Become Famous the AniBoom Way

YouTube may have captured the largest video audience, but that doesn't mean there aren't still plenty of niches to exploit. AniBoom is tapping into an impassioned community of video animators to create content that could capture some of that YouTube-sized audience.



Watch more cool animation and creative cartoons at aniBoom


AniBoom is different from most other video sites in one important respect: Almost all of its content is created by members. Sites like YouTube are, shall we say, suspected for having content ripped off from other sources.

By comparison, they even have its own software tools: Shapeshifter, that you can use to make professional-quality animation and Micro-Smotion, which can add simple animated tidbits to regular video.

Like other sites, most of the existing content is stuff you wouldn't want to bother watching. AniBoom is counting on what they call “the star factor” — from any large group of people, a few exceptional individuals are bound to come forth.

AniBoom's CEO, Uri Shinar, compares the possibilities of his site by referencing Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who were unknown talents making short clips until a Fox executive groomed them, leading to the hit cartoon South Park. AniBoom attempts to replicate this success in its Creator's Series, although none seems to have had more than a few thousand views.

However, the South Park comparison is apt in more than one way. The Stone and Parker creation that led Fox to contact them was a quirky student animation of Jesus killing a deranged snowman. Many of the videos on AniBoom are similarly odd, to say the least.

The site also runs contests offering cash prizes, which seem to attract quite a few submissions, proving that the world's junior animators are eager for both fame and money.

Although there are other animation sites around, like Crunchyroll, AniBoom is one of the only sites encouraging indie content. Another is MyToons, which just launched. Check them all out!

Cybercast credit: AniBoom

South Park creators get web revenue cut. Sweet!

Trey Parker and Matt Stone have signed a revenue-sharing deal with Viacom-owned Comedy Central, their long-time television network.





This continues a shake-up in the way big-media works, the latest in a trend giving more power to artists and less to the big media companies. Normally, television owners keep revenues, and separately negotiate payment with artists. In their deal, Parker and Stone get a cut of the proceeds from wherever the show appears on the net, mobile platforms or video games.

South Park is popular for skewering celebrities and status quo ideas. It has spread virally over the internet without Viacom getting paid, through free, full-length episodes. The show’s libertarian creators have said they are in favor of free downloads of episodes because it helps more people watch the show, which of course is contradicted by this latest deal.

It is a deal both parties describe as an attempt to become a major player In Hollywood's transition to the Internet. Or, as South Park’s lawyer said, a demonstration to new video-entertainment start-ups (think YouTube et al.) that they’ll have to pay premiums for top content creators.

Parker and Stone originally retained the rights to a percentage of revenue brought in by non-cable distribution channels, the web, mobile devices and video games, due to a subtle clause signed as part of a contract renewal between the parties during the dot-com bust years.

The caustic duo are guaranteed advances from profits on merchandise, DVDs, international sales and methods of syndication. The agreement will also include a talent studio called SouthParkStudios.com. The deal is worth $75 million to the two creators over the next four years, the article says; the show has already made hundreds of millions for Viacom.

Cybercast credit: Comedy Central / Viacom