Web Video Creative Studios Join Forces As Portal A Acquires Seedwell

Two significant Bay Area production companies have come together . Portal A, the creative team known for its work on projects like White Collar Brawler and the Social Star Awards, has acquired Seedwell, the team best known for producing 2012’s end-of-year smash hit ‘Rewind YouTube Style‘.

Both companies have long histories working in the online video industry. “There are very few firms out there who understand how to create branded content for YouTube and have been there from the beginning,” said Zach Blume, a partner at Portal A. “Portal A and Seedwell both grew up in the space – starting out as early as 2005 on the platform – and combined, we bring a lot of knowledge, expertise, and creativity to the table. Our business instincts and creative sensibilities have been really aligned for years.”

The acquisition unites the two companies that produced the last two YouTube Rewinds; Portal A produced the 2011 version, and Seedwell’s 2012 edition now has more than 127 million views.

“Seedwell had a very close relationship with YouTube – their Rewind 2012 video

was a breakaway success – and it’s just another reason that combining forces makes so much sense,” said Nate Houghteling, another co-founder of Portal A. “We want to be viewed as one of the preeminent content creators on YouTube and we see this as another step towards that goal.”

Seedwell lists “viral video campaigns” as one of its services, but Blume noted that virality is not the goal. “We don’t have many rules at Portal A, but one of them is to refrain from using the term ‘viral video’,” he said. “As my partner Nate wrote in his post on Mashable last week, ‘legend has it that every time someone in brand marketing says the world ‘viral,’ an angel loses its wings.'”

Instead, the two companies will work together to create content that, as Blume explains, “is impactful in ways that aren’t always reflected simply in the view count.” One thing is for sure: If YouTube returns to the new Portal A at the end of the year, Rewind 2013 is going to be great.