Official Blog
Now Playing: "Bram Stoker's Dracula"
Friday, October 30, 2009
Update (11/1)
Thanks to everyone who voted. Here are the final results of the "Who's the greatest Dracula" poll:
+++++++
Everywhere you look, vampires seem to be all the rage. But before the broody youngsters of "Twilight" and the Southern nightwalkers of "True Blood" took center stage, there was one Count who ruled the bloodsucking roost: Dracula.
In honor of the world's most famous monster (and everyone's go-to Halloween costume), we're pleased to bring you
Bram Stoker's Dracula
, courtesy of our friends at
Crackle
. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and starring Gary Oldman in one of his most memorable roles, it's the story of darkness's cursed prince searching for his suicidal bride in 18th-century England. With Academy Award-winning costumes, killer performances from Anthony Hopkins, Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder, and a healthy dose of horror, this flick has something for film buffs of varying tastes.
Before you
watch
, there are a few things we need to note. First, this film is rated R for violence and brief nudity. This means that you'll need to verify that you're 18 years of age or older by either
signing into your existing YouTube account
or
creating a new one
. Second, this video is limited to audiences in the U.S. (apologies to our international users). And, third, the film will only be available on YouTube through November 9.
How do you think Gary Oldman ranks in the pantheon of Count Dracula actors? Cast your vote in the poll in the upper right hand corner.
Happy Halloween!
Nate Weinstein, YouTube Entertainment, just watched
"Vampires: Is it Real?"
The Doha Tribeca Film Festival Hits the YouTube Screening Room
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Today marks the first day of the inaugural Doha Tribeca Film Festival, a partnership between the Qatar Museums Authority and the Tribeca Film Festival, to celebrate the best of Arabic and international cinema through an annual film festival and year-round workshops in Doha, Qatar's capital. The festival hopes to inspire, engage and educate a new generation of cinema appreciation in the Middle East, much in the same way that the Tribeca Film Festival has stimulated the local film community in New York.
To celebrate the festival's launch, we've turned the
YouTube Screening Room
over to the expert curators at the Doha Tribeca Film Festival, who have put together a lineup of five films (four shorts and one feature), selected to highlight diverse filmmaking voices with a strong Middle Eastern connection. Each of these films possesses the ability to entertain and to educate, and we hope that after watching you'll feel compelled to continue the conversation by commenting on, sharing and rating those that move you. Here's a sneak peek....
"
Clear Cut, Simple
," directed by Vineet Dewan, is based on a true story about an American soldier in Iraq, torn between his duty to the military and his friendship with his Iraqi interpreter. "
Eclipse
," directed by Mark Lapwood, is a meditative visual journey featuring stunning images of Mumbai. "
Itmanna: Make A Wish
," directed by Cherien Dabis, explores the tensions of a politically charged environment through the prism of a young girl's quest to buy a birthday cake. "
The North Road
," directed by Carlos Chahine, tracks a middle-aged man's return to his home country of Lebanon to deal with his father's remains. And
"Ramchand Pakistani,"
a feature film directed by Mehreen Jabbar, is based on a true story about a Pakistani Hindu family's accidental crossing of the Pakistani-Indian border in 2002.
Sara Pollack, Entertainment Marketing Manager, recently watched
"Easy to Assemble #1: What's In Store."
We Interrupt This Broadcast to Thank the PowerPosters
Monday, October 26, 2009
The
YouTube Help Forum
is nearly entirely community-powered. In it, users answer each other's questions, share tips, and discuss the best ways to use the site and make videos.
The system works pretty well: 78% of questions receive a response within three hours.
While there are a lot of helpful folks in the forum, we'd like to take a second to commend a group of exceptionally engaged and active users whom we've dubbed "the
PowerPosters
." They are:
anmoose
,
battlefielddoktor
,
ebbixx
,
epontius
,
happycabbie
,
kohpelord
, and
rewboss
. These folks are usually the first to offer advice, to set the record straight, or even just to provide a friendly word to other users looking for support. They've devoted tons of their personal time and boundless amounts of energy toward assisting users all over the world; they've helped to escalate about 250 site issues
and contributed 5 tutorial videos to our Help Center. Sincere thanks to the
PowerPosters
for all they've done for our community and the betterment of the site.
So, if you're having trouble uploading, need video formatting advice, or wonder how to participate in AutoShare, we invite you to stop by the
YouTube Help Forum
and post your question. While you're there, see how you can make a difference by participating as well. Who knows, you could be the next PowerPoster.
The YouTube Support Team
Today, Animals Take Center Stage on the Homepage
Monday, October 26, 2009
Earlier this month, through the YouTube Video Volunteers program,
we asked you
to create an amazing video on behalf of your favorite animal welfare organization and submit it for the chance to be featured on our homepage.
Over 100 users submitted videos about their animal org of choice. User mordeth13
talked about
the plight of stray dogs in Taiwan, while partner
ZackScott
discussed how FoundAnimals is helping animals in the United States:
On Saturday, you voted on which videos you liked the best, and today the top three are featured on the homepage alongside a video for the Humane Society from
actor Ben Stein.
If you'd like to view all of the videos that were submitted, you can visit the
Video Volunteers channel
and click "Gallery."
Didn't have a chance to make a video for this month's round? Don't worry. We'll be kicking off our next installment of Video Volunteers on November 1, focusing on hunger in America.
Ramya Raghavan, Nonprofits & Activism, recently watched "
In Regards to Defenders of Wildlife
."
U2 Plays Live on YouTube
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Did you miss the live event that everyone's still buzzing about? Check out the concert in full on
U2's YouTube channel
.
++++++++++++++
We are counting down the hours to this evening's
U2
concert at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, CA. The live stream begins at 8:30 p.m. PT, and YouTube users all around the world can tune in. (To figure out what time the concert starts where you are, simply click the time converter
here
and select the name of your country in the pull-down menu.)
Once the show starts, scroll down on
U2
's channel
for a Twitter gadget displaying real-time comments about the webcast. If you Tweet from this tool, you'll see that each message is pre-populated with the hashtag #U2webcast, instantly plugging your comments into wider discussions about the show.
For those of you who miss the live event, the full performance will be re-broadcast two consecutive times after it ends. It will also be archived as a video on the
U2
channel -- so there's really no excuse to miss Bono's distinctive wail, the Edge's guitar mastery, the roll of Larry Mullen's drums, or
Adam Clayton's thumping bass lines.
Let this preview whet your appetite for the experience up ahead...
Michele Flannery, YouTube Music, recently watched
"They Come From Everywhere"
Hollywood Honors Top "Come Clean 4 Congo" Video
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Tonight at the Hollywood Film Festival's Human Rights Symposium, Matt Smith will accept his award for submitting the winning video to YouTube's Video for Change program,
"Come Clean 4 Congo,"
in partnership with the Enough Project. Back in May,
we asked you to make videos
demonstrating the connection between the "conflict minerals" used in cell phones and the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Matt's winning video, voted #1 by the YouTube community, used spoken word to take a far-away, complex issue and make it understandable and compelling:
To say things aren't going well in the Congo would be an understatement. It is the deadliest conflict since World War II, and militias continue to use rape as a weapon of terror. The UN reports that in the first half of 2009, more than 5,000 women have been raped in the South Kivu province of the Congo. Al Jazeera News reports on the conflict from a clinic in the Congo, where many of the victims are being treated:
The Enough Project saw the connection between the minerals that are mined in the Congo and used in our cell phones, and wanted to use that connection to bring this issue home to people living in the U.S. Thanks too to all the YouTube users who made videos to raise awareness of this issue. If you'd like to learn more about what you can do to help, go to the
Enough Project's website
.
And if you're in the LA area and want to register to attend the Human Rights Symposium, sign up
here
.
Steve Grove, Head of News, Politics & Nonprofits, recently watched "
Ask a Nobel Laureate, John Mather
."
Celebrating free expression 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall
Friday, October 23, 2009
In 1989, the fall of the Berlin Wall became a striking symbol for free expression far beyond the borders of Germany. Just 20 years later, Iranian citizens used online tools like YouTube and Twitter to share
firsthand accounts
of the brutal government crackdown waged against protesters disputing the country's election results. Many Iranians
risked their lives
to document the violence, despite the government's attempts to expel journalists and stifle any voices of dissent.
The democratizing power of the Internet has enabled individuals to share their stories with a global audience in ways never before possible, and given a voice to those who wouldn't otherwise be heard.
To commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, we're launching a YouTube channel —
youtube.com/GoogleFreeExpression
— to highlight and celebrate free expression around the world, and
we want to hear from you
.
This channel is designed to feature your stories and reflections on free expression. Tell us about how you or someone you know has taken a stand for free expression. Perhaps you've
protested against
something you didn't agree with,
taken action
when someone else's free speech was being suppressed or
been inspired
by someone who has stood up for the right to speak out. Make a short video sharing your experience, upload it to YouTube, and add it as a reply to this one:
We'll be featuring the best submissions on the
Google Free Expression channel
, so be sure to check back in the weeks to come. We look forward to hearing from you.
Annette Kroeber-Riel, European Policy Counsel, recently watched "
Getting past the 'Barbed Wireless'
"
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