Is America ready for a YouTube show like American Idol?
Premiering in May, Internet Icon is a Web series competition with a mission: to find the next viral sensation.
And who better to judge the hopeful contestants than Ryan Higa, aka Niga Higa, one of the biggest YouTube personalities? (Higa, who is the second most popular YouTuber based on subscribers, has accumulated more than one billion page views in his six-year YouTube career.)
Internet Icon appears to be Higa’s newest baby, conceived with the YOMYOMF networks, a video offshoot of Asian American pop culture blog YouOffendMeYouOffendMyFamily.com.
Actress Christine Lakin (Step-by-Step, Family Guy) has signed on as Higa’s co-judge, and Internet Icon has backing from director and producer Andy Fickman of Oops Doughnuts Productions, and writer and producer Bobby Smith of Ashore Entertainment. Director Justin Lin (Fast & Furious and episodes of Community), is also attached to the project through YOMYOMF, of which he is a founder.
While the roster isn’t A-list, it’s not too shabby for a YouTube celebrity.
Higa threw together his last project, a YTF group performance in Hawaii last October, on a whim and ended up turning a single performance into a six-show tour spanning across multiple states (and Canada) earlier this spring.
Contestants for Internet Icon can enter their videos on the Internet Icon Facebook page. If you’re interested, you better hurry. You only have until Sunday to upload your video.
Judges will choose the top 100 videos. Those lucky 100 will get golden tickets to Los Angeles, where they will face an array of challenges testing their filmmaking prowess, such as their editing skills, before judges Higa, Lakin, and a yet-to-be announced third member.
The judges will narrow down the competitors to the top 10. The host—Ryan Seacrest’s position on Idol—will be played by YouTuber, musician, and YTF member Chester Lee. The audience will ultimately vote for the winner.
The YouTuber deemed the next “Internet Icon” will receive a slew of prizes ranging from an upgrade in video equipment, money, a two-week vacation in Europe, and meetings with a “Top Hollywood” agent, manager and director.
Contestants must be 18 or older to enter, and live in the United States. Rules and guidelines for the contest can be found on the Internet Icon Facebook page.
“British and under 18. This video has depressed me” wrote russellhowardlvr on Higa’s promo for the video, in a sentiment echoed by many.
Photo by Andrew Garcia
