AOL And Fullscreen’s ‘Follow Me’ Looks Inside YouTube Community

AOL On‘s new series has its focus on YouTube. The online video platform has released Follow Me, a 10-episode series that dives into the off-screen lives of popular YouTubers.

Follow Me is produced by Fullscreen, and all of the YouTubers featured in the series are partnered with Fullscreen’s multi-channel YouTube network. Each episode centers on a specific channel and goes inside the lives of the content creators who produce content for those channels. Up first is Brittani Louise Taylor, who invites Fullscreen’s camera into her home to document her as she shoots videos, files paperwork, fires off a strictly regimented number of social media updates, and completes all the other tasks required of a full-time YouTuber.

Since Fullscreen has a vested interest in making its creative partners look good, there’s definitely some bias in Follow Me, and the series has a generally positive vibe. At the same time, there are small snatches of emotional impact that make Follow Me more than just a series of fluff pieces. For instance, in the debut episode, Taylor reads a piece of fan mail from a fan who uses YouTube as a form of escapism from regular bullying. A powerful shot then shows similar fan mail spread out across Taylor’s floor, thus showing the many lives her videos have affected.

Follow Me‘s variety is key, too. The second episode features JC Caylen and Ricky Dillon of Our2ndLife, whose YouTube experience differs vastly from Taylor’s. Future episodes will diversify even more through a multi-cultural cross section of YouTube that includes 5secondfilms, Marquese Scott, and fouseyTUBE.

While new episodes will branch out across YouTube, the main message seems consistent. The strongest moment of the second episode is a moment where Dillon confronts a teary-eyed fan at VidCon, a scene that serves as an analogue to Taylor and her fan mail. The takeaway is clear: YouTube is a powerful, positive force, and Follow Me is worth following.