Grant Woolward is one of the more intriguing Youtube artists. The Japan-based, University of Virginia educated user creates videos on a wide range of topics, in a wide range of styles. Whether he’s sending up famous speeches or blending Beatles songs together into a delectable truffle, Woolward always seems to hold the viewers attention, sometimes for as long as 6 minutes. I recently had an opportunity to “sit down” with Grant and ask him about his creative process. His answers to my meddling questions were just as thought-provoking as his videos.

What made you want to start a YouTube channel in the first place?

Back in 2007, when I was supposed to be studying biology, I wrote several pieces for piano and decided to post them on YouTube, but I didn’t start making videos on a regular basis until about a year-and-a-half ago, after watching MysteryGuitarMan’s videos. This new medium exited me because I could combine my interests in music, editing, and comedy.

I took classical piano lessons from age 7 up until my second year of university, with a couple breaks in between.  I don’t have a teacher anymore, but I think I’ve improved the most since I started recording myself for videos, because it has forced me to listen to all my imperfections and correct them.

Your Beatles mashup vid is quite unique and impressive. How many hours did it take you to play with their songs and piece together the perfect medley?

Finding melodies that blended well was a long process of elimination. It took at least a week-and-a-half, working several hours a day.  I’m too embarrassed to do the math. It was definitely a labor of love.

I usually don’t expect a video to be a hit, but I try to make every one as accessible as possible. My channel is obscure and I’m trying to get as much exposure as I can, so when thinking up ideas I give priority to those with wider appeal. But at the same time it has to be an idea I personally love, otherwise I couldn’t go through all the trouble to make it.

The last speech I wrote was in Japanese. I could have done with a speechwriter myself, and I’m very glad it wasn’t graded.

Thanks. I’d be flattered if even one teacher ever used it in the classroom. I think I would have actually enjoyed biology if the Beach Boys had taught it.

"Spermatazoon infiltration. Oocyte penetration."

Talk about about why you created the “Part of the World,” Little Mermaid parody. Have you asked Japanese locals what they think about it? If so, what kind of responses have you gotten?

Basically, I loved the song and wanted to pay homage to it through parody. I searched for a situation like Ariel’s, in which one longs to venture into a world he or she has been sheltered from.  I realized that the Japanese phenomenon of “hikikomori,” which refers to geeky, reclusive young people who have completely withdrawn from society and sometimes isolate themselves in their bedrooms for years, was a good theme to work with.  At the same time I hoped it could bring to light a serious social problem in Japan.

Japanese friends who have seen it said it was funny, but I’ve had trouble promoting it in the Japanese-speaking world. Unfortunately for me, satire is an alien form of comedy in Japan and not as many Japanese people are familiar with the original song.

I assume you do you do all your own photoshopping and video editing, correct?

That’s right. It’s one of the main reasons I can only put out a video every 2-4 weeks. I wish it were my full-time job.

Disposable Kodaks aside, I started using a camera (a digital SLR) in college. I really didn’t get into video until about a year ago.

This is a tough question. I’ve lived here for almost 4 years, and naturally there are things I love and hate about both countries. Japanese culture fascinates me but I sometimes become frustrated with the endless formalities in which it is entrenched. On the other hand, while American culture is less intriguing, the casual lifestyle and independent American spirit are things I’ve come to value more since living here.

Check out Grant’s YouTube channel if you like having your hair blown back.

By Juniper Jettison. Note: Juniper Jettison’s actual initials might be WP.

By Elizabeth Downing Johnson

11Points.com creator Sam Greenspan is the most knowledgeable guy about everything, ever. Except cats and Star Trek. I had the opportunity to ask him 11 questions, (of course it was 11) so I did, and he answered them with his characteristic good-natured charm and cleverness. You might remember when I did a review of his book 11 Points Guide to Hooking Up.  I was a fan then, and I’m even more of a fan now, especially since he answered my questions thoughtfully and thoroughly, and didn’t once ask if I was dropped on my head as a child. Read on to learn more about Sam.

1.  Do you make lists for everything in your life (grocery, Christmas card, apocalypse survival kit, etc.) or do you save that for your website and book?

Making 11-item lists has become a creepily subconscious habit. Like I try to extend to-do lists to 11 and such now. I also spot 11s everywhere, like Jim Carrey in that movie “The Number 23″. Which I didn’t see, but I think I got the gist from the trailer.

2.  What is your favorite subject to make lists about?

My favorite lists are the ones about race, religion and grammar — quite possibly because those are the last three taboos in society.

3. Is there anything that you would not make a list about?

I try to only write about what I know and can speak about from a completely informed position. There are 11 Star Trek movies, but I’ve never made the list ranking them because I simply don’t know Star Trek the series well enough to handle the movie in context. And also cats. I won’t write about cats.

Sam Greenspan refuses to write about cats. And cats refuse to write about him!

4. Have you learned more through school or through your research for your lists?  If it’s the latter, bummer about those school loans, huh?

Trivia-wise, nothing could compare to doing 11 Points. Each one I write is like a term paper. I probably put an average of three hours into each one… which is why I don’t write them daily. However, I don’t think I’d be able to write if I hadn’t gone to school and been indoctrinated with the hardcore principles of journalism. At least that’s what I tell myself.

5.  You acknowledged Oprah in 11 Points…, when does your own show on the O Network start?

Hopefully before the network ends.

6. Do you have a surplus of unused 11 points lists that you probably will never publish and if so, how much more do you think they will be worth once you’re dead?

I have no cache. I am never ahead. And generally I pick the topic I’m going to write approximately 12 hours before the list is published. But if there’s a market for my writing when I’m dead, I hope people want to buy the first 20 pages of 25 unfinished screenplays.

It's possible that a book of Sam Greenspan's unfinished screenplays would be featured on Reading Rainbow.

7.  Was your choice to use 11 points inspired by Spinal Tap’s amplifiers?  Otherwise, why are top 10 lists for cowards?

I didn’t even think of Spinal Tap when I was creating the site, but now I’m well aware of the connection. 11 was one of my favorite numbers growing up — it was my sports number. (In middle school, when I played sports.)  At the time when I was starting it, my friends and I were going through a big phase of calling people cowards — so when I settled on the 11-item list idea, that tagline immediately popped into my head. I’m glad it did, because it works really well — whenever I give someone a business card, they laugh at the tagline. Or perhaps at the fact that I have business cards that are hot pink.

 8.  Do you moisturize?

I have this tendency to get absurdly chapped lips whenever I go on a trip with friends. I get dehydrated, I drink alcohol, and my lips turn to cracked paste. Then I use a special medicated type of lip balm to try to moisturize them. But otherwise, no. Absolutely not.

9.  What websites do you frequent and why?

I watch Hulu approximately 100 times more than I watch Netflix. I like a constantly updated stream of fresh TV shows more than a rarely-updated stream of two- to 13-year-old movies. And I check my own site hourly to make sure it’s still alive.

10.  If you were Super Mario, would you write lists about plumbing, or just about Koopa?  

I think I would need to eventually diversify and write about everything. When you work day-to-day as a plumber, you’re going to want to write about plumbing. And also I’d write about my job as a boxing referee, that’s got to be pretty exciting.

11.  When is the next book coming out and what type of lists will it contain?

The next book is still in the early phases, but things look good. I can’t say yet what the subject will be, but it won’t be another dating book. It might not even stick so rigidly to the list format. That will be determined soon.  I promise, I will tell you as soon as things are formalized.

You can get your 11 item list fix on at 11Points.com, and be sure to pick up a copy of Sam’s book, 11 Points Guide to Hooking Up: Lists and Advice about First Dates, Hotties, Scandals, Pick-ups, Threesomes, and Booty Calls.

Some people really like living on the edge, but this guy decided to turn it into a hobby, taking vertiginous photos of himself posing on rooftops with his feet dangling in the air. This photo set is not for the faint of heart, but if you’re afraid of heights, keep reading and find out one really interesting thing about the guy who took the pictures…

The fearless artist behind this project is Dennis Maitland, a photographer from Detroit, who cruised his hometown searching for interesting tall buildings where he could make his next shot. The risk of being mistaken for a jumper and getting the police on his back made Dennis choose mostly old buildings in secluded areas, but he managed to take a couple of shots in more crowded places in his 30 second shoot-and-run sessions.

Possibly the most interesting thing about Dennis is that he had a fear of heights when he started doing this series, being afraid to even climb ladders past 10 feet. Each new photo helped him overcome the fear, and now you can see him bravely posing on the ledge of a building balancing on one leg while the other is stretched over the edge in a dangerous pose. Hats off to him for both his amazing photos and for having the guts to face his biggest fear!

You can also check out work by German photographer Jan Von Holleben and this amazing “If Dreams Came To Life” photo editorial.

Combining modern technology with more traditional art techniques is an interesting symbiosis that can produce magnificent results. A Miami-based Indian-American artist, NFN Kalyan, took his hand drawn artwork and used a laser etching device commonly employed to make holograms; the result was spectacular 3D sculptures that wow everyone who views them.

If you’ve seen The Cell (Jennifer Lopez’s ambitious acting attempt), you must remember the scene with the horse getting sliced into pieces. The method used for these sculptures is pretty similar. There are several drawings that have no meaning on their own. They need to be combined with the others present layers of a complex structure. With the right lighting, over 20 glass panels with drawings engraved on them using the laser become one picture, creating a realistic human face.

Kalyan’s choice of models is quite colorful, from famous NBA player Lebron James,  to the Dalai Lama, to Barack Obama. The exhibition, entitled “Nature of the Beast,” portrays people that Kalyan finds interesting in some way.

A real estate agent from Chicago, Illinois picked up his pencils and began to draw masterpieces with them, something he hadn’t done since he was a teenager 30 years ago. The results are so incredible that it’s hard to believe that he has had no formal art education.

Rick Forston started drawing again in 2008, and has so far made dozens of portraits of celebrities that continue to amaze people with their photograph-like details. He’s so good that when you place Rick’s drawing of the singer Tyrone Wells and his wife Elina next to the actual black and white photo of the couple, it’s almost impossible to determine which one is which.

Some of Rick’s favorite subjects include characters from popular TV shows and movies such as Breaking Bad, Iron Man and Hancock. This pure talent shows it’s never too late to work on things you love and achieve great results (unless you were dreaming on becoming the youngest person to climb Mount Everest). His prints are available for sale on his deviantart page.