Official Blog
Staff Picks of the Week
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
On our screens and minds...
Sadia:
Ah, the weekends. They're supposed to be the days of the week to relax but instead I get less sleep than at any other time. I mean come on -- there are just too many good bars, DJs, and friends that keep me up all night. After staying up until 4am, it's customary to sleep away the morning but I just can't do that. I'm up at 8 or 9 getting the day started. (I might not be my most coherent self, but I'm up.) I get my Philz Turkish coffee, go home, and listen to "This American Life" on NPR. Ira Glass's weekly show gives you a glimpse into the lives of people all over this country that you will probably never meet. He takes one topic and attempts to explore it from different angles to get the broadest view possible. Well, Ira packed up his Chicago home and moved to New York to take This American Life to television; quite a bold move for a show that's a staple of American radio. One of the best parts of the show is the fact that you are only listening to the stories these people tell and can have a connection without knowing what they look like. I'm going to miss just hearing the stories. Then again, it might be nice to put a face to the name.
Joe:
Man o' man, when I heard this parody of Rich Boy's
"Throw some D's,"
I couldn't stop it from playing over and over again in my head. Pete Rosenberg is gangster for this. In fact, I'm scared to play it -- my friends and family can't take another week of me singing "I just bought a sandwich, throw some cheese on it..." Check out the original song first so that you can get a fair understanding of the parody.
Mia:
Set anything to periurban’s
“So, It's a Love Song”
and I’m gonna sigh and swoon until I hyperventilate.
SergeLipski
put together a video that perfectly matches the song’s melancholy spirit. A rose is constructed from petals and joins other flowers in a bouquet. But hang on -- those roses are dead! A few seconds later, a note declares that there’s no hope and a wedding band appears as the final goodbye. It is so sad. And that’s why I like it.
Toodles,
YouTube Programming Team
Staff Pick of the Week
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
What the ladies of YouTube are luvin' this week:
Mia:
I love juxtapositions of seemingly disparate things: sweet and tough, innocent and crude, brainy and bimbo-y. So when I saw
BrickLaneBetty
’s combo of books and boobs, I just knew I had to staff pick it. (Speaking of books, how cool would it be to have a YouTube book club? Write to me if you’re interested. It’s something I’ve been thinking about starting for a while…) Between the cleavage, the distracted cameraman, and some weird stuff happening on the laptop in the background (what the heck is that?), it takes a heroic effort to absorb what Super Amanda’s saying about the books, but she does leave you with a catchphrase worth repeating: “Dickens – a good idea!”
Sadia:
So I have to admit, winter in California is nothing to complain about. I don't want to rub it in, but it's pretty fantastic compared to other places in the States. Coming from Chicago, where the winters are brutal, it's a welcome change. But even with its great weather and landscape, I still can't let go of the fact that Chicago is the best city in the world. I could make a list of all the great things about that city but that could take hours...and it still wouldn't to it justice. But I did find a video that takes a snapshot of Chicago and captures the city perfectly. Owen's video shows the beautiful Chicago that emerges after living there for years. Throughout the harsh winters and suffocating summers you find your comrades in arms and fight the elements together. After the battles are won, the city becomes this amazing playground where you watch everything in your world grow. And every once in a while you have one of those days where you can relax and enjoy the city with the people who have made it your home.
Mwah,
Mia
and
Sadia
Westward, Ho! YouTube's News & Politics Editor Arrives
Monday, March 5, 2007
It took me 3,000 miles to get from Minnesota to California to start working here at YouTube, and what better way to remember the road trip than by whipping out the ol' video camera. This video shows a few clips from my trip west, as well as some footage inside YouTube HQ during my first week here.
I'll be working as YouTube's News & Politics Editor and couldn't have arrived at a better time – we just launched
"You Choose 08"
, a central hub of channels created by Presidential candidates for 2008. Check out behind-the-scenes footage from the campaigns, and make your own response videos to what these Presidential hopefuls are saying… This is your chance to interact directly with the candidates and tell them exactly what you think.
We've got a lot to come before November '08. Soon I'll be launching the YouTube political blog in which I'll be highlighting must-see
videos from candidates and users, and offering my own spin on the election as it unfolds on YouTube.
I want to hear from you about the issues affecting us all (not just Americans), so
send me your thoughts and videos
. We want to see a lot more citizen journalism on YouTube, so get your cameras rolling and start documenting what's happening in your world. I'll be looking for the best pieces to feature in the
News & Politics section
, in my blog, and on the YouTube home page.
Let the YouTube election begin…
Steve
The YouTube Team
Staff Pick of the Week
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Here's what we're diggin' this week:
Big Joe:
I love me some magic!
XCmanipulator
is an up-and-coming magician. Though you really don't learn much about him from his videos, you can tell he's a young man who has his sights set on perfecting trick after trick. I've been one of his subscribers for a while now, and when I saw him perform Jay Sankey's "Outsiders" I knew what my pick of the week would be. Check out this video and be amazed!
Mia:
I swore I would never go to Burning Man. And then, in a you-only-live-once spasm, I changed my mind. That I would be six months pregnant during my first jaunt to the desert only added to my feeling that this would be a very life-affirming experience. And it was. I don’t think you’ll ever find a place as free-spirited and judgment-free as Black Rock City, where anything goes and smiles are in no short supply. This video reminds me of those joyous, multicolored late summer days.
Sadia:
There is a war going on. A war I didn't even know about. A war on...Vegemite. Yes...Vegemite. Some of you might ask, "What is Vegemite?" To that I would answer, "I have no idea but that doesn't mean I don't care." I do care. I care about condiments. I care about yeast on bread (just ask my roommate how much nutritional yeast I can consume on toast or popcorn). I care about holding on to something sacred. And apparently I'm not the only one. Hugh from
HughsNews
is leading the troops fighting the war on Vegemite. Nowhere have I seen such love, determination, and bravery as I have seen from this man. At ease, soldier, you've done Vegemite proud.
See ya,
The YouTube Programming Team
Site Updates
Thursday, February 22, 2007
It's Bad Hair Day City around these parts (for those with hair), as many YouTubers were up very late making some improvements to the site. Hopefully you've noticed that it's moving a lot faster these days.
Here are some more highlights from the long night:
**VIDEO ADDED 2/25**
FRIENDS-ONLY MESSAGING:
Let's say you just want to hear from people you know and love. There's a new setting in your in-box that will allow you only to receive messages from your contacts. Plus note that messages are all on one page now, so no more endless paging.
FREE MUSIC FOR YOUR VIDEOS:
Need a soundtrack to go with your sick slam dunk or bedroom disco dance? Go to
Test Tube
and start tinkering with
Audio Swap
, a new feature that enables you to replace the song on your video with music from a library of free tracks donated by our music partners.
GUEST EDITOR PROGRAM LAUNCHES:
JackDanyells
was the brave soul who attempted this first, and we couldn't be happier with the videos he selected and
the brilliant video
he made about the process. Hundreds of folks have written in wanting to participate, so bear with us as we review submissions and pick the next lucky tastemakers.
CHANNEL PAGE ENHANCEMENTS:
Some of you were not too keen when the Comments area shifted to the right side of your Channel page, so now you have a choice and can move it back to the left if you like. You'll also notice that your most recently uploaded video plays at the top of your page (if you'd like a different video to play, set a custom URL
here
), and friends can now be removed from your Channel.
FIND A GURU TO FOLLOW:
Last time we met, we told you about a new type of account (Guru) for those with special gifts to share with the world. So far over 15,000 folks have signed up for Guru status and now there's a
browse page
just for their kind.
A BETTER HOME FOR BLOGGERS:
We found that bloggers didn't know whether to place themselves in the People category or in the News & Blogs group, splitting up this critical community. We solved that problem by renaming the People category
People & Blogs
, and News & Blogs became
News & Politics
. Also: Video Games morphed into
Gadgets & Games
, and Science & Technology became
Howto & DIY
.
Well, that's it for now. Thanks for reading.
Adios amigos,
Mia
The YouTube Team
Staff Picks Are Back!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
From time to time, we YouTube editors stumble upon videos that speak to us on an intensely personal level – we’re not sure everyone will love these clips as much as we do, but we nevertheless want to make our affections known and give you a glimpse into our personal tastes. With that, we anoint Tuesday "Staff Pick of the Week" Day and vow to share our highly subjective favorite videos here in this blog and on our individual YouTube channels.
Big Joe:
One of my first homepage features was "Piece of Mind" by
VancouverFilmSchool
. It was a perfectly blended mix of CG animation and live action. Ori's film became a runaway success and really helped me gain confidence in my feature selections. To me, the message of the film was to break free from your confines, though I'm sure it resonated differently with everyone. No matter how the film made you feel, it certainly made you wonder, "How did they pull this off?!" VFS just released "The Making of Piece of Mind" - now we all can know!
Mia:
I am a sucker for all things Scottish. That brogue always brings me to my knees, and when it's combined with semi-sad folk music it's all over for me (calling
periurban
!). Folk singer James Yorkston doesn’t so much sing here as a craft a wistful, existential video poem. I mean, how gorgeous is this? “Now I’ll be leaning over and waking you up/And you’ll squint at me through the cracks between your eyelids/Woozy with cider/As if you’re asking just exactly where we are and exactly what I wanted/And I’ll be happy, as we won’t be taking anything too seriously.” Swoon.
Sadia:
Every once in a while you come across a video that seems to know all of your hidden desires. For me, that's food, blue eye shadow, and doublewide trailers. I know it sounds crazy that there are two people that have those passions, but it's true and my other half is
Jolene Sugarbaker: The Trailer Park Queen
. If you've never had the pleasure of watching her cooking show, you are missing out on some true entertainment. She pushes the boundaries of American cuisine. Rachel Ray is not inventive enough to come up with
"Oatmeal Raisin Asparagus Cookies."
And I don't think you'll ever see Martha Stewart making "Circus Peanut Salad." Although I have not tried one of her recipes at home (to be honest, I'm a little afraid to), I regularly check her channel to find out what new cooking adventures are in store.
A bientot,
The YouTube Programming Team
Live the Dream with Sketchies II
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Calling all comedy troupes, sketch commandos and improv teams -- Sketchies is back! Our sketch comedy contest blew up big in 2007, and
href="http://www.youtube.com/Sketchies2">Sketchies II promises to be even better, with a new creative challenge on the table and a stack of cash to be won. This year's winner will take home $25,000 in cash and $15,000 in video production gear.
You can check out all the details of this year's contest on our
Sketchies II
channel page: how to enter, what you can win and the deadlines you simply can't miss. If you love to make comedy videos, this is your chance to shine. And it doesn't hurt to have a bit of a competitive streak, because the winner of all that cash is going to have to survive the first round of voting, then make a second video for the final
Sketchies II
showdown. Last year's contest drew over 5,000 entries and saw many talented video makers rise to the challenge.
Sketchies veterans
Lisa Nova
and last year's winners,
Awkward Pictures
, are set to kick off the program and get the comedy rolling. If you need a little extra inspiration, check out last year's winning video:
Think you can do better? Then show the world, and you could end up living your big-bucks comedy dreams.
Cheers,
Mark D.
YouTube Comedy
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