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How this startup is turning TikTok & YouTube stars into filmmakers

Creator+ has raised $12M to build a film studio and streaming service. Creator+ Co-Founder & CEO Jonathan Shambroom joins Yahoo Finance Live to discuss.

Video transcript

AKIKO FUJITA: Welcome back to Yahoo Finance Live. Well, we have seen short TikTok clips and Instagram posts garnering millions of clicks, but what about a feature-length film created by some of the biggest influencers? One company is looking to tap into that potential with a new platform that looks to finance and distribute movies that are created and directed by some of the biggest social media stars.

Let's bring in Jonathan Shambroom. He's the co-founder and CEO of Creator+. We've also got our very own Ali Canal joining in on the conversation. Jonathan, it's great to talk to you. This is kind of a fascinating idea because we've all sort of look at social media clips and say, well, that's sort of not as refined. We like how casual they are. How do you turn that into a feature-length venture?

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JONATHAN SHAMBROOM: Great question. Thanks for having me. You know, it starts with our content studio and the development team, and it starts with pairing a great story with creators. And you know, Ben Grubbs, my co-founder and partner in this, we believe that creators can be phenomenal filmmakers and storytellers, and we surround them with an entire team, best practices from Hollywood but in a lean model to bring a story to life, you know, with all that support.

And we look at, you know, the creator economy today, a $200 billion market, and we see 1 billion people every day watching over an hour of video on YouTube, and we know that these creators, top creators are resonating with large, engaged audiences. And what we want to do is provide an opportunity for creators and digital storytellers to make that long-form content and make movies.

ZACK GUZMAN: Yeah, and we look at it-- I mean, I suppose certain genres here of movies lend themselves maybe better to working with creators, or maybe not. I mean, is there one you'd be looking at there, maybe comedy over action? Or what's the ideal mix that you see shaping up for success?

JONATHAN SHAMBROOM: You know, we look at what a young audience, what a Gen Z audience are most excited about today, and that is young adult content. It is romance, it's comedy, it's horror, and it's thriller. And all of those are in our initial slate. And I'm excited to share, we actually just announced our first film this morning, so that's in the news today. And this is a great example of something we're doing.

Our first film is called "Jane." It's a psychological thriller that peels back the layers of growing up on social media and the anxieties that teens face in high school today with a star-studded cast. Madelaine Petsch of "Riverdale" is in the lead role. Chloe Bailey, five-time Grammy nominated singer-songwriter, signed on Beyonce's record label is in a supporting role. Melissa Leo, Oscar winner for best supporting actress in "The Fighter" is in a supporting role. And Sabrina Jaglom, first-time director and writer-- you know, have this project. And that's an example of how we're giving the storytellers and creators, you know, blended with traditional talent, this opportunity, but the thorugh line is what's resonating with young audiences today.

ALEXANDRA CANAL: Jonathan, this is also interesting because you guys are actually creating your own platform, but I'm curious how you plan to battle the big guys in this space-- Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max-- because we are seeing some of those influencers go over there. Addison Rae, for example, she's starring in the new "She's All That" remake for Netflix.

So one, how are you going to convince influencers to partner with you? And two, how do you convince the fans to go and purchase those films on your platform when the odds are they probably already have a subscription to Netflix, HBO Max, or Disney+?

JONATHAN SHAMBROOM: It's a great question. We're offering creators actually something that they don't have on other platforms, and it starts with our principles. We treat creators as equal partners. So we're financing and producing and distributing the films, but we're also giving creators co-ownership of the audience and insight into the audience, co-ownership of their IP, and an equal revenue share on the back end. You know, after we've recouped expenses, creators and our company, we share the revenue 50-50. So it's a different opportunity with different economics for creators, and they get to stay in the driver's seat creatively.

On the other platforms, you know, there are high barriers to entry, and you typically don't own and have those insights into the audience. So we're placing creator first. And for the audience, you know, they're so fanatical about their favorite creators. On our platform-- you know, Creator+ is a content studio and a new streaming platform across web, mobile, and connected TV. And we're able to then, you know, craft a new experience that's immersive, that combines community and content and commerce in one place and offers additional content, going deeper into story, into characters, into their community and giving the audience a new experience, you know, with their favorite creators today.

ALEXANDRA CANAL: And you know, I've heard this in my own circles, but there are some critics of influencers who say, OK, maybe they can make a 15 to 30 second video go viral, but they're not necessarily actors. They're not directors. They don't have the training and the skills to do that. So what do you say to those critics that say, you know, these digital creators are sort of cheapening the, quote unquote, "real work" that we have people like Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg doing out there in Hollywood?

JONATHAN SHAMBROOM: You know, I disagree. I-- you know, we think that within the ranks of creators, there is phenomenal talent. And not all creators are the same. They're not created equal. They have different interests and different abilities.

Within the ranks of creators, we see incredible talent as storytellers that have found voice that resonates with these massive audiences. There are 500+ creators on YouTube that have 10 million or more followers, you know, and much higher. We believe that surrounding a creator with a top team-- production crew, writer, director-- and pairing them with a great story is going to yield some pretty phenomenal films.

AKIKO FUJITA: So you're looking at roughly six films right now. And Jonathan, I wonder what the audiences that you're going for-- are you just going for the younger Gen Z audience that's already on social media, that's familiar with these stars? Are you looking to develop content to broaden it out?

JONATHAN SHAMBROOM: We want to go well beyond that. You know, the target audience is 13 to 29-year-olds. And a creator that's ideal to work with us, you know, has passion for telling story and wants to branch into long form and make a film and has a large social graph. But what we bring to that is also our own marketing and, you know, expanding well beyond a creator's, you know, own audience.

And our company is founded on story. It's creator first. You know, we believe that stories are the lifeblood of the soul and, you know, able to inspire and connect, you know, and change culture. And so we're seeking to tell stories that matter. And again, you know, with us starting with six films, we get to focus on each film, you know, and promote that so to widen its reach, you know, starting, you know, with global English domestically, but with aspirations, you know, globally as well.