Star Boyz is an Indian web series which chronicles the experiences of three South Indian boys in space, cheekily referencing Star Wars. Each episode has around one lakh views and a devoted fan base which loves its soundtrack.
Except, one thing. Star Boyz is a show which would have never made it to TV.
YouTube is exploding with unconventional web series. From simply a video-sharing website, it is fast emerging as a platform for putting out content at low cost, without the dangers of censorship on TV and an audience which is spread across the world.
On YouTube, even if your content is niche, chances are, it would get viewers.
But how viable is YouTube as a storytelling platform? For independent content creators, can it be a long-term medium, like TV? And most importantly, how do web series in India make money?
It’s All About the Money?
Everyone thinks making a web series is a little bit like dancing. Anyone can do it.
Which is true, to an extent. But to be a good dancer, you need training, skill, practice and perseverance. And to make a good web series, you need talent, basic cameras and equipment; but most importantly, sponsorship.
Star Boyz was a part of YouTube’s initiative called #LaughterGames in partnership with Only Much Louder (OML). The eight-week initiative was sponsored by KitKat and Mirinda, and it invited nine comedy creators in India to launch their own web series. The brands either subsidised or paid for the production cost, and content creators including Them Boxer Shorts, Arre, East India Comedy, Random Chikibum were able to experiment with form and content.
Apart from the sponsorship route, most content creators or YouTubers depend on ad revenue. In most cases, there is usually a 55-45 revenue share between the creator and YouTube.
Interestingly enough, most YouTubers concur that the difference in budget between a TV show and a web series is not that large. Web series on YouTube are marketing themselves as the new TV (refer to TVF’s tagline: It’s not on TV, it’s on TVF).
Is YouTube as exclusionary as TV? Has it become a rich man’s game? Enter legacy players like Yash Raj Films, Eros and Sony.
Legacy Players in the Maidaan
Legacy players have a fan base and high production values. It is more difficult for independent people like us because we are starting from scratch. But, once you hit upload, the playing field is level. Initially, they might have an advantage. But, not for long.Naveen Richard, Co-Founder, Them Boxer Shorts
When YFilms (a subsidiary of Yash Raj Films) launched Bang Bajaa Baraat, it was as if an influential, rich boy had sauntered into a playground to show off his talent (and tricks.)
The show was slickly produced, with Yash Raj-like production values (read: destination weddings). It featured well-known film names like Ali Afzal and Rajit Kapur and its theme song was the same as Band Bajaa Baraat, a wildly popular Anushka Sharma-Ranveer Singh starrer.
Recall value is of extreme importance on YouTube. Unless the viewer remembers your content, he or she won’t hit the ‘Subscribe’ button.
Big studios like Yash Raj Films and Eros have launched its digital subsidiaries like YFilms and Eros Now (which is also a video-streaming service for mobile audiences). When these players enter the digital content space on YouTube, they piggyback on not just extreme recall value, but huge ad revenue from copyrighted songs and scenes from popular Hindi films.
But, a viewer on YouTube has more choices than on TV. If the content isn’t good enough, it won’t get the views, marketing budgets be damned.
Content remains king.
Why Everyone Loves YouTube
Not so long ago, if you wanted to make it big in showbiz, you got a portfolio done and caught a train to Mumbai. Now, you start a YouTube channel.
Just ask Prajakta Koli, the woman behind ‘Mostly Sane’ and a breakout YouTube star.
Prajakta is 22 years old and started her YouTube channel a year ago. A vlogger, she mostly talks about mundane everyday observations with a funny take. That’s it. Just a camera and a woman talking to it.
She has 88,000 subscribers.
Prajakta is not the only one. The number of hours uploaded on YouTube from India has increased by 90% in 2016, with the rise observed to be quickest among independent content creators, according to numbers released by YouTube India. And it’s not surprising, because creating content for YouTube means no restrictions on topics, no fear of censorship, instant feedback and an audience with varying taste.
Clearly, if you have a crazy, quirky, out-of-the-box idea, some amount of basic equipment and a minimum amount of money, YouTube is your stage.
What remains to be seen is whether YouTube is able to retain that democratic, everyone-gets-a-corner charm.
When the playground is big enough, nobody has to fight over space. But shrink the ground a little, create exclusive green zones, bring in more big boys and suddenly, it’s not a free, crazy place anymore.
Source: The Economic Times
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