Creator Spotlight: Exploring the Unbeaten Path

For 11 years Bob Thissen has visited the coolest abandoned buildings in Europe, Asia, Africa and the US and experienced crazy adventures. After the TV series "Exitus" (Which was broadcasted in Belgium and The Netherlands in 2016) he decided to create their own channel.

“I don't need luxury. I love to sleep in creepy abandoned places for fun. It's a real adventure and you never know where you'll end up the next night.”

How did you succeed as an online creator?

I'm a passionate urban explorer (somebody who sneaks into abandoned buildings and makes pictures) and I travel as much as possible to see the most beautiful abandoned places in the world.

Recently I made a big change, I thought it would be way cooler to record the whole adventure instead of just taking pictures and a bit of video. It's the whole journey/adventure which makes it interesting.

It's the best souvenir you can get and I can also take people along safely who aren't able to or don't dare to go themselves.

Some of my adventures (Like the Baikonur space shuttles and Fukushima) went viral and made it to the news in many countries. It doesn't pay the bills yet, but I hope to become a full-time explorer soon.

What has been the most important buy to better your production value?

The drone combined with the music is the best investment I made. Drone shots are always amazing and the music adds the perfect atmosphere which makes it jaw-dropping.

Why did you choose Epidemic Sound's music for your channel?

It came with my Zoomin TV platform account and I'm really happy about it. I was always struggling to find the right music and thanks to Epidemic Sound I now save a lot of time. Especially the "drone" section fits just perfectly with my video's.

How do you find inspiration for your production? What’s the plan for the future?

I research daily for abandoned buildings and I make a wishlist where to go next. It's an endless list so I have to choose wisely what the audience will like best. Great architecture, time-capsules or great stories are the things I'm looking for. I'm going to do a big upgrade of my equipment in the next weeks and I hope to become a full-time explorer soon to have more time to make decent episodes.

I'm always in a hurry nowadays because of the limited time and money. We'll see what the future brings, but I have a lot of cool trips planned already!

Follow Bob Thissen on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and bobthissen.com

Related posts: