Not too long ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing a talented woman who is continually making a name for herself and this shining star is ChristineDoesDrama. Her YouTube Channel consists of monologues, skits, and beauty videos and JUST reached over one million views! Recently, ChristineDoesDrama has been in overdrive with videos on topics hot off the press like Love & Hip Hop star Mendeecees Harris being sentenced to eight years in prison and Charlie Sheen revealing that he is HIV positive. Wow—Christine is always up to date on all of the drama in Hollywood and beyond!
Check out my interview with ChristineDoesDrama where she talks about her very first video on YouTube, what’s next for her, and more below.
1-Growing up, did you know that you wanted to pursue or have a career in the entertainment field?
Absolutely. The 90s were such an amazing time for children’s television. Shows like Moesha, Sister Sister, Taina, All That, Kenan & Kel….I could go on! Just inspired me so much, instead of going out and playing, I much preferred to be sitting on my living room floor on my stomach watching Sister Sister marathons! My mum calls me a telly addict, but really I was watching and soaking it all up. I wasn’t sure for what until I did my first play and played the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland aged nine, that I knew I loved the stage and acting and I studied drama all the way until university level. Everything about Hollywood fascinated me and I always had a magazine in my bag at school and knew “who was going out with who” and when the next big film was coming out.
2-Why did you decide to start posting videos on YouTube?
I was in a really terrible place. I was in a job that that l truly hated and has been battling panic attacks for a few years that had got really bad during that time. I was really lost. My friend came round one day and she was talking to me about Instagram. She told me how much she loved it and there was always the latest gossip posted on there and I should get an account. Of course the talk of celebrity gossip made me want to get an account! But I was unsure of what I was going to post because I wasn’t really having a popping social life. So somehow, I came up with the idea to make a YouTube account posting videos of me acting and talking about celebrity gossip and reviews. This way I could set up social media accounts to support my channel.
3-Describe the process of filming, editing, and posting your first video on YouTube?
Some people don’t realize but I film, edit and upload on my IPad Air. I don’t have a top of the range camera and I just recently bought studio lights. So everything is a work in process and eventually I will get an expensive camera but right now using iMovie on my iPad works fine and the quality is really good. You don’t need expensive equipment when you first get started as long as the quality is clear and you can be heard. Normally what happens is in the morning I will check Instagram and various gossip blogs and see what breaking news stories have broken over night. If something really big happens or something catches my interest I will find out everything I can about the story. I get pictures and videos to accompany the video. I don’t usually write a script, unless I’m doing a TV or movie review but I always have an opinion about my chosen subject matter and I try to make my celebrity gossip videos less than 5 minutes. My first video was of me acting and I did one of my favorite pieces from one of my favorite plays, Junk by Melvin Burgess.
4-What has been your favorite video to shoot? Why?
I really love doing America’s Next Top Model reviews. The response has been incredible and it’s going to be really sad when the show comes to an end in the next few weeks. On a personal level doing my anxiety disorder story was really hard but I’m glad that so many people reached out to me and said “I understand what you’re going through, because I’m going through it too” and it made the whole experience worthwhile.
5-What’s your favorite: Song? Movies? TV Series?
My favorite all time TV show is Dawson’s Creek. All the answers to life’s questions can be found in all 1-6 seasons of that show! Going to Wilmington, North Carolina where the show was filmed is on my bucket list. My favorite songs are anything by Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson. I loved Amy Winehouse and her first album Frank means a lot to me.
At the moment, I can’t stop listening to “Dark and Stormy” by Hot Chip which was played in the first ever episode of How to Get Away with Murder. I love that show as well as Scandal and Greys Anatomy. I’m very loyal with my shows and I’ve watched every episode of Grey’s Anatomy. I’ve watched the show since I was a teenager. I love film and my favorite films are Girl 6, Dog Day Afternoon, Casablanca, Good Will Hunting and Dead Man Walking. I’m also a big fan of documentaries and I loved West of Memphis and Give Up Tomorrow. I love stories of triumph over adversity.
6-You recently hit 1000000 views! Congratulations! How does that feel?
It was such an amazing feeling to reach one million views and it goes to show if you put the hard work in, it will pay off. It’s just me right now, uploading and editing and this time last year I knew nothing about it. I don’t have a team of people behind me, sourcing stories or helping me film and most of my friends and family don’t really get what I’m doing online. But I persevered and though Gods grace and I’m so thankful to be in the place I am in now. I affectionately call my subscribers my Drama Divas and Drama Dudes and it’s all down to them why my channel is where it is today.
7-What advice would you give to someone who wants to start a YouTube channel and report on current news, etc.?
Watch as much “How to Start a YouTube channel” videos as you can and don’t ever stop researching on how to improve your channel even when you feel like you “know it all”. Make sure your knowledgeable on your subject matter and try your best to stand out. YouTube is saturated with Vloggers and thousands of videos are uploaded every minute, so figure out what is different and unique about you and what you can bring to the table.
8-What is NEXT for ChristineDoesDrama?
I’m currently going through a re-branding so viewers will see a new look on my channel in the coming weeks. Next year I want to get a website up and running and start selling merchandise…so I’m definitely looking to expand the ChristineDoesDrama brand in the next few years. I haven’t given up on my acting dreams and I hope to start auditioning again in the near future.
Make sure to follow ChristineDoesDrama on Twitter, Instagram, Vine, and Tumblr, as well as VISIT her YouTube page.
Photo Credit: Instagram/YouTube
