Archive for Web Video

Yahoo Reportedly Bidding on Hulu

May 24, 2013 / Cameron Scott / No comments
yahoo bidding on hulu

Ermolaev Alexander / Shutterstock.com

The video streaming service Hulu is amassing a long list of suitors, and Yahoo has reportedly joined the bunch.

The bid was reported by Reuters and AllThingsD, though Yahoo declined to comment for them as for SocialTimes.

The move in many ways would make sense for Yahoo, which many of its recent short-lived CEOs, most notably Ross Levinsohn, referred to as a media company. Yet, Marissa Mayer has seemed to re-orient Yahoo as a tech company.

Other bidders for Hulu, owned by News Corp, Disney and Comcast, include Directtv, Time Warner Cable, Guggenheim Digital and The Chernin Group.

Hulu’s brought in nearly $700 million in revenue last year and continues to draw new users. Its corporate parents are allegedly deciding whether to sell the property.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Category: Comcast, direccv, Hulu, Marissa Mayer, News, News Corp., Ross Levinsohn, time warner cable, walt disney, Web Video, Yahoo /

Friday Morning Laughs — YouTube Comedy Week Wrap-Up

May 24, 2013 / Devon Glenn / No comments

Happy Friday, SocialTimes readers! The YouTube Spotlight channel been pumping out funny videos all week long for YouTube Comedy Week, a celebration of YouTube’s most hilarious creators that started on Sunday and ends tomorrow. As per usual, there were far too many videos to include in one round-up post, so we’ve selected one special video for every day of the week.

Sunday

“Welcome to YouTube Comedy Week,” by YouTube

Published on May 19, 2013
2,682,213 views, 22,328 likes, 4,793 dislikes

YouTube Comedy Week kicked off with this highlight reel full of comedians including Eric Wareheim, Sarah Silverman, and more. Click on the banners that pop up with their names and you’ll be magically transported to their YouTube channels to see their latest sketches.

Monday

“The History of YouTube by The Gregory Brothers (YouTube Comedy Week),” by YouTube

Published on May 20, 2013
1,418,555 views, 19,184 likes, 919 dislikes

The Gregory Brothers sing a sweet slow jam for YouTube on the network’s 8th birthday. Click here to watch it on YouTube.

Tuesday

“Convos With My 2 Year Old – EPISODE 1,” by ConvosWith2YrOld

Published on May 21, 2013
1,212,832 views, 12,987 likes, 319 dislikes

This man’s conversation with his two-year-old daughter is not quite as adorable when a grown man steps in to play the role of the little girl, hair clips and all. There are some serious Terrible Twos happening here.

Wednesday

“The Lonely Island – SEMICOLON (feat. Solange) LYRICS VIDEO #WACKWEDNESDAYS” by thelonelyisland

Published on May 22, 2013
1,707,141 views, 27,509 likes, 1,143 dislikes

Punctuation has never sounded better.

Thursday

Google Glass Human, by nigahiga

Published on May 23, 2013
1,036,046 views, 98,370 likes, 1,134 dislikes

If you don’t mind having a strange man sitting on your shoulders, these Google Glasses have the best voice-activated GPS system around.

Friday

“Tom Hanks Is an A-Hole” by comedycentral

Published on May 24, 2013
301+ views, 163 likes, 284 dislikes

Actor Tom Hanks is not such a great guy, if you ask Trevor Moore of the “Whitest Kids U’Know.” This video explores the dark side of movies like “Forrest Gump” and “Philadelphia” with the help of a bikini-clad dance crew and a hypnotic soundtrack.

Saturday

…is almost here. Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Category: fml, google glass human, tom hanks is an a-hole, viral videos, Web Video, YouTube Comedy Week /

People on the Street Don’t Know This Cheesy 90′s Headset Isn’t Google Glass [Video]

May 23, 2013 / Devon Glenn / No comments

Comedian and filmmaker Mark Malkoff took to the streets of New York to find out what the average person thought of Google Glass, the wearable computers that not many people have had the pleasure of trying on. What these bystanders didn’t know was that the headset Malkoff was wearing wasn’t Google Glass; it was actually a gaming console from the 90s called an R-Zone.

The clunky headset made by Tiger Electronics in 1995 is about as attractive as an old pair of braces in the days before Invisalign. It doesn’t give directions as well as Google Maps, either. Though the video was only uploaded yesterday, more than 19,000 people have already watched it on Mashable’s channel, where viewers can’t believe the crazy reactions.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Category: Google Glass, Google glasses, mashable, R-Zone, Web Video /

Jessica Alba Congratulates the Winners of the Social Star Awards

May 23, 2013 / Devon Glenn / No comments

Jessica Alba has announced the winners of the first-ever Social Star Awards, a 24-hour awards show held in Singapore and live streamed on YouTube to honor socially savvy celebrities and their super fans.

Winners were judged by the numbers of followers, likes, and views they had on social media, based on data from Starcount, which tracks activity from 1.7 billion people across 11 social media networks including Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Sina, Tencent, Youku, Renren, Mixi, Orkut, and Vkontakte.

Held at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, the stage was packed with live performances from the internet’s best and brightest, including Aerosmith, Carly Rae Jepsen, Sky Blu, Eric Benet, Blush, and PSY.

Recipients accepted their awards virtually, including One Direction, who said, “We wanna say a massive thank you for the Best Social Star Group of the year award. Thank you for our Starcount award, and we will see you soon!”

Justin Bieber won the top award of the evening: the Social Star Almighty award. His video acceptance speech included a cameo from pop artist Will.i.am. and a heartfelt message to fans: “Thank you to all my fans that helped me win best solo artist,” he said. “You guys are awesome!”

And the winners in the main categories are:

MOST POPULAR MUSIC SOLO ARTIST
 
MOST POPULAR ACTOR
Justin Bieber Selena Gomez
MOST POPULAR MUSIC GROUP
MOST POPULAR SPORTS TEAM
One Direction FC Barcelona
MOST POPULAR FILM
MOST POPULAR SPORTS PERSON
Twilight Cristiano Ronaldo
MOST POPULAR TV SHOW
MOST POPULAR GAME
Ellen DeGeneres Show Candy Crush Saga
MOST POPULAR SOCIAL SHOW
MOST POPULAR BRAND
PewdiePie Samsung (Mobile)

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Category: Jessica Alba, Justin Bieber, News, One Direction, social star awards, Web Video, youtube /

YouTube Announces the Winners of the 2013 Next Vlogger Competition

May 21, 2013 / Devon Glenn / No comments

YouTube has announced the winners of its Next Vlogger competition: an elite group of video bloggers who inspire others while they sit in front of the camera and talk about everything from their latest hauls from the beauty supply store to the best uses for pineapples.

The YouTube judges were looking to crown the next Philip DeFranco or iJustine, who are just two of the many talented vloggers who have made the format so popular on the video-sharing site.

The judges found talent in the U.S., England, Ireland, and Australia who cover a broad spectrum of geekery, beauty, comedy, and other topics.

And the winners are:

Each of these winners will attend a Google+ workshop series led by industry experts and YouTube staff. They’ll also receive $4,000 worth of production equipment and promotion of their channels on YouTube.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Category: 2013, News, next vlogger competition, Web Video, winners, youtube /

Parents Share More Videos of Kids Than Cats, Survey Finds [Infographic]

May 21, 2013 / Devon Glenn / No comments

No wonder Grumpy Cat is so grumpy: parents are now sharing more videos of their kids than of their cats, according to a survey of parents by Magisto.com and PlayScience global research firm. In fact, parents are three times more likely to shoot and share videos of their kids (27 percent) than they are of their pets (9 percent).

Shooting a video does not always guarantee that it will be shared, the research showed. Overall, 60 percent of parents said they shoot at least three videos per month, while less than half (44 percent) say they share at least three videos per month. But 53 percent of parents said they shoot videos of their kids just so they can share them with others and 88 percent of parents will share them either way.

See which devices and platforms parents prefer, and the subtle differences between moms and dads, in the infographic below.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Category: Cats, Infographics, Kids, Parents, video sharing habits, Web Video /

What Netflix Originals Reveal About Social Media’s Newest Category of Fans: ‘Binge’ Viewers

May 20, 2013 / Devon Glenn / No comments

People who watch entire seasons of television in one sitting are willing to share where they are in a series, but are careful of revealing spoilers, according to an analysis by social media research firm Fizziology.

These binge viewers, as they’re called, showed very different behaviors for “House of Cards” than they are showing now for the upcoming season of “Arrested Development”:  two Netflix original series that viewers can watch at their own pace.

Fizziology president and co-creator Ben Carlson recalled that during the plot-driven “House of Cards,” where “no one knew where anyone else was,” viewers were more likely to “report how far along they were in the series, versus how they felt about it,” he said. And many talked about binge-watching multiple episodes.

Comedies like “Arrested Development” may or many not have enough of an overarching plot to suck viewers into watching one  episode after the next — that remains to be seen — but Carlson notes that the series will kick off with something that “House of Cards” didn’t already have: “a rich ran base from when they were on the air,” he said.

Netflix decided to revive the cancelled series after it gained momentum through its streaming service and DVD rentals. As a result, the volume of social media posts about the upcoming fourth season of “Arrested Development” was seven times higher than that of the all-new “House of Cards,” Fizziology found.

Here’s a breakdown of the organic conversations, rather than sponsored content, about “Arrested Development”:

Twitter Volume (Past Week): 43,338

Overall Sentiment
Positive: 47%
Neutral: 53%
(There was almost no negative conversation at this point in time).

Gender Breakdown (Of Positive Conversation)
Male: 59%
Female: 41%

Age Breakdown (Of Positive Conversation)
14-18: 5%
19-24: 40%
25-29: 27%
30-34: 22%

The analysts noted that more than half (51%) of the mentions were about the recently released trailer, and most of the viewers were self-identified fans of the show. They added, “There is almost no organic conversation about the banana stands popping up across the world for promotion/marketing or from people who became recently aware/new fans of the show.”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Category: arrested development, binge viewers, Fizziology, House Of Cards, netflix, News, social analytics, trends, Web Video /

Friday Morning Laughs: Don’t Be a Glasshole

May 17, 2013 / Devon Glenn / No comments

Happy Friday, SocialTimes readers! Google has been all up in our faces this week with the new Google glasses, which have replaced the pager belt clip as the fashion statement of The Future. They look pretty cool (charcoal, right?), but before we get too carried away with our wardrobe planning, let’s take a look at some of this week’s viral videos. If you squint, you can see other ways the internet is creeping into our daily lives: into our bedrooms, our bathrooms, and even classic works of literature.

A Facebook Update In Real Life, by ExtremelyDecentFilms

Published on May 11, 2013
3,603,137 views, 39,598 likes, 1,035 dislikes

Friends of friends show up in your bedroom unannounced and advertisements line your living room walls in a dystopian world where Facebook can change the privacy settings in your home without telling you. Sound familiar?

“Burnout Challenge – HiitLean #11,” by charliejames1975

Published on May 9, 2013
627,101 views, 896 likes, 550 dislikes

While an aerobics instructor leads the viewers through some power squats, another man on set is feeling the burn in a different way while sitting on the toilet with his pants down. (Look to the left part of the screen at the :20 and :30 marks.)

“The Great Catsby trailer,” by guyismdotcom

Published on May 13, 2013
52,186 views, 330 likes, 9 dislikes

This mashup of the “Great Gatsby” and Disney’s “The Aristocats” is full of adorable kitties leading decadent lifestyles in the meowing 20′s.

“Google Glass: Don’t Be A Glasshole,” by Mashable

Published May 15, 2013
153,269 views, 1,072 likes, 124 dislikes

This video is just starting to pick up steam, but since Google’s I/O conference has dominated the internet all week, we’re posting it as a public service announcement to not let your geeky eyewear go to your head. Don’t be a glasshole, people! Stay glassy.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Category: don't be a glasshole, fml, Funny Videos, glasshole, Google Glass, great catsby, Web Video /

Fitness Video Goes Viral When Viewers Spot a Man on the Toilet in the Background

May 16, 2013 / Devon Glenn / No comments

Video viewers found new meaning in the word “squat” when they noticed a man sitting on the toilet in the background of a workout video on YouTube.

The clip starts with an actress demonstrating a squat front raise with a piece of fitness equipment. “I want you to really feel this move,” the fitness instructor says to the viewers. When the camera pans across the living room to follow the instructor as she pushes back with her legs and raises her arms, part of the nearby bathroom makes it into the frame. Inside, some guy really is feeling the move while sitting on the toilet with his pants around his ankles. Talk about a photo bomb.

YouTube viewers were quick to point out the error in the comments. On reddit, viewers are still arguing about whether the toilet cameo was just an accident or if it was staged. So far, the creators at the Daily Hiit are keeping the lid closed on this one.

Published on May 9, the video took off after it was uploaded to reddit on May 10 — it received 3,142 views from redditmedia.com and 9,573 views from reddit.com, according to YouTube’s statistics — and has continued to grow from there. The video, titled “Burnout Challenge – HiitLean #11,” has 58,090 views as of the time of this post.

Source: YouTube.com

See the evidence below. It starts around the :20 mark and returns after :30 for an encore.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Category: fitness video, man sitting on toilet, Reddit, toilet, viral videos, Web Video, youtube /

Screampix to Terrorize YouTube with the First Paid Horror Channel

May 16, 2013 / Devon Glenn / No comments

YouTube’s first paid subscription channel to focus exclusively on the horror genre, SCREAMPIX must be written in all caps because the collection of full-length movies the channel contains is so terrifying that it has to be kept behind a paywall for safety.

The channel is one example of what paid channels can offer viewers that a free channel can’t, as these movies will run in their entirety with no commercials and the channel itself contains a good browsing tool with reviews, descriptions, and suggestions of movies to watch, some of which can be purchased separately for download.

Just as Netflix invents highly specific categories like “dark mind game thrillers” and “scary suspenseful supernatural movies,” SCREAMPIX will curate subgenres of horror films like “Students Making Bad Decisions,” “Zombiepalooza,” “Tiny Little Killers,” “This Doesn’t Smell Very Good,” and “Women on a Rampage.”

In addition to curating the best videos, head of programming Ray Cannella will interview horror directors and creators and take viewers behind the scenes of their favorite movies. Canella joins the channel from SyFy and Chiller Channel’s original programming team.

“I make no excuse for my love of horror movies,”  said Cannella in a statement. “I can’t wait to share my passion about the qualities, history and relevance of the movies. But even more, I’m LITERALLY DYING to interact with horror fans around the world!”

Fans will also be able to curate the videos with user-suggested “shelves.”

“We are grateful to YouTube for the opportunity to provide SCREAMPIX with a platform that extends to a billion unique users per month,” said co-founder Kearie Peak, whose past credits include Electric Entertainment and Solar Pictures, where she was co-CEO and head of production.

The basic package is $2.99 per month, with a current base of 100 movies and new ones added every week. Peak added, “We are in the earliest stages of our launch and we look forward to executing our ambitious growth plans.”

UPDATE:  Added Screampix co-founder Daniel March, “We intend to feature horror films from nearly every time period and in every genre.  What we ultimately want to do is provide our subscribers with the movies they want to see. So if ‘70s supernatural horror films are what you want to see, just let us know!”

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

Category: horror films, News, paid subscription channels, screampix, Web Video, youtube /
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