YouTube To Make Movies And TV Shows Starring Smosh And Other Internet Stars
As well as being the most popular online outlet for video clips, YouTube is also looking at creating its own original movies and TV shows, working alongside some of the biggest internet stars, including Smosh and The Fine Brothers.
In a report from The Guardian, YouTube states that it will be partnering with AwesomenessTV – a subsidiary of DreamWorks Animations.
Together, we’ll release several feature-length films over the next two years, all driven by YouTube stars and developed and produced by AwesomenessTV’s Brian Robbins…The films will all premiere globally on YouTube before they become available elsewhere, setting what we believe will become a new distribution paradigm for years to come. We hope to release our first film this fall, with more details to come soon.
Smosh and The Fine Brothers – two of the biggest channels on the site – are set to work with YouTube in scripting a new comedy series. There’s also talk of a prank show entitled Prank vs Prank, which will feature celebrities, as well as a murder mystery reality show starring vlogger Joey Graceffa.
According to The Independent, there is no word yet on whether YouTube will start charging viewers to watch their original movies and TV shows. However, it’s no secret that the Google-owned website is looking into a paid-for service, which would give subscribers access to exclusive content as well as the option to view content offline.
Original movies and TV shows are something YouTube is looking forward to venturing into, especially when it comes to collaborating with some of its more popular channels.
We’ve decided to fund new content from some of our top creators, helping them not only fulfill their creative ambitions but also deliver new material to their millions of fans on YouTube…We’ll experiment with new formats and ideas. We’ll get our hands dirty. We’ll make some mistakes. Together, we’ll (hopefully) create some fantastic new content on YouTube. But one thing is certain: there’s no one we’d rather go on this adventure with than our creators.
YouTube has a lot to be happy about at the moment. Earlier this month, the company celebrated the tenth anniversary of the first ever video uploaded to YouTube; an 18-second, low-quality clip showing a friend talking about elephant trunks. That video alone has been viewed over 20 million times.
With the likes of Netflix dominating the online movie and TV market, it’s difficult to know how successful YouTube’s endeavours will be, but the company seems optimistic about the future.
[Image source: thedrum.com]
