Vine: Six Seconds That Changed The World

Episode 3: Subway to Stardom

Release Date: April 22, 2025
Host: Benedict Townsend

Overview

In "Subway to Stardom," Benedict Townsend explores Vine’s first wave of homegrown stars – ordinary people whose creative drive and unique humor led them from mundane day jobs and humble upbringings to sudden worldwide internet fame. Through interviews with early Vine celebrities from the UK, US, and Canada, this episode reveals how Vine’s unique culture and technical limitations unlocked new paths to stardom, reshaped the idea of celebrity, and created a blueprint for today’s influencer economy. The episode offers firsthand stories of the chaos, creativity, and unexpected struggles of being internet-famous—at a time when that wasn’t even supposed to be a job.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. How Vine Made Ordinary People Stars

(00:02–03:11)

• Benedict describes Vine’s early “out of control” energy, as the platform transferred from tech creators to regular users.
• The key to Vine success: find a niche, stick with it, and viewers will return.
• Aaron Craskill (UK) discusses how his “loud guy in public” sketches stood out for their raw, spontaneous energy and drew real-life reactions, even before recording them.

“I started going out and going ‘meow,’ making silly noises, and … without videoing it because I could feel people looking at me. That's when I thought, OK, this could be big.”
— Aaron Craskill (01:11)

• Comparison between UK and US Vine cultures:
  • US creators favored elaborate sketches and collaborations (Logan Paul, Hannah, Curtis, Manon, Brandon Calvillo).
  • British Vine: more solo, surreal, and “mental” energy due to geographical distance and fewer collabs.

2. The Stars’ Real-Life Origins

(03:12–07:49)

• Brandon Calvillo, a Californian, talks about his creative hunger while working at Subway and his ambition to be a filmmaker. He stumbled upon Vine and got “addicted.”
• Jasmeet Rainer (Just Rain), in Toronto, wrestled with the South Asian community’s preference for ‘serious’ jobs, but used Vine to parody trends with a cultural twist. Previously, he’d hit a ceiling on YouTube.

“They wanted the best for me. So … I was just like, all right, I'll just do this thing that's like, set out for me. I was, like, doing biomed, planning to become a doctor, but I just … didn't like it at all.”
— Jasmy Rainer (06:37)

• Vine’s accessibility allowed him to rapidly experiment and find new audiences, compared to more rigid, time-consuming content systems like YouTube.

3. Hitting the Sweet Spot: Niche Humor, Universal Appeal

(07:49–10:30)

• Jasmy’s “Drake in India” sketches exemplify how cultural specifics could become global hits when filtered through Vine’s trends.
• Comedy rooted in personal and cultural experience created surprise resonance.

“I have this philosophy … I think the more specific and nuanced it is and true to your experience, the harder it'll hit. Counterintuitive to whatever those boardroom algorithm people are saying.”
— Jasmy Rainer (09:29)

• The hosts highlight how ordinary jobs, unfulfilled ambitions, and creative restlessness connected across different backgrounds.

4. The Performer’s Perspective

(10:46–12:33)

• Manon Matthews (Los Angeles), known for spot-on impressions (e.g., Kristen Stewart), shares how she unintentionally went viral—her background in improv and stand-up gave her the skills, but Vine’s randomness launched her.

“I put up this impression, asked Kristen Stewart what her favorite ice cream flavor was … and that one Vine took off. And like the next morning I woke up to 13,000 followers. And after we got to 100,000 followers, yeah, everything changed from that one moment.”
— Manon Matthews (12:19)

5. The Art and Agony of Making a Perfect Vine

(12:38–15:25)

• Brandon reflects on Vine’s technical limitations: you couldn’t do second takes or save drafts; every video was made and uploaded instantly. This was both creative “danger” and fun—a live, high-stakes style of editing and performing.
• Aaron’s first Vine: a drunken pub sketch with a dog, highlighting the platform’s scrappy origins and initial anonymity.

“It was a nightmare to use. There was no editing … You have to make the video, then upload it straight away. … It was just such a challenge.”
— Aaron Craskill (13:43)

• Brandon compares making Vines to shooting on expensive film “in the 70s”—mistakes were costly in time and effort, which made successes sweeter.

6. Early Vine Culture: No Algorithm, Few Creators, Global Audience

(16:13–18:59)

• Explosive growth: From #1 in the app store after 76 days, to 40 million users within months, but most were spectators.
• Early on, there was no algorithm—just a “popular page” driven by immediate likes, meaning creators who figured out Vine’s timing and appeal could achieve outsized visibility.
• The platform quickly incentivized precision and mass appeal, even as its rulebook was unwritten.

“Vine did not have an algorithm … there were maybe fifteen creators making videos for a million people. … If your Vine did well enough, you would be the first thing they saw.”
— Brandon Calvillo (16:46)

7. The Science of Viral Timing

(18:59–21:52)

• Aaron describes how he developed a posting routine, learning that Vines uploaded after work (5–8 PM) or on Sundays did best. Timing around football games and “Love Island” became part of the job.

“I've never uploaded on a Friday or Saturday because … no one's on their phones … Sunday’s the most important day to upload. … After the game at least 10 minutes.”
— Aaron Craskill (18:59)

• Manon agrees there was no calculated strategy at first; posts had to be immediate due to app constraints. Later, collabs and scheduling emerged as tactics—but spontaneity remained a key ingredient in relating to viewers.

8. The Dawn of Influencer Culture

(21:52–24:22)

• Benedict and co-creator Mary Goodheart underscore how Vine democratized fame, cutting out gatekeepers and freeing creative expression from traditional media’s chokehold.
• The accessibility meant creative risks could be taken cheaply—and sometimes backfire just as quickly—heralding today’s TikTok “just film and post” ethos.

“Now we have the Manons of the world, the Aarons of the world, actually doing this, strategizing. As long as you have a phone, you’ve got that audience. And that was just so different from anything that had been there before.”
— Mary Goodheart (22:49)

9. The Real-Life Effects of Internet Fame

(24:22–29:47)

• Internet fame hits: Brandon is recognized and swarmed at Disneyland after hitting a million followers.
• Aaron and Jasmy find themselves being stopped for selfies at work, in public, at concerts—transforming their sense of self and celebrity.

“People started coming into my work for selfies … cars beeping their horns. It was such a weird feeling. It still is now, to be fair.”
— Aaron Craskill (25:45)

“I couldn’t go out into the main area [of a Drake concert]. … People just lining up. I wasn’t making crazy money … Even the meaning at that time of celebrity had changed.”
— Jasmy Rainer (28:08)

• The paradox: massive recognition, but few financial rewards; fame spread across platforms, but money lagged far behind.

• Jasmy reflects on how Vine allowed minority creators to humanize their communities, breaking down stereotypes in ways television never would.

“It's … important for people to see that we are an artsy, creative community as well. … I've had like 65 year old white dudes from Sarnia, Ontario … being like, ‘man, dude, I love your videos.’ … It's really humanizing people.”
— Jasmy Rainer (29:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Vine’s creative danger:
  “The way you made Vines back in the day … you could not do second takes. … It was more dangerous. I think that was … fun about it. You had to get it. You had to get it.”
  — Brandon Calvillo (12:38)

• On addiction to making Vines:
  “I ate, dreamt, drank Vine. Like I was uploading six videos a day. I was obsessed.”
  — Aaron Craskill (18:59)

• On the changing face of celebrity:
  “If you wanted to make a name for yourself … you had to work your way up … the traditional media industry. And that's just not the case anymore.”
  — Benedict Townsend (21:52)

• On why Vine mattered:
  “Maybe it wouldn't get picked up by an executive, but actually, it turns out this stuff tickles the brain of the audience and they like it … it just wouldn't have been found before.”
  — Mary Goodheart (23:32)

Timeline Highlights

• 00:02–00:46 – Setting the stage: ordinary people become stars.
• 01:11–02:06 – Aaron discovers the “reaction” formula in public performance.
• 03:12–05:09 – Brandon on suburban boredom and creative yearning.
• 06:37–07:49 – Jasmy reflects on cultural expectations and creative release.
• 12:19 – Manon’s Kristen Stewart impression goes viral, changing her life overnight.
• 16:13–18:59 – Vine’s explosive growth, lack of an algorithm, and the “popular page.”
• 18:59–21:52 – Aaron and Manon discuss mastering Vine’s timing and distribution.
• 24:28–26:29 – Real-world fame: public recognition, stalkers, and the lack of money.
• 27:41–29:47 – Jasmy on Vine’s power to humanize and represent minorities.

Conclusion

"Subway to Stardom" masterfully chronicles Vine’s meteoric influence on a new generation of digital talent—many of whom unwittingly led the influencer revolution. By threading together personal stories, platform quirks, and cultural shifts, this episode captures both the chaos and exhilaration of the early social-media gold rush, while provoking reflection on how far we’ve come (and what’s been lost) as short-form video continues to evolve.

Teaser for Next Episode

“A lot of times these big Viners would literally steal ideas … and they would completely ignore you … That's the name of the game.”
— Brandon Calvillo (31:51)

Up next: Vine’s rise to cultural powerhouse, the battle for attention and ownership, and how money and big business started to warp the dream.