The creation of a YouTube show differs wildly from traditional media development, which enlists agents, directors, and producers to make a TV show or movie.
YouTube shows evolve from regular people who become stars by building a grassroots audience.
"Our creators are our viewers," explains Daniel Tibbets, the chief content officer of YouTube network Machinima.
People who watch YouTube shows often feel connected to the creators of those shows — much more connected than movie audiences feel to producers, according to Tibbets.
To take advantage of that close connection, Machinima created a service called Machinima Legion, a research panel of 10,000 dedicated Machinima viewers. While the panel provides tons of quantitative data on what videos are being watched and for how long, its real value is its qualitative data.
Machinima’s content team uses its Legion service for audience research and show development, soliciting the panel's feedback to find out what's working and what isn't. The team trusts the panel's feedback because it's made up of dedicated viewers.
In the mind of Tibbets, who developed "Rome" for HBO, among other shows, Legion works far better than any other system to workshop new shows.
“The people that are passionate about this content are the ones you want to ask their opinion," Tibbets said. "It’s so much better than having 12 people in a room say whether they like your show or not."
SEE ALSO: The Hollywood headquarters of YouTube gaming giant Machinima looks like a really fun place to work
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