With more time spent at home, the culture of self-cooking has become much more popular, and cooking YouTubers are taking the spotlight more than ever. Among them, Yooxicman, who graduated from the Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU) Department of Fashion Design, has become a prominent YouTuber scoring over one million subscribers since he created his channel in 2019. The Sungkyun Times (SKT) will introduce his life story and how he earned such popularity.
Who Is Yooxicman?
Q1. Please introduce yourself.
Hello, I am YouTuber Yooxicman. I entered SKKU with the Department of Fashion Design in 2005 and graduated in 2012. From 2012 to last year, for ten years and seven months, I worked for a large distribution company and also ran a YouTube channel Yooxicman for four years. After my channel grew, I left the company and am now a full-time YouTuber.
Q2. Can you briefly introduce your YouTube channel?
Yooxicman is a channel for meat lovers. There are two main characteristics of my channel. First, the fact that I focus solely on meat dishes not only narrows the genre of my channel, but also captivates viewers and piques their interest. Another point is that I am an amateur cook, while most cooking channels are from professional chefs. My channel has the concept of cooking in an ordinary home kitchen, which is probably why people feel friendly with my videos.
Q3. What motivated you to start a YouTube channel?
While working for the company, I went on a business trip to San Francisco. Before the trip, I suddenly realized I needed a more reliable camera that did not easily shake, so I purchased an action camera from a duty-free store at the airport. After a few days in San Francisco, I had to give a presentation. But to my surprise, the presentation was canceled due to a fire incident, which unexpectedly granted me a free day. I spent most of the time lying down in the park with my colleagues, engaging in deep conversations. Later, I visited the Golden Gate Bridge with my wife, who was also my co-worker back then. This experience turned out to be one of the happiest moments of my life. To share these memories, I learned video editing and started uploading videos on YouTube. When I realized that 15,000 people watched my video, I decided to upload videos on YouTube regularly.
Q4. Has your experience majoring in Fashion Design at SKKU influenced your current work on YouTube?
Majoring in Fashion Design and running a YouTube channel are strongly related. While majoring in Fashion Design, I developed an aesthetic sense that appears in various parts of my videos, such as thumbnails, plating, and composition. Additionally, submitting school assignments through portfolios made me more comfortable using Photoshop, which helped me learn video editing skills faster than others. These careful details and editing skills have contributed to the growth of my YouTube channel.
YouTuber of One Million Subscribers, Yooxicman
Q5. Is there a specific reason why you focus solely on meat dishes?
When I started my YouTube channel, I approached it as a business. I spent a lot of time watching various videos, including foreign YouTube channels. I realized that cooking videos got high views, especially those featuring meat dishes. I also noticed that only a few Korean channels were dedicated to meat-related content then and that creating a channel primarily focused on meat dishes would be a perfect fit. That’s when the channel’s identity and name naturally took shape.
Q6. What do you think is the secret behind captivating viewers and making them love your Youtube Channel?
I create YouTube videos with utmost sincerity. While being inspired by 10 to 20 videos is possible, going beyond that requires numerous data research and repetitive processes. Hence, I believe people appreciate the genuineness of my content. I always strive to make it comfortable for viewers, even if it means stepping out of my comfort zone. Some creators may think that the best content is what is easiest for them, but I always put myself in the viewers’ shoes. By paying attention to even the most minor details, I try to make people enjoy my videos. I think that is the reason why people love my channel.
Q7. The narration and editing are also charms of your videos. Can you describe the process of making a video in detail?
First, it takes a lot of time to choose a menu. Even if I find a simple recipe, the ingredients should be available in South Korea. Also, it takes time to find the lowest price, which I always mention in the intro of my videos. After filming a scene, I repeat the process of cleaning the surroundings and cooking utensils to ensure a hygienic shooting environment for myself and the viewers. Since I work without a cameraperson, this process takes longer. Then, I record a narration to give viewers the complete story of the video. To immerse them in my experience, I share the reasons behind cooking the dish and making the video, adding engaging details. Editing used to be done by myself, but now I have a production director (PD) who helps me with the narration. Then I edit that video myself. Once the video is ready after this lengthy process, I share it with my acquaintances for feedback before finally uploading it to the channel.
Q8. The timely background music (BGM) has also contributed to the channel's fame. How do you select your BGM?
I use a website called Artlist, which solves copyright issues. I listen to the songs for a month and sort them out in folders in advance. For example, the folders are divided into different moods such as upbeat music. As the songs are separated by mood, I am able to easily select the music suitable for the video. It takes an even longer time when I have a video I genuinely like, as I have to add a perfect BGM that fits that video.
Q9. What is the most memorable video for you?
The most memorable video I took was the one about Kaymak in Türkiye. It was a challenge because it differed from my previous videos, as it introduced a non-meat dish for the first time. Additionally, it was a food trip video, a departure from my usual content. Many people enjoyed the video, although I did not feature meat dishes. This experience showed me the potential for new content, so nowadays, I regularly film food trip videos. Despite facing new challenges, the video turned out to be a success and has become my most memorable video.
Q10. Is there any content that you would like to create, away from the channel's identity?
Since I value having fun, recently, I have been wanting to try something similar to the creator Needmorecash. Some may think this is unexpected, since my channel and Needomorecash are in different fields. They film hilarious videos in a serious tone, which makes it so much funnier. I adore their unique sense of humor. Also, their videos’ BGM is so addictive that I listen to it in my everyday life. Thus, if I shoot a video regardless of my channel’s identity, I want to create videos like Needmorecash.
The Future of Yooxicman and Dear Kingos
Q11. What are your future goals for your YouTube Channel?
When I upload a YouTube video, the 10 most recent uploads are ranked simultaneously. My main goal is to avoid creating videos that might be rated as number eight, nine, or ten. I still experience some anxiety, but it drives me to upload a new video, striving to make each one better than the last. It is like honing a craft, always seeking to refine my content.
Q12. If you cover all the meat dishes, will the Yooxicman channel come to an end?
There will likely be an end if I deal with all meat dishes. If that day arrives, I would like to finish the channel by uploading a finale video. However, even if I cease work as a YouTuber and become a semi-broadcaster, I would want to maintain a channel that brings enjoyment to many people without necessarily concluding it.
Q13. Is there anything you would like to tell Kingos who dream of becoming content creators?
Content creators are often more personal than you might imagine. While doing this job, I met various content creators and was pleasantly surprised to find out that their real-life image was the same as the impressions they give in their videos. To receive love from viewers, I believe creators need to take a careful look at themselves. If they maximize the genuine, bright side of their personality, they will be able to get a good response from people.