Key Moments
How Cleo Abram Dominated YouTube in Under 1 Year
Key Moments
Cleo Abram built a 3.5 million subscriber YouTube channel in under 2 years by focusing on optimistic tech stories, meticulously crafting visuals, and deeply trusting her audience's intelligence.
Key Insights
Cleo Abram's channel 'Huge If True' launched with a specific show concept, not just a generic channel, which aligns with YouTube's current model of channels as individual shows.
The 'Huge If True' team consists of only four people, including Cleo herself, yet produces highly polished, TV-quality content.
Cleo Abram uses a meticulous 'three-column script' method, detailing audio, visuals, and sources, to ensure complex topics are explained clearly and visually.
Abram believes 'most media companies are not very well equipped' to offer creators full IP ownership, salary, and healthcare while allowing for tonally different content, which led to her independent launch.
Short-form content is strategically used by 'Huge If True' for repurposing long-form segments, testing new ideas, and sharing standalone 'awesome' topics that only require 60 seconds.
Abram intentionally includes personal anecdotes and moments of genuine confusion in her videos to act as a proxy for the audience, making complex topics more relatable and accessible.
From Vox to independent YouTube stardom
Cleo Abram, a former Vox journalist, transitioned to independent YouTube creation with her show 'Huge If True' and achieved remarkable growth, gaining 3.5 million subscribers in under two and a half years. This success is attributed to her focused approach on optimistic technology and future-oriented topics, a stark contrast to the prevalent negativity often found online. Abram’s transition was driven by a desire to create a specific show that she believed necessitated its own independent YouTube channel, allowing for greater creative freedom and ownership.
The 'Huge If True' formula: Visuals, access, and audience trust
Abram's content strategy hinges on three core elements: genuine visual appeal, access to organizations and experts, and a deep-seated trust in her audience's intelligence. Her checklist for greenlighting a story prioritizes inherent visual potential, ensuring topics can be demonstrated rather than just discussed. This led to collaborations with entities like CERN and Formula 1, and the creation of sophisticated animations. Furthermore, Abram's belief that 'anything that could be important to millions of people can also be made comprehensible to millions of people' guides her narrative style. She intentionally incorporates relatable, everyday moments, like struggling with GPS, to position herself as a proxy for the viewer, thereby demystifying complex subjects. This approach, combined with a commitment to not oversimplify while remaining accessible, forms the backbone of her explanatory journalism.
Crafting compelling narratives: The script and the hook
The ideation and scripting process for 'Huge If True' is meticulously detailed. Abram utilizes a 'three-column script' format, meticulously outlining audio, visuals, and sources for every sentence. This ensures that complex scientific concepts, like those explored in her videos on CERN or quantum computers, are translated into highly visual and understandable narratives. The intros are particularly crucial, designed to immediately earn clicks and retain attention within the first 30-50 seconds by posing compelling questions and establishing a 'curiosity gap.' Abram emphasizes that this level of polish and clarity is not effortless but a result of constant refinement and trust in her collaborators, like animator Justin Po. The decision to begin videos with her personal presence, rather than solely on animation, is a deliberate choice to set expectations and establish a human connection, framing the show as a guided experience.
Strategic use of short-form content
Abram strategically leverages short-form content across platforms to amplify 'Huge If True.' This includes repurposing compelling segments from long-form videos, testing new topic ideas, and sharing standalone pieces that warrant only a brief format. Shorts serve as an 'escape valve' for creative energy, allowing for wider reach and engagement. For example, a short about the depth of the ocean, originally part of a longer piece on deep-sea mapping, garnered millions of views. This approach recognizes the power of short-form video in reaching vast audiences and, over time, reinforcing the show's overarching optimistic message about science and technology.
Balancing journalism, advertising, and optimism
Abram navigates the complex relationship between journalistic integrity and advertising revenue by maintaining transparency and personal conviction. She conducts 'fake ad reads' early on to establish clear boundaries, ensuring all sponsored content is marked and reflects her genuine opinions. Her commitment to 'journalist rigor' means she only states what she knows to be true and avoids paid endorsements for topics she hasn't genuinely explored. This approach allows her to offer optimistic visions of the future, even in sponsored content, by focusing on the 'huge if true' aspects of new technologies and products. She believes that while advertising is a necessary part of operating independently, it doesn't preclude honest reporting and genuine enthusiasm.
The unique appeal of optimistic explanatory journalism
Abram's show offers a distinct flavor of optimistic explanatory journalism, challenging the industry's pervasive negativity bias. By focusing on solutions and advancements, she aims to counter the sense of hopelessness often fostered by news cycles. The inclusion of her personal journey, such as her experiences with fertility preservation, adds a unique human element that deepens the connection with her audience. While media companies might approach such personal topics differently, Abram's independent platform allows for a more integrated narrative, blending personal reflection with rigorous research. This approach has resonated with viewers, prompting discussions and a greater appreciation for both the science and the human stories behind technological progress.
Team building and creative scaling
Despite the highly produced nature of 'Huge If True,' Abram's team consists of only four people. This lean setup includes an animator/producer, a science producer, an editor, and herself. The key to their success lies in shared taste and trust, allowing for efficient collaboration. Abram emphasizes that finding individuals who not only share her vision but can also contribute at a high level is crucial for scaling creative output. The team's ability to collectively brainstorm, execute complex visuals, and maintain a consistent brand identity is central to producing content that rivals traditional television production quality with a fraction of the resources.
Future ambitions: Exploring new formats and fiction
Looking ahead, Cleo Abram is focused on growing 'Huge If True' and exploring new creative avenues within its optimistic framework. While maintaining her core mission, she is open to expanding into different formats like podcasts, newsletters, and potentially even near-future science fiction series. This ambition is rooted in a desire to reach broader audiences and tell stories in compelling ways, inspired by works like 'The Martian.' Abram views these potential expansions not as a departure from her current path, but as extensions of her core brand and mission, demonstrating a long-term vision for her creative endeavors.
Mentioned in This Episode
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●Concepts
●People Referenced
Common Questions
Cleo Abram left Vox because she wanted to create a specific show, 'Huge If True,' focusing on optimistic technology stories, with the belief it needed its own independent platform. She had previously worked on the business side at Vox, pitching shows like 'Explained' on Netflix, and later moved into video journalism by taking night classes and pitching a story that got greenlit.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
Former Vox journalist turned independent YouTube creator, host of 'Huge If True,' known for optimistic technology and future-focused content.
A YouTube creator Cleo Abram has collaborated with and admires.
Top YouTube creators who collaborated on the development of Spotter Studio and were featured in a studio tour.
The editor for 'Huge If True,' instrumental in crafting emotional variety and the blend of vloggy YouTube style with explainer style.
The animator and lead producer on 'Huge If True,' responsible for conceptualizing and creating the complex 3D visuals and animations in Cleo's videos.
A journalist at Vox who coined the phrase 'never underestimate your audience's intelligence and never overestimate their prior knowledge,' a principle Cleo Abram applies.
The head of Vox Video who sent an email inviting pitches for the second season of Explained, leading to Cleo Abram's first video journalism opportunity on the show.
A journalist at Vox who documented his experience donating an organ to a stranger, which inspired Cleo Abram.
The science producer on 'Huge If True,' responsible for deep scientific research, writing short-form videos, and fact-checking, crucial for the show's trustworthiness.
A YouTube creator whose relationship between titles and thumbnails Cleo Abram admires, particularly his use of action and arrows.
A YouTube creator who makes huge productions, mentioned in contrast to Cleo Abram's production scale. Also praised for his explainer video about octopuses.
The former GM of Vox, whom Cleo Abram worked under on the business side and who facilitated her transition into video journalism.
Cleo Abram's independent YouTube show, focusing on optimistic stories about technology and the future, which she launched after leaving Vox.
A TV show mentioned by Cleo Abram as contributing to a negative tone about the future in media.
A YouTube channel admired by Cleo Abram for its well-crafted and incredible episodes, noting the host's unique singular brand.
A TV show mentioned by Cleo Abram as part of her childhood media diet, contrasted with the current negative tone of shows like Black Mirror.
A science fiction film with a specific color scheme (black, silver, neon purple/green) that Cleo Abram consciously moved away from for 'Huge If True' visuals.
A YouTube channel admired by Cleo Abram, specifically his video comparing lifestyles at different income levels.
A YouTube original show Cleo Abram made at Vox, including an episode about the decision to have kids that sparked her idea for 'Huge If True'.
A show discussed by the hosts in relation to optimizing for click-through rate vs. brand integrity, specifically their episode titled 'The Fast Approaching Death of Hot Ones'.
A Netflix show produced by Vox, where Cleo Abram started her video journalism career and pitched a greenlit episode on 'Diamonds Explained'.
A video by Cleo Abram that surprised the hosts with its complex topic and high view count, which Cleo made out of personal curiosity and access.
A film mentioned as a terrifying future imagined by people discussing artificial wombs, against which Cleo Abram's research offered a different perspective.
A YouTube channel described by Cleo Abram as having 'the craziest' and 'unreal' content.
An amazing organization Cleo Abram has gained access to for her videos, specifically discussed in relation to her 'What's Really Happening at CERN' video.
Cleo Abram's agency that helps her with sponsorships and speaking engagements, signed before she left Vox.
The agency that represents the hosts, Colin and Samir, providing a similar structure to Cleo Abram's representation.
A media organization that made a streaming show with Hulu, noted during the rise of digital journalism entering streaming.
A media company mentioned as an example of early digital journalism making streaming shows, and later facing challenges leading to talent departures.
Where Cleo Abram took night classes to learn video editing and animation after realizing her passion for video journalism.
An example product used by Spotter Studio to brainstorm thumbnail composition ideas, like Colin holding a Nerf gun for an eye-catching element.
A new piece of tech that Colin and Samir found fun to make a short-form video about, indicating a successful sponsor prompt.
A company that sponsored a short-form video where Cleo built a Lego set based on the Artemis rocket, with Justin animating the mission stages.
Video editing and animation software that Cleo Abram learned in night classes and uses for her channel visuals.
Video editing software that Cleo Abram learned at SVA, enabling her to produce videos.
An AI-powered project management software specifically designed for YouTube creators, sponsored this episode, developed with input from top creators including Colin and Samir.
A streaming service that partnered with The New York Times for a show during the rise of streaming for digital journalism.
A tool used for designing thumbnails to clean up compositions and make them look more polished.
Technology used in sports like tennis, cited as an example of sensors being used to better understand what has actually happened in games.
Mentioned in the context of a commercial seen during the Olympics that featured Cleo Abram, highlighting her personal brand opportunities.
A company Cleo Abram has gained access to for her videos.
A social media platform where Cleo Abram observed young people expressing pessimism about the future, which influenced the creation of 'Huge If True'.
A media company mentioned as an example of those facing challenges in the digital media landscape, leading to revenue pressure and talent leaving.
A streaming service for which Vox produced 'Explained' and for which Cleo Abram pitched and produced an episode. Discussed as a potential future partner for 'Huge If True'.
Cleo Abram's former employer, a media company known for explainer journalism, which she left to go independent.
A company mentioned as a potential destination for talented video creators who don't want to work independently.
A fashion vertical within Vox Media where Cleo Abram first started making videos on the side.
More from Colin and Samir
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