Overview

The Challenge
Early in my career, I was selected as a Video Fellow at BuzzFeed - a nine-month program designed to train full-time social video producers. The challenge wasn’t just making one viral video; it was delivering high-performing content consistently in a highly competitive environment, week after week, without relying too heavily on the same formulas.

My Role
Wrote, pitched, produced, shot, edited, and optimized one long-form YouTube video per week end-to-end, owning the full creative and execution process from idea to distribution.

Execution

Learning to Ship at Speed - Without Sacrificing Quality

Producing one full video every week required tight planning and discipline, especially for location-based or documentary-style concepts. To manage the workload, I built detailed production timelines and content calendars that allowed me to stay ahead of the process and avoid last-minute compromises.

This structure made it possible to move quickly while maintaining a consistent level of quality - a skill that’s remained critical in fast-moving social environments.

Creative Strategy

Balancing Proven Formats with Original Ideas

BuzzFeed had well-established patterns for what performed, particularly in fashion and beauty. But audience fatigue was a real risk. I learned to balance proven formats with more original concepts that felt fresh and surprising.

One example was a video profiling a sneaker customization shop I discovered online (featured above). The video generated 2.5M views, standing out thanks to:

• Immediate visual curiosity (customization + reveal)

• A clear promise upfront

• Strong pacing and visual storytelling

That balance between familiarity and novelty became one of my strongest creative takeaways.

Distribution & Optimization

Earning Attention Early

In a feed-driven environment, attention is everything. I became very intentional about titles, thumbnails, and opening hooks - designing every video to clearly communicate why someone should keep watching within the first 10–15 seconds.

This discipline around framing and pacing became second nature and continues to inform how I approach social content today.

Results

Performance at Scale

• 60M+ views across platforms

• Individual videos reaching millions of views

• Consistent weekly output across BuzzFeed’s channels

More importantly, the experience provided a deep, hands-on understanding of what earns attention - and what causes audiences to tune out.