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> You need a whole team to produce even mediocre video content if you want it to be watchable (I'm not counting YouTube/Twitch streamers here - that's definitel

> You need a whole team to produce even mediocre video content if you want it to be watchable (I'm not counting YouTube/Twitch streamers here - that's definitely a different niche). I think we're comparing apples to oranges here. Look at the top twenty most subscribed channels and you will see the production value is pretty high. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_most_subscribed_users_on_YouTube https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_most_subscribed_us... They probably started off as one-person-show on a laptop webcam but at some point they tend to get better equipment and stuff. I believe YouTube gets in touch with the top 1% or 0.1% or whatever to help them get better.

michaelt 11y ago
Excluding youtube spotlight and vevo channels, here are the most recent videos from the top five most subscribed youtube channels:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbRV-5NzL1I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbRV-5NzL1I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D62HGy72HC0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D62HGy72HC0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUlu-TRFBlk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUlu-TRFBlk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQHw0bSRBWc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQHw0bSRBWc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WffxX74u48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WffxX74u48 Now, they're not bad or anything - but it looks to me like most of them are still one-person shows.
- exelius 11y ago
  Nope; none of them are. Though I don't fault you for thinking that; a lot of work goes in to making them feel "authentic" to viewers. #1: PewDiePie is part of Polaris, which is the gaming sub-brand of Maker Studios, which is owned by Disney. He's also the top grossing star on YouTube for the last few years, and you don't stay king without a lot of marketing support. #2: HolaSoyGerman is owned by Machinima. Machinima is relatively independent from big media (ignoring a $30M investment from Google), but they're still a major player in the YouTube world. #3: Smosh is a huge enterprise, a YouTube brand in itself with dozens of sub-brands. It's the "juvenile humor" brand of Defy Media, which is owned by Viacom. #4: This one was basically a PSA done by an actor / comedian / media personality. He likely had professional help making the video though (or is involved in video production work himself - not unusual for lesser known actors). But this one is a flash-in-the-pan viral video unless he can spin it into a production deal (though it wouldn't surprise me if he had already). #5: Jenna Marbles is also part of the Smosh empire, though her deal looks to give her more independence with branding than most. But still, I guarantee she's not editing and posting videos herself. All 5 of these videos were created by professional entertainers; 4 of them are the product of some YouTube media empire or another. It doesn't seem that way looking at the videos, but that's the entire point - it takes a lot of work to make something look low-budget yet still have high enough production value to be watchable. The point remains though; you don't get a top viewed video on YouTube without significant paid advertising to support your channel. And most of the companies doing this advertising support are owned by traditional media companies.
exelius 11y ago
> I believe YouTube gets in touch with the top 1% or 0.1% or whatever to help them get better. Actually most end up selling their channel to a production company like RoosterTeeth, Smosh, or Maker, then working as "talent" for a decent salary as long as they keep producing X videos per month. It takes a lot of the risk out of it, and hooks you into a machine designed to keep viral content in the public eye. Said production companies have editors, sound guys, effects people, etc. who handle the back end of the video workflow. Most (if not all) of these production companies are owned by mega-media (Maker = Disney, Smosh = Defy = Viacom, RoosterTeeth = Fullscreen = AT&T) who have the budget and industry connections to make sure they succeed. I guarantee you if you look at the top 20 subscribed channels, probably 18 of them are owned by an "old media" company. The more things change, the more they stay the same...

michaelt 11y ago

Excluding youtube spotlight and vevo channels, here are the most recent videos from the top five most subscribed youtube channels:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbRV-5NzL1I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbRV-5NzL1I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D62HGy72HC0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D62HGy72HC0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUlu-TRFBlk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUlu-TRFBlk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQHw0bSRBWc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQHw0bSRBWc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WffxX74u48 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WffxX74u48 Now, they're not bad or anything - but it looks to me like most of them are still one-person shows.

exelius 11y ago
Nope; none of them are. Though I don't fault you for thinking that; a lot of work goes in to making them feel "authentic" to viewers. #1: PewDiePie is part of Polaris, which is the gaming sub-brand of Maker Studios, which is owned by Disney. He's also the top grossing star on YouTube for the last few years, and you don't stay king without a lot of marketing support. #2: HolaSoyGerman is owned by Machinima. Machinima is relatively independent from big media (ignoring a $30M investment from Google), but they're still a major player in the YouTube world. #3: Smosh is a huge enterprise, a YouTube brand in itself with dozens of sub-brands. It's the "juvenile humor" brand of Defy Media, which is owned by Viacom. #4: This one was basically a PSA done by an actor / comedian / media personality. He likely had professional help making the video though (or is involved in video production work himself - not unusual for lesser known actors). But this one is a flash-in-the-pan viral video unless he can spin it into a production deal (though it wouldn't surprise me if he had already). #5: Jenna Marbles is also part of the Smosh empire, though her deal looks to give her more independence with branding than most. But still, I guarantee she's not editing and posting videos herself. All 5 of these videos were created by professional entertainers; 4 of them are the product of some YouTube media empire or another. It doesn't seem that way looking at the videos, but that's the entire point - it takes a lot of work to make something look low-budget yet still have high enough production value to be watchable. The point remains though; you don't get a top viewed video on YouTube without significant paid advertising to support your channel. And most of the companies doing this advertising support are owned by traditional media companies.

exelius 11y ago

> I believe YouTube gets in touch with the top 1% or 0.1% or whatever to help them get better. Actually most end up selling their channel to a production company like RoosterTeeth, Smosh, or Maker, then working as "talent" for a decent salary as long as they keep producing X videos per month. It takes a lot of the risk out of it, and hooks you into a machine designed to keep viral content in the public eye. Said production companies have editors, sound guys, effects people, etc. who handle the back end of the video workflow. Most (if not all) of these production companies are owned by mega-media (Maker = Disney, Smosh = Defy = Viacom, RoosterTeeth = Fullscreen = AT&T) who have the budget and industry connections to make sure they succeed. I guarantee you if you look at the top 20 subscribed channels, probably 18 of them are owned by an "old media" company. The more things change, the more they stay the same...