YouTube Space, Elizabeth Banks and her WhoHaHa digital media company are teaming on an initiative designed to empower women around the world through comedy. The global production program will be launched by the partners at YouTube Space outposts for creators in LA, New York, Toronto, Rio, Paris, Berlin, London, Tokyo, and Mumbai with the aim of supporting female storytellers on YouTube who use comedy as a platform for opportunity and change. The program launches today (see Banks introduce it in the video above).
With the help of professionally-designed sets and assistance from trained production crews provided by the team at YouTube Space, creators will be invited to make “epic” female-driven comedy videos over a 12-week period.
As part of the partnership, WhoHaHa and Banks will provide creative consultation and mentoring. Additional resources will be provided at select Spaces that require localized comedic and industry advice. Further, in 2018, WhoHaHa will invite select creators across the locations to produce a digital pilot for their YouTube series with assistance from YouTube Space and WhoHaHa.
In 2015, YouTube Space launched its first initiative to spotlight creators who catalyze more female-driven content on YouTube for global audiences. This year’s program is a continuation of those efforts.
Banks and Luigi Picarazzi are co-founders of WhoHaha whose goal is to give opportunities to up-and-coming female creators by providing resources across development, production, financing, distribution, marketing and monetization.
Says Banks, “At WhoHaha we believe it’s not only important but essential for women to have a platform to be able to share their voices and creativity. That’s why we’re excited to be teaming up with YouTube Space on this initiative that’s providing such a groundbreaking opportunity to creators all over the world.”
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