Street cred doesn’t come any more legit than having a blog hosted by born and bred Harlemite and Upper West Sider Jay Smooth, mastermind behind hiphopmusic.com and “founder of New York’s longest running hip-hop radio show, WBAI’s Underground Railroad,” which has been blasting the beats of hip-hop’s underground and indie acts over the airwaves since 1991. 

Smooth’s Ill Doctrine – begun in June 2007 in association with the PodTech Network and hip-hop magazine XXL – is a real deal video blog for hip-hop heads, who’ll appreciate the passion, independence, and encyclopedic knowledge the DJ brings to his new media venture.

Smooth’s perspective is decisively politically-oriented and socially-conscious, and his viewpoint is really the viewpoint of Ill Doctrine. In overexposed editorials addressed directly to the camera, Smooth will denounce the hypocritical policies of major record labels that fail to support artists’ mixtape releases, and he does so in unadulterated political terms. Smooth unapologetically and humorously gives shout-outs to the first Super Bowl featuring black coaches, and offers commentary on issues like media representations of African-Americans.

You might raise your eyebrows at first, but the man knows what he’s talking about, as demonstrated by his keen insight and sharp bullshit detector. Ill Doctrine never strays very far from the realm of serious ideas—which in this day and age is an absolute godsend—but there’s also plenty of lighter fare, including short rhymes performed by Smooth himself and video mashups featuring the beats of Nas (“Where Are They Now”) plus the voices of the great musicians of yesteryear.

Smooth’s love of progressive thinking is inseparable from his love of music, and just as Ill Doctrine serves as Smooth’s soapbox it also spotlights the hip-hop Smooth knows best.

The most exciting musical moment on Ill Doctrine has to be “4 Countries/4 Bars,” a live collaboration of MCs from New York, London, Berlin, and Paris, each rapping in their native tongue and then passing the mic to their foreign language (or accented) brethren. Smooth hosted the jam session on his radio show, and the Ill Doctrine bonus features section contains the footage.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Michael Joshua Rowin
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The roots of BBC Video Nation date back to 1937, when the Mass Observation project set out to do social research on the lives of everyday people in Britain, leading to a number of published books and reports from the study in the 1950s.  The current Video Nation project was started in 1993 by Chris Mohr and Mandy Rose of the Community Programmes Unit.

The idea was to give the camera over to the citizens and allow them to create short videos showcasing everyday life across the UK. In the first ten years, nearly 1,300 Video Nation shorts aired on television. Recently, the project was moved almost entirely to the internet, though videos still air on television and radio with permission from the “artists.” To make the movies, they provide accepted applicants from the various participating regions with a camera. The people shoot and Video Nation edits, although they always come to the artists for changes and approval before final posting. Updates are made to the site almost daily.

Films last anywhere from one to seven minutes, and they star teens and geriatrics alike. They can be mundane –a nervous teenager awaits her university acceptance letter – or heartbreaking – a child’s fight to survive a terminal illness. As new videos are posted, they are filed in the New Videos section, where 20 of the most recent clips reside. The abundance of no-longer-new videos are kept in the Archives, where they are searchable by region, specific location, title, filmmaker, or by the over 40 different categories, ranging from animals to parenting to holidays. Videos in the Features section are commissioned by the BBC to cover a specific topic, such as poetry. Residents of participating locations are invited to participate by visiting the Take Part page and registering with their location’s contact team. While they certainly hope that filmmakers will take part in the project, they also encourage hobbyists and even those who have never used a camera before, as they provide lessons in Filming Skills through short videos.

There are a few films that display an especially local flair, particularly from residents of the Isle of Man, who have a very devout love for their town. One man shares stories about his lucrative hobby as a background performer, or “extra,” in the many feature films that shoot there. He takes viewers to popular shooting locations and discusses the history of filmmaking in the region.

Adam, the star of a piece entitled “Hold On,” and whose last name remains hidden, shares his heartfelt story about his ongoing battle with depression and his three suicide attempts, hoping to inspire others to get the help that they need.

And John Davison’s experience with growing pumpkins, particularly those over two feet in diameter, makes for a cute look into agriculture in the UK. I also enjoyed browsing the Teaching Awards feature, which highlighted award-winning educators and gave them a chance to share their classroom techniques.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Rebecca Halpin
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In 2005, Eric Levy, Nick Gregorio, Juan Cardarelli, Matt Sanchez and Benjamin Davidow, five friends from the Philly area formed the film-creating collective Sweaty Robot as a means to develop and produce their short films and other media content. Since the site’s creation, the boys have uploaded a handful of shorts and have switched media broadcast format from audio podcasts to video for their 23^rd episode, March 3, 2007. Their blog, begun January 27^th, 2006, updates the team’s various projects and activities.

Do you believe in robots? That they walk among us? And do they look like you and me and her? Could we all be robots? These are the questions posed by the theme song of Sweaty Robot, whose catchphrase is ‘Funnier Than You’. They offer various proofs for this assertion in the form of an ever-increasing collection of short films and videocasts. The site also has a blog, but that’s mostly updates of their progress on projects and therefore not so funny. The short films are humorous, but are largely lacking a director’s style and vision, and the characters and plot are broadly drawn to a seemingly improvised script, as in Struck by Lightning, a tale of lottery luck, and Best Friends Forever, an enactment of a nightmare date. This leads one to think they would be better labeled as sketches than films, although the quality of production is rather good, especially in the later posts such as Hero Worship. The more frequently updated section of the site, The Sweaty Robot Show, originally an audio podcast, is now video. Beginning with the 23^rd episode, they range in length from 8 to 30 minutes. These are usually filled with various stories (The Sneaky Jerking Neighbor) and crackings-up (Urinal Stories) of three of the five – Nick, Eric and Juan – with occasional cameos by the others.

To get a good look at what the Sweaty Robot Show is about, the ‘Best of Season One’ episode is a good place to start. Short film ‘Future Music 2012’ is a little rough around the edges, but also creatively uses tin foil to great comic effect.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Nathan Bock
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For over a decade, Barry Z has been doing his weekly variety shows, and over the course, he has befriended many, many members of the New York entertainment world. In the summer of 2006 he launched The Barry Z Show – an online news magazine of sorts – and took to the streets (er… piano bars) of New York City to get the latest scoop on everything from award-winning Broadway shows to the Gay Pride parade, where he even had his own float! Besides being a gay icon, he is a journalist who does things his own way, from sneaking up on the unsuspecting stars and creators of Strangers with Candy during a press interview, to getting chatty with singers from the Society of Singers benefit. The site debuted early in the summer of 2006, and his variety show can still be attended weekly on Tuesday nights at the Iguana Restaurant and Bar in Manhattan.

It’s nice, for once, to see a show from someone with some real street cred. Before each show are celebrity endorsements from the likes of Bernadette Peters, Jennifer Tilly, and even Ben Stiller. This probably also gives him a leg up in his interviews, where stars like Amy Sedaris forgive his silliness and get past the niceties and pleasantries to get real about their work. His signature edit of interspersing clips from classic movies amongst the interviews often gets some laughs from its excellent timing, though the jokes can get old. Videos can be found in one of two sections – New Segments and Old Segments. Though the episodes are not dated, they are timely, following entertainment events, like the premiere of Die Mommie Die and When the Lights Go On Again. Barry Z has been at this for years, and has established connections with some high-tier New Yorkers, allowing for candid, red carpet style interviews with singers, dancers, personalities, and especially drag queens. Throughout, Barry Z asks poignant questions, like the one he asked Amy Sedaris, “Why is it called Strangers with Candy?”

The Jerry Springer interview seems strangely out of place in the company of the rest of the film and theatre fare, but it makes for one of Barry Z’s best vids.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Rebecca Halpin
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Straight out of Brooklyn, the Ill Clan has been creating comedic machinima shorts since way back in 1998, and has been at the center of this computer-image movie making art form ever since.

In 2002, Clan cofounder Paul Marino helped create the Academy of Machinima Arts and Sciences to give the artistic community an established presence and common meeting ground (though since then Paul’s left the clan to work on independent projects). In 2003, director Matt Dominianni and the rest of the crew combined their improvisational comedy background with sound computing skills to perform live at the Florida Film Festival. With the launch of Trash Talk with Ill Will in early 2006, they continue to be pioneers in the field.

Larry and Lenny lumberjack search for new diggs in Ill Clan’s 1999 release,Apartment Huntin’. The short was the group’s first major release and has been regarded as one of Machinima’s seminal works.  The clan continues with their improv comedy inspired antics as Larry and Lenny appear in live cooking shows and political satires.

In February 2006, Trash Talk with Ill Will debuted, setting up a ragdoll host discussing video gaming news and delving into wacky storylines with his rocket sidekick. The talk show marks another milestone in the Ill Clan’s innovative mashimia tradition and is an excellent fit with their well-trained comedy.

For those not very familiar with Machinima or still trying to figure out exactly what it is, check out this Discovery Channel coverage of the Ill Clan’s performance at the 2003 Florida Film Festival. Paul Marino gives a great beginner’s explanation of what the process is all about, and there are great shots of the Ill Clan in action.   Also catch the Clan’s spots for Spike TV and the Audi3.

Episode 7: Codemonkey of Trash Talk is a must see. Ill Will and Mal Content feature the Codemonkey music video – a poppy rock song by Jonathan Coulton about an overworked gorilla programmer that daydreams of a better life.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Joshua Cohen
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Along with its merchandise partner, Swell, Surfline has been the go-to website for surfing information since its inception and has been wining web awards since 2001. Headquartered in Huntington Beach, California, the site is led by weather and tide guru Sean Collins, who’s been perfecting wave-forecasting technology for over two decades and claims the US Coast Guard as a client. If you read it or watch it here, it’s true. For surfers, this site is as indispensable as a board or a wetsuit.

Surfline has a ton of video content. The webisodes section catalogues every series the site has to offer, from the Volcom House Weekly, a reality show based on the Pipe Masters competition, to the Transworld Surf Model Search. The Women’s videos cover female-only surf contests like the Roxy Pro and the OP Pro Hawaii. Videos for locals focus on famous surf spots like the San Diego Pits and Huntington Beach. There’s also sections for featured videos, contest coverage, and trailers for surf-related movies and TV shows. Between live web cams from around the world, weather forecasts, surfing FAQs, surf-specific maps and travel tips, news, professional photo and video, podcasts, shopping tips, and links to products, this place has a whole lot of everything. Wondering what the waves look like in Tahiti right now? Sure. Looking for some tide charts for South Australia? Which city? You could get lost in all the charts and graphs.

The Women’s Billabong Pro Maui competition has some incredible waves. I don’t know anything about surfing and I wouldn’t be able to describe a wave beyond “small” or “large,” but I know that eight foot waves and the people who ride them are things to be admired.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Nicholas Mosquera
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If only all news were this entertaining! SuperNews is an animated satire that exposes the absurdity, hypocrisy, and hilarity of the latest political and pop culture events. Hosted by Current TV (a viewer-created-content network founded by Al Gore) since 2005, the show was envisioned by director and writer Josh Faure-Brac, who provides much of the voice work in addition to designing the characters (the resemblances to the actual people are often uncanny). Together with animators Steven Olson and Dustin McLean, Faure-Brac creates a show that is not only funny, but will propel even the most apathetically political individuals to take an interest in current events.

Two kinds of people provide the bulk of the fodder on SuperNews: politicians and celebrities. Some episodes focus only on spoofing Hollywood types, like Shawskank Redemption – where we find out exactly how Paris Hilton got out of jail. Other episodes purely target political figures, with George W. Bush leading the pack (see: his Iraq speech and State of the Union). But in SuperNews, no one is really safe. Not Republicans. Not Democrats. And certainly not liberal filmmaker Michael Moore – who travels back in time to “save” Thanksgiving – or conservative pundit Ann Coulter – who is apparently in a relationship with Hitler.

But the real magic happens when Faure-Brac meshes pop culture and politics into brilliantly surreal sketches and we get the best of both worlds. In Osama Bin Lohan, Bush and Cheney scratch their heads over how to protect the country from the true terror: Lindsay Lohan’s partying. And in The K-Fed Effect, the Democrats win majorities in Congress, but John Kerry celebrates another victory – Britney Spears divorcing Kevin Federline. Even if you aren’t familiar with the figures depicted in SuperNews’ two-minute episodes, there are plenty of wacky characters and ingenious one-liners to keep you laughing. The satire is all about how America is far from perfect, but it also shows us that at least one right is clearly still intact – the virtually unabated freedom to poke fun at people in power.

On top of all the jokes, there is also usually someone who speaks “the voice of reason” and drives home the message in each episode. So, in Oprah Drops a Da Vinci Load, Jesus Christ is a guest on the show (along with Dan Brown, Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson, and Tom Cruise) and rounds out the theologically funny and thought-provoking debate about mixing religion with Hollywood.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Pearl Chen
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In a medium where everyone seems to be putting themselves up for public display comes a web serial known simply as I, with the premise of a man, who discovers his life is being mysteriously broadcast over the internet…against his will. Created in early 2007 by New York-based filmmaker Craig DiFolco and the series lead actor Micheal Izquierdo, I has become known as YouTube’s answer to The Truman Show, the twist here being audience interaction. The show’s producers craft episodes and directions based partly on viewer comments, some of which show up in the shows themselves.

In Episode One, “I,” sits in front of his computer, slowly realizing his every move is being broadcast by cameras he can never locate or turn off. When he relates this to his laid-back older brother, the problem is greeted with enthusiasm rather than horror. But I doesn’t want to be “famous,” at least not in this way, and not with anonymous viewers passing judgement on his life via text messaging.

The series is filmed by stationary webcams always in the right place to track I’s every move, giving it a voyeuristic feel, somewhere between documentary and drama. Jump cuts and electronic music heighten the sense of paranoia, but the issues dealt with are personal – love, family, relationships – and not very concerned secret agents or uncovering a vast government conspiracy.

I never really settles into his role as web-based entertainment. Eventually more complications ensue, girlfriends and ex-girlfriends and angry boyfriends of said ex-girlfriends arrive. In Episode Fourteen, I must deal with relentless text messages from his fan base, sent by real-life viewers, telling him what to do next in choosing between an old flame and a new arrival.

The mysterious force behind the webcast has not yet been revealed, but this hardly seems the point. Rather the issue is whether I will allow himself to be guided by his unseen audience or make his own decisions, but I’s free will seems to be losing out to mob rule.

By Episode Nineteen, I has grown somewhat accustomed, if not completely accepting, of his strange situation. He openly solicits advice from his unseen audience about how to deal with his girlfriend problem. He is thrown the response: “don’t ask us what to say. It’s your life,” reminding him that not everyone wants to choose the direction. Sometimes its just better to sit back and watch what happens.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Greg Rock
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This is one of the best-designed niche social networking sites currently available. Which is a surprise, because it was made by TBS. These days, it seems like every media giant has its own comedy video site, but Turner Broadcasting System’s January 2007 entrance into the arena is notable for fusing original and user-submitted programming with all the user interaction and artist promotion of MySpace. According to General Manager Drew Reifenberger, the site “is focused on original, television-quality programming, presented with a distinct editorial voice and in a highly interactive and social environment.”

This site is a rare example of where the flow between user-generated videos and contracted original content blends into a perfect, palatable mixture. Video quality ranges from webcams and basic animation to well-financed shorts from David Foley, Maria Bamford, and Richard Belzer. All content can be searched and located with ease (which already sets the bar above Motherload and DotComedy), but also browsed by type (series and shorts) and creator (artist and people—the difference being that “artists” are contracted by the site for regular work and “people” are the common folk who upload their material free of charge). Online phenomena like Brad Neely and Quack Media are just a few of the new media superstars that Super Deluxe tracked down and hired to create exclusive series for the site (Professor Brothers, I Am Baby Cakes, and Robots vs. Dragons). Viral videos that aren’t already on the site can be found on their blog with comments and criticism. It’s also worth noting that the site is as hilarious to read as it is to watch. From artist descriptions to the standard “About Us” page, it’s clear that these are some funny people. Also, registered users can upload their own videos, create site profiles, and interact with personal comments pages.

I think I watched Brad Neely’s “George Washington” video on YouTube about 40 times before I stopped myself. Then I watched it another 10 times about a week later. So it was joyous for me to see that they had hired Neely to create episodic content for their site. Check out “Bible History #1” from the Professor Brothers series to find out what really happened in Sodom and Gomorrah.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Zach Jones
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Bre Pettis, the creator of I Make Things, is a Seattle-based artist and teacher who is obsessed with technology, invention, and general do-it-yourself activities. I Make Things is a blog and video podcast about Pettis’ various projects, crafts, ideas, and inventions that not only showcases the things he and his friends have made, but teaches you how to make them as well. The site was launched in February of 2003, and is updated almost daily. Pettis also runs Make Magazine’s blog, as well as a number of fascinating blogs about vlog culture and pink bunnies.

I Make Things is not another cutsie craft project that teaches you how to make a scrapbook and knit (although Pettis does enjoy knitting). Here, you can learn how to make a potato gun, a shovercraft (a cross between a hover craft and a shuffle board), and an LED jack-o-lantern. The videos are well-produced, generally do not exceed 5 minutes, and can get pretty technical to the uninitiated (sometime sodering guns are involved), though Pettis’ laid back attitude makes everything look easy. There are both both instructional videos and interviews with other DIY-minded individuals, such as Scott Ferguson and his computer controlled etch-a-sketch. Pettis also provides a large amount of incredibly useful information and news about general web technology. He recommends his favorite method of hosting and new photo newsletters, and discusses the difference between podcasts and video blogs. Really, there is a wealth of knowledge here.

One of my favorite videos on the site is an interview Pettis does with Sanjay Khanna, a technology innovation consultant and researcher for large corporations. They discuss the future in terms of increasingly innovative technology combined with our growing collective anxiety and impact on the environment. Khanna thinks that “we should be able to move with the speed of the digital word,” not feel left behind by it, and that truly beneficial innovation should not just be a reaction to change, but a reflection of it. Anyone interested in learning more about the ethical side of technological innovation should definitely check this out.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Kate Dundon
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Dumb & Dumber meets X-men in the adventures of “Stuper Heroes,” short webcast animation flicks that put a spin on the everyday respectable superhero, featuring a host of crazy characters with “stupid” powers. The site was launched in Fall 2006 by a group of friends with the writing, animation, and creative talents to bring this comic book to life. In an interview with Jazma Online, co-creator John Bellotti Jr. explains, “Robert Bellotti and Jorge Rodriguez were in Atlantic City NJ with my family. My dad, who likes to eat, was running for the free breakfast buffet. My dad never runs. Never. So Jorge was amazed and said “Wouldn’t it be funny if he could just suck all the food to his face?” Lo and behold Stuperheroes was born!”

Animated, roughly 3-minute, “Shorts” offer the kind of smartly dumb-wit, and attractive graphics that new-age pop-culture junkies revel within. A wacky list of delightfully innovative characters make-up the stuper hero team. Among the stars is “George,” the lazy boy with mighty gorilla arms who started “Stuper Heroes” to spite “Dr. Steel,” an evil anti-hero who deliberately botches George’s arm replacement surgery. “The Hype,” is a brawny former-fireman who can make any room uncomfortably warm. “Vic” is the imposing reformed-thief with very hairy arms, who can open any window with a wave of his fingers. His beloved dog “Chunky” has the power to drag any human or object no matter what their size or weight. And the lethargic retired cop Bobby is completely invincible while asleep. There is a multi-part series of shorts marking the beginning of Stuper Heroes starring George and Dr. Steel among others. In a later short entitled “Trail of the Caffeine Crusader,” the “Hype” investigates the dealings of an evil petty thief all the while debating with character, “Daddy” whether penguins have knees. And in “Hormones Among Us,” the hormones from George’s arms begin feeding into his body and he feels compelled to attack other members of the stuper hero crew. New episodes were initially produced twice a month, but now appear on the site monthly. Also featured on the site are “Short Shorts,” roughly 30-second bits with quick “right-to-the-point” jokes.

“A Quarter Past Stupid,” in which the mayor attempts to recruit the stuper hero team to save New York City from, Hellachopper, a psychotic Vietnam War veteran provides many laughs. 

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Anusha Alikhan
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Way ahead of the curve, Michael Schwartz (“Mike”), John Van Torre (“V”), and Chris Weagel (“The Professor”) launched Human Dog Productions in 2001 from their base camp in a small town in Michigan. Covering the spectrum of comedy, documentary, and experimental video art, the team creates and manages several channels of online video content while dabbling in audio podcasts and traditional blogging.

Each two to four-minute video post is grouped into channels, called “Departments.” American King is one of the latest departments. It’s the vlog of fellow St. Claires, Michigan, resident Garrett Lambert, who shares tales, activities, and stray thoughts with the camera. Sara’s Corner is pretty similar to that. Divided into text and video, the Human Dog Productions team follows Sara as she goes about life in her hometown. Running from 2003 to 2006, The Adventures of Captain Dale was one of Mike, John, and Chris’ first endeavors, involving friends and family in a fictional sitcom series about a man named Captain Dale and his odd, monotonous life. The first and longest running series, the Lab, features experimental comedy about random, crazy topics from a random, crazy doctor named Professor Chris Weagel 2005 saw a three-month-long series called The Summer of VanTorre, an episodic serial about a very boring summer with Human Dog Production worker John VanTorre. Each department is updated with a new video once every few days when the show is in season.

All of the Lab videos are indescribably bizarre, experimental nonsense that might be the best content on the site. One of the Lab Memos, titled Cut, shows a man giggling as he cuts out locks of his own hair, and not just on his head (it’s G-rated, but probably still not work safe).

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Rebecca Halpin
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