Next Generation Video Content Producers

If you ask me to make a two minute animated video that will garner thousands of hits on YouTube and national media attention, I’ll hand you a six figure budget and a four week schedule. But that’s because I’m a bloated fat-cat from the 1990′s, which is why I’m about to be made obsolete by the kids that produced the “Six Ways To Kill Piper” viral video.

These girls may need some behavioral therapy and/or shock treatment, but when they’re done, they’ll have careers as video Producers. From what little I can see of the original video, its concise and well structured, and includes effective marketing attributes in the title that are carried out in the content. In the web marketing world, there are firms charging tens of thousands of dollars for less effective viral videos that can’t garner this much attention. Yes, threatening to kill someone is a cheap shot, and its not sustainable, but I bet if these girls were allowed to make a follow up apology video, it would be a Youtube sensation.

I’m amazed at how much more adept each successive generation becomes at producing effective content with less expensive, easily accessible tools. I still remember 1997, when the online editors at the Post Group in Hollywood laughed me off after I decided to finish TV promos in my Avid at AVR75. I’ll admit that I don’t know how these little assassins produced this video, or what software was used, but I don’t dare laugh them off. I know there’s a whole generation of kids that are ready to produce effective content with inexpensive, accessible tools that I don’t know how to use. They’ll be coming for my job soon, if they can survive junior high.