Five of Variety's first 10 Creators to Watch gathered at SXSW for a discussion about building careers outside Hollywood's traditional system. The panel, part of Variety Next Generation Entertainment presented by Google TV, included sketch comedian Sabrina Brier, "Recess Therapy" creator Julian Shapiro-Barnum, YouTube video essayist Mina Le, “Are You Okay?” host Bri Morales and character comedian Vinny Thomas. All five traced their origins to the pandemic of online content, when shuttered theaters and stalled productions pushed them online. Shapiro-Barum is now launching what he's billed as YouTube’s first full-blown late-night show. The group also discussed the impact of the algorithm on their creative output, which rewards consistency and punishes experimentation, and the cost of chasing it.