Does any money come from YT itself? I've always wondered what comes from that, seems to be enough that some people go full time making videos.
The check comes from google/youtube.
Depending on the amount of views and the type of content the payout is all over the place. Advertisers bid to place the ads on your videos. Also opens up other possibilities for sponsorships,brand deals, affiliate marketing and other sources of income.
To go full time better be getting all sorts of views. 500k + views a month might make 20k a year from ads alone. Then you have to pay taxes and any expenses to make the videos etc.
It is possible, but it is not just simple and easy. It is basically a business in itself.