Bill Wurtz On the History of Japan

Summary

The script discusses the creator's journey in making the 'History of Japan' video, which gained immense popularity with over 43 million views. It highlights the challenges of condensing vast historical content into a short format, the meticulous research process, and the creator's attention to detail and accuracy. The creator's passion for learning and presenting history in an engaging way is evident, as is the video's impact on culture and its memorable moments.

Takeaways

• 😀 The video 'History of Japan' was a massive success, garnering over 43 million views and quickly reaching over 10 million views in its first week.
• 🎬 The creator was tired of being limited by the seven-second format of Vine and wanted to undertake a more epic project, which led to the creation of 'History of Japan'.
• 🕒 It took 14 weeks to create the 'History of Japan' video, which was a significant time investment that paid off in terms of its popularity.
• 🌏 The creator chose Japan as the subject for the video because they didn't know much about it, allowing them to learn and present the content in a fresh way.
• 📚 The research and writing process for the video was integrated, taking about a week, where the creator learned and wrote simultaneously.
• 🔍 The creator is meticulous about geographical accuracy and spent a lot of time ensuring the correct placement of locations in the video.
• 🤔 Despite the creator's efforts, there are still people who nitpick the facts in the video, which the creator finds both bothersome and entertaining.
• 🌟 The video's impact was not limited to YouTube; it was discussed on Reddit, television, and other platforms, indicating its widespread influence.
• 🎥 The creator does not watch their own videos, including the 'History of Japan', except when forced to, indicating a focus on creating rather than revisiting past work.
• 💥 The video effectively conveys the gravity of historical events, such as the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan, through its pacing and sound design.
• 🎮 The creator also worked on a game show version of 'History of the World', where they enjoyed creating the video game soundtrack music.

Q & A

What was the initial reaction to the 'History of Japan' video?

The 'History of Japan' video was incredibly popular, with over 10 million views in the first week and eventually reaching 43 million views. It was a significant explosion in popularity.

How long did it take to create the 'History of Japan' video?

The creation of the 'History of Japan' video took 14 weeks, which was a considerable amount of time compared to typical video production timelines.

Why did the creator choose Japan as the subject for the video?

The creator chose Japan because they wanted to pick a subject they didn't know much about, allowing them to learn about it from beginning to end and then present it in the video.

What was the creator's approach to researching and writing the video script?

The creator combined research and writing, learning a lot of information and then writing it down. The research and writing process took about a week.

How does the creator handle people nitpicking the facts in their videos?

The creator acknowledges that people nitpick facts but they do their best in their research. They find it entertaining and are careful about geographical accuracy and other details.

What was the creator's process for placing stars on cities in the video?

The creator spent a considerable amount of time ensuring the stars representing cities were placed accurately, reflecting their obsession with geographical accuracy.

How did the creator feel about the impact of the 'History of Japan' video on culture?

The creator was amazed by the video's influence, which extended beyond YouTube to Reddit, television, and other platforms. They felt it was a mark of the high quality they brought to the project.

What was the significance of the moment when the U.S. dropped the bomb on Japan in the video?

The moment was powerful due to the contrast between the manic pace of the video and the sudden quietness, reflecting the gravity of the historical event.

How did the creator approach the sound design in the 'History of Japan' video?

The creator layered sounds, such as the windy sound and a huge bass sound, to create a feeling of explosions and enhance the impact of the video.

What was the creator's strategy for researching ancient locations and clans in the video?

The creator faced challenges in researching ancient locations like 'High age' due to the scarcity of information, indicating the time-consuming nature of the research process.

How does the creator view their role in creating these historical videos?

The creator sees themselves as someone who can do anything if they put their mind to it, emphasizing the importance of learning and presenting information in an engaging way.