User-generated content (UGC) has made a huge impact this past year. The accessibility of broadband and new tools have simplified the creation and distribution of content. Courtesy of iStock.

In 2006, Time magazine named "You" as its Person of the Year and Advertising Age dubbed "The Consumer" as its Ad Agency of the Year. Both illustrate the impact of user-generated content (UGC) -- including blogs, home pages, mash-ups and animation -- over the last 12 months. Not only do these platforms allow social networking, but they offer opportunities for animators looking to raise awareness for their work.

There are a number of factors that have spurred the growth in UGC in the last year or two. Broadband has achieved critical mass; new tools have simplified the creation and distribution of content; the quality of UGC content has improved; and a growing number of UGC productions have attracted significant viewership and even some revenues. As a result, everyone from the largest animation house to the most independent of animators is considering distribution through one or more "user-generated" platforms.

Online Focus
Most of the UGC action has been online. A report from the USC-Annenberg Digital Future Project, released in November 2006, found that 12.5% of Internet users had personal websites, and that 7.4% of users maintained their own blogs.

In addition to the best-known UGC platforms, such as YouTube and MySpace, there are many other venues. AtomFilms, the eight-year-old website for independent video and animation shorts, has a sister site, AddictingClips, which is UGC-centric. In addition, much of the content on the primary AtomFilms site could be considered UGC, according to Megan O'Neill, AtomFilms' vp of acquisitions and production.

Machinima comprises various genres, such as excerpts of gameplay and original stories. Machinima 101 Resource Center, a how-to site on Machinima and filmmaking will debut soon. Above is a shot from Trash Talk. © The ILL Clan Inc.

"There are various ways to define UGC," she points out. "I would argue almost all short films are 'user-generated'." She notes that the animated shorts featured on AtomFilms -- such as Dominic Tocci's I Can't Afford My Gasoline and Everyone Hates Saddam, which have generated millions of views and a paycheck for the creator -- are produced by independent filmmakers and not backed by studios.

While the bulk of UGC content is video (such as clips captured on cell phones or copied from television), animation ranging from Flash to stop-motion also is featured. One significant subsegment is Machinima (original video productions from videogames). Machinima comprises various genres, such as excerpts of game play captured to share with others; frags or montages, which are edited versions of the best kills or other game highlights, set to music; and original stories that incorporate the characters and world of a particular game.

Philip DeBevoise, president/ceo of Machinima.com, describes his site as, "a vertical YouTube for this audience." Machinima.com features game title-based channels, such as the HALO Channel or the World of Warcraft Channel, around which the content is aggregated. DeBevoise reports that the site soon will launch a Machinima 101 Resource Center, including tips, how-tos and articles on Machinima and filmmaking, as well as a social network with blogging, classifieds and MySpace-like homepages.

Corporate Involvement
The increasingly high profile of UGC has led many corporations to become involved. Some entertainment and online companies have acquired UGC platforms, as was the case when Fox and Google purchased MySpace and YouTube, respectively. Meanwhile, several online services and platforms are beginning to allow their users to upload and distribute UGC content.