Creator Economy Isn't Really Like Film/Show Entertainment Andy Marken January 1, 2025
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Come on Barry, you're good at this sort of stuff. Think of something. - Nathan, Misfits, Clerkenwell Films, 2012
A few weeks ago, we walked into the family room and our daughter was watching a bunch of YouTube videos and we said Whaa? The daughter response, pouty eyes and But dad!
It's so unfair!
Professionally we understand the reasons for video social media's (YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, etc.) existence - finding information, staying in touch with friends/family, news, music, product info, how-to pieces and more.
Thanks to the build-out of the wired/wireless internet everywhere, more than 5B out of 8B plus men/women, young/old are on social media regularly.
Social media has always been a great marketing tool/opportunity for promoting products, services and, in recent years, movies and shows. After all, 95 percent of people age 16-64 are on social media frequently or regularly and the social media services like YouTube (thanks Google) and Tik-Tok (thanks ______) have tons of data on individuals, habits, likes/dislikes, etc. to help individuals and organizations shape and target their messages to be measurably effective.
Don't take our word for it, check out Datareportal's global annual report and it's like the roadmap. Yes, map apps are a big use category all by themselves to reach audiences in countries around the globe, at specific times and on the screen they most commonly use.
According to GWI, the typical social media user spends (wastes) nearly 2.5 hrs. a day on social media. Ninety-seven percent use it for social networking, messaging; 94.7 use the chat apps, 94.3 percent said they used something (shopping, general search, location/parking, staying in touch, finding stuff, killing time, games - lots of games).
Oh yeah, and work.
Finding Stuff - YouTube is a great resource locator that enables people to preview films/shows before they watch them as well as research products/services and follow people, including family members.
Yes, social media is also a good place to go to check out what's playing at the theater, what day/time a new reality show is going to be on TV or what new mini-series is going to be on one of your streaming services that you want to watch before they cancel it.
That's all cool. But we draw the line on it being the place we're going for real entertainment.
Sorry, we just can't buy into the idea although it's where all the cool kids gather to pimp/promote stuff they just discovered.
Measured Followers - YouTube and TikTok both have a treasure trove of influences which can be paid to promote products and services. Cost depends on the number of followers they have and other factors.
We admit right at the outset, we're not big influencer fans but there are a lot of brands that swear the long flowing hair, megawatt smiles and folks who make things look interesting and fun must be effective.
Historically, celebrities and actors found the well-paying gigs were a great way to stay in front of their audiences as well as retain their visibility with directors, show runners and project/studio executives.
But at some point, online influencers gained a following and audience and it became difficult to know when they actually discovered something and when they were merely being paid to promote it.
Fortunately, after years of pure chaos, governments around the world established guidelines that said they had to advise viewers they were really advertising the product and Gen Zers had to figure out for themselves if it was something they really wanted/needed or it was something they bought just because she/he recommended it.
Source TikTok
But there are folks like Nathan Apadaca who liked to make short TikTok videos of him skateboarding.
Then he enhanced his videos drinking Ocean Spray cranberry juice while singing along to Fleetwood Mac's Dreams.
Someone at Ocean Spray got wind of it and he received a boat load of cranberry juice and a modest sum for his efforts.
In addition, he received a guest spot on the show Reservation Dogs, getting more than just his 15 minutes of online fame.
But today's influencers come in all shapes, sizes, sexes, races, audience sizes and prices; but we really wouldn't include them in any of our entertainment categories.
Back in the days when the creator economy was just getting started, Jim Louderback oversaw the growth and direction of VidCon that helped hundreds/thousands of people of all ages gain an understanding of how they could get their foot in the door to become a video entrepreneur.
However, he also stressed that just as in the professional entertainment industry there are tiers to go through and that an overnight success might be many years in the making and staying there takes a lot of perseverance, time and attention to the details.
Still, that never stops folks from trying to become digital-native celebrities.
During Hollywood's dual strikes that shut down everything last year, many of them thought it was an excellent opportunity to show their creativity.
Source Activate
Creator Economy - Social media video creators have a wide range of ways they can make a meaningful to great income including sponsors, subscriptions and a steady stream of new, interesting content to keep viewers coming back for more.
SAG-AFTRA warned influencers and social media video folks that producing/launching new projects during their strike could effectively bar them from moving up and into the film/show industry.
Beyond this segment, there's a growing group of folks we'll call the gig creator industry - professionals who are working to continue to hone and refine their talents/expertise and supplement their incomes w
