Jukin Media, a publisher known for its viral video licensing and distribution business model, has launched its own production studio and announced its intentions to delve into original content. Jukin Media and Original Video Content Tubular Insights: What are your primary responsibilities/goals each day, or your new responsibilities as they pertain to the original content production push? Josh Entman: As Chief Creative Officer, I oversee all creative development for the company, which includes franchises on our owned-and-operated properties, branded entertainment and commercial productions, and original episodic series for TV and digital. JE: If you look at the core function of our business from day one – to source and acquire user-generated video content – nothing has ever changed. JE: Many people don’t know it, but we’ve been producing content for a long time. TI: What statistics can you provide on how popular Jukin’s content is, and how that may have tied into the decision to make original content? JE: As we’ve grown the business, we’ve done an amazing job at cultivating a global community around user-generated video. TI: What does the development process look like for Jukin’s new originals? TI: Why do you think Jukin will be successful with original content? Original content is no different.
Here at Tubular Insights, we’ve covered a lot of digital video executives and professionals in our “Day in the Life” series. Experts from the Weather Channel to the BBC have weighed in on what their days are like working in the video industry, and how they managed to grow successful YouTube channels and develop killer video strategies. But now, one of the brands we featured in a previous “Day in the Life” post has perked our interest, as it’s standing at a very interesting crossroads in its day-to-day operations.
Jukin Media, a publisher known for its viral video licensing and distribution business model, has launched its own production studio and announced its intentions to delve into original content. What will that look like when the brand is so closely tied to user-generated content and popular YouTube channels like FailArmy and The Pet Collective?
Well, the viewing public just got a taste as Jukin has teamed up with Verizon’s go90 streaming service on a brand new Docuseries called ‘This Is Happening’. The user-generated documentaries will focus on some of the most talked about topics of our generation. Each episode will focus on one major event, and break it down from an eyewitness perspective using testimonies and original footage shot by those on he ground. You can see the trailer for the new series here:
We asked Jukin Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Josh Entman to shed some light on this new original content initiative.
Jukin Media and Original Video Content
Tubular Insights: What are your primary responsibilities/goals each day, or your new responsibilities as they pertain to the original content production push?
Josh Entman: As Chief Creative Officer, I oversee all creative development for the company, which includes franchises on our owned-and-operated properties, branded entertainment and commercial productions, and original episodic series for TV and digital.
TI: Can you give a breakdown of the original content push and how this ties into your newly-announced production studio? We’re mostly curious about how these initiatives evolve/change or compliment your current business model of viral video licensing.
JE: If you look at the core function of our business from day one – to source and acquire user-generated video content – nothing has ever changed. We have been, and always will be, at the epicenter of social video content. But, what we’ve done really well, and perhaps what’s gotten lost in the external buzz around our popular viral videos, has been our ability to utilize UGC videos in the creation of longer-form programming.
We’ve always emphasized the importance of owning the entire lifecycle of a video, from discovery to distribution. Certainly I believe we’re the gold standard when it comes to those functions. But I’m just as bullish about our ability to craft original stories captured by everyday individuals. That’s what this is about.
TI: How did Jukin decide to move forward with its own production branch?
JE: Many people don’t know it, but we’ve been producing content for a long time. We’ve always looked at our original content/production business as being defined by the following: IP ownership, global distribution, audience segmentation, and conveying narrative through the lens of users.
We’re extracting user stories and packaging them in ways that…
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