YouTube Videos Pull In Real Money – Видео-ролики на YouTube зарабатывают реальные деньги

By BRIAN STELTER
Making videos for YouTube — for three years a pastime (приятное времяпрепровождение) for millions of Web surfers (бродящих по просторам Интернета) — is now a way to make a living (способ заработать на жизнь).
One year after YouTube invited members to become “partners” and added advertising to their videos, the most successful (успешные) users are earning six-figure incomes (зарабатывают 6-значную прибыль) from the Web site. For some, like Michael Buckley, the self-taught host (ведущего-самоучки) of a celebrity chatter show, filming funny videos (съемка смешных сюжетов) is now a full-time job (работа на полный рабочий день).
Mr. Buckley quit (бросил) his day job in September after his online profits (on-line прибыль) had greatly surpassed (превзошла) his salary as an administrative assistant (помощника по административным/организационным вопросам) for a music promotion company. His thrice-a-week online show (on-line шоу, выходящее 3 раза в неделю) “is silly,” he said, but it has helped him escape (избежать) his credit-card debt (долга по кредитной карте).
Mr. Buckley, 33, was the part-time host (ведущий с неполной занятостью) of a weekly show on a Connecticut public access channel* in the summer of 2006 when his cousin started posting snippets (фрагменты/отрывки) of the show on YouTube. The comical rants about celebrities (комичные тирады о знаменитостях) attracted online viewers (зрителей), and before long (вскоре) Mr. Buckley was tailoring his segments, called “What the Buck?” for the Web.
* - http://www.ldoceonline.com/dictionary/public-access-channel
“On YouTube,” he said, “I’ve had 100 million views (просмотров). It’s crazy.”
All he needed was a $2,000 Canon camera, a $6 piece of fabric for a backdrop (ткани для декорационного фона) and a pair (пара) of work lights (осветительных приборов). Sites like YouTube allow (позволяют) anyone with a high-speed connection (с высокоскоростным соединением) to find a fan following, simply by posting material and promoting it online.
Granted (нужно принять во внимание), building an audience online takes time (на создание on-line зрительской аудитории требуется время). “I was spending 40 hours a week on YouTube for over a year before I made a dime (10 центов),” Mr. Buckley said — but, at least in some cases (по меньшей мере, в некоторых случаях), it is paying off (окупается).
Mr. Buckley is one of the original (первых) members of YouTube’s partner program, which now includes (включает в себя) thousands of participants (участников). YouTube, a subsidiary (дочернее подразделение) of Google, places advertisements (размещает рекламу) within and around the partner videos and splits the revenues (делит прибыль) with the creators (создателями). “We wanted to turn these hobbies into businesses,” said Hunter Walk, a director of product management for the site, who called popular users like Mr. Buckley “unintentional (непроизвольными/случайными) media companies.”
YouTube declined (отказался) to comment on how much money partners earned on average (в среднем), partly (отчасти) because advertiser demand (спрос на рекламу) varies (варьируется/отличается) for different kinds of videos. But a spokesman (официальный представитель), Aaron Zamost, said “hundreds of YouTube partners are making thousands of dollars a month.” At least a few (по меньшей мере, некоторые) are making a full-time living: Mr. Buckley said he was earning over $100,000 from YouTube advertisements.
“Some of these people are making videos in their spare (свободное) time,” said Chad Hurley, a co-founder (соучредитель) of YouTube. “We felt that if we were able to provide them a true revenue source (если бы мы смогли дать им реальный источник заработка), they’d be able to hone their skills (отточить навыки) and create better content.”
In a time of media industry layoffs (сокращений в медиа-индустрии), the revenue source (источник дохода) — and the prospect (перспектива) of a one-person media company — may be especially appealing (привлекательными) to users. For new users, it’s a lot of work. Everybody’s fighting to be seen online; you have to strategize (вырабатывать стратегию) and market yourself.
Mr. Buckley, who majored in psychology (специализировался на психологии) in college, films (снимает) his show from home. Each episode of “What the Buck?” is viewed an average of 200,000 times, and the more popular ones have reached up to (охватывают до) three million people. He said that writing and recording five minutes’ worth of jokes (написание и запись пятиминутных шуток) is not as easy as it looks. “I’ve really worked hard on honing (над оттачиванием) my presentation and writing skills,” he said.
Some so-called (так называемые) Internet celebrities (знаменитости) view (рассматривают) YouTube as a stepping stone (трамплин) to television. But Mr. Buckley started on TV and found fame (снискал славу) on YouTube. Three months ago, he signed a development deal with HBO, an opportunity that many media aspirants (претенденты/кандидаты) dream about. Still, “I feel YouTube is my home,” he said. “I think the biggest mistake that any of us Internet personalities can make is establish ourselves (утвердиться) on the Internet and then abandon (забросить) it.”
Some of the partners are major (крупные) media companies; the ones with the most video views (с самыми большими показателями просмотров) include Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, CBS and Warner Brothers. But individual users are now able to compete alongside (конкурировать бок о бок) them. Mr. Buckley, who did not even have high-speed Internet access two years ago, said his YouTube hobby had changed his financial life.
“I didn’t start it to make money,” he said, “but what a lovely surprise.”