STACK #169 Nov 2018

GAMES

NEWS

LounaTuna's Top 3 content creators: Goobers515 Shane Dawson Liza Koshy

us back. I do think Australia has become way better at embracing content creators – not sure about livestreaming just yet (unless you're operating within the right circles). When I started out on YouTube I was laughed at by peers. People didn't understand why I was doing

or you're going to burn out and/or get bored. Also, try to find a community of creators that you can be part of. I can't tell you how much you will need other people to bounce off, to share success and ponder failures with, to collaborate with and to just feel like you're part of something. The majority of my friends are people I've met via attending Twitch or YouTube meet-ups and it's the actual best. What’s the best thing to have come out of your career as a content creator? So many things! Multiple all- expense-paid trips overseas for travel companies, opportunities to work with and appear on Australian TV shows, sponsorship from huge brands (Disney being my ultimate achievement), being sent amazing products that I would otherwise never treat myself to, having my EP fully funded by amazingly generous viewers! But all that is the more materialistic side of things. The actual best things to come from it are things like: friendships (aww), a supportive community of like- minded individuals, and endless laughter! If you weren’t doing this as a career, what do you think you would be doing? Can I say I'd be a mermaid at Disneyland? I'd probably go into music or acting more seriously? Why you gotta ask me the stuff that makes me question my life and existence?

We’re profiling some of Australia’s biggest content creators to see what really makes them tick. This month we spoke to LounaTuna!

it, and when I explained my passion, the part that always got them on board was "...and I make money from this." Now, people are at least familiar with the concept, and understand it. To speak to what it can do career wise: If a creator hasn't quite got to a point where they have figured out how to monetise what they're doing enough to generate a liveable income, then the experience obtained is also extremely

LounaTuna

When did you first start out making online content? I started out on YouTube posting music and comedy videos way back in 2006-7ish. (Wow I'm old!) I eventually made the switch to live streaming on Twitch in 2016. What got you into content creating in the first place? Initially, it was the desire to share the weird ideas inside my brain via visual format. (There's only so much of my dramatically re-enacting everyday life occurrences that my family could take.) Some of that still holds true to this day, however now I create content as a means of connecting with other humans. How has the scene changed since you first started? If we're talking YouTube, I'd say it's become a lot harder to establish an audience and create a community, mostly due to saturation of creators/content on the site. It's not impossible, obviously! If you can't adapt to the changes then you might find yourself running to another platform some 10 years

photos by Miguel Angeles

later... like someone I know *cough cough*. (It's me... the ship-jumper is me.) What do you think is the best part about being a content creator? For me it's definitely when an audience connects with what you've created. Whether that be laughing at your ridiculous humour, relating to your experiences, or even feeling something on a deeper level in reaction to your music or vlogs. It really validates you and makes your heart feel all squishy. Do you think Australia is behind in comparison with the rest of the world when it comes to recognising streaming/content creation as a viable career? Oh man, internet speeds here are a joke . They are definitely holding

valuable. I was hired at an amazing creative agency who handle content creation and social media for some of Australia's biggest brands, and I got that job based off my experience of being a YouTuber, content creator and social media addict. So that's something... right? What is some advice you’d give to anyone who wants to take up a career as a streamer or a content creator? You're not gonna start making videos and instantly have it be your career. It takes time. Unless you have something go viral, it's likely you're going to have to work at it constantly. I'd say make sure your content is something you're passionate about,

1 First game you ever played? The first game I ever played was Excitebike on the NES, back when things were all pixelated and two dimensional – you had to drive these little motorbikes over ramps and try to get to the front. It was really fun. 2 Last game you finished? I recently finished Detroit: Become Human . I really enjoyed it – beautiful game with beautiful storytelling. It was really engaging and I really felt the pressure of all the choices I had to make. 3 Favourite game of all time? Metal Gear Solid on PS1. That’s when I really got hooked on gaming and realised that games can tell stories and really go a lot deeper than a lot of other mediums. 4 Most underrated game of all time? I’m not sure about all time, but one I played recently with my little brothers was called Knack , which we all really enjoyed. It has martial arts style fighting and a little robot that you can increase and decrease in size. It’s a fun little platform/adventure game. 5 A game you wish you had worked on? Freedom Fighters . So much went into the game and it was really well received. It had such a great atmosphere and really good team-playing mechanics. It would’ve been really cool to work on that. Unfortunately, I hadn’t joined the team back then, so I guess I’ll just have to stick around and work on Hitman!

THEUNS SMIT Community team, IO Interactive

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