Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Josh VanBatenburg. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Josh, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
The most meaningful project I worked on, was actually my “2019 Recap” video for my YouTube channel. YouTube was definitely my life back then, I can happily say I still have YouTube in my life today, whether I’m uploading on it, or helping friends out with their channels. Currently working for one of my friends right now, Josh Horton, and managing one of my other friends, Dylan Peirce. The idea behind the video was basically a massive montage of all my 2019 videos. By far one of my favorite videos/projects I’ve ever worked on. Just so many memories of the people I grew up with, and the new people I met with my move out to Los Angeles.
Josh, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
For those who don’t know me, I always say “I produce” or “I make content online.” Saying I produce a lot more often now because I’m doing a lot more of that, but I really do enjoy it. I fell in love with the concept of coming up with something and putting it on screen, after seeing “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol when I was 11 years old. I wanted to be a spy so badly, but I knew it was fake, so I said, “I’ll just make a movie about a spy and put myself in it.” For the next 4 to 5 years, I made mini-short films with my friends, really about anything, action shorts, sci-fi type stuff, skating movies, and of course spy shorts. When I was around 14 I started making YouTube videos, about anything, Skateboarding and video games, I had a prank channel at one point, which was wild, and I think the one I liked the most was my vlog channel. My friends and I always made little Snapchat-type sketches and posted them to my story. My friend Tyler one day told me that we should make YouTube videos instead, and so from there, I uploaded about 240 plus vlogs on my YouTube. I ended up moving out to LA when I was 18, not thinking that social media would be the path, but working in film. But then TikTok was the biggest thing that year so I hopped on it, and with the few friends I met, we all grew together, I helped them, and we all became friends, and can happily say I am still friends with them today.
I don’t create content as much as I’d like to, because my love really is in making movies, and I got a really lucky opportunity recently to work on an indie feature and a small-budget sketch comedy show as a producer, and I still have my connection with social media, which I’m very happy about.
Who knows, might upload some vlogs again, it takes a lot of work, but it really is so much fun.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Honestly, I think it’s kind of a lame answer, but it’s so true, but just genuinely being nice to people. Stay in touch, tell them congratulations, wish them a happy birthday, and ask them if they need help. If you want to build connections, and possibly build even business connections, I do think one of the most important things, is to be a good person, simple as that.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I feel like I’ve lived multiple lives out here in LA. I feel a lot of people say that, and it’s kind of true. When you move out on your own for the first time, especially here, there’s so much that comes at you. partying, going out, the “bad group of people,” the people that just want to use you. It’s pretty tough, but if you can make it through all that, you’ll do just fine. You’ll find your group and your friends, and you’ll power through everything.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshvanbatenburg/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-vanbatenburg-a46622171/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaXdmhteQhY-KMCyGm2nTXQ