Kouji Ishiyama knows what it takes to create videos consistently.
Through Gold Coin on YouTube, Kouji has built an audience of more than 1.2 million subscribers and published more than 2,000 videos. His business focuses on online sales of antique and gold coins, serving an audience primarily made up of collectors between 40 and 70 years old, including doctors, business owners, and executives.
Video has become an important way for Kouji to educate that audience, promote his business, and share his expertise.
But after creating thousands of videos, one part of the process had become increasingly inconvenient: filming himself every time.
"The biggest reason I became interested in HeyGen was that filming videos every day had become time-consuming," Kouji said. "I wanted a way to create videos without having to record myself every time."
HeyGen gave him a digital version of himself that could take filming out of the process.
Replacing the camera with a digital version of himself
Before HeyGen, every new video required a traditional filming workflow.
Kouji would write a script, set up his camera, film himself delivering it, transfer the footage, and send everything to a professional editor.
Being on camera itself wasn't the problem. It was everything required to get the footage.
"It was difficult to read or refer to a script naturally without making it obvious, and connecting the camera and transferring the data also took extra time and effort," Kouji said.
With HeyGen, that process is much simpler.
Now Kouji writes his script, generates the video with his avatar and voice, and sends the result to his editor for final production. He still gets the professionally edited videos he wants without setting up a camera and recording himself first.
The quality of HeyGen's avatars was one of the main reasons he chose the platform.
"The quality of the avatars was very good," Kouji said. "I also found the website easy to understand, and I was able to create my avatar quickly without much difficulty."
His first reaction to seeing his digital version was similarly positive.
"It looked natural, and I did not feel much discomfort or awkwardness seeing an avatar version of myself."
Saving up to 30 minutes on every video
Removing filming from the workflow saves Kouji approximately 20 to 30 minutes every time he creates a video.
He no longer has to set up his camera, prepare for the shoot, deliver the script on camera, connect his equipment, or transfer the footage before editing can begin.
"Not having to film yourself is incredibly convenient," Kouji said.
For him, the biggest benefit is getting back the time and effort previously spent filming.
And for someone who has already created more than 2,000 YouTube videos, removing 20 to 30 minutes of repetitive work from every new video can add up quickly.
Today, Kouji publishes about three videos per week. That's intentionally fewer than he used to publish. After building such a large library, he decided to slow his schedule rather than be constrained by production.
Making multilingual video easier
HeyGen has also made it much easier for Kouji to create videos in foreign languages.
Instead of filming himself again for each language, he can use AI to adapt his video content for audiences beyond his primary language.
"HeyGen made it much easier for me to create videos in foreign languages," Kouji said.
Gold Coin’s YouTube has grown to more than 1.2 million subscribers. Kouji believes the ability to create multilingual content more easily has played an important role.
"I believe this was an important factor in helping my YouTube channel grow to more than 1 million subscribers," he said.
HeyGen gives him greater flexibility in what he can create and who he can reach.
Focusing on the information instead of the camera
Despite using an AI avatar of himself, Kouji says audience reaction hasn't been an issue.
"From the beginning, very few people seemed to notice that the videos were created using an avatar," he said.
More importantly, he doesn't think viewers particularly care whether an avatar is involved.
"What matters much more is the quality and value of the information in the video," Kouji said.
That's also why he recommends the technology to other people who regularly create video.
"If someone is regularly producing video content, I would recommend trying it right away," Kouji said.
After more than 2,000 YouTube videos, Kouji already had the expertise, audience, and content strategy. HeyGen didn't need to replace those things. It simply removed one of the most repetitive parts of his workflow.
Now he can write a script, turn it into a video with his avatar and voice, and send it directly into post-production without stepping in front of a camera.
As Kouji puts it, HeyGen feels like "having a reliable virtual version of yourself that can help you create content whenever you need it."
