In this era of carefully calibrated marketing and image-shaping, it’s kind of amazing that M. Night Shyamalan—a blockbuster genre director who could easily spend his downtime doing whatever he wants away from the public eye—has launched an eponymous YouTube channel. It’s so low-frills it feels like that could be the gimmick, except he comes across so earnest in both entries he’s posted so far.
Obviously, the production values are top-notch; this is a Hollywood veteran, not a guy trying to land a studio deal with his low-budget creations. But the casual titles (“This is my first youtube video”) and tone are refreshing.
“What I hope it is is an opportunity to reflect and get to know each other, deepen the relationship,” he says to the camera, addressing fans and maybe haters too, since he goes on to say he’s a little “scared” about this new venture, though he welcomes that feeling.
“It’s like 30 years of making movies, and I want to undo it a little bit, you know, ignore whatever stigmas are in my head or in anybody’s head,” he explains. “I don’t know what I’m going to show you and what you’re going to show me, but the joy of it is stepping into the unknown.”
The channel launched over the weekend, and Shyamalan has already amassed over 100,000 subscribers. He also dropped a second video a few days later, “Reading my diary from making Signs.”
It’s a surprisingly emotional 16 minutes of flipping through his journal, reading excerpts, and sharing his recollections of making the 2002 film—which was in production on September 11, 2001. The video also weaves in footage and photos from Signs itself, including a young Shyamalan and a pre-toxic Mel Gibson on set.
Shyamalan’s next film, his Nicholas Sparks collaboration Remain, arrives next year. What do you make of the director getting in on the YouTube horror creator trend?
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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