Michael Stevens | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||||||||||||
Born | Michael David Stevens January 23, 1986 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S. | ||||||||||||
Education | Blue Valley High School University of Chicago (BA) | ||||||||||||
Occupation | YouTuber | ||||||||||||
Spouse | Marnie Duncan (m. 2016) | ||||||||||||
Children | 1 | ||||||||||||
YouTube information | |||||||||||||
Channel | |||||||||||||
Years active | 2007–present | ||||||||||||
Genres |
| ||||||||||||
Subscribers | 21.7 million [2] | ||||||||||||
Total views | 4.04 billion [2] | ||||||||||||
Associated acts | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Last updated: May 17, 2024 |
Michael David Stevens (born January 23, 1986) [6] is an American educator, public speaker, entertainer, and editor best known for creating and hosting the education YouTube channel Vsauce . His channel initially released video game-related content until the popularity of his educational series DOT saw discussions of general interest become the focus of Vsauce, [7] encompassing explanations of science, philosophy, culture, and illusion. [8]
As the host of Vsauce, Stevens has become one of the most successful YouTubers (with over 21 million subscribers and over 4.0 billion views), as well as a leading figure in the internet-driven popularization of science and education. [9] [10] In 2017, he created and starred in the YouTube Premium series Mind Field , [11] and presented the nationwide educational stage tour Brain Candy Live! alongside Adam Savage. [12]
Stevens was born on January 23, 1986, [6] in Kansas City, Missouri. His mother worked as a teaching assistant, while his father was a chemical engineer. The family relocated to Stilwell, Kansas, in 1991. Stevens graduated from Blue Valley High School, where he developed a comedic personality, as well as a passion for knowledge, participating in informative speech and drama club programs. [7] He then graduated from the University of Chicago with a bachelor's degree in psychology and English literature. [13] As an undergraduate, Stevens became interested in video editing, having viewed a re-cut trailer of The Shining . [14] [15]
Under the username pooplicker888, Stevens edited and produced his first video content on YouTube in 2007, with some of his clips being featured by CollegeHumor and Funny or Die. [16] In the same year, as the user CamPain 2008, he began using superimposition and dubbing to produce short comedic films about candidates in the 2008 United States presidential election. [17]
Stevens' online content attracted the interest of Ben Relles, who invited him to become a member of the online comedy group then known as Barely Political. Having moved to New York City in 2008, gaining employment with both Barely Political and Next New Networks, Stevens acted alongside comedians such as Mark Douglas, Todd Womack, Andrea Feczko, and Amber Lee Ettinger, becoming well known for his role as a bearded nun. [18] He also edited content for the channel and directed a music video parodying Owl City for Douglas' popular The Key of Awesome series. [7] [19]
Stevens launched the Vsauce channel in 2010. [21] Initially, it featured many contributors, with a heavy focus on video game culture. Several distinct series emerged, many of which were hosted by Stevens, including V-LIST (video game-related lists), IMG (featuring viral images), D. O. N. G. (Do Online Now, Guys, showcasing various online games and tools) and LÜT (showing nerdy and interesting products available online). He developed a catchphrase by introducing his videos with "Hey, Vsauce. Michael here", and ending his videos with "...and as always, thanks for watching". [18]
However, it was Stevens' educational content that attracted the most attention. He says he was inspired to create scientific videos by Paul Zaloom's work on Beakman's World. [22] Stevens realized that his most popular content tended to incorporate more serious real-world concepts, often exhibiting interdisciplinarity. Notable examples include: "What is the resolution of the eye?"; "What is the speed of dark?"; [23] "Why is your bottom in the middle?"; and "How much money is there in the world?" [24]
Later in 2010, Stevens launched two related channels, named Vsauce2 and Vsauce3, which eventually attained the sole hosts/producers Kevin Lieber and Jake Roper, respectively. By 2011–12, most content relating to internet and video game culture was delegated to these two channels, leaving the original Vsauce channel hosted and produced solely by Stevens, and devoted to educational discussion. Most videos are titled with a question, which Stevens answers or discusses at length, covering relevant tangents from any educational field that appeal to general interest. [7]
I don't want to just create things that are me reading a Wikipedia page, I want them to be a journey – a logic train that makes you go "Oh wow, where are we going today?"
— Michael Stevens, TenEighty Magazine, 2015 [17]
In 2012, the year after Next New Networks was acquired by Google, Stevens also began working as a content strategist for Google in London. His role focuses on Google's YouTube platform, including meeting with fellow content creators to optimize their videos' effectiveness. [7] [17]
Stevens became an accomplished public speaker. He presented two TED talks in 2013: "How much does a video weigh?" at the official TEDActive, [25] and "Why do we ask questions?" at TEDxVienna. [26] He has also spoken at events for Adweek, VidCon, [27] MIPTV Media Market, [28] the Edinburgh International Television Festival, [13] and for Novo Nordisk as a diabetes educator. [29] In 2015, he appeared at the YouTube Fan Fest in Toronto. [8] [30]
In October 2015, Stevens launched the D!NG YouTube channel, to feature content from the D!NG series formerly on Vsauce. [31]
Through his work with Vsauce, Stevens has collaborated with and appeared alongside prominent individuals within the scientific community. These include Bill Nye (on "Why did the chicken cross the road?"), [32] Derek Muller (on quantum randomness), [33] Jack Horner and Chris Pratt (on dinosaur studies and Jurassic World ), [34] and David Attenborough (in an interview about Planet Earth II ). [35]
In 2016, former MythBusters co-host Adam Savage stated that he would join Stevens on a stage tour in 2017. [36] Later in the year, Stevens published a video to Vsauce announcing that he and Savage will visit forty cities across the United States in early 2017 to present Brain Candy Live. The tour has been described as a live science-based stage show that is "between TED Talks and the Blue Man Group". [12] [37] A second United States tour was scheduled for March–May 2018. [38] However, due to scheduling problems, the tour was cancelled and has not been held since. It has never officially been stated whether it will ever return.
Stevens partnered with YouTube Red (now YouTube Premium) to create and host Mind Field , which premiered in January 2017 through YouTube's paid streaming service on the Vsauce channel (all episodes have since been made available for free to non-premium subscribers, however there is some bonus content that requires a subscription to watch). Each episode of the educational series explores a different aspect of human behavior, by hearing from and conducting experiments on Stevens and guests including Dominic Monaghan. [11] [39] Stevens said that he had "pitched Mind Field to many television networks and it [had been] rejected". [40]
In 2019, Stevens changed the name of the DONG channel to D!NG to avoid demonetization from YouTube's new policies on advertiser-friendliness. [41]
Stevens moved to London, England, in 2012. [7] In 2016, he married Marnie [42] and moved to Los Angeles. [43] Michael and Marnie had a daughter in August 2019. [44]
In his Field Day documentary, in which prominent filmmakers undertake a project of their choosing, Stevens decided to visit Whittier, Alaska, to investigate the uniqueness of the remote town. [45] [46]
Year | Title | Role |
---|---|---|
2009–2011 [7] [19] [47] | The Key of Awesome | Bearded Nun |
2010–present [13] | Vsauce | Himself |
2012 [48] | Dark Matters: Twisted But True | Himself |
2013 [49] | Asdfmovie6 | Guy Talking About Carrots |
2013 [50] | Head Squeeze | Himself |
2013 | America Declassified | Himself (as science journalist) |
2014 [51] | Super Brainy Zombies | Michael |
2014 [52] | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Himself |
2015 [53] | Jamie Oliver's Food Tube | Himself |
2016 [54] | BattleBots | Himself (as judge) |
2017–2019 [11] | Mind Field | Himself |
2020–present | Dad Feels | Computer Master |
Year | Award Show | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | RealPlayer Video Visionary Awards | Education | Vsauce | Won | [55] |
2014 | Webby Awards | People's Voice for News & Information (Channel) | Won | [56] | |
Streamy Awards | Science and Education | Won | [57] | ||
2015 | Science or Education | Won | [58] | ||
Editing | Michael Stevens and Guy Larsen ( Vsauce ) | Nominated | |||
Webby Awards | People's Voice for Science & Education (Channel) | Vsauce Channels | Won | [59] | |
2016 | Vsauce Networks | Won | [60] |
Adam Whitney Savage is an American special effects designer and fabricator, actor, educator, and television personality and producer, best known as the former co-host, with Jamie Hyneman, of the Discovery Channel television series MythBusters and Unchained Reaction. His model work has appeared in major films, including Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and The Matrix Reloaded. He hosts the TV program Savage Builds, which premiered on the Science Channel on June 14, 2019. He is most active on the platform Adam Savage's Tested, which includes a website and a YouTube channel.
Ryan Higa, also known as nigahiga, is an American internet personality. Best known for his comedy videos on YouTube, Higa began making YouTube videos in 2006 and was one of the most popular creators on the platform in its early years. His main YouTube channel, nigahiga, was the most subscribed channel on YouTube for 677 consecutive days from 2009 to 2011, an achievement that has only been surpassed by PewDiePie and T-Series. Higa was the first person to reach the milestones of 2 million and 3 million subscribers on YouTube. Higa launched a podcast in 2018 called Off the Pill, which has featured YouTubers and celebrities such as KevJumba, Andrew Yang, and Jeremy Lin. In 2020, Higa started streaming on Twitch, where he reacts to his past videos and broadcasts video game content, most notably in Valorant.
Mind Field is an American streaming television series produced exclusively for YouTube Premium, created and presented by Michael Stevens, the creator of the YouTube channel Vsauce. The format of the series is based heavily on that of Vsauce, with Stevens presenting documentary-style episodes which focus on aspects of human behavior, particularly the brain and the influences of consciousness. Every episode contains one or more experiments, in which either volunteers or Stevens himself participates, that relates to the topic of the episode. For example, in episode one, Stevens locks himself in an empty room for three days in order to investigate the effects of social isolation on the brain.
DeStorm Power is an American Internet personality, actor and rapper who began his career on YouTube.
Grace Anne Helbig is an American comedian, actress, and internet personality. She is the co-creator and co-host of the podcast This Might Get Weird (2018–present) alongside frequent collaborator Mamrie Hart and is the voice of Cindy Bear in the Max animated series Jellystone! (2021–present).
Shay Carl Butler, known professionally as Shay Carl, is an American YouTube personality. He has three YouTube channels, two of which have over three million subscribers. Butler and Corey Vidal developed a documentary called Vlogumentary on a $200,000+ budget that was funded with an Indiegogo campaign and raised by mostly from his viewers. Vlogumentary was released on April 20, 2016. Forbes called Butler one of the "most successful video entrepreneurs on YouTube" and in 2011 The New York Times featured Butler's production company Maker Studios.
SourceFed was a YouTube channel and news website created by Philip DeFranco in January 2012 as part of YouTube's original channel initiative, and was originally produced by James Haffner.
React Media, LLC is an American reacting, digital media and entertainment company founded by brothers Benny Fine and Rafi Fine, creators and media entrepreneurs. React Media produces the React video series, their several timed-spoiler series, narrative web series, and created a "transmedia" sitcom on YouTube, MyMusic.
The Philip DeFranco Show, often abbreviated and referred to as the PDS, is a pop culture and news series created by American YouTube personality, Philip DeFranco, and his main claim to fame. The show has gone through several schedule changes through its lifetime, but as of 2023, airs weekly, Monday through Thursday. The first video with The Philip DeFranco Show included in its intro was uploaded on June 21, 2007. As DeFranco became increasingly popular, he signed with Revision3, which would eventually acquire all of DeFranco's assets, including the PDS. The Philip DeFranco Show has been sponsored by Netflix, Ting, and State Farm. The show has been nominated for and has won several awards that focus on internet culture and web series. In 2017, DeFranco purchased his assets back from Group Nine and the Philip DeFranco Show is now a part of the Philip DeFranco Network and produced by Rogue Rocket, DeFranco's production company.
Vsauce is a YouTube brand created by educator Michael Stevens. The channels feature videos on scientific, psychological, mathematical, and philosophical topics, as well as gaming, technology, popular culture, and other general interest subjects.
PrankvsPrank, also known as PvP, is a YouTube channel created by Jesse Michael Wellens and his then-girlfriend Jennifer "Jeana" Smith. In 2007, the two began to play pranks on each other and post videos of the pranks on websites, eventually forming a channel on YouTube. They became one of the most-watched channels. The channel has more than 1.8 billion video views and more than 10.2 million subscribers as of February 2017. After Wellens and Smith split in May 2016, Wellens became the sole user of the channel.
Mark Edward Fischbach, known online as Markiplier, is an American YouTuber, actor and filmmaker. He mainly uploads Let's Plays and is known for his videos of indie horror games. After joining YouTube in 2012, Fischbach became popular on the platform with Let's Plays of Amnesia: The Dark Descent (2010) and the Five Nights at Freddy's series. As of March 2024, his channel has over 36 million subscribers.
Jacob Alexander Roper is an American Internet celebrity primarily known for hosting the Vsauce3 YouTube channel, which is part of the YouTube channel brand Vsauce.
Joseph Garrett, better known as Stampylonghead, Stampylongnose, Stampy Cat, or simply Stampy, is an English YouTuber, actor and author best known for his Minecraft video game commentaries as the character of Stampy Cat. He is well-known for his child-friendly demeanour and incorporating storytelling and education into the Let's Play format. In 2014, he was one of the ten most-watched YouTube channels in the world.
Flula Borg, often known simply as Flula, is a German actor, comedian, and musician. Borg's acting career includes roles in feature films, including Pitch Perfect 2 and The Suicide Squad, as well as in a number of television shows, including Curb Your Enthusiasm,The Good Place, Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin, and The Rookie. He has made multiple appearances on Conan and has participated in a number of other collaborations with Conan O'Brien.
React is a media franchise created and owned by React Media, LLC, consisting of several online series centering on a group of individuals reacting to viral videos, trends, video games, film trailers, or music videos.
The Try Guys is an American online entertainment group and media production company that produces content for their YouTube channel. The group was founded by Keith Habersberger, Ned Fulmer, Zach Kornfeld, and Eugene Lee Yang. The Try Guys are known for testing a wide range of activities, such as testing their sperm count, raising toddlers, shaving their legs, and wearing women's underwear. The four men created The Try Guys while working for BuzzFeed before forming their own company, 2nd Try LLC, in 2018. They have since expanded their company to include more than twenty employees, starred in a Food Network show titled No Recipe Road Trip, and released a book titled The Hidden Power of F*cking Up.
Hot Ones is an American YouTube talk show, created by Chris Schonberger, hosted by Sean Evans and produced by First We Feast and Complex Media. Its basic premise involves celebrities being interviewed by Evans over a platter of increasingly spicy chicken wings. Several spin-offs have been produced, including the game show Hot Ones: The Game Show on the cable television network TruTV, and Truth or Dab, a truth or dare style competition that also airs on the First We Feast YouTube channel.
Sugar Pine 7 is an American production company and comedy troupe. The company was founded in 2017 by Steven Suptic, Clayton "Cib" James, and James DeAngelis; together, they operate a YouTube channel initially based on a vlog series created by Suptic. The channel hosted a mockumentary web series called Alternative Lifestyle, in which the three men play exaggerated versions of themselves.
The popular American video sharing platform YouTube has become widely used in educational settings.
I've moved to LA! There's still a lot to do before I'm totally 'moved', but I'm already holding brains, hanging out with @jakerawr, AND ready to film my next ep!
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)