How to Craft Viral Storytelling Content with Colt Kirwan

Colt Kirwan’s Exact Process for Video Creation

This week in Creator Studio, our private Discord community, we sat down with YouTuber and filmmaker Colt Kirwan to pick his brain.

Last year, Colt went viral with his video titled I ACTUALLY Chased My DREAMS for 1 Year. This is What Happened, bringing in over 1M views.

We walked through the entire video scene-by-scene to learn how he created the video, why he chose the shots he did, and what he thinks made it go viral.

He also shared:

• How he finds inspiration for his content

• How he maps out storytelling content

• His income streams

• How he balances client work with his own channel

• How he plans to start selling physical products

Watch the full interview in Creator Studio. ⤵️

Dealing with Creator Burnout

We’re already seeing a barrage of end-of-year BS like:

The BEST creators are prepping for 2025 NOW!

If you’re not on top of your content in Q4, you’re MISSING OUT.

I know the holiday is in 2 days but can you get a video over in 48 hours?! Sorry quick turnaround!

It’s…a lot.

We’ve heard from many creators that they’re simply burnt out. The end-of-year rush isn’t helping.

If you’re also dealing with burnout, here are a few practical things you can do to recover without letting your creator business go in the meantime. (from someone who just recovered from a period of burnout)

1. Figure Out Your BAM

BAM (bare a$$ minimum).

If taking a pause isn’t an option, figure out what your BAM is. What’s the least amount of effort you can put in and still get a decent output?

Example: During a recent period of burnout, my BAM was posting voiceover/b-roll content, no talking to the camera. TTC requires far more energy for me. Editing some b-roll clips and putting a voiceover over it felt lower lift. So that was my BAM.

I also reposted old viral content (and it worked. most of it performed well.)

For you, this might mean posting less, posting more trending sound content, reposting content, reworking old content, etc.

2. Know Your Income Minimum

What do you need to make to sustain your life? Knowing this amount can help justify taking a pause on an ongoing deal, asking to postpone a campaign, or letting a client go while you recover.

Example: You make $8k/month but you realize you only need to make $6k to cover your expenses and pay yourself your desired salary. You ask a brand to postpone the $2k campaign to next month to give yourself a break.

3. Give Shorter Deep Work Periods a Try

If the show must go on, try deep work sessions.

Deep work session = distraction-free concentration; allows your brain to “lock in” and work at its maximum potential for a set period of time

Deep work has been shows to increase productivity by up to 500%. In theory, this means you can get a task done around 5x faster by doing it during a period of deep work.

I implemented this approach during my burnout period and still use it today. What used to take me 40 hours/week takes me 25-30 now, simply by doing more of my work during deep work periods.

4. Take a Pause on New Year Planning

Unless you have something that absolutely must get done now, sitting down to prep 2025 content isn’t necessary. It won’t make or break your business.

We’re going to see a lot of “the best creators start prepping for the new year now!” content. Cut through the noise. It’s not that deep.

If you’re burnt out and need time to rest, take it.

TikTok Ban Update

According to Forbes, a federal court is expected to rule this Friday on whether to uphold the TikTok ban. It’s unclear what will happen. There haven’t been any signs that it’s going one way or the other.

We’ll keep you posted in next week’s newsletter with what happens. 🤞🏻

Quick Links

☕️ $8k/month UGC retainer with a coffee company.

🎵 How to improve your TikTok SEO to grow your account.

👀 How this LinkedIn influencer landed $8k for 1 UGC deal.

📸 Instagram launches new story feature.

📈 TikTok employee shares insider growth tips.

See ya next week,

Karat