Life in a Day: YouTube’s Crowdsourced Film and How to Watch It

Life in a Day is YouTube’s crowdsourced documentary: thousands of people around the world filmed their lives on one single day, and an Oscar-winning director cut the footage into a feature film. We covered the call for videos back in July 2010. This updated guide explains what the project was, what happened to it, how to watch both films today and how to record your own “life in a day” video.

Quick answer: Life in a Day was a 2011 documentary made from videos that people uploaded to YouTube after filming their day on July 24, 2010. Kevin Macdonald directed it and Ridley Scott was executive producer. A sequel, Life in a Day 2020, was filmed on July 25, 2020 and premiered in January 2021. Both films can be watched on YouTube.

What was YouTube’s Life in a Day project?

In July 2010 YouTube launched Life in a Day, a cinematic experiment to document one day on Earth through the eyes of ordinary people. On July 24, 2010, anyone could film a snapshot of their life on camera and upload it to the Life in a Day channel by the end of the month.

Kevin Macdonald, the Oscar-winning director, edited the most compelling footage into a feature documentary, executive produced by Ridley Scott. In this video Kevin shared his thoughts on what makes a good submission:

Contributors whose footage made the final cut were credited as co-directors, and up to 20 contributors could be selected to attend the premiere.

What happened to Life in a Day?

• Huge response: about 80,000 videos were submitted, adding up to roughly 4,500 hours of footage.
• Sundance premiere: the finished feature premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2011.
• Free release: YouTube later made the full film free to watch online.
• The sequel: ten years later, Life in a Day 2020 asked people to film their lives on July 25, 2020. More than 300,000 videos from 191 countries were sent in. Kevin Macdonald directed again, and the film premiered in January 2021.

How to watch Life in a Day today

Both films are on YouTube (external site). Search for “Life in a Day 2011” or “Life in a Day 2020” and pick the uploads from the official YouTube channel. They work well on a TV through the YouTube app, which helps because many shots are short and full of detail.

How to make your own life in a day video

The project no longer takes submissions, but the idea still makes a lovely personal video. When the project launched, I shared this example from one of my favourite bloggers, Amit Agarwal, who recorded his own Life in a Day:

To make your own:

1. Pick a day and plan a few moments you want to capture: waking up, work, meals, family, the commute, the evening.
2. Shoot short clips of a few seconds each on your phone. Hold the phone steady and record in good light where you can.
3. Answer simple questions on camera, as the original film did: what do you love, what do you fear, what is in your pocket?
4. Edit the clips in a free editor on your phone or computer, keeping the story in time order from morning to night.
5. Share it on YouTube or with your family. If you want to keep a copy offline, see our guide on how to download YouTube videos legally.

If you build a channel around this kind of personal video, our guide to YouTube Creator Awards and play buttons explains what happens when it grows.

FAQ

Who directed Life in a Day?

Kevin Macdonald directed both Life in a Day (2011) and Life in a Day 2020. Ridley Scott was an executive producer.

What date was Life in a Day filmed?

The original film was shot by contributors on July 24, 2010. The sequel was filmed on July 25, 2020.

Can I still submit a video to Life in a Day?

No. Submissions for both films have closed, but you can still make and share your own day-in-the-life video.

Is Life in a Day free to watch?

The original film was released free on YouTube, and Life in a Day 2020 was released on YouTube too. Check the official uploads for availability in your country.