public debated ethics. And Damian Collier, a 36-year-old English lawyer, heard
a cash register sound. He promptly
signed Jansen to Viral Spiral, the agency
Collier created in 2011. His goal with
Orvillecopter was the same as it is with
Viral Spiral’s 1,000-plus other clients:
to help an accidental viral star capitalize on his burst of fame.
You Tube has proved itself to be a
viable launching pad for professional
performers who produce popular videos. But other than joining You Tube’s
revenue-sharing partner program,
there have been few ways for a random
parent or pet owner to cash in on a hit.
The opportunity is there, free and clear:
You Tube doesn’t elbow in on the rights
of videos posted to the site. Only this
summer did it announce its Video Cre-
ation Marketplace, which will help
uploaders reach potential licensers.
OH, YOU INTENDED TO BE FAMOUS?
While Viral Spiral targets surprise online stars, Hollywood agencies are filling their
digital divisions with pros. Two honchos break down their portfolios. BY SAM ALIPOUR
BRENT
WEINSTEIN
Head of Digital Media
United Talent
Agency
MATT MAZZEO Business Development Executive Creative Artists Agency
ROSTER
HIGHLIGHTS
NOTABLE
BREAKOUT
College Humor, Mail Order
Comedy (creators of Comedy
Central’s Workaholics), Smosh
( You Tube comedy duo), Jon
Lajoie (You Tube musician-comic, now on FX’s The League)
Lucas Cruikshank,
the teenage creator
of You Tube (and
later Nickelodeon)
juggernaut “Fred.”
QUALITIES
SOUGHT
“Most people don’t think of
[Community star and rapper]
Donald Glover starting in digital,
but his Derrick Comedy troupe was
well known on You Tube.”
Funny or Die (colaunched by CAA
client Will Ferrell), Michelle Phan
(You Tube makeup expert),
Philip DeFranco (video
blogger), The Young Turks
(news and politics show)
“We want people with talent and a unique voice—like the Coen Brothers or David Chase—and the potential to become influential.”
“We have to see unique,
extraordinary talent and
believe there’s longevity
and a career path.”
THOUGH TS ON
THE BIZ
“There’s never been a more exciting
time for artists. Combining content
creation with direct distribution and
the ability to manage an audience is
a powerful combination. You’re going
to see more attention being paid,
by brands and fans, to this space.”
“People who got on You Tube
early cemented their positions. Now
it’s harder for individuals to break in.
You Tube’s sponsoring of channels
of original programming is inspired.
Deficit-financing content is a huge
leap forward.”
viral-video licensing. Viral Spiral, a
10-person shop out of London (with
associates in Los Angeles and Japan),
is the first agency to deal exclusively
in managing user-generated YouTube content. Now Collier’s research
team monitors blogs, news feeds, and
social networks for video content that
seems on the verge of a viral takeoff.
When a prospect is identified, Collier
reaches out “within the hour” and of-
fers the creator a place on the Viral
Spiral roster. “There’s no great creative
decision for us,” Collier says. “Either
a video is embedded in popular culture
or it’s not.”
Typically, once a client is signed,
Collier will dip into his licensee data-
base and contact TV producers, ad agen-
cies, and potential advertisers who
seem thematically or demographically
aligned with the video. When a vid gets
licensed—say, for a TV commercial—the
firm takes a 10% to 30% commission.
In the past 18 months, Viral Spiral has
inked more than 5,000 deals, some
worth as much as $150,000.
Advertisers use some or all of the
You Tube clip in their TV spots, surrounding it with their own messaging
targeted to the audience that helped
turn the video into a hit. Viral videos
from You Tube are appealing for several
reasons: They come with an established
following; licensing one can cost a lot
less than producing a full ad; and,
thanks to data from Google Analytics,
they are delivered with all the demographic info of who liked that silly baby
video or awful wedding mishap.
That appeal is why You Tube finally
dipped a toe into deal making with its
Marketplace. (Program specifics hadn’t
been announced as of press time.) It
also explains the rosy outlook Collier
has about his new competition. “It demonstrates there’s a market for viral
content in ads,” he says. “We welcome
it—and can offer our services to YouTube Marketplace users who need guidance on appropriate terms.” Because if
you turn your cat into an aircraft, you
better get fair value for the footage.
