YouTube is one of the most revolutionary items of technology that we have had the chance of experiencing in this century. The opportunities that it provides for artists to showcase their talent is one of its best features. Rooster Teeth is an entertainment company that had its roots before YouTube was created, but has used the platform to build its identity, provide amusing content, and keep in contact with its community.
Rooster Teeth had its roots in the gaming industry but has now branched out into other parts of the entertainment industry. They have released a full feature film, Lazer Team, two animated web-series, Red Vs. Blue and RWBY, and a live action web-series, Day 5. Jude Dry of IndieWire said of Day 5 “ [it] offers a fresh take on a familiar plot, which can hold its own against recent apocalyptic greats like ‘The Walking Dead,’ ‘Lost’ and ‘Fringe.’ Rooster Teeth has implemented the newest YouTube extension, YouTube Red, to release their content to a wider audience. For Ryan Chang ‘16, Day 5 was “something that I did not expect to be good, but at the end of it, I was felt wanting, no, needing more.” Rooster Teeth is pushing the limits of what online companies produce and are setting a precedent for what one can achieve through YouTube.

Rooster Teeth was founded by three college students, Geoff Ramsey, Burnie Burns, and Gus Sorola out of a two-bedroom apartment in Austin, Texas. Their stories are an inspiration to many who wish to get into the entertainment industry. For Juan Soto ‘17, their background is “a sign that if you work towards what you dream, then somehow, someway they’ll come true,” and he is not the only one. Every year, Rooster Teeth holds a convention, RTX, in Austin that basically shuts the city down. Their fanbase is one of the most enthusiastic and loving ones in the internet community. In fact, their aforementioned movie, Lazer Team, was entirely crowdfunded through Indiegogo and is currently shooting its sequel. Rooster Teeth is just one of the many internet presences that showcases just how far one can go.