Interviews - Hey-AI!

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Interview with Cocoaandme, youtube comedian.

Today we proudly present an interview with Cocoaandme, one of youtubes finest in our humble opinion. We've inserted some of his best videos into the interview, so please check him out!

What's the reason you started your channel?

I originally started my channel after writing a web series that I was going to produce with some friends I made in an acting class but the project fell through so I decided to just start vlogging to get comfortable with the camera.

How do you get the ideas for your videos?

Mostly I get my ideas from my viewers who send me questions that they want me to answer. Sometimes I get my ideas from things I randomly think about.

Would you one day like to become a professional comedian and live off of it?

Haha, I would love to become a professional comedian and I am trying to do so right now. I have been taking some improve classes and trying to form a group to perform some comedy (which is part of the reason why I haven’t been making videos).

Click here to open "From "Greekfreak" to CocoaAndMe" in a new Tab

I'm wondering, what is the gender and ethnicity distribution among your subscribers?

I actually checked it somewhat recently when I found out that youtube offers those statistics. It seems it is an even split between male and female viewers. As for ethnicity I can’t say for sure but the countries that I am most popular in are America and Canada

A lot of the themes of your videos deal with ethnicity (Asian people vs. White people, Black people etc.) Do you feel a responsibility to represent Asian Americans and set some prejudices straight? Or is it because a lot of your subscribers ask you to talk about these issues?

To be honest I feel that the issues I tackle in my videos are way too complex and controversial to really accomplish anything in a short video so usually I just try to point out ironic ideas pertaining to stereotypes.

(linked video no longer available :-( )

In contrast to many youtubers, who seem to be making a fashion out of cutting every half second, there are hardly any cuts in your videos. Any special reason behind this? How do you manage to talk consistently for 10 minutes straight? (Do you have a script, or some ideas set out before you start talking?)

Haha, well really I first started out like this because I didn’t have any good editing software but also because I tend not to like videos with lots of cuts. I think young people like it because it’s “exciting” but to me it’s just distracting. So I made the choice to keep long cuts to make editing easier and to have a video that was less frantic. As for talking consistently for 10 minutes, I do not have a script but I have a list of ideas that I know I want to cover. In high school I was trained to be able to makes speeches off the top of my head so I guess that helps.

In your opinion, what kind of character does it take to be a vlogger on youtube?

I think anyone can be a vlogger but I am guessing you are asking what it takes to be a popular vlogger. Most of it is just marketing (using sexy screenshots, replying to big videos, have fancy editing) but also a good vlogger should be able to express their feelings well.

What kind of haters do you get, and what do you think of them?

Haha, I get all kinds of haters but all of them seem to be anonymous. I don’t think much of haters and I think that they keep themselves anonymous for a reason. Most of them are just people who hate themselves so much that they find joy in hating other people as well.

You seem to be getting a lot of dating advice questions from girls who are into Asian guys. What are the most frequently asked questions? What problems do these girls seem to have approaching Asian guys?

Most frequently asked questions pertain to race. A lot of black and Hispanic girls ask me if Asian guys like them. They seem to feel a lot of pressure from racism and believe that they are not attractive or that no one considers them to be so they are too shy to go and talk to the guys they like.

(linked videos no longer available :-( )

This video has also the most views, and the most comments. (A lot of people don’t get the sarcasm.) Did it teach you anything interesting about the youtube community?

Haha yeah hmm. I guess it taught me that more girls are into asian guys that I though. I always see comments from girls on that video who say they like asian guys.

Thank you for the interview!

Details: Category: Interviews; Last Updated: 08 December 2017; Hits: 18697

Interviews with male Asian or female Non-Asian artists

Details: Category: Interviews; Last Updated: 27 November 2017; Hits: 28870

Interview with Lanapoint, producer and director of the music video "Anata"

Click here to watch "Anata" in a new Tab

Lanapoint, the producer of the music video “Anata”, found time to give Hey-Ai an interview and explain about her video. Thanks a lot, Lanapoint!

Lanapoint: I hope you like the video =)

What inspired you to create this music video?

Lanapoint: While in Tokyo, I met a Japanese band and was listening to one of their songs. I was inspired by the story that their melody unfolded. As I continued to listen, all these visual ideas came to me and I figured it would be a good experience for me to shoot a Japanese music video in Japan.

How did you manage to make the girl disappear out of the photos?

L.: To create the disappearing effect I had to organize all my ideas in advance. I could then use them in my storyboard when I knew where I wanted to fade her out ….. (Secret) … a little hint: just don’t move!!!

How did you achieve the ray of light from the window when the guy receives the text message on his cell phone?

The light was created using a composition in Final Cut and After Effects Lightning. There was also a light setting in the background on the balcony.

Is there any reason why you chose a Caucasian female as the guy’s partner?

I think it’s quite simple. I felt it would be harder to explain why the guy was so sad if it were just an Asian guy and an Asian girl or a European guy and a European girl. These days, just seeing a plane flying doesn’t mean the person is too far away. We can just fly within our countries. By presenting an interracial couple, we can convey a stronger message to show that they are not simply just apart, but they could be across the world from each other.

When the two musicians start singing, it is daytime, but by the end of the video, it is night. Is there any significance to this?

That means the story has finished and a new day has come. At the end, the future is shown as a new start in the morning.

Is there a special reason why you chose the place where the musicians are standing (on the bridge, surrounded by high-rises)?

The Tokyo Gakuen Tower is a well-recognised landmark in Shinjuku. I wanted to show the artists as storytellers who could see everything looking down from above. Hence, I chose a high bridge in a quiet place.

Is there a significance to the order in which the pictures disappear?

The pictures showed the first moments they fell in love, when they lived together and when they got engaged. The disappearing pictures are adapted to the lyrics of the song.

You’ve spent some time in Japan. How did you imagine the country before you arrived? What did you think of it when the year was over? Would you go again?

I spent 2 years in Japan. The first year I was an exchange student in Hiroshima and studied animation and the following year I lived in Tokyo and did my internship at a media company.

I really like Japan and didn’t feel like leaving. I’ll try to go back as soon as possible.

Did you experience a so-called “culture-shock” in Japan? If yes, describe it.

The people didn’t express how they felt. It was hard for me to realize what people wanted or didn’t want because they have their own rules on what they show. THEY NEVER SAY!

Is there one thing you didn’t understand about Japan?

I still don’t understand why Host Clubs and Pachinko are so popular.

I understand you worked as a model in Japan. What was your experience like?

I just went to an agency in Tokyo. They always have a need for blonde foreigners. I could also get some EXTRA jobs in movies or commercials. I also met some people on the streets and had funny creative photo shoots there.

Recently there are many girls who want to spend a year in Japan, or even live there. Do you have any advice for them?

Think really hard about it and why you want to go to Japan!! I didn’t go to Japan because of Anime or Cosplay. Actually the Japanese are a bit annoyed by those kind of tourists.

But if you are friendly and try to get to know the people (don’t be shy) you will meet some great characters there.

Why do you think has Japan become the most “fashionable” Asian country?

Japan is the “TRY OUT” country and therefore they are not afraid of new fashion.

And one question that surely interests our readers: Who is the guy in the video? ;-)

He’s not my boyfriend and he is still single… I think! ^_^)/

Did you like the video?

Sadly, www.lanapoint.com is no longer available.

Please subscribe to her youtube channel and recommend her to your friends, so that we can hear more cool stuff from her in the future =)

Liked Sugarbaby? Listen to another song here:

Click here to open "Pickles" in a new Tab

And see a cute short by Lanapoint showing a Japanese guy and a German girl exploring each others cultures:

Click here to open "Aufgeklappt" in a new Tab

Details: Category: Interviews; Last Updated: 08 December 2017; Hits: 27526