Fandom, the entertainment site and wiki hosting service, is introducing a new creator-focused initiative with the debut of Creator Class, new quarterly workshops for creators. It is also launching a new portfolio of original video content with acquired GameSpot, Metacritic and Screen Junkies brands.
Focusing on its top creators, the company on Wednesday introduced a new program for its website contributors or administrators, designed to help them learn how to improve their wiki sites. Creators will now have access to behind-the-scenes videos of how the platform works, and Fandom staff will provide tips on content development and marketing. Creators also get access to resource guides with a series of challenges and clues.
Miranda Phaal, Senior Social Media Coordinator, will lead the first quarterly workshop and it is all about teaching creators how to increase their social media presence. The workshop will take place later this year.
Fandom says the next workshop may be about streaming and video creation.
In addition, the Creator Class sessions will feature the best wiki sites created by top contributors and maintainers to inspire others how to improve their own campaigns.
An example of this is “Memory Alpha,” a reference database that contributors have built to provide “Star Trek” fans with all the information they need about the sci-fi franchise, including articles on all the shows, characters, and timelines.
Fandom Chief Business Officer Michael Chiang told BlogRanking that Memory Alpha would likely be a useful example for other creators to learn how to do.
“It’s one of those things that matters in this new era of structured and relational data [something] we want to do more. I think there will be a Creator Class someday [Memory Alpha]. If this is something you want to do on your wiki… [how] they’ve done it and the way we back them up,” Chiang said.
Creator Class is part of Fandom’s Stars program, which launched last year to recognize the hard work of the most dedicated contributors and provide them with workshops, awards, and exclusive experiences such as screenings and conventions, among other entertainment and gaming opportunities. events.
There are currently 230 contributors that are considered stars, the company told us. Fandom predicts it will have over 400 stars by the end of 2023.
Earlier this week, Fandom also announced the launch of seven new shows for gamers and entertainment fans. Gaming is Fandom’s largest audience, with 150 million monthly visitors.
The first two shows to premiere were “Honest Trailers Presents,” a new spin on the hit Screen Junkies “Honest” series, and “The Kurt Locker,” where GameSpot senior producer Kurt Indovina examines current gaming trends,
Screen Junkies is a YouTube channel with 6.8 million subscribers. It was acquired by Fandom in 2018. Known for its “Honest” web series that parodies movie and TV trailers, Screen Junkies revamps the series with TV theme songs, celebrities, and commercials. The web series is viewed approximately one million times per week per Fandom.
“Honest Trailers Presents” can be found on the Screen Junkies YouTube channel and on Fandom in the Video tab.
The first episode of “The Kurt Locker” was released on May 2 and was titled “Are There Too Many Remakes?” Indovina talks about how many of the video games released in 2023, such as Resident Evil 4 and Dead Space, are remakes or remastered games. Episodes air every Tuesday.
In addition to “The Kurt Locker,” GameSpot is launching six other shows.
- No Hud (premiering May 3): Fans are learning new ways to play video games. Episodes air every Wednesday.
- Experts Respond (May 4): Experts comment on popular video games. Airs on Thursday.
- On site (May 5): Weekly news show hosted by editor-in-chief Tamor Hussein and senior producer Lucia James.
- How It Saved (May 7): Senior producer dave small talks about the video games that saved failing franchises.
- GameSpot Insider (premiere date TBD): A quarterly limited series that goes behind the scenes in highly anticipated video games.
- Challenge Accepted (TBD): Content creators and GameSpot staff work together to complete various game challenges, such as beating Mario while using a Guitar Hero controller.
The new GameSpot shows will be broadcast simultaneously on the website, YouTube channel and Fandom platform.
Meanwhile, Metacritic is launching “Metacritic Review Lab” on Fandom Entertainment’s YouTube channel, where Fandom critics and data experts analyze new movie releases like “Across the Spiderverse,” “Fast X,” “Indiana Jones 5,” and “Little Mermaid” .” Metacritic will release two or three episodes each month.