[Swing jazz music]
[Niko:] Is it time?
[Sam:] It's finally time
[Niko:] Here we go
[Sam:] Today's a big day
because in February of 2011 we started this little channel called
"Sam and Niko"
Featuring yours truly and his truly
but you know what, it's been a few years and since then
The team has grown
It's not really about us anymore. It's about everyone here. It's about the whole crew.
[Niko:] That's right we have a whole film crew here
Whole group of people that help us make our videos
and run a YouTube channel unlike any other YouTube channel on YouTube
and it's been quite an adventure, and it's time that we reflect that in the channels name
[Sam:] Exactly
The stories here that you see every day, it's...
You know, we're part of them, but everyone here is telling it you know
This is not like a crew in terms of like, just a group of friends
But it's also a crew as far as being creative partners and collaborators
and working on content, and each other's ideas
[Niko:] So the videos are gonna stay the same, the same great videos that you know and love
[Sam:] And also I mean the banner picture looks pretty cool and we all look kind of badass. So...
I mean...
If you've been watching since 2011, you know the whole story of the channel already
But if you haven't, it's kind of interesting actually
It actually all started with Niko and myself just editing together
VFX breakdowns of our videos together
I still find it a little interesting every once in a while, to go back and check them out
Because that was when like, literally the Sam and Niko channel was the two of us filming videos together
Actually you know what?
Here's the-- here's the crazy thing
Every single person working together here in the studio right now
We've known each other for years through the weirdest...
weirdest ways
I don't know if you guys knew this, but actually
we first started working with Wren officially as he filmed behind the scenes for us
[Wren:] Back in the day, I was in college and I was like into YouTube and stuff
and the coolest channels - FreddieW and Corridor Digital
and I was doing my own visual effects at the time. And so they knew who I was
Niko knew who I was
So I was like hey, I'm in town
Everyone just happened to be outside at the time, and I was like there...
So what funny is that, Niko's like
"Sweet! See you there!"
but turns out Niko is in Minnesota at the time when he tweeted that back to me
[Laughs]
So I show up and uh...
the only person who knew I was gonna be there was Henry, from Minute Physics
I moved down to LA like, two months after that, and I worked on Sync
and then uh, they hired me to do behind the scenes
[Off screen Sam:] He was our first, you know experience, working with an editor
to kind of create vlog like stories
Then...the next great leap happened on the set of - Shadow of Mordor
Carmichael basically started joining the team
[Carmichael:] I worked at Star Citizen as their main behind-the-scenes person
RSVP to VHS season 2 premiere
where I met Sam and Niko, my good friend Spencer
Jake got me to work at Corridor here and there part-time
just sweeping floors, mopping floors, helping with shirts
[Sam:] Suddenly realize - wait a second, you know this dude edits...
[Carmichael:] Then I got offered by Jake to work for a week in Utah on the Shadow of Mordor
I did it. I came back. I got fired for doing it
Jake gave me a full-time job ever since
[Off screen Sam:] That was when Jake had that realization that like
Wait a second, these videos don't just need to be behind the scenes to be interesting!
We can tell stories that are
more than just the ones surrounding the content on the Corridor channel that we make
So it's really Carmichael and Jake that kind of helped us take that big push forward
With...
The help of Nick
We've known it for a long time actually too. 2011 when we first started our YouTube channel ah...
He actually helped shoot-- he shot half of our Minecraft video
[Nick:] I was mutual Facebook friends with, I think Niko, through Brett Driver
He like, posted a status back when people did that, saying
"Hey, we need a camera for this video we're shooting"
but I responded like, "Hey, I have a Canon 7D"
They're like cool bring it down
Yeah, it was the Minecraft video
[Off screen Carmichael:] Ohhh...
[Nick:] Oh.. No!
[Clap and Laughing]
I think I helped on Clock Blockers as well on camera
I didn't work with Sam and Niko during film school for about, two more years after that
Niko called me up for Snapper Hero to do editing, and then...
helped Carmichael once he started the vlogs. Then started doing it full-time
[Off screen Sam:] Christian was like the first person Jake met when he moved to Los Angeles
Or something like that
[Christian:] So when I first moved to LA
Jake was moving into the same complex. We became friends instantly, by being neighbors
He told me about this YouTube channel he was running with his friends
I ended up PA-ing on Gravity Gun and Rayman
and I actually production managed the Black Flag - Assassins Creed video
To help build this studio and build the sound room
I guess that's five or six years later. I'm here full time and
helping run all the brand stuff and producing all the videos
so, you know kind of came full circle
[Off screen Sam:] Adrian, straight up, was our Arch-nemesis in film competitions
on the internet before we met him in real life
[Adrian:] Yeah, I beat them every single time I entered any film competition
[Sam:] Like I was entering all these film contests and stuff
and I was seeing these other videos that were being entered to it that were just totally blowing ours away
(Whispers) I was like, "Who is this guy?"
[Adrian:] I think I hit up Sam-- I think he was having a wedding or something and I said
"Hey congratulations" and the Sam's like "Hey, do you want to meet up for lunch?"
I'm like "Yeah, sure - lets meet up for lunch"
Then we sat down and we actually got along really well and we had a lot of things in common
and then they were like, "Hey...
"...do you want to direct this Division series?"
No brainer. Hell yeah, and then from there they asked me to DP Battlefield Rush
and they they asked me to DP Lifeline
and every time we worked on projects together, we just had a really great time
[Off screen Sam:] Okay, so Gabe... I'd
Actually-- wait. I don't know his story
[Gabe:] My origin stories pretty simple
I worked on Snapper Hero. I walk into that door, and I was like
Wait...
I know this place
Started freaking out
Inside...trying to keep it cool
[Off screen Sam:] Clint--
I video chatted with Clint back in like, 2011 too, before he even moved to Los Angeles
because he wanted a recommendation on what camera to buy, to shoot videos with
He was on skype with Freddy and we're all just like, talking about like, DSLR's and stuff
way back in the day.
Crazy to think though how like, everyone here actually has
years of history despite all joining the team at different times, at different places
you know under different circumstances
The fact that we've been able to develop these relationships with all you guys and...
everyone in the studio here over the last few years, really...
Demonstrates the strength of this team
and it's something, more than any other video I've been working on...
I'm most proud of
So even though it might seem like a humongous deal that
we have changed the channel name and art and all this stuff
For us, as you've heard, it's one of the most natural steps we've ever done
[Niko:] So consider subscribing, if you haven't already
and stay tuned for a bunch more great Corridor content for the rest of the year
It's gonna be a good one
[Sam:] Do we-- do we?
Do we just call it Corridor content in general?
Or is it separate?
[Off screen Nick:] Crew-tent? Crew-tons?
[Sam:] Crew-tons
[Giggles]
Oh wait!
[Off screen Nick:] Is that what our fan base is called?
[Sam:] We're gonna call them the Crew-tons!
[Laughing]
[Niko:] Crew-tons
That's the worst idea ever heard--
[Off screen Nick:] Crew-tons!
[Sam:] Crew-tons
[Niko:] Guys stay tuned for the rest of the year as we come up with the great
names to call the people that watch this channel
[Sam:] Crew-tons
[Laughing]