Disney XD, Maker Studios to Find Next Show From YouTube
Reaching the preteen demo with critical mass.
The next Disney star may not even start on the Disney Channel, but YouTube. The Walt Disney Corporation is initiating a new cross-platform project that will enable synergy between its youth-skewing digital arms.
Combining Maker Studios, famous for the hit Epic Rap Battles of History series, and preteen-centric digital channel Disney XD, “Disney XD by Maker” will develop concepts for distribution on YouTube. Upon success, that concept may reach DisneyXD.com or the Watch DisneyXD mobile app. According to Variety, the “best of the best” may be developed into a full-fledged television series on Disney XD.
“Recognized by our audience as celebrities in their own right, these stars will pave the way for up-and-coming Disney XD by Maker talent, cultivating a creative community that drives inspiration, original storytelling and unique formats that can be shared globally,” said Marc Buhaj, general manager and senior VP of programming for Disney XD.
Buhaj’s words are both telling of the future and what’s been already happening for years. Vine and YouTube stars dominate the webspace for Generation Z, some already having gone on to develop and star in traditional media. “Fred” starred in Fred: The Movie which spawned two more sequels, and Vine star Cameron Dallas recently starred in Expelled.
The silver lining to this: Go out and make stuff! Vine is free.
