According to the Ministry of Education, being a creator was the third most popular choice as the dream job of Korean elementary school students in 2019 — obvious proof of the current popularity of online content. However, becoming a YouTuber or a creator in general is not as easy as it seems. Experience, market analysis, and overall hard work are critical to achieving success as a creator. The students at KUreator, a YouTube video production club at Korea University (KU), are doing just that to turn their hopes of becoming a creator into more than simply a pipe dream.

A portmanteau of KU and the word creator , KUreator is KU’s very own YouTube video production club, consisting of a number of students from different backgrounds. The fact that it has both liberal arts and engineering majors, newbies and graduate school students, and even international students is evidence of its diversity. Together, they make videos to gain invaluable experience in media production.

Quick and Well Deserved Growth

Over the past year and a half, KUreator has grown from a new club founded by eight ambitious friends to a whopping 40-member organization well on its way to becoming a central club. Each of the four divisions of KUreator are responsible for production, management and finance, public relations, and educational lectures.

The club made progress in 2019 with a variety of regular events. On Tuesdays, seminars were held to report and give feedback to new videos produced by members. Lectures and study groups on filming, editing, and producing were also held by and for members. Finally, as the name indicates, KUreator members created videos in groups on KU, fashion, gaming, and more. Besides regular activities, KUreator also participated in contests such as Show Me Your Creative 2, an intraschool competition held by the CJ Creator Library (CCL) in search of potential professional creators at KU.

A unique characteristic of KUreator is its “partner channel” system. Aside from its main channel “KU Talk,” KUreator is connected to partner YouTube channels such as “Human Studio” and “Lover Movie, inc.” Students who already have or wish to create a YouTube channel of their own can choose to sign up as a partner channel. Being a partner channel has perks such as promotion on KUreator social media accounts and financial and personnel support from KUreator. For example, partner channels can utilize club-owned filming equipment such as GoPro cameras.

Some channels receive the support of not only the club but also the school. “KU Talk” and “Human Studio” are part of CCL as CCL Creators. The two channels benefit from this position by being given priority when booking sessions in the CCL studio or event hall or receiving extra promotion. KUreator generously supports its members in achieving their goals of becoming a YouTuber and is a community that shares a common interest, in which members can bounce ideas off each other. In this way, the club acts as a launch pad for aspiring KU student creators.

To gain insight into the true workings of KUreator, The Granite Tower (GT) interviewed the president of KUreator, Kim Sang-ho (’17, Business).

GT: Which video project was themost memorable for you?

Kim: One memorable project was “[Mimiminu x Human Studio] SelfPromotion Blind Date” produced with fellow KU student and YouTube channel creator Kim Minwoo (’18, Public Administration). To highlight the two blind-date participants’ outgoing and fun personalities, the production team set up a blind date where they had to advertise their charm and personality to the other. Another standout project was a video about university orientation for freshmen, which gained a lot of views from soon-to-be newbies. Both projects were memorable because a lot of planning and effort were required for the production, but also because they both gained around 150,000 views on YouTube. It made us feel like we accurately predicted our audience’s taste and satisfied their needs.

GT: What do you and other members of KUreator think are the virtues of YouTube videos as a form of media?

Kim: I think YouTube videos’ biggest strength is that anyone and everyone is open to creating and consuming them. I also think this is why becoming a YouTube creator is popular nowadays. The large influx of YouTube creators can be attributed to the fact that video production is becoming more approachable combined with the desire to express oneself. In addition, YouTube videos are short, fun, and are the perfect mix of an accessible platform and innovative production.

GT: Why does KUreator choose to manage several different channels?

Kim: Diversity of content and autonomy is a big part of KUreator. Having partner channels while running the main channel allows KUreator to respect members’ individual goals and interests. Different channels have different directions and members can create content according to their interests. Consequently, a diverse range of content is available from KUreator. I believe it is a result of communication, giving each channel the most amount of control and creativity. KUreator’s job is not only to create but also to support each member.

GT: What kind of projects are planned for the coming semester in 2020?

Kim: KUreator is getting ready for many changes. For one, we are going to focus on creating a series. For example, if a project is proposed about the many bars around KU, a team will produce a series of videos based on that specific topic. By doing this, we are hoping to gain a clearer direction for our channels. Lectures about editing programs and filming will also continue. Anyone who is interested in our future events is welcome at KUreator. Whether or not you already have a YouTube channel, if you are interested in filming fun videos with a bunch of people, please apply!

Recruitment Information

All KU undergraduate students are welcome (international students included). Applications will be accepted from early to late March. For more information, please refer to the official KUreator pages on Facebook, Instagram (ku_reator), and Naver Café.