Today (9/26/2010) at 3:30 PST CNN did a report on what seems to be the buzz topic of the fall, the reality of mass audience and monetization the very few of us have been able to gain on YouTube. They showed a pre-made piece on Julia Nunes</a> (who we have been a huge fan of for years), and had a live interview with an executive from YouTube alongside top content creator (we are not fans of the term “YouTuber” and will try to never use it) Joe Penna AKA MysteryGuitarMan who we’re fortunate enough to know personally.
First, the good. It’s good to see mainstream coverage and places like CNN realizing there is a story to be told, and bringing someone like Joe on, who is one of the right people to talk to. This situation though just like others before it, continues the problem of traditional media not understanding and seems as if they aren’t even watching the content in a real way, and hence missing the mark entirely.
The host, Don Lemon, hadn’t apparently done any real homework, and essentially belittled all of the web’s top creators by saying things along the lines of “I have as much talent as this girl, why can’t I do this?” and “I want to just stay home in my pajamas and make a living too”. What a great showing of appreciation and respect for successful online filmmakers. Sad to see.
Reality check- sure there are a few that may have just ‘sat in their room’ and made videos, but take a look at YouTube’s top creators (there are give or take only 300 or so truly relevant people/companies on the site). Many of these people could have “made it” in the industry to varying degrees through traditional avenues, but instead we’ve all realized this is the future and decided to stake our claim in it. We continue to be disappointed at the ironic viewpoint that has seemed to be unconsciously adopted which is that most successful content online is considered ‘amateur’.
This is not only a new side of the entertainment industry where people are going to be able to work outside of the traditional system, but that this is a new wave of creativity and a haven for finding talented artists who are proactive, prolific and talented as all hell, and should be snatched up to work on a higher level. There are just as good actors, writers, directors, FX artists, musicians, you name it, on YouTube right now not just showcasing their abilities, but growing a mass audience so much so that they’re being able to monetize it. The internet should be scoured for talent the same as film schools, film festivals, comedy clubs etc. for the reasons mentioned above, but especially because with the online creator you have someone that understands the future of entertainment today. How to build a giant audience from nothing, how to do not just one profession but more like 10 (writing, directing, producing, editing, marketing, special FX, sound mixing, cinematography etc.), and perhaps most importantly, how to bring people to watch and support them, that in itself should make any show, film, record label or otherwise realize that they will be that much more successful because of their association. One of the issues is that it is too difficult to discern who is real online and who is not, and there are many factors that could be attributed to that over the years including YouTube itelf as well as many major companies and studios being semi-fraudulent which will be another blog post coming soon from us.
Things will change, and opportunities will continue to come. For now, let’s continue creating, showcasing our talents, and building case study after case study. We know why we’ve realized YouTube is the only place to have the best shot at creating a sustainable business and grow a one of a kind fan base, and once everyone like CNN and major studios fully catch up they won’t know what hit them, but all of us and the communities we’ve been growing that support us all will have been in the know all the time.
Those of us that have been able to break through with YouTube and gain a massive audience are all talented, professional, relevant pioneers of new media, and we’re not looking back.
Benny & Rafi Fine