Here’s a puzzle for Netflix, Amazon and various film distributors:
Name a movie that already has more than 85,000 fans following its every move from its own website. Its three stars boast more than 3 million subscribers on YouTube, 300,000 followers on Twitter and 250,000 likes on Facebook.
Better yet, it’s available for cheap.
Figure it out yet?
The movie is “Camp Takota” and its stars are popular YouTubers Grace Helbig, Hannah Hart and Mamrie Hart.
Chill was going to distribute the movie under a deal with producer Michael Goldfine, but as TheWrap reported, Chill has shed its entertainment staff and will no longer be selling movies, TV shows or stand-up specials.
As Chill decides its next move, “Camp Takota” and other specials are now available.
“Takota” will be of particular interest to distributors because of its large fan base. Its three stars are recognizable to millions around the globe from their YouTube channels, and Helbig has more than two million subscribers on her own.
This film also marked Chill’s first experiment with Insider Access, a product the site conceived to build excitement for a project months or even years before it becomes available.
The film’s stars have updated fans with photos and videos from the set, and more than 87,000 people have already become fans of the project on the Chill site.
That site will continue to grow in spite of Chill’s new direction.
Communicating with fans is natural to these stars, who have built careers out of engaging with fans online. That’s why numerous writers, producers and executives have told TheWrap casting YouTube stars is a constructive and cost-efficient way to expand a movie’s audience.
Now someone just has to pay up for the rights to distribute “Camp Takota.” Neither Netflix nor Amazon immediately responded to our queries.
When TheWrap first reported about the changes at Chill, one source side the first distribution window was basically free. We’ve reached out to the company to confirm that.