In preparation, I researched several lifestyle and “girly chat” YouTube creators, including Nella Rose, Olivia Neill, and Molly-Mae Hague. These creators have built strong personal brands through authenticity, humour, and consistency. Their content demonstrates how effective personality-driven storytelling can foster audience connection and loyalty. I was particularly inspired by how they use conversational vlogs to engage audiences and create a sense of intimacy — making viewers feel like close friends rather than distant followers. This aligns well with my own personality and performance style, which I see as friendly, relatable, and warm.

I analysed the structure and pacing of their videos, noting that the most successful content often has a clear purpose or story arc, even when it feels casual. This influenced my own planning, as I wanted my videos to feel spontaneous but still have direction. I also examined how editing, music, and visual aesthetics contribute to tone and viewer retention. Through this research, I realised that creating “real” and authentic content requires careful consideration of tone, camera presence, and visual rhythm.

Another part of my research involved looking at current trends in digital media. Short-form platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels have shifted audience expectations toward faster, more condensed storytelling. However, I chose YouTube specifically because I wanted to explore longer-form content that allowed for deeper storytelling, reflection, and emotional connection. YouTube’s format supports narrative and personality development, which made it a better platform for exploring performance as both an actor and a content creator.

Based on this research, I planned and created two videos: “Girly Chit Chat” and “Surprising Our Friend with a Trip to Paris for Her Hen Do.” The first was designed to be a conversational and personality-driven piece — focusing on topics like friendship, lifestyle, and everyday thoughts. The second video captured a real-life event and used more cinematic, vlog-style storytelling to document a surprise trip and genuine reactions. Both videos aimed to communicate warmth, female friendship, and authenticity.

This research process not only informed my creative decisions but also helped me understand how my acting and performance training could be adapted for digital contexts. In traditional acting, performance is often based on a script, character, and stage direction; however, in online media, the performer must balance authenticity with performance awareness. I had to find a version of myself that felt genuine yet engaging for the camera, blending my acting skills with my natural personality.

For my “Girly Chit Chat” vlog, I anticipate the majority of viewers will be female and aged between 18–24. This demographic aligns with the audiences of similar YouTube creators in the lifestyle and conversational genre. Engagement is likely to be strongest among viewers who value relatable, personality-led content. I expect moderate audience retention (around 50–60%) since the video is conversational, and audience drop-off can occur during slower moments. However, the casual tone and friendly approach should help maintain viewer interest.

For my “Surprising Our Friend with a Trip to Paris” vlog, I predict higher performance in both views and retention. Surprise and travel-based content often generates curiosity and emotional investment, which can lead to higher click-through rates and longer watch times. YouTube’s algorithm tends to favour such storytelling videos, especially when titles and thumbnails create intrigue.

Once the videos have been uploaded and live for at least one week, I plan to use YouTube Studio to analyse:

• View counts and average watch duration, to assess which video format performs best.

• Audience demographics (age, gender, and location), to understand who my content reaches.

• Traffic sources, such as YouTube search, suggested videos, and external sharing.

• Engagement patterns, including likes, comments, and viewer retention graphs.

Although these results will be retrospective, my goal is to evaluate how different tones, structures, and themes affect audience response. I also plan to compare the two videos’ performance to see whether viewers are more responsive to personal discussion-style content or experiential storytelling.

Understanding analytics is crucial for any content creator because it allows for data-informed creative choices. Even though my acting background focuses on performance and emotion, learning to interpret metrics adds a valuable analytical dimension. It helps bridge creative instinct with measurable audience insight, supporting sustainable growth and professional self-awareness.

Through feedback from peers and self-observation, I worked on slowing my speech and adding more natural facial expressions to convey warmth and authenticity. These adjustments made my delivery feel more personal and engaging. In the editing process, I also became more aware of pacing — learning how cuts, jump edits, and music influence viewer attention and emotional tone.

There were several successes throughout this project. Firstly, I finally created the YouTube channel I had wanted to start for years, which felt like a personal breakthrough. Secondly, I managed to produce two distinct types of videos — one conversational and one event-based — which allowed me to experiment with different performance styles. I also learned practical skills in filming and editing that will be valuable for future creative work.

However, the process was not without challenges. Time management proved difficult, especially balancing creative ambition with the module’s deadlines. Filming and editing both took longer than expected, and it was hard to maintain energy and consistency across takes. Lighting and sound also presented issues, as I filmed in different environments with limited equipment. These challenges have made me more aware of the production demands of content creation, and I now appreciate the technical precision required behind the casual tone of most vlogs.

Critically reflecting on my process, I realised that authenticity in performance doesn’t mean “just being myself” — it involves active choices in tone, phrasing, and energy to communicate clearly to an audience. In that sense, YouTube performance sits somewhere between acting and reality. It’s not about playing a character, but it still involves shaping behaviour to maintain viewer engagement. This links closely to performance theory around mediated identity, where the self becomes a curated performance shaped by the digital space.

If I were to improve this project, I would spend more time scripting rough outlines before filming, to ensure a smoother narrative flow. I would also plan my upload schedule in advance to maintain consistency, as algorithmic growth on YouTube rewards regular posting.

• My videos felt authentic and showed my personality.

• I learned how to plan, film, edit, and upload with purpose.

• I struggled with lighting and consistency in the first vlog.

• Time management between filming and editing was difficult.

Watching the finished videos back made me proud but also aware of improvements — I want to slow down when speaking, improve my framing, and edit more tightly.

One of the most important aspects I plan to continue developing is my on-camera presence. I learned that even small adjustments in facial expression, gesture, and tone of voice can significantly impact how viewers perceive authenticity and engagement. By consciously practicing these elements in future videos, I aim to refine my natural performance style while maintaining the relatability and warmth that audiences respond to.

In addition to performance, I want to continue enhancing my production and technical skills. I found that lighting, framing, and audio quality are as critical to audience engagement as the performance itself. Improving these areas will not only elevate the quality of my content but also teach me how professional digital media production standards intersect with acting and performance.

Reflecting on this project as a whole, I can see the value of integrating academic research, practical skills, and personal creativity. The combination of analysing other creators, planning my own content, and executing it while critically reflecting on the process has deepened my understanding of digital performance as a discipline. I learned that performance on social media is both deliberate and spontaneous: deliberate in terms of technical choices, pacing, and planning, but spontaneous in presenting an authentic personality that resonates with viewers.

Furthermore, the project highlighted the importance of adaptability and resilience. Social media content creation requires constant iteration — testing ideas, observing audience feedback, and making adjustments. This mirrors broader performance training in acting, where flexibility, self-awareness, and learning from experience are key to growth. By engaging in this iterative process, I developed stronger analytical skills and learned to combine creative intuition with evidence-based decisions, particularly in how I would approach content creation in the future.

Finally, this project has encouraged me to think about long-term goals as a digital performer. While my initial videos were created for assessment purposes, they now serve as a foundation for a personal portfolio and potential professional opportunities. By reflecting on my successes and challenges, I can better plan my creative trajectory and identify areas for further growth — both in acting for social media and in traditional screen performance.

In conclusion, this YouTube project has been invaluable in helping me integrate academic learning, creative practice, and performance skills in a digital context. It allowed me to explore my personal creativity, experiment with different content types, develop technical skills, and critically reflect on my performance as both an actor and content creator. The project has strengthened my understanding of digital media as a performance space, provided insight into audience engagement, and given me confidence to continue developing content that is authentic, engaging, and professionally executed.