Have you heard of Dravyapara? Well, cycling enthusiast Vishnu Lal R just came up with a post in his vlog Kcyclopedia — Kerala’s Cycling Encyclopedia about this picturesque spot at Amboori on the outskirts of the city where he went for a cycling trip. Maintained with his friend Krishnamoorthy G V, the YouTube vlog aims at promoting the benefits of cycling.
“It may not be obvious in terms of page views or subscription numbers, but the influence goes beyond. If at least one person a day decides to go cycling after watching our vlogs, wouldn’t that be great?” asks Vishnu. He points out the “instant impact” of visuals over wordy text. “Visuals stay better in one’s mind. After all, it’s the age of Netflix and videos are a way of communication that’s growing more popular,” he adds.
Cycling vloggers Vishnu Lal R (left) and Krishnamoorthy G V
With videos becoming the zeitgeist, vloggers from the city, like Vishnu, are commanding a substantial viewership in the digital space, aided by the boom of social media. With content on diverse topics — from travel, food, tech, books, automobiles, agriculture and even law and finance – grabbing eyeballs, the trend of vlogging has caught on. Recently, TechnoparkToday, an online publication, organised a Trivandrum Vloggers’ Meet, bringing together video bloggers from and around the district at the lush green environs of Green Tsavorite in Varkala to help connect them for exchange of ideas, experiences and techniques of their craft.
“We had sent out invitations and 25 vloggers were selected depending on the quality and reach of their videos. The focus was on knowledge-sharing as each vlogger employs a different approach,” says Suryajith Kattappana, co-founder of TechnoparkToday.
It’s YouTube channel, launched six years ago and with close to 2,700 subscribers, chiefly chronicles lives of techies and life in the city. “Anything of interest to techies, be it lifestyle, food, hang-out spots or emerging trends, find space in the channel, apart from interviews with achievers,” says Suryajith.
Lifestyle, more specifically travel and food, seems to top in terms of popularity, with cinema too finding many takers. Lifestyle vlogger Kiran Deepu, whose YouTube vlog Nikkis Cafe has about 14,000 subscribers, says he essentially vlogs about “my interests and whatever I spend my time on.” A techie, Kiran started Nikkis Cafe four years ago while working in Chennai. Initially, he chronicled his life and travels in Tamil Nadu.
Kiran Deepu
“My first video was a documentary of sorts on AVM when the famous production house completed 70 years. Later, I did one on actor Ajith, which went viral. Now, I don’t restrict himself to any topics or categories,” he says. Kiran is happy to point out that his video review of the recent box-office hit Anjaam Pathiraa was shared by its lead star Kunchacko Boban on his Facebook page.
Anupriya Raj, who works with Doordarshan, is a travel junkie and her YouTube channel, Anu Vibes, captures her excitement off the beaten track. “I once made a travel video on a Munnar trip I undertook and that boosted my confidence to vlog more,” says Anupriya, who was part of the vloggers’ meet in Varkala.
Anupriya Raj
She then learnt to use home video-editing software Windows Filimora and Final Cut Pro for her posts. “When you travel, you may otherwise just see the sights or click photos. But vlogging helps me mingle with more people and ask more questions. It’s a good way to learn about the places,” she adds.
For vlogger couple Vishakh Babu and Amala Gopan, a visit to Langkawi in Malaysia after their wedding six months ago provided a launchpad for their channel, Travel Techies. Vishakh, a shutterbug, says their vlog is an amalgamation of his twin passions — travel and photography.
Start, camera, action (Clockwise from left) Couple vloggers Vishakh Babu and Amala Gopan; vloggers during the meet in Varkala; Kiran Deepu; Anjana Gopakumar; Anupriya Raj
“Travel comes as a break from work for us. But instead of simply going for a trip and forgetting the experience, we want to chronicle it. Such memories will be there on our channel, which we can revisit and re-live any time,” he explains. They also bring out videos on “general, useful” topics such as ‘All about FASTtag’ and ‘How tea is manufactured.’
From a young age, reading has been a passion for Smitha Jayakar. So much so that she started her YouTube channel, Reads & Roads Cafe, in 2017 to help others inculcate the habit.
Book vlogger Smitha Jayakar
“A good way to keep one’s interest going is by sharing your experiences with others. My vlogs are an extension of my hobby,” says the Kochi native who works for an IT firm in the city.
With the spurt in number of restaurants, the food culture in the city has witnessed a massive growth in the last few years and we have food vloggers unearthing new flavours and trends for gourmets. Like Anjana Gopakumar who regularly posts “mini videos” about her culinary experiences on her food blog ‘Thank God I am Fat.’
Food vlogger Anjana Gopakumar
While she focussed more on food reviews earlier, Anjana, who studied culinary arts at Manipal University, says she is now zeroing in on “telling stories about people” and their adventures involving food. “I like to explore the nuances of each cuisine. For example, if someone asks me for the difference between a dimsum and a dumpling, I’ll be happy to explain,” says Anjana, a member of the EAT — Eat at Trivandrum team. She is planning to launch her own dedicated YouTube channel soon.
As competition hots up in the “game for numbers” due to a cornucopia of material to choose from, for followers, quality and quantity too matters.
“The reach of vlogs is vast and unpredictable, thanks to multiple platforms for sharing. An interesting video can immediately go viral. Perhaps, today, more people are watching videos than reading text,” says Renjith Ramachandran, co-founder of TechnoparkToday, while stressing the importance of making the presentation and narrative attractive for more “hits.”
So, let’s vlog on to...
Published - January 17, 2020 02:03 pm IST
