cringe too hard at when I re-watch and this is the most personal I’ve ever gotten on my YouTube channel about my love life. Yeah I’ve shared some stuff but for the most part of my time on YouTube I’ve been single and haven’t shared things about who I’m dating. But I like this vlog because it reminds me of the whole vlogging process of ‘something happened to me and I have some thoughts/feelings so I’m going to vlog about it’. I like that.
And finally, I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who has watched my videos over the last 5 years – whether you’ve been subscribed for 5 years or 5 days – thank you so much. If I went back in time and told past-Hannah who just uploaded her first video where this would all lead, she would not believe me one bit. And sometimes even I can’t believe it now.
Haha, I appear to be the first to comment (as I don’t see any other comments yet), and your last post (to which there is a link right above this comment box) is “Being the Token Single” and I thought, that’s a harsh way of putting First Comment! Lol. Then I realized that’s the title of your last blog post… anyway, thought I’d share that because it gave me a good laugh. 🙂
This was great! I loved seeing your old videos. The Friend Zone thing was hilarious. I loved seeing your first SITC and Vidcon. 🙂 You have really good friends to watch over you like that. There was some symmetry in the first video being of you as a babysitter, and the last of you talking about your friends watching over you. Very sweet. 🙂 I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the journey! Here’s to 5 more years!! That is, if YouTube is still going strong in 5 years… technology changes so fast now! (Well, writing will always be here.) 🙂
This was a wonderful post and really interesting to look back on some videos! I’ve been watching your videos since ‘Hannah and the Chocolate Factory’ and I have to congratulate you on five years!
Reblogged this on Abbikababi.
This was a really cool retrospective, it made want to go back and watch some of your older videos. Still love your cover First Aid Kit cover of Universal Soldier. Happy Fifth Birthday