The Many Faces of YouTube

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Entertainment for the masses

Boredom and a couple glasses of wine spurred Cody Kennedy, Overland Park senior, to produce a video of fellow student Matt Halvorson getting shocked by a shock collar. Kennedy recorded the experiment and posted it on YouTube. The video has been viewed 668 times and has received a five star rating for its entertainment value. Kennedy is just one of millions of people who use YouTube as a way to show other viewers their unique videos. However, there may be more to YouTube than meets the eye. In fact, since it was founded in 2005, this popular Internet video sharing site has evolved from its roots in amateur entertainment to a useful marketing tool.

Uses in the business world

Chuck Berg, professor of film, has been following the progress of YouTube and said the site has certainly established itself among powerful American businesses. "If we are trying to determine what significance something like YouTube has on society I think one only has to go to the business pages around the country," he said. In fact, Time Magazine declared YouTube the best invention of 2006. However, perhaps it's greatest accomplishment came last October when it was purchased by Google for $1.65 billion. "It is extremely significant that Google has seen enough promise in YouTube to buy it," Berg said. "YouTube has now been folded into this ever-expanding Google empire."

Promotion for aspiring comedians, actors, and directors

Like Kennedy, Shawn Bowers, Overland Park junior, posted videos on YouTube to generate a few laughs. Bowers, who studies film at the University, posted his videos because he wanted to get noticed for his improvisational and stand-up skills. "What I'm hoping for personally is someone somewhere will be browsing around one day and take notice," he said. "And, even if they don't do anything right off the bat, they'll remember my name. They'll remember my face. They'll remember a joke I told or a bit in one of my films. That may come back and pay off later down the line." Bowers said in the entertainment industry it is especially hard for college students to get their work noticed. But with the introduction of YouTube, he said exposure is just a click away. Another film student, Joe Carey, Shawnee junior, also posted several of his videos on YouTube and said he has already experienced some fame for his videos. His short film, Overworked , was produced in order to win a contest to meet acclaimed actor and University alumnus Mandy Patinkin. Carey won the contest, but did not get to meet Patinkin because he was not informed of his victory. Carey said it was exhilarating that people he didn't even know were enjoying his work.

Possibilities in the classroom

Apart from seeking fame and recognition through posting YouTube, Bowers and Carey have one other thing in common. They both attend a class entitled Television and Society, taught by Berg. In this class, Berg informs his students about the endless possibilities that YouTube provides. "I just think there are so many individuals, sort of like American Idol, that will see YouTube as an opportunity to get their song out, to get their poem out, to get their dramatic monologue out, to get their political statement out to as wide a population as possible," Berg said. Although Berg's class does not require that students post anything on YouTube, Megan Bahm, Topeka junior, produced and posted an experimental video that features glowsticks as part of an assignment for one of her film production classes. "When we have assignments where we're required to post our films online, we all just use YouTube because it is the fastest and easiest to use," she said.

Recruitment of new students

Apart from its impact inside the classroom, Burg said universities like KU are also using YouTube to market itself. "This makes absolutely perfect sense, given the fact that the audience KU wants to reach in terms of recruiting new students are 15-year-olds, 16-year-olds, 17-year-olds, 18-year-olds," he said. People who look up the University on YouTube are presented with several commercials displaying common University traditions. Berg said that, although YouTube has already served the public in a number of ways, it is still in its infancy and he is excited to see what the future brings for this site. "The potential for YouTube as a promotional platform - for individuals, for institutions, be they public or private sector is just enormous," Berg said.