YouTube is set to continue its efforts to evolve from the home of a disparate collection of funny animal videos into the home of truly talented individuals all creating professional-quality programming. In order to affect this change it’s opening YouTube Spaces around the world, with the latest due to open in New York in 2014.
A Good Investment
When Google paid a whopping $1.65 billion for YouTube in 2006, most people thought the search and advertising giant had overpaid by a considerable margin for a site that, despite growing a rapid rate, was still only 18 months old.
However, seven years later and with YouTube now dominant in the space it occupies, Google’s acquisition looks to have been an extremely intelligent one.
Where Google has triumphed in that time is nurturing independent talent, allowing filmmakers and amateur content creators to become partners, which benefits all concerned.
Fostering New Talent
YouTube’s increase in partnerships with content creators and the obvious increase in original content that brings with it is merely the first step in turning YouTube from the place where cat videos are plentiful into a true competitor to network television.
Keen to keep pushing forward with this initiative, YouTube is busy creating dedicated spaces for content creators to work. Each YouTube Space, as they’re named, offers thousand of square feet of studio space, film equipment, and professional edit suites.
There are also full-time employees whose job it is to help the content creators in their endeavors, and special events and workshops designed to help nurture the considerable talent now producing content exclusively for YouTube.
YouTube Space
The latest YouTube Space is set to open in New York in October 2014, as announced by the company at VidCon earlier this week. This YouTube Space follows on from similar ones opened in London, Los Angeles, and Tokyo.
Kathleen Grace, manager of production and programming for YouTube Space LA, said, “We want to invest in partners who built channels on the platform,” and described each YouTube Space as “part-hippy commune, incubator and studio.”
YouTube Space NY will span around 25,000 square feet and be open for all content creators in the area to use for free.
[Via MediaPost]
