Interesting article on the idea of artist (filmmakers, painters, musicians, etc.) finding 1000 True Fans to make a living. Obviously very relevant to online video.

What are "True Fans"? Read to find out

I love the idea. Being in control of your content and making a living is great. My only issue with his thesis is what is a "living"?

From the piece:

I am suggesting there is a home for creatives in between poverty and stardom. Somewhere lower than stratospheric bestsellerdom, but higher than the obscurity of the long tail. I don't know the actual true number, but I think a dedicated artist could cultivate 1,000 True Fans, and by their direct support using new technology, make an honest living.

From a filmmaking perspective, I think this is a stretch (due to cost of production), although he does suggest you'd likely need more True Fans (like 5000) to make a run at it.

What I'm trying to do with my web series "Pink" is find those True Fans, but also explore traditional distribution and marketing to find even a broader audience (without sacrificing too much creative control) and make a good living doing so.

-Blake

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