|| The Sound Faction (dot com) ||

If you haven't heard of Mitchell Davis yet, or his Online Alias LiveLavaLive, then you: reader, are missing out bigtime! Most well known for his YouTube channel LiveLavaLive, Mitchell breathes air into the stagnant YouTube pool of Jonas Brothers tribute videos, Michael Jackson tribute videos -- ...actually just all tribute videos. Between hectic vlog-style updates, sketch improv comedy with his BFF Kyle, and other shenanigans, Mitchell Davis has something for everyone to enjoy and love!

We were lucky to nab an interview with Mitchell to talk about his YouTube channel, his current and future projects and the art of the balls-out lie.

""What does that button DO?" and then everything turns black and it's like "OKAY! Note to self: don't EVER click that button!" It's kind of been like that." - Mitchell Davis: LiveLavaLive

So how we generally start out all of our interviews is by asking you to introduce yourself to our readers and tell them what you do!

Okay! Hi, Hello, this is Mitchell Davis I am the creator... I guess... of the YouTube LiveLavaLive uh... youtube.com/livelavalive and that's pretty much what I do: I make videos and artwork!

Great! So we noticed while we were in New Jersey this summer for Bamboozle that we saw a lot of kids running around with your LiveLavaLive merchandise on which was being sold at the Districtlines tent correct?

Mmmhm!

So we were curious, where did your YouTube alias LiveLavaLive come from?

Uh, okay! Well I guess I could tell you the big elaborate lie that I tell everyone, or I can just tell you the truth that I'm not allowed to tell anyone! The day I kind of created it for art purposes I was like "Hmm, this is so cool! I kind of like it!" so it'll be a big secret! But um, most of the time what I tell people that it's because I grew up on Hawaii, a volcano exploded, my dad was killed in it and the last words he said was "Let the lava live"... so... I am letting the lava live.

That... is an intense lie.

Yeah, it is... it really is! But it's a lie I like to stick with!

That's good, though! Once you start lying you really gotta stick with it!

Yeah! Yeah... there is one side-note about that though which is, if I ever do reveal what it actually means in a video: know that it's my last video.

Oh! Okay, well we hope that day never comes!

Yeah! So everyone is kind of like "We want to know! But we don't!"

That's right: we want to know, but we'll live with the lie!

Yeah.

All right, so where does the inspiration for your videos come from?

Um, a lot of times it's just me or... me and Kyle, we usually just sit around and think of things that we wish were on movies or television that would be funny to us. Just all those little things that happen in daily life that you're like "Wow! That was embarassing but so funny! We should re-do that!" And it's usually just how it works out. And with me just being so... kind of crazy-ish, and him being so laid back it just kind of works out. You know, I get an idea and he's game! It always seems to work.

Well if it works it works, and it really does work, because you are currently standing at #31 most subscribed (of all time) on YouTube with over 250 thousand subscribers, which is insane!

It is! It really is, it astonishes me that there's even more than my grandparents and a couple of my friends that like watching the stuff. So many times I'm like "why do they think this is funny too? This is so weird!" But I'm not complaining, I mean, if you like it, that's awesome!

All right! What equipment do you use to film and edit your videos with?

Um, for equipment I use a Canon Vixia HV30, it's my only HD camera, the only one I've ever purchased. And I use a wide-angle canon attachment that I bought off Ebay for like $20, and for my editing I use Final Cut Express, and iMovieHD.

Alright, well, that went over my head except the word Canon, but that's it. I'm sure some of our readers will know what you're saying.

That's all right, a year ago I was the same way! I was like "uhhh... maybe we should try using this newer stuff." I would spend like hours and hours and hours and hours just clicking everything to see how it all works and finally I just kind of figured it out.

Well that's how you have to do it sometimes, just power through.

Yeah! Like "What does that button DO?" and then everything turns black and it's like "OKAY! Note to self: don't EVER click that button!" It's kind of been like that.

All right, well is there a certain video of yours that stands out as the most fun to create?

Uh.. Any of the ones with Kyle just flow so easy. Fun-wise. But I can say my favourite video is probably the uh... RRFF I'm pretty sure it's entitled... It's bad, I don't even remember them, uhh.. but it's a collection of old footage of me and all my old friends hanging out and it's really poorly made and it's the first ones I made a long time ago. It gets me choked up watching it.

Aww!

Yeah it's just one of those videos that's like "wow! This is what I started with, and now I'm making videos kind of like a job!"

All right, well: what does the LiveLavaLive channel and your subscribers have to look forward to in your world?

Um: I'm working on a website. Like a homebase for everybody, so if somebody gets a little off-track and can't remember one of my mini-links they can just go to mmitchelldaviss.net and that is in the works, it's not ready yet, but go ahead and throw that out there, and lots of wonderful new videos that me and Kyle are working on that involve the themes: Buzz Lightyear and Woody, Party Music Part 3, Zebra Dancing Part 3, and just all kinds of really great stuff! And it's all going to be very different than normal, because now we have two people: four hands. We're gonna do a lot more things in public, a lot of things that I wouldn't have been able to do in my room. It'll get interesting!

Well I have to tell you that our staff member Jen will be beyond excited for Zebra Dancing 3.

Yeah, Zebra Dancing Part 3 I'm beyond excited for! I'm already warming up, starting my new moves.

[Watch Zebra Dancing I and Zebra Dancing II!]

Well we're excited to see it, and uh, you can probably bank on the fact that it will become a Sound Faction featured video at some point.

I hope so! In my heart it's already featured so...

All right! So: you recently attended the 789 YouTube Gathering in New York City and also uploaded a compilation of all the videoclips you took there! But let's hear it straight from your mouth: how was your experience at 789 and what was your favourite part?

Honestly? Even though you said straight from my mouth: I'll send it right back out again. In What The Buck's video he described it probably the best: "It was like a big warm YouTube hug." It was like finally everyone got up from their cubicle and got to go talk at the watercooler or the first time, it was just fantastic. You know, actually seeing people in real life, and not being expected-- I don't know! It was just so warm and fuzzy and nice and everyone was so great! It was literally one of those things where I came home and instantly started subscribing to all these people that I met because they were jsut so fantastically nice.

Well it sounds like a really good time!

Yeah! There was never a moment of "Ugh, I don't want to be here!". Form talking to all the Lavaheads, all the kids who watch my stuff, it just, oh I love it, because it really gives me the fuel to make stuff. And then to talk to other YouTubers about YouTube stuff: which is something you can never talk to with a normal person, you know? You can't walk up and be like "SO: what's your layout gonna look like?" But you can there, and it was really great and really fun!

Well good, we're glad you had a good time! Now... this is a question that means business, so I hope you're ready for it...

I'm ready.

Who are your top five YouTubers and why?

My top five YouTubers... oohhh...

It's a toughie.

Hmmm, it is a toughie! Hmm, well: I don't know if this counts, but I really love watching Failblog! Like the fail videos, so that's probably one of 'em. Um, I really like watching Nanalew Uhh... oh man... hmm, I'm sitting here trying to think of all the videos I watch. I'm like the person who goes through and just tries to find the crazy funny ones. I don't even know who uploaded "Panda Sneezing" but I wanna say him...

[Caity's Note: I'm pretty sure it was jimvwmoss who first uploaded it!]

because I watch-- me and Kyle watch Panda sneezing so much because we still think it's hilarious! Um... TheLonelyIsland you know, Andy Samberg's YouTube channel is fantastic, and uh... hmmm probably--... you know I'm gonna say this list and then come back and wish I had said a whole lot more! probably Mememolly just for the fact that I was watching her videos earlier today.

Okay! If you had all the equipment you needed and the budget to spare, what would be your dream video to make?

A straight up movie. LiveLavaLive the movie is what I'd love to make. High definition, in theatres, every character in there, oh that would just be fantastic.

Yes it would! I'm picturing that in my head and that would be phenomenal!

I already have it like-- because everything we do is improv.. but that's one thing that me and Kyle have scripted: the intro if we ever were to make a movie, I already know what's going to happen. It's crazy, that's one thing that I dream about is just having this... instead of it being three minutes of ridiculousness it would just be like an hour and a half!

I would watch that, probably every day.

Oh. Oh! I would too! I would just be like "man we are so cool! Look at us, we made a movie!"

All right, so: The Sound Faction staff is made up of five girls, and we are random at best, we love to laugh, like making other people laugh. So how we wrap up all of our interviews is with five completely random, off the wall questions to end on a light note. Do you think you can handle it?

Oh! Perfect!

Perfect! Okay, ready?

mmhm!

If you were a Care Bear what would the picture on your tummy be?

Probably an apple for a Mac.

If you could have any non-standard super power, what would it be and why?

Non standard? I wish that whenever I blinked a sandwich would appear in front of me. Because I love eating sandwiches.

Could you handle that many sandwiches? That's a lot of sandwiches.

Well then I would give them out to the kids who need sandwiches and eventually I would feed the world. Tah-daaa!

That's a good plan! If you had to be stuck in an 80's or Early 90's movie, which one would it be and why?

Uh... Back to the Future! Any of them, because it's the best movie ever, and because I would just chill on a hoverboard all the time.

That is true! Which sucks more: Juice Moustaches or Cheeto Fingers?

Oh! Cheeto Fingers! Oh it's just awful, because after you're done licking them you're like "aww man, my hands probably weren't even clean!"

That is the exact thought that goes through everybody's head too! You nailed it on that one: "What did I touch last??"

Yeah, and it's dirt, so that's not fun!

All right... what are you favourite and least favourite dance crazes?

Ahh... oh man, probably my favourite would have to be the Beyonce thing. The Single Ladies thing everyone keeps remaking where they're all in the tights? I love watching those videos of random people doing it. I just watched one yesterday of a girl slamming her head into a TV by accident while doing the head flip... so funny!

[Caity's Note: We'd say that THIS ONE is our favourite!]

And I think my least favourite would have to be, uh... oh man, I dont' know, there's not many dances that I don't like. I'd probably say the Macarena.

Macarena, okay... so we can not expect The Macarena on Zebra Dancing 3...

I wouldn't go that far! But I wouldn't say that it's on my top "to do"

It's not on the list, okay! So: we like to give everyone a final say, before we wrap up, a uh... a shameless self promotion if you will, is there anything you'd like to add about yourself, what you do, say anything to the Lavaheads out there?

Yeah! As much as like... probably Kevin's gonna kick me for not promoting anything, I would just like to tell everyone who watches LiveLavaLive, every Lavahead that I met at 789, and didn't meet at 789 who get amazing emails from, thank you for watching it! The only reason I'm making this interview right now is for the fact that you guys have made it so kind of colossal to everyone! So I just thank them, because without them I'm just some weirdo who records everything I do. So it's all them! I'm wrapping them all up in a big ball of thank you's.

Huge thank you to Mitchell Davis of LiveLavaLive for taking time out of his busy busy schedule to chat with us! If you haven't seen Mitchell on YouTube before, well you are missing out, friends! Check out the links below to get your Lava on!!

MITCHELL DAVIS LINKS:
LIVELAVALIVE On YouTube
Mitchell Davis on MySpace
Mitchell Davis on Twitter