Who would have thought that you would be able to learn so much about science in a fun and comprehensive way on YouTube? With around 9.5 million subscribers, the YouTube channel AsapSCIENCE creates science videos that make sense.
What kinds of videos does AsapSCIENCE create?
Created by Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown, they cover various science topics, categorizing their YouTube Channel with playlists such as Science Songs and Optimizing your Brain. Their most popular uploaded video—with over 60 million views—answers the question, “Do you hear “Yanny” or “Laurel”? (Solved with science).”
The videos are usually around 5-6 minutes and they attempt to answer a question with scientific knowledge without going into confusing terminology. They keep it fun and straightforward, so anyone who thinks science is boring can find how awesome it is. Like most successful YouTubers, Mitchell and Gregory started their channel because they are passionate about a topic—science. They wanted to share their expertise and passion with the world in a unique and entertaining format.
What makes AsapSCIENCE videos good?
The way AsapSCIENCE structure their videos follows a five-step process:
1) Figure out an idea
They find their topics from books, breakthrough articles published on the web, or their audience questions on their social networks.
2) Do research
Before creating the script, they do scientific research from online peer-reviewed journals and articles.
3) Record and draw using whiteboard and markers
This style is what makes AsapSCIENCE videos unique. After they have their script, they make drawings—cartoony and simplistic visuals—on a whiteboard with markers to explain the scientific concepts they are talking about. They point a camera down at a whiteboard and draw. In some of their videos, Mitchell and Gregory appear in the camera. However, the whiteboard drawings are their trademark.
4) Record the voice over
After making the script and drawings, they follow up by recording the voice over for the videos. They record the audio separately because it is more convenient matching the video footage with the recorded audio in editing.
5) Edit the video and add music
Once they have the footage and the voice-over, they put it together in editing and add original music to it.
The video structure is simple to produce, and the result is quite a unique and well-made production. The videos are always entertaining, allowing the audience to learn something they most likely didn’t know about science. They also have a healthy discussion in the video comments and have a significant following on other social networks.
What do they do well?
The simple answer is they love science, and they are genuinely passionate about educating their audience. The video quality is excellent, covering trending topics and remaining consistent with their uploads. They are also very creative, always coming up with new ways to get their message out, such as their science songs and adding motion graphic animations. They also made a video featuring Bill Nye, the Science Guy.
They keep their original goal the same — to share their passion for science with the world. With nearly 10 million subscribers, they have made quite an impact on YouTube.
How do they make money?
Mitchell and Gregory work on their YouTube channel full time, and they make an income with generic preroll ads that pay based on the percentage of views they get. They also partner with companies like GE and the Bill Gates Foundation, who sponsor their videos. In 2015, they wrote a book titled “AsapSCIENCE. Answer the World’s Weirdest Questions, Most Persistent Rumors, and Unexplained Phenomena.” This book became a New York Times bestseller, which sold over 100,000 copies. The revenue they make allowed them to expand their YouTube business and assemble a team of six people, including a researcher, illustrator, editor and digital manager.
Representing the LGBTQ+ community
Mitchell and Gregory are a gay couple and are quite familiar with negative comments and prejudice by people who disagree with their way of life. However, they proudly represent who they are to the world and keep sharing their message with compassion and charisma. They’re great role models for the LGBTQ+ community, and they don’t shy away from discussing necessary topics, even if it makes their audience uncomfortable or angry. They are educators and a loving couple that want to inspire the world to become a better place. They talk more about these topics in their podcast “Sidenote.”
Share your passions with the world
If you have a passion for something, don’t be afraid to share it with the world. Look for inspiration from the guys from AsapSCIENCE and go for it.