The New Hollywood Stars (hint: not on TV)
One of the most surprising competitions to arise in recent memory isn’t that of the YouTube youth vs. Hollywood’s old-guard, but the old-guard amongst each other, clamoring to serve a class of creators with more clout than anyone expected. While everyone over the age of 18 knows who Brad Pitt is, a lot of younger teenagers simply don’t. This isn’t a matter of exposure to Hollywood, this is a question of who teens appear to be searching for these days. A 12-year-old is more likely to empathize with another 12-year-old than an adult star, making a star’s allure much harder to justify to a maturing generation. YouTube personalities are often closer in age to their target demographic and far easier to contact.
YouTube personalities command fan-bases in the millions. Their channels far outproduce TV and movies in terms of content hours created. The difference in production is staggering, and YouTube stars work around the clock to stay relevant to their younger audiences. Of course, the hard work pays serious dividends. LA based YouTube personality Jordan Maron (AKA CaptainSparklez and co-founder with me at XREAL) has been cultivating an incredible following over his six years of recording and producing video game walkthroughs. In that time, Jordan has amassed close to 10 million subscribers to his YouTube Channel and more than 2.5 billion views for his videos. He has become a powerful force in the video game industry and has even begun designing his own game.
YouTube personalities do so much more than videogame walkthroughs. Consider Jenna Marbles, the LA based comedian turned dog-toy maverick. With more than 16 million subscribers, she ranks as the 16th top channel and the top female celebrity on the platform. Michelle Phan, another LA-based YouTube star, has more than 8 million subscribers and over 1 billion combined views of her videos. Best of all, the YouTube star isn’t limited to a single format. Phan has deals with L’Oreal, a book, and an ecommerce beauty startup called “Ipsy” that makes a cool $150M annually.
Due to the glut of content, both Hollywood and YouTube are investing heavily in the YouTube star. But likewise, the YouTube star is heavily investing in LA. A content creator with an audience of tens of thousands requires a team to function. They need agents, editors, publicists, and other avenues to capitalize on. With Hollywood at their back, a YouTube personality can gain international fame. With YouTube under their belts, Hollywood is able to target the hardest to reach and most coveted audience: children (convert them young; retain them ’til death). Recognizing the growing symbiosis, YouTube created an immense complex to help raise their stars’ production values. And with their 45% take on the revenue, it is in YouTube’s best interest to keep production going. As more wannabe and established YouTuber’s come to LA to make it on the smallest screen, we should continue to see the competition grow and YouTube’s influence increase.
