Who am i?

My Story (great read)

I was born and raised in Austin, Tx—the weird city, and I was a weird kid. I was so quiet that I didn't begin speaking until the age of 5. I would hardly speak at home or at school, i guess because of a lack of confidence. One Christmas my mom bought me a cheap flip camera, and my dad taught me how to edit on his computer, so I inevitably began filming and editing nonsense throughout the rest of my childhood.

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Filmmaking took place for my non-present voice.

Once I morphed into a reckless teenager—around age 14—I began making hidden-camera prank videos on YouTube. I would drag a few friends from school and convince them to film me from some bushes as I played jokes on strangers, it was a nice way for me to wiggle out of my shell a bit. The camera was like a super power, as long as it was rolling my shyness was no where to be seen.

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Later on, I began to take my creative ambitions seriously under the alter-ego "Steezy Kane", which I named a new YouTube channel. I found myself flying to Los Angeles for a week with $200 in my pocket right after graduating high school, my mission was to film the most viral video I could think of: jumping off of the Santa Monica pier for a girl's phone number. I knew it would go viral, and it did. The video got picked up by a popular media company at the time: World Star, causing the video to explode to over 50 million views across the internet. Before I knew it, my YouTube channel went from 2 thousand subscribers to 1 million. The growth was so fast, I remember my brain genuinely could not process what was happening. My first monthly check from YouTube advertisers was $17,000—the most money me or my family has ever seen. Right out of high school, I had a full on career already. I made it. I started a new series's to ride the momentum, like my most popular one: "Songs In Public", where I sing popular music on the street disturbing pedestrians.

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I was 18 making good money, and it's insane how fast it all goes when you're young and irresponsible. I got my own apartment, I bought lots of clothes, I ate out—then a few checks later my entire YouTube channel got copyrighted, causing my income to plummet back down to nearly zero. I was broke again. But a different kind of broke. I was getting recognized on the street and fans wanted pictures—all while I was scrapping pennies off the floor—how embarrassing? At least back then I could be broke in private, but now it was like my poverty was being put out on display.

All fame ever did was make being broke even harder.

Aside from that, I still needed to pay for video shoots—since I was now manning a large YouTube network, and I still needed to pay for other expenses that I trapped myself into like rent on the overpriced apartment. The leasing agent who handed me an eviction notice for non-payment was a fan of my videos, imagine that humiliation! I remember one fan who approached me on the street in particular said "I can't believe I'm meeting a millionaire!". Is that the kind of money people expect me to be making? I mean I guess so since I'm pretty much alongside Logan Paul.

Over the next wonky few years, I slowly learned how to monetize my channel—jumping through hoops like signing to predatory multi-channel network companies, getting ripped off from low paying brands, you know: industry stuff—but these experiences helped me learn my value.​ I now currently have 3.7 million subscribers, I've been able to sell thousands of merchandise units to my audience, and I've been able to secure sponsorship deals with top brands like HBO Max, Hulu, Audible, Converse, and more. Although, I still have always made a significantly lower amount of money compared to peers in the industry. I'd see fellow creators—with smaller followings than me—announce houses they just purchased. I was never able to make house money. Maybe I'm too authentic, maybe I'm too stubborn, maybe I don't belong here, maybe I don't have what it takes to be an internet personality.

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I mean, I am still just a shy kid...

Everyone else seems to be extroverted, so how did I make it through? Yeah... how the fuck did I make it through? How did a crippling introvert turn into an influential figure who people look up to? A goofy prankster who has the balls to jump off piers, and sing songs in public? What the hell? Well later on I realized that this confidence was still just a super power, and it still only lasted as long as the camera was rolling. When fans approach me in public yelling "Steezy!", I feel like they're talking to the wrong person. I mean they are—my name is Isaiah. I'm still shy, but the person they watch on screen is not. I accidentally built a fanbase that wants to see me constantly jump off of things, and dance around like a zoo animal. So I began to make a shift by embracing my original voice—which was filmmaking—by producing more "art-house-y" films and publishing those on my YouTube channel, but still adding a touch of those familiar immature prank videos. Projects like: "The AirPod Curse", "The Coronavirus Apocalypse", "Steezy Kane Cancelled", and "Whole Lotta Red (In Public)", was that paradigm shift. My audience began to take notice of my true dream, and I often now get comments of fans rooting for my filmmaking success.

I'm now currently working on a dramedy TV series called "VIEWS" that will be a semi-dystopian study on these wonky side effects caused by this phenomenal thing called the World Wide Web. It'll be a look into a new world where almost everyone's job is on the internet now. A look into how a dangerous act—like jumping off a pier—can now be incentivized by internet clicks. A look into how people can teach themselves new skills solely on YouTube tutorials. A look into how every business (even law firms) now markets themselves with funny TikTok videos. A look into how a mute kid can accidentally become an internet sensation.

I think this project is the ultimate "one for me, one for you" with my audience. "VIEWS", will give my fans an inside look into those old prank videos, while also exposing my filmmaking capabilities. It is the ultimate catapult, to launch me into the industry where my voice can be truly heard.

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Written by Isaiah Shepard.

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(NO ADVANCED AI SOFTWARE WAS USED IN WRITING THE ABOVE)