AN aspiring film-maker has built up a significant online presence after making videos tackling emotional issues, including him trying to come to terms with his mother's death.
Through his YouTube channel, teenager Sam Chaplin covers issues such as bereavement, depression, self-harming and sexuality and boasts more than 2,000 subscribers to his channel SamChaplinify.
Describing how it all began with a bit of tinkering with technology, the 18-year-old said: "I didn't see it as anything other than a bit of fun, now I regard it as a career.
"For part of my BTEC media course, I had to make a video of myself. I put it on YouTube and it got some views, so I thought I could use this and get more."
From relatively light-hearted content, his channel gradually adopted a more serious tone, owing mainly to experiences of friends and his own personal issues.
"Over time, as I made new friends, I noticed a lot of my friends had personal issues with things like self-harm and bullying," said Sam.
"So I decided to make a video addressing self-harm and giving general advice.
"Out of the 300 videos I have uploaded, that one is my most important."
While stressing his word is just opinion, Sam considers himself very approachable and on hand to help those in need.
The Plume School pupil said: "I would never say 'just speak to me', speak to a GP, a teacher, or friend."
The past 12 months have represented a period of significant change in Sam's life.
Late in 2013, his mother Romila Gupta died aged 44 after a long illness.
He sought salvation in the form of YouTube videos and decided to share his experiences.
Sam, of Lodge Road, Maldon, added: "I used videos as a way of coping and getting over it myself. But also to help people in the same position as me.
"It was quite sudden so it hurt a lot, I decided to make a video to tell people what happened.
"I'd rather be open about it than hide it away. I am so proud of my mum for what she went through – she's a massive inspiration for me."
In addition to his personal videos, his lighter ones have proved equally as successful.
He helped Maldon District Council gain acclaim at the Centre for Public Scrutiny awards with a promotional video shot by Sam and his friends.
And a music video he produced in March 2013 even managed to gain recognition on BBC Radio 1's Sunday night show.
Sam supplements his income by snapping Heybridge Swifts FC matches and hopes to carry on film-making later down the line.
See Sam's videos at www.youtube.com/user/SamChaplinify
