Hollywood From Home: How User-Generated Content and COVID-19 Are Changing Entertainment

Sam Blake

Sam primarily covers entertainment and media for dot.LA. Previously he was Marjorie Deane Fellow at The Economist, where he wrote for the business and finance sections of the print edition. He has also worked at the XPRIZE Foundation, U.S. Government Accountability Office, KCRW, and MLB Advanced Media (now Disney Streaming Services). He holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson, an MPP from UCLA Luskin and a BA in History from University of Michigan. Email him at samblake@dot.LA and find him on Twitter @hisamblake

Hollywood From Home: How User-Generated Content and COVID-19 Are Changing Entertainment
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The rising popularity of user-generated content (UCG) on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat is poised to accelerate as we adapt to the new norms ushered in by the coronavirus.

dot.LA on Tuesday held an online discussion with Jukin Media CEO Jon Skogmo and writer-actress Alyssa Limperis about how stay-at-home orders issued by many states and municipalities are galvanizing a new era of creativity in the entertainment industry.


Several trends are now converging that could spur lasting change. Demand for UGC is up as audiences are ordered to stay indoors. Creators are increasingly looking to UGC as filming is shut down and live events are canceled. Audiences and entertainers are hungry to connect online, and to engage with each other in an authentic way.

So, too, are companies looking for ways to delight and attract customers. Ms. Limperis, who creates her own content that commands millions of views, noted how companies have begun asking for content they can use for advertising — never mind that she has to create it from her living room. She also shared how she is pursuing creative projects with friends across the country in ways that she previously wouldn't have considered.

"There's going to be amazing films that are made in people's homes," she forecasted. "There are going to be amazing sitcoms that are made in people's kitchens."

Necessity is the mother of invention. Given that familiarity is the father of adoption (or something like that), what might result from this period of experimentation? As pressures on both supply and demand drive money, eyeballs, and creativity toward UGC, what might the future of entertainment look like?

You can watch the full hour-long discussion below.

(We also couldn't resist prognosticating on Quibi, which launches Monday, and the staying power of mobile-first content.)

Be sure to keep watch for future sessions from dot.LA

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Sam Blake is dot.LA's entertainment and media reporter. Follow him @hisamblake and email him at samblake@dot.la

Strategy Session: Hollywood From Homewww.youtube.com

Featuring:

Jonathan Skogmo, Founder & Chief Executive Officer at Jukin Media

Jonanthan Skogmo

Jonathan Skogmo is Founder and CEO of Jukin Media. Under his leadership, the company has grown to more than 170 employees with offices in Los Angeles, New York, London, and New Delhi. Jukin is the world's first media company that's powered entirely by user-generated video content. Skogmo has been named to The Hollywood Reporter's Next-Gen 35 Under 35 list, the Cynopsis "Digital It" list, and the Multichannel News 40 Under 40 list; in April 2016 he was dubbed the "King of Viral Video" by VideoInk.With more than a decade of industry experience, Skogmo has produced more than two hundred hours of linear TV programming for networks such as FOX, MTV, Discovery, TruTV, and Channel 5 (UK).

Skogmo's industry affiliations include The Producer's Guild of America (Co- Chair of the Online Video Committee), The Young Presidents' Organization (Malibu Chapter), and the Association of Media Content Users and Providers. He was a finalist in the 2019 EY Entrepreneur of the Year program for the Greater Los Angeles region. He holds a degree in Film and Television from Columbia College. He resides in Los Angeles.

Alyssa Limperis, Actress, Writer and Comedian

Alyssa Limperis

Alyssa has been featured on Conan, Last Week Tonight, Ellen Digital, Netflix's Aunty Donna's House (premiering in 2020), MTV News Need to Know and Fox Sports. This year she was the lead in the indie feature Too Late alongside Fred Armisen and Mary Lynn Rajskub, the lead in the indie short Brandi Finds God directed by Gonzalo Cordova and a supporting role in Just Chicken alongside Josh Ruben and David Ebert. She also voiced multiple characters on The Last Degree of Kevin Bacon on Spotify. You can find her writing in the New York Times, Into the Gloss, Riposte Magazine and Reductress. She was named Best Online Sketch Performer by the New York Times and was written up by Decider, Forbes, Vice, the Providence Journal, Middlebury Magazine and Vulture. Alyssa performs stand up all over the country and has a UCB podcast with May Wilkerson called Crazy; in Bed.

Sam Blake, Entertainment Reporter @ dot.LA

Sam Blake

Prior to joining dot.LA, he had a writing fellowship with The Economist, where he wrote primarily for the business and finance sections of the print edition. Sam previously interned at KCRW and hosted a podcast at UCLA's college radio station while completing his dual-degree MBA and Master's in Public Policy. A native of Detroit, Sam previously lived in Madison, Wisconsin and New York City. He studied history at the University of Michigan and speaks four languages.

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🎓 LA’s Startup Edge

Los Angeles is a key center for tech and entrepreneurship, driven by its major universities. Caltech produced a “founding father” of artificial intelligence and USC's Viterbi School collaborates with industry and has produced companies like Riot Games.


Image Source: UCLA

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

UCLA is a major source of tech talent in LA, granting approximately 2,000 engineering degrees from Bachelor’s of Science to Ph.D.s annually. The university fosters innovation through:

  • Startup UCLA: An on-campus accelerator program that provides mentorship, funding, and resources to student entrepreneurs.
  • Anderson School of Management: Offers entrepreneurship programs and hosts startup competitions.
Companies Founded by UCLA Alumni: ChowNow by Eric Jaffe; Blizzard Entertainment by Mike Morhaime; BAM Ventures, LegalZoom.com & The Honest Company by Brain Lee


Image Source: USC

University of Southern California (USC)

USC is another key player in developing LA's tech workforce offering numerous programs and resources for aspiring entrepreneurs, including the Viterbi Startup Garage, USC Stevens Center for Innovation, and the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, which provides over 68 entrepreneurship courses taught by 27 professors and practitioners.The university fosters innovation through:

Companies Founded by USC Alumni: Riot Games by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill; Salesforce by Marc Benioff


Image Source: CalTech

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Caltech is a significant contributor to the tech talent pool in Los Angeles, producing around 600 graduates annually across various STEM fields, with a large portion likely in engineering disciplines. Additionally, Caltech alumni have founded 238 startup companies between 1995 and 2016, with 35% still active as of 2016, demonstrating the institution's strong support for entrepreneurship and innovation in the region. The university fosters innovation through:

  • Caltech Entrepreneurs Club: This student-run organization aims to develop Caltech's startup ecosystem through educational speaker series, networking events, and collaboration with administration to establish a founder-friendly environment.
  • Caltech Innovation Center: Provides startups with space to test, develop, grow, and commercialize deep technology ideas collaboratively.

Companies Founded by Caltech Alumni: Intel by Gordon Moore, Quora by Adam D’Angelo, and John McCarthy one of the “founding fathers” of Artificial Intelligence


Image Source: Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University

Pepperdine University contributes to Los Angeles' tech talent pool through its strong entrepreneurship programs and MBA offerings that emphasize innovation and startup development. 33% of its MBA students are actively working on startups during their studies and 85% are aspiring to start businesses

Companies Founded by Pepperdine Alumni: Eventbrite by Julia Hartz

These universities are crucial in developing LA's tech talent pool, offering programs that bridge the gap between academia and industry. Their initiatives in entrepreneurship and partnerships with local startups are helping to create a robust tech ecosystem in Los Angeles.

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🎤 What Do Snoop Dogg And Anduril Have In Common?
Image Source: WWD

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday Los Angeles!

Snoop Dogg’s role at the 2024 Paris Olympics highlights a groundbreaking synergy between celebrity influence and high-impact innovation, much like Anduril’s disruptive advancements in defense technology (hear us out). In order to convey the impact of Snoop Dogg’s presence in the 2024 Paris Olympics, we thought it would be appropriate to do it littered with VC and tech jargon. Snoop Dogg’s presence at the 2024 Paris Olympics exemplifies a disruptive innovation with expansive market appeal. As NBC’s special correspondent, he’s leveraged his unique personal brand to create a high-impact engagement strategy that delivers exceptional viewer retention and engagement metrics. By integrating his “gangsta rap” roots with family-friendly content, Snoop has achieved a synergistic blend of authenticity and relatability, driving record-breaking ratings and optimizing cross-platform visibility. His involvement—from elite equestrian gear to athlete interactions—demonstrates a scalable model for enhancing brand partnerships and maximizing audience touchpoints. Snoop's strategic pivot not only redefines celebrity influence but also sets a new benchmark for leveraging cultural icons in a way that drives growth and amplifies impact across diverse demographics. As Snoop puts it, “My mind on my money and my money on my mind”—a statement that deeply resonates with the MVP of the 2024 Paris Olympics and the venture capital community.

Speaking of high-impact innovation and money, Palmer Luckey’s defense tech startup, Anduril, has raised $1.5 billion and unveiled its new AI-powered manufacturing platform, Arsenal, aimed at producing tens of thousands of autonomous weapons annually. This funding, led by Founders Fund and Sands Capital, underscores a shift in military strategy towards high-tech, low-cost systems and rapid production capabilities. Inspired by tech giants like Apple and Tesla, Anduril's Arsenal platform and expansion efforts, including a new factory, are designed to address critical US military shortages and support the Pentagon’s focus on scalable, autonomous defense solutions amidst evolving global threats. Both Snoop Dogg and Anduril, based in the OC/LA area, embody how innovation and influence can reshape industries, proving that groundbreaking advancements and cultural impact are thriving on the West Coast.


🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Agrovision, a company that grows and sells premium fruits like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and table grapes, raised a $100M funding round at a $1b valuation from Aliment Capital, and others. - learn more
  • LeafAgriculture, a farm data management startup, raised an $11.3M Series A led by Spero Ventures, with Cultivian, Radicle Growth, and SP Ventures also participating. - learn more
  • Curio, a web3 game development company, raised a $5.7M Seed Round. Bain Capital Crypto and SevenX Ventures co-led, and were joined by OKX Ventures. - learn more
  • ProRata.ai, a startup that collaborates with media and music companies to ensure proper attribution and revenue sharing for content used by AI platforms, raised a $25M Series A. Investors included Mayfield, Revolution Ventures, Prime Movers Lab, and Idealab Studio. - learn more
  • Anduril, the Costa Mesa-based defense tech startup, has closed a $1.5B Series F that values the company at a whopping $14 billion co-led by Founders Fund and Sands Capital. - learn more
  • Filmustage, a startup that has built an AI-powered platform designed to enhance the film pre-production phase, raised a $1.5M Seed Round led by Raw Ventures. - learn more

LA Venture Funds

  • 1AM Gaming led a $5M Seed Round for DSTLRY, a startup that offers a marketplace for buying, reading, and reselling digital comics. - learn more
  • Casa Verde led a $2M Seed Round for Growlink, a Denver company whose tech, including IoT controllers, sensors, and cultivation software, is specifically designed to optimize cannabis growing operations. - learn more


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💰Bankruptcy to Billion Dollar Sale: Impressive LA Startup Success Stories

In the wake of the latest jobs report and its impact on the stock market, we thought it might be refreshing to shine a light on some LA startup success stories. Los Angeles has long been a fertile ground for interesting startups, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across various industries. Among its success stories are Ring, Riot Games, SpaceX, Dollar Shave Club, and Fabletics—each of which has made a significant impact in its field.


Image Source: Amazon

Ring, originally conceived as DoorBot, was created in 2013 by Jamie Siminoff in Los Angeles, California, with the goal of revolutionizing home security. The idea sparked in 2011 when he kept missing deliveries because he was in his garage and hadn’t been able to hear the doorbell, leading him to create a smartphone-connected doorbell that allowed homeowners to see and communicate with visitors remotely. Despite initial struggles, including being on the verge of bankruptcy and a rejection on Shark Tank, where Siminoff sought $700,000 for a stake in the company, the exposure from the show propelled sales and visibility. In 2014, the company rebranded to Ring, and its innovative products, including the iconic Ring Video Doorbell, quickly gained popularity, ultimately leading to its acquisition by Amazon in 2018 for approximately $1 billion, marking a significant milestone in the smart home industry.


Image Source: Riot Games

Riot Games was founded in September 2006 by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill in Santa Monica, California. The inception of Riot Games was driven by Beck and Merrill's shared vision to create a game that emphasized longevity and continuous player engagement. With an initial funding of $1.5 million from family and angel investors, they set out to develop League of Legends, a game that would go on to redefine the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre and become a cornerstone of the esports industry. The company’s commitment to a player-first approach and its innovative free-to-play model, which generated revenue through in-game purchases, quickly garnered a massive following. Riot Games' headquarters in West Los Angeles became the birthplace of a global gaming phenomenon, solidifying its status as a major player in both game development and esports.


Image Source: SpaceX

SpaceX was born out of Elon Musk's ambitious vision to reduce space transportation costs and enable the colonization of Mars. In 2002, after selling his stake in PayPal, Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) in a small office in El Segundo. The company's humble beginnings in the heart of Southern California's aerospace industry were marked by skepticism from established players. From this Los Angeles base, SpaceX would go on to revolutionize the space industry, developing reusable rockets and becoming the first private company to send astronauts to the International Space Station, all while maintaining its significant presence in the region for nearly two decades before announcing plans to move its headquarters to Texas in 2024.


Image Source: TIME

Dollar Shave Club was founded in 2011 in Venice, California, by Michael Dubin and Mark Levine, who were inspired by their frustrations with the high cost of razor blades. The duo's innovative approach combined a subscription model with a humorous marketing strategy, launching with a viral YouTube video that showcased their product in a lighthearted manner. This video quickly garnered millions of views and led to an overwhelming response, crashing their website shortly after launch. Dollar Shave Club's success not only disrupted the traditional razor market dominated by giants like Gillette but also paved the way for a new wave of direct-to-consumer brands, ultimately culminating in its acquisition by Unilever for $1 billion in 2016.


Image Source: Fabletics

Fabletics, the popular activewear brand co-founded by actress Kate Hudson in 2013, began its journey in Los Angeles, California. The company was established with the vision of providing stylish and high-performance athletic apparel that caters to a diverse range of body types and lifestyles. Fabletics operates on a unique membership model, allowing customers to access exclusive discounts and personalized shopping experiences. Since its inception, the brand has rapidly expanded, launching various product lines, including men's apparel and scrubs, and has become known for its collaborations with celebrities like Kevin Hart and Khloé Kardashian. Fabletics has successfully positioned itself as a leader in the activewear market, emphasizing inclusivity and community engagement while revolutionizing the way consumers approach fitness fashion.

From redefining home security to revolutionizing gaming, these LA startups showcase the city's extraordinary ability to innovate across a diverse array of industries.


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