Max Reisinger
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Max Reisinger
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What's up guys, it's Open Tab - a Browser Company series in which we swap bank accounts with one of the Arc members for a week and see what it does to our runway. At least - this is the type of content we would've been making if we were on a mission to hack the YouTube algorithm overnight. But, just like our guest today, a content creator and one of the leaders of The New Wave YouTube movement Max Reisinger, we are far more interested in telling thought-provoking stories and building a meaningful community online.
The New Wave collective emerged in response to what some online creators describe as "Beastification" - the rapid rise of the challenge genre of content with creators like MrBeast and Ryan Trahan leading the way. Their videos, designed to be a shocking spectacle, are focused on completing seemingly impossible challenges, like surviving on one penny for a week or closing the tabs you don't need (although, last one is a Browser HQ original). This type of content ended up driving so much engagement and interest from advertisers that over the past couple of years, lots of creators jumped on the trend and practically took over YouTube's Trending Page.
Max and his friends chose a radically different path. Taking inspiration from narrative films and documentaries, YouTube creators like Emma Chamberlain, and artists, like Virgil Abloh, they make videos that tell vulnerable stories about their lives. When they came across each other's channels in 2021 and realized that they shared a passion for pushing against the hyper-sensationalization of online content, they did the impossible - took a road trip out of the group chat and spent a month living together in a backwoods cabin in Montana. There, to the sounds of Mort Garson's Plantasia that, just like their content, feels both futuristic and nostalgic, they dreamt up The New Wave - a community of creators who tell personal stories through artful shots and easy pacing.
Perhaps the best way to understand what the movement is about is to watch a couple of Max's own videos, like this one about falling in love that follows Max and his girlfriend as they go on a cross-country roadtrip or the first New Wave style video he made, introducing his followers to the collective. And if you feel like falling down The New Wave rabbit hole, here is a whole Arc folder of links to explore.
The New Wave's major focus today is building community-focused experiences for like-minded creators and shifting the advertising ecosystem in a way that supports their projects. In the summer of 2022, Max and his friends brought together 35 creators for their first Creator Camp. Since then, they've hosted several larger creator experiences, worked with a whole network of brands, including YouTube and Polaroid, and set their sights on even bigger projects for the next year. And although we can't tell you what those are yet, rest assured that they won't be trapping themselves in the dark or on a deserted island any time soon.