Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 is less than a month away, so we’re getting ready for another trip to our favorite cursed children’s pizza joint by re-watching the first film from Blumhouse and Universal Pictures.
The first Five Nights at Freddy’s from director Emma Tammi put a fun spin on the lore from the games created by Scott Cawthon and weaved it into one hell of a horror gateway flick for genre newbies or folks interested in a cinematic take on the franchise. Hey, we took one look at the animatronics from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, and our Chuck E. Cheese band puppet nostalgia was activated. The genre mashup was exciting, plus the cute plushes and new favorite icons like Chica and Cupcake stole our hearts (especially at this year’s Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights).
Here’s a recap of everything you need to remember about Five Nights at Freddy’s before its sequel releases on December 5.
1. The new spin on Five Nights at Freddy’s game lore
Mike Schmidt (Josh Hutcherson) is haunted by the kidnapping of his younger brother, Garrett, back in the ’80s. In the movie’s present day, it’s the 2000s, and he’s now the adult caretaker of their youngest sister, Abby (Piper Rubio), after the loss of their mother and their dad’s absence.
2. Mike took the worst job ever
After attacking a dad at the mall—mistakenly thinking the man was abducting his own child—Mike loses his job and is on thin ice as Abby’s guardian. Their meddling aunt tries to swoop in to get custody in order to get the guardianship money from the state. Mike’s last-ditch effort to get a job, any job, lands him at the desk of Steve Raglan (Matthew Lillard), who offers him a gig no one else can seem to hold down.
3. The job: night shift at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza
That job turns out to be the night guard at a run-down Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, a formerly popular children’s entertainment center and pizzeria known for its beloved animatronic mascot performers. Raglan plays the role of the caller from the games who instructs him on what to do to keep the owner happy, which is to keep people out and the place clean. Mike keeps watch through the security broadcast on the television screen, evoking that isolating Five Nights vibe.
4. The past is all connected
Overnight, Mike continues to battle his inner demons, which come in the form of recurring nightmares about the day Garrett was taken. However, his dreams take a turn as he sees new children appear to him in the dream who weren’t previously there. When he wakes, he gets the sense that the animatronics he’s supposed to be watching might be watching him.
5. Deaths in this world are metal as hell, literally
The first victims of the animatronic gang are led by Abby’s babysitter, bribed by Mike’s aunt in an effort to sabotage his new job. The babysitter and her pals stage a break-in and end up becoming broken toys themselves for Freddy and friends. The babysitter gets such a brutal death, being chomped cleanly in half by Freddy. It’s what she deserves, though, for trespassing and all.
6. There are ghosts!
Mike is forced to take Abby with him to spend the night at Freddy’s since her sitter is a no-show. There, she, like us, becomes obsessed with the puppet animals, who look so cuddly and friendly. They likewise become obsessed with Abby and quickly reveal to her and Mike that they’re alive. As it turns out, the animatronics are controlled by the ghosts of missing children: Gabriel (Freddy), Cassidy (Golden Freddy), Jeremy (Bonnie), Fritz (Foxy), and Susie (Chica). Earlier, Mike learned that Freddy Fazbear’s folded when five kids went missing at that location back in the ’80s—thanks to Vanessa (Elizabeth Lail), the police officer who checks up on the place during the day.
7. But friendship with ghosts is magic!
Vanessa shows up and tells Mike that she knows the possessed puppets, and they have cute, fun playtimes together. Abby discovers their adorable drawings but notices there is a constant in all of them: a mysterious Yellow Rabbit they all mention to her as a scary presence. Vanessa encourages Mike to keep Abby away from the animatronics because they can be a lot. The adorable friendship between Abby, Freddy, Foxy, Chica, and Bonnie goes south relatively quickly as the animatronics decide they want her to be their friend forever. As in forever, through joining them in an animatronic suit of her own.
8. Abby was almost traded for information about Garrett
Since they all disappeared around the same time, it is implied that Garrett might have been abducted by the same person who murdered the ghost kids. Mike briefly considers trading Abby for information about Garrett but quickly changes his mind because that’s crazy. To the ghost kids, who react as kids do, it’s not cool at all, and they attempt to kill Mike in one of the decommissioned springlock suits. Thankfully, Vanessa shows up to save him.
9. The truth about Vanessa
Meanwhile, Cassidy/Golden Freddy and the gang take matters into their own robotic hands and follow Abby to her aunt’s place to give the toxic relative a well-earned death and take their bestie back to Freddy Fazbear’s. Once they’re all back, Vanessa confesses that she’s the daughter of Freddy Fazbear’s owner, William Afton, who kidnapped and murdered kids she helped lure for him. It’s something she too carries over as trauma, as she knew their bodies were hidden in the animatronics.
10. The Yellow Rabbit reveal
As Mike deactivates the animatronics before they can claim Abby, the Yellow Rabbit shows up to wreak havoc on the situation. It turns out that this Springtrap is not operated by a ghost but by William Afton, who posed as Steve Raglan, and he’s very mad that too many people now know his big secret. It’s a secret Vanessa has been in on since she’s still her daddy’s little girl and, for obvious implications, has helped keep his dirty secrets locked down despite trying to stay on the right side of the law as an adult.
She was pretty much covering up for both of them since she saw herself as an accomplice, but she turns on him as he tries to kill Mike. That results in his stabbing her, and we have to mention Lillard wipes his character’s knife in the way he did as Ghostface (love a Scream Easter egg). Abby quickly draws the truth of who killed her ghost friends and shows them, and they set their sights on Afton, realizing he’s the Yellow Bunny, and tear him apart. Afton promises he will come back; he always does, as he dies in the suit.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Source link
#Remember #Nights #Freddys
![A24 Wants You to Be Nice About Its Google AI Deal
Earlier this week, we learned A24 entered a research partnership with Google’s DeepMind unit. The reactions were… not happy, to say the least. And like many who’ve let generative AI into their hearts, the film studio’s now left playing defense for its widely panned decision. In a statement to Wired, A24’s communications rep Sophia Shin stressed the “research” part of its Google partnership. “We’re working side-by-side with DeepMind’s researchers to learn, iterate, and build, having an active hand in shaping new tools and workflows,” she explained. “This is about learning and helping pain points in workflows behind the scenes. […] It exists because we want to dictate what tools get built for artists, so they have a voice in shaping them rather than having tools handed to them. While acknowledging A24 doesn’t love “any of the current AI outputs onscreen in Hollywood,” Shin considers this partnership a bit of a necessary evil. “We’d rather have a seat at the table than on the sidelines,” she stated. The promise of further artist agency and “a seat at the table” are common shields from genAI users, but it doesn’t seem to be working here. Fans consider this move ironic and a betrayal, given Backrooms director Kane Parsons recently called the tech “cultural and economic rot” and wished he could just snap it out of existence.
Before that, the studio didn’t seem to have much interest in generative AI. In 2024, it came under fire for using the tech to create posters for Civil War, while months later, its horror film Heretic had a disclaimer promising it wasn’t made with the technology. But Hollywood’s become gradually more accepting of generative AI and its supposed potential for the filmmaking process. In that sense, maybe it was inevitable for A24 to fall in line. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. #A24 #Nice #Google #DealA24,generative ai,Google DeepMind](https://i0.wp.com/gizmodo.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Backrooms-1280x853.jpg?ssl=1 "A24 Wants You to Be Nice About Its Google AI Deal
Earlier this week, we learned A24 entered a research partnership with Google’s DeepMind unit. The reactions were… not happy, to say the least. And like many who’ve let generative AI into their hearts, the film studio’s now left playing defense for its widely panned decision. In a statement to Wired, A24’s communications rep Sophia Shin stressed the “research” part of its Google partnership. “We’re working side-by-side with DeepMind’s researchers to learn, iterate, and build, having an active hand in shaping new tools and workflows,” she explained. “This is about learning and helping pain points in workflows behind the scenes. […] It exists because we want to dictate what tools get built for artists, so they have a voice in shaping them rather than having tools handed to them. While acknowledging A24 doesn’t love “any of the current AI outputs onscreen in Hollywood,” Shin considers this partnership a bit of a necessary evil. “We’d rather have a seat at the table than on the sidelines,” she stated. The promise of further artist agency and “a seat at the table” are common shields from genAI users, but it doesn’t seem to be working here. Fans consider this move ironic and a betrayal, given Backrooms director Kane Parsons recently called the tech “cultural and economic rot” and wished he could just snap it out of existence.
Before that, the studio didn’t seem to have much interest in generative AI. In 2024, it came under fire for using the tech to create posters for Civil War, while months later, its horror film Heretic had a disclaimer promising it wasn’t made with the technology. But Hollywood’s become gradually more accepting of generative AI and its supposed potential for the filmmaking process. In that sense, maybe it was inevitable for A24 to fall in line. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. #A24 #Nice #Google #DealA24,generative ai,Google DeepMind")
![A24 Wants You to Be Nice About Its Google AI Deal
Earlier this week, we learned A24 entered a research partnership with Google’s DeepMind unit. The reactions were… not happy, to say the least. And like many who’ve let generative AI into their hearts, the film studio’s now left playing defense for its widely panned decision. In a statement to Wired, A24’s communications rep Sophia Shin stressed the “research” part of its Google partnership. “We’re working side-by-side with DeepMind’s researchers to learn, iterate, and build, having an active hand in shaping new tools and workflows,” she explained. “This is about learning and helping pain points in workflows behind the scenes. […] It exists because we want to dictate what tools get built for artists, so they have a voice in shaping them rather than having tools handed to them. While acknowledging A24 doesn’t love “any of the current AI outputs onscreen in Hollywood,” Shin considers this partnership a bit of a necessary evil. “We’d rather have a seat at the table than on the sidelines,” she stated. The promise of further artist agency and “a seat at the table” are common shields from genAI users, but it doesn’t seem to be working here. Fans consider this move ironic and a betrayal, given Backrooms director Kane Parsons recently called the tech “cultural and economic rot” and wished he could just snap it out of existence.
Before that, the studio didn’t seem to have much interest in generative AI. In 2024, it came under fire for using the tech to create posters for Civil War, while months later, its horror film Heretic had a disclaimer promising it wasn’t made with the technology. But Hollywood’s become gradually more accepting of generative AI and its supposed potential for the filmmaking process. In that sense, maybe it was inevitable for A24 to fall in line. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. #A24 #Nice #Google #DealA24,generative ai,Google DeepMind](https://gizmodo.com/app/uploads/2026/03/Backrooms-1280x853.jpg "A24 Wants You to Be Nice About Its Google AI Deal
Earlier this week, we learned A24 entered a research partnership with Google’s DeepMind unit. The reactions were… not happy, to say the least. And like many who’ve let generative AI into their hearts, the film studio’s now left playing defense for its widely panned decision. In a statement to Wired, A24’s communications rep Sophia Shin stressed the “research” part of its Google partnership. “We’re working side-by-side with DeepMind’s researchers to learn, iterate, and build, having an active hand in shaping new tools and workflows,” she explained. “This is about learning and helping pain points in workflows behind the scenes. […] It exists because we want to dictate what tools get built for artists, so they have a voice in shaping them rather than having tools handed to them. While acknowledging A24 doesn’t love “any of the current AI outputs onscreen in Hollywood,” Shin considers this partnership a bit of a necessary evil. “We’d rather have a seat at the table than on the sidelines,” she stated. The promise of further artist agency and “a seat at the table” are common shields from genAI users, but it doesn’t seem to be working here. Fans consider this move ironic and a betrayal, given Backrooms director Kane Parsons recently called the tech “cultural and economic rot” and wished he could just snap it out of existence.
Before that, the studio didn’t seem to have much interest in generative AI. In 2024, it came under fire for using the tech to create posters for Civil War, while months later, its horror film Heretic had a disclaimer promising it wasn’t made with the technology. But Hollywood’s become gradually more accepting of generative AI and its supposed potential for the filmmaking process. In that sense, maybe it was inevitable for A24 to fall in line. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. #A24 #Nice #Google #DealA24,generative ai,Google DeepMind")
![How professional creators avoid content droughts
Creators are expected to constantly be coming up with new content. But what to do when your well of ideas runs dry? That was the topic at the Vidcon 2026 panel, Never Running Out of Ideas: How to Build a Content Strategy That Keeps Your Audience Hooked. Moderated by television personality Shira Lazar, this panel brought together professional creators Anthpo and Siow Wei to discuss how they ideate, pick what to work on next, and whether what they’ve made is good enough to post online. (Alex Ojeda was billed, but did not ultimately attend.)
Anthpo: Ideation comes from practice
Anthpo on the VidCon 2026 panel Never Running Out of Ideas: How to Build a Content Strategy That Keeps Your Audience Hooked.
Credit: Kristy Puchko / Mashable
The American influencer is best known for concocting the viral Timothee Chalamet look-a-like contest and creating characters like Cheeseball Man and Kid with Crocs. During the panel, he shared that he has a Google Doc filled with ideas, and also uses his phone’s Notes app to scribble down any inspirations that come to mind while on the go. “I’d say ideation is a muscle,” he mused. “The more you do it, the more your mind is constantly racing.” To that end, Anthpo said he uses flights as a space to create, working the ideation muscle. “I’ll do [it] every plane ride I take,” he explained. “I don’t do anything other than write in my Notes app.” How do creators pick which idea is worth doing? Siow Wei is a Malaysian content creator who was featured on Forbes 30 under 30 last year for the massive success she’s had under the handle im_siowei. By creating an array of characters for family-friendly comedy videos, she’s become one of Asia’s biggest content creators.However, she told the panel at VidCon she didn’t set out to make kid-friendly comedy. When evaluating the data of how her videos were doing, it was that demographic where she was most thriving. Data is what drives her decisions as she builds her library and brand. Anthpo noted he and Siow Wei come from different schools of thought on what to prioritize. For him, it’s more about a gut feeling. “Once you have an idea, there’s like two litmus tests,” he said. “There’s, like, the data side, which is super powerful. And then there’s also, like, the emotional side.” For him, he’s excited when he comes up with something “very experimental,” or that “feels [magical] and also executable.” He emphasized the importance of following your passion for an idea. Referencing the Rick Rubin book, The Creative Act, Anthpo paraphrased a piece of the author’s advice, saying, “If you have a really great idea and you don’t execute it, somebody else in the zeitgeist will do it. And I found that to be 100% true. If I’m like, ‘That’s a great idea,’ and I don’t do within the first six months, someone does it.”
Mashable Trend Report
How do content creators know their work is good quality before they post?
Never Running Out of Ideas: How to Build a Content Strategy That Keeps Your Audience Hooked panel at Vidcon 2026, featuring Anthpo, Siow Wei, and Shira Lazar
Credit: Kristy Puchko / Mashable
Siow Wei uses WhatsApp to communicate with her team and test out jokes. Anthpo uses a group of friends whom he knows won’t lie to spare his feelings. “The meanest people in my life are by far my most valuable assets,” he explained, “like the people that are just like, ‘Yo, this video sucks, bro.’ Those people are so valuable to me. I’ve got probably seven of them. If I send a video or an idea to them, and all seven of them are like ‘that’s good,’ it always rips.” What do content creators do when they’re running out of ideas?Siow Wei has a collection of comedy characters, like Swaggy, Randy, Besty, Richy, and Billy. But she’s always happy to expand her menagerie. “Okay, we have run out of content,” she said, considering the scenario. “Okay, what’s next? Let’s create another character, there’s more possibility that we can bring it into our content.” For Anthpo, he finds new ideas by trying something new. “I’ve reinvented myself many times on the internet,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for like 12 years now. I used to do sketch comedy. Then I was in a TikTok house. And then I made skits. And then I made college content, and then I [worked for Mr. Beast]. Then the past two years I’ve been doing these like anonymous stunts.” He noted what he’s doing recently is being called performance art, while he’s been dubbed “dumb internet Banksy,” and he’s cool with that. Anthpo champions not only taking risks, but also learning from your failures.“I failed many, many, many, many, many times,” he said, noting that failure can be a great teacher, providing “data” for how to improve. What every creator should know — according to Anthpo and Siow WeiBoth agreed you should know about the purple horse (or cow). Anthpo explained this marketing concept to the audience. Essentially, if you see a horse along the side of the road, you might notice it. But you won’t stop your trip to see it. However, if you see a purple horse, you’ll stop your car to take a closer look. Translated to the creator economy, you want to be the purple horse, the something special in the landscape that makes people stop and pay attention. For Anthpo, he does that by chasing what excites him. “[What] I like to chop it down to is I like to delight people,” he said. “Give them something they haven’t seen before, or give them a feeling they want to consistently feel.” Siow Wei added: “Put that purple horse in the first three seconds [of your video].” She explained how the unique way she drinks boba tea has hooked viewers, “so you’re catching the attention,” rather than getting lost in an endless scroll online. Last but not least, both creators emphasized the importance of building a team you can trust. Anthpo put it succinctly, saying, “Be surrounded by people who are joyous and don’t drag you down and are going to be kind, but also aren’t afraid to be like, ‘Yo, this video is trash.'”Mashable is reporting live from VidCon 2026 in Anaheim. Follow our coverage for creator interviews, panel highlights, and the biggest moments from the convention floor.
#professional #creators #avoid #content #droughts](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/01gMFiz9dxiW1C5lcELVKTR/images-1.fill.size_2000x1125.v1782531326.jpg "How professional creators avoid content droughts
Creators are expected to constantly be coming up with new content. But what to do when your well of ideas runs dry? That was the topic at the Vidcon 2026 panel, Never Running Out of Ideas: How to Build a Content Strategy That Keeps Your Audience Hooked. Moderated by television personality Shira Lazar, this panel brought together professional creators Anthpo and Siow Wei to discuss how they ideate, pick what to work on next, and whether what they’ve made is good enough to post online. (Alex Ojeda was billed, but did not ultimately attend.)
Anthpo: Ideation comes from practice
Anthpo on the VidCon 2026 panel Never Running Out of Ideas: How to Build a Content Strategy That Keeps Your Audience Hooked.
Credit: Kristy Puchko / Mashable
The American influencer is best known for concocting the viral Timothee Chalamet look-a-like contest and creating characters like Cheeseball Man and Kid with Crocs. During the panel, he shared that he has a Google Doc filled with ideas, and also uses his phone’s Notes app to scribble down any inspirations that come to mind while on the go. “I’d say ideation is a muscle,” he mused. “The more you do it, the more your mind is constantly racing.” To that end, Anthpo said he uses flights as a space to create, working the ideation muscle. “I’ll do [it] every plane ride I take,” he explained. “I don’t do anything other than write in my Notes app.” How do creators pick which idea is worth doing? Siow Wei is a Malaysian content creator who was featured on Forbes 30 under 30 last year for the massive success she’s had under the handle im_siowei. By creating an array of characters for family-friendly comedy videos, she’s become one of Asia’s biggest content creators.However, she told the panel at VidCon she didn’t set out to make kid-friendly comedy. When evaluating the data of how her videos were doing, it was that demographic where she was most thriving. Data is what drives her decisions as she builds her library and brand. Anthpo noted he and Siow Wei come from different schools of thought on what to prioritize. For him, it’s more about a gut feeling. “Once you have an idea, there’s like two litmus tests,” he said. “There’s, like, the data side, which is super powerful. And then there’s also, like, the emotional side.” For him, he’s excited when he comes up with something “very experimental,” or that “feels [magical] and also executable.” He emphasized the importance of following your passion for an idea. Referencing the Rick Rubin book, The Creative Act, Anthpo paraphrased a piece of the author’s advice, saying, “If you have a really great idea and you don’t execute it, somebody else in the zeitgeist will do it. And I found that to be 100% true. If I’m like, ‘That’s a great idea,’ and I don’t do within the first six months, someone does it.”
Mashable Trend Report
How do content creators know their work is good quality before they post?
Never Running Out of Ideas: How to Build a Content Strategy That Keeps Your Audience Hooked panel at Vidcon 2026, featuring Anthpo, Siow Wei, and Shira Lazar
Credit: Kristy Puchko / Mashable
Siow Wei uses WhatsApp to communicate with her team and test out jokes. Anthpo uses a group of friends whom he knows won’t lie to spare his feelings. “The meanest people in my life are by far my most valuable assets,” he explained, “like the people that are just like, ‘Yo, this video sucks, bro.’ Those people are so valuable to me. I’ve got probably seven of them. If I send a video or an idea to them, and all seven of them are like ‘that’s good,’ it always rips.” What do content creators do when they’re running out of ideas?Siow Wei has a collection of comedy characters, like Swaggy, Randy, Besty, Richy, and Billy. But she’s always happy to expand her menagerie. “Okay, we have run out of content,” she said, considering the scenario. “Okay, what’s next? Let’s create another character, there’s more possibility that we can bring it into our content.” For Anthpo, he finds new ideas by trying something new. “I’ve reinvented myself many times on the internet,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for like 12 years now. I used to do sketch comedy. Then I was in a TikTok house. And then I made skits. And then I made college content, and then I [worked for Mr. Beast]. Then the past two years I’ve been doing these like anonymous stunts.” He noted what he’s doing recently is being called performance art, while he’s been dubbed “dumb internet Banksy,” and he’s cool with that. Anthpo champions not only taking risks, but also learning from your failures.“I failed many, many, many, many, many times,” he said, noting that failure can be a great teacher, providing “data” for how to improve. What every creator should know — according to Anthpo and Siow WeiBoth agreed you should know about the purple horse (or cow). Anthpo explained this marketing concept to the audience. Essentially, if you see a horse along the side of the road, you might notice it. But you won’t stop your trip to see it. However, if you see a purple horse, you’ll stop your car to take a closer look. Translated to the creator economy, you want to be the purple horse, the something special in the landscape that makes people stop and pay attention. For Anthpo, he does that by chasing what excites him. “[What] I like to chop it down to is I like to delight people,” he said. “Give them something they haven’t seen before, or give them a feeling they want to consistently feel.” Siow Wei added: “Put that purple horse in the first three seconds [of your video].” She explained how the unique way she drinks boba tea has hooked viewers, “so you’re catching the attention,” rather than getting lost in an endless scroll online. Last but not least, both creators emphasized the importance of building a team you can trust. Anthpo put it succinctly, saying, “Be surrounded by people who are joyous and don’t drag you down and are going to be kind, but also aren’t afraid to be like, ‘Yo, this video is trash.'”Mashable is reporting live from VidCon 2026 in Anaheim. Follow our coverage for creator interviews, panel highlights, and the biggest moments from the convention floor.
#professional #creators #avoid #content #droughts")
![How professional creators avoid content droughts
Creators are expected to constantly be coming up with new content. But what to do when your well of ideas runs dry? That was the topic at the Vidcon 2026 panel, Never Running Out of Ideas: How to Build a Content Strategy That Keeps Your Audience Hooked. Moderated by television personality Shira Lazar, this panel brought together professional creators Anthpo and Siow Wei to discuss how they ideate, pick what to work on next, and whether what they’ve made is good enough to post online. (Alex Ojeda was billed, but did not ultimately attend.)
Anthpo: Ideation comes from practice
Anthpo on the VidCon 2026 panel Never Running Out of Ideas: How to Build a Content Strategy That Keeps Your Audience Hooked.
Credit: Kristy Puchko / Mashable
The American influencer is best known for concocting the viral Timothee Chalamet look-a-like contest and creating characters like Cheeseball Man and Kid with Crocs. During the panel, he shared that he has a Google Doc filled with ideas, and also uses his phone’s Notes app to scribble down any inspirations that come to mind while on the go. “I’d say ideation is a muscle,” he mused. “The more you do it, the more your mind is constantly racing.” To that end, Anthpo said he uses flights as a space to create, working the ideation muscle. “I’ll do [it] every plane ride I take,” he explained. “I don’t do anything other than write in my Notes app.” How do creators pick which idea is worth doing? Siow Wei is a Malaysian content creator who was featured on Forbes 30 under 30 last year for the massive success she’s had under the handle im_siowei. By creating an array of characters for family-friendly comedy videos, she’s become one of Asia’s biggest content creators.However, she told the panel at VidCon she didn’t set out to make kid-friendly comedy. When evaluating the data of how her videos were doing, it was that demographic where she was most thriving. Data is what drives her decisions as she builds her library and brand. Anthpo noted he and Siow Wei come from different schools of thought on what to prioritize. For him, it’s more about a gut feeling. “Once you have an idea, there’s like two litmus tests,” he said. “There’s, like, the data side, which is super powerful. And then there’s also, like, the emotional side.” For him, he’s excited when he comes up with something “very experimental,” or that “feels [magical] and also executable.” He emphasized the importance of following your passion for an idea. Referencing the Rick Rubin book, The Creative Act, Anthpo paraphrased a piece of the author’s advice, saying, “If you have a really great idea and you don’t execute it, somebody else in the zeitgeist will do it. And I found that to be 100% true. If I’m like, ‘That’s a great idea,’ and I don’t do within the first six months, someone does it.”
Mashable Trend Report
How do content creators know their work is good quality before they post?
Never Running Out of Ideas: How to Build a Content Strategy That Keeps Your Audience Hooked panel at Vidcon 2026, featuring Anthpo, Siow Wei, and Shira Lazar
Credit: Kristy Puchko / Mashable
Siow Wei uses WhatsApp to communicate with her team and test out jokes. Anthpo uses a group of friends whom he knows won’t lie to spare his feelings. “The meanest people in my life are by far my most valuable assets,” he explained, “like the people that are just like, ‘Yo, this video sucks, bro.’ Those people are so valuable to me. I’ve got probably seven of them. If I send a video or an idea to them, and all seven of them are like ‘that’s good,’ it always rips.” What do content creators do when they’re running out of ideas?Siow Wei has a collection of comedy characters, like Swaggy, Randy, Besty, Richy, and Billy. But she’s always happy to expand her menagerie. “Okay, we have run out of content,” she said, considering the scenario. “Okay, what’s next? Let’s create another character, there’s more possibility that we can bring it into our content.” For Anthpo, he finds new ideas by trying something new. “I’ve reinvented myself many times on the internet,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for like 12 years now. I used to do sketch comedy. Then I was in a TikTok house. And then I made skits. And then I made college content, and then I [worked for Mr. Beast]. Then the past two years I’ve been doing these like anonymous stunts.” He noted what he’s doing recently is being called performance art, while he’s been dubbed “dumb internet Banksy,” and he’s cool with that. Anthpo champions not only taking risks, but also learning from your failures.“I failed many, many, many, many, many times,” he said, noting that failure can be a great teacher, providing “data” for how to improve. What every creator should know — according to Anthpo and Siow WeiBoth agreed you should know about the purple horse (or cow). Anthpo explained this marketing concept to the audience. Essentially, if you see a horse along the side of the road, you might notice it. But you won’t stop your trip to see it. However, if you see a purple horse, you’ll stop your car to take a closer look. Translated to the creator economy, you want to be the purple horse, the something special in the landscape that makes people stop and pay attention. For Anthpo, he does that by chasing what excites him. “[What] I like to chop it down to is I like to delight people,” he said. “Give them something they haven’t seen before, or give them a feeling they want to consistently feel.” Siow Wei added: “Put that purple horse in the first three seconds [of your video].” She explained how the unique way she drinks boba tea has hooked viewers, “so you’re catching the attention,” rather than getting lost in an endless scroll online. Last but not least, both creators emphasized the importance of building a team you can trust. Anthpo put it succinctly, saying, “Be surrounded by people who are joyous and don’t drag you down and are going to be kind, but also aren’t afraid to be like, ‘Yo, this video is trash.'”Mashable is reporting live from VidCon 2026 in Anaheim. Follow our coverage for creator interviews, panel highlights, and the biggest moments from the convention floor.
#professional #creators #avoid #content #droughts](https://i0.wp.com/helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/01gMFiz9dxiW1C5lcELVKTR/images-1.fill.size_2000x1125.v1782531326.jpg?ssl=1 "How professional creators avoid content droughts
Creators are expected to constantly be coming up with new content. But what to do when your well of ideas runs dry? That was the topic at the Vidcon 2026 panel, Never Running Out of Ideas: How to Build a Content Strategy That Keeps Your Audience Hooked. Moderated by television personality Shira Lazar, this panel brought together professional creators Anthpo and Siow Wei to discuss how they ideate, pick what to work on next, and whether what they’ve made is good enough to post online. (Alex Ojeda was billed, but did not ultimately attend.)
Anthpo: Ideation comes from practice
Anthpo on the VidCon 2026 panel Never Running Out of Ideas: How to Build a Content Strategy That Keeps Your Audience Hooked.
Credit: Kristy Puchko / Mashable
The American influencer is best known for concocting the viral Timothee Chalamet look-a-like contest and creating characters like Cheeseball Man and Kid with Crocs. During the panel, he shared that he has a Google Doc filled with ideas, and also uses his phone’s Notes app to scribble down any inspirations that come to mind while on the go. “I’d say ideation is a muscle,” he mused. “The more you do it, the more your mind is constantly racing.” To that end, Anthpo said he uses flights as a space to create, working the ideation muscle. “I’ll do [it] every plane ride I take,” he explained. “I don’t do anything other than write in my Notes app.” How do creators pick which idea is worth doing? Siow Wei is a Malaysian content creator who was featured on Forbes 30 under 30 last year for the massive success she’s had under the handle im_siowei. By creating an array of characters for family-friendly comedy videos, she’s become one of Asia’s biggest content creators.However, she told the panel at VidCon she didn’t set out to make kid-friendly comedy. When evaluating the data of how her videos were doing, it was that demographic where she was most thriving. Data is what drives her decisions as she builds her library and brand. Anthpo noted he and Siow Wei come from different schools of thought on what to prioritize. For him, it’s more about a gut feeling. “Once you have an idea, there’s like two litmus tests,” he said. “There’s, like, the data side, which is super powerful. And then there’s also, like, the emotional side.” For him, he’s excited when he comes up with something “very experimental,” or that “feels [magical] and also executable.” He emphasized the importance of following your passion for an idea. Referencing the Rick Rubin book, The Creative Act, Anthpo paraphrased a piece of the author’s advice, saying, “If you have a really great idea and you don’t execute it, somebody else in the zeitgeist will do it. And I found that to be 100% true. If I’m like, ‘That’s a great idea,’ and I don’t do within the first six months, someone does it.”
Mashable Trend Report
How do content creators know their work is good quality before they post?
Never Running Out of Ideas: How to Build a Content Strategy That Keeps Your Audience Hooked panel at Vidcon 2026, featuring Anthpo, Siow Wei, and Shira Lazar
Credit: Kristy Puchko / Mashable
Siow Wei uses WhatsApp to communicate with her team and test out jokes. Anthpo uses a group of friends whom he knows won’t lie to spare his feelings. “The meanest people in my life are by far my most valuable assets,” he explained, “like the people that are just like, ‘Yo, this video sucks, bro.’ Those people are so valuable to me. I’ve got probably seven of them. If I send a video or an idea to them, and all seven of them are like ‘that’s good,’ it always rips.” What do content creators do when they’re running out of ideas?Siow Wei has a collection of comedy characters, like Swaggy, Randy, Besty, Richy, and Billy. But she’s always happy to expand her menagerie. “Okay, we have run out of content,” she said, considering the scenario. “Okay, what’s next? Let’s create another character, there’s more possibility that we can bring it into our content.” For Anthpo, he finds new ideas by trying something new. “I’ve reinvented myself many times on the internet,” he said. “I’ve been doing this for like 12 years now. I used to do sketch comedy. Then I was in a TikTok house. And then I made skits. And then I made college content, and then I [worked for Mr. Beast]. Then the past two years I’ve been doing these like anonymous stunts.” He noted what he’s doing recently is being called performance art, while he’s been dubbed “dumb internet Banksy,” and he’s cool with that. Anthpo champions not only taking risks, but also learning from your failures.“I failed many, many, many, many, many times,” he said, noting that failure can be a great teacher, providing “data” for how to improve. What every creator should know — according to Anthpo and Siow WeiBoth agreed you should know about the purple horse (or cow). Anthpo explained this marketing concept to the audience. Essentially, if you see a horse along the side of the road, you might notice it. But you won’t stop your trip to see it. However, if you see a purple horse, you’ll stop your car to take a closer look. Translated to the creator economy, you want to be the purple horse, the something special in the landscape that makes people stop and pay attention. For Anthpo, he does that by chasing what excites him. “[What] I like to chop it down to is I like to delight people,” he said. “Give them something they haven’t seen before, or give them a feeling they want to consistently feel.” Siow Wei added: “Put that purple horse in the first three seconds [of your video].” She explained how the unique way she drinks boba tea has hooked viewers, “so you’re catching the attention,” rather than getting lost in an endless scroll online. Last but not least, both creators emphasized the importance of building a team you can trust. Anthpo put it succinctly, saying, “Be surrounded by people who are joyous and don’t drag you down and are going to be kind, but also aren’t afraid to be like, ‘Yo, this video is trash.'”Mashable is reporting live from VidCon 2026 in Anaheim. Follow our coverage for creator interviews, panel highlights, and the biggest moments from the convention floor.
#professional #creators #avoid #content #droughts")
Post Comment