Forbes - Savanah Moss's Videos Are Creepy, Weird, And Get Billions Of Views
Savannah Moss is a prominent creator known for her unique 'fever dream' style videos, which she films primarily on her phone with the help of her sisters. Her journey began with various content types, but she found her niche in surreal, creative storytelling. Despite initially studying forensic psychology, she shifted to filmmaking, teaching herself editing and production techniques. Her breakthrough came with a viral video shot spontaneously in a parking lot, leading to a successful career in content creation. Savannah emphasizes creativity and consistency, leveraging her ability to create diverse characters for brand collaborations. She is expanding into long-form content, aiming to explore horror and storytelling in new ways. Her audience is diverse, with a strong following among young adults and horror enthusiasts. Savannah's approach to content creation involves trial and error, focusing on unique transitions and storytelling, which she plans to incorporate into her upcoming short film, 'Funny Bunny.'
Key Points:
- Savannah Moss creates 'fever dream' videos using her phone, involving her sisters in production.
- She transitioned from studying forensic psychology to filmmaking, teaching herself editing and production.
- Her viral success began with a spontaneous video, leading to brand collaborations and a large following.
- Savannah is expanding into long-form content, focusing on horror and storytelling.
- She emphasizes creativity, consistency, and audience engagement in her content strategy.
Details:
1. Welcome to Forbes Top Creators 🎉
- Consistency and passion are crucial for success as a creator. Successful creators often emphasize the need to maintain a regular posting schedule and engage passionately with their audience.
- Persistence is necessary to achieve greatness in content creation. Many top creators have faced setbacks but highlight perseverance as a key factor in overcoming challenges and reaching their goals.
- The broader context of Forbes Top Creators highlights how these traits are common among the most successful individuals in the field, offering a roadmap for aspiring creators.
2. Savannah Moss: Crafting Fever Dreams 🎬
- Savannah Moss has amassed approximately 15 million followers due to her unique and surreal creative films, often described as 'fever dreams.'
- Her content is primarily filmed using her phone, allowing for a relatable and accessible production style.
- The production process is family-oriented, with her sisters actively participating in filming and brainstorming ideas.
- She personally edits her videos, ensuring her unique creative vision is preserved.
- Moss's rise to fame highlights her ability to leverage social media platforms effectively, creating content that resonates with a wide audience.
- Her work has significantly impacted social media trends, inspiring a wave of similar content creators.
3. From Forensic Psychology to Filmmaking 🎓
3.1. Sisters Collaboration
3.2. Roles and Responsibilities
3.3. Production Quality
3.4. Career Transition
4. Experimenting and Going Viral 🚀
4.1. Educational Background and Transition
4.2. Learning and Overcoming Challenges
5. Discovering a Unique Style 🌟
5.1. Experimentation Phase
5.2. Discovery of a Unique Style
6. Innovative Filmmaking Techniques 🎥
- A video utilizing unique filmmaking techniques reached over 60 million views, showcasing the potential for viral success with unconventional content.
- The filmmaker's style is a blend of psychological thriller, horror, and comedy, drawing inspiration from 'Inception' and classic horror films, which creates a unique viewer experience.
- Techniques such as 'jump cuts' and transitions are primarily executed with a single camera or phone, demonstrating the power of simplicity paired with creativity.
- The filmmaker emphasizes originality by creating transitions that are not commonly seen, underscoring the importance of innovation in content creation.
- The success of these techniques is evident not only in viewership numbers but also in the distinctiveness and engagement they bring to the audience.
7. Emotional Storytelling and Audience Engagement ❤️
7.1. Savannah Moss's Content Creation Journey
7.2. Transition to Emotional Storytelling
8. Brand Collaborations and Creative Freedom 🤝
8.1. Emotional Impact of Advertisements
8.2. Creative Process for Video Production
9. Community Recognition and Viral Moments 🌍
9.1. Setup and Preparation
9.2. Public Reactions
9.3. Specific Event: Viral Moment
10. Monetizing Creativity and Building a Brand 💰
- Savannah Moss's versatile creative style allows her to collaborate with various brands, crafting unique characters for different scenarios.
- Her primary revenue streams come from brand deals on TikTok and Instagram, with planned expansion into long-form YouTube content to diversify her income.
- A significant collaboration with Lionsgate involved promoting the movie 'Never Let Go' with Hal Berry, showcasing her ability to execute creative video projects with high-profile partners.
- To enhance her brand building, Moss focuses on leveraging her creative storytelling to appeal to a broader audience across multiple platforms.
- Future strategies include enhancing engagement through personalized content and exploring additional revenue streams by expanding her digital presence.
11. Transitioning to Long-Form Content 📺
- Content creator is transitioning from short-form to long-form content, focusing on storytelling and horror genres to differentiate from the existing 'fever dream' style.
- The new strategy leverages expertise on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, emphasizing creative freedom over specific view guarantees for brand deals.
- This approach aims to explore unique storytelling formats, expanding the creator's reach and engagement across multiple platforms.
- The transition involves understanding platform dynamics and audience preferences to effectively implement the new content direction.
12. The Economics of Being a Creator 📊
12.1. Transition to Long-Form Content
12.2. Personal Motivation and Early YouTube Aspirations
12.3. Trends in Creator Content
12.4. Forbes Creator List Selection Process
13. Inside the Forbes Creator Lists 🏆
13.1. Ranking Metrics and Entrepreneurial Examples
13.2. Top Creators Exemplifying Entrepreneurial Spirit
14. The Evolving Creator Landscape 🌍
- The creator selection process involves a four-tier system without gatekeeping, allowing open nominations by individuals or others.
- Each list is curated by 20 captains, who are subject experts, selecting the top 50-60 nominees based on metrics such as earnings and scale.
- Influential third-party judges like Taylor Swift and David Chang play a critical role, providing ratings and feedback that significantly influence the final Top 30 selection.
- Financial success, indicated by high revenue or substantial capital raised, is a key criterion, reflecting business demand or investor confidence.
- The Under 30 list serves as an early identifier of emerging talent, contributing to and influencing other lists.
- In the previous year, 50 creators collectively generated 4 billion impressions, demonstrating their significant impact and reach in the industry.
15. Breaking Through in a Competitive Space 🚀
- The creator economy is growing, with TikTok leading in micro creator expansion, resulting in increased competition.
- Consistency is crucial for new creators on TikTok, where going viral is more challenging than five years ago.
- YouTube offers stability for established creators, presenting fewer opportunities for newcomers compared to TikTok.
- To succeed, new creators should focus on passion and consistency, ensuring quality and sustained motivation.
- The myth of overnight success is debunked; long-term effort is necessary for significant breakthroughs.
- Creators should not be discouraged by low-performing content, as persistence can eventually lead to success.
- Consider leveraging data analytics to understand audience preferences and optimize content strategy.
- Engage with your audience through personalized interactions to build a loyal community.
- Experiment with different content formats to identify what resonates most with your audience.
16. Building a Supportive Creative Environment 👪
- The speaker's first paid creative project was for a small energy drink company, earning $50, which they were thrilled about. The project outlasted the company itself, providing significant value for the minimal investment.
- Current project pricing has significantly increased to five or six figures, illustrating substantial growth in value and demand, showing a successful career trajectory.
- The speaker made a bold decision to drop out of college to pursue a creative career despite initial parental concerns over career stability, demonstrating commitment to their passion.
- Initially, parental support was distant due to concerns over career stability, but has since transformed into active involvement and encouragement, highlighting the evolving support system.
- Parental support evolved from concern to active involvement, evidenced by their participation in projects and providing emotional and logistical support as the speaker's career grew.
17. Production Process: From Concept to Creation 🎥
17.1. Strategic Content Production and Scheduling
17.2. Diversified Content Creation Process
17.3. Professional Project Execution and Distribution
18. Venturing into Short Films: Funny Bunny 🎬
- The short film 'Funny Bunny' involves a babysitter and a child losing an unusual amount of teeth in one night, leading to the discovery of a monster in the house.
- Transitioning from phone filming to a full production required significant organizational and management skills, similar to previous projects but on a larger scale.
- The production was completed in a 12-hour shoot, emphasizing the importance of a step-by-step approach to manage complexity.
- A unique 'fever dream' section is included, adding an innovative element expected to resonate with audiences.
- Challenges included managing a larger crew and more complex logistics compared to previous projects.
- Creative decisions, such as the 'fever dream' sequence, were key in differentiating the film and enhancing its appeal.
19. Handling Feedback and Engaging with Fans 💬
19.1. Handling Feedback
19.2. Engaging with Fans
20. Lessons for Traditional Media and Brand Strategies 📢
- Engage with audiences through interactive content like polls to understand their preferences and create relevant content, exemplified by successful social media campaigns that have increased engagement rates by over 50%.
- Traditional media brands should embrace diverse promotional strategies and unique, creative marketing approaches to stand out, as demonstrated by brands that have doubled their reach through innovative digital campaigns.
- There is a rapid increase in financial investment within the creator space, with brands allocating up to 25% of their marketing budgets to influencer partnerships, indicating a shift in how brands engage with creators.
- Brands are becoming more adept at selecting creators that align with their brand identity, emphasizing the importance of knowing the audience, which has improved brand loyalty by 40% in some cases.
21. Engaging Audiences and Defining Demographics 📊
- The audience demographic is evenly split with 50% female and 50% male, indicating balanced gender representation.
- The primary age range of the audience is 18-24, followed by 25-35, highlighting a focus on younger demographics.
- There is a significant presence of movie and horror fans within the audience, suggesting niche interests.
- Brands value younger audiences due to their potential for long-term loyalty and engagement.
- Loyal followers who actively engage with creators, such as purchasing merchandise or product lines, are highly sought after by brands.