Movers and shakers to see at VidCon
By Siddharth Vodnala The growth of the online video industry is especially evident at the three- day VidCon conference. From Thursday through Saturday, an estimated 20,000 people are expected to flock to the Anaheim Convention Center for the sixth- annual event. The conference is designed for industry executives, video content creators, viral video stars and fans who love online video. Panel topics include “BuildingAudiences on Twitter and Vine” and “YouTube Optimization and Audience Development.” Here are five people to look for at VidCon:
Ingrid Nilsen
Gig: YouTube fashion and beauty star Age: 26 Claim to fame: Abeauty, fashion and health vlogger with more than 3.5 million subscribers, Nilsen mixes makeup and outfit tips with emotional, introspective videos like the one in which she came out as gay. That video alone had nearly 11million views, pointing to the cultural power that stars like her wield beyond their niche. Where you can find her a tVidCon: Nilsen will be interviewed by Zoë Ruderman of People magazine and will participate in “Sexual Orientation on YouTube” and “Beauty fromthe Inside Out” on Friday.
Ze Frank
Gig: President of Buzzfeed Motion Pictures Age: 43 Claim to fame: Anearly pioneer of vlogging both comedy and commentary, Frank now leads Buzzfeed’s efforts to create video content that includes animated GIFs and feature films. He’s also recently expanded into unscripted content and serialized formats with developed characters and story lines. Where you can find him at VidCon: Frank will be interviewed by network anchor turned Yahoo Global News chief Katie Couric on Thursday.
Andrew Bachelor
Gig: Vine star knownas King Bach Age: 27 Claim to fame: The comedian and actor’s six- second videos got him 13 million followers on Vine, making him the most popular user of the social video app. Based off his success, the theater- trained Bachelor has been scooped up by Hollywood for roles in shows such as “The Mindy Project” and “Black Jesus.” Where you can find him at VidCon: Bachelor will answer questions on “Ask King Bach” and share his Vine secrets on “Six Seconds to Awesome” on Thursday.
Colleen Ballinger
Gig: YouTube star, knownfor her online personality Miranda Sings Age: 28 Claim to fame: The character, an exaggerated parody of talentless YouTube singers, has propelled Ballinger to stardom. She has more than 4 million subscribers for her Miranda Sings channel and more than 2.5 million for her Psycho Soprano channel, which rank among the top YouTube comedy channels. Her first book, “Selp Helf,” is due out thisweek. Where you can find her at VidCon: Ballinger will chat at “Laughing At& With Us” and “Behind Miranda Sings” on Thursday.
Jason Kilar
Gig: CEO of online networ kVessel Age: 44 Claim to fame: The former Amazon executive was Hulu’s first chief executive. His latest company is Vessel, which sells subscriptions for access to videos fromt op online stars before the content becomes available for free on YouTube. Where you can find him at VidCon: Kilar will shed more light on the present and the future of Vessel at a fireside chat with VidCon co- founder Hank Green on Friday.