17 Things You Never Knew About Being A Virtual Reality Content Creator

A green screen is your best friend.

Imagine having the ability to transport yourself anywhere around the world with the click of a button. You could easily be kayaking with dolphins in Costa Rica, racing against a Porsche on a racetrack in Japan, or even flung into a futuristic version of the United States.

PlayStation

Sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, right? Well, thanks to developments in virtual reality (VR) gaming and the advent of headsets like the PlayStation VR2, this is all possible to experience without leaving the comfort of your living room.

PlayStation

Now, more than ever, people are choosing to dive into the world of virtual reality and have immersive gaming experiences — which has seen VR games like Beat Saber and Half-Life: Alyx soar in popularity.

YouTube: Naysy / Via youtube.com

To find out more about virtual reality and the life of a gaming content creator, BuzzFeed chatted to Naysy, who is one of Australia's biggest VR creators. Here's everything we learned.

Instagram: @naysy

1. For starters, virtual reality is not a gimmick or novelty — it's an evolved form of gaming.

Instagram: @naysy

This is exactly one of the stereotypes that Naysy aims to debunk with her content because, to her, this is what the future of gaming looks like. Naysy believes that with a lot of current video games, the only thing that could be improved is better graphics. But with VR, there are a lot of new and exciting developments aimed at immersive gameplay (like wearing a haptic vest that provides physical feedback).

2. And it's the disconnection from the outside world that virtual reality provides which can make it feel so meditative for some.

Beat Games

While being stressed and dealing with some bad online harassment, Naysy discovered Beat Saber — a rhythm-based VR game where you slice blocks in time to the music. The disconnection from her phone and the outside world allowed her to zone out and focus on just having fun while playing the game. 

"There would be days when I would feel terrible, but then I would play some Beat Saber and feel a lot better afterward. I started to recognise that and started to play as often as I can, which, in turn, made me better at the game. If you're having any kind of anxiety or depression, it can be so hard to go out and exercise. But if you can do something easy at home that you can enjoy, like Beat Saber for me, it kind of removes that hurdle of going to the gym. You can instead go to your living room and pick up this thing and start dancing around. That's what I really enjoy about it and why I recommend it."

3. Your setup is one of the most important things in your arsenal — and it can be a constant work in progress that you're always perfecting.

YouTube: Naysy / Via youtube.com

For example, in Naysy's home workspace, she created her own version of a green screen studio. It started off as green fabric on the wall, with green foam tiles being added later. Then, one day, she took the plunge and painted the walls green, and added soundproofing. This all means that when she's recording her virtual reality content, she's easily able to insert herself into the game she's playing.

In addition to this, Naysy also has another background setup for recording general YouTube videos when she's talking to the camera.

4. For capturing virtual reality footage, creators will normally have a multi-camera setup that's used in conjunction with other software.

YouTube: Naysy / Via youtube.com

For Naysy's VR gaming videos, she uses what's called a mixed-reality setup, which makes it look like she's actually in the game. She opts for this method of content creation as she believes people can better understand the level of immersion virtual reality offers when they can see someone actually in-game as opposed to just seeing their point of view.

To achieve this, Naysy uses a camera that's pinned to her studio wall that captures her IRL movements. Then, she uses software called LIV, which accesses her camera and enables her to appear in whatever game she's playing. Beforehand, Naysy will calibrate everything — like the dimensions of the space she's playing in, where the controllers are, etc. — to sync it up with the software. According to Naysy, it took a long time to learn how to do this, but the end result is totally worth it.

5. Filming a video isn't easy or quick. Depending on the concept, it can take months from the conception of the idea to editing and then publishing it.

Instagram: @naysy

Naysy explains that a video reviewing VR headsets and new games may take a couple of days, but for a challenge-based video where the audience would want to see some sort of progress or result — those could easily take a couple of months. It's not as simple as hitting the record button on the camera either — you have to think about your script, and how you're going to film, as well as new, fun and creative ideas that will engage your audience.

6. And a typical day can mean that you're juggling both filming and editing videos, as well as streaming.

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Naysy loves streaming though as it gives her a chance to hang out and interact with her audience.

7. Content creators often rely on multiple revenue streams.

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Naysy says her income is made up of YouTube ad revenue, Twitch revenue (which involves subscriptions), affiliate revenue from Amazon and brand sponsorship and promotion.

8. A high number of subscribers doesn't always translate to a constant or high source of income.

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According to Naysy, there was a long period of time when she was living paycheck to paycheck. People thought she was living the high life when in reality she was struggling to pay her bills! Over time, she was able to grow her brand and start earning more — but it's a lesson to those on the outside who may think that content creation is an easy job. It takes hard work and determination! 

9. Making the transition to a full-time content creator is one of the scariest decisions you'll ever make.

Instagram: @naysy

Before making the plunge, Naysy was working part-time for Hipster Whale, an Australian video game developer that made the hugely successful Crossy Road. Although Naysy had dabbled in streaming previously, she didn't take it seriously until her audience began to grow. So, she made the decision to become a full-time content creator and even moved in with her parents for a little while during that transition. "This kind of career is definitely not the most secure, but you kind of have to be crazy about it and love it," Naysy explains.

10. Being your own boss is great, but having a routine is key to ensuring that you're on track with your deadlines.

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Like someone working a regular 9-5, content creators have good weeks and bad weeks — but sticking to a routine does help outweigh the good from the bad. Whether that's releasing a video every week or streaming at particular times, Naysy says that her routine and discipline are what stops her from sitting on the couch all day — and even then, that's something she had to work on over time.

11. When it comes to VR games, it's a practice-makes-perfect kind of thing.

@naysy_vr

This song haunts me in reality…#vr #beatsaber

♬ Rush E - Sheet Music Boss

Naysy admits that it can take a hot minute to get used to virtual reality gameplay, but the key for her was losing herself in the game and not overthinking it — which makes the entire experience more meditative. That's exactly what she does when playing Beat Saber, which inspired Naysy to start making virtual reality gaming content in the first place. "I fell completely in love, so I was playing it every day. Then, I got excited about making videos within the game and practiced more."

12. And building up confidence is all part of the process.

YouTube: Naysy / Via youtube.com

If you scroll through Naysy's content, you'll see that a large majority of her VR gaming videos feature her dancing to music while playing Beat Saber. It's a really relaxed and carefree vibe, so when I asked if Naysy was always this confident in her earlier videos she said, "I'm actually quite introverted, so a lot of my content is pushing me out of my shell. But I kind of like that — the more I push myself out of my comfort zone, the more confident I become. It is scary to put yourself out there and it takes time to build confidence, but I'm just having fun and enjoying myself through dancing on Beat Saber. When you're having fun, it doesn't matter about your score and if people hate on that, well, that's their problem."

13. Learning how to navigate the industry is tough at first, but other creators in the VR space are incredibly supportive of each other.

Instagram: @naysy

Naysy admits that becoming a VR content creator has been a "big learning process". Luckily, there's a supportive and friendly atmosphere in the industry because all the creators are passionate about putting virtual reality gaming on the map. Since it's still picking up steam, there is a lot of information sharing — including from Naysy herself, who regularly uploads tutorials and guides on her YouTube channel so that more people can test out VR for themselves.

14. Differentiating yourself from other content creators will make you stand out from the crowd.

YouTube: Naysy / Via youtube.com

Being a band geek in school who also did Irish dancing, Naysy thought to incorporate herself dancing in VR games to add something different — and now it's part of her gaming signature.

15. The VR community is responsible for creating some fantastic modifications that enhance gameplay and how creators can interact with fans.

YouTube: Naysy / Via youtube.com

For example, people have created mods that enable Naysy to reach her Twitch app in-game, meaning that she can more easily respond to fans while streaming. Or, if people donate while she streams, there's a mod that makes the blocks in Beat Saber go all glittery. 

It all goes back to that culture of information sharing in the VR community, which is so awesome!

16. But like with any gaming community, there are good eggs and bag eggs — and content creators just need to focus on the good ones.

Instagram: @naysy / Via instagram.com

"I guess it's what happens when you put yourself online...it's one of those things you do get used to. Some days it does wear you down a little, but the VR community itself has been really amazing."

17. Because at the end of the day, it's about focusing on the positive impacts of your content.

Instagram: @naysy

"I love that I get lots of messages from older women, like mums or grandparents or even those who say like, 'Oh, you got me into VR. Like, this is amazing. I've never played games.' Or their kid has it and they give it a go and get into it. That's what makes me excited — VR gaming is getting bigger and better."

Thanks for chatting with BuzzFeed, Naysy!

You can follow Naysy on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Twitter.

Need more TV show, movie, anime and gaming recommendations? Check out Press Play, a new column dedicated to reviewing the latest releases, uncovering hidden gems and solving the age-old question of "What do I stream?" (before your food gets cold).