- 2 hours ago
What happens at Refinery29 on a snow day? Lucie shows us what it's like interviewing Anna Akana during a storm.
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00:00Oh my god, it's so pretty out here!
00:03It's a link from Wonderland!
00:05Ah, okay, I can't stand this way.
00:12Good morning, everybody!
00:14I made it to work despite the horrific weather.
00:17Nobody's really here yet.
00:19There are only a few people in the office.
00:22But I have a very important shoot today
00:24with a major YouTuber, Anna Akana.
00:28Anna is coming in for a shoot a little bit later today.
00:32But would you look at it outside?
00:35Oh no.
00:36I'm just gonna sit at my desk.
00:38I have a few things to do this morning.
00:40I have a YouTube meeting where we're planning some Try Living With Lucy videos.
00:43I'm just gonna put my stuff down, go to the meeting,
00:47and, uh, see if Anna makes it.
00:51Let's cross our fingers.
00:57Lip time.
01:04Off to the Try Living With Lucy meeting.
01:07Got my power lip on.
01:08Let's do this.
01:09Good morning, Rachel!
01:11Hello!
01:11Good morning!
01:12I guess we're the only two that's in the office.
01:15Literally, there's like five people out here, so.
01:18Do you hear the window out there?
01:20There is a blizzard.
01:22Hold on, I just need to show you how fast the snow is whipping.
01:26Do you see this?
01:28What if I open this window?
01:30Is that a bad idea?
01:31It's really snowy out there.
01:35Okay, so, to give you guys a little background about Try Living With Lucy,
01:40Rachel is the YouTube girl that I plan all these episodes with,
01:44and we pretty much sit down and we read all of your YouTube comments,
01:49and we select ones that we think would make for a good video.
01:52So, we are gonna pull up a recent episode where we've asked you guys to comment suggestions.
01:57So, we're gonna look through a few and see what I should try next.
02:00This is the Refinery29 YouTube channel.
02:02If you're not familiar with our content, you should check out Lucy Vlogs, which is this series.
02:07You should also check out Beauty With Me, she's one of my best friends.
02:15Okay, so, skip ad.
02:17And we look at the Refinery comment where it says,
02:20What five-day challenge should Lucy try next? Comment below.
02:24292 of you have commented.
02:25So, here are some of your suggestions.
02:28Five days of trying billionaire routines? That's a genius idea.
02:31I think we should do what that person suggested.
02:34Five days of spring cleaning.
02:36Oh, that's a great idea.
02:39Right? I feel like I really need to clean.
02:41Yeah.
02:41So, why not spring clean on camera?
02:43You know what else I really wanna do?
02:45I'm saying this after I did five days of self-care when I got a massage.
02:48I think I should try five days of different types of massages.
02:53And that was a comment suggestion.
02:55So, this is not my original idea.
02:58No social interaction.
03:01Like, sit at home all day in the dark?
03:03Interesting.
03:04We have done random acts of kindness, have we?
03:07Mm.
03:08Ooh, I really like that.
03:09I feel like there's something there.
03:11That is something.
03:12You know what?
03:13We have the best comment ever.
03:14What?
03:15What is it?
03:18Five days of traveling around the world.
03:23Woo!
03:24How do I do it in five days?
03:26It's gonna take me five weeks to travel around.
03:29Maybe it could be five different episodes and each episode is five days in one place.
03:34Now there is an interesting idea.
03:37This is how we brainstorm.
03:39We just sort of throw ideas around and we see what sticks on the wall.
03:43Like this.
03:50Stick.
03:50It didn't stick.
03:51So, uh, we're not doing five days of cups.
03:54The windows are beginning to frost.
03:57Oh no.
04:02The entire Refinery29 office just got an email from HR saying,
04:06go home, office is closed.
04:07But Anna is on her way.
04:09There's thunder and lightning.
04:10I've been seeing it out here.
04:12Actually, I don't really want to be sitting next to the window.
04:14I don't want to get struck.
04:15All right.
04:15This is the, this is the set.
04:18It's, it's all ready for Anna.
04:20We've got a purple seamless, two seats.
04:23Uh, we have a two camera set up right here.
04:28Anna, if you're out there, I hope you're safe in the storm.
04:31Oh, look, Rachel found a disco ball.
04:35Okay.
04:35Ready for a boomeray?
04:36Yeah.
04:37One, two, three.
04:39Go.
04:41Oh.
04:45There are a few ways that you can work out with a disco ball.
04:49If you have nothing at your disposal, but a giant disco ball,
04:53here are five simple moves.
04:55Number one, over the head squats.
05:00Move number two.
05:01I call this the lift.
05:04This is what I did in the boomerang.
05:06Move number three.
05:08Now this one might break your disco ball.
05:10Play on the ball.
05:14And then hold it.
05:17You're going to break the ball.
05:19Move number four.
05:22Huh.
05:24Okay.
05:26So good.
05:27Balance is key.
05:28The fifth and final disco ball move.
05:31Put it in a shiny spot.
05:34Spin it.
05:36And dance.
05:37And that is how you work out with a disco ball.
05:40Guess what, guys?
05:43She made it.
05:46Very cold, but I'm here.
05:48Yeah, how's the weather?
05:49Cold and cool, because I'm from L.A., so it's nice.
05:52Yeah, this must be rough for you.
05:55Oh, my Isaac looks in your necklace.
05:57It's getting all tangled.
05:58Let's do it.
05:59There you go.
06:00Okay.
06:01And you, I'm going to put it like this.
06:07There we go.
06:08Take one.
06:14Finally, despite the snow, Anna made it!
06:18I made it!
06:19Yay!
06:20Welcome to Refinery29.
06:21Thank you so much for having me.
06:22I'm so happy that you're here.
06:23Me too.
06:24And I just spent the past 20 minutes watching your new series.
06:28Do you like it?
06:29It is amazing, and it's so intense.
06:31Yeah, this is very dramatic.
06:33Yeah, and I mean, the producer of Grey's Anatomy, how did this happen?
06:36YouTube Rad actually approached me and was like, hey, we would really love to do a series with you.
06:40Do you have anything in mind?
06:41And I was like, you have to read this script!
06:43And so we made a full season, eight episodes that are all available right now on YouTube Rad.
06:47The first two are completely free, and you can watch the rest with a free trial.
06:51So for people who love YouTube out there, and I'm sure we have mainly viewers that love YouTube,
06:56I want to hear Anna's seven things that she's learned from being on YouTube for seven whole years.
07:02Okay, take time to find your voice.
07:04I think it took me about 50 videos, which was about a year to really hone in on what my
07:10style was.
07:11So for people who thunder, the storm awaits.
07:17Wow.
07:19Wow.
07:19That sounded like a bomb.
07:21All right, number two.
07:22Keep doing it.
07:23It's just throwing things against the wall every week and holding yourself accountable to that deadline.
07:28The more personal it is, the more relatable it is.
07:30The videos where I try to be very vague and relatable to everybody are the ones that nobody connects to.
07:35So the more personal you are, the more oddly enough universal that feeling is.
07:38I wish I'd done this a lot sooner, collaborate.
07:40Definitely helps your audience growth for sure, but then you also have a creative tribe to talk to about stuff.
07:46People will put up with a lot if you give them good food.
07:49You need to feed your crew well so they have the energy to move.
07:51Do every job.
07:52It makes you better at what your ultimate goal is.
07:55Have fun.
07:56Have fun.
07:56Because there was definitely a time where I was not having fun on YouTube and all I was doing was
08:00trying to chase views and it was very unfulfilling.
08:03I think you are incredible.
08:05Oh, thank you.
08:06And you have learned so much in seven years.
08:08You've now taught them so much into seven tips.
08:11Thank you, Anna.
08:12Thank you so much.
08:12It was so good to see you.
08:14Anna's seven YouTube tips were incredibly helpful.
08:17I think the two that really stuck out and truly spoke to me were first and foremost the food tip.
08:22I cannot express how important it is to be well nourished and well fed when you're on set.
08:28So that was a great tip from Anna and I think the second tip, which was her final tip, truly
08:32sticks with me, is just have fun.
08:35I personally think what is the point of making YouTube videos if you're not going to have fun?
08:39I mean, we're all living in this world where we watch YouTube videos and we like to soak up information
08:44and learn from others and discover other people's art in the community.
08:48But at the end of the day, what is the point if we're not enjoying it?
08:52So, since Anna shared with us her seven things that she's learned from being on YouTube for seven years,
08:58I decided that I would share the two things I've learned since being on YouTube for two years.
09:04First and foremost, the more intimate of a setting that you can sit in, the better.
09:08And I'm pretty much exclusively talking about vloggers on YouTube, not necessarily actors who are making skits or comedic sketches.
09:16But if you are a vlogger and you're trying to bring people into your life, sit in a space that's
09:20really you.
09:21The more nitty gritty and raw and real that it is, the more people will feel connected with you.
09:26And I'm just in a Refinery29 conference room right now.
09:29I mean, we've got chairs scattered everywhere.
09:31There are pictures behind me.
09:33There's like stuff ripping off the walls.
09:35And that's just because I work with a bunch of creative geniuses.
09:39But it wouldn't be as fun now if I just set up some beautiful set and sat in front of
09:44some fake pictures and tried to make it like everything's perfect.
09:47Because it's not perfect.
09:48And the second tip I'd like to pass along is if you are a YouTuber and you spend a lot
09:52of time writing scripts before you speak,
09:54I've now had experience where I've done a few shoots where I'm reading off of a loose script.
09:59And then I've done other shoots where I'm not reading off of a script at all and I'm just talking
10:03to the camera.
10:04And to be completely honest, I know it's scarier when you're off script and you're just talking,
10:09but you're way more present with what you're saying.
10:11Because you just feel like you're having a conversation with a friend.
10:14And it's a lot easier to speak your mind and to sound natural when you're not reading a script
10:19versus when you are reading a script and you're trying to make it sound a certain way and it just
10:23doesn't come out sounding like you.
10:25YouTube wants to hear you!
10:27So use your real voice and be yourself.
10:30Alright, there is no chance I can wear these boots home.
10:34So I'm changing out of them and I'm going to put out my tins.
10:44Okay.
10:45I'm ready to brave the storm.
10:58And we're out in the snow.
11:04Heading home in the slippery tundra.
11:07Now I'm going to get home safely so that I can live to see another vlog.
11:13See you guys later.
11:15Bye.