The Magical World of Amateurs and Fandom
In this weeks’ reading, Burgess and Green investigate the role of YouTube in mainstream media. I am particularly interested by the discussion regarding the meanings of amateur video and the DIY celebrity culture they produce. According to Burgess and Green, “YouTube has been mythologised as literally a way to ‘broadcast yourself’ into fame and fortune” (2009, 22). While there are few cases where amateur content from YouTube has actually lead to ‘fame and fortune’, it does occur.
Part 1 of A Very Potter Musical
A Very Potter Musical is a parody based on the Harry Potter series, it was written, produced and directed by University students. It was first performed at the University of Michigan, and in 2009 a video recording of the musical was uploaded to YouTube. It quickly went viral, generating millions of views from global audiences and fans of the series. Since then, the musical has lead to the creation of StarKid – a successful theatre production company that has (StarKid, 2014). Founding member of StarKid and lead actor (playing Harry Potter), Darren Criss, has subsequently become a well-known and respected actor and musician. You probably know him best from the hit show Glee, or perhaps the Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (which, funnily enough, he replaced Daniel Radcliffe). In this case it is as Burgess and Green suggests, “raw talent combined with digital distribution can convert directly to legitimate success and media fame” (2009, 21).
A Very Potter Musical also demonstrates the opportunity and ability we have as an audience and as consumers to contribute through a blurring of distinctions, which is one of the propositions from the lecture. The cast/producers of this musical were amateurs, and YouTube provided an accessible platform for the commercialisation of their content. As a result the amateurs (including StarKid, and Darren Criss) have been turned into celebrities, essentially becoming apart of the ‘bona fide media world’ that the Burgess and Green discussed.
Interestingly, musical was conceptualised whilst one of the creators was actually reading the fourth book in the Harry Potter series. This ties in with the propositions surrounding fandom and audience alliance. As discussed in Shefrin’s reading, “…fans often appropriate corporate-generated imagery, and then embellish or transform it with person artistic expressions such as…creative fanfiction…[or] digital films” (2004, 273). A Very Potter Musical was essentially fanfiction that came to life through a musical and subsequent YouTube video.
A peek at Pottermore
Shefrin also discussed the importance of participatory fandom and forming alliances with audiences. It is clear that actively involving fans (especially in a franchise) in the decision-making and production processes is extremely important, and will ultimately determine a person’s ‘symbolic capital’ (Shefrin 2004). As I discussed in my 5-minute review, J.K. Rowling has done this with the Harry Potter fandom, albeit not to the same extent. Whilst the 'HP' fandom wasn’t consulted as such throughout the film series’ production, she did form an alliance with her audience, “drawing inspiration from fans’ thoughtful perspectives and studied observations” (Shefrin 2004, 262-264), and most importantly respecting them as a community. This is evident through the Pottermore interactive online experience, which was launched for the fandom. Pottermore allows users to interact with the Wizarding World and create their own Harry Potter experience. “….It’s the same story but a few crucial additions; the most important one is you” (Valeri 2011).
REFERENCES
Burgess, Jean and Joshua Green. 2009. “You Tube and the Mainstream Media.” In YouTube: Online Video and Participatory Culture edited by Jean Burgess, Joshua Green and Henry Jenkins, 15-37. Cambridge, MA: Polity Press
Sauter, Theresa. 2014. “Week 5 – New Media and the Entertainment Industry.” Accessed April 2, 2014.
Shefrin, Elana. 2004. “Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Participatory Fandom: Mapping New Congruencies Between the Internet and Media Entertainment Culture.” Critical Studies in Media Communication 21 (3): 261-281
StarKid. 2014. “About”. Accessed April 3, 2014. http://www.teamstarkid.com/about.html
Valeri, John. 2011. “Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling reveals the secrets of ‘Pottermore’.” Accessed April 3, 2014. http://www.examiner.com/article/harry-potter-author-j-k-rowling-reveals-the-secrets-of-pottermore