Hot Ones host Sean Evans might be an unexpected speaker to slate for Sundance Film Festival.
Evans rose to fame challenging celebrity guests, from Margot Robbie to Gordon Ramsay, to eat a flight of spicy chicken wings during interviews. Speaking to an audience of film and documentary producers appears to be a diversion from his niche.
But Evans’ visit to Utah is significant of a larger influencer migration to traditional entertainment conferences like Cannes, Advertising Week and Sundance. These events are “integral and educational” as influencers aim to increase career longevity, Reach Agency CEO Gabe Gordon told Campaign US.
Spikes of influencer interest in traditional entertainment events inspired Sundance Film Festival’s first Creator Day, a creator economy-focused event organized by BrandStorytelling. The all-day event launches on Saturday, Jan. 25 and is invite-only.
“To date, long-form content and film have been what’s been represented,” Gordon explained of Sundance’s usual programming. “While creators have been sprinkled into the conversation, they’ve decided to dedicate a whole day to it this year.”
Rather than plucking the newest creators dominating headlines at the moment, BrandStorytelling selected veteran creators who’ve evolved through various creator economy eras — including Good Mythical Morning co-hosts Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal, who began their comedy YouTube series in 2012.
“We wanted the right talent in the room that could speak to experiences with brands but also about the journey of a creator,” said POV Agency’s COO and managing partner, Pilaar Terry. “We also wanted to make space for creators driving culture, and we didn’t want it to be homogenous.”
Other influencer panelists include Jaeki Cho, who films food videos highlighting small, most minority-run NYC restaurants; Brazilian feature filmmaker and musician Joe Penna; and former BuzzFeed producer and YouTuber Michelle Khare.
The talent will speak to an audience of fellow influencers, film producers and brands on “Small Screen to the Big Screen: The Creator Journey from Meme to Movie Star” and “Flipping the Script: How Authenticity and Engagement Trump Traditional Advertising” panels, among other topics.
“Our goal with every single one of these panels is to myth-bust or elevate the role of what influencers can do, from filmmaking to brand marketing,” Gordon, who is co-hosting Creator Day with Terry, explained.
While influencer interest is clear, around 400 guests spanning various entertainment spaces are expected to attend. Creator Day was a “natural first step” for integrating influencer conversations into Sundance’s programming, Terry said.
“The wider community is absolutely embracing bringing creators into the fold,” Terry told Campaign US. “For creators, it’s about career longevity and thinking, ‘How can I make this sustainable?’ Creators need to be in these rooms to be part of those conversations.”
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