Ryan Higa, a young college student has held the number 2 most subscribed channel position on YouTube for around 2 years. This year with over 1.6 million subscribers Ryan made the leap to become the #1 most subscribed channel on YouTube and that makes him an Online Video Leader.

In this video Ryan talks about what it took to get there and what he likes about YouTube.

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CSI Franchise creator Anthony Zuiker sat down with me in a private interview at New Tee Vee Live and told me how he came up with the idea for the planet’s most popular TV franchise and explained why he’s watching YouTube to learn more about creating content for the Internet.

Most adults can’t stand and don’t get why a squeaky voiced adolescent is the most subscribed Youtube channel of all time but children who watch YouTube love hyperactive web video character know as Fred.

Who is Fred?

Well, I was lucky enough to catch up with Lucas Cruikshank the 15-year-old actor/creator Creator and alter-ego of “Fred” at the NewTeeVee Live conference and interviewed him on my handy dandy digital video Flip camera.

When Lucas was only 12, he created his first YouTube channel and built his following into the #1 Most Viewed (All Time) Comedy Channel on YouTube with 100 sketch and improv videos. Two years later, he spun-off his “Fred” character to its own “Fred’s YouTube” channel and it has now become the fastest-growing and most-successful launch in YouTube history. Each week on Thursday FRED videos are posted and by Saturday they have over 1 million views. Then he goes on to get over 6,000,000 video views a week. Not bad for a kid from the Mid-West.

Lucas created the character with Anger Management and family problems not just to be funny, he created Fred because he wanted to act and living in rural Nebraska didn’t give Lucas too many performing options. Well Lucas’s performing has paid off, not only does he make money off T-Shirt sales he has also landed product placement deals and an acting job on cable TV. The only thing Lucas has spent his money on so far is an Apple Computer that he uses to edit “Fred” on using Final Cut Express.

Lucas hopes that his success with Fred will lead him to acting in comedy movies like the ones Jim Carrey and Will Farrell do but some of the Hollywood agents I spoke with have their doubts. They feel “Fred” is a one trick pony.

I’m routing for Lucas and I feel that with the right agent and producer team an “I want to be Fred!” Tour could be developed so that adoring Fred Fans around the nation could see and interact live with the off the wall Fred. I can also think of about five ideas for Fred movies: A Fred Christmas, A Fred Vacation, A Fred Summer Camp, Fred’s Foster Parents and Fred Runs Away.

Keep me in mind Lucas, I know you are going places and I’d love to help.

Lucas did tell me yesterday that he has signed a merchandising licensing deal and that his Fred T-Shirts will not be available in stores around the country.

http://1TimStreet.com At NewTeeVee Live Tim Twerdahl from Roku gave me a quick demo of the Roku box and how it allows you to watch Netflix Movies on your TV.

At the NewTeeVee Live conference I was stopped by Beau Brewer from Zadby and he explained to me how I could use Zadby to meet advertisers and sponsors and make a 80% / 20% split on the revenune.

I haven’t had a chance to really check out Zadby yet but Beau told me that he has already made some money for Greg Benson of Mediocrefilms so I will be kicking the tires of Zadby soon.

Here’s an explaination from the Zadby site:

“Zadby is an online marketplace where advertisers, marketers, and brand managers can connect with freelance video producers to create innovative product placement videos tailored for sites like YouTube and MySpace. Zadby facilitates the creation, posting, tracking, and payment for online videos with product placement angles.

Advertisers and brand managers, wishing to raise awareness for their brand, can commission the development of videos through our online marketplace. Since Zadby takes care of the administrative pieces, this frees up the brand manager to think about what they do best: steward the brand.

Online video producers, who currently create millions of videos a year for online consumption through outlets like YouTube, now have a market where they can earn money from what they love to do anyway: creating videos.

Zadby sits in the middle and acts as the glue and the grease to pull it all together in a seamless manner. It provides all the tools and the legal frameworks to allow each party to do what they do best, just connected in a new and innovative way.”

Today I’m at NewTeeVee live in San Francisco and by using Twitter I managed to track down and get an interview with Michael Buckley the Host,Writer and Producer, “What the Buck?”

Michel Buckley didn’t have an Internet connection or any writing/hosting experience when he started the What the Buck Show in the summer of 2006 in fact he was on public access TV but when his cousin posted one of the clips on YouTube he started getting viewers. Now, over 400 videos later, What the Buck? is the 7th Most Subscribed channel on YouTube with over 270,000 subscribers and 95 million views. In July 2008, Buck signed a multi-platform development deal with HBO. He recently left his day job and is a full time Internet personality.

As one of the web’s breakout stars of the year Michael’s scripted show makes fun of celebrities but making the show is just part of the job.

Here are six tips for new and old Internet video publishers alike:

1. Find a format that works for you
Don’t try and copy someone else’s show just because their show is getting views. Come up with a show idea that you care about.

2. Enjoy what you are doing
If you don’t enjoy what you are working on you are not going to do great job. You need to enjoy everything about your own show so that you can be passionate about it.

3. Don’t get discouraged
Don’t give up. If you know you have emotionally engaging content keep at it. People will eventually find great content and share it with their friends.

4. Get Enganged
If people connect with your show they will want to interact with you. Be “present” with the experience and engage your audience by replying to their questions and comments so that you continue the conversation and keep viewers coming back for more. Your audience will be glad that you are there.

5. Repost old videos that are good
Don’t let dead videos just sit there. If you know you have a video that people will want to watch but they haven’t found it yet, delete it and repost it. Remember if they haven’t seen it it’s new to them.