Los Angeles is no stranger to celebrities, but on Friday, a whole new genre of stars will infiltrate a west-side hotel planning and talking about the future of online video at the inaugural VidCon.
“It’s so exciting how many people are watching it and how many people are making a living at it,” said Hank Green, co-founder of the convention, talking with NewsRaw’s Mekahlo Medina.
The online video community has exploded in the last decade with the advent of social media and video-sharing websites. Video creators like L.A.’s own Shane Dawson and iJustine, who will both be at the event, receive millions of views and thousands of subscriptions to their videos on YouTube.
These rising superstars like many others in the industry are their own bosses, allowing them financial independence and the freedom to create the videos they want.
“They can make a lot more with a lot less and make a living out of it,” Green said.
According to Green, Los Angeles was the perfect place to host the event because it is a hotbed for online video celebrities as the “center of the entertainment industry.”
VidCon is being advertised as a celebration of the success of the industry, as well as a learning opportunity.
The event will showcase a number of demos and speeches from some top online video stars talking about their work and how they made their Internet breakthrough.
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VidCon will be held in the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza this weekend, July 9-11. Tickets are sold out, but live video will be streaming online at VidCon2010.com.
