Influencer
Joseph Debenedictis On The Journey To A Diverse Career In Comedy
Working as a video editor long before TikTok and Instagram existed, Joseph Debenedictis is a comedian and Canadian influencer who found his way to fame after over 20 years of content creation.
Endless trial and error have paved the way for unforeseen opportunities and unique content formats. This process has cultivated a distinctive influencer personality, seamlessly blending personal branding with comedy to create an engaging and memorable presence that’s easy to follow and interact with.
From cultural comparisons and food reviews to stand-up comedy, and imaginative skits, Joseph’s passion, work experience, and cinematic interests paved a versatile creative career for him. Read along as we interview Joseph and learn more about his journey as a full-time video editor turned content creator.
Who Is Joseph Debenedictis Off Camera?
“I think I’m exactly who my audience expects me to be, and I share much of who I am as an individual on social media. From Day in the Life videos to random unscripted moments of my day, I have a highly engaged community of followers.”
“I work as a professional video editor, graduated from Ryerson Toronto Metropolitan University’s TV and Radio Media Course, and have long known that video production and cinematic work is what I wanted to spend most my time doing.”
How Did It All Start?
“Nothing necessarily started, things just evolved to become what they are today of professionalism, specialty, and skill. My journey creating videos goes way back, longer than I can remember since the old video film camera was a hit.”
“I started a few projects since then, sold some shows, landed cool jobs, and here I am today the food and culture comparison guy.”
Joseph adds, “Canadians might even recognize me from the Wee show that aired on Rogers TV, one of my early projects.”
With a relentless work ethic, Joseph has been putting out content for over 20 years today and is just now starting to gain mass recognition for his creative efforts.”
What is Your Niche As a Creator?
“Well, I’m not too sure under which niche my content will fall, but originally much of the traction and viral videos were the America Vs. Canada videos.”
“However, through doing what I love most, I discovered that you don’t need a niche to be successful, instead creators can find a balance between what’s in-demand, and what they find fun to make.”
He explains, “While what I create is subject to change, my audience generally follows me for one or multiple of these content formats:”
Joseph’s Different Content Formats
Stand-up & Skits
“Comedy is the essence of it all, no matter what video format I’m creating there’s going to be a comedic side to it. Whether the voiceover, plot of the story, or characters played a comedic take adds depth to all my videos.”
Food Reviews
“Food reviews came along as part of the Canadian Vs American comparisons just because I love food, and am always trying something new.”
“By far the most profitable and effective content I make, food reviews have an instant impact on businesses. I’ve seen massive line-ups and crowds forming at local restaurants, from one of my first videos.”
Cultural Comparisons
“This format was my golden token to online success. Why it was such a hit is still a mystery to me, but after endless attempts at viral content, I learned that you never know what’s going to click.”
Joseph adds, “This format falls more on the long-form side of things, but recycling long-form into short-form content allows me to make the most out of every video.”
What Are Some Things You Learned The Hardway Through This Journey?
“I think the most difficult part of what I do, or the hardest thing to learn was that people don’t necessarily like what I like. Sometimes you’re super passionate and inspired with what you put out just to see that it doesn’t get that much traction.”
But, there isn’t a straightforward method for getting past this challenge. There is no mental strategy to become comfortable with underperforming videos, but it’s just something creators need to take into account.
“I believe that comedians and creators alike should be open to criticism, and always work to improve. Something only you like as a creator won’t help you turn passion into profit.”
What Does The Creative Process Look Like For You?
“To be honest with you, I have no standard procedure that I follow. The best of Ideas come randomly.”
“I’ve been doing this for so long that it doesn’t need to be planned anymore. Ideas are evoked by real-life situations and then elaborated upon to make sense based on what interests my audience.”
What Are The Highest Of Highs You Wish to Achieve?
“I’ve always wanted to have my own show. I’m currently working as an editor for the Food Network and had the opportunity to sell some of my written pieces to big TV networks, so the next project I invest in will be coming from experience.”
Joseph explains that his content creation journey and previous attempts at show launches put him in a place of qualification to launch a hit piece in the future.
He adds. “Just like I worked tirelessly to reach where I am today in the online space and sold some of my shows to massive networks, this goal will also come around.”
How Profitable Is Not Having A Niche?
Joseph tells us, “At the moment quite profitable as I get lots of food brand deals, some of the most notable companies I’ve worked with include Smuckers, Kraft, and Food Basics one of the mega grocery store chains in Canada.”
“The best part is, that I can see the positive effect it has on businesses, one of my first deals had the restaurant packed.”
He explains that even local governments have recognized his efforts inviting him to several campaigns. He tells us “I get approached by municipality officials to promote towns in an indirect way.”
“They saw how crowded some of the businesses were after a visit, and wanted to leverage the exposure to promote tourism for their community.”
Joseph explains that tourism promo and working alongside government campaigns is never done in a direct sleazy manner. He tells us, “I basically get invited and paid to do my standard formats of video content while mentioning what people can do in the specific community with the goal of encouraging tourism.”
What Tips of Advice Do You Have For Aspiring Creators?
Persistence and Constantly Posting
“This may seem like a very basic answer, but I noticed that as soon as I took a few week’s gap from content creation, it’s like the algorithm was reset all over again.”
“So initially all my efforts and strategies would have gone unnoticed if it wasn’t for being persistent and posting what I think is good regardless of engagement.”
Invest In Learning To Edit or Hire A Good Editor
“Video content creation is visual storytelling, some creators will have the brightest ideas and stories, but when translated into video much of the value and impact is lost.”
“From transitions to the best angles and the overall flow of things, I think that the pace and deliverance of the video is even more important than its context from a performance perspective.”
