Waveform: The MKBHD Podcast
Episode: "How We Filmed Our Work Lives for 1 Year!"
Date: February 10, 2026
Host: Marques Brownlee (MKBHD)
Co-hosts: Andrew Manganelli, David Imel
Guests: Rich, Adam, Eric, Harper, Miles, and others
Episode Overview
In this bonus episode, the Waveform team unpacks the making of "Year in the Life," their ambitious yearlong documentary project that chronicled daily work, travel, and behind-the-scenes moments at the MKBHD studio throughout 2025. The team dives deep on the project's evolution, technical challenges, lessons learned, standout moments, and the creative decisions that shaped this unique production. This episode is a candid, detailed roundtable covering both the technical and personal sides of producing a feature-length YouTube documentary with a highly collaborative crew.
Main Discussion Topics & Key Insights
1. Origins of "Year in the Life" (Yiddle)
- The team reflects on steady progression: from "Day in the Life" → "Week in the Life" → the massive leap to "Year in the Life."
- Purpose: To capture not just individual projects, but the unique vibe and culture of the MKBHD studio over a full year.
- Naming: Affectionately referred to as "Yiddle" internally.
Notable Quote
“We were building the bridge as we were crossing it, which was really fun.”
— Marques (01:45)
2. Kickoff — Early Chaos and Finding the Story
- Filming everything: January was spent capturing everything possible with no clear narrative, leading to lots of footage but little story structure (06:19).
- Editor Mariah saved early edits by layering in interviews and recurring chapter markers (08:00).
- Gradually, the team realized filming with intentionality—capturing setups, payoffs, and recurring themes—was key.
Notable Quote
“We shot everything, but we didn’t know what we were shooting and we had no story.”
— David (06:19)
3. Technical Approach — The Gear and Storage Challenge
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Canon C70 cameras formed the workhorse backbone, but were bulky and generated huge amounts of footage (06:00).
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Losses: Early mishaps included losing GoPro footage while shooting a Ferrari in Portugal (11:19).
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Data Management: By the end, the full project consumed 37.5 terabytes, highlighting the complexities of multi-terabyte workflows, server swapping, proxy editing, and storage logistics (34:15–39:09).
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Audio: Considerable effort went into foley and post production (“Cinema Hollywood audio post workflow”), including replacing nearly all diegetic audio for certain key sequences (24:18–24:55).
Notable Quotes
“There came a point where we were physically moving server arrays between my desk and Rich’s desk.”
— David (39:09)
“We re-recorded everyone’s lines, everyone’s movement, every shirt swish, every footstep.”
— Harper (24:18)
Important Segment
Storage/Tech Stack Deep Dive: 33:59–39:09
4. Workflow Evolution and Team Culture
- Early Failures to System: Early travel shoots lacked clarity—coverage just “wasn’t it,” until they cracked the rhythm after a South by Southwest trip (13:36).
- The team established new habits: assigning "yiddlers" for coverage, filming meetings, and proactively seeking moments worth capturing (09:44).
Memorable Moment
- Losing a camera in Portugal and the scramble to recover it (11:19–13:00)
- “Yiddler” culture—who’s documenting what each week (09:44)
5. Structure, Storytelling & Editing
- Avoided the “run-on sentence” trap of endless vlogging by reverse-engineering punctuation and story beats (20:39).
- Editing process grew highly collaborative: up to “300 notes the week before upload” from various team members (18:16).
Notable Quote
“We were thinking, ‘What is our punctuation? Where is something going to end?’ And then we’d reverse engineer.”
— David (20:39)
Important Segment
Editing/Story Structure: 17:19–22:41
6. Soundtrack and Signature Moments
- Rufus and Harper led on the “Club Apple” sequence (music/dance montage of launching iPhone videos, 49:23–52:03).
- Sound design was a special point of pride; nearly every notable sequence had custom foley and audio remixing (24:06–24:55).
- Signature ‘in-jokes’ and easter eggs, e.g., the Snoop Dogg wine bottle recurring.
Notable Quote
“No one would know how many of the sounds in Yiddle are fake.”
— Harper (23:28)
Important Segment
Apple Event and Sound: 49:23–52:03
7. Favorite Moments and Team Reflections
- The panel shares their favorite hilarious, stressful, or poignant moments:
- Google showing off unreleased products while the team jokes in the background (46:03)
- The iPhone Air ghost intro (46:46)
- Live stream technical chaos (47:07)
- Airport close-calls with the DJI Osmo (55:46–56:59)
- James Cameron interview—both “most profound” and “most ridiculous” part of the film (57:13–59:06)
- Miles’ story and the theme of the creator economy’s rise (62:08–64:20)
Notable Quotes
“I almost wish we had a Year in the Life from so many of the years we’ve had here.”
— Marques (64:20)
“That’s why we’re gonna do Yiddle til we die, baby!”
— David (68:43)
8. Legacy, Lessons, and the Road to Yiddle 2
- “Yiddle 2” already in development—plans to focus more episodically on individuals (“The Bear Season 2 model”) (41:54).
- What’s changed: They now know to structure stories, manage storage, establish clear coverage, and emphasize both technical and emotional beats.
- The group expresses pride in the team’s evolution from scrappy YouTubers to a professional, collaborative studio recognized by brands, tech companies, and even in journalism circles (65:46–67:44).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)
- “We were building the bridge as we were crossing it, which was really fun.” — Marques (01:45)
- “We shot everything, but we didn’t know what we were shooting and we had no story.” — David (06:19)
- “No one would know how many of the sounds in Yiddle are fake.” — Harper (23:28)
- “There came a point where we were physically moving server arrays between my desk and Rich’s desk.” — David (39:09)
- “I almost wish we had a Year in the Life from so many of the years we’ve had here.” — Marques (64:20)
- Team candidly sharing favorite scenes:
- Google product leaks with team goofing (46:03)
- Airport dash caught on Osmo (55:46–56:59)
- James Cameron’s “filmmaker as star” quote (57:13–59:06)
- Yiddle “Club Apple” music montage (49:23–52:03)
Key Timestamps for Important Segments
- 01:45 — Project origins and concept
- 06:19 — Early shoot chaos & lack of story
- 17:19–22:41 — Editing hurdles and finding the narrative
- 33:59–39:09 — Storage, data management, and technical workflow
- 49:23–52:03 — “Club Apple” music montage & scoring discussion
- 55:46–56:59 — Airport close-call, commitment to filming under pressure
- 57:13–59:06 — Dissecting the James Cameron interview and creator economy commentary
- 62:08–64:20 — Miles’ story, intersection with creator culture
Final Thoughts from the Team
- Pride in collaboration—the documentary was a huge group effort, with every studio member contributing.
- Recognition of how far the team has come—from solo vlogs to orchestrating vast projects, influencing not just YouTube but broader media.
- Yiddle is seen as both a landmark for the team and a time capsule for a rapidly changing media landscape.
Team’s Hopes: Yiddle and subsequent projects will inspire more transparency and self-documentation in YouTube and tech media, serving as benchmarks for the evolution of creator-led storytelling.
For Full Context: Watch "Year in the Life" on the MKBHD Studio Channel and return to this episode for a deep-dive director’s commentary and celebration of community, media, and modern creativity.