A Student’s Guide to Making Money on YouTube

Part of AACTA’s Screen Careers Expo

Sunday 11 February

1pm AEST

Hear from some of Australia’s most popular YouTubers as they detail how they make a living from their content, and their own personal journeys to finding their voice, tips on generating content and building an audience. Featuring one of our greatest global successes: RackRacka (Danny and Michael Philippou), alongside Lachlan Fairbairn of the Fairbairn Brothers and Gabe Willie (BLACK COMEDY).

Lachlan Fairbairn

Lachlan Fairbairn is a sketch comedy writer and director. Hailing from Murray Bridge in South Australia, and now residing in Sydney, Lachie and Fairbairn Films are known for their sharp, witty style of skits that continue to poke fun at the simple things in modern life. Off the back of a national tour in 2023, Lachie co-directed a six part web series for Skip Ahead titled "Fairbairn In The City". Funded by Screen Australia & YouTube, produced by Haven't You Done Well Productions (Aunty Donna), Lachie is set for a massive year ahead as his career continues to progress.

Danny & Michael Philippou

Danny and Michael Philippou, best known as online global sensations RACKARACKA, with more than 1.5 billion views on YouTube. Named one of Variety’s 2016 FameChangers and ranked 5th on the Australian Financial Review’s Cultural Power List, the brothers are the creators of action comic horror online content, which has racked up more than 1.5 billion views and over 6.6 million subscribers on Youtube alone. Their numerous awards include Best Integrational Channel Streamy Award; Best Overall at the Online Video Awards; and AACTA Award for Best Online Video or Series. TALK TO ME is their debut feature film.

Ruari Elkington - Moderator

Dr Ruari Elkington’s industry engagement and academic research has been driven by questions about how screen content connects with discrete audiences in markets increasingly under pressure through creative and commercial tensions. His screen industry experience centred on the acquisition, marketing and distribution of documentary, feature film and innovative digital content to theatrical and online audiences. In 2018 Dr Elkington was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to investigate new initiatives connecting Creative Industries students and online video creators in collaborative work. His real-world engagement is evidenced in his 2019 peer reviewed appointment to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Expert Network (Future of Information and Entertainment) building on his AMP “Tomorrow Maker” award and funding.  In 2023 he was awarded a Queensland Smithsonian Fellowship to work with social video creators to communicate cultural heritage collections to new audiences.

He is currently a Senior Lecturer in Creative Industries at the Queensland University of Technology’s (QUT) Creative Industries, Education and Social Justice Faculty and a Chief Investigator within QUT’s Digital Media Research Centre (DMRC). In 2022, alongside his Resilient Screen research colleague Dr Tess Van Hemert,  Dr Elkington co-designed and led the largest recent national audience survey of Australian cinemagoing in partnership with Palace Cinemas.

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