About Me

I specialize in deep and long-form social media content, creating meaningful videos—mostly non-fiction—as well as innovative formats such as interactive experiences. While my main objective is to focus on hosting and presenting documentaries, I also create videos from existing footage for companies. A key part of resonating with audiences is addressing strategy and branding, which requires studying and effectively communicating the core identity of an organization. Additionally, I manage innovation projects for media and production companies, helping them transform and adapt to the digital space.

My Story in Short

I am Swiss, and before working in digital media, I started as a blue-collar worker. It took a long and difficult journey for me to reach university and graduate. Surpassing my own expectations, I realized that progress is not measured by where you stand, but by your capacity to learn. This realization led me to a career shift and an ambitious goal—to become a video host and creator, my childhood dream. I believe this unique journey is something I bring to my collaborations, setting me apart with confidence.

My Full Journey

My experience hasn’t been a conventional one. As a teenager in the 2000s, I created an anime video streaming blog on my own, which became highly successful for a time—my first breakthrough in the digital media space. But school wasn’t working for me, and at 15, I had to start an apprenticeship in carpentry out of resignation. The following years on construction sites, up until the age of 20, were tough—I learned life the hard way. However, this experience exposed me to the most down-to-earth mindset imaginable and greatly broadened my worldview.

It was through this challenging blue-collar life that a fire of motivation was lit in me to return to studying—a fire that still drives me today. In just a year and a half, I completed educational bridge programs that gave me the equivalent of a high school degree and opened the doors to university—something I genuinely never thought possible. This journey reached a turning point during my final year of university, when I studied abroad in Hong Kong, China. It was there that my passion for multiculturalism and diversity truly took root—one that has never left me.

This new chapter in my life was entirely about studying and transformation. I became obsessed with learning new things, exploring new concepts, and developing my intellectual abilities. Around the same time, I discovered a newfound passion for acting classes, improvisational theater, and filmmaking. These initial steps into the creative world transformed me further, allowing me to express myself and heal. My involvement in acting soon led to projects in filmmaking, radio, blogging, and social media videos.

At university, I obtained a bachelor’s degree in management and communication—a choice I made to develop my intellect while leaving the academic world quickly. I also wanted the ability to manage and lead entrepreneurial projects. Upon graduating, I accomplished what I am still most proud of: proving to myself that anything is possible with hard work. I also realized I had nothing to lose. Since none of this was ever supposed to happen in the first place, I was ready to take any risk. I had envisioned my entire life as a blue-collar worker, and now that I had escaped that path, anything else was a dream. It became evident that I should pursue my creative aspirations instead of settling for a secure job.

I eventually found myself working at a virtual reality IT startup (Imverse), where I learned everything about immersive content and interfaces. My role involved content communication and strategy, as well as co-producing videos, experiences, and artistic pieces such as ELASTIC TIME and INTERLOOPED. Both projects successfully premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018 and 2019 (trailers available in my portfolio) and were later showcased at the Festival de Cannes, South by Southwest (SXSW), Geneva International Film Festival (GIFF), and Visions du Réel. During this time, I also moved to Los Angeles, California, where I led the startup’s American subsidiary and managed key artistic partnerships, including collaborations with the MacGyver franchise and immersive spaces.

After all this, I wanted to move on to my actual dream—making documentary videos in a hybrid way, developing YouTube videos while also taking on gigs for media companies, which remains my main focus today. So, in 2020, I went independent and started freelancing to bring my YouTube channel project to life. I launched “Ben and You”, a channel centered on human encounters, serendipity, and diversity. I was inspired by the French show J’irai dormir chez vous by Antoine de Maximy and Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton—both pioneers and true media innovators. I also drew inspiration from Vice documentaries and YouTube Channels like Real Stories, XiaomaNYC, Luke Korns, and Peter Santenello, all of whom focus on authentic human connections.

As of today, I have created more than a hundred YouTube videos across three different language channels—English, Spanish, and French:

Additionally, I’ve been experimenting with interactive content by linking YouTube with multiplayer web experiences. This led to funding for Enter the Mirrorworld, an interactive vlog series where viewers can step into my shoes, explore locations, and meet people through 3D-reconstructed digital twin simulations of the real world. I see this as a natural extension of YouTube, offering a more immersive way to engage compared to the comment section.

In collaboration with other new media artists and innovators, I have also been working extensively on leveraging artificial intelligence to create conversational interactive experiences. This includes an interactive documentary on plastic pollution, where users can converse with the host, as well as AI interactive movies.

Still, my primary focus remains on developing my YouTube channel, where I express myself and continue to innovate with formats that break the mold while investing in the long term. My main interest lies in exploring different ways of living and thinking, whether in Western subcultures or vastly different countries from my own. I’ve traveled across the world to create videos and meet people, and to be honest, it has been a hardcore journey. I haven’t gotten nearly as many views or as much revenue as I initially expected. I did experience some success with a video series I made in Cuba and a few others, but the process has been exhausting. These documentary vlogs require intense planning and often involve real dangers, making it one of the hardest niches to succeed in on YouTube. However, through constant experimentation, I’ve improved significantly and continue to refine my work with the resources I have. Currently, I am shifting my YouTube focus from quantity to quality, producing more complex and rich videos in the hope that this will make a difference.

Even though I haven’t yet found financial success on YouTube, the experience has helped me hone my digital media skills like nothing else could. As a result, I’ve gained the confidence and reputation to land clients in the film and media sectors—projects that increasingly align with my artistic vision. I’m dedicating more energy to working with media companies, particularly in digital documentary production. My main goal now is to take on video host reporting projects, as I finally feel confident enough—especially for digital media outlets (such as Vice, BRUT., Arte, or the BBC)—to do more on-camera work. I am actively seeking opportunities as a foreign video correspondent to create new media news and documentaries.