Beginnings aren’t a thing most crave. But BENJAMIN DE ALMEIDA, also known as BENOFTHEWEEK, isn’t like the majority. He’s not comforted by his success; he’s looking to find fulfilment outside of it. After hitting the 15th anniversary of posting on social media, the 26-year-old is going beyond. For him, the move to expand beyond online content isn’t forced; it’s natural for a creative eager to grow. If the influencer game has become a matter of business, a profitable career with a tinge of fame, Benjamin sees it otherwise. It’s not professional progression he seeks, but creative elation. This drive has taken him far: 20 million followers across platforms, a darling of the fashion industry, and now, his first screenplay written. The journey that began with pixelated Minecraft videos fifteen years ago is only just starting. We catch up with Benjamin to talk about soft-launching New York, thrifting, and the perils of being a one-man band.
Left Leather jacket Hermès
Right Cardigan and pants Hermès, shirt The Row, t-shirt stylist’s own, jewellery Boucheron
Hey! How are you?
I’m good, it’s a good morning in New York.
How long have you been out there?
A year? I think this week was a year. I didn't even tell people that I moved here for like, a whole year, because that’s so cringe to move to New York. So, I’m soft-launching the move a year later.
Left Jacket and pants Givenchy, necklace Boucheron
Right T-shirt and polo stylist’s own, bracelet Boucheron
I think that’s smart, it’s a tough city. You need that trial period. It’s funny we’re talking about a first anniversary, but you just celebrated a much more significant one. You’ve been posting on YouTube for 15 years…
Yeah, I was freshly 10 years old. It came from being beyond bored. I was making little dances to songs or Minecraft videos. They were barely even watchable; it was more like video files, really.
Fast forward 15 years, and you’re still at it. What kind of creative fulfilment do you take in making videos?
I like trying new things, especially on YouTube. I feel like the Mr. Beastification of YouTube has shifted the vibe online. I can be experimental and try new things. I enjoy working on something, and it resonates with people.
Left Leather jacket Hermès
Right Jacket and pants Givenchy, necklace Boucheron
I read that you’re still filing and editing your own content. Is that a matter of control?
Yeah, I use Final Cut Pro and film on this bad boy right here [points at his phone], except I broke the lens of my camera, and I don't think I have Apple Care. So, half of my shots have been blurry. I was just talking to some YouTuber friends, and they were showing me their whole studio and editing team. But just the thought of having to use my words to explain how I want something edited feels like a challenge that is insurmountable right now. But it’s something I’ll have to get over one day, especially with stuff I want to work on beyond YouTube. I can’t be a one-man show unless I’m one of those people in Times Square with drums and horns attached to them.
Left Sweater, scarf and pants Dolce&Gabbana
Right Full look Issey Miyake
You’ve said in the past that you don’t think of yourself as a businessman, which I found refreshing in the era of protein popcorn and brand trips. So, if money isn’t what you’ve set as a goal, what is?
Some people refer to what I do as "my business.” My tax guy, for example, will ask me: “How’s your business?” I’m like, you call this a business? This is me playing keyboard bongos on my MacBook for 10 hours. But sure, let’s call that a business. I feel no inclination to make a candy brand or start a brick-and-mortar business. Maybe one day I’d love to open a café when I’m 70, sell cookies and matcha. But long-term, I just want to see how far I can take being creative. I wrote a screenplay this past fall to test that out. I want to see if I can make it into a real production and dive more into writing. But being someone’s boss freaks me out. I’d be throwing up four times a day out of stress.
Left Full look Issey Miyake
Congratulations, writing a screenplay is quite a feat. What are your aspirations outside of the online space?
There are so many things I know that could never just be a YouTube video. There are stories I want to tell that require a script. I have to learn how to grow to be a leader when the day comes.
The pipeline from content creation to Hollywood is stronger than ever. What genre are you interested in?
I really like satires. I like making fun of things, and I’d love to do it in a cutting way, something that blends storytelling with the absurdities I’ve seen being a YouTuber. I have a couple of ideas for psychotic satires of the influencer experience.
Left Full look MM6
First Right Jacket Hermès
Second Right Jacket and pants Givenchy, necklace Boucheron
What does success look like to you in 10 years?
In ten years, I want to know that I have tried everything I can. I would hate for that time to go by and still just be making TikToks. I want to have something under my belt that can go beyond the short attention span of the internet.
Do you think you’ll stop producing online content at some point?
It’s always been my first choice. You have so much creative control, you can do it by yourself… But then I sort of realised that some of the stuff I want to create requires a little thing called money, and a lot of it. There are a lot of creators who are so good at producing stuff and having it live right where it started on their YouTube channel. So, I haven't made any decisions on how I'd go about releasing things, where it would go. I have to create. That’s the first step, that’s where I am.
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Interview by Pedro Vasconcelos
Photography by Gabe Araujo
Fashion by Mauricio Quezada
EIC Michael Marson
Casting by Imagemachine cs
Hair by Chika F.K at De Facto Inc. using Roz Hair
Make-Up by Nana Hiramatsu using Typology Paris
Photographer’s assistant Eli Ward
Stylist’s assistant Wish Thanasarakhan
