On becoming almost famous...
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Noah: I saw a film the other day about a YouTuber. A young male teenager
Austyn Tester. He wanted to be famous, so he started a YouTube channel broadcasting
messages of positivity. “You gotta have a dream, you gotta chase it, don’t let
anyone’s opinions affect you...”
.
Leo: He became famous?
 |
| She's a fan... |
.
Noah: Briefly. He created a fanbase of teenage girls.
.
Leo: Why did he want to be famous?
.
Noah: Didn’t seem to want to be famous for something, just famous. “It’s 10:06
PM, I’m not famous right now, but I’ll be famous soon.”
.
Leo: Did it happen?
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Noah: He couldn’t keep up with the constant demands of publicity. Burned
out and returned to school in Tennessee.
___________
Voice-over
The film, Jawline, won the Breakthrough Filmmaker Award at Sundance. The
director, Liza Mandelup, ran a Q&A at the recent New Zealand film festival.
Brilliant direction, articulate interview. A look at the precarious YouTube
world of people who aim at being famous for being famous. She captured the
angst of some YouTubers having to be creative every day. To say something meaningful
to connect with their fans. To say things that make their fans feel someone
cares about them swimming in their schools of anonymity. Make them feel
special. Even if the constant stream of encouraging words sounds like empty
prattling to other generations. The documentary film had depth; as Austyn
seemed to be a pawn in the game, the young media entrepreneur Michael Weist
came across as savvy if somewhat scheming.
Michael: "Austyn has 22,300 followers, hmm, I wouldn’t touch him...Because
when they’re 30, and they’re not cute, it’s game over, there’s no longevity
behind it."
...
