Rise Of The Content Creator

COVID-19 changed our world forever. Businesses are closed up, food is scarce and toilet paper is impossible to find! The spread of the virus put most of the world into a lock down leaving people stuck at home with nothing to do. We are now 2+ months in and it’s been incredibly interesting seeing how people adapt and survive through tough situations. Unemployment is sky high, suicide rates are through the roof and then there are people who are thriving through all of this. Luckily for me, I am thriving…I’ll get to that in a bit….

TV networks and movie studios have been shut down with no new content being created for audiences. Movie theaters are going to have a rough summer and may not even survive when things slowly open back up. I personally have no desire to rush back into a theater, especially if I have to wear a mask. 

Disney+ when it was first announced.

Streaming networks on the other hand have been surging, Disney+ was just launched in November of 2019 and it’s now become one of the biggest streamers out there. Its launch couldn’t have come at a better time. As theaters started shuttered just a week into Disney/Pixar’s Onward, Disney+ became the perfect platform to bring the big budget movie over to early. Other films followed and still have been a great success at home. The same will go for other content that was set to hit theaters this summer. Netflix has found hits during quarantine in “Tiger King” becoming one of its most watched series ever. But soon, if things don’t pick up, hit shows will be delayed and big budget production content will be scarce and that’s actually already happening.

A short, filmed in April 2019 and edited in April of 2020

This is also the time for content creators at home to rise. I’ve seen more creativity flourishing on my social media than I have ever seen! TikTok has massively grown over quarantine, with users creating their own content that has helped entertain people at home. As a content creator, I had more time to create at home as well. There are always projects on the shelf I can easily pull off and tackle. As hiking trails opened up, I ventured out and created even more new content with a drone I bought. Now is the time to get up and create stuff. My Fluffy Friends channel saw huge boosts as my comedy content helped add a sense of laughter to peoples days. Yes, I know, COVID-19 is a serious matter but also helping people cope and keep smiling is just as serious. I was born to entertain, this is what I do.

“I never really understood people who just sit around and do nothing all day…”

Sikora has been having adventures with his drone.

There are videographers, photographers, designers, and more out there creating stuff digitally and physically. Not everyone is blessed with creativity but that doesn’t mean you can’t hone in on something and become creative. I never really understood people who just sit around and do nothing all day and don’t aspire to really be anything great. Going to the bars and clubs every weekend, isn’t living…it’s pretty mundane and now those people are stuck at home bored to death.  I can’t say I am ever bored, I always have something to work on and I am grateful for that because that’s me but that’s not everyone. That’s what sets people apart. It’s an adapt or die type of situation. We have all been put into this lock down, it’s like OK, now let’s figure this out, how do I get through this and come out on top?

“We as creators, are on the rise…”

This is also the time for content creators at home to rise. I’ve seen more creativity flourishing on my social media than I have ever seen! TikTok has massively grown over quarantine, with users creating their own content that has helped entertain people at home. As a content creator, I had more time to create at home as well. There are always projects on the shelf I can easily pull off and tackle. As hiking trails opened up, I ventured out and created even more new content with a drone I bought. Now is the time to get up and create stuff. My Fluffy Friends channel saw huge boosts as my comedy content helped add a sense of laughter to peoples days. Yes, I know, COVID-19 is a serious matter but also helping people cope and keep smiling is just as serious. I was born to entertain, this is what I do.

The world of entertainment this summer is going to be one for the books. No major blockbuster competition we are all used to seeing with movies back to back. We really only have a couple big movies this summer and even they may get rescheduled.  Mulan is set to hit theaters at the end of July and personally I think that is too soon. TV shows are doing reruns while other studios are slowly trickling out content to keep people happy. Some shows got incredibly creative by filming their own ‘at home’ specials. NBC’s The Blacklist had a season finale that was half animated! Shows typically all end in May, leaving a smaller summer catalog of game shows or other one-off content to entertain folks at home. But as we enter the summer months, it’s going to be an even dryer season for entertainment since productions are halted and delayed. That’s why people are turning to content online like never before. That’s why we as creators, are on the rise.

“This is the time to get off your butt and make something…”

If you’ve always talked about doing this or making that, this is the time to get off your butt and make something out of that statement. Film your own little movie at home, start writing your fantasy novel, learn editing from YouTube tutorials, finally jump in and learn Photoshop or start producing your own music. There are endless things you can do to explore your creativity. Now is the time we are being watched, now is the time your career can take off. It won’t be long until studios start creating their big budget content again and they may end up calling on you to do it after your little ‘at home production’ goes viral. You never know!

So, I am here to push you a little bit…go out there and bring your dreams to life.  – William Sikora III

This Will Have You On The Edge Of Your Seat

It’s April 2020 and quarantine has turned the city of Los Angeles into a ghost town. While the ‘Safer at Home’ order let people go out and about to get some fresh air, Sikora decided to take his drone out for a fun flight during his walk. Things did not go as planned, just watch…

“It was definitely a nerve wracking experience, I do not want to relive! Even watching the video put me on edge.” Sikora said. The drone was luckily recovered and no property was damaged, it was a quick and well planned extraction. 

“Flying a drone is almost like riding a roller coaster, it’s an adrenaline rush, it’s really scary actually and this story was proof of the many things that could go wrong but luckily were resolved.” Sikora continued. 

Expect more flying from the filmmaker as he expands his collection with the new Mavic Air 2. Stay tuned for more content from high in the sky!

Behind The Scenes with Brandy

We take you behind the scenes on the set of “Baby Mama” from Grammy winning recording artist Brandy. The video was shot just before COVID-19 caused mayhem across the country. “We didn’t know much about it then, it wasn’t really a thing.” Sikora said. 

The song features Chance The Rapper who appeared in the video as well. The shoot was captured by William Sikora III and Jaedon Rooney.

Check out some photos behind the scenes. “Baby Mama” is now available on all music platforms.

Ollie Wants It All For Christmas

Fluffy Friends has gone animated in their newest series Fluffy Friends Toons! The premiere kicked off with Ollie singing an original Christmas song in a hilariously colorful music video. “It’s been simmering for a while now, I really wanted to do little animated shorts with my characters, something different from the actual puppets.” The creator Sikora said. 

The singing and dancing is just the beginning as more episodes are planned to drop! “I am really excited to make shorts with all the characters and show them off in new ways. I wanted to give them a unique and fun art style, something that could connect to kids and adults.” Sikora continued.

The Christmas song was also written by Sikora himself. It all comes together in a vivid production of sight and sound. “My main inspiration was from Disney’s Aladdin when the Genie performs his first song “Friend Like Me” while keeping it simple at the same time.”

Watch the video here.

A Night Out With JOKER

The box office smash hit JOKER has shocked audiences around the world with it’s dark and twisted origin story of Arthur Fleck. Now, Sikora Entertainment wanted to have some fun and make a fan film for Halloween starring William Sikora himself as the infamous villain. A Night Out is a short look inside the mind of the Joker as he battles his inner demons. “I really wanted to make something epic for Halloween this year and utilize the city around me.” Sikora said. 

Filmed in just three hours and edited in five, it was a mighty feat to tackle in time for Halloween but they did it. A Night Out was captured with three different cameras, BlackMagic Pocket Cinema 4K, Panasonic GH5 and iPhone 11 Pro. “Paying tribute to Joaquin Phoenix and even Heath Ledger was important to me because these actors put so much of their soul into this character. It was a little uncomfortable at how comfortable it felt to play Joker.” Sikora ended.

Watch the short film HERE.

Check out behind the scenes photos:

Brandy Finds Freedom

After 6 years, Brandy returns with new music that breaks out from the norm. It’s been a journey for the Grammy winning artist and she finally feels freedom in her life. “Working with Brandy again has been a dream come true. Her artistry and vision is unmatched.” William Sikora said. The two worked together in 2017 for the fashion/music visual Elemental.

25 years after the release of Brandy’s first album, “Freedom Rings” celebrates the amazing career that Brandy has had and still has. Creating the behind the scenes content was an enlightening and unforgettable experience into the mind of the incredibly talented Brandy Norwood. Watch the promo videos below.

“Freedom Rings” is now available on all music platforms.

Fluffy Friends Is “Us”

After the global box office hit horror Us hit theaters, director William Sikora III wanted to tackle the film for his latest Fluffy Friends parody.

LaTonka and Ollie star in the 10 minute film that captures the tense moments with a twist of laughter added in. The Us parody is just the latest from Fluffy Friends who last released a parody featuring the internet legend Momo. The entire project was filmed on green screens and puts audiences right back into the movie featuring incredibly creepy doppelganger characters named Lala and Oilie.

You can watch the hilarious parody HERE.

 

Bring On The RAIN

During a trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Sikora set out to capture the beautiful country in a completely different way; in a rain storm. “I really was excited when it rained the last night we were there and it rained hard, for the entire night.”

Sikora captured the entire film with his iPhone XS Max, the latest smartphone from Apple. “Testing out the low light, colors, noise and all were important and the iPhone just worked. Being waterproof, I didn’t have to worry about getting soaked. It was definitely one of those moments where you lived in the moment and just enjoyed the rain. It was roughly 4 AM and the streets of the village were pretty much deserted.” Sikora said.

The goal for the film was to capture the beauty in Mexico with the little things that people may just walk by. “For me, it was seeing reflections in the puddles, rain being lit up from street lamps, it was really warm out so I was out there for maybe 45 minutes filming everything and I am really happy how it came out.” Sikora concluded.

Watch RAIN now here.

Fluffy Friends Take Over Christmas

Tis the season for laughs with A Fluffy Friends Christmas starring Ollie and LaTonka. After a freak accident, Santa can’t deliver gifts so LaTonka tries to save Christmas by taking Santa’s place. Of course in typical Fluffy Friends fashion, nothing goes as planned and it becomes the craziest holiday movie ever.

“I really wanted to have fun with these two characters and give them a different role, what better than the role of Santa?” William Sikora, the director said.

Fluffy Friends has been making parodies and short films for quite some time now but this is the first big Christmas special they have made. “It was shot entirely on green screen and pieced together. After I was pretty much done, I got the great idea of ‘why not add more?’ and so the entire beginning story was made. It originally started with LaTonka in the chimney; I needed to flesh out the story more and give it more substance, so I slept on it, literally. I lost sleep that night but I woke up the next day with the idea of LaTonka messing up Santa’s plans and then trying to save Christmas, it just made so much more sense. The hard part was that this was less than 2 days before release so I had to act fast and figure it out.” The director laughed.

“A Fluffy Friends Christmas is just the beginning of what’s in store for fans (aka Fluffies) out there and I can’t wait to share more!” Sikora said.

You can watch the Christmas movie right HERE.