When visual effects artist Zach King was offered a $100,000 salary at Discovery Channel in 2011, his YouTube channel was making just $1,000 a month. Walking away from that security might have seemed foolish at the time, but twelve years later, King runs a digital empire that has redefined entertainment.
At the 1 Billion Followers Summit in Dubai earlier this month, he recounted his journey from rejected film school applicant to social media phenomenon, a path that exemplifies a shift in the entertainment industry: top creative talent is increasingly bypassing traditional Hollywood in favor of building direct-to-consumer media businesses.
King’s origin story begins with an unconventional approach to film education. “I got in my car, moved down to Los Angeles, and I just snuck into the school. I sat in the back of the class,” he recalls of his early days after receiving a rejection letter from film school. This entrepreneurial spirit would later define his career trajectory.
His path to digital success began with teaching Final Cut Pro on YouTube, selling $50 DVD courses to viewers eager to learn video editing. “I could build an audience and then maybe eventually sell them something,” he recalls of his early entrepreneurial strategy. “I would make these TV courses, and after I’d post a YouTube video, I’d say, ‘hey, like, I’ve got 10 hours of training on a DVD. If you want it, I’ll send it to you for 50 bucks.'” This direct-to-consumer model would later become standard practice for creators, with top YouTubers now earning $50,000-$100,000 per video through YouTube ad revenue alone, not including brand deals and merchandise sales.
The decision to choose digital platforms over traditional media wasn’t purely financial. King’s signature style, which he describes as “ordinary with a twist of extraordinary,” might have been diluted in traditional media. “For us, we try to set up an expectation, and we try to break it,” he explains, describing his creative process that has garnered billions of views across platforms.
King emphasizes the importance of maintaining authenticity in content creation. “Do it for real when possible,” he advises. “We still strive to shoot everything for real, because I believe that the audience can absolutely tell… you just have this weird notion of knowing what’s real and what’s not.”
While network television often requires creators to fit within established formats and demographics, digital platforms allow for more experimentation and direct audience feedback.
King’s systematic approach follows a structured creative process that includes what they call “brain dump” sessions. “We’re just trying to dump as many ideas into how it’s possible,” he explains. They use a unique voting system where team members place blue dots on concepts that resonate with them. “It’s not a popularity contest,” King notes. “It’s just to say, ‘I like that idea.'”
Despite the popular image of solo YouTubers, King emphasizes team building as crucial for sustained success. “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,” he quotes, describing his evolution from a single editor to managing a full production team.
He credits much of his success to finding the right collaborators. “My best friend Aaron is the example of one of my great collaborators early on in my career,” King shares. “Whenever I learn something new, I try to tell you, and I ask for me.” This collaborative approach, combined with digital platforms’ lower barriers to entry, has created new opportunities for creative professionals to build their own production houses outside traditional Hollywood structures.
The rise of AI and new digital platforms continues to reshape the entertainment landscape. King’s advice to emerging creators emphasizes adaptability: “You’ve seen a few different waves or cycles of things that are interesting, whether it’s technology like the phone. That’s an amazing one that affected me. In the future, it might be AI for you guys.”
King stresses the importance of developing a unique creative signature in this evolving landscape. “When you come to my team, when we go over what my signature is… you have to develop your signature.” He points to creators like Picasso, whose style became so distinctive that even AI can recreate it recognizably today.
Industry experts predict continued growth, with Goldman Sachs forecasting the creator economy could reach $250 billion by 2027. This expansion suggests that choosing digital platforms over traditional media may become increasingly common for talented creators.
King’s success—transitioning from selling DVD courses to running a major digital production company—demonstrates the potential scale of creator-driven businesses. His journey suggests that for many creators, the question is no longer about choosing between Hollywood and YouTube, but rather how to best leverage digital platforms to build enduring creative enterprises.
As platforms evolve and monetization opportunities expand, the allure of traditional media careers continues to fade for creatives. The next generation of entertainment moguls may well build their empires not in Hollywood studios, but through the direct-to-consumer relationships enabled by digital platforms.
