Meet Devon Gailey of Downtown Raleigh

Today we’d like to introduce you to Devon Gailey

Hi Devon, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I got started in video when I majored in Communications at Elon University. I learned so much about production, editing…but more than anything I learned how to work a DSLR camera. At the time, I was really just trying to make things for class, but I did end up spending a summer in Los Angeles producing a short film – which was a fantastic experience. I actually interned at a horror movie studio, Full Moon Features, and I got a taste of what living in the entertainment capital of the world was like.

Back home, as I looked for jobs here in NC, I took a position as a photographer and then later as a digital content creator. A lot of what I ended up doing was some video, some graphic design, some product photography. But mainly what people were looking for was someone who can do whatever creative task they need at the time. So, video took a backseat, and for a while, I really wasn’t creating much video content at all.

Fast forward to 2020, and suddenly I had a lot of time on my hands. I was working remotely, and work was slow. My best friend Isis and I would hop on calls and talk about what we were watching on TV or recommend shows and movies to each other. One day I just thought, hey…why don’t we record this and start a YouTube channel?

So we did!

Space Cowgirls has been my passion project for about 4 years now. Isis and I react to anime like Bleach, Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen, and more! We have 8,500 subscribers and over a million views on our channel. It’s such a joy to create with your best friend. And it’s allowed me to not only have fun but keep doing what I truly love doing – video.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Phew…there are ALWAYS obstacles! To start, Isis and I live on opposite coasts, so we first had to figure out how we were even going to record ourselves, watch the same episode without lag…the logistics were the first hurdle. Once we figured that out, it was smooth sailing for a while!

But after 2022, our schedules have gotten fuller since we began the channel. Remember, we started this as a way to pass the time! But now, it’s definitely more difficult to find times that we can both sit down for a few hours and film.

I’d say the other struggle is just how slow growth can be on YouTube. Especially with how much time and effort it takes to film and edit a video. It can be discouraging to see a video flop after you’ve spent 8 hours editing it. But that’s how it goes sometimes!

All that is to say, no matter what the obstacle, we’ve continued the channel and found ways to keep things fun and interesting for us. We’ve seen continuous growth, and we even have people reach out to ask where a video is if I’m falling behind on edits! The fact that we have people genuinely interested in watching us talk about anime is insane and very humbling to me.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Personally, I would say I’m known for content creation – which is a vague term. But when I started our channel, I loved the idea of creating this entire brand presence from scratch. I edit our videos, but I make the thumbnails and any other graphics, too. I love being able to focus all my creative energy into one thing and really pour over the details.

But I think what I’m most proud of is getting out from behind the camera and getting in front of it. I could design, and I could edit, and I was comfortable doing that. But what I wasn’t sure I could do was be entertaining.

And while I still think I have plenty of growing to do, the fact that I can script out a video and sit down and talk on-camera and feel confident in what I’m creating us huge for me.

In fact, I recently completed my first influencer partnership with Lifetime TV. I filmed a series of videos talking about their latest releases and one video gained over 6 million views! It’s something I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish 4 or 5 years ago, and it’s something I definitely couldn’t have accomplished without Space Cowgirls.

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I think the biggest thing everyone wants to talk about is AI and how powerful those content creation tools are already becoming. Don’t get me wrong, I have worried about it myself, but I’ve also seen how much faster I can accomplish certain tasks with the help of AI.

So, while I do think AI is already changing the way we produce and edit content online, I also think the best way to combat something you’re worried about is to learn more about it. Finding ways to work with changing technologies takes the mystery out of it. You know what the tools are capable of doing, so you’re also aware of what they still can’t do as well as a human.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/spacedevon/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/spacecowgirls