Good morning. Remember when we gave away a Creator Starter Kit over the summer? Well, we’re running it back in time for the holidays. We’re giving away a full setup of everything you need to launch or level up your creator journey—including $1,000 worth of hand-picked gear from Colin and Samir’s team (hello, Canon G7 X). You’re automatically entered to win just by subscribing to the newsletter…so maybe tell a friend or five to sign up for The Publish Press so they can join in, too.

We’ll announce our winner this time next week. Good luck!

— Hannah Doyle & Nate Graber-Lipperman

Creator Takes Course, Then Buys the Company

Six years ago, Landon Bytheway was an aspiring videographer and creator who couldn’t afford to buy a popular course from “online film school” Full-Time Filmmaker (FTF). Now a professional creator, Bytheway this week announced he has acquired FTF for an undisclosed amount.

“We’re all extremely excited for this transition and can’t wait to help thousands more creators get their start,” Bytheway wrote on Instagram.

Context: Cinematographer Parker Walbeck founded FTF in 2016 after working with action and extreme sports YouTube creator DevinSuperTramp for three years.

Walbeck’s mission? “Teaching you the skills and giving you the resources to live your dream as a traveling filmmaker,” he promised viewers.

And it took off. Walbeck said FTF generated $1.9 million by 2019, accounting for about 95% of his annual income.

Today, the company has published several hundred tutorials, hosts over 23,000 members in its premium Facebook group, and has over 2 million subscribers on its flagship YouTube channel. Bytheway, its new owner, has worked with the company over the years in several capacities.

Zoom out: In this example of the growing trend of creator M&A, Bytheway purchased one of the strongest online communities of aspiring filmmakers at a time when digital courses are gaining significant traction. The online education market is estimated to reach $167 billion in revenue this year and grow 9% annually until 2028, according to Statista.

‘Project Iceman’ Hits YouTube

Yes Theory’s award-winning feature film Project Iceman will be free to watch on the group’s YouTube channel starting at 10 a.m. PST today.

Quick catch-up: Project Iceman follows ex-management consultant Anders Hofman as he trains for and completes a long-distance triathlon in Antarctica, becoming the first person ever to do so. The production of the film was just as ambitious as its subject matter—Yes Theory turned down a major streamer while making the movie to safeguard their creative vision. The group then partnered with Cinemark for distribution in theaters and won multiple awards on the festival circuit.

So why bring it to YouTube for free? To make it more accessible to fans, Yes Theory cofounder Ammar Kandil told us.

“You can have really good success for a film that you make on a platform like Netflix, but then it just becomes a moment,” Kandil said. “But YouTube is a platform that allows a movie to have many lifetimes.”

For example: 

• Tiger King debuted on Netflix, captured the zeitgeist, then all but disappeared from public discourse. 

• But when Yes Theory uploaded its 2019 documentary, Lost Pyramids, on YouTube, the film continued to accrue views and popularity for three years, Kandil said. 

• Kandil credits that to Yes Theory’s audience and the culture on YouTube—likes, comments, and subscribers who encourage interaction.

Looking ahead: Yes Theory is already at work on their next film, What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? The film will tell the story of Ben Nemtin and his friends starting the MTV show The Buried Life, which inspired Yes Theory’s Seek Discomfort ethos. It’s set for release in 2025 on the 10-year anniversary of Yes Theory.

Sponsored by Spotter

How Have Creators Like MrBeast Fueled Their Growth?

With catalog licensing deals from Spotter. By sharing limited rights to their content, creators big and small have accessed $850 million so far to supercharge their businesses.

Take MrBeast. He leveraged capital from Spotter to translate his videos into 14 different languages. Or consider comedian Steven He. He used his funds to upgrade film equipment and hire more staff for his production company.

Spotter supports creators with resources like community, access, knowledge, and newly developed AI tools. Spotter Labs is a suite of AI tools for brainstorming and idea generation being developed with the world’s top creators.

They’ve also partnered with Colin and Samir on the annual Spotter Summit, an event where top creators and industry experts collaborate and learn together.

Ready to level up your creator career? Check your eligibility to join the community at Spotter.com/creators.

TikTok Adapts to Larger Screens

Remember when we said TikTok would need to figure out how to make vertical video adaptable to TV to compete with YouTube? Well, TikTok is getting closer to doing just that, with a suite of new app upgrades for tablets and foldable devices.

The updates, available now, include improved video clarity, streamlined navigation bars, and support for landscape or horizontal use.

What creators are saying:

• Web3 tech educator Roberto Nickson wrote on Threads, “I believe 50% of YouTube is now consumed on TV. TikTok is going to move in this direction little by little.” 

• And as social media expert Lia Haberman pointed out, the changes are reminiscent of Quibi, which rose and fell within a year. What’s different with TikTok, Haberman said, is that people actually want to watch and share the platform’s content.

🔥 Press Worthy

• Dude Perfect releases a multivitamin for kids.

• PRIME signs NFL superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes to an endorsement deal. 

• GothamChess interviews Norwegian chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen.

• YouTube is becoming the path of choice for independent journalists in India as the government clamps down on noncompliant media companies.

• Emma Chamberlain and Alix Earle are showing how more relaxed podcast sets (like beds) are connecting with Gen Z.   

• TikTok’s first official concert livestream gains more viewers than the Oscars.

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