At the beginning of September, mk2.Alt (distribution entity of the mk2 group dedicated to atypical titles and “ specials “) made the event by leaving Kaizen. This film, whose title refers to a Japanese method (or philosophy or state of mind depending on the approach) of continuous improvement in the professional and personal sphere, was produced by the YouTuber Inoxtag. It documents the challenge that the latter launched in February 2023: to climb Everest one year later. A remarkable performance, the result of which, a film lasting almost 2.5 hours, was released on Friday September 13, 2024 in 500 cinemas, and the next day on the YouTube channel of the videographer turned mountaineer.
Kaizen, a documentary film never before seen in France
370,000 spectators in theaters, nearly 40 million views on YouTube: the operation is a success. Kaizen sets a new record for an event session, far surpassing the previous record of 92,000 entries held by The Wandering Stars by rapper Nekfeu. But also, on YouTube, it ranks as one of the best launches in the history of the platform in France. A success which reflects the exceptional enthusiasm of the Inoxtag community, and opens new perspectives for the cinema sector, both in terms of production and distribution, with the main aim of renewing audiences by continuing to engage with them. come young people.
The creators economy to continue to bring young people to cinemas
Because beyond the commercial success, the release of Kaizen in theaters then the next day on YouTube is a first in France, and almost a world first. Two other notable examples are the American film The Interview (The killer interview!) in 2014, directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg – its broadcast had been canceled, then authorized both in a few theaters and online for security reasons – and the Irish film A monster in 2020, directed by Tom Sullivan – released in theaters and uploaded to YouTube the next day, in response to the closure of cinemas given the Covid-19 pandemic.
But also because the film produced by the YouTuber and streamer Inoxtag and his production company, accompanied in executive production by the advertising agency specializing in online media Webedia, ended up being broadcast in theaters like any other would be. cinema film (although with specific legal rules). And this reveals on the one hand an evolution of films brought to the big screen, and on the other hand a growing interest in this sector for creators economy. Also called creator economy, creator marketing or influencer economy, it defines an ecosystem where creators, whether bloggers, artists, podcasters, independent professionals from various fields, can produce and distribute content, products or services directly to their audience using social media and digital platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram).
According to its general manager Elisha Karmitz, mk2 has been interested in creators economy. In 2015, the group was already organizing events with big names in this sector, notably Seb and Adèle Castillon. He explains that this dynamic continued, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic, when the question of whether young people would return to theaters arose after they had been closed for many months. “ We have always noticed that young people largely populate our rooms, but after the pandemic a new paradigm took hold. The issue was not that they had lost interest in cinema or other forms of culture, but rather a question of frequency of use » – young people having less purchasing power to allocate to their leisure activities due to inflation, and the price of a ticket representing a significant cost. A battle for attention with the aim of increasing the frequency of use of this target audience which also plays out in the face of new offers constituted by VOD platforms and recent habits brought about by social networks or video games, which the Director General says he has led on the front of the creator economy. Hence initiatives such as the creation of the YouTube Ciné-Club label, the aim of which is to bring to cinema screens films originating and initially designed for the platform. But also to begin to give space to content from the creator economy in cinemas, attracting at the same time their usual audience.
YouTube and cinema, not enemies, complementary
The reluctance would be legitimate, because one wonders if a release planned on a platform, which is free, and the day after a theatrical release, would not slow down ticket sales. In the case of KaizenElisha Karmitz shares her conviction with us: “ By working on this type of broadcast, by making it a major media event, we wanted to demonstrate that theatrical admissions would not reduce visibility on YouTube, and conversely that the release on YouTube would not prevent the public from traveling. in theaters “. Quite the contrary according to the producer, the release of said film in theaters the day before would have even made it iconic and fostered enthusiasm among Inoxtag fans. There would therefore be no a priori antinomy between YouTube and cinema, just as there would not be any between the defense of auteur cinema and the showing of films made by influencers, the The most important thing is to bring in a large audience.
So, are the films we love to watch on the big screen likely to evolve? The method of distribution of Kaizenis it replicable, and is it desirable? In any case, this is the positioning of mk2.Alt for 2025 according to the person concerned. He wishes to continue along the path of what he calls event cinema, that is to say special screenings of content from thecreators economy which create a unique experience for audiences and fan communities. But also, to duplicate this type of broadcasting to other event outings such as concerts or shows. While keeping a critical and sharp eye on the promoted content, a mark of confidence of the mk2 brand that surely no one would want to see disappear,viewerof a day as a seasoned cinephile.
