Superwog, Eddie Woo among YouTubers inducted into film and sound archive

YouTube's cultural footprint recognised as Australian creators enter NFSA collection In short: Ten YouTube channels will be inducted into the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA). Inductees include mathematician Eddie Woo, musician Tash Sultana and independent animation studio GLITCH. What's next? The YouTubers will be celebrated at Parliament House for their cultural contribution. Together, these Youtubers have racked up more than 36 billion views and boast 84 million subscribers worldwide. Now they're being immortalised for their contribution to Australia’s cultural heritage. For the first time, 10 content creators have been inducted into the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) in a partnership with YouTube. Among the inductees to be recognised at a Parliament House event on Monday are mathematician Eddie Woo, musician Tash Sultana and independent animation studio GLITCH. ⬇️Jump to see the full list of creators⬇️ Woo, a teacher whose YouTube maths lessons went viral back in 2012, said the induction was "really quite bizarre, but wonderful". "It feels completely surreal to be part of the historical cultural collection that the National Film and Sound Archive is," he said. "I grew up in Australia at a time where … I internalised that I was not Australian, despite the fact that this is where I was born and raised and this is the only place I have ever lived or known. "Being part of the National Film and Sound Archive — as someone who has taken a long time to appreciate and own my own identity as an Australian — just feels like an absolute privilege that no-one necessarily deserves, but I feel extremely honoured by." Vlogger Wengie (aka Wendy Ayche) never imagined herself entering the annals of Australian history this way either. The Chinese-Australian grew up consuming Dolly and Girlfriend magazines that she said did not tend to reflect her own identity or features. Instead she turned to YouTube, dispensing makeup tips and DIY hacks of her own. "I would have never imagined me being part of an Australian collection, because even though I'm Australian, when you look different, it’s hard to feel that way sometimes," Ayche said. "I think it's a great testament to our diversity and our acceptance of different people and what Australians look like." She joked that future viewers could be a little confused by some of her videos. "I'm imagining maybe future generations looking at this and going, 'Wow wasn't culture weird back then?'" Ayche said. Loading...Preserving the whole 'cultural wrapper' NFSA estimates 91 per cent of Australian adults use an online platform to watch video content weekly. None are more dominant than YouTube, NFSA chief executive Patrick McIntyre said. But he also understands some may still be catching up to its cultural impact — and just how radically it has changed the game. "A couple of generations ago, if you wanted to make it big, you had to move to LA or you had to get a record deal. Or you had to get funding to produce a TV series that might take years to make," he said. "Now people with a story to tell can do it their way and still reach audiences of millions. "[YouTube] is not only helping to shape and explore Australian culture of now, but the majority of these creators' views are overseas, so it's actually a major cultural export too." The archive has been collecting individual YouTube videos since 2013, but Mr McIntyre said this capsule would preserve each channel's "cultural wrapper" too. That means oral histories, fandom content and, in the case of the Outback Boys, budgie smugglers. "It was really important for us to collect all of that platform activity — the likes, the shares, the comments — because that is really part of the cultural impact of the videos themselves," Mr McIntyre said. It is also a sign of how the archive has adapted. "The iPhone came out 20 years ago and now robots have hit singles on Spotify," Mr McIntyre said. "You just can't wait a generation to decide what's culturally significant or not. "We've really got to be much more dynamic and responsive to culture as it's happening." Here are the YouTube channels selected: Beau Miles Read moreBeau Miles is an adventure blogger who turns self-imposed challenges into gripping cinematic quests. One video follows his 90-kilometre walk to work, while another sees him plant 1,440 trees in a single day. He has 871,000 subscribers and 95 million views. Bounce Patrol Read moreBounce Patrol's YouTube channel launched 13 years ago. Led by Shannon Jones, the group brings children multilingual and multicultural stories. Bounce Patrol has 34 million subscribers and 28.4 billion views. Eddie Woo Read moreIn 2012, Woo started recording his maths lessons and posting them to YouTube. Kids at his high school started sharing them, other students started watching them, and he found himself with a global audience. Woo has 2 million subscribers and 188.8 million views. GLITCH Read moreIn 2017, Thai-Australian brothers Kevin and Luke Lerdwichagul co-founded GLITCH Productions. Their online pilots for Murder Drones and The Amazing Digital Circus grew into global phenomena, establishing GLITCH as a leader in stylised 3D animation. Their independent animation studio now employs more than 100 people worldwide. GLITCH has 23.3 million subscribers and 3.9 billion views. Mighty Car Mods Read moreMighty Car Mods is an automotive series created by friends Marty and Moog. The pair started filming videos on Marty's mum's driveway in 2007 and have continued to show viewers automotive projects they can do at home. Mighty Car Mods has 3.9 million subscribers and 963.8 million views. Natalie Tran Read moreNatalie Tran started YouTubing in the early days of the platform. Since 2006 she has turned everyday awkwardness into a kind of cultural currency and, in 2009, the Vietnamese-Australian comedian was Australia's most subscribed-to YouTuber. Tran has 1.75 million subscribers and 178.8 million views. Outback Boys Read moreIn videos filmed across Arnhem Land, Outback Boys invites audiences into a world rarely seen on screen. Jerome Lilypiyana, Chico Wanybarrnga, Dino Wanybarrnga and Joseph Smith work with co-creator Steve Crombie to document hunting trips, bushcraft and life on country through unscripted adventures, with Djambarrpuyŋu spoken throughout. The group has 333,000 subscribers and 61.9 million views. Superwog Read moreGreek-Egyptian brothers Theodore and Nathan Saidden, better known as superwog1, turned family politics into unlikely comedy. Starting nearly two decades ago, the brothers created one of Australia's earliest scripted YouTube series, eventually emerging as filmmakers and producers. The duo has 3.7 million subscribers and 560.7 million views. Tash Sultana Read moreTash Sultana's story began with a seven-minute performance of Jungle posted on YouTube. Within days the Australian had notched up more than a million views. Sultana, who went from being a busker to an international act, has 1.3 million subscribers and 424.4 million views. Wengie Read moreWengie, better known as Wendy Ayche, has a vibrant brand that's instantly recognisable to her millions of fans. The Chinese-Australian creator moves between beauty tutorials, music, gaming and more. She's also garnered fame for voicing Bliss in The Powerpuff Girls: Power of Four for Australian and New Zealand audiences. Wengie has 13.2 million subscribers and 1.9 billion views.