Rise of the Multi-Faceted Media Maker
Today, one of the biggest and best blogs on Earth (and one of my daily reads) Read/Write Web posted a long piece on YouTube ’stars’ and how they, and others, can parlay their fame and video skills into business. It’s a pretty basic primer on the things we know, but the writer did include a long bit at the end about prosumer video makers doing the commercial thing. They didn’t mention us by name, unfortunately, but I wrote this response:
We’ve built a whole business around the idea that there is a huge (and growing) market of semi-pro and freelance video makers who are more than talented enough to tell brand stories. We’re putting their work in front of our major brand clients like Anheuser-Busch and Nestle to great praise. I definitely believe that this kind of content has great potential because people have a thirst for creation. And they’re only going to get better.
I believe in the future, you will see a creative class of videographers who make money from several revenue streams. They’ll make video ads for their neighbor’s restaurant, commercials for Nestle through sites like ours, video blog segments for their friend’s band and comedy skits for their YouTube Partner channel - making money at all of them.
It’s the rise of the multi-faceted media maker.
What are your thoughts? Can it be done? Are we heading in the right direction?
Tags: video, xlntads, commercials, business
May 7th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Very True! Doing it right now… I am a currently a freelance motion graphics guy by day and am starting a multi-facited media company with friends on my nights and weekends… Thats how our Nestle spot came about! Keep up the great work XLNTads!
and check out our site at http://www.2one7pro.com we are still ironing out some technical issues and the video on the main page is going to be reposted with new graphics at the end of this week. Enjoy! later.
May 7th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Ditto that, Andrew, et al…
I’m a former radio DJ who’s starting to see the future of media for what it is: internet-based. The bulk of my business now comes, not from voiceover and radio production, but from video. I do freelance copywriting and video production for the local TV and cable stations, and have had pretty decent luck (so far) with online guys like XLNTads…
As for the YouTube stardom/partnership angle, I’m not there yet, but I don’t necessarily think I need to be. Without the mass recognition and/or wide viewership, I’ve still been able to use YouTube to get some exposure, do some marketing of my skills and my business, and even drum up a little business…
So, short answer? Yeah, it can be done. I’m doing it. Others are, too. Call me.
May 7th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
@Andrew - nice! I do love your work.
@Slater - man, you’re like the poster child of the movement! Right on!