Highlights:
- Creator+ is a new startup that will “finance, produce and distribute feature-length films.
- The giant raises $12M to build a film studio and streaming service focused on digital storytellers.
- Investment funding led by Petra Group and Freestyle Capital, with participation from Jake Roper, Peter Hollens, Wendy Ayche.
- The company plans to put between five and 10 films into production this year, with the first titles released in 2022.
Creator+ raises $12M to build a film studio and streaming service focused on digital storytellers.
Creator+ is a new startup that will “finance, produce and distribute feature-length films from today’s top creators and emerging storytellers.”
The company is coming out of stealth today and also announcing that it has raised $12 million in funding led by Petra Group and Freestyle Capital, with participation from Jake Roper, Peter Hollens, Wendy Ayche (aka Wengie), Selina Tobaccowala, Jazwares CEO Judd Zebersky and others.
Shambroom (who’s been an executive at numerous startups and also served as general manager at Crackle) told me that one of the key aspects of the Creator+ strategy. it is that controls “both sides of the equation” it’s both producing films and building its own streaming platform, where the movies will be available for individual purchase, with no subscriptions and no ads.
He said that allows the startup to control costs and distribution, but it also “enables us to do something brand new with creators,” giving them a 50-50 split on revenue, as well as sharing audience data and ownership of the intellectual property.
History of the Creator+
“Creator” is a term that will get made use of very broadly. Thus, Creator+ is not asserting any unique specials today. But co-founder Benjamin Grubbs says that the corporation originally concentrates on “storytellers and artists.” Benjamin beforehand led creator partnerships at YouTube.
“We acknowledge that there are a whole lot of gifted storytellers on some of these huge, open, advert-supported platforms where they already arrive at huge audiences and lover bases,” Grubbs stated. “But there are constraints, irrespective of whether that’s time-based mostly or financial, on the varieties of stories that you can actually inform.”
So Creator+ will let these creators to break cost-free of some of those people constraints. This generates element films with budgets in the small 7 figures. Shambroom claimed the startup would like to supply “what men and women are expecting in a movie, 90 minutes give-or-take.
Statement from Grubbs:
Many genres today allows creators to experiment with new formats and new output systems. In some situations, these motion pictures could be a creator’s “passion job”. But in other scenarios, Creator+ could match them up with the proper script.
“We see a multitude of roles and opportunities for creators. Each one will be in front of or guiding the digital camera,” Grubbs includes.
Creator+ plans to put among 5 and 10 movies into creation this 12 months. They will release the initial titles in 2022. Shambroom explains it has entire commitment to support underrepresentation of storytellers. They have currently hired Ben O’Keefe as its head of variety and effects. The group also has global ambitions, which is why they brought on worldwide investors, like Malaysia-dependent Petra Group.
