Vidcon 2013: What this year says about what’s happening on YouTube
As the web video world evolves, so do those who work inside the industry. And Vidcon has proven to be a good way of tracking that evolution.
As the web video world evolves, so do those who work inside the industry. And Vidcon has proven to be a good way of tracking that evolution.
Vidcon serves as a real-time, real life reminder of the vibrant community that cares about online video — a community born in comment threads, response videos, retweets and subscriptions. It’s a young community. It’s a very specific community. But it’s impossible to ignore.
Big changes are in progress at YouTube, from how it interacts with creators to the site infrastructure itself. At the second annual VidCon conference in Los Angeles, YouTube used the opportunity try and sell some of those changes to the online video community in attendance.
Attendees of the inaugural VidCon conference last weekend were largely on the young side, but watching fans interact with their favorite YouTube creators made it clear that entertainment is changing, with audiences expecting a greater level of connection with creators than ever before.
During its VidCon 2010 keynote, YouTube announced that it would enable 4096p HD streaming, promised improved with video annotations later this fall, and announced a $5 million grant program to provide to YouTube creators with exceptional views, interactivity or content.
In the online video world, there are no shortage of conferences — but they’re aimed specifically at the business of the industry, not the culture of it. Enter Vlogbrothers’ Hank Green’s VidCon, which will run from July 9-11 in Los Angeles.