In front of a standing-room-only crowd, professional YouTuber Chris Thompson spilled his secrets to making successful YouTube videos during the panel discussion Anatomy of a Hit YouTube Channel. The most burning question for Thompson was, of course, if there's enough money to be made as a YouTuber to make a living. Thompson, after entertaining the room with a video parodying pop singer Ricky Martin, said it's not all fun and games. He puts in 12-hour days and posts new content every week.
"Think of it as a family," Thompson said of YouTube audiences. "Treat your channel just as seriously as if it were a TV show, and have a plan. Stick with a theme."
For him, the focus is a mix of music and humor. The trick is knowing your audience. "Do stuff they can identify with, and ask, 'Is this something they'd share?' Keep engagement high and you'll see your stuff flourish. Consistency is key to keeping an audience. Without them, you're not making money," he said.
He also stressed the importance of collaborating with others, a common thread throughout the conference. "That's one of the biggest things for reaching outside your bubble, and it's true with any art form. With YouTube, that's the biggest way to grow. And I always tell people, be the first you, not the next somebody else," he said.
Gabriela Jerez, a performer looking to grow her audience, said the YouTube panel was among the best because she learned the importance of staying on top of social media and producing new material.
"It motivated me to have my own YouTube channel and go do what he's doing. Every week you must upload new content," Jerez said. "I learned to discover something unique about myself and use it to set me apart. I was very inspired."
Tatiana Maricely said that, as an actress, the YouTube panel taught her about the importance of branding yourself in order to land more auditions. She also gained fresh ideas on ways to draw and retain a wider audience. "I definitely think YouTube opens another door," she said.
Down the hall, the discussion topic was making money in TV commercials, at a panel led by directors. To find success in this field, the top things to remember are to keep the message crystal clear, and to treat a commercial as if it were a short film.
"You're telling a story where the main character is a product," said director David Martin Porras.
The speakers agreed that in the world of commercials, there's no cookie-cutter approach anymore. The production process changes constantly, and it's important to be flexible and stay humble. Their advice for artists was to understand that the spot is for a product, not the actor.
"You have to be open, always, to any kind of change," Martin Porras said. Ultimately, there's no formula when it comes to commercials.
It's especially helpful for newcomers to attend workshops and learn the basics, such as how to hold a product correctly. Yolanda Guillen, of Guillen Casting, said she casts actors that not only research the product, but who also know their own type, whether it's the "mom" or the "sporty" type.
"Be accurate with who you are. Those little mistakes will make you lose a commercial," she said.
After the discussion, Luis Deveze said he'll be a more confident actor knowing the importance of the product that a commercial is promoting, and understanding the behind-the-scenes work that takes place in making commercials.
"These are definitely things that I'll take with me and consider for my next role," he said.
Adrian Manzano said he also benefited from the presentation, from learning about the production process to calculating ways in which to distinguish himself from a sea of faces.
"If you're really serious about your career, you want to produce," Manzano said.
