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Over the last several years, we’ve seen a new group of digital media companies emerge in Los Angeles, driven by the growth of YouTube as a platform for distribution of video content. What started out as a cottage industry built around YouTube is becoming a pretty massive business, with L.A. at the center of it all.
Companies like Machinima, Maker Studios, and Fullscreen were founded with the idea of helping creators to expand their audiences by improving their production value, collaborating with other YouTubers, and adopting a series of best practices.
That said, not all YouTube networks are created equal: While some focus on providing creators with tools for high-quality production, others have developed technical tools to help them succeed. Some are focused on specific verticals, like gaming or food, while others are built around aggregating channels with massive audiences and growing them through collaborations.
TechCrunch TV spent several days in L.A. meeting with a number of digital media companies, including Machinima, Fullscreen, Tastemade, ZEFR, Big Frame, Maker Studios, and Funny or Die. During those visits we met with executives and creators, toured production facilities, and got to know the people building this whole new ecosystem of video content. We also visited YouTube Space L.A., a huge facility filled with equipment for shooting, editing, and other post-production activities that is free and open to YouTube creators.
On Mondays and Wednesdays over the next four weeks, we’ll be rolling out a series of videos showing off all the best from our meetings at those companies, giving you a better feel for what each has to offer and what creators can expect when they sign up for a multichannel network.
Here are the videos we’ve released so far:
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- Get Ready For TechCrunch TV’s Tour Of The New Hollywood
- Inside Machinima, The New Video Network For Gamers And Fanboys
- Fullscreen Gives Video Creators The Tools To Collaborate And Make More Money On YouTube
- Meet Tastemade, The YouTube Network For Food Lovers
- Check Out YouTube Space LA, The Company’s Huge Production Space For Local Video Creators
- How YouTube Network Big Frame Focuses On Big Stars With Four Vertical Brands
- How ZEFR Brings Content ID To Content Creators, Media Companies… And Now Brands
- This Is How Maker Studios Scales Video Production For The YouTube Generation
