Interview with

BACK TO CONTENTS interview luke withd erspicihyams

uke Hyams joined YouTube Originals in 2017 as head of originals EMEA, overseeing the platform's original content productions and development slate. During his tenure, his projects at YouTube Originals have included the documentary Terms and Conditions: A UK Drill Story, Together We Rise, Virtually History, How to be: Behzinga and Birthday Song.

Prior to YouTube Originals, Hyams was the director of global content for The Walt Disney Company, head of content at Revelmode and chief content officer for International at Maker Studios. Starting his career at the BBC as a presenter, Luke is also a writer, director and producer, and he has produced multiple shorts, music promos and web series.

mAkErs

Why does YouTube have an originals strategy?

lukE HyAms

The real purpose for us in creating YouTube originals is to give a platform to some of the really exciting trends, formats and personalities that have made YouTube so special. And also offer a hand of cooperation to some of the people who have invested a great amount of time in building their presence on YouTube but want to take things to the next level creatively or artistically in a way that they maybe cannot do on their own.

mAkErs

How many are you creating?

lukE HyAms

This year, we’ll have released 101 YouTube originals across the Americas, in Korea, India, Japan, in the UK and sub-Saharan Africa. At the last count, we released 30 in the EMEA region which I oversee. An example is Raise your Game with Gareth Southgate, (pictured left) a documentary that looks at a lot of the issues that young people are facing in the UK like mental health, discrimination and the general post pandemic post Brexit feel that the country is in. YouTube creators explore these issues with Gary through the prism of football. We also did a five hour Pride special in June [which featured talent such as Olly Alexander, Elton John and Trixie Mattel].

mAkErs

What genres are you are working in?

lukE HyAms

At the moment, the strategy is for our shows to feel like close cousins of stuff that is already native to YouTube. So we really do stay within the unscripted space.

mAkErs

How do YouTube originals differ from traditional TV or other a VOD platforms?

lukE HyAms

It’s about their ability to exist natively on a specific YouTube channel for a specific YouTube community. What’s great about YouTube is that my interface of the platform is completely different from yours. The algorithm learns who we are and what we like. Gone are the days of doing something for everybody all at once. When you make something for us, you have to be super granular about who the audience is. When I have to go through the process to greenlight a show, the first question that a lot of the different partners internally ask is, can you explain to me why this could be only on YouTube? And not on Netflix or BBC One? If I don't have a decent answer for that question, often the show is not commissioned.

mAkErs

What’s working well for you?

lukE HyAms

We did a three part documentary last year called How to be Behzinga. Behzinga is 1/7th of a gaming crew called The Sidemen who are hugely popular. On their channel he was starting to open up about broadening his horizons, mental health and fitness levels. So we partnered with him on a series that saw him train for the London Marathon and lose a tonne of weight and really turn his life around in a way. It was the best we've ever done in terms of liked versus disliked for YouTube originals.

mAkErs

What kind of audiences are watching?

lukE HyAms

The majority of the stuff that we make is aimed at a 14 to 30 year old audience, hitting somewhere squarely in the middle. Young people already spend an hour and a half according to data on YouTube every day. Our mission is to make sure that what they're watching in that hour and a half feels like something that has more production and editorial value that really enriches their YouTube experience.

mAkErs

What are your plans for 2022?

lukE HyAms

Next year will see us do a few fewer shows in order to market them better. So fewer, bigger, better. At the same time, we’re very keen on data. And we have identified that climate change is still a humungous concern for Gen Z. So we want to find ways to tackle that subject in an entertaining way. Also, racial injustice is incredibly important. We have a black voices fund that is dedicated to shows that create a positive black role models in front of and behind the camera. YouTube has also defined itself as a place where people come to talk about their mental health more openly. If there are ideas out there that can tackle that subject in an entertaining and informative way, that's interesting to us. We want to do personality pieces, not puff pieces. If there's an artist or YouTube creator, who has a new chapter of their story that they want to go on, and a new side that they want to show their fans, we're definitely a place to do that.

Luke Hyams

youtube talent