According to seasoned German executive Robert Franke, the rising popularity of YouTube content creators is reducing the clout of the traditional media veterans.
Recent films led by prominent YouTubers like Kane Parsons, Curry Barker, and Markiplier have significantly boosted cinema revenues.
Speaking at Seriencamp, Franke expressed his concern, stating it’s “scary as f**k” for the older generation who were accustomed to a predictable content distribution system where “if we pour something into a distribution funnel, it will find its audience.”
He shared at a panel named “Rethinking Story Development Through Culture Thinking” in Cologne, “Those of us from my generation are witnessing a decline in our influence, and the realization that the golden era is ending. The financial investment is no longer focused on a limited range of content, leading to a complete fragmentation of choices.”
Franke criticized the outdated mindset of some seasoned executives who might claim, “I know what’s best because I went to Harvard.” He argued, “Unless you have the humility to accept that your perspective might not be relevant for different communities, you won’t be able to craft authentic stories. You can participate in creation, but you cannot dominate it.”
While discussing new media influencers like Parsons, Franke acknowledged that Parsons’ successful film with A24, Backrooms, still operates within the traditional system.
He noted, “Backrooms is a traditionally produced movie from a studio system, yet everyone praises A24 for its innovation. However, they are still a studio. They’ve moved away from an over-reliance on algorithmic decisions and established a unique stance.”
Franke pointed out that nowadays, when traditional industry players achieve hits like Adolescence, these successes often start as underdog projects. “Adolescence is an example of smaller content that evolved into a cultural phenomenon,” he explained. “It emerges on the margins of platforms and gets greenlit because it poses minimal risk to the commissioners if it fails.”
Franke, formerly with ZDF Studios for ten years and now leading Intaglio Films, made these remarks in Cologne at Seriencamp, alongside Steve Matthews from Banijay’s Scripted, Creative division.
Matthews emphasized that traditional scripted sectors need to accelerate their development processes and adopt lessons from unscripted formats to capture the zeitgeist more swiftly on screen. “If you’re aiming for quality that requires multiple drafts, the lead times can be agonizing,” he stated. “We’re looking at what insights can be gleaned from our colleagues in unscripted, who wonder how we manage with timelines that extend over years.”
‘Heated Rivalry’: Including the Fans
Jeannette Bohné and Franziska Gregor from Serviceplan Berlin, experts in marketing campaigns for popular shows, stressed the importance of involving fans from the outset.
They highlighted Heated Rivalry, the year’s standout show, which effectively engaged super-fans of the books on social media during its promotional phase.
Bohné added, “It’s crucial not to merely pick a topic superficially. For instance, saying ‘Oh, queer people love too, let’s do a queer story’ is insufficient. It’s about finding narrative depth and authenticity. And we must explore these stories from an internal perspective, beginning with the emotional core.”
She also addressed misconceptions about audience preferences, questioning, “How can you be surprised that women enjoy gay romance narratives?”
The Seriencamp event continues until June 11, with Anke Greifeneder, named as Deadline’s German TV Disruptor 2026, set to speak next.
Daniel Hayes is a business journalist with a focus on market trends, startups, and corporate strategies.
His sharp analysis and investigative reports make complex financial topics accessible to all readers.
