There’s a lot of popular channels on YouTube. The personalities that populate said channels occasionally combine their talents to create collaborations. YouTube is now looking for those kind of people to help kickstart its next contest.
YouTube is bringing back its NextUp program in 2012 after a successful run last year that saw multiple creators from around the world get the resources they needed to create compelling video content for the site. Now the program is coming exclusively to the US and YouTube is looking for “passionated, motivated YouTube creators who want to collaborate.”
So, let’s say you’ve found a partner to film a project with. Now you just have to tell YouTube what you would like to film together. The winning projects will receive $3,000 in general funding, $4,000 in video equipment and a two one week-long Creator Camp sessions at YouTube Space LA to film your winning collaborations.
Need an idea of what kind of stuff YouTube is looking for? One of last year’s winners was a video called Office Warfare, a collaboration between FinalCutKing, VFX Bro and Jimmy Wong. It has over 2.6 million views.
You can apply for the YouTube NextUp program here. All applications are due by December 27.
Are you a fledgling video star with thoughts of Internet stardom dancing in your head, and unfortunately, the Ark Music Factory won’t give you the Rebecca Black treatment, bridging the gap between “fledgling” and “wildly popular even though we aren’t sure why” for you?
Perhaps YouTube’s NextUp program is what you need.
Even though more hours of content are uploaded to YouTube on a daily basis than there are hours in a day (35 as opposed to 24), Google’s video service is always looking for more content, especially the kind that gets tons and tons of views, embeds and link backs.
To facilitate this process, YouTube’s NextUp initiative is searching for a new video star to train, mentor and promote. The only thing the prospective Amanda Congdons of the world have to do is provide an entry submission detailing why YouTube should select them for the NextUp program.
According to a post at YouTube’s official blog, up to 25 applicants will be selected, and those that are chosen receive the following:
$35,000 in funding to produce a new project, purchase new tools or advance their overall YouTube careers
A spot at a four-day YouTube Creator Camp in which they’ll benefit from 1:1 mentoring and learn an array of production techniques from leading industry and YouTube experts
Promotion of their final work and channel
The opportunity to become better connected with a special community of aspiring and talented content creators from around the world
So not only is YouTube going help promote your content, a boon in and of itself, those selected will be handsomely rewarded with backer money and given a crash-course designed to improve their content’s production value.
In other words, the chosen applicants will be financially backed and given access to valuable knowledge that can dramatically improve one’s video content by one of the most recognizable Internet properties there is. The caveat is, applicants will need to apart of YouTube’s partnership program. The blog post contains further details:
Who should apply? Up-and-coming Partners (those with less than 300,000 subscribers) who are committed to advancing their YouTube careers and to produce the next generation of fresh, compelling content. Last week, we announced another initiative from YouTube Next, the YouTube Creator Institute – please note that eligible Partners need to choose whether to apply for either that program or YouTube NextUp – sorry, you can’t apply for both! Full program and application rules are here.
Applicants for YouTube’s NextUp program must have their submissions turned in by March 27, 2011 by midnight pacific time. If you’d like to apply, you can do so here: http://www.youtube.com/creators.