Management in Online Video Panel at Summer in the City 2016

The Management in Online Video Panel took place on Friday at Summer in the City 2016. It featured creator Hannah Witton and was chaired by Rosianna Halse Rojas.

Other attendees included Big Frame CEO Chris Irwin, Lucy Chaloner from NVC, and Oran O’ Carroll from Studio 71, as well as Hannah’s manager, James. It took place in Panel Room 2 and the main focus was on the relationship between managers and creators as well as the relationship between traditional and online media.

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When asked what the agencies look for in a creator, the main answer was that they look for someone with “ambition”. Elaborating on this, Lucy said “it’s not about making a fast buck, it’s about nurturing a career”, and that she looks for people who share this point of view. James added that he often looks for creators who are “not just online talent(s)” as this often leads to them having a “professional sensibility”. When discussing how the panellists choose employees, the emphasis was on finding as diverse a team as possible. Lisa agreed, adding: “Someone usually has the answer and if not, we find it together”. Being good with people was also an essential for Chris and Lucy.

The relationship between traditional and online media was also discussed. Lucy and Oran emphasised that there was still a large culture difference between the two types of media, with Oran saying that agents in traditional media still had a “fundamental misunderstanding” of online media. However, panellists agreed that bridging the gap is heavily dependent on education, with Chris saying that “half my job is education”.

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Hannah discussed the advantages and disadvantages of having management for a creator, focussing on the importance of finding a balance between a personal and professional relationship, saying that her manager James helps her with issues from admin to personal issues which stop her from working. Hannah emphasised the importance of being on the “same page” as her manager, and of finding a balance between a professional and personal relationship with him.

The panellists ended on the point that today’s managers and creators need to shape the industry for the future. Questions at the end focussed on how to know that an agency is doing the right thing for a creator, and how important face-to-face contact with a manager is as opposed to virtual contact, with the panellists answering that the main thing to think about is the connection between the manager and creator.

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