When new technology is introduced people always talk about how existing workflows are cheaper. That's true, but the biggest impacts are always driven by things that were previously cost prohibitive that now become possible.
YouTubers are a perfect example of that, it used to take entire television broadcast studios to do what they do, and now it can be done solo or with just a few people. And YouTubers are exactly the audience for this new tech - the smaller ones who want to put out branded merch can not currently do so at a level of quality. But you hire one artist to go out and make 5-100 pictures of your branding, tell them to take their time and make those few images to perfection, and that can now be molded to anything they want to create.
Indie game devs must be thrilled. Aspiring indie directors looking to make green-screen backgrounds are thrilled. VRchat users looking for 3d models are thrilled.
What’s interesting is the comparison- YouTubers can fit a niche that TV never could - specifically because they can produce content easier without people wandering off.
Though much of YouTube can be summed up as what was the three cheapest TV shows to produce - standup comedy, talk shows, and howto. The amount of YouTube sitcoms is a much lower number.
YouTubers are a perfect example of that, it used to take entire television broadcast studios to do what they do, and now it can be done solo or with just a few people. And YouTubers are exactly the audience for this new tech - the smaller ones who want to put out branded merch can not currently do so at a level of quality. But you hire one artist to go out and make 5-100 pictures of your branding, tell them to take their time and make those few images to perfection, and that can now be molded to anything they want to create.
Indie game devs must be thrilled. Aspiring indie directors looking to make green-screen backgrounds are thrilled. VRchat users looking for 3d models are thrilled.