The Untold Truth Of LazarBeam
Video creators these days have to be versatile. They have to be good at pretty much everything. That means not just filming the content, but doing research, writing scripts, and producing the end product, too. And they have to be willing to adapt. What got them popular might not necessarily be what helps them reach the next level. So they have to be open to doing new things in order to chase those eyeballs.
Such is the story of LazarBeam, an Australian YouTuber who had no idea he'd someday have millions of YouTube subscribers, but has been amazingly adept at forging a career on the platform.
The rise of LazarBeam, also known as Lannan Eacott, is the tale of a young kid who stumbled upon what would ultimately become his full-time job while doing something else entirely. A look at an eventual YouTube star who made his name in large part thanks to the NFL, which doesn't even play in Australia.
But most of all, it's a dive into who LazarBeam is: a good-humored, self-aware guy who gets to do what he loves every day and appreciates those who tune in to watch.
This is the untold truth of LazarBeam.
He dropped out of school when he was 15
Some streamers and YouTube creators, like Ninja, note that they remained in school while getting into content creation. It's a sort of backstop to failure, in that regard — a way to keep future plans wide open in case the whole content thing doesn't work out.
LazarBeam, however, didn't take that path. He wasn't even looking at becoming a YouTuber early on. He dropped out of school at 15 years old and then had to figure out what came next.
That "next step" turned out to be construction work. LazarBeam toiled in the sun on hot days and braved the winds on cold days, doing manual labor that was in no way his passion. But if there's anything good he can take away from his time working in the construction industry, it's that some goofing around on the job eventually gave him a taste of what he really enjoyed doing the most.
And that was, of course, creating YouTube videos.
His first YouTube videos were of slow-motion destruction
LazarBeam's early YouTube efforts didn't have anything to do with video games at all. There was no commentary about a game he was playing. He wasn't even really the star of many of them. Instead, he made the best of a not-so-ideal situation and found ways to make entertaining content while at work.
Work in this instance was construction. And the main characters in LazarBeam's videos were enormous pieces of construction equipment and the everyday items they crushed.
That's right. Before his YouTube channel skyrocketed to success, LazarBeam got his kicks by uploading slow-motion videos of things being destroyed by construction vehicles. He ran over computers with bulldozers. He shattered Christmas tree balls with a wood chipper. The channel was called CrushSlash, and according to LazarBeam, it was essentially an Australian knock-off of Slow Mo Guys.
"Basically just me and my bro doing illegal sh-t in construction machinery," he said. "Would still do it if camera gear didn't get stolen."
Fortunately, he's moved on to less destructive content.
He grew on YouTube by making Madden Challenge videos
This might come as a surprise to you — though it shouldn't, as the NFL has fans worldwide — but LazarBeam is a fan of American football. In fact, he's a self-proclaimed fan of the New England Patriots. Growing up, LazarBeam saw an episode of Family Guy in which Tom Brady made a cameo appearance. When he started getting into Madden, Tom Brady was the only player he knew. He started using the Patriots and, over time, grew to become a fan of the team.
And speaking of Madden, that series of football games helped LazarBeam's YouTube channel get started.
LazarBeam uploaded dozens of popular "challenge" videos that turned the idea of strategic play on its ear. He pitted a team of giants against a team of tiny players. He tried to get quarterback Aaron Rodgers to catch a hail mary. And he tried to simulate huge plays from real NFL games, such as DeSean Jackson's walk-off punt return touchdown against the New York Giants in 2010.
His Madden videos gave LazarBeam a chance to grow. Eventually, though, he pivoted.
He jokingly likes to call himself a sellout
LazarBeam's channel has blown up in a big way recently. But it's not because he's kept at his wild and wacky Madden challenges. Madden is certainly a popular game, but it's not always conducive to great YouTube content. There's a ceiling there in terms of audience, which left LazarBeam with a choice to make: he could either stick to his Madden videos, or play games that bring in more viewers.
He chose to widen his reach by playing some different games. And it should come as no surprise that one of the games he chose was Fortnite.
Not everyone was a fan of this move, of course. Some accused him of selling out to get more eyeballs on his YouTube channel. And LazarBeam eventually adopted that nickname for himself. In one instance, he lamented the fact that he wants to swear but he's a "sellout" and his "family-friendly content makes more money." His community has taken to calling him a sellout in jest, too, with several Urban Dictionary entries referencing what a great streamer he is while also calling him a sellout.
He unfortunately shares his name with a company that makes bed support beams
Most of us have a Google nemesis that we face off with. Some more than others, perhaps. The John Smiths of the world will likely tell you that making a name online is impossible. Some names are too common. Some just have the unfortunate luck of sharing a name with a famous person. That's why it's helpful to do what LazarBeam did, and what many content creators do: use a nickname.
But wouldn't you know it: LazarBeam has a Google nemesis, too. And it — a company — is called Lazarbeam.
Should you fire up your Google machine and try to do a search on LazarBeam, you'll likely find his YouTube channel and subreddit sitting atop the results. But you'll also find yourself quite confused by the other results that pop up. What is all this about beds and beams? What does this have to do with the YouTube guy?
Lazarbeam, as it turns out, is also the name of a company that makes bed supports. Those are the metal beams that sit underneath your mattress and bed spring, helping keep them elevated off the ground. It's unclear whether or not LazarBeam the YouTuber was aware of Lazarbeam the company when he chose his name, but one thing's for certain: if he's Googled himself recently, he surely knows now.
Ladies: he's single
Are you a fellow YouTuber looking for your better half? How do you feel about Australian guys with a penchant for foul language? Can you look past a history of destroying computers, or worse yet, could you ever allow yourself to date a New England Patriots fan?
If none of those are dealbreakers, then there's a certain YouTube star you might be interested in. His name is LazarBeam, and he's very much single.
LazarBeam, ever the good sport, has poked fun at himself in the past for not having a girlfriend. In one post on Twitter, he wondered out loud why he was single on Valentine's Day, even as he attached a shirtless photo of himself standing in a pool full of plastic ball-pit balls. And in another, he joked about reading some fan fiction in which Muselk, another streamer, stole his girlfriend, "Even though none of it was real and I don't have a girlfriend," he said.
Here's hoping LazarBeam eventually lands his partner in crime.
He made news by contributing $10,000 to a Rooster Teeth film
Way before LazarBeam had the huge YouTube following he enjoys today, he was just starting out. First came the slow-motion videos full of crushed PCs. Then came his Madden challenge videos. Somewhere along the way, he became a fan of Rooster Teeth, the media company that became famous for its Red vs Blue series in the early 2000s.
When it came time to support Rooster Teeth in making a movie, LazarBeam didn't hesitate. He donated to the project — and he did so in a big way.
LazarBeam sent a grand total of $10,000 to fund Rooster Teeth's development of Lazer Team, a science-fiction spoof. "I make videos but I don't make movies, so that was a really crazy experience," he told Yahoo. "$10,000 well spent, definitely."
Barbara Dunkelman of Rooster Teeth found LazarBeam's donation touching, remarking on the "faith" it would take to give to the project, and the "dedication" that so many Rooster Teeth fans have to the company.