Big Frame

Big Frame is a full service talent management and influencer marketing company for the digital first marketplace. Big Frame’s 200+ clients include Tyler Oakley, Ingrid Nilsen and numerous other premier creators, making Big Frame the largest talent representation company for creators with online followings. Big Frame was founded in July 2011 by Sarah Penna, Steve Raymond, Jarret Myer, and Brian Brater.
History
The precursor to Big Frame, The Cloud Media, was to be one of the first “YouTube-centric management companies.” As it became clear to founder Sarah Penna that “just being a management company was insufficient. either had to be a massive management company or it had to get into the other facets of the YouTube business.”
In February 2012 BAMMO was launched as the first channel produced by Big Frame as part of in new YouTube channels. It features content from YouTube stars like Mystery Guitar Man and Mike Diva.
In June 2012 Big Frame announced $3 million in seed funding from a large group of investors including Anthem Venture Partners, Daher Capital, DFJ Frontier, LaunchPad LA, New World Ventures, the Media Farm and Social Starts.
In April 2014 Big Frame was acquired by AwesomenessTV, the digital media division of DreamWorks Animation for $15 million.
Today, Big Frame focuses exclusively on its full service talent management and influencer marketing services, and no longer manages an MCN nor owned and operated media brands such as Polished, which have been absorbed into the operations of AwesomenessTV.
Media Brands
In early 2013 Big Frame launched subsidiary media brands, or vertical sub-networks. This vertically orientated strategy sets Big Frame apart from other big multi channel networks, many of which have thousands of channels and there is “less emphasis on funneling them into overarching brands.”
Wonderly, is the first YouTube network to focus on innovative female creators. It is currently partnered with channels such as Squaresville, Kristina Horner and Overly Attached Girlfriend.
Forefront, the second vertical network was started by DeStorm Power focuses on urban lifestyle and music.
Forefront partnered with Karen Civil, Issa Rae, VIBE, Broken Equipment Productions aka FILNOBEP, LatoyaForever, MrDeshawnRaw, Peter Chao, and The HodgeTwins amongst several others. Forefront are notable for their use of livestreams to showcase their partners.The Meetup is a weekly show on the Polished YouTube Channel, hosted by MakeUpByMandy24 and directed by MissGlamorazzi. The show features special guests including Tyler Oakley, GloZell, and Miranda Sings. In January 2014 the show was renewed for a second season
Outlandish is a vertical network focused on LGBT+ creators. In June 2013 Outlandish was featured by YouTube's #ProudToLove campaign.
Custom Platforms
Viewfinder is Big Frame's custom community dashboard. Creator earn points for sharing their peer's videos within their vertical network. The points can be redeemed for a featured video placement or cash.
In December 2013 the Polished Viewfinder was opened to the public.
==Big Frame's "Challenge to YouTube Multi Channel Networks"==
In December 2012, as the Ray William Johnson versus Maker Studios controversy became public, BigFrame released a blog post in which they cautioned other YouTube networks about overly short term thinking, lack of transparency, bad contracts, unhappy YouTube channels and unsustainable growth rates. The blog post was regarded as Big Frame distancing itself from “unethical YouTube network practices.”
New Location
In April 2013 Big Frame HQ moved from West Hollywood to a single, 13,000 square meter facility in Culver City with a dedicated production space. Grant Gibson, head of audience development at Big Frame said of the change: “After a year of ‘making it work’ across 3 separate buildings, we are looking forward to all being in the same space.”

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