You Tuber Under The Spotlight - 'Flatability'

Today, we are starting a new series here and occasionally over on Travellers Notebook Times as well. 

It is similar to our 'Readers Under The Spotlight' feature that we started many years ago. And funnily enough today's YouTuber featured in that series back in 2022. 

We aren't sure how many YouTubers we will feature, but I'm sending out some emails to those that regularly appear in Video Web Finds to see if they would like to appear. 

I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with Neil of the 'Flatability' YouTube channel, so Neil was an obvious choice to start off our series.  

Tell us about your YouTube channel.

On the "Flatability" YouTube channel, I talk about paper based productivity, and that inevitably includes Filofaxes. I'm a big fan of vintage Filofaxes but, this year, I've started to look at Filofaxes from the current model range. 

I also review other binders (LeFax, Microfile, Omega, Van Der Spek, and many more). My channel is called Flatability because, in my opinion, good flatability (the ability of a binder to lay flat when opened) is just about essential if you want to use a binder as a serious working tool. 

I also host The Flatability Podcast and, for those looking for even more, I make "behind the scenes" and "coffee break" videos excusively for channel members.

What encouraged you to start your channel and when did you start it?

I remember, as a teenager, splicing audio tapes together to make mix tapes, and then, a little later, experimenting with cine film. So I guess I've been experimenting with audio and moving images for quite a while now. I started the Flatability channel about three years ago and, as I write this, I've made over 340 videos. I love Filofaxes (I've been using them every day for over 30 years, and I love making videos, so it made sense to start a YouTube channel.

A lot of people feature plenty of subjects/topics on their channels these days what topics are popular on your channel?

That's a very good question, because my channel is followed by several different interest groups. There are, for instance, viewers who enjoy my Filofax reviews, others who enjoy watching my "ink on paper" tests, some who like my paper based productivity discussions, or the Flatability Podcast, and of course there's a huge EDC (every day carry) community out there who enjoy my videos too. 

But, from a statistical context, you can see which videos have been viewed most often by clicking the "popular" button. I did consider having separate channels for different aspects of paper based productivity but in the end I decided to keep everything together.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to start their own YouTube channel about planners?

The best advice I can give, is to just press record. Your viewers won't be expecting you to produce some cinematic masterpiece, and the planner community are a great bunch of people who won't give you a hard time. 

Just start with a smartphone, with some cheap lighting (or sit by a window), speak clearly, and learn some basic editing using something like Apple's iMovie app. I have used a GoPro, and several mirrorless cameras, but I find that an iphone gives me the best results overall. 

Don't worry if your first few videos aren't great; your viewers will find them endearing and you'll improve. If you look at the first videos made by some of YouTube's top stars, you'll see that they made some pretty bad videos at the beginning; so don't be despondent. 

Just keep filming, and try to make small improvements as you go. And just one more thing; if viewers take the trouble to leave a comment then you should take the trouble to respond. 

If your channel grows, you may reach the point where you cannot answer every comment but, until you reach that point, make sure you do. It's just being polite.

What types of planners do you enjoy using?

This is a difficult question for me, because I'm not a typical "everything in one planner" kind of guy. 

What I tend to do is dedicate different planners for different purposes. I have one binder completely stuffed with ideas for new videos, for instance, and another that exclusively documents my health. 

Having said that, I'm a big fan of the smallest Filofax ever made, with perhaps the longest name; the Guildford Mini Extra Slim (although I'm looking forward to trying a Plotter Mini 5 as soon as I can get hold of one). No dividers, no pre-printed inserts, just 80 pages of wonderfully thin Clairefontaine 50gsm paper, which I hand cut into A7 size. 

It's enough for me, and it's so small it will easily fit into a jeans pocket. A mixture of calendar, notes and to do lists, but very minimal. If I have a specific project then I might use another binder with a little more space and, right now, I'm actually carrying five binders in my bag or backpack, because I'm in the process of moving house. But this flexibility is a key advantage for Filofax users.

What planner are you currently using?

I'm using several on a daily basis, but the one I'm opening most often during the day is my Filofax Heritage Compact, which I'm using as part of a long term review. 

It currently holds all the details of my house move, so, a project book if you like. When I've finally moved house, I'll probably use it for some other purpose. I'm a big fan of slimline binders, but ring size is often quite limiting. This model has slightly bigger rings but still remaining slim enough to fit in a jacket pocket. I like it. 

Where can we find you on social media?

I'm not really a fan of social media. Look for flatability on Instagram and Facebook, but I hardly ever post there, and I can't even remember when I last posted on other platforms. For me, it's all about Youtube because, inevitably, time spent on social media means I might make fewer videos. And I like making videos.

Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1258982394934607

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flatability

You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Flatability

Any further thoughts?

If, as an 11 year old, splicing audio tapes with a razor blade, or trying to make a school production on cine film, I could have seen into the future, I would have been amazed that filming near broadcast quality video, editing, and then uploading, can now all be done from a smartphone. 

And for someone previously brought up in age where film making was always (and very frustratingly) limited by affordability, rather than creativity, that's incredible!

Thank you Neil and if you have a YouTube channel and you would like to be featured here in this series please get in touch philofaxy at gmail dot com .