> Examination: YouTube Top Content Providers

[rayw]

Please visit
Social Brain Wave
@ facebook to learn more about how a group of us are
helping promote the works of the individual members to
a level that is beyond what could be done alone.
http://www.facebook.com/SocialBrainWave/info​

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This is the investigation, analysis, and dissection of the top youtube content providers defined by those with the most subscribers.
http://www.indietalk.com/showthread.php?t=44191

The intent is that by understanding what elements go into the concept, design, execution, and promotion of market valued content that we ourselves may adopt some of these practices in developing our own content.

Why would we want to do that?
Why would we even care?

For my own reason -
From the light research I've conducted in crowdsourcing at the beginning of the filmmaking process and the marketing and promotion of the completed film products the key is to come to the table having already cultivated a following.
> Cold calling for fi$cal attention is grossly ineffective.
> Bring an interested crowd to your crowdsourcing campaign.
> Bring an interested crowd to marketing and promoting your finished film.


I would like to see some of the reasons others here at IT are interested in top youtube content providers.
Zen Steve?
Lucky Hardwood?
Icba Pictures?
Paul Griffith?
Any one else?



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http://vidstatsx.com/youtube-top-100-most-subscribed-channels

http://www.statsheep.com/p/Top-Subscribers

Looks interesting: http://willvideoforfood.com/

http://willvideoforfood.com/2012/10/19/why-are-ray-william-johnson-and-maker-studio-separating/

http://willvideoforfood.com/2012/05...ios-machinima-maker-full-screen-and-bigframe/
OVS = Online Video Studio
OVC = Online Video Company

http://www.comscore.com/Insights/Pr...eleases_March_2012_U.S._Online_Video_Rankings

www.reelseo.com/online-video-studios/

http://newmediarockstars.com/2012/09/which-youtube-network-should-you-sign-with/
This looks waaaaaay more complicated than just hanging out your shingle and hassling your family, friends, and forum friends to watch and subscibe.

• Alloy Digital - http://www.alloydigital.com/profiles/
• Big Frame - http://bigfra.me/our-channels/
• Blip Studios - http://blip.tv/users/apply
• The Collective
• Creator X - http://apply.fullscreen.net/creatorx
• FullScreen - http://fullscreen.net/creators
• Machinima - http://www.machinima.com/#contactus
• Maker Studios - http://www.makerstudios.com/about/
• PMC Studios - http://www.pmc.com/brands/pmc-studios.php
• Revision3 - http://revision3.com/shows
• Social Blade - http://socialblade.com/youtube/user/SocialBlade/partner
• TYT Network - http://www.tytnetwork.com/shows/

Getting a little off the path with this one: http://videoproductiontips.com/equipment-needed-to-set-up-a-simple-video-studio/

 

[Sweetie]

And, would you please elaborate on what "scripted, non time sensitive content" is?

I think it would be better served with some examples first. News, blogs about news, parody's are all examples of time sensitive things. They're good for the current moment but mostly lack the ability to stay relevant over time... or most importantly, if someone discovers you a year down the track, if everything you do is time sensitive, they're unlikely to start watching from the beginning.

If you have something that is time sensitive, you're can become a slave to the production. Your results will be based on who you have at this current point in time. While you will have momentum of a growing viewership, you'll lack added benefits of being able to leverage your past work.

If you material is not time sensitive, your viewers can go back over your old productions, like they were made yesterday. This increases the value of gaining new viewers, as you can leverage your back library as well as adding future value of that set of eyeballs.

That probably confused you somewhat?

I think the way that you're looking at doing it is a mistake, basing it solely on production of material and views of each video. There are other things that are equally important, but you're removing the incentive for someone do perform those duties. Food for thought.

 

[Sweetie]

Also, people like cover / parody / silly songs. The Guilds music videos are some of their best performing videos and sold well on itunes.

While it wasn't a parody, yes it was. I believe it hit over 20 million views, generating them significant profits in multiple areas on top of introducing a lot of people to their material. If memory serves me right, it was about that time where they released their seasons on Amazon and itunes to help monetize.

 

[rayw]

News, blogs about news, parody's are all examples of time sensitive things. They're good for the current moment but mostly lack the ability to stay relevant over time... or most importantly, if someone discovers you a year down the track, if everything you do is time sensitive, they're unlikely to start watching from the beginning.

Gotcha.
That was what I was guessing at, but wanted you to confirm.

I think the way that you're looking at doing it is a mistake, basing it solely on production of material and views of each video. There are other things that are equally important, but you're removing the incentive for someone do perform those duties. Food for thought.

Could you elaborate?
Alternative approaches & considerations?

 

[Lucky Hardwood]

As for the interviews, Jessa (the stripper) would be seated at a news type desk in front of a green screen with a blue screen box on that. A digital newsroom background will be layered in behind her and the blue screen will be used to key in video clips that she is reviewing and people that she is "talking to". I'll do some transition edits to pull down the interviewee on a split screen once the interviewee begins answering. Since I don't have internet at my shop yet, Skype is a down the road kind of thing.

As far as content being submitted, I wouldn't just have her reviewing our stuff if there isn't any of our stuff to review. Other, well established YouTube content providers would be welcomed on the show. That would open up our stuff to discovery by the subscribers of the more popular channels. Jessa will also discuss the web and world in general, whatever is hot and trending at that moment. We are also considering field trip segments where she gets out and does things and we pull off some social experiments.

In regards to the JV and Varsity content, I don't see why we need to separate the two. I was thinking more like a Three Musketeers (not the candy bar) deal, all for one and one for all. We support and promote each other without mixing money.

ETA: Jessa will be wearing clothing for all on camera work. The outfits will be revealing and designed to keep a certain demographic "pixel peeping"to see if they can actually see anything. The fact that she's a stripper by profession is beneficial for two reason. First she is comfortable being dressed and seen in less than modest attire. Secondly, she has a customer/fan base at the upscale strip club where she works. She will bring those people to her show and expose them to the rest of us.

 

[pepper jack]

I would possibly be interested in collaborating or at least helping to promote one anothers channels. Currently I have a website, facebook, twitter and youtube all setup. The 3 non-youtube things are pretty much all for trying to drive traffic into my videos.

I try and have a blog going on my website usually updating the progress of my current project and my thoughts at the time about what is going on within my productions. I was trying to have a blog out everyday to start off but I quickly found that it was becoming redundant very quickly and I ended up talking about the same things in each one. So now I do less often and hopefully more informative.

The facebook I update less frequently and only really update with big notices pretty much about a new video coming out or a once in a while progress update. Twitter I probably update the most with little things here and there going on. Twitter I have the biggest (if I can even really say 10 or 20 more is the biggest) following but I notice it doesn't really bleed much over into youtube or my website.

Recently I came up with a bit of a plan for myself. I realized that a once a week short film was a very hard thing to do when not working full time every week purely on that video. So I figured I will start off with a video about every once a month and then eventually move it up to every 2 weeks when me and my crew start getting our feet wet. Well I realize now that the schedules of myself and my crew don't always work nicely and that I can't rely on even getting something out every 2 weeks.

So I decided I'm going to try something a bit different. I've decided I'm going to do something along the lines of this. For the first week of the month I am going to release a stock video pack on my website with an accommodating video on my youtube to showcase what is in that pack a bit. The second week I will release a stock sound pack again with a video on youtube. The third week I will release that months short film that I have been working on. And the final week will either be a behind the scenes of the film or a tutorial or some miscellaneous film that I feel fits in.

Also keep in mind the packs that I release would be for FREE and be Royalty FREE. December is the first month that I plan on having this schedule and I will let you guys know how it goes if you are interested and if it helps bring in more traffic. So far everything is pretty much on schedule and should be releasing my first stock video pack this thursday.

Wow I just realized I really wrote out quite a bit here but again as I said I would love to collaborate with you guys a bit and help promote one another and would love to exchange facebooks, websites, twitters, youtubes with all you guys.

 

[MetalRenard]

Your idea for creating a large volume of relevant content is a clever one, nice.
What kind of music do you put out there for people? I upload weekly music, you see.

 

[Sweetie]

I think the way that you're looking at doing it is a mistake, basing it solely on production of material and views of each video. There are other things that are equally important, but you're removing the incentive for someone do perform those duties. Food for thought.

Could you elaborate?
Alternative approaches & considerations?

Marketing is very important. Without it, you just become a me too nobody in a stream of 1 million uploaded video's a day.

Merchandising and other methods of monetizing content.

Looking for other avenues of distribution.

Writing/scripting.

Within the people making each thing, there are going to be multiple people making them. How to handle them? The caterer, editor, the sfx guy, grip, gaffer, casting, development, location scout, and where would we be if I didn't mention the world class audio crew.... what about the guy who brings the equipment etc. etc. When you bring people into the mix and they hear that you're making big bucks and they're volunteering their time (or getting paid a pittance) they're likely to not help out anymore.

I'll think more on it later, head isn't really together right now.

Not trying to make things hard, but production isn't all of it.

On another separate topic. What's the real point of it? To produce and put things up on youtube to build up an audience to help crowdsource projects, to build up a portfolio or to get paid? Just so everyone is on the same page.

 

[rayw]

• Marketing.
• Merchandising
• Distribution expansion.
• Writing/scripting.

All in addition to production.

Gotcha.

A - Not trying to make things hard, but production isn't all of it.

B - On another separate topic. What's the real point of it? To produce and put things up on youtube to build up an audience to help crowdsource projects, to build up a portfolio or to get paid? Just so everyone is on the same page.

A - Nah, you're not making things hard.
These ARE the things people working together on something more complex than a peanut butter jelly sandwich need to figure out.
If it was simple everyone would be doing it.

Yeah, I think the learning curves are all over the place.

While production may clock in with the highest learning curve I believe it's the most natural.
However, marketing&promotion/merchandising/distribution have lower but more unnatural learning curves.
Once you get those squirrely things under your belt they're less mind boggling, they're just counter intuitive.

B -

1. For me it's "To produce and put things up on youtube to build up an audience to help crowdsource projects."
2. And if I understand some of your previous posts on this thread you've the same approach.
3. Lucky is at least three or four steps ahead of me towards building a producer's credit with his already existing entertainment commentary + tutorial + automotive channels BEFORE beginning the promotion show.
4. I can definitely see MetalRenard's channel functioning as a storefront for his music with any CPM advertising payments as a kicker.
5. JoshL is showing interest for collaborating with MetalRenard, and I don't see why he couldn't just sign on for another channel.
6. I think Icba and Miken are both working on content for a web/YT presence.
7. PepperJack just announced what looks like he's a step ahead of Icba and Miken, although still in the formative pre-production stage, and that bud's about to bloom, though!

I don't know where ZenSteve and Paul Griffith are in the process, and I think GA is having fun lurking.
C'mon, GA. Whatchupta?
Does all that look about right, guys?

So, lettuce see...
I'm a premie, I think you might be (that's two), Lucky's got three channels running already and looking for #4, MR makes #4/5 (depending upon Lucky's interview/promotion show), Josh is in that twilight area between premie and starting a channel, Icba and Miken are premies, and PJ is about to debut making #5/6.

Lucky and MR are ALREADY making regular content:

x 3, maybe 4 soon.
PJ is crowning and about to pop:

x 1, SOON!
Josh can pop any ol' day because I know he's making music on a regular basis.
Sweetie, Icba, Miken and myself are still buns in the oven but near full term while we figure out what we're doing:

x 4
Don't know what stage ZSteve and PaulG are in.
GA, I get the feeling you're scoping the situation for something.

Is that about right?

 

[icba pictures]

I think the way that you're looking at doing it is a mistake, basing it solely on production of material and views of each video. There are other things that are equally important, but you're removing the incentive for someone do perform those duties. Food for thought.

I don't think that making a bunch of cr@p videos and advertising them to the max is going to go anywhere. I do think that I have some decent content to offer and am just realizing that it can pay for itself if done carefully (thanks to Ray's research). I would not start posting videos as soon if I had not known about the potential of making a couple bucks to pay for some of the extra time and effort needed. For me it's a needed motivator to get in gear and start putting some entertainment out for people to enjoy. And hopefully, just hopefully, someone will like it and click the play button...

 

[bird]

Ray for MVP!!!!

 

[Sweetie]

While production may clock in with the highest learning curve I believe it's the most natural.
However, marketing&promotion/merchandising/distribution have lower but more unnatural learning curves.
Once you get those squirrely things under your belt they're less mind boggling, they're just counter intuitive.

Done both. Marketing has a much steeper curve and is much harder to achieve results.

Is that about right?

Kind of. I've got a project or two that I'm considering doing. The question is whether to do it in a team or go it alone. For instance, I was having a conversation the other day of whether we should do the projects or not. Whether they'd bring a career that I want closer or just slam a bunch of doors shut. My main current interest is in producing.

I'm personally in a situation where I don't need to rush to do anything, and also I have a lot of free time. It puts me in the situation where I have the luxury of time without financial pressure. It has to make sense (also logistically possible being half a world away) for me to come in.

That make sense?

 

[rayw]

Done both. Marketing has a much steeper curve and is much harder to achieve results.

Steeper curve, eh?
Rats.
The "much harder to achieve results" part I'm not at all surprised at.
But I figured once you learn M&P what to do and where to do it at it was a pretty repetitive process.
Not so, eh?
Double rats.

Kind of... That make sense?

Yes, it does.
Looks like a mixed blessing.
In a position to do most anything with little pressure FORCING you to do anything.
Give a man enough rope...



Alright, IT folks...
Upload #1 for Ray has now gone live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjP-CI0Qt3o

Run the definition up high as your system will allow, then sit back and take a chill-break for four whole minutes.

THIS IS A PERSONAL EXPERIMENT TO PRIMARILY SEE IF I CAN DO THIS EVERY OTHER WEEK - OR NOT.
It isn't here to razzle-dazzle anyone.

- I shot for an hour last week, re-learning my camera's controls all over again, tinkering with the settings, and trying not to make cr@p images. It's a beginning.
- I haven't opened up my Adobe Premiere Elements 10 NLE in almost a year.
The d@mn thing has sh!t tutorials. (That's what you get when you pay twenty bucks for something!)
I'm rusty and guessing my way around the mushroom mine in the dark.
- I hadn't even opened and installed the FreeAudioEditor download I pulled last spring.
Fortunately it's simple enough that I was able to tinker with the audio as-good-as-I'm-likely-to-get PDQ.

So, I'm really running several experiments simultaneously with intentions of getting my production time down tight as a beaver's bunghole before adding layers of complications to it.

Fair enough?

 

[Sweetie]

Done both. Marketing has a much steeper curve and is much harder to achieve results.

Steeper curve, eh?
Rats.
The "much harder to achieve results" part I'm not at all surprised at.
But I figured once you learn M&P what to do and where to do it at it was a pretty repetitive process.
Not so, eh?
Double rats.

To be honest, both filming and marketing both have steep learning curve, but marketing (in my opinion) is a steeper curve.

It's similar to expecting everything in filming to be the same once you've done it initially.... and you know this is just not the way it goes. While there are elements that are similar and both get easier over time, you understand that there are issues with scale. The larger you get on both sides, the more complicated it gets and the more resources you need to keep things going well.

Filming and marketing both have something in common. You start off with very few resources to work with and you're expected to get results. It's the hardest to pull off when you have limited (or no) resources to work with and you're still expected to produce results. The more resources you get, the easier it becomes to get the desired results. The issue is, the more resources, there's usually a higher expectation of results. The more resources you use, the more things that can go wrong and have wasted resources. Both filming and marketing increase in difficulty when you scale them.

A problem quite often exists when you scale your filming and don't take marketing into consideration. Marketing is different in each region. What works here might not work there and so forth. In other areas what works where you are could have the opposite effect. It's part of the reason why marketing (working with distributors during development and production) has to be a big part of successful film making.

Anyway, too far off topic. We're talking about youtube right?

Fair enough?

More than fair.

 

[icba pictures]

speaking of Youtube... I just made my second Youtube channel.. You know, the one that is the experiment/premey. Hoping to have content soon.

 

[JoshL]

I've definitely been interested in this, and following your research from the beginning. Still trying to think of how I could participate; for the better I've been working pretty steady on projects (feature #3 should be wrapped up this week) so I don't have library music to sell, though selling my services is definitely where I'm interested. My problem is I'm crap with visuals/video/images/anything not music, so I don't know how I could sustain a channel to feed into this. Thinking on it though, and as always, paying attention and trying my best to learn from you folks!

...and definitely up for suggestions!

 

[Sweetie]

aaah, that reminds me... add music to the list of things that are needed that don't constitute a full production.

 

[rayw]

Ray for MVP!!!!

YAY!!!!

That and a buck-thirty-five will get me a Coke outta the machine!

Oh! Wait! WTH am I talking about?!
I could use the MVP award as something to market, promote, and pimp my somewhat related social media sites!

Double YAY!!!

To be honest, both filming and marketing both have steep learning curve, but marketing (in my opinion) is a steeper curve.

Well, pudding. I appreciate the headzup. GRRR!!!

Anyway, too far off topic. We're talking about youtube right?

LOL! I think we still are.
Frankly, this is dead on balls exactly what we should be talking about - in addition to content, merchandising, distribution expansion, and writing/scripting. ... And musical score!!!!
It's a package deal as far as I'm concerned.

More than fair.

You are generous.

speaking of Youtube... I just made my second Youtube channel.. You know, the one that is the experiment/premey.

Hoping to have content soon.

I've definitely been interested in this, and following your research from the beginning. Still trying to think of how I could participate; for the better I've been working pretty steady on projects (feature #3 should be wrapped up this week) so I don't have library music to sell, though selling my services is definitely where I'm interested. My problem is I'm crap with visuals/video/images/anything not music, so I don't know how I could sustain a channel to feed into this. Thinking on it though, and as always, paying attention and trying my best to learn from you folks!

...and definitely up for suggestions!

This is cool.
I'd really like to see you get on board with this project, Josh.
>> Bird and GA, you guys, too. <<

Channel A - Scenes from each of your three film features where your score services are... featured.
Pop one up every week to bi-weekly.
Channel B - Begin with the music & scores you have done that did or didn't get used for anything set to a background visual of your liking.
I'm guessing since you've shot three features that you at least have the camera equipment, h3ll, a decent cellphone would suffice.
Edit, drop in soundtrack, upload awaaaaaay!!!
Again, weekly or bi-weekly.

1,518​

Will you and MR get to score for STAR WARS Episode VII?
Maybe not, but... just get your music out there.
For me the devil is doing it on a consistent basis.
You may have other devils.

 

[icba pictures]

Ding ding ding ding!!!!
Just had an epiphany... FORUMs drive views.

Not trying to steer anyone away from here, but joining a forum that deals with content/music/location/ etc. only takes a few seconds to join, introduce yourself, be honest and let everyone know about your video you want people to watch. Also using enticing keywords in your reasons why they should watch.

Ta-dahhhh. Am I helping any?

 

[rayw]

Yes.

 

[JoshL]

Channel A - Scenes from each of your three film features where your score services are... featured.
Pop one up every week to bi-weekly.
Channel B - Begin with the music & scores you have done that did or didn't get used for anything set to a background visual of your liking.
I'm guessing since you've shot three features that you at least have the camera equipment, h3ll, a decent cellphone would suffice.

...nope. I've shot nothing. I don't do visual...at all. Even my cellphone is a good 7 years out of date, let alone having the visual creativity to know what to shoot. Scenes from films I've scored are a little iffy too (since I'm sure most directors I've worked with would be pissed off with me uploading their entire film, 2 minutes at a time!)

I have hours and hours of score music (let alone band stuff, and previous bands of varying degrees of appeal), so I could relatively easily toss up an old cue (or two, given that sometimes a cue is 10 seconds) on a weekly basis.

So, brainstorming here, I could do movie-poster videos (which aren't visually interesting in the least) or maybe screenshot slide-shows (not sure that'd be much better). Or if anyone has any better ideas (or wants to collaborate and shoot something marginally appropriate), I'm definitely all ears...

...which is my problem when it comes to conceptualizing visuals!