"Twitter helps me avoid journalists"

James Franco (@James- FrancoTV on Twitter) put it in a nutshell in an article in the New York Times: What is the most precious commodity for film studios, writers, directors, stars - in fact, for everyone? Attention. Attention is what everyone wants. Attention is power. With the increasing networking of new media, the cost of information and entertainment is falling ever lower. It is no longer access that is limited, but attention. And this attention is now regarded by practically everyone as a scarce commodity, making it a power factor.

Studio bosses and their Hollywood stars have also realized this. For one thing, it's clear that having your own fan base is now a key success factor, and maintaining a healthy online presence is practically essential for this. Secondly, traditional pre-release audience surveys have often proved unreliable in recent months and expensive productions have often flopped miserably. Social media buzz, on the other hand, is more honest and direct and therefore often much more reliable. Having a large and strong social presence therefore often also means direct success at the box office. This is because fans are more likely to watch a movie if the star asks them to than if they are bombarded with promotional material by a Hollywood studio.

In terms of platforms, there are three megaplatforms on which the celebs cavort. The highest density is probably on Facebook. However, these are mostly classic promo pages that are used by the PR department for official communication. Twitter and Instagram are where things get really interesting for fans. This is where the stars themselves report on their everyday lives, creating a workaround for the paparazzi and the media. True to the motto: "Here I give you a glimpse into my private life."

It is therefore hardly surprising that the so-called celebrity selfie, a self-portrait usually taken by hand with a smartphone, is the non plus ultra among posts. The selfie has value regardless of the quality of the photos because it is supposedly an intimate snapshot of someone the public is very interested in. But that's not all: the selfie is probably also the picture the paparazzi would kill for because they could make good money with it. Because it's the kind of picture that magazines and blogs want today. A few years ago, however, things looked very different, as this type of communication was unthinkable. In addition to expressing personal opinions in interviews, the main aim was to gain as much attention as possible through public appearances or a scandal. British actor Stephen Fry (@stephenfry) sums up this change well: "Twitter helps me avoid journalists."

Whether it's Demi Moore (@justdemi), her ex-husband Aston Kutcher (@aplusk) or sex symbol Ryan Gosling (@RyanGosling) - the list of social media celebrities is long. However, Hugh Jackman (@RealHughJackman) is particularly worth mentioning. Firstly, because the Australian shared very personally that he had been diagnosed with malignant cancer cells and urged: "Please don't be foolish like me. Get yourself checked. And USE sunscreen!!!". Secondly, because Jackman embodies Wolverine, one of the most popular comic book characters in the geek world, and his charisma in the social networks has been really magnified as a result.

Most stars manage the platforms themselves. Which is the whole point. Some, however, such as the late Paul Walker (@RealPaulWalker), the beautiful Channing Tatum (@channingtatum) or Zac Efron (@ZacEfron), have their own social media managers who constantly provide their fans with fresh backstage news. In this case, it is important that it is clearly communicated who is tweeting. This demarcation creates clarity for the fans, as their favor can quickly tilt.

Although all studio bosses would probably like their stars to have large social media followings, there are still many Twitter refuseniks. These include high-profile talents such as George Clooney, Daniel Craig and Johnny Depp, who have decided to stay out of the digital spotlight for various reasons. Daniel Craig's motivation sounds almost romantic: "I am bloody not [on Facebook]. And I'm not on Twitter either . . . 'Woke up this morning, had an egg'? What relevance is that to anyone? Social networking? Just call each other up and go to the pub and have a drink." Kristen Stewart, on the other hand, points out the dark side of social media: "Twitter f-s me over every day of my life. Because people go, 'I'm sitting next to Kristen Stewart right now' and then [the paparazzi] show up." This omnipresence can also be quite exhausting. Where stars used to only have to take criticism via the film magazine Variety, today every Hans Muster can express his opinion publicly. US presenter Jimmy Fallon demonstrated what this means in a very entertaining way on his show, when celebrities had to read out nasty tweets about themselves. (Celebrities Read Mean Tweets on YouTube).

Manuel P. Nappo, Director of Studies CAS Social Media Management HWZ Zurich University of Applied Sciences. www.fh-hwz.ch/smm