The Development Model Of Digital Creative Talents - 978 Words

In the past, large media companies—studios and networks—dictated the content development model. Over the last 10 years, that model has been entirely reversed. Digital creative talents build their own audiences and begin to generate revenue for minimal cost. Only then do large media companies take notice. Look at all of the successes this new model has born. PewDiePie grosses $7M+ in online advertising revenue; Michelle Phan is generating close to $150M revenue with her subscription makeup line, Ipsy; The Janoskians continue to tour the world; and, notably, Hannah Hart, Mamrie Hart, and Grace Helbig launched â€Å"Camp Takota† on VHX and iTunes. Even at the top of the pyramid, however, there is no guarantee that amassing an online audience†¦show more content†¦Additionally, given what their audiences expect, content developed around these digital creators must capture their personality; otherwise, it will fail. It remains to be seen just how much of the â€Å"mainstream† content created by digital stars will succeed. To back one of these projects, an investor must believe three things: 1) there are â€Å"built-in† audiences that will come out and pay to see their favorite online stars; 2) digital creators can rally audiences without significant marketing costs (i.e. via social media); and 3) their audiences are conditioned not to expect high-production quality. The key point here is that we are trending towards a mixing of various media, and with it a mixing of what defines celebrity. Eventually, it will be difficult to discern whether someone is a film and TV star or a digital talent. It is already beginning. We have seen the YouTube banners across New York advertising individual creator channels. At the same time, traditional celebrities are increasingly engaging with their fans via a variety of digital platforms. Jimmy Kimmel’s internet videos garner a larger audience than his TV show. But his TV show is what gave him a credible platform in the first place. Is Jimmy Kimmel a TV personality or a YouTube star? †¢ Audiences: Above all, the greatest opportunity is for audiences. There has never been a time where quality content is more ubiquitous, more