I spent a day with LEGENDARY OG MINECRAFTERS (DanTDM, SkyDoesMinecraft, LDShadowLady)

This show is sponsored by BetterHelp online therapy. Visit betterhelp.com/video because sometimes existing is exhausting. My name is Anthony Padilla. Today, I’ll be spending a day with the legendary OG Minecrafters who began creating Minecraft content a decade ago to learn the truth about these elusive creators’ early rise to fame,

How this game has shaped their lives, and what the sudden resurgence in Minecraft popularity means to them. By the end of this video, we’ll find out if they’ve managed to hold this best selling video game of all time dear to their hearts or if establishing their personalities

And building their livelihood on Minecraft so many years ago has left them resenting what once brought them a sense of purpose to their lives. [MUSIC] Hello, Lizzie. Hello. [MUSIC] Dan. Hello. [MUSIC] NetNobody aka artists formerly known as the SkyDoesMinecraft. Dude what’s up, man? Big fan. [MUSIC]

How does your original Minecraft content differ from the content you make now. It’s a lot less cringey, I hope, -than it used to be. -[LAUGHS] That’s the difference? Oh, dogs. Oh, you look so cute. Say, you didn’t happen to attempt to kill me, did you?

Before I used to do a lot of story-led content of a lot of characters in Minecraft. Now it’s more a little bit more let’s play kind of delving more into the actual mechanics of the games. Oh, a pidgey. This guy has given me the eyes right now. Yes, you back away, son.

Back way right now. Oh, my– [LAUGHS] I don’t really make content anymore. I just kind of make music. Music is content. I haven’t put any music out. That’s the issue. It’s my secret process. Hey, guys, welcome to the first episode of the SkyDoesMinecraft.

A lot of people telling me, “Hey, Sky, you should do Minecraft,” so I did. I bought it. Let’s play. [MUSIC] Do you remember when you had your first big bump and exposure and how rapid that growth was afterward? On Zack Scott’s Minecraft server, at the time his service, Scotland,

Was one of the only Minecraft servers and he was uploading content daily. I was invited to take part on the server. My first-ever appearance I gained 3,000 subscribers overnight. I can assure you that that felt like fame. SkyDoesdMinecraft commented on one of my videos,

And back then that was, that was such a driver for traffic. Sky commenting on your video actually helps you blow up. Yes, I appreciate it. [LAUGHTER] Dude, I thought I was getting botted. I had to contact machinima. I was like, “Help, help. Am I being botted? What caused you to blow up?

When I introduced squid. Squid, yes. Where do you keep coming from? I just come. I’m around, I’m around. -Just let me– -What? It was just one character that caught on? What was it about the character that caught on? I think because it’s funny. It’s just a squid that just sounds like this–

Dan actually said that you helped contribute to his earliest success because you can’t you commented on one of his videos. -Really? -Yes. Dan’s awesome. Why do you think your content stood out? I think a lot of my subscribers were really looking for another female that play games,

That they could vibe with, and they found that in me. I was editing my Minecraft videos, which was quite uncommon for the time. I would condense all of my action from a one-hour session of playing games into a five-minute video. It seemed like I was having really exciting action-packed adventures,

But really people were only seeing the fun part. I didn’t collab with people so I didn’t have people to play the game with me. I use the mobs in the game as like puppets almost and I subtitled what he would talk back to me. I’d be like, “Hey, Treyaurus, how are you doing?

In the recording, that’s just like a blank space, but then I would edit him speaking and with the subtitles over the top. That was like us having like a rapport together. That made it a little bit more natural as well because I never script the videos,

But if he did walk into lava or walk off a cliff or walk into something I didn’t want to move on to yet, it was just part of the drama of the video, I guess. I tried to make sure that the back and forth between the characters were fast enough and comedic enough.

I’m bacon. What the heck. Dan, look out. I see you. I grinded a lot to do that. My entire days and nights were just gone, focused on the 3D world. I would spend 20 hour days and then I would only sleep four hours. For how long? Two, three years for the beginning?

You work 140 hours a week for 2 to 3 years. Yes. There was a moment when you were the second most popular gaming channel on the internet. I was versing PewDiePie man. Gosh, he was like a blur. What were you doing at that time in your life? Were you living alone?

No, I was living with the rest of the team Crafted and Post Malone. [LAUGHS] You’re just living with Post Malone at that time? Yes, Post Malone is just like, “Hey, it’s me Post Malone,” and then the next thing, everyone knows, he’s like, “Hey, shit, it’s Post Malone.”

What was life like in terms of your daily life during that time? It was just partying, man. I’m not going to sit here in front and be like, “Man, we got a bunch of money,” and then party. We definitely did do that. Not only did your popularity continue to grow,

But it absolutely skyrocketed. Just six years ago, you were actually the most viewed YouTube channel in the world. Yes, I remember that. Even thinking back now, YouTube was a bunch of different place. how did that feel? Were you able to actually grasp that,

Or were you just like, “Awesome, but I got to keep working.” A bit both, I think. I was like, I achieved the goal, because I was working towards it because I could see that it was an achievable goal. As it was growing, I was like,

“I’m going to work towards this and do it everyday.” I’m going to make this happen. When it did happen, I was like, “I’m beat.” [LAUGHS] Were there any struggles that you dealt with in the early days of YouTube? It was a struggle to move through life

Without everybody knowing that I had this secret online YouTube success. I wasn’t embarrassed, but I didn’t want it to be the only thing that people in real life knew about me. I used to keep it a secret from people It was always really awkward when they found out.

What do you think it was about what you did that made you want to keep it a secret? I just didn’t want to feel self-conscious when I was making my videos because I was putting a lot of myself into it, and I felt so vulnerable being creative and sharing that online.

And I didn’t want people that I knew in real life to laugh at me. I think it was more safeguarding my creative baby from people that might laugh at it and put me off working on it. Creative burnout was something I suffered with after I’d stopped doing two videos a day.

I eventually was just like, “I don’t think I could do this anymore.” I felt guilty about stopping doing two videos. Two videos a day. What was your life like at that time? Wake up, make videos, go to sleep, I guess. If we had something planned to go out for just a day,

I’d have to make four videos the day before to make sure I had the two for the day after. You were already at your capacity at two a day, too? I was editing them all myself, thumbnails them myself, recording, finding the ideas. What’s been your most bizarre fan experience?

Yes, I got locked in a bathroom at Minecon, but no one would let me out. You have to understand that it was like Dawn of the Dead before that. They were like [?] chasing after us. It was like they were literally running over cars and shit. I’m dead serious.

Why were they chasing you? They wanted to say hi? They wanted to get your autograph? Yes. Did you think you’re going to get trampled alive? Minecon was the craziest that it ever got. People sometimes bring vegetables for me to sign. I remember signing a courgette. A courgette. Oh, that’s a zucchini.

Oh, a zucchini. Yes, we call them courgette. I wish we called it courgette. That sounds either like a sexy car or a French woman. This is a vegetable. Or is it a fruit? Oh, I don’t know. If there are seeds, they’re fruits. There are seeds. I think it’s a seed. There’s a fruit.

That’s my worldview turned upside down. I don’t know anymore. Randomly in Grand Central in New York. I was peeing and then this guy comes up to me and says, “Are you DanTDM?” I’m mid-peeing. [LAUGHS] I was like, “Yes.” He said, “Can I get a picture?”

I was like, “Yes, of course. Just wait outside.” How about when there’s not liquid coming out of my urethra? We’ll try then. [LAUGHS] Sorry to the guy if he’s watching this, by the way. He stood there. He stood there. He didn’t go outside to wait. He waited.

I think he thought I wasn’t being serious or something. Minecraft’s popularity waned off for a couple years around 2016. Was there a moment where you were afraid about what your career would look like? Yes, and I think that’s part of the creative burnout.

It’s like sometimes when you’re putting your heart and soul into these videos, and then they’re just not performing very well, when you’re hell bent on getting those numbers up and up and up every time and they’re just going down.

As soon as you let go of every video having to be an absolute banger, I think you just have a much healthier mindset. My peak back at Smosh, I’d say there was a time when every single video was more popular than the last. I started associating

The amount of time and effort and energy that I put into something with the numbers rising. When I was continuing to put all that time and energy into it, and the view started declining, I was like, “Oh shit, there’s something wrong with me.

I’m not doing it right. Why can’t I figure this out?” So much effort into a video, and then it’s your worst performing one for the past month or something. I’d take it really personally, when really that’s just the YouTube machine. Did any part of you consider quitting? Yes.

I quit Minecraft because I made a business. I made a business and it got to the point where the business got so big that it was too much of a responsibility and I didn’t want to do that anymore. Did you start to resent Minecraft?

There’s this huge shadow I have to overcome of Minecraft now with all my music. It leaves me like, “I’ll never be good enough.” You’re attached to Minecraft to the point where it’s limiting what else you can do with your career? It’s always going to be a part of me,

Which is now why I have to make crazy Minecraft bars. Are you throwing verses about Minecraft in your music? Oh, of course, bro. [LAUGHS] [MUSIC] What do you think have been some of your highest highs and lowest lows in your career?

I did a massive world tour and then a smaller arena tour a couple of years ago. I’d meet people in every city, every country that we went to all around the world, and just having that then just loving what you do and just having that rapport with them, was just so special.

I just never forget that. I was actually asked to voice a character in the Minecraft story mode game and the character was based on myself, LDShadowLady. That’s amazing. I never thought I would ever voice a character in a game, let alone the character be me.

Walking into a dealership and being like, “Hey, I want that Lamborghini,” and then getting that Lamborghini. You did that? You did that thing? Yes, I did that thing, dude. This is what people think of everyone that moves to Hollywood in entertainment. Dude, I did that I was like–

Did you buy it just to buy it? Yes, I drove it for a while, I was like, “This is fun.” People stared at me for hours. I don’t know. My lowest low was probably I drank a lot and it would make me really sad and depressed.

Do you feel that was showing through in your videos at that time? Yes, you could you can tell that I started getting exhausted. There’s just this tiredness to how the content got. [MUSIC] How do you feel about the way that Minecraft content has evolved?

The quality of content and what you can do with the game has changed massively. All the recent stuff the Dream SMP, that’s all story-led stuff, that roleplay character element to videos, people just love that. You could almost do anything they’ve just chosen on Minecraft to tell the stories in.

Have you felt pressureed to keep up with modern Minecrafters? No, actually, I’ve had the same formula for about five years. I haven’t really changed it. I’m very confident that my recipe for a Minecraft video is working and I will keep using it.

Do you think that you personally laid down any of the foundations in the Minecraft community that are still commonly being used today? Laughter and subtitle because I was one of the first people to do that. -Did you start that? -Yes. I didn’t know if it was you or if it was PewDiePie

Where he used to have those funny moments montages. I did that in my RuneScape days. I feel like me and PewDiePie might be just button heads for who’s the OG on YouTube at this point. Why did you add subtitles initially? I don’t know just to add on-screen like ahhhh. [LAUGHTER] [MUSIC]

In the last video that I made with Minecrafters, I proposed doing an episode with OG Minecrafters and so many of the comments, “DanTDM, DanTDM, please. He was my childhood. I love him. He’s my life.” You had a massive impact on so many people. That’s just unreal to think about it, to be honest.

I remember me and Tommy did something. We did a stream together and then just loads of his new people to the game of Minecraft after dropping it for a while, was like, “Oh, my god, I remember him. I remember him.

I watched his videos all the time.” Just seeing that stuff is just, it’s mental. Yes, it’s very touching. When you do meet people in person, you do realize how much every YouTuber’s videos affects those individual people.

I think it’s very special and I think we’re very lucky to be able to do that for people. KyleeNotKylie wants to know if you ever deal with people telling you that you’re not in your prime anymore, or constantly referencing your old content as that being what you’re known for.

If someone rediscovers even my stream when I’m live, or just a video when I’m live, or I do a collab with someone telling me, “Oh, you’re still around? You still make videos?” In a derogatory way like, “Wow, you’re still going at it?” Exactly, yes.

They think that when they stop watching, they just forget about you, which is fine, but sometimes I just feel really old and I’m like, “You’re 29. You’re only 29.” I get tagged in a lot of tweets where people are talking about how they used to watch my channel

Or how much they used to love my channel. At first, it really bothered me because it made me realize they’re not watching anymore. “Why are they not watching anymore?” Now I realized that YouTube is like the circle of life. I expect people to move on from my channel,

But it’s nice that they still have good memories of my child from the past. I’ve been doing this for 10 years now. I did not think it would even last this long so I’m not particularly bothered about when my peak may or may not have been. I’ve definitely passed my peak.

I’m fine with that. I’m a very healthy human being, apparently. I didn’t realize that about myself about now. Catalina wants to know if being labeled as a Minecraft Youtuber ever held you back from anything bigger. It’s just given me a challenge though.

Like I said, it’s given me this huge shadow that I need to overcome. It’s just like, “I’ve got to get more than 4 billion views.” Because you had 4 billion views on your Minecraft channel, you feel you like you need to– your next goal is 5 billion views with something else?

Yes, with music. [LAUGHS] You think that that’s attainable? -Oh, yes. -For real? Oh, yes. I’m not saying that it’s impossible, but I’m just saying that is a lofty goal, my friend. Yes, I’ve got this. [LAUGHS] Before we continue learning about the world of legendary OG Minecrafters–

You also see demons and shadow people and you perform exorcisms. I wanted to let you know that I have another episode with modern Minecrafters, TommyInnit, Ranboo, and Nihachu, and a one-on-one video with Dream already out. I’ll conveniently place a couple of very tappable links up in this corner.

I’d like to thank Honey for their continued support in sponsoring this episode and helping us continue this series like our return to form with in-person videos beginning, again, next week with non-binary people, followed by a one-on-one video with Jaiden Animations, and a ton more that we’ve already shot,

But I’ll keep that a secret on the tip of my tongue on the back of my lungs. Back to our sponsor, Honey is the free browser extension that scours the internet for promo codes and applies the best one it finds to your cart

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Does any part of you miss your earlier days in the Minecraft community? No, because I’m still friends with the same people. It feels like you’re still there? In my head, it’s still 2014 and I’m just goofing around with my friends. Please take me back to 2014, Lizzie.

I don’t need to have lived most of last year. This past year, we can just scrub that off. I kinda miss when YouTube was just people like you and me just uploading videos, whereas now, it’s like this whole huge industry. It’s very hard to keep up with the pace of YouTube now

If you are doing it all on your own. You pretty much do need a team in most cases if you want to be able to produce lots and lots of content because it’s not just about how much time you’re putting into the content that you’re creating,

But the time that you’re putting into keeping up with the ecosystem. If you think how many hours you actually spend looking and watching YouTube as a YouTuber, you analyze everything you watch anyway. It’s like a music producer who analyzes every track they listen to.

It’s a similar thing. You spend so long just in that mindset. How do you continue to plan evolving on and off YouTube? One day at a time. In about three months, expect some music. In about three months, you’re dropping it? Yes. Okay. Yes, music.

I just want to keep making Minecraft videos for as long as I can. Off YouTube? I don’t really know what I want to do either. I have a lot of hobbies that I’d like to pursue.

One day, I want to be able to eat some of the vegetables from my garden that I grow. Honestly, like gaming. Except it’s gardening and you get to eat it. You could go off the grid and you don’t need anyone else ever again.

Yes, that’s my final vision. Actually, that’s where I’d like to go. You still have your hands in every single part of the process of each and every one of your videos right down to the editing and every single aspect, right? The entire videomaking process is a one-woman job.

I love it that way. I would never change that. I tried having people edit my videos, but I always had to make little changes because I wanted it done my way. I missed not being a part of it as well. You do enjoy every step down to the editing? Yes, I love it.

I don’t make videos very often, but when I do, the entire process is enjoyable for me. How has your experience with fame affected the way that you raised your child and present your child to the internet? I don’t present him to the internet in terms of his identity.

Me and my wife both talked. Having him very identifiable from a young age is something he can’t actually have input in. Later down the line, we’ve shown his face and when he’s 12, 13, he actually didn’t want all his baby and toddler photos on the internet,

Then we’ve already made that choice for him. Whereas, I’d rather keep him ours for as long as possible and when he’s old enough, he can make his own decisions. Do you think that you’ll still be making Minecraft content when your child is old enough to play Minecraft? I don’t know.

He used to ask me like, “How long you’ve been playing Minecraft.” In my head, I was thinking, “Maybe 2 years,” and then we’re here almost, I don’t know, 9, 10 years later and we’re still doing it. [LAUGHTER] I would love to still be creating some kind of content for sure.

You mentioned there are some other stuff that you do on the side. Yes. You also see demons and shadow people and you perform exorcisms. I was waiting until you get to this part. This is my favorite part, Quantum Super Demons. Were you [?] with me when you told me that?

No, I deal with Quantum Super Demons, man. Explain this. I need the deets. This is the dream world, man. You’re on another level. I’m down here, you’re up here. What do you think is the biggest misconception about you? That I don’t swear. [LAUGHTER] Sometimes I swear in real life. Prove it.

Whoa, whoa, don’t put me on the spot like that. Hold on. [LAUGHTER] Oh, she said it. Oh, shit. Did I though? You’ll never know because it’s bleeped. -True, I did bleep it. -Unless you betrayed me there. I did bleep it unless I betrayed you. Oh, you got five seconds of shoutout

To promote anything you want directly to camera, go. Shotout to all the Shadow Cadettes out there and also by my lovely husband, SmallishBeans. This is Albert. Thank you so much for supporting me for all these years. Now that I’m an old YouTube grandpa, shoutout to Dr. Treyaurus, -and subscribe to AnthonyPadilla. -Oh, shit.

Thank you. Holy [?]. I was not expecting that. [LAUGHTER] After spending the day with these legendary OG Minecrafters, I’ve come to understand how much of a hand this game has had in not just entertaining us, but providing some of us with our entire livelihood.

It’s no surprise a game limited only by the creativity of the player would spawn some of the most captivating creators on the platform. [MUSIC] I remember it. I remember it like it was yesterday. Is that your PewDiePie impression? [LAUGHTER] I had– No, I was just plainly saying,

-“I remember like it was yesterday.” -Remember, when PewDiePie used to do that kind of voice though? Oh, yes. That’s why you went there, I’m sure. Maybe PewDiePie has just ingrained himself into everyone on YouTube at this point, and so now people will just be like, “PewDiePie noise.”

I believe in PewDiePie leeching into everyone’s brain and sucking out their blood. Oh, my gosh. In the best way though. I love you Pewds. Suck my blood. Suck my blood out hard.