Some influencer collectives are moving forward on their own, storyboarding reality-type shows for social platforms and monetizing them through advertising deals. Henry Coxall, a founder of 404Haven, an influencer house soon to open in the Hollywood Hills, said the company has already 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?”
Choose Your Own Adventure
Many in the online creator space believe we’re only in the early stages of a significant shift in the entertainment landscape, and the first wave of Gen Z talent is just beginning to emerge.
“I think we’re going to see this whole field expand over the next year or two, and the rise of TikTok could be that catalyst,” said Avi Gandhi, the executive vice president of digital at Wheelhouse. “I think the reality is a lot of content buyers and distributors, whether it’s traditional cable, streaming services or digital platforms, 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, said that “TikTok stars are the Lauren Conrads of their generation. Everything they do, for better or worse, garners traditional media coverage, from liking a shady comment to going to dinner with another creator.”
Though each of these content houses may be pitching its own show, influencers recognize the value of playing off each other. “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.