Official Blog
Black History Month in The YouTube Screening Room
Saturday, 31 January 2009
Today marks the beginning of Black History Month and, with the recent inauguration of Barack Obama, it is a particularly appropriate time to celebrate the achievements of African-Americans. To contribute to the celebration, we're partnering with
Grey Goose
to present a month of special programming in the
YouTube Screening Room
.
We're excited to kick things off with four films that offer unique accounts of moments or themes from African and African-American history. "Amandla! A Revolution in Four Part Harmony," a winner of the Audience Award at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, examines the central role black South African freedom music played in the long battle and triumph over Apartheid. "Electric Purgatory," which screened at 10 international film festivals, reveals the struggles some black rock musicians have faced as they try to build audiences in a sometimes-unfriendly industry. "Hungu," an expertly animated short, recounts a story from the ancient African oral tradition detailing how the merging of life and death gave birth to a beautiful musical instrument: the berimbeau. And "The 13th Amendment," a 2008 award-winning short documentary, follows a 90-year-old great-grandmother as she casts her first-ever vote for an African-American President.
On February 13, we'll continue the commemoration with a fresh program of content, presented by Grey Goose. Stay tuned for the details, but prepare to be inspired!
Happy viewing,
Sara P.
YouTube Film
Your Window to Davos
Friday, 30 January 2009
Over the last few months, thousands of you joined the Davos Debates at
youtube.com/davos
, and answered the four big questions the World Economic Forum posed to the YouTube community:
• Economy: Are you confident that global growth will be restored in 2009?
• Ethics: Should company executives have a code of ethics similar to doctors and lawyers?
• Environment: Will the environment lose out to the economy in 2009?
• Politics: Will the Obama Administration improve the state of the world in 2009?
Today on our homepage, we're featuring four mash-ups of your responses to the questions above, in addition to some of the videos submitted by those in attendance at the Forum. You can hear
Kofi Annan
respond to a young girl in South Africa who asked about development on her continent; poet
Pablo Coehlo
talk about his view of corporate ethics; or Prime Ministers from
South Korea
and
Turkey
speak to their citizens back home.
The mash-ups of your responses to the Davos Debates are being broadcast on a giant screen at the major plenary sessions here in Davos, bringing real-world context to the issues being discussed and debated by participants. In other words, your voice is being heard loud and clear here at the World Economic Forum, so keep submitting your videos and watching the responses on the Davos Debates channel.
Yours,
Steve Grove
YouTube News & Politics
Annotations Made Easier
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Today, we are making it easier to add annotations directly to your YouTube videos. Simply login to YouTube, watch your video on the watch page and click on the video to start adding annotations. But don't worry - for those who need more control, you'll still be able to access the separate annotations editor.
We are also making it easier for your annotations to link to a variety of different YouTube pages. You'll be able to link to another video, channel page, playlist, group or search query. What's more, you'll even be able to link to a video response page or message window to prompt for feedback from your audience.
Let us know
what you think
about this new feature.
Happy annotating!
The YouTube Team
Delete Your Own Video Comments
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
We're happy to announce the launch of a feature many of you have been asking for: you now have the ability to delete comments you've made on videos. We've all been there. Whether you misspelled "pwned", back in the day when you were just a n00b to the internets, or you simply said something you wish you could take back - now you can remove your commentary at any time.
The
Abuse & Safety tool
is here for you to resolve issues like harassment and bullying. This new feature will empower you to more easily and effectively handle these types of situations, without needing help from staff. Of course, we always encourage everyone to think things through before posting comments anywhere on the site. But if you don't get it right the first time, now you can simply delete your comment. To remove a comment that you've made, go to the "Text Comments" section below the video and click the "Remove" button next to your comment.
Helping you check yourself,
The YouTube Team
The YouTube Homepage Goes HD
Monday, 26 January 2009
You may have already
noticed
, but this past December we rolled out Hi-Definition-enabled video viewing here on YouTube. Just click the "watch in HD" option below any HD-enabled video, sit back and relax as the joy of YouTube comes to you sharper and more cinematic than ever before. And while you're certainly free to browse our new
HD Videos area
, we've taken the liberty to spotlight a few HD favorites of our own on today's homepage.
From an
epic Internet history lesson
, to the serenity of a
snow-covered bridge
, to a visit from comedy's most beloved
fake messiah
, we hope there's a little something here for everyone.
Want to learn more about uploading your own masterworks in HD? Just check out this
FAQ
in the Help Center.
Happy (HD) Viewing!
The YouTube Team
Delete Your Own Video Comments
Monday, 26 January 2009
We're happy to announce the launch of a feature many of you have been asking for. Now you have the ability to delete comments you've made on videos. We've all been there. Whether you misspelled "pwned", back in the day when you were just a n00b to the internets, or you simply said something you wish you could take back - now you can remove your commentary at any time.
The
Abuse & Safety tool
is here for you to resolve issues like harassment and bullying. This new feature will empower you to more easily and effectively handle these types of situations, without needing help from staff. Of course, we always encourage everyone to think things through before posting comments anywhere on the site. But if you don't get it right the first time, now you can simply delete your comment. To remove a comment that you've made, go to the "Text Comments" section below the video and click the "Remove" button next to your comment.
Helping you check yourself,
The YouTube Team
Last Chance to Audition for a Trip to Carnegie Hall!
Sunday, 25 January 2009
The deadline is fast approaching to submit your audition videos to be a part of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra. We hope that you have been practicing, as your last chance to upload your two audition videos is 9pm PST on January 28. Need any last minute instruction? There are
masterclasses
available from members of the
London Symphony Orchestra
along with tutorials provided by those classical musicians who are also auditioning, like
BenChanViolin
and
NinaFlute
.
To get started, follow these simple steps:
1) Visit
youtube.com/symphony
and click "Prepare."
2) Select your instrument of choice and download the sheet music for "The Internet Symphony."
3) Click the Video #2 tab and pick one of the recommended public domain compositions.
4) Practice, practice, practice.
5) Record two videos of yourself playing each piece. Don't worry about having a professional camera crew -- we prefer something up close that zooms in on your performance and showcases your passion for music. Just make sure that the sound is turned on!
Finalists will be chosen by a judging panel and, next month, will be voted on by the YouTube community. Those selected will to travel to New York City in April 2009 to participate in the YouTube Symphony Orchestra summit, and perform at Carnegie Hall under the direction of
Michael Tilson Thomas
. Here's the Maestro himself discussing the opportunity this unique collaborative orchestra project offers.
Follow MTT's advice and don't miss the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall along with musicians from around the world. We can't wait to hear you play!
Good luck,
The YouTube Team
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