Creator's Corner Blog: Mememolly's journey to the anchor desk

Mememolly's journey to the anchor desk

Monday, April 5, 2010

We knew Molly, aka mememolly, way back when, when she was a student in Canada and helped us launch our site there in 2007. Now she's moved to the Big Apple and has a regular gig with Rocketboom as an on-air personality. Here she tells Creator's Corner about the transition from bedroom vlogger to pro anchor, and how she's come to get used to all that planning.

How did you catch the eye of Rocketboom?
The first time I spoke to Andrew Baron was in June 2009 when I received an email asking if I had any interest in being Rocketboom's anchor. I had started watching the show when Caitlin (thehill88) hosted it earlier in the year and was definitely interested.

I think what Rocketboom found attractive was how many places they could find me online. I maintain active accounts on a number of different social media sites in many media. Beyond YouTube and Twitter, I love Dailybooth, Lookbook, Last.fm and even gaming sites like Kongregate. I've been told that the video that got people's attention was one I made in 2008 called "The Internet."

What kinds of adjustments have you had to make, going from your own vlogging style to a more "formal" anchor role?
The first few videos I shot were pretty bad; I had absolutely no experience in actual production besides my high school's digital broadcasting class, where I read the morning announcements once a week.

When vlogging, you may only do one take and make everything up as you go along. Jump cuts are also very forgiving. Whereas when shooting a show with a script, you have to read accurately, from prompts or by memorizing the lines. It's harder than it seems.

I also had to adjust to the many levels of approval. I first present the video concept, then the script is approved. After that, we shoot the episode. Drafts of the video receive notes as it is being edited and then the final version is approved and published according to a schedule that we prepare weeks in advance.

I have never stuck to a schedule or style for my personal videos, but I'm used to the process at Rocketboom now and it helps to produce higher quality videos.

What do you do to prepare before you go "on air" for Rocketboom?
I drink a glass of water and put on translucent powder. I also make sure I haven't worn the same clothes in a recent video and sometimes Leah D'Emilio and I get all hopped up on sugar!

What advice would you give to other YouTube users who want to make a career in online video?
The best advice I could give is to develop your personality and to network. 'Networking' is really just a clinical term for 'making friends'. It can be pretty daunting to first approach people, but once you become involved in a community, you'll encounter more and more opportunities.

When opportunities present themselves, it's important to listen but also understand that you need to be comfortable and careful not to be taken advantage of in any way. I'm still getting acquainted with the industry side of online video, but the people aren't so different from the people I met early on.

Which meme that you've covered still blows your mind as unbelievably weird or fun?
I think my favorite Know Your Meme episodes are "Autotune" which guest-starred Weird Al Yankovic -- that was an exciting day in the office -- and "Om Nom Nom." Otherwise, I like the "Rollercoaster Chess," "Geddan" and "Sexually Oblivious Rhino" memes.

Tell people something they wouldn't know about yourself.
I was especially shy and logical when I was younger. I actually wanted to be an accountant. I started making videos when I was about 16 and it changed my perspective towards doing what I enjoyed and doing what I had decided was respectable.

I moved to Ottawa, Canada, where I was encouraged to try creative things in an academic environment. In the last year of high school, I took my first real art class and the following year, I ended up attending the Emily Carr University of Art and Design on a scholarship.

Somewhere between finishing a year in Vancouver and today, I moved to New York to work for Rocketboom. I've been incredibly lucky to have so many opportunities, and I'm extremely grateful to everyone who's had a hand in that.