This archive report was first published on 10 July 2020.
Published on July 10, 2020, a significant shift is underway in the entertainment industry, with online creator spaces giving rise to a new wave of talent.
Henry Coxall, a founder of 404Haven, an influencer house set to open in the Hollywood Hills, has hired an in-house production team to create a reality show on Twitch.
“We've discovered a big part of this online culture is feeling connected,” Mr. Coxall said. “People want to feel part of that story that's occurring. We were like, how do we take our influencers' lives and allow fans to get involved on a safe level that our talent feels comfortable with?”
Many believe this is just the beginning of a significant shift in the entertainment landscape, with the rise of TikTok potentially being the catalyst.
“I think we're going to see this whole field expand over the next year or two,” said Avi Gandhi, the executive vice president of digital at Wheelhouse. “The reality is a lot of content buyers and distributors are looking to bring audiences their way. And they're looking for stories from talent who have great audiences.”
Maxwell Mitcheson, the head of talent at TalentX, noted that TikTok stars are gaining traditional media coverage, much like their predecessors.
Despite the competition, influencers recognize the value of collaboration. “A lot of people peg these houses against each other, but at the end of the day we're all here to make content for our fans,” said Alex Warren, 19, a member of Hype House.
