Finding Talent Online

Filed in archive Information About on November 19, 2009

© CLF


As soon as it became possible to share information online, people began to showcase their talents in hopes of going viral. The dream of being picked out of the crowd to become famous got a little more touchable. You could post a video on YouTube and then cross your fingers that some talent agency might just happen across your profile. The question is, is this a viable way of being "discovered"?

So here's what we've got:

* Plenty of untalented people become "YouTube famous" either ironically or just as a fluke

* Plenty of talented people are overlooked.

* Occasionally, someone who truly deserves fame gets lucky.

Just like in real life, its a little bit talent, a little bit luck and a good does of being in the right time/place or a varying combination of the three. The point is yes, online talent might make your odds a bit better. Want some examples?

Fede Alvarez's recent video on YouTube which got him picked up for a $30million contract in Hollywood.

Straight No Chaser: A capella undergrad group who posted a video on YouTube with 10 million hits and was signed by Atlantic Records.

Susan Boyles: Though not first found online, her 100 million views on YouTube after Britian's Got Talent certainly helper her land her record deal.

Of course any number of comedians and internet personalities have also become famous through online presence. In fact the (available through iTunes only - at the time) online mini-series Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog featured Felicia Day who became a nerd-cult actress in YouTube shows before landing any major roles.

So in the end, plenty of the new generation famous people got their start online. Will we see more of this in the future? I suspect so!

Do you think the internet is a valid way to find talent?