NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 15: Zach King attends YouTube Brandcast 2024 at David Geffen Hall in May … [+]
When visual effects artist Zach King was offered a $100,000 salary at the Discovery Channel in 2011, his YouTube channel was making just $1,000 a month. Walking away from that certainty may have seemed foolish at the time, but twelve years later, King runs a digital empire that has redefined entertainment.
At the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai earlier this month, he recounted his journey from rejected film school applicant to social media phenomenon, a path that illustrates a shift in the entertainment industry: top creative talent is are increasingly bypassing traditional Hollywood in favor of direct construction. -consumer media businesses.
King’s origin story begins with an unconventional approach to film education. “I jumped in my car, drove down to Los Angeles and just walked into the school. I sat at the back of the class,” he recalls of his early days after receiving a rejection letter from film school. This entrepreneurial spirit would later define the trajectory of his career.
His path to digital success began by teaching Final Cut Pro on YouTube, selling $50 DVD courses to viewers eager to learn video editing. “I could build an audience and then maybe sell them something,” he recalls of his early entrepreneurial strategy. “I’d do these TV courses, and after I’d post a video on YouTube, I’d say, ‘hey, I’ve got 10 hours of training on a DVD. If you want it, I’ll send it to you for $50.'” This direct-to-consumer model would later become standard practice for creators, with top YouTubers now earning $50,000-$100,000 per video through YouTube ad revenue alone, not including brand deals and merchandise sales.
The decision to choose digital platforms over traditional media was not purely financial. King’s signature style, which he describes as “ordinary with an extraordinary twist,” may have faded in traditional media. “For us, we try to create an expectation and we try to break it,” he explains, describing his creative process that has garnered billions of views across platforms.
King emphasizes the importance of maintaining authenticity in content creation. “Make it real when possible,” he advises. “We still try to shoot everything realistically, because I think the audience can absolutely relate… you just have this weird notion of knowing what’s real and what’s not.”
While network television often requires creators to fit within established formats and demographics, digital platforms allow for more experimentation and direct audience feedback.
King’s systematic approach follows a structured creative process that includes what they call “brain dump” sessions. “We’re just trying to throw out as many ideas as possible,” he explains. They use a unique voting system where team members place blue dots on concepts that resonate with them. “It’s not a popularity contest,” King notes. “It’s just to say, ‘I like this idea.’
Despite the popular image of single YouTubers, King emphasizes team building as crucial to lasting success. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,” he quotes, describing his evolution from a single editor to managing a full production team.
He credits much of his success to finding the right collaborators. “My best friend Aaron is an example of one of my great collaborators early in my career,” shares King. “Every time I learn something new, I try to show you and ask me.” This collaborative approach, combined with digital platforms’ lower barriers to entry, has created new opportunities for creative professionals to build their own production houses outside of traditional Hollywood structures.
The rise of AI and new digital platforms continues to reshape the entertainment landscape. King’s advice to emerging creators emphasizes adaptability: “You’ve seen different waves or cycles of things that are interesting, whether it’s technology like the phone. That’s a great thing that’s influenced me. In the future, I might be HE for you guys.”
King emphasizes the importance of developing a unique creative signature in this evolving landscape. “When you come to my team, when we look at what my signature is… you have to develop your signature.” He points to artists like Picasso whose style became so distinctive that even HE can recreate it distinctly today.
Industry experts predict continued growth, with Goldman Sachs predicting that the creative economy could reach $250 billion by 2027. This expansion suggests that choosing digital platforms over traditional media may become increasingly common for creators talented.
King’s success—going from selling DVD courses to running a major digital production company—demonstrates the potential scale of creator-driven businesses. His journey suggests that for many creators, the question is no longer about choosing between Hollywood and YouTube, but rather how to best leverage digital platforms to build sustainable creative ventures.
As platforms evolve and monetization opportunities expand, the lure of traditional media careers continues to fade for creators. The next generation of entertainment moguls may well build their empires not in Hollywood studios, but through direct consumer relationships enabled by digital platforms.