Louis Moon | Contributor
Featured image: SadTurnips focuses on the life of Arvil Revesencio as a York student and a Don at Stong Residence. | Courtesy of Arvil Revesencio
Vlogging—the medium that continues to provide a voice for those who otherwise wouldn’t have one—continues to grow in popularity.
Every social media site contains some sort of advertisement done by a vlogger. Even York students have dipped a toe into the YouTube pool, becoming vloggers themselves and creating content that could relate to thousands of people around the world.
Many Yorkies have heard of York alumna and vlogger, Superwoman, but now we have a new up-and-coming vlogger: Arvil Revesencio.
Revesencio is a second-year Kinesiology student who regularly uploads content on his YouTube channel, SadTurnips, which focuses primarily on his daily life as a York student and a Don for Stong Residence.
“I have always loved watching YouTube videos; I enjoy the idea of creating something and watching it after production. The first thing that got me thinking about making my own YouTube channel was when Casey Neistat said: ‘Nowadays, everyone can be a filmmaker—just use your phone’,” Revesencio explains.
“From that moment onwards, I found myself joking about making an account, or suggesting that other people should make their own channel—when in reality, I was talking to myself,” Revesencio says.
“Then, an opportunity presented itself this past summer, when I went on vacation to Hawaii. I thought it would be fun to film every day. With my MacBook air, iMovie, and my iPhone, I filmed and edited for the first time—it was the most fun I’ve ever had!”
After sharing his trip with his family and gaining positive feedback, he was hooked.
Revesencio touches on how his school life affects his channel. “I would love to upload daily, but school and homework takes precedence, so having a minimum of one to two videos a week is where I’m at right now,” he says.
Balancing school and releasing regular content is not an easy task, and is certainly a dedication. He notes that, for him, it takes about five to six hours in total to edit and complete a video.
He shares the benefits of being at York, as well. Being a student and part of the campus’ residence life, he never quite runs out of material for his channel.
Whether it be hanging out with “residents, friends, showing an event at residence, talking about an exam, going to class, meeting up with others to study, or simply getting food,” he always has something to share.
As SadTurnips is a York-oriented channel, people who watch his videos sometimes approach Revesencio on campus.
Once while he was getting food at York Lanes, a fan came up to him and complimented him on his channel. Moments like these are why Revesencio decided to start the channel, and he is thankful that he has been able to connect with people through something that started for fun.
“2017 was the year of stickers, Post-It notes, Instagram, and talking to people who are curious when I’m out and about vlogging. For the stickers, I was fortunately granted permission to distribute my stickers throughout the Stong and Calumet Residences,” he says.
“In terms of the Post-It notes, I used multi-coloured posts to promote my channel on my window, like a billboard that can be seen from ground level. Lastly, talking to people interested in my equipment and the channel!”
Even though the growth of his channel excites him, he does not have a specific number of subscribers he hopes to acquire.
For Revesencio, SadTurnips exists first and foremost as a tool for him to capture fun and significant moments in his life.
“Sometimes, I just like watching my videos from the beginning and remembering the memories I’ve made. It’s like a movie photo album,” he says.
For future York vloggers who doubt whether or not they should start their own channel, “do it. If you’re thinking about doing it, do it,” Revesencio says.
For him, it was Neistat, a renowned vlogger, who taught him that releasing a video shot with a cell phone is still a good place to start. Revesencio encourages potential filmmakers not worry too much about criticism, because every opinion is subjective.
“Experiencing is learning. Make a video now, and better videos will follow,” he adds.
He mentions the beauty of making videos is that you get to see yourself grow physically, and mentally, along with the quality of the videos themselves.
