Spooky Brilliance: Paige McKenzie/The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Network. ARTICLE/INTERIEW.

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I got to do something a little different with this interview, I got to look at filmmaking and directing from a different perspective and talk to Paige McKenzie creator of The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Network. This network is a widely known YouTube sensation based on the subject of the paranormal. Now what Paige does really interest me, she has been creating something we’ve all seen yet made it her own, added originality as well as online entertainment to a well-known genre.
 
With this interview I first started off with asking Paige why, why this, what was her inspiration: “I just really wanted to create something fun and different and something my mom and I could work on together. So a channel on YouTube was a perfect fit! And everyone loves a good ghost story! I uploaded my first video on 12/10/2010! That first day I uploaded a few just to get the party started! There have been over 900 videos uploaded since that day! Some are my own haunting videos, some are the 2 shows I produce - Zombie Ridge and Quest for Bigfoot and some are videos and playlists that other content creators and fans have sent to me!”
With so many videos uploaded and Sunshine Girl still giving up spooks and entertainment, what one was Paige’s most prized, what single video was she most proud of? “I don't know that I have any I am most proud of! I do have a few faves though. One is "The Investigation" because I think it is really funny and creepy!  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkak90PHpvA I also really like Movie Night! I crack myself up!”
Being a YouTube sensation, constantly filming and uploading, as well as other projects and general living I asked Paige about her process. “I don't really have a process, it is more whatever is happening in my life (how busy I am, how often I go to LA, etc) that dictates what I can do. My channel is an odd combo of "reality show" and storyline. Very different than most channels on YT.  Once you start a YT channel you sort of have to "feed the beast" and KEEP creating content. There are only so many haunted videos I can produce to that is why I have added content like Random Video Monday and Movie Night. Plus, communicating with the fans is a big part of success on YT so videos like Comment Time are easy way to produce that sort of fun interaction”.
Constantly creating videos is both fun and busy work and Sunshine Girl Network has never left an audience bored, surprisingly though we still have even more to look forward to regarding the future of Sunshine Girl. “The future is VERY bright for all things Sunshine! I can say I have a deal in place with Dark Horse Comics for a comic of The Haunting of Sunshine Girl. I also have a few other cool things coming down the pike that I can't announce yet but let’s just say the Sunshine Universe is expanding!  I also just got funding for my 2nd full-length feature film. This one will be a very traditional ghost story but with a twist. Oh, and it is set in the 80's! I will be shooting that later this month for a summer release!”
Now this interview, I have not rambled about my over described views because I think Paige said it all within her answers. This is a YouTube Channel and creative type that I find myself largely respecting, filming never stops, the entertainment grows and even though a lot of the videos include a good spook or two, there is no fear with The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Network or Paige, she creates what she loves because she loves it as well as doing it because she loves her audience. Paige continues to create what she wants and does it brilliantly, this is a good case of how sharing your work online can get you 89,978+ fans that enjoy your work beyond just watching it.
And of course to end this interview, like I have done all the rest, here are some words of advice from the brilliant, talented and hardworking Paige McKenzie: “I always wonder first - why do you want to be on YouTube? If it is because you think it would be cool to have internet "fame" or attention, skip it! YT is a terrible way to get any sort of fame. There are millions of videos of cute, funny, smart people being uploaded every day. It is almost impossible to stand out. However, if you want to create content because you think it would be fun or your have something to share, like I did- go for it! My few bits of advice: Look and see what is being searched for on YT, what content are people wanting to watch? Beyond what is being looked for, do videos that you are passionate about. If you don't care about what you are filming, no one else will either. Be prepared to work hard a create a lot of content! Make sure your videos are interesting, consist and short!  And be prepared for trolls. People can be very cruel on the internet and you have to have very thick skin! But if you can do all that, and have fun while doing it, you are golden! And hopefully you will find some loyal, awesome fans Like I have to join you in all the fun!”
Go to The Haunting of Sunshine Girl Network NOW! For great scares, laughs, friends and inspiration: http://www.youtube.com/user/hauntedsunshinegirl?feature=watch
 
VF.

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