In the first week of this studio, we were asked to brainstorm ways that modern online media has pushed the boundaries of what can be achieved. I personally learned that a lot of these achievements are thanks to the introduction of web 2.0, which was introduced in 1999 to enable accessibility and ease-of-use for all with access to the internet. Since this advent, the rise of user-created content has skyrocketed, and there are numerous sites that are dedicated to hosting and sharing this content, as well as provide a means of financially supporting creators. What was once a field limited to those in professional production careers in now a vibrant platform in which anyone can contribute to, and make a living from it as well.
Utilitising online platforms as a way to raise revenue is now a commonplace practice amongst online content Creators. It allows for production and distribution to be achieved to professional standards that previously would not have otherwise been possible for independent creators. The ever-changing landscape of online distribution has made this possible for all, and sites such as Kickstarter, Patreon and Indiegogo are leading the way for crowdfunding many online productions. All these sites allow fans of particular content creators to have a financial influence on content they want to see made. Its a system that both rewards creators for garnering faithful fans, and fans who in turn get to have a say in what content they receive.
Rooster teeth entertainment is an online production company that has been developing content for over a decade, on both their website and YouTube channel. Their first feature film Lazer team broke crowdfunding records upon its release raising almost 2.5 million dollars in 2014 from Rooster Teeth fans. This surpassed Indiegogo’s previous record of $650,000. This new method of financially supporting a product is only a possibility thanks to the evolution of online media and the increased involvement of fans and audience members. The ability for fans to have a direct financial impact upon the creation and success of a production has paved a new way for online content Creators, and has broadened the spectrum of what is possible for independent creators to achieve.
The rising popularity of sites like ‘Twitch’ have also had a huge impact on Creators ability to quality entertainment. It also creates a bigger incentive for creators to make content that pleases their audience, as the financial reward they receive is directly related to the quality of their content and the satisfaction of their audience. Donation focused platforms are a great indication of what fans want from their entertainer of choice, and these content Creators can use the responses from their audience to dictate how they approach their content in the future. These new options for raising revenue rewards dedicated creators and entertainers who have worked hard to establish a fan-base, and makes creating large scale productions such as “Lazer Team” a possibility; Something that would not have been comprehendible a decade ago.
This kind of online interaction is what I wish to pursue when developing ideas for assignment 1. With funding being one possibility of internet-based entertainment, another opportunity it allows for is interaction. The aforementioned streaming site ‘Twitch’ not only allows for subscribers to engage in donations to support their streamers of choice, but also gives them a direct link to their favourite creators. Twitch chats are often full of communities of fans engaging with both each other and in some cases, the streamer themselves. This is a concept I find very appealing, and I would personally like to try and explore this idea for assignment 1.
Twitch has been host to some major live audience gaming events, such as “Twitch Plays Pokemon” and Twitch Plays Dark Souls”. These both involved using computer software to translate chat dialogue into commands for the game being played, allowing the audience to control the games with their comments. This kind of concept would be interesting to explore, and there are a variety of ways I think this can be achieved. The most effective would probably be to find a simple puzzle game with basic controls and respond to the chats commands, hopefully resulting in progress being made within the game. Latency and connectivity are potential issues that would have to be dealt with, so a game with loose time constraints would be ideal.
The reason the “Twitch Plays” are successful is because they are simple, and I believe capturing a similar experience on a smaller scale for this project will be an extremely effective way of showcasing what the power of online interactivity can do, and how it can influence and change the way we engage with other people’s content, and even our own.
https://www.polygon.com/2015/9/28/9409795/twitch-plays-dark-souls-beaten
How They Funded It: Rooster Teeth on Making Crowdfunding History with ‘Lazer Team’