If you’re an aspiring creator who wants to learn how to turn your online video career into a legitimate business, there’s a new course catered specifically to your needs — and no, Jake Paul has nothing to do with it. Peter Hollens, whose melodious music videos have brought 1.8 million subscribers to his channel and have helped him snag a spot in a Broadway show, has launched the Hollens Creator Academy, which offers thorough lessons to online video up-and-comers.
Hollens decided to launch his Creator Academy after spending years as an advisor both to companies (such as Loudr and Patreon) and to individual creators. In an effort to share his wisdom with as many videomakers as possible, he created a program that would allow him to instruct thousands at once. “I enjoy teaching,” Hollens told Tubefilter. “You can only help so many people at one point in time, but if you can create a digital self, you can help an unlimited amount of people.”
Subscribe to get the latest creator news
In particular, Hollens draws much of his inspiration from Patreon and its founder, fellow musician Jack Conte. Hollens admires Conte’s creator-friendly approach and his dedication to helping others. “If you build [a company] for the creator first and you do it for the right reasons, that company will succeed,” Hollens said.
As a result, the Hollens Creator Academy is a thorough and detailed platform. For a one-time payment of $129, students gain access to expansive courses, each of which explore their own topics. The first course, titled “How To Make A Living Online,” focuses on the business of web video. It is broken into 11 modules, each of which contains multiple lessons, videos from Hollens, and complementary documents. In total, the course spans 77 lessons, which students can complete at whatever pace they choose.
Hollens believes he is launching his Creator Academy at a time when young videomakers have more opportunities than ever before. “The middle-class of creators is now being made,” he told Tubefilter. “You can make that your job. You have no excuse for yourself.”
The demographics of the Creator Academy fit the aspirational nature of the coursework. Most of the thousand-plus students who have signed up so far are between 18 and 34. The gender split is fairly even — 56% of students are male.
Though the Creator Academy is currently in its early stages, Hollens has plans to expand it. His teachings were recently incorporated into a class at his alma mater, the University of Oregon, and he hopes to expand to other universities in the future. He also wants to design courses based around his other areas of expertise, including music and cinematography, and he plans to bring in other creators to share their own lessons.
No matter who he brings in, Hollens will be sure to maintain a high level of instruction. Across all categories, Creator Academy courses will be taught “by people who have done it,” he told Tubefilter.
