[Interview] Shitty Ideas Trending - A quirky name and a quirkier journey

Social Samosa in conversation with Shitty Ideas Trending on what, why and how they do what they do, as the dynamic duo behind SIT, Mohit Hussein and Chhavi Mittal guide us through the journey of creation of their successful brainchild.

What if one could explain the annoying or at times mildly irritating things our significant others do, without actually getting into trouble but sharing a few laughs with the comical epiphany? Shitty Ideas Trending does the needful for their viewers.

SIT as they are abbreviated, are famous for giving a humorous spin to everyday problems of married and committed couples on their YouTube channel through short videos which has earned them thousands of followers and the love of many more.

We get in a candid conversation with Mohit Hussein, to explore the journey called Shitty Ideas Trending.

Shitty Ideas Trending is a quirky name - does it have a quirky story too?

We wanted to have a name which is different, yet leaves a mark in everyone's mind. Hence the name Shitty Ideas Trending. Even today when we are asked the name of our channel, our reply gets a big amused smile followed by an instant interest in "why this name" and what the channel is about!

We want to meet the team. Who makes Shitty Ideas Trending what it is today?

Ironically, we, the founders of SIT, are a husband-wife duo Mohit Hussein & Chhavi Mittal. We try to incorporate some first hand and some friends' experiences in the stories that we weave, hence the relatability factor. The ideation process is sometimes literally a fight between us, and other times it is the vicarious pleasure we gain out of watching another couple giving each other playful stress. The whole implementation process is headed by Mohit, and Shalini's character is brought alive to the screen by Chhavi herself. Besides us, we have a talented team of actors, Karan Veer Mehra, who portrays Ashwin, Pracheen Chauhan aka Abhimanyu & Pooja Gor aka Meera, among others. Our team of editors and DOPs is a mix of youth & experience as well!

From ideating to publishing - please take us through your creative process

The idea comes from any real life situation that we see around us. We build it mostly colloquially rather than sitting with a laptop. Most scripts are recorded in the form of a conversation as opposed to the conventional script/screenplay writing. When the basic script has been recorded, we have a mock session with our actors and take the story forward in the most natural way. Then we decide a day & shoot and finally spend some quality time on the edit. The process of ideation sometimes doesn't end even after the shoot is completed and is carried forward to the edit suite.

One funniest and one life changing experience that you had while working on Shitty Ideas Trending.

Once at a party Mohit was approached by a random man who walked up to him and gave him a tight hug. Amused Mohitapologized for not recognizing him. The man told him that he doesn't know him, but he just got to know that Mohit is the creator of SIT! He thanked him a million times for doing the social service that he is doing, by telling millions of wives how to stop nagging their husbands!

The life changing experience was when FLIPKART, our first brand incorporation contacted us when we just at 10,000 subs. That was the moment we realized that SIT is worth something and will be big if we give it the right push.

Which is your personal favourite video and why?

We personally like the series GRASS IS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE which has a mix of all our 4 protagonist actors. There is so much more to play with in terms of situations, scripting, undertones and flavors there.

Online content has created its own space in India. What were the trends witnessed in this space in 2016?

2016 saw a marked rise in the number of great channels and also an increase in the acceptance of the digital media by the viewers. A lot of different kind of content and a definite rise in competition was seen. Today there is every kind of entertainment/news/info available as online content. It's a whole new wave, and this is just the beginning.

We often see vloggers perishing due to the lack of Return on Investment. What mistakes do you think these vloggers make? What would be your tip to them?

Vlogging is great as long as it comes from a place of passion. The viewer understands the difference between aping and originality. If you cannot make it your own then it's no good. Do something which YOU are good at, rather than something that someone else is good at. The viewer connects with honesty we feel, and that only comes if you do what your heart tells you to, as opposed to following a trend.

How do you monetize your vlog? Please take us through your strategy

Currently we are monetising it through YouTube and Brand Engagement. In future we also plan to license our content to other OTT platforms, apart from localising it for different regions.

Please share the top 5 mistakes that YouTubers tend to make and can be very lethal

1. Lack of originality

There is no point in doing something, that someone else is already doing better than you and longer than you.

2. Lack of interaction

The interaction with your viewer is of utmost importance. Let him know that his opinion matters.

3. Instant results

No business gets you instant results without an investment. YouTube is a platform which also needs time to build. Only difference is that investment here is much lesser than any other business, so use the platform with faith and patience.

4. Lack of consistency

YouTube survives on consistency. Out of sight is out of mind. Your viewer slowly but surely gets used to your pattern. So it's important to give him one and not leave him guessing when your next upload will be.

5. Don't compete

Fortunately, there is no competition as such on YouTube. It's not like the viewer has to choose between what he can and what he cannot watch. He will watch all the channels that he/she likes, so just do your best and don't compare yourself to others.

What can your fans and followers look forward to in 2017?

SIT is coming up in a big way with seasonal web-series in the year 2017. We will also launch some non-fictional content, which has so far not been seen on SIT. So fans please, SIT tight for the flight!