Tubi has established itself as one of the most exciting players in the streaming space by becoming an easily accessible hub for independently produced features. Even with its lower budgets, fan enthusiasm has shown that there is an audience for Tubi's expansive film. Library of projects developed by black and brown filmmakers.. But Tubi wants to see that audience grow and for his films to be taken even more seriously, which is why the streamer launches a new initiative with Issa Rae Creative Color aimed at taking promising filmmakers to the next level.
Tubi has always worked with film distributors to source new independent content for its catalog, but filmmakers will be able to collaborate with the streamer even more directly after becoming part of Stubios, Tubi's new incubator program designed to help cultivate the next generation of writers. directors and producers. Like Kickstarter, the Stubios platform will give filmmakers the opportunity to present their ideas to a wide audience who are invited to express their interest. And if those proposals get enough support, Tubi will take them to the next phase of production by giving creators the resources they need to make their projects a reality.
In a press release about the initiative, Rae, who will provide mentorship to the first generation of “Stubiorunners” in the same way she did to the HBO contestants. Green light project resurgence, expressed his enthusiasm for “creating pathways to sustainable careers in Hollywood for creatives from diverse backgrounds.” And Tubi CEO Anjali Sud described Stubios as born from the company's desire to make more films that reflect “the culture as it's happening” to reach a younger, more diverse audience.
“Stubios is a way to give creatives with interested fan bases the opportunity to tell stories that wouldn't otherwise get greenlit in Hollywood,” Sud said.
In the traditional studio system, executives make the decision whether or not to greenlight projects based on a variety of factors that are often outside of an individual creator's control. But with Stubios, online fan engagement is one of the most important metrics that will determine how far a film goes in its production process.
Instead of just pitching to executives, creators will be able to upload film ideas to their Stubios pages, where fans can express their interest. When enough people have supported a project, Tubi will give Stubiorunners (yes, that's what the company calls them) the financial resources necessary to begin pre-production. From there, creators will be encouraged to poll their fans to make decisions about how the film should be made. And once a completed project is submitted and published on Tubi, creators are guaranteed an automatic green light for their next project if the first hits certain engagement and viewing goals.
Tubi's press materials make the early stages of the process sound a bit like crowdfunded film production. But Tubi's chief marketing officer, Nicole Parlapiano, describes the incubator as a simpler way (compared to the traditional system) to help talented filmmakers bring their ideas to market.
“We're not a streamer looking for an Academy Award, and we know that sometimes our fans like a little more rawness in their stories,” Parlapiano said. “This way, we can organize these stories and streamline the process in a way that removes some of the biases that we all operate with when we think about what we should do.”
The idea for what would eventually become Stubios began a few years ago, when Parlapiano was still working at Fox, Tubi's parent company, at a time when executives were interested in figuring out what the future of streaming (directed entertainment) would look like. to Generation Z, in particular). . The Fox team worked with independent filmmakers and social media content creators to identify issues with the industry's broader pipeline of new talent. And while Fox executives felt there simply weren't enough new scripts on their desks, the creatives they spoke to made clear that the real problem isn't a lack of original stories, but rather the financial barriers that make starting one career path be daunting. career.
“Many (young creators) obtain funding for their first project but then have nowhere to distribute it,” Parlapiano explained. “Some start in an incubator program but have no support for the next project. “We saw an opportunity to launch a new program to create a flywheel that gives creatives ongoing access to production support and funding.”
In addition to a flat fee for the original intellectual property, creators will receive an executive producer credit and a subsequent fee as part of the program. They will also receive additional fees if they contribute any work to a project, such as starring in it or producing music for it. For the initial beta version of the program, Tubi has already selected three of the four people who will make up the first group of Stubios creatives. rapper lady londonThe first to be announced, she will produce a documentary series about the release of her debut album.
Tubi plans to have the Stubio movies released later this year, but Parlapiano emphasized that, right now, the streamer is really treating this as an experiment to find out “if it's the size of the Stubio community that will dictate success.” of a project or if it is the commitment within that community.”
The launch of Stubios comes hot on the heels of the launch of Tubi's new brand identity and the debut of newly acquired original shows like BBC Three. internal and channel 4 Great humor. To some extent, the Stubios program, which will require participants to upload regular updates about their projects, seems like a pretty clever way to outsource the creation of a new type of behind-the-scenes content that will appeal to creators and viewers alike. the platform. Parlapiano told me that, in terms of viewership, stunt production and breakdown videos regularly outperform full-length movies or trailers on the platform. Stubio's updates could also attract attention, but Tubi is banking on the fan engagement element to create a synergistic effect that makes the show a success.
“We see this as pulling back the curtain and giving fans the opportunity to get more involved as little mini-producers,” Parlapiano explained. “Then they will make decisions like 'what will the locker room be like?' Should I choose this person or that person? But you will also be able to see the heroic journey of these creatives in their first projects in Hollywood.”
Inviting the public to share feedback on things like casting decisions seems a daunting prospect in the era of coordinated review bombing and online harassment campaigns targeting historically marginalized groups. But Parlapiano is confident that Tubi's community management and Stubios' overall design will keep those kinds of problems at bay.
“This is primarily aimed at younger people who haven't made it big yet and are building their communities on social media,” he said. “We need creatives who have good relationships and know reciprocity when it comes to building open and responsive relationships with fans.”
