Caixa de Pandora: produção audiovisual independente no YouTube a partir da estética DIY e da lógica da plataformização

Abstract

This paper analyzes and describes the creative process of the multiplatform independent audiovisual project "Caixa de Pandora", a documentary series produced for YouTube that follows the revitalization of a family home in Teresópolis (RJ). Within the context of network communication platformization, the study investigates the transformations of contemporary audiovisual production through the consolidation of the prosumer, participatory culture, and the tensions between independent production and the algorithmic mediation of digital platforms. The theoretical framework is based on the concepts of the prosumer and the Third Wave by Alvin Toffler; participatory culture and convergence by Henry Jenkins; cognitive surplus and the shock of amateur inclusion by Clay Shirky; collective intelligence by Pierre Lévy; and cyberculture and the liberation of the emission pole by André Lemos. The work also engages with Ludimila Matos's contributions on the algorithmic professionalization of YouTube, as well as authors such as Tarleton Gillespie, Lucia Santaella, and Carlos Alberto Scolari regarding platformization and multiplatform narrative strategies. Methodologically, a documental and affective approach was adopted, guided by the Do It Yourself (DIY) aesthetics and the "learning by doing" philosophy. The practical component consisted of the production of a three-episode documentary series for YouTube, created with a small team and accessible technical resources. The narrative was primarily constructed during post-production through editing, voice-over narrations, and the serial organization of episodes, considering the platform's logic of retention, engagement, and discovery. Concurrently, a strategic plan was developed to adapt the content for Instagram and TikTok. The practical experience enabled critical reflections on the role of the independent creator,who constantly negotiates creative autonomy with technical demands, demonstrating the viability of original documentary narratives in the contemporary landscape.