New Media Phenom
Pittsburgh's iJustine entertains millions worldwide with her self-produced, humorous, tech-savvy, online videos.
By Jonathan Wander
Photos by Laura Petrilla
Above: The spot that sparked a phenomenon: Justine Ezarik revisits the location of her breakout viral video, "300-page iPhone Bill."
iJustine is a star. It can be a bit challenging at first to define exactly what she is a star of. But to her hundreds of thousands of followers and fans around the world, and to the tens of millions of people who watch and laugh at her immensely popular videos, she is a star indeed.
iJustine, or as she is known in real life, Justine Ezarik, 25, born and raised in Scenery Hill, Washington County, is a star of "new media," which is Internet-based as opposed to "traditional media," such as movies, television and print. So, yes, Justine is an online star, an Internet celebrity of the first order, and here is where it may be necessary to disavow you of a pre-judgment: Justine Ezarik is not a "webcam chick."
In other words, don't judge this book by its beautiful blonde cover. Ezarik's beauty and talent in front of the camera are matched by her considerable knowledge and skills behind the camera and at the computer. She writes, stars in, lights, shoots and edits each of her comic videos. She designs her own Web sites using her experience as an accomplished freelance Web designer. She has comprehensive knowledge of every bit (and byte) of the technology that goes into her Internet presence. And, as her videos show, she loves every minute of it.
Three Hundred Pages to Internet Stardom
In December 2006 Ezarik was named one of five finalists in the "Yahoo! Talent Show" for best online videos, eventually coming in second place and just missing the top prize of $50,000. But the next year her big break came in the form of a big bill.
Ezarik's breakout video, the one that shot her to immediate acclaim, was "300-Page iPhone Bill." At the end of June 2007, Ezarik's beloved Apple (more on that love affair later) had released its first iPhone. Ezarik is a formidable texter, and watching her type her frequent text messages is an impressive blur of nimble dexterity. But to Ezarik's shock, her first iPhone bill from AT&T Wireless arrived in a box. Nearly 300 pages long, the bill itemized every call and text she had made or had received that month.
Ezarik responded in the way she usually does - she made a video. Ezarik sat down at her favorite Pittsburgh coffee shop, Crazy Mocha at SouthSide Works, and recorded a one-minute, six-second video, which "went viral" in a big, big way. The video, which can still be seen on YouTube and at ijustine.com, was viewed millions of times within days, and Justine was interviewed not only by traditional media here in the United States including CNN, ABC, USA Today and NPR's "All Things Considered," but also by news organizations around the globe, including Australia's Sydney Morning Herald.
The result? Within a week AT&T sent a text message to all of its wireless customers saying it was changing its billing procedures to a default "summary" option. Suddenly, trees everywhere became Ezarik's biggest fans.
"That experience was insane," Ezarik remembers. "It showed the power of viral videos. When I recorded the video at Crazy Mocha, I had the camera propped up on a book bag. In the process I knocked over the book bag, knocked over some chairs. It was embarrassing because everyone was looking at this crazy girl filming herself talking about her phone bill. I released it on a Monday morning at 8:30, when I figured people would be getting to work, and within a couple of hours it just exploded."
Despite the less-than-stellar attention AT&T received as a result of Ezarik's video, the company saw her power and appeal and hired her for video projects.
Talent Spotted by Those in the Know
Ezarik's talent with video editing and technology is respected throughout the industry, and she has displayed and has earned true "geek cred." Alex Lindsay, originally from Freeport and now based in the San Francisco area, is well-known in film circles and is a leader in computer graphics, computer animation and digital production. His expertise includes working on Star Wars: Episode 1 at George Lucas Industrial Light and Magic (ILM), the Academy Award-winning visual- effects company founded by Lucas and owned by Lucasfilm. Lindsay first met Ezarik in 2006 when he spoke at Pittsburgh PodCamp, a conference for those involved in social media, including podcasting, blogging and video blogging.
Left: Justine insisted on including her beloved Mac computer in her 2002 high school senior portrait.
"There was one girl in the class who was by far the most focused, asked the most questions. I immediately knew that she had a lot of skills," Lindsay remembers. He and Ezarik have gone on to work together frequently on his "MacBreak" video series, and he continues to be impressed by what Ezarik accomplishes. "She's very attractive, obviously, but she's also authentic, and her energy just draws people in. Right now we are in the golden age of online video production, and Justine is at the forefront," Lindsay says.
Back here in Pittsburgh, Ezarik's talent was obvious to those who taught her at Pittsburgh Technical Institute (PTI). After graduating with honors from Bentworth High School in Washington County, she knew she would pursue her passion for technology. One of her favorite PTI instructors was Josh Sager.
"Justine was a great student who was ambitious, hard-working, fun, a prankster, and her passion was infectious," Sager says. "Justine embraced geekiness in a way that made it enviable, and because of that, along with her knowledge and her curiosity, she was an innovator at the school."
Sager said that Ezarik got the campus involved in social media "before social media really happened." Students loved her for a fun, popular site she created, "Daily Random Picture," and a message board she developed, "Whiteboard." As Sager notes, "Justine can program, edit, design, and she's a terrific photographer. She is definitely not just a face."