The Rise of the YouTube Filmmakers!

The latest trend in Hollywood is The Rise of the YouTube Filmmaker©, as evidenced by the recent success of the horror films Iron Lung, Obsession, and Backrooms - all of which had their origins on YouTube. To be fair, the YouTube pipeline isn't entirely new. Multiple filmmakers like David F. Sandberg (Lights Out, Shazam) got their start on YouTube and you have people like James Wan who came on the scene thanks to a horror short (Saw) that went viral and eventually launched Wan's career in Hollywood.

This is a trend worth keeping an eye on and I recommend this analysis at one of my favorite screenwriting sites, ScriptShadow, which frequently reviews spec screenplays from the BlackList and specs that get optioned or purchased by the studios. ScriptShadow's founder Carson Reeves paraphrases a recent comment from Warner's studio boss Michael DeLuca about why the YouTuber explosion is different from previous indie film trends in Hollywood:

He [DeLuca] said that these creators have spent years building a relationship with their audience. They’ve uploaded enormous amounts of work online. They’ve received praise. They’ve received criticism. They’ve been forced to see, in real time, what people respond to and what they don’t, and they use that information to hone their craft.

Carson's analysis of DeLuca's statement leads him to this:

The YouTube generation grew up the opposite. They posted their work. People told them it sucked. Then they posted more work. People told them it was better. Then they posted more and more and more. And they repeated that process hundreds of times until they got really freaking good. The old model was built on authority. The new model was built on connection.

Read the entire article from Carson for a great analysis of how and why YouTubers are breaking into Hollywood.

While you're at it, take a look at this overview by The Hollywood Reporter focusing on the up-and-coming YouTube filmmakers and how they broke in. Their stories are fascinating.

As we know from the countless industry pros that the TSA has brought in to do seminars, workshops, and conferences over the years, there is no one single way that writers break into the business. The YouTube path is just the latest to show returns so keep this in mind as you try to chart your own path as a screenwriter. Never forget though, that flash and sizzle might get you in the door, but only a great concept and/or an amazing screenplay will allow you to stay in the room... at least temporarily. In the end, your ideas and the perfect execution of them is the only thing that you have control over and that's where the TSA can help you.

Now get back to writing!