Welcome to YouTube Millionaires, where we profile channels that have recently crossed the one million subscriber mark. There are channels crossing this threshold every week, and each has a story to tell about YouTube success. Read previous installments of YouTube Millionaires here.
This installment of YouTube Millionaires is brought to you by Epoxy. 
The world of Minecraft is expansive, particularly on YouTube, and within that world, Gizzy14Gazza has found a way to express himself. The British gamer, who is partnered with Machinima, has attracted more than one million subscribers to his YouTube channel, and his “roleplay” videos, which bring a cinematic quality to the Minecraft gameplay experience, are among his most popular offerings. Here is a deeper look at Gizzy14Gazza’s world, in his own words:
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Tubefilter: How does it feel to have one million subscribers? What do you have to say to your fans?
Gizzy14Gazza: I thought it would feel differently hitting one million subscribers but it feels the same as when I hit 100,000 subscribers. It’s still cool to say I have one million subscribers though. Nevertheless, I’m forever grateful for those who have clicked, subscribed, and shared my content..
TF: Where does your username come from?
GG: When I was “14” my dog was called “Gizzy” and my nickname was “Gazza”. But now I’m 23, my dog passed away and no one calls me Gazza anymore… Life works in many ways!
TF: Out of all the gaming channels on YouTube, what do you feel makes yours distinct?
GG: I enjoy making up stories and using Minecraft as a tool to do that. Minecraft is one of the best sandbox games to create anything you want, so beyond playing awesome custom maps and mods, I like to create my own stories. If that, along with my personality, makes my channel stand out, then yay!
TF: Do you have any theatrical experience that assists you with your “roleplay” videos? If not, what experiences do you draw from when making those videos?
GG: As a matter of fact, I do! I studied Television and Video Production at Southampton Solent University (UK) for three years, and studied TV and Film studies for two years at a local college in Wiltshire (UK). Before that, I studied Drama and Media Studios at my school and they were the only subjects I actually cared about (along with creative writing. I just like taking an idea and turning it into a finished project.
TF: You describe your channel as “kid-friendly.” Why is that distinction important to you?
GG: I find it weird when people who upload Minecraft are NOT child friendly. I’ve developed an young audience that watches my Minecraft videos, so you won’t see me suddenly upload an 18+ game on the channel. Not only will it push my audience away, but no one will even click the video. It’s better to stick to child friendly related games.
TF: Do brand deals ever factor into your videos, and if so, how do you separate worthwhile ones from all the others?
GG: I do a lot of brand deals but I hate to make it “obvious”. I like doing deals that appeal to my channel. If a child friendly game sponsored me to promote it, I can do that. If I was offered to promote an app or a game that has lots of blood, gore, or violence, then I would turn it down straight away. I do a lot of sponsored stuff on my Twitter and Instagram (@gizzy14gazza) but most of the time I turn them down because they don’t suit my channel. I’m not in it for the money, so I’m not going to change my channel around to fit a brand deal just for a quick buck. My favourite deals are the ones that let me travel the world. I love traveling!
TF: What is the creative process behind your animations, and how long do those videos take to complete?
GG: I actually don’t make my own animations! It’s a talent I wish I had. I either hire people to turn funny moments from a video into an animation, or I ask a cartoonist to make a cartoon animation from my scripts. I pay each animator accordingly. The funny moments animations take around 1-3 weeks to make. The cartoons take around 3-6 weeks.
TF: Aside from Minecraft, what other games do you enjoy playing?
GG: I honestly don’t really play games that much! In my spare time I would rather watch TV or write up some stories. There are a few games I do enjoy such as Garry’s Mod, Five Nights At Freddy’s, To The Moon (love that game, beautiful story), Fallout 4, and the first game series I ever loved: Crash Bandicoot. I wish NaughtyDog would do another one.
TF: What’s next for your channel? Any fun plans?
GG: I am in process of writing my own book! I have a series called The Altered Adventure, about my character being forced out of my own world and put in an altered world to save it. I must choose to either save the world and live there forever, or return home and let that world die. It’s originally a Minecraft roleplay but I have re-written it into a fictional story that isn’t Minecraft-related. Should be released this year! (2016).
I’m also in process of getting a visa which (hopefully) I will get and then I can permanently move to LA!
For my other plans, you’ll just have to subscribe to find out yourself 😉 Thanks!
On Deck (channels that will soon reach one million subscribers): DramaFever, Drama Alert, Mauro Nakada
This installment of YouTube Millionaires is brought to you by Epoxy, the premier company that helps multi-platform creators and digital networks distribute videos, engage with fans, measure success, and grow their communities across the social web. Check out Epoxy’s new Sharing Studio, a place for quickly creating and distributing native social content from your YouTube channels.
