MrBeast does not want you to mistake him for traditional media.
Big media companies' forays into building their own creator networks or making creator-led shows have largely been misses.
And media companies have been distracted by thecollapse of their traditional TV networksand the urgent need for streaming profitability.
Talent, for the most part, was paid in a work-for-hire arrangement.
Actors showed up, hit their marks, and let the system work its magic.
This made sense in a time of sky-high costs just for the equipment required to get anything on film.
That’s all changed.
Nowadays, anyone with an iPhone and a half-decent microphone can become a bona fide star.
Creators like MrBeast have taken on more of the responsibility for creating and distributing their content directly to fans.
“YouTubers are so attached to their channels,” a second former MrBeast staffer said.
“They’ve built them through blood, sweat, and tears for decades.”
Their identities are known to BI.
Legacy media and big tech entertainment companies, on the other hand, keep atight grip on that information.
If you don’t, then you’re not doing it right."
Many of these new media figures post weekly or even daily.
Corporate media must adapt to young watchers' voracious appetites or risk losing them as their audience.
The deal also called for ITV to create clips, compilations, and fan content around the shows.
“From 2014 to 2020, it was nearly impossible to get their attention.
They added that directors would have to relinquish some creative flexibility to optimize their videos.
“This is the era of retention farming,” the second ex-MrBeast employee said.
“We took what we did on YouTube and made a 20-minute show,” he says.
I just want to do what makes me happy and ultimately the viewers happy.”
The former MrBeast staffers described that costs-are-no-object attitude as central to the MrBeast growth story.
“They really care about doing shit right.”
“Creators want to embrace Hollywood to a degree and vice versa,” CAA’s Freeman said.
“We’re going to see more high-profile projects like ‘Beast Games’ coming from the streamers.”
Warner Bros. has started to use the popular gaming platform Roblox to promote film releases.
The lines between Hollywood and the creator economy are likely to blur over time.
But as the creator economy grows, Hollywood must offer an attractive opportunity to creators or accept continued decline.
“Time will tell.”
Lucia Mosesis a senior correspondent at Business Insider covering media and entertainment.
