Good morning. Press Publish LA officially kicks off tonight, and we’re about as excited as the streets of New York following last night’s Knicks game.
We’ll see you Friday with a recap of the big day.
Today’s lineup:
Wesley Wang lets the internet decide what movies get made
Creators are split on YouTube’s new beta feature
Babish brings the binge to you
Can the Internet Build the Next Great Film Studio?
Film creator Wesley Wang couldn’t get the attention of entertainment executives for his short film, nothing, except everything…until he uploaded it to YouTube. It went viral, and then he got a film adaptation deal with Sony and filmmaker Darren Aronofsky.
Now, Wang is looking to turn virality into a repeatable format with his new production company, Wesley Wang Media.
The premise: incubate viral IP on social platforms to sell to streamers.
"We are trying to be the A24 of the creator economy," Wang told us.
Building the next A24 requires capital, though. So how is Wang funding the buildout?
First, by inking strategic partnerships. Wesley Wang Media’s first project is Violet and Marlowe, an animated short film for pop band adore that follows two gun-toting rabbits in a heist. It was made for $20,000 using Blender. Soon after making the short, the band signed with Warner Music—which agreed to co-fund and market the film.
The film launches across socials and screens at Tribeca Film Festival next month. If it takes off, the plan is to pitch a feature or scripted series to financiers like creator-led film studio Creator Camp or traditional production house Lionsgate.
“We did the math and we think we could make a feature film in under a year for about $1 million for this kind of quality. I might be optimistic, but that’s the numbers we’ve been pitching to Warner [Music] and Creator Camp,” Wang said.
“I truly believe with this company, we can make this content for much cheaper than people believe.”
Second, by tapping unexpected investors. Wesley Wang Media is funded by a suite of mostly tech investors. Through cold emails and attending events, Wang raised $250K from individual investors. Now, his total fundraising across the production co. and individual projects has topped $1M.
What success looks like: Wang is most interested in making videos that resonate with an audience. Those indicators include comments, shares, and subreddit conversations.
“I want to let the internet decide rather than a room full of executives,” Wang said.
Press Publish…to the 1%
YouTube creators weigh in on a beta feature to post exclusive content for the top 1% of their viewers / Illustration by Moy Zhong
YouTube is beta testing a feature that allows creators to post content exclusively to their top 1% of viewers—no channel membership required, according to Tubefilter.
The goal? Reward members of your audience who consistently show up.
We asked four creators what they think about the new feature →
“I would personally be a little skeptical to use this feature, only because a data point from your most devoted community members is like hand drawing a birthday card for your mother,” So True with Caleb Hearon producer Chance Nichols told us. “She’s going to love it regardless, but that doesn’t mean you should work for Hallmark.”
“The gamification potential is really cool,” Try Guy Zach Kornfeld told us. “Telling fans they can see videos early by being in your top X% incentivizes them to engage more.”
“It’s more interesting than a paid membership because it means you get to give your most dedicated audience more content for free,” tech creator Jacklyn Dallas told us.
“Whenever I talk about my paid offers on YouTube, I always get nervous that I’m going to get loud pushback from people who don’t even watch the channel,” YouTube education creator Aprilynne Alter told us. “But this feature would [...] ensure that it’s only being watched by people who are most receptive to them.”
Would you try this feature? Has it already been offered to you? Hit reply and let us know.
Sponsored by .store
Big Surprise for Creators. Unveiling at Press Publish LA.
Since 2023, our friends at .store have been part of the fabric of Press Publish and supported creators. After three years of showing up in your inbox, they’re showing up in person at Press Publish LA.
Say hello to them at the event’s official merch booth this week. It’s the whole deal - your own branded .store domain, the merch you actually want, and a special surprise .store and Colin & Samir have built together for creators. If you’re a creator, you won’t want to miss it.
.store is the domain for creators who are serious about commerce. MrBeast, DudePerfect, and the Press Publish team all choose .store for their store.
One URL. Says it all.
Fans Can Binge with Babish IRL
Binging with Babish (left) develops original recipes for CookUnity / CookUnity
Ever wanted to taste what your favorite food creators are cooking (without trying to replicate the meal yourself)? Binging with Babish is partnering with meal delivery service CookUnity to bring four original dishes to the platform—including something called “The Great American Pot Roast Experience.”
The state of food creators: Until now, most food creator businesses were centered around audiences making meals themselves with cookbooks and condiments or experiencing food IRL at a restaurant or festival.
Pre-packaged meals aren’t new to the creator world (think about how many ads you’ve seen for Factor), but Babish looks to be bridging the gap between CPG and IRL with this new offering.
🔥 Press Worthy
Jay Shetty signs a $100M multi-year podcast deal with Spotify and Netflix, leaving YouTube on July 13.
Spotify adds narrated magazine articles to its library.
Theorist launches a subscription platform called TheoryVerse.
Creator animation studio Glitch is opening a Games division.
Jacksepticeye and Khaby Lame appear in the James Bond video game, 007: First Light.
Food creator The Golden Balance opens a restaurant in his hometown of Flint, Michigan.
