Viral Video Law #9: You Just Can’t Make This Stuff Up

You could spend months, or even years trying to come up with the perfect idea for a YouTube video. However, much of the truly viral video content on the web was captured by pure chance – kids being kids, the family pet doing something hilarious, a bad driver trying to park, or someone taking a nasty fall. It is the stuff that you just can’t make up that often becomes the most popular.

Failblog is the king of real life captured and gone viral on YouTube. The channel, which is chock full of videos of real people getting hurt, being stupid and making fools of themselves, is the second most-viewed to on YouTube, with nearly 24 million views. For the most part, Failblog’s videos are real moments, caught on tape by chance – a prankster email on a Christian TV show, a major parallel parking fail, and some unusual self promotion. You just can’t make this stuff up!

Another recent clip that has been spreading around YouTube is the epitome of a random viral moment caught on tape. ‘Cat attacks Babysitter’ shows a babysitter, caught on nanny cam, playing with a small child. A glass breaks, and the family cat hears and comes to the rescue, attacking the babysitter.

So if you are looking to come out with the next big viral video your best bet is to take your camera everywhere with you. Record as much footage as you can and keep your fingers crossed that you catch something totally random, painful or utterly hilarious on tape. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever caught on tape? Do you prefer watching real events caught on tape or planned out sketches?

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