Butterflies
You Too could be a YouTube star!
Forget reality TV, broadcast yourself! With more than five billion videos viewed in a month and ten hours of footage uploaded every minute, YouTube is now the third most popular website in the world. 'Butterflies' follows some of the flamboyant personalities who have made it big online. Let's meet a new breed of celebrities.
Strapped for cash, Cory - aka Mr. Safety - started posting videos to advertise the second-hand furniture he was flogging on ebay. His popularity soon attracted sponsors. "Now. I make 15-20k a month. I should make 60k next month". For Cory, YouTube is the future of entertainment. And indeed, even world-famous stars like Katie Perry get carried away about their favourite online acts: "Fred and Daxflame, They're the best!"
Though it looks fun and easy, being a Youtube star is hard work: "When I'm not online, I edit the videos", says Russian-born entertainer OlgaKay, "YouTube's my life right now". Cooped up in her small flat, she works twelve hours a day filming, editing and promoting her new videos. "Every single person who goes on Youtube does it for attention. People lie when they say they do it just for fun".
Already a popular video blogger, or 'vlogger', Bohm3m3 discovered how powerful the platform could be when he used it to raise money for his move to LA. "Overnight I got $1400 worth of donations from my fans! Without it I'd still be a waiter in Alabama". But he soon found out about the darker side of his newly found celebrity. "I had a stalker. When I blocked her, her friend said she'd killed herself. I freaked out".
Instant feedback is part of what makes YouTube special, but this means a thick skin and a good dose of exhibitionism are must have qualities for vloggers. "You put yourself out there and it gets personal. They don't beat about the bush", says Mr. Safety, who wasn't afraid to propose to his girlfriend in one of his videos.
For some however, the exposure and pressure can prove too much. "I think being a waiter is probably going to be better for me, less responsibility", says Bohm3m3 after his viewings plummeted. But Mr Safety is here to stay: "The money's here, people just don't know how to get it yet". The traditional media may be notorious slaves to ratings, and online it's no different, it's all about viewer numbers and subscriptions. "It is a community and we're all friends but it feels good when you pass someone on the list". Witness the birth of a new Hollywood... LEARN MORE.
WATCH MORE.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION.
Winner of the Alan J Bailey Award - Action on Film, IFF
Official Selection, New Film Makers, NYC
Official Selection, First Glance Film Festival
FULL SYNOPSIS
Though it looks fun and easy, being a Youtube star is hard work: "When I'm not online, I edit the videos", says Russian-born entertainer OlgaKay, "YouTube's my life right now". Cooped up in her small flat, she works twelve hours a day filming, editing and promoting her new videos. "Every single person who goes on Youtube does it for attention. People lie when they say they do it just for fun".
Already a popular video blogger, or 'vlogger', Bohm3m3 discovered how powerful the platform could be when he used it to raise money for his move to LA. "Overnight I got $1400 worth of donations from my fans! Without it I'd still be a waiter in Alabama". But he soon found out about the darker side of his newly found celebrity. "I had a stalker. When I blocked her, her friend said she'd killed herself. I freaked out".
Instant feedback is part of what makes YouTube special, but this means a thick skin and a good dose of exhibitionism are must have qualities for vloggers. "You put yourself out there and it gets personal. They don't beat about the bush", says Mr. Safety, who wasn't afraid to propose to his girlfriend in one of his videos.
For some however, the exposure and pressure can prove too much. "I think being a waiter is probably going to be better for me, less responsibility", says Bohm3m3 after his viewings plummeted. But Mr Safety is here to stay: "The money's here, people just don't know how to get it yet". The traditional media may be notorious slaves to ratings, and online it's no different, it's all about viewer numbers and subscriptions. "It is a community and we're all friends but it feels good when you pass someone on the list". Witness the birth of a new Hollywood... LEARN MORE.
WATCH MORE.
JOIN THE DISCUSSION.
Winner of the Alan J Bailey Award - Action on Film, IFF
Official Selection, New Film Makers, NYC
Official Selection, First Glance Film Festival
