FourFront Secures Funding for TikTok Star Network

The Rise of Serialized Fiction on TikTok

Social media platforms have consistently fostered new avenues for storytelling, engaging successive generations of users. However, TikTok’s influence has been particularly rapid. The platform’s user base has exceeded 1 billion, fundamentally altering the landscape of social media celebrity.

Introducing FourFront: A New Approach to TikTok Storytelling

FourFront is an emerging media company dedicated to pioneering a novel form of narrative on TikTok. Their objective is to establish a network of performers enacting scripted, serialized short-form stories designed to resonate with the platform’s native content style.

While fictional storytelling presented in a vlog format isn’t entirely new to social media, FourFront aims to leverage the enhanced discoverability offered by TikTok’s For You Page (FYP) to cultivate a growing audience base.

Seed Funding and Initial Growth

The startup recently announced a $1.5 million seed funding round, with participation from Bam Ventures, Slow Ventures, BDMI, Alumni Ventures Group, and HustleFund, as reported to TechCrunch.

Currently, FourFront features approximately two dozen characters on TikTok. Several have already garnered hundreds of thousands of followers. After careful evaluation, the team of writers and social media experts have focused on nine characters.

Creating an Interconnected Universe

These nine characters are being developed within an interconnected “universe,” where actors naturally interact with one another. FourFront’s team outlines character development, but the actors themselves are responsible for filming the videos.

The resulting content often resembles soap operas in its dramatic flair, while adhering to the popular video formats seen on TikTok. For example, a video from “Sydney,” FourFront’s most followed character with nearly 500,000 followers (debuted in June), invites viewers to “watch us confront my sister’s cheating fiancé LIVE.”

Sydney’s storyline also encompasses relatable themes, such as the difficulties of a roommate breaking a lease and lessons learned from working in customer support for a dating application.

Transparency and Authenticity

FourFront co-founder Ilan Benjamin emphasized to TechCrunch that the company does not intend to deceive viewers into believing the characters are real. Profile biographies clearly indicate the fictional nature of the stories, and videos are tagged with #fictional.

“Our goal is to entertain, not to confuse or mislead audiences,” Benjamin stated.

Navigating the TikTok Algorithm

Creating content for TikTok necessitates adapting to the dynamics of the FYP. Many viewers encounter characters like Sydney mid-storyline, presenting a challenge in balancing the expectations of established fans with the need to attract new viewers.

Benjamin acknowledges that “the plot mechanics might be repetitive,” but stresses that “every video has to stand on its own, and every single video has to be evergreen.” This requires a constant balancing act.

Future Plans and Interactive Storytelling

The company’s current focus is on expanding its network of performers and their audiences. They are also exploring innovative ways to enhance audience engagement.

This includes utilizing technologies like conversational AI chatbots and polls to allow viewers to influence the direction of the narratives themselves.