So, another article I’ve written has gone live on the Full Sail University Connect site! Woohoo!

As usual, I can’t provide a direct link [unless your faculty, staff, or a student], so I’ve copied and pasted the article below.

Enjoy!

********************************

Student Uses Humor, Effects to Draw Viewers to Her YouTube Channel

By Victoria Webster-Perez

For many people, pop culture is a source of entertainment and distraction. For Entertainment Business Master’s student Andrea Valeria, it’s an addiction.

Just four months away from graduation, Andrea Valeria has developed a presence in the world of social media during her attendance at Full Sail University by sharing her obsession for pop culture through her Twitter, Blog, and YouTube channels aptly named: It’s a Pop O.D.

After posting one of her videos on Connect, Andrea got a substantial amount of attention from her classmates and peers. So we decided to dig a little deeper into the aspiring social media mogul’s inspiration and goals.

Q: What motivated you to get involved in social media?

“I really like social media. I like sharing things,” said Andrea, who earned a degree in Mass Communications and served as a reporter in Tampa prior to her attendance at Full Sail. “I don’t really use it for saying silly stuff, such as ‘I like to eat a sandwich’ or anything like that; I use it for sharing information, networking, and entertaining.”

I’m sure many of us are guilty of posting statuses on Facebook regarding the amazing grilled cheese we whipped up, but Andrea stresses that there is so much more you can do with your media resources. She started with Twitter first and then expanded her outreach to a blog. However, it wasn’t until her Branding and Storytelling class that the inspiration to start a video blog came to light.

Jumping into YouTube

“When I was in class three months ago with Ken DeGilio, he was like, ‘You have experience with videos and production and you have this really cool blog – why don’t you do a video blog?’ And I thought, what a really great idea!” And with that, Andrea expanded her social media output to the wide world of YouTube. Since then, she has produced a video per week for the past two months, her most recent being a hilarious clip in farewell to the Hostess Twinkie.

Q: So, what do you use to produce your videos?

“I bought a green screen,” said Andrea, who has converted her living room into a fully operational studio. “I have professional studio lights, a tripod, camera, and a professional microphone.”

Relying primarily on the experiences she gained as an on-the-scene reporter, Andrea does all of her own writing, filming, and editing without assistance. “The funniest part is that I have to do everything at night, as the light comes through the blinds during the day.”

Each video she produces can take between 15 to 20 hours, with Andrea doing every element of pre-production and post-production as well as her own makeup, setup, and filming.

Gaining Ground

While her neighbors are likely convinced that she’s secretly a nocturnal superhero, Andrea is successfully balancing a full course load in addition to her social media exploits and gaining quite a following along the way. Her Twinkie video has already exceeded 2,500 views and she’s currently working to produce a music video with the help of several classmates that she hopes will go viral in the near future. She’s still seeking out assistance from a videographer with music video experience, so networking invitations are definitely welcomed through her Twitter page.

Q: What does the future have in store for Andrea Valeria?

“Originally, I wanted to work in TV news when I finished my bachelors. I did that for a year after I graduated [the last time],” Andrea noted, “and I discovered I really didn’t enjoy it. You can’t really be creative and put your own spin on things. I decided that I would like to combine my [production] skills with my passions for pop culture and media moving forward.”

Originally from Panama, Andrea is very open to relocation for job opportunities anywhere in the United States. She’s focusing her last few months in EBMS on networking with classmates, industry professionals, fellow social media gurus, and potential employers. “I’ve gotten so many views on my YouTube channel as a result of connections made through Twitter. It’s amazing what opportunities can arise from your networking.”

Q: Ok, so the world wants to know: did you REALLY eat those Twinkies?

“Yes,” she admitted, laughing. “The first two or three I ate quickly. I didn’t think it would be hard. And then I realized it wasn’t going to be easy. I waited a few minutes before eating the others, and by the last one, I was done.” She withheld the details, but her facial expression on the last bites in her YouTube video show that she really wasn’t feeling good after Twinkie number six went down the hatch.

Fortunately, the great Twinkie famine will likely prevent her from attempting to break the record of 14 any time soon. But don’t worry – she’s since learned the correct method for deep-frying a Twinkie and hopes to experience that fine delicacy as soon as she can get her hands on more of the defunct Hostess product.