Georg Barris may be in his 80’s, but that doesn’t stop him from touring the country attending various museums, car shows, and exhibitions that feature fancy hot rods, usually including items from his own design. Barris gained fame in the 1940’s when he and the shop he formed with his brother – Barris Kustoms Industries – were discovered by Hollywood producers needing new and innovative cars for the sets of their movies and TV shows. In the past 60 years Barris has built nearly every cool TV and film car you can imagine including Drag-U-La, the Batmobile, many of 007’s vehicles, and a lot more. Now, he makes a living designing one-off custom cars for major manufacturers like Toyota and Pontiac. On Barris Bilt TV, created in the summer of 2006 and boasting over 100 videos, he uses a road show format to transport viewers to various locations for events and exhibits. The site is run by Avalon MM, which also produces Culinary Clips.

Individual events and roadshows are listed on the site; clicking on them opens a series of videos from that particular event, which can be browsed and played on the site’s Brightcove player. Visits to museums and car shows often result in a tour guided by Barris himself, who’s competence and charm in front of the camera is completely likable. He has done some incredible work and you can see he’s proud of it as he tells behind-the-scenes stories about the various car designs, detailing where they first appeared, and revealing interesting car details that only the builder would know. But the videos don’t focus entirely on Barris’ own works – he often explores other booths and exhibits, interviewing the designers and commenting on their products. There’s also a blog, containing updates on where Barris is off to next.

The inaugural video of the site was Barris’ July 4^th visit to the Stars Cars Museum in Gatlinburg, TN. There, he visited his sole man-powered creation, the Flintstones’ Flintmobile, telling a cute story about John Goodman operating the car during the first day of filming. For car enthusiasts, an entire 25-video segment about the Monkee Mobile Restoration covers everything from the benefits of water-proof paint to the lowdown on chrome plates, as Barris reminisces about “the good ole days.”

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Rebecca Halpin
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Chris Wright, webmaster and creator of Studentfilms.com, started the site in 1998 when a senior film student at Boston University’s College of Communication as a way to show off his creations as well as those of his friends. Since then Studentfilms has grown considerably, with a database of hundreds of films. The site serves mainly as an online community for student filmmakers to have their movies seen and evaluated, but it also offers forums for interactive discussions; articles in the form of updated blog entries; and even Studentfilms.com-related merchandise.

As can be imagined, the content on Studentfilms ranges wildly, from amateur to ready-for-the-big-time, from irreverent to deadly earnest—in other words, all the colors of the student filmmaking rainbow.

Thankfully Studentfilms organizes its material by new films, by genre (action, comedy, experimental, etc.), film school films, and popularity (most viewed and best reviewed) among other categories for easy reference and searchability. Whatever you’re interested in seeing—to scope out the competition or look for a likeminded talent—you’ll find it here: The Lifeguard is a good film for anybody who’s ever experienced a lazy, daydreaming summer; The Liars is a surreal live-action animation in the spirit of Jan Svankmajer; Isolation explores death and recovery in dramatic black and white.

The forums don’t gather dust—they’re continually thriving online communities that allow filmmakers to trade tips, advice on film schools, and calls for work and on set help. Less frequently updated or used are the articles, but should these be given at least a gander for basic lessons on Avid or character empathy via Norbit.

On top of the both popularity lists is A Death Sandwich, a self-described “film noir musical comedy” that looks almost as good as The Man Who Wasn’t There and is arguably funnier.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Michael Joshua Rowin
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In 2004, 19 year-old Madeline Merced met videographer Eric Wyeth on the set of a teen-oriented show that she was hosting. One short film and two years later, they collaborated to create How-To Girl, a program that explains to its female audience how to do everything that a girl old enough to drive and use an oven would ever need to know. Initially created for television, their pilot wasn’t picked up and instead they began shooting exclusively for the web. Merced and Wyeth’s popularity and ingenuity brought about a second show, “Taste of How-To,” which launched with online network TasteTV in October 2006.

Every weekend, Merced posts a video explaining and demonstrating tasks and trends involving fashion, diet, fitness, cooking, entertaining, and anything else deemed useful to viewers. The tasks are teen-appropriate, family-friendly, and follow a two- to four-episode format delving into a topic (like how to give yourself French tips and make candy). In addition to the site’s blog, the episodic show notes follow up on subjects discussed on the show. For example, show notes for a cooking episode will include a PDF recipe and a video about packing for a road trip will be accompanied by a list of typical items in survival kits. “Taste of How-To” is Merced and Wyeth’s cooking-only show with recipes that take into account a teenager’s lack of experience in the kitchen and a college student’s lack of a kitchen. In the healthy snacks episode, quick and easy foods like edamame (a Japanese soybean that’s just blanched in hot, salty water) and roasted pumpkin seeds are explained. Madeline does a great job of making all her tasks look fun, all while being well-dressed, well-spoken, and well-informed.

The three–part series about car maintenance is downright awesome and geared towards making sure you get the most out of your car. Madeline lectures about jump-starting in an emergency, blowing air into tires so you don’t waste gas, changing a tire, checking the oil, and keeping tabs on all those mysterious gadgets under the hood.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Rebecca Halpin
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Regularly producing at least one episode a month since September 2005, Djon Chozkel began his show on Parisian street life as an awkward, low-budget clip in French shot in one take. After a long maturation, its website is still as simplistic as possible, but now the show caters to an English-speaking audience with sophisticated editing and great conversations about “the globalization of culture.”

Covering a wide breadth of material, host Djon Chozkel takes us to the streets of Paris, which are, so he says, not that different from the streets of New York, South Central L.A., and Rio.

From filming recreations of legendary San Francisco skate spots to interviewing famous Americans like graffiti artist Dave Kinsey and skater Tony Hawk, Chozkel’s show traces the globalization of street culture in four to five minute spots. Throughout the years, the episodes have gotten more frequent and progressively better in terms of both production quality and Chozkel’s hosting abilities. Each one is available in a motley assortment of video formats and are never larger than 40 MB, making the shows easy to download and easy to enjoy.

The multi-part Tricks & Treats episodes are a blast of energy and fun times. Djon and friends play a game of skater Horse, where the skater who misses a trick on his board has to down champagne and skate under the influence. It all ends with a smoke-fueled limo trip to the Champs Elysees with tipsy skating and some bombastic proclamations of the grandeur of living the street life.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Zach Jones
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AtomFilms is an offshoot of Atom Entertainment, the San Francisco-based aggregator that includes Shockwave.com, addictinggames.com, and addictingclips.com. It’s an entertainment giant, in web terms, that can garner enough advertising money to allow AtomFilms to support more hearty content than your average viral video distributor. Founder and CEO Mika Salmi is making a name for himself in the industry, having previously spent time at Sony, EMI, and RealNetworks.

With shorts ranging from a fairly disturbing Kitten Apocalypse to a happy test, Atom advertises its content as “the best short films and videos.” While that claim could be contested, there’s no denying the extensiveness of this site and the quality of the content. Categories abound with user submissions that are carefully screened to meet quality standards, and a rev share system for those that make the cut. AtomFilms also produces a decent amount of its own content. The to go section is limited, but does allow viewers to download some of the most popular clips from each category. Like so many sites that rely on open submission (i.e. Channel Frederator, for example) one of the biggest benefits is the exhaustive links to homepages of the content creators. Once you’ve found a few favorite directors or animators, AtomFilms will prove its worth. Check out the blog and fan forum for further suggestions.

Got some time to kill? Atom certainly won’t leave you wanting. Head over to the “extreme” section for a little lark of a film from the in-house studio called Insex, in which a guy looking to score after a date discovers the perils that lie back at his date’s place. Think Starship Troopers crossed with Basic Instinct, if that’s even possible.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Nicholas Mosquera
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Kingston, New York-based and founding graphic designer Mark Greene began Pecos Design in 1994, going on to produce marketing, packaging, and online content for companies like Verizon, Compaq, LGS, and Toyota. As a diversion in early 2004, he began a series of workplace cartoons featuring Stinky, the “Nasty Little Office Man” on a then little-known site called Stinky Toons. Within the year, the site was picking up major industry awards for some of its funniest episodes. It went on to become another internet comedy phenomenon.

Starring Stinky the Nasty Little Office Man and Flossy the Pubic Hair as offensive and unlikable characters, prone to doing offensive and unlikable things, Greene’s cartoons are hilarious bits of political and cultural satire, delivered in two to ten minute Flash-animated episodes. Take “Shopping at the Big-Mart” for instance (which won the grand prize at The Greatest Story Never Told in 2004 for exceptional Flash animation). Hungry and depraved as usual, Stinky makes a late night run to an obvious Wal-Mart send-up for some processed American cheese. Not only is the animation deserving of top honors (check out the cheese refrigerator), but the writing is outstandingly funny. Since new videos appear once every few months, there are still only a handful of episodes available after several years of publicized hilarity.

They’re all so funny. The office humor is great, but I’m a bigger fan of Flossy the Pubic Hair’s travails at the Republican National Convention (which, as you can imagine, has something of a Democratic tilt) and the one random live action short that Greene produced for the site called “Propissterol EQ”. If you’ve ever squinted and rolled your eyes at the television while watching nonsensical medicinal drug commercials, this video is for you.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Zach Jones
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Robert Hamburger’s 13 year-old alter ego gave the world a whole new insight into the secret life of ninjas with Real Ultimate Power. The wry parody of these Japanese spy-assassins spawned a pirate-hating, ninja-loving internet craze, and plenty of copycats. With Ask a Ninja, Los Angeles improv comics Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine of Beatbox Giant are picking up right where Hamburger left off. Started in November of 2005, this hysterical look into an otherwise super-secret society is one Q&A you do not want to miss.

Standing in front of a solid backdrop, with no props except for his own lethal two hands and the occasional shuriken, the Ninja answers viewer questions on everything from physics and gift ideas to podcasting and the The Perfect Storm. Quick cuts and fast-paced editing move the Q&A along nicely, complementing the ninja’s quick wit. Educating the ninja-curious with his elaborate explanations and fanciful analogies, the Ninja is almost like a Will Ferrell replica cloaked in black, set in the “on” position, and left free to entertain.

Net Neutrality – the idea that internet service providers grant you access to all websites equally, don’t favor certain websites over others, and don’t force you to pay to have your site on the web – is an issue worth becoming involved in. Ask a Ninja is doing their part to spread the word. Look at Special Delivery 4 to get a great explanation of what’s going on.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Joshua Cohen
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Hosted by Lou Scheele and guest starring his starving friends (Mike Pecci, Aaron Tyburski, and Benjamin Oliver), his self-proclaimed “tasteless cooking show for anyone who has had to make $5 last two weeks” has been mentioned in publications like Wired and Boston Phoenix as a must-watch podcast. Lou and company have been irregularly churning out episodes of their cooking comedy series for their loyal fanbase since spring of 2005. Co-creator Mike Pecci directs each episode under his Boston production company Stereoscopic Pictures, bringing some professional, visual style to a show with the lowest of low budgets, which has unfortunately been on hiatus since April 2006. 

What makes the site so popular is that each webisode could legitimately appear as a late-night program on the Food Network, if the channel would allow digital recording, vulgarity, and a fervent distaste for specialty markets and food that costs more than $2. Episodes can last anywhere from 15 minutes to a half hour. Considering that all the recipes are along the lines of Ramen Oriental with Two Eggs, most of that time is spent joking around, laughing at themselves play videogames, and generally not cooking. The most complicated meal seems to be Hawaiian Luau Extravaganza Burritos. With fabulously odd guest stars, roadtrips, and ridiculous excursions to the supermarket, Starvin’ is a surprise success with Boston natives and the world at large. Naturally, production quality is low, but that’s part of the theme. In between Starvin’s infrequent episodes, its blog and forums see a fair amount of activity and also contain precise recipes for the low-budget meals. 

The first episode is something of an internet cult staple. In it, Lou introduces himself and his impoverished situation and creates his first of many meals with ramen noodles.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Zach Jones
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Anthony Caporale’s mixology how-to vlog is based off his product Art of the Drink, which has the unusual charm of being able to claim its status as “America’s #1 Bartending DVD.” As a bar instructor and a “bar chef” for over 15 years and a contributor to Taste TV, he has seen his share of amateur bartenders and learned about the best ways to teach them: with a focus on the history of the drink, education about the liquors involved, and instructions that are easy to understand.

With an array of new co-hosts – called “DrinkArt Girls” – that rotate each month, Anthony’s videos are terse segments that get straight to the point. Each one is three to five minutes long and shows the master mixer explaining everything from the right glass and the right amount of ice, to which liquors to use for each drink and why. Except for his interview segments and On the Road spots, all the episodes are shot (with surprisingly multiple camera angles) behind Anthony’s simple bar, where he mixes everything from a Flaming Zombie to a Blue Motorcycle. The videos are accompanied by an equally informative blog, which discusses ideas that the how-to drink vids don’t have time for – like what the term “proof” means and the qualitative difference between shaking and basic straining.

Art of the Drink is incredibly informative. I learned a lot just by reading the blog entry on tonic water. On top of being knowledgeable, Anthony is also clear and concise. So if you’re at all interested in learning about how to mix a specific drink, search for the right video and get educated.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Zach Jones
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The idea to have an elite group of the British army climb Mount Everest using the most difficult West Ridge route – a feat done first by the USA and then subsequently by only a handful of others – was conceived in May 2003. After three years of intense training and planning, the team started climbing in May 2006. This website charts their progress, from the early planning days to the climb itself. In addition to being a wonderland for mountain climbing enthusiasts and proud Brits, it serves as an interactive advertisement for the Queen’s army.

There is enough content on this highly elaborate website to last viewers several weeks. Besides showing the history of Mt. Everest climbs, it explores route planning, equipment preparation, fitness training, and several videos per day recorded months before the expedition even began. It follows not just the Main Team, but also an extra Development team and even a Junior Team, made up of 16-22 year olds, who unfortunately, due to some altitude sickness, were not able to complete the ascent. There are videos, dozens of blogs, team member profiles, virtual tours and maps, army advertisements, celebrities’ good wishes, messages from fans, spouses and army VIPs, even How To’s. There are huge risks to using the West Ridge route including sub-zero temperatures, 45-degree angles, and avalanches. One recurring theme is the wind slab that the main team encounters, forcing them to change their route last minute. Despite all their training and effort, the elements proved too brutal, and after a failed summit bid on May 21, 2006, the British Army’s West Ridge climbers had to pack up and head home.

This website lets no details slip by: you can even check out the equipment list used for the climb or take a virtual tour of the entire route, complete with snapshot stills from along the way. Besides the obviously cool videos of the climbers climbing, check out the sunset from the North Face, or the “tutorial” of how to make a ghetto helmet cam. Good will messages from celebrities like Simon Cowell give you a sense of British pride.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Rebecca Halpin
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The AOL Sessions seem to be traceable back to February 2003, when Coldplay recorded a series of songs and a Q&A in a live studio. Since then, over 100 artists have recorded such sessions from all over the U.S. The featured artists tend to come from their respective genre’s Top 40 lists, and have even started to use the sessions to promote their new music. Take, for example, Danity Kane (Diddy’s third-season spawn), who used the recording to help launch their new single that featured Diddy himself. But don’t be alarmed. With appearances by Tom Petty, the Beastie Boys, Al green, and Pearl Jam, the quality of the musicians is almost always greater than music groups conceived by reality TV shows and studio execs.

The site is highly stylized. As you click on each artist, their picture pops up in the window with a quote from their interview displayed over it. That fades and gives way to a menu allowing you to select which content (performances, Q&A, photos etc.) you would like to view. The artists themselves introduce the videos, which are all shot in AOL’s comfortably sized and homey looking studio set. As you watch the performances, you can move through interview text without interrupting the feed. You also have the option to view video responses to individual questions. Also Check out the Chevy-sponsored Backstage Pass, where you can watch the musicians gearing up, goofing off, and spouting out words of wisdom. Sponsorship and ad inundation aside, this site is awesome. The audio/video quality is fantastic and the access they offer viewers feels intimate and raw. With its behind the scenes look at many of today’s top artists, AOL is doing a fantastic job and producing music video content that MTV and VH1 seem to have left behind.

Definitely check out the clips of Snoop Dogg who brings back some of his old school classics like Gin & Juice. In the Backstage Pass, you may wonder if everyone’s braids are really twinkling, or if you’re just getting a contact high from all the smoke between sets. Also see Tim McGraw’s March Sessions, where he appears looking like quite the young buck in preppy clothes with his long hair swept back under a knit hat. Now Faith looks like the lucky one!

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Rebecca Halpin
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Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Nicholas Mosquera
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