Official Blog
2008: The Year In Video
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
It has been a busy and exciting year here at YouTube. With 13 hours of video uploaded every minute, hundreds of millions of views a day and 23 country-specific versions of the site, apart from anything else we were faced by a mountain content to sift through and myriad factors to bear in mind when compiling our end-of-year list of memorable moments. Which is why we turned to our estimable team of statisticians to help formulate the selection – if only to avoid unseemly bust-ups around the office.
With the help of our all-powerful analytics tool, the aim was to balance the raw power of heavy video views with a subtle blend of community engagement metrics including ratings, favorites and the ability to stir up a comments storm. The net result was a cluster of memorable video moments which this year we have whittled down to 24 and will reveal at the rate of one an hour until 2009 dawns and the whole process can begin in earnest again. Until then, revel in the videos that made the cut last year:
At the stroke of midnight (Pacific Time) you can expect a more detailed run-down of the clips on the list complete with some background information to place them in context. Until then, it would spoil the surprise to breathe a word of the videos to come. So sit back, enjoy your New Year’s Eve and prepare yourself for a jog through the most memorable YouTube moments of 2008.
Have fun,
The YouTube Team
In Memoriam: A Salute to Those Who Departed in 2008
Monday, December 29, 2008
As 2008 comes to a close, we pause to pay our respects to those notables we lost this year. Today's homepage salute honors a wide range of the dearly departed -- amongst them, a 20th Century
movie legend
admired for his work in philanthropy, the South African singer and human rights activist known as
"Mama Africa"
, a
comedian
who shared the humor behind "Seven Dirty Words," to a computer science
professor
who taught his life's wisdom via "The Last Lecture".
Here one of the world's best-known mountaineers and explorers receives a musical tribute by a group of fellow New Zealanders who sing the praises of this "Humble Mountain Man."
As you watch this series of video tributes, we encourage you to share your own memories in celebration of the things these remarkable people shared with the world.
In Memoriam,
The YouTube Team
Send A Filmmaker To Sundance
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Drum roll please…the prestigious programming team at the
Sundance Film Festival
has reviewed the many outstanding films submitted to this year's
Project Direct
short film competition and the results are in!
We were thrilled to see so many of you who competed in last year's contest return for more, and we were equally thrilled to see so much new talent alongside them.
In fact, some of last year's finalists made it into the top 10 once again, proving that filmmakers on YouTube are not one-hit wonders, but consistent, talented storytellers.
Now it's up to all of you to decide which of these 10 filmmakers will make it to the 2009 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, UT.
The filmmakers' challenge was to create a short film including 3 specific props: a red phone and 2 other props made famous by films from the Sundance Film Festival's 25 year history.
Your challenge is to watch them all and vote for your favorites at youtube.com/ProjectDirect.
For a sneak peek of the top 10, check out Darren Aronofsky's video announcing the finalists:
Now start voting! You have until 11:59PM EST on January 3rd to
cast your ballot
.
Enjoy,
Sara P.
YouTube Film
YouTube Year-End Video Roundup: A Look Back at Some of the Most Memorable Videos of 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
SAN BRUNO, Calif. – December 22, 2008 –
YouTube, the leading online video community that allows people to discover, watch and share originally created videos, today announced the 2008 YouTube Year-End Video Roundup. Every minute 13 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube and every day hundreds of millions of videos are viewed. This list highlights just some of the YouTube videos people were thinking and talking about most through a formula that includes view counts, most shared, most discussed, top rated and general popularity or influence on popular culture.
"This year's list offers a glimpse at the tremendous growth YouTube has experienced as a company and as an online community," said Hunter Walk, Director of Product Management for YouTube. "We are pleased to see the diversity of content that YouTube users are watching and talking about. The most popular videos on YouTube come from regular users, emerging online studios and the largest of media companies. YouTube has truly leveled the playing field for all content creators."
Each of the following YouTube videos became a cultural phenomenon this year:
Pork and Beans
:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muP9eH2p2PI
Weezer's "Pork And Beans" video debuted on YouTube in May. Drawing on 24 of the biggest viral hits the site has seen to date -- from "Dramatic Chipmunk" to "Miss Teen USA 2007 South Carolina" to Tay Zonday's "Chocolate Rain" -- the video salutes some of the more memorable moments and people in YouTube's history, generating more than 15,500,000 clicks in the process.
Christian the Lion
:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYbFQFXG0U
This video about an unbreakable bond between man and beast was one of the most talked about in '08. It briefly chronicles the true story of a lion being reunited with the two men who raised him, years after he'd been released back into the wild and become the leader of his own pride. The actual reunion took place in 1972, but this archive footage was rediscovered and posted to YouTube earlier this year.
Frozen Grand Central
:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwMj3PJDxuo
The New York-based collective Improv Everywhere have become firm favorites on the site, thanks to their unique public hijinks. Videos like "No Pants Subway Ride" and "Food Court Musical" offer good examples of their large-scale pranks, but the elaborate public performance "Frozen Grand Central Station" was especially popular with viewers. The video features more than 200 people simultaneously freezing in place at Grand Central Station in New York City; the reactions of onlookers are as striking as the stunt itself.
Where the Hell is Matt? (2008)
:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY
Matt Harding is best known as the goofy guy who danced his way around the world. First in 2006 when he danced solo, but in 2008 Harding recreated his hit video, this time dancing with residents of the places he visited. Harding's silly jigs have brought inspiration and joy to millions of people – more than 14 million have viewed it on YouTube alone. As one observant user said, "It shows that no matter how different we are on the outside, inside we all just want to dance, laugh, and have fun."
Rick Astley "Never Going To Give You Up"
:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI
Chances are that at some point in 2008, you or someone you know experienced a "Rick Roll": a bait-and-switch prank that dupes you into watching the video for Rick Astley's 1980s hit "Never Going To Give You Up." The joke even transcended the Internet, where it was born, with organizers of football games, parades and rallies "Rick Rolling" unsuspecting attendees. But perhaps the ultimate "Rick Roll" occurred on April Fool's Day, when YouTube rigged up every feature video on the homepage to play Astley's famous clip.
Will.i.am "Yes We Can"
:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fZHou18Cdk
When Barack Obama delivered his concession speech after the New Hampshire primary, little did he know he was providing the script -- and the inspiration -- for the most-watched political video of 2008. Will.i.am's "Yes We Can" music video, a celebrity-studded mash-up of Obama's speech, became an instant viral sensation upon its release in early February, and had a massive influence on Election '08 and popular culture. Seen over 6 million times just on Will.i.am's official YouTube channel, the video has inspired voters, young people, and satirists alike.
Fred Loses His Meds
:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9MA0eW8yyw
Who says you can't become an overnight success on YouTube? Fifteen-year-old Lucas Cruikshank, or Fred Figglehorn as he is known to fans, created a Web series in which he plays a hyperactive six-year-old with anger management issues. Fred's hyper-kinetic videos quickly caught people's attention and helped make him the fastest-rising star in YouTube history. This video (his second) was Fred's first to break a million views, jump-starting his meteoric rise to his current position as the #1 Most Subscribed user on YouTube.
Star Wars According to a Three-Year Old
:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBM854BTGL0
This sweet-faced little lady became a YouTube sensation with her retelling of the original Star Wars movie. Fans of the film can go on for hours discussing the plot, but this three-year-old sums it up in less than two minutes. If not the most detailed description of Star Wars ever, it's arguably the most adorable. Warning: Spoiler Alert.
The MILEY Story
* Miley Cyrus "7 Things"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hr0Wv5DJhuk
* Miley Cyrus - 7 Things - Spoof
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTC4qkb8Ppk
* M&M CRU FINAL DANCE BATTLE - Cyrus Blaine Seacrest Tatum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NECNIKmMgS8
Not only did Miley release a hit song (and video) this year with "7 Things," which inspired several user-generated parodies (some of them nearly as popular as the original), but the Hannah Montana star also launched her own YouTube channel, mileymandy, with her best friend Mandy Jiroux. The girls have used their channel to vlog and generally horse around for their audience of over 292,000 subscribers, and it's also where they post their "M&M Cru" dance battle videos, which together have notched nearly 15 million views and took the world's "biggest online dance battle" to a whole new level.
Super Mario Rescues The Princess: Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade
:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGE34VAqYTk
As the creator of Family Guy and American Dad, Seth MacFarlane has had a tremendous impact on envelope-pushing animated entertainment. This year, MacFarlane decided to bring his talents to the lnternet, launching "Seth MacFarlane's Cavalcade of Cartoon Comedy" exclusively on Google and YouTube. Not only was this a groundbreaking event for online video, it also opened up new opportunities for advertisers, as content creators started to generate revenue from their videos both on and off YouTube.
Today's Totally Awesome Guest Editors
Saturday, December 20, 2008
A week ago, the
vlogbrothers
took a break from their usual routine of
filming puppies doing cute things
and
punishing each other
, to launch the
"Project for Awesome
," a call to all YouTube users to "take over YouTube" by creating videos that promote their favorite charity, nonprofit or cause.
Today, we're adding the YouTube stamp of approval to this worthy project by having the vlogbrothers "take over" the YouTube homepage with their favorite submissions to the Project for Awesome...and with over 1190 entries, this guest editorship was no easy task:
The vlogbrothers' selections range from the
hilarious
to the
serious
, the
absurd
to the
informative
-- the tie that binds them together is that each video features a YouTube community member who is trying to make the world a better place (or as the vlogbrothers might say, "trying to reduce world suck").
It's not too late for you to help make the world a little more awesome in 2009 -- you can add your comments or ratings to these videos (karmic points if you rate high) or make your own video about the cause that inspires you most.
Have fun,
Ramya R.
YouTube Nonprofits & Activism
The Ups and Downs of Music Licensing for YouTube
Friday, December 19, 2008
Every day we work with the music community to license your favorite music for you to use on YouTube. But music licensing is very complicated. The right to use a single song often requires permission from multiple owners, particularly when it comes to original fan-made videos that incorporate commercial music.
We work with the music industry worldwide -- with major and independent labels and publishers, rights collecting societies, and with artists and songwriters directly -- to build user-friendly licensing arrangements. With these partners and our cutting-edge
Content ID
technology, we've created a win-win situation the likes of which never existed before YouTube: a system that gives artists a brand new revenue source and a great way to connect with their fans.
That said, despite our constant efforts, it isn't always possible to maintain these innovative agreements. Sometimes, if we can't reach acceptable business terms, we must part ways with successful partners. For example, you may notice videos that contain music owned by Warner Music Group being blocked from the site. Don't worry - if you receive a takedown notification, you will have a couple of options to choose from in order to keep your original video creations up. Check out
Audioswap
, a one-of-a-kind library of pre-cleared music ready for you to
drop into your videos
any time.
We understand this might be frustrating for some of you, and we're sorry about that. Our ultimate goal is to treat everyone fairly: to respect the rights of musicians, songwriters, and their biggest fans, so that everyone can continue enjoying original content on YouTube.
The YouTube Team
Project: Report - Vote for the Winner!
Friday, December 19, 2008
The final videos are in for the third and last round of
Project: Report
, the journalism contest YouTube is holding in partnership with the
Pulitzer Center
. Now is your chance to view the five finalists' submissions and vote to determine which of these aspiring journalists you think should win the grand prize -- a $10,000 fellowship with the Pulitzer Center to report on a story abroad.
At the outset of Round 3, the five finalists were each given two Sony video cameras. With these video cameras, their assignment was to produce a piece of collaborative storytelling that empowered an underrepresented community to share its own story with the world. First, each reporter chose a group of people rarely covered by the traditional media. Then, the reporter helped the members of this group use the camera to document their own lives.
Visit the
Project: Report
channel to watch the finalists' Round 3 submissions and then vote for the videos you find the most compelling. You can only vote for one video per day, and voting continues through Friday, January 9, 2009. The winner will be announced on Monday, January 12, 2009 -- so stay tuned!
Yours,
Olivia M.
YouTube News & Politics
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