Google Philippines launched on Friday, September 7, its second annual YouTube NextUp development program at their new YouTube Pop-Up Space at the BGC Arts Center in Taguig City.
The program, which first debuted in 2011, was made to aid ?bronze level YouTube creators? take their YouTube careers to a higher tier. YouTube PH launched a contest to handpick YouTube creators from the Philippines to join NextUp.
Each channel that signed up had meet the following criteria to be able to join the program:
- The channel must be a bronze level creator, meaning they have between 10,000 to 100,000 subscribers at the time of entry;
- Have monetization enabled;
- Have at least three videos uploaded in the past 90 days and;
- The account must be in good standing (not have any copyright or terms of use strikes
Although they had a strict set of guidelines, Chris Klapwijk, YouTube’s Creator and Artist Development Lead for Southesst Asia, said the selection process had a “very human” aspect to it since the company looked for creators who will represent their brand in the best way possible.
He said YouTube is constantly on the lookout for well-rounded creators that have the ability to grow into large channels in the future. That is why, alongside the thresholds in place, YouTube also required creators to answer a few short essay questions as regards to why they’ve decided to enter the program, as well as their plans for the future.
After a stringent process, YouTube chose the 12 lucky creators for its NextUp Class of 2018. They are:
1. Carlyn Ocampo,
2. Jam Raquion (Jam-Packed),
3. Melissa Ricks,
4. Elle Uy (Elle Uy D?cor),
5. Benedict Cua,
6. Janine Tenoso,
7. Joel Minas,
8. Amy Talaboc,
9. Beverly Cumla,
10. KITHARA,
11. Alicia (Lesha) Litonjua, and
12. Stephen Flores (InReelLife)
All finalists received a $2,000 reward meant for purchasing new production gear. They will also be coming together at the YouTube Pop-Up space for a week of intensive classes and filming opportunities. At the workshop, all creators will be getting mentorship from hand-picked advanced creators, including NextUp Alumni who will help them in becoming the best possible creators they can be.
YouTube said it intends to continue growing the Philippine market, search and promote emerging talents, and reach a wider audience. The tech brand also aims to help creators have better audience engagement, give them access to quality equipment and production operations, and future generations to create meaningful content.
