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“There’s three completely different issues that make up a vlog,” David Dobrik, then a rising YouTube star, defined to Casey Neistat, a veteran YouTuber and filmmaker. Neistat’s digital camera pans to indicate a swimming pool, the place a member of Dobrik’s ensemble, the Vlog Squad, balances on a jet ski, making an attempt to toss a basketball from half-court distance over his shoulder and right into a hoop. “It’s like, fascinating issues, cool visuals and humorous stuff. And this isn’t humorous until somebody will get damage.”
As David’s following grew, his stunts turned extra elaborate. Folks received damage. It wasn’t humorous.
When Neistat started filming his first feature-length documentary “Below the Affect” in 2019, the older, wiser YouTube star wished to seize the phenomenon of David Dobrik, the then-22-year-old and fifth most-viewed creator on the platform. Neistat adopted Dobrik as he moved into multi-million greenback houses, carried out for crowds of screaming faculty youngsters and acquired his pals Teslas as casually as if treating them to lunch at Chipotle (the place they may have ordered Dobrik-branded burritos).
Now, as “Below the Affect” premieres at SXSW, Neistat is telling a far completely different story than the one he got down to doc. Actually, he threw out two years of post-production work as soon as his already-controversial muse turned a bonafide persona non grata on-line.
“I positively began the method of constructing this film in good religion. I feel it was plain, David’s phenomenon. That’s to not reward the content material he was making itself, however definitely, the phenomenon that was David was one thing completely extraordinary,” Neistat advised TechCrunch. “It was clear that his content material, I feel to say it generously, was strolling a really tremendous line, even again then.”
On the time, Dobrik was on high of the world, filming prank movies with celebrities like Kylie Jenner and Justin Bieber and transcending the bounds of social media to make visitor appearances on “Late Evening with Jimmy Fallon.” However his pedestal was constructed on the sheer luck that he received away with so many harmful stunts. Finally, Dobrik went far sufficient that it toppled over.
Inside two years – as Neistat continued to doc – Dobrik discovered himself on the middle of two severe scandals. In March 2021, Insider reported {that a} girl in one in all his movies claimed to have been sexually assaulted by a Vlog Squad member on the night time they filmed a video about group intercourse.
Dobrik misplaced sponsorships with manufacturers like Good day Recent, SeatGeek, EA Sports activities and DoorDash, he was demonetized on YouTube, and he stepped down from Dispo, the venture-funded social photo-sharing app that he co-founded. Early buyers together with Spark Capital, Seven Seven Six and Unshackled dedicated to donate any potential income from their funding within the app to organizations working with survivors of sexual assault.
However all of the whereas, Dobrik was hiding one other secret: The yr earlier than, a dangerous stunt went so mistaken that his good friend and collaborator Jeff Wittek practically died.
Picture Credit: Casey Neistat
“There was no such factor as a ‘energy dynamic’ to me”
Dobrik’s stunts had been at all times harmful. When Neistat first visits his mansion in 2019, Dobrik greets him on the door with a flamethrower, which he wields haphazardly round his dwelling as if it’s a nerf gun.
“There was by no means a naivety on my half, even in my relationship with David, that all the things was excellent,” Neistat advised TechCrunch. “A part of my curiosity in telling this story was to attempt to reveal how that is executed, and the way he tried to get away with what he was getting away with.”
But documenting the highs and lows of Dobrik’s at-times harmful pursuits is arguably its personal taste of sensationalism.
Early within the documentary, when Jonah (whose actual title is Nick Antonyan – he’s known as Jonah within the vlogs as a result of he appears to be like like Jonah Hill, and his physique sort usually makes him the butt of hurtful jokes) drives a motorcycle over a ramp and right into a pool, he punctures a gap in his abdomen.
“Let’s get Jonah to the hospital, and David, let’s get this footage into enhancing,” a Vlog Squad member advised Dobrik.
Jonah proved to be okay after his journey to the emergency room, but this near-miss didn’t seem like a wakeup name for Dobrik, who continued to pursue the subsequent greatest stunt, no matter whether or not it may put his pals – who additionally acted as enterprise collaborators – in peril.
“I bear in mind very clearly, one of many first questions I requested David was, ‘These those who we’ve seen in your movies, are they your folks or your coworkers?’ And his response, that’s included within the film, is… He hesitates,” Neistat stated. “It caught me off guard, as a result of I anticipated him to be nearly offended at that query.”
Dobrik’s newfound wealth gave him entry to flamethrowers, bikes, jet skis and heavy equipment for riskier stunts, however in contrast to Hollywood, the place stunts are closely regulated on set, Dobrik was not required to rent security professionals, so he didn’t.
“It’s definitely an comprehensible suggestion to attract parallels between the content material that David made and one thing like Jackass, however there’s one extraordinary, daring line between the 2, and that line is one in all consent,” Neistat advised TechCrunch. “Steve-o is a good friend of mine, and each member of the ‘Jackass’ group is aware of precisely what they’re signing up for. They know what the fee goes to be to them bodily. They know what their legal responsibility is, they know what their return is, they know what the transaction is. It’s consensual, and I feel that’s the extraordinary distinction between the issues that you simply see on YouTube – particularly once you’re taking a look at type of an ensemble forged of characters like David’s movies – and one thing like ‘Jackass.’”
After all, accidents nonetheless occur in Hollywood, however on YouTube, there’s no doable method {that a} platform may regulate what occurs throughout filming, even when it wished to.
Although YouTube bans “harmful or threatening pranks,” the rule is often solely enforced to cease individuals from taking part in probably lethal viral challenges. When YouTube added the rule in 2019, the corporate particularly referenced traits like individuals consuming Tide Pods or attempting to gentle themselves on fireplace.
Whereas Dobrik’s pranks may (and did) trigger severe damage, his movies weren’t faraway from YouTube.
“We don’t permit pranks that make victims imagine they’re in severe bodily hazard – for instance, a house invasion prank or a drive-by taking pictures prank,” YouTube wrote on the time. “We additionally don’t permit pranks that trigger kids to expertise extreme emotional misery, that means one thing so dangerous that it may depart the kid traumatized for all times.”
A lot of YouTube’s greatest stars have adopted this similar system – they begin with low-budget pranks, and as their channels choose up steam and produce them riches, there’s no boundary to the potential for his or her antics. It’s a type of wish-fulfillment for younger viewers – in the event you and your folks lived in a giant mansion with limitless money, what mischief would you stand up to?
“This infinite pursuit of sensationalism is the place I feel somebody like David lives. The extra sensational it was, the crazier the stunts, the extra views it had,” Neistat stated. “A lot of creators on YouTube have pursued an analogous trajectory, and it has by no means ended effectively.”
YouTube’s high trending video of 2021 featured Jimmy Donaldson (MrBeast) following an analogous pursuit of sensationalism – he buried himself alive for 50 hours, although Donaldson did rent a medic to maintain watch on standby.
One other distinguished YouTuber, Logan Paul, confronted penalties for prioritizing shock worth over his duty as a creator with a large platform. In dialog with TechCrunch, Neistat introduced up Paul’s “suicide forest” scandal, through which the YouTuber visited a Japanese forest recognized to be a typical web site of suicides and made jokes a few useless physique he encountered. YouTube lower ties with Paul, who stated his poor judgment was a results of being “misguided by shock and awe.”
Equally, YouTube demonetized Dobrik’s channels within the aftermath of the sexual assault allegations towards a member of his Vlog Squad. Lately, Dobrik stated on his podcast that he nonetheless isn’t earning money on YouTube. TechCrunch requested YouTube if Dobrik’s channels stay demonetized, however didn’t obtain a response.
On display, Neistat asks Dobrik, “There’s one thing gross a few man utilizing his social media platform and his affect to draw younger ladies, and then you definitely make a video out of it. Did any of that happen to you as mistaken or inappropriate?”
“At the moment, there was no such factor as a ‘energy dynamic’ to me,” Dobrik replies within the documentary – an admission that he by no means thought of how his place as a super-sized social media star may change the way in which individuals interacted with him. “I didn’t see that as something bizarre. Trying again at it now, it’s actually gross.”
Picture Credit: Casey Neistat
“I must be useless”
A month after the Insider article was printed, one other bomb dropped: Vlog Squad member Jeff Wittek revealed in his personal YouTube documentary that, the earlier yr, Dobrik had swung him round on an excavator. The development tools requires a license to function, and Dobrik didn’t have that or some other security supervision for the stunt.
Dobrik subsequently misplaced management of the heavy equipment and, as Neistat depicts in a horrifyingly gory scene, Wittek slams into the facet of the crane and breaks open the facet of his face. Since then, Wittek has had a minimum of 9 eye surgical procedures and lower ties with Dobrik, who continues to pay his medical payments.
“I shouldn’t be right here anymore,” Wittek tells Neistat within the movie. “I must be useless.”
Neistat advised TechCrunch that Dobrik has seen the documentary, however they haven’t spoken about it – in truth, they haven’t spoken since their ultimate interview, which came about after Insider printed sexual assault allegations towards Dobrik’s collaborator. TechCrunch requested Dobrik’s group for touch upon the movie, however didn’t hear again earlier than publication.
“Jeff’s accident had an amazing impression on how I used to be conducting interviews, and my skilled relationship with David,” Neistat stated. “After which when Kat’s article got here out, that was a dramatic, dramatic shift in how the film was captured.”
“It was very heavy, and you’ll hear within the tone of my voice simply the way it sort of turned a little bit bit extra contentious, and I turned extra confrontational with him. In that ultimate interview, I feel one of many first questions I requested him was, ‘Do you are feeling accountable?’”
In a podcast printed days earlier than “Below the Affect” would premiere at SXSW, Dobrik expressed regret for these egregious incidents, which the documentary facilities round. But within the documentary, he doesn’t appear to understand the implications of his errors.
“The [Insider article] was written as a result of this place wished clicks, like, it wasn’t written as a result of the corporate’s going and taking care of the sufferer and ensuring she’s okay,” Dobrik stated to Neistat within the documentary.
A couple of weeks in the past, Wittek made a podcast episode known as “Pricey David…” about why he was now not pals with the determine who propelled him to fame.
“I’ll have life-long mind accidents, and I saved him from fucking all the things. He may’ve received deported, he may’ve received put in jail for manslaughter, he may’ve received sued for all the things,” Wittek stated on his podcast. “I took it on the chin, after which to see [the documentary]… that simply made me utterly lose all respect for this man, and lose all hope he may ever flip round and change into a greater particular person.”
Dobrik’s profession has definitely taken a large hit, however he continues to publish on YouTube, the place he nonetheless has 18.3 million subscribers. He even has a Discovery present known as “Discovering David Dobrik,” a docuseries through which he travels the world along with his pals. The present was introduced and filmed after each of those scandals got here to gentle.
Even in his first interview with Dobrik, Neistat noticed that the younger star seemed haggard and overworked. “It’s prescient to see it now,” Neistat advised TechCrunch. But it surely’s not a coincidence that so many high YouTubers like Dobrik, Donaldson and Paul comply with this similar trajectory: they attempt to make every video extra partaking than the final, however finally, there appears to be simply two paths. Both you burn out, otherwise you make a career-altering mistake earlier than you are taking a beat to decelerate.
“I feel that there’s at all times a pursuit. It’s related for a musician – how do you retain your music fascinating?” Neistat stated. “However what makes people like David Dobrik completely different is that their pursuit isn’t popping out with the subsequent track or making the subsequent film. Their pursuit is how can I be extra sensationalist? And that could be a very, very, very harmful pursuit, as a result of the minute you obtain one thing that was crazier than the final, you then should go previous that.”
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