South By Southwest has hit Austin, and the Interactive portion of the yearly festival is once again full of intriguing panels. If you’ve made the trip down to Texas this year, here are some events that are worth checking out. All times local:
Friday, March 13th
Content Is Content: TV, Social and Everything Else, 12:30 pm – Late night TV is taking over YouTube, and during this panel, one of the men responsible for that trend will share his strategies. Tonight Show producer Gavin Purcell will join Lila King of HLN and Tim Shey of YouTube to discuss the best ways to straddle the line between TV and digital media.
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Social Stars to Super Stars: Latinos on the Rise, 5 pm – The Latino community is a fast-growing audience on YouTube, and no network caters to that group more heavily than MiTu. Executives and creators from the Latino-focused network will join our own Drew Baldwin for a conversation about the relationship between Latino online video stars and their fans.
Saturday, March 14th
Changing Face of Fame: Social Media Celebrities, 11 am – Branded content is a burgeoning sector within the online video industry. Brands are looking for young, likable influencers who can share their messages, while creators are looking for additional revenue streams. This talk includes a number of panelists who are working to play “matchmaker” between creators and brands, including Jeremy Welt of Maker Studios and Rob Fishman of Niche.
How “High Maintenance” is Redefining Storytelling, 3:30 pm – By striking a deal with Vimeo and picking up a powerful combination of critical acclaim and award wins, High Maintenance has arguably become the gold standard of independent web series. Its creators, Katja Blichfeld and Ben Sinclair, will be joined on this panel by Kerry Trainor of Vimeo, who will talk about his company’s work with aspiring filmmakers.
Harnessing the Power of YouTube Influence, 3:30 pm – If High Maintenance isn’t your thing, you can instead enter the world of YouTube gaming with Adam “SeaNanners” Montoya, Tom “Syndicate” Cassell, and their colleagues at 3BLACKDOT. This panel will explore the process through which Montoya and Cassell have turned candid video game sessions into their full-time jobs.
Sunday, March 15th
The Cast of Community on Moving to Digital, 11 am – Two days before the season six debut of Community, its creator, executive producer, and stars will converge to discuss their transition from NBC to Yahoo Screen. The show’s creator, Dan Harmon, is known for being particularly candid, so expect that quality to be on full display here.
A Conversation with YouTube Celebrities iJustine and Lizzie Velasquez, 12:30 pm – YouTube has been an instrumental tool in motivational speaker Lizzie Velasquez‘s career, and at SXSW, she and fellow YouTube star iJustine will debut a film called A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story. Before the film premieres, you can join Lizzie and Justine for a conversation about social media influence.
Monday, March 16th
How Next-Gen Filmmakers are Changing Hollywood, 2 pm – This panel will profile online content creators who are bringing their talents to the big screen. Michael Goldfine, who helped three YouTube stars jump to film with Camp Takota, will join Rooster Teeth execs Burnie Burns and Matt Hullum, who are currently planning a feature film called Lazer Team. George Strompolos, who works with both Goldfine and Rooster Teeth as the CEO Fullscreen, will also sit on this panel.
“CAT”astrophe: Good, Bad and Ugly of Internet Cats, 3:30 pm – Last year’s Internet cat panel at SXSW was a highlight (and Grumpy Cat was there). This year, the Internet cat discussion will be filtered through Jackson Galaxy, a cat behaviorist and Animal Planet star who has dived into the wide world of Internet cats.
Tuesday, March 17th
YouTube and You, 9:30 am – YouTube content creators will take center stage during SXSW’s Tuesday slate. With this panel, beauty expert Andrea Russett and “Final Cut King” Zach King will kick things off with a discussion of their digital media careers.
The New TV Star: How to Build an Audience Online, 11 am – Tyler Oakley had a huge year in 2014, and during this panel, he will discuss how digital celebrities like himself are, in some ways, the new TV stars. Representatives from Big Frame and Pluto.TV will join the conversation.
Web Series Meet Up, 11 am – For more independently-minded online video content creators, industry veteran Tim Street will once again host a meetup for web series creators. It’s a great place for aspiring filmmakers to meet others who share the same creative spirit.
Who’s Going To Fund Your Web Series?, 12:30 pm – On this panel about funding, we’re particularly interested in hearing from Marc Hofstatter, who has strengthened Indiegogo‘s relationship with the digital video community. Here, he and his fellow panelists will talk about the “recipe” for a successful web series.
Online Success Without Cat Videos or Crotch Hits, 3:30 pm – Representatives from Rooster Teeth will meet comedian Zach Anner to discuss the best ways to create valuable content online while still remaining true to your personal voice.
She-Runners Hulu’s Funny Women Creating Today’s TV, 5 pm – The Hotwives of Orlando, which will soon begin its second season on Hulu, is a great example of a funny show created by women. The faux reality program’s creators, Dannah Phirman and Danielle Schneider, will join Hulu‘s head of originals to discuss what it means to be a funny female showrunner.
To check out these and other events at SXSW, take a look at the festival’s full schedule.
