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Monday, 27 August 2018 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Maleesha Sulthanagoda
IdeaHell, a collaborative creator space with a fully equipped 20,000 sq. ft. studio in the heart of Colombo, has now been appointed as the first and only multi-channel network (MCN) of YouTube in Sri Lanka.
Earning money on YouTube has not been a possibility in Sri Lanka until now, owing to the fact that the YouTube Partner Program (YPP), which lets YouTube creators monetise their content. This was not enabled in the country previously.
IdeaHell General Manager Janeeth Rodrigo, speaking on them achieving MCN status, said: “We saw a plethora of talented creators in Sri Lanka who lacked the resources, expertise and guidance to take their creative ideas and make it into a career option. So, we have invested in IdeaHell more down the lines of a CSR initiative to empower Sri Lankan creators to create great content and take it to the international stage.”
With IdeaHell’s new MCN status, they are able to provide opportunities to aspiring Sri Lankan YouTubers to earn money from their content and to make a career out of it. Their aim is to help Sri Lankan content creators in areas such as audience development, content programing, creator collaborations, digital rights management, and monetisation of their products
“IdeaHell has currently signed up with many major artists and new YouTubers, and currently manages over 60 YouTube channels and monetises them. These creators work on videos down different verticals, such as food, music and dance, lifestyle, current affairs, comedy, art, and technology,” said Janeeth, explaining the broad range of content they are producing and willing to produce. IdeaHell, located in Colombo 3, boasts a fully functional editing suite, which stays open round the clock, a sound recording studio, filming and lighting gear worth over $ 250,000, other equipment needed for content creation, and the largest green screen in Sri Lanka. All these facilities, on par with international studios, are freely accessible to any content creator who has a membership, which can be gained free of charge.
Content creators will also have access to the in-house team of mentors and professionals for technical assistance and editing assistance in case a novice creator does not have the expertise to film and produce their own ideas.
The studio also works on a modular set system where creators can easily change backdrops, lighting, and even furniture to create multiple unique sets. IdeaHell also houses a fully functional kitchen and a selection of expensive props and wardrobe options.
“We have an open door policy where anyone passionate and dedicated enough to turn their creative talent into a career can come in and be mentored and guided,” he concluded.
Pix by Upul Abeysekara
