According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix acquired the rights to create an upcoming show based on the popular children’s novels. The books are written by Snicket, the pen name of author Daniel Handler, who’s signed on to executive produce the show. Paramount Television will produce Unfortunate Events, and it is a fitting partner for the series, since Paramount Television is a branch of the studio that produced the 2004 film based on Snicket’s books, which starred Jim Carrey, Meryl Streep, and Jude Law.
“On the search for fantastic material that appeals to both parents and kids, the first stop for generations of readers is A Series of Unfortunate Events,” said Cindy Holland, VP of Original Content at Netflix, to THR. “We are proud to start work on a series for a global audience that already loves the books. The world created by Lemony Snicket is unique, darkly funny, and relatable. We can’t wait to bring it to life for Netflix members.”
“I can’t believe it,” Snicket told THR. “After years of providing top-quality entertainment on demand, Netflix is risking its reputation and its success by associating itself with my dismaying and upsetting books.”
This agreement comes shortly after Snicket created his own web series called You Choose the Mystery. It’s a satirical, black-and-white film noir story where viewers can do exactly as the title describes — choose their way through the story (a format which recently caught the attention of YouTube Nation, as well). The You Choose the Mystery series was created as a promotion for the four Unfortunate Events prequel books Handler just wrote.
No release date has been announced yet for the Unfortunate Events TV adaptation, but we’re guessing it’ll be sometime in 2015, along with Bloodline and Bill Burr’s F Is For Family.
Relationships between YouTubers and multi-channel networks (MCNs) can get very tricky, and few creators understand that reality more than Adam Montoya (AKA SeaNanners) and Tom Cassell (AKA Syndicate). Those two gamers (and frequent collaborators) who collectively boast more than 13 million YouTube subscribers have tried out partnerships with several MCNs, including Machinima and Omnia Media. Now, they’re looking to revolutionize the YouTube industry through Jetpak, which Montoya termed a “new breed” of MCN.
Jetpak was created by 3BlackDot, an entertainment company launched in July 2014 by a pair of former Machinima employees. Montoya and Cassell have been partnered with 3BlackDot since its launch, and they will now become the two most prominent members of Jetpak’s lineup, which will also include fellow gamer Mr. Sark.
As Montoya explains in an intro video, Jetpak is different from other MCNs because it will accommodate inexperienced YouTubers who may not understand the risks of a network partnership. “In most cases, [an MCN] contract is going to be exclusive, it’s going to be one-sided, sometimes it’s long term…there’s a lot of nasty fine print,” claims Montoya. “Ultimately…YouTubers are often taken advantage of, and they’re none the wiser.”
Jetpak’s website explains three different ways in which it differs from other MCNs. Most significantly, Jetpak will not take a cut of each partner’s ad revenue. Instead, it will charge a flat rate for its services. “We believe there is a fair market value for services that should be based on the services actually delivered, not the size of your channel,” states the website. “A finite cost for a finite service.”
Jetpak will also offer its partners complete financial transparency, and it will only lock its creators into month-to-month deals rather than the multi-year agreements offered by other MCNs. If you’re a YouTube creator, and this sounds like your kind of network, consider sending Jetpak an email–from the looks of it, they’re searching for partners.
Any sci-fi, space, and/or space opera fans out there? How about fans of Christopher Nolan, Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and/or Jessica Chastain? Then you don’t want to miss a live Google+ Hangout with several YouTube celebrities and the cast from Nolans’s new film Interstellar on November 5, 2014 at 5:30PM EST.
Hosted by Entertainment Tonight’s Kevin Frazier, the hour-long session will be livestreamed from the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. McConaughey, Hathaway, and Chastain will be talking about the release of Interstellar, answering fan questions, and previewing clips from the film exclusively for the Hangout attendees.
Additionally, a select group of YouTubers will be joining in the conversation from around the world. Expect to see VSauce3, DJ Flula, Casey Neistat, Anna Akana, and What’s Trending’s Shira Lazar show up in the Hangout. NASA astronomer Natalie Batalha will also make an appearance.
The marketing intiative is part of a larger effort by Google and Paramount Pictures to give moviegoers a more immersive experience. The two companies partnered to deliver and promote various Interstellar-related materials on the internet giant’s platforms, such as Google for Education, Google+, Google Play, and YouTube. Additionally, fans who stop by the Hangout will have access to the Interstellar Showcase app, which will presumably make it very easy for them them to purchase tickets for the film.
Interstellar tells the story of space explorers who must find out whether or not humans can travel outside the galaxy, as time on Earth is quickly coming to an end. The film stars McConaughey, Hathaway, and Chastain alongside Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, John Lithgow, and Michael Caine. The film will show in select theatres on November 5, 2014, and then open nationwide on November 7.
To join today’s Google+ Hangout at 5:30PM EST, visit the film’s Google+ page where you’ll be able to watch the hangout and submit questions for the cast.
Lowes continues to improve its Vine game. The home improvement retailer revealed eight new Vine spots with a DIY-approach for its “Fix in Six” campaign.
Each of the retailer’s six-second, stop-motion videos creatively shows viewers how to fix a problem in their home or streamline an otherwise cumbersome home improvement process. For example, did you know you can microwave a wet sponge for two minutes to kill germs? You can. And you can also cover scratches in your wood flooring and furniture by rubbing the dings and dents with a walnut. (It’s the oil in the nut oil that helps camouflage the problem.)
According to AdWeek, Lowes’s previous “Fix in Six” Vine ads have won them numerous awards and recognition, including a bronze Cannes Lion in the Cyber Category as well as Best in Show at the Mashies. So, it’s no wonder the home improvement company returned to its acclaimed, helpful format for its latest round of Vine videos.
Lowes’ practical “Fix in Six” videos are a fun, entertaining way for the retailer to show its home improvement expertise to a younger demographic and potentially attract more in-store and online shoppers. Let’s just hope Vine viewers don’t mess up their home repairs after attempting the DIY suggestions.
Sorted Food’s Burger Quest began in October when they posted a video announcing their plan to find the Internet’s ultimate hamburger. This process involved a lot of “research” which entailed visits to various burger restaurants around London. Warning: Do not watch this video on an empty stomach.
With their Burger Quest underway, Sorted Food launched a web series called #BeatMyBurger, in which they ask YouTubers about their favorite burger ideas and then turn those ideas into reality. They began with the Mexican-inspired burger of Jim Chapman‘s dreams before moving on to a sushi burger championed by Fleur de Force. Their most recent iteration of the burger is the “Hella-big Burger“, which is inspired by Grace Helbig and features fried potatoes for patties and a whole fried egg.
Jamie Spafford, a member of Sorted Food’s culinary quartet, explain the rationale behind the project in an email to Tubefilter:
“Burgers are one food that nearly everyone in the world can relate to, and more importantly personalise. It felt like the perfect catalyst to start a conversation about and highlight how ideas change from different cities, countries and continents…There’s no right or wrong answer, but there is a whole load of delicious burgers out there to try! People get really passionate about the food they know and love, and we wanted to help bring that out of them…We purposefully haven’t stuck to “the rules” of making a burger (e.g. buns made from baked potatoes, patties made from pulled beef, etc.) because it gets people interested, even if they disagree!”
#BeatMyBurger will run for ten more episodes (five more chats with YouTubers and five more recipes based off those chats), and the Sorted Food team is inviting its followers to join in on the fun. Fans who submit their own burger ideas on Sorted Food’s website or on its mobile app could end up featured in a series of events the channel plans to run on December 1st. At those “meat ups“, which will occur in cities like Los Angeles, New York, and London, the top five burgers will be put on display, and guests will be asked to choose which one will become “The Internet’s Ultimate Burger.”
Until then, keep an eye on Sorted Food’s channel for more #BeatMyBurger episodes, and starting thinking up some food experiments of your own design.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) is ready to acknowledge the massive influence of online video in formal fashion. The organization has launched the Digital Video Center of Excellence division and offered Hulu’s SVP of ad sales Peter Naylor the office of chairman.
Based at the IAB’s New York headquarters, the new digital video division will be responsible for research, advertising case studies, technical standards, best-practice guidelines, and more in the realm of online video. According to Variety, specific research projects have already been proposed, like investigating video ad-frequency capping and consumer perceptions of advanced TVs.
“Digital video is only in its infancy, and yet the combination of sight, sound and motion has already taken the interactive marketplace by storm,” said Naylor to Variety. “The broader ecosystem needs a central organization that will be able to steer the digital-video movement on a pathway towards even more expansion, and inspire greater commitment from marketers to both the video medium, as well as cross-screen campaigns.”
Anna Bager, IAB’s previous head of mobile research, has been promoted to SVP of mobile and video, now overseeing both the Digital Video Center of Excellence and Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence divisions. Bager told Variety in order for the digital video industry to grow, “we need to coalesce around standards, conduct in-depth research, and examine what works and why in digital-video advertising — all of which are part of the plan for the Video Center.”
Omnia Media has set its eyes on new business goals, and hired a new digital executive to help accomplish them. The gaming, music, and style-focused MCN (that’s with YouTubers like SeaNanners and The Syndicate Project) brought on Chris Yates as VP of Monetization.
Yates’s responsibilities will include creating and handling strategic partnerships with film studios, TV networks, music labels, and other media companies and brands. He’ll also take on the task of syndicating Omnia’s content on various platforms, as well as obtaining licensing deals outside of YouTube. Yates has plenty of previous knowledge to draw from, as he was VP of Content Licensing and Business Development at Rovi Entertainment Store, and before that, he managed content deals for Dell.
“Omnia has been privileged to work with some of the best talent on YouTube creating the next wave of great content,” said Tamoor Shafi, founder and CEO of Omnia, in the release. “We’re beyond excited for Chris to spearhead our new initiatives to further monetize that content and maximize the revenue potential for our partners.”
Yates also expressed his pleasure at joining the MCN. “Omnia Media has built an outstanding business these past two years. I’m confident Omnia will continue it’s phenomenal growth with the best talent, content and brand partnerships both on and off Youtube and I’m thrilled to be joining at such an exciting time.”
Based in Los Angeles, the MCN recently partnered with Channel Factory to create Content Labs, a custom content and media advertising initiative for brands on YouTube. Omnia claims over 50 million subscribers and one billion monthly views across more than 1,000 content partners.
Hustvedt (who has been working with YouTube stars like The Fine Bros. on branded deals by way of Reach Entertainment since leaving Chill) has teamed up with online video veteran Max Benator (who manages prominent and burgeoning YouTube stars like The Fine Bros.) to form SUPERGRAVITY Pictures, a “full-fledged feature film studio set up to finance, produce, market and distribute three to five full-length features and premium long-form specials” per year.
“The internet has fundamentally changed the film business, particularly around distribution,” said Hustvedt in the release. “We are building an entirely new kind of studio that will break more than a few of these old rules, putting audience above all else.”
The first flick announced of their upcoming slate is a thriller. The Chosen is currently in production in Los Angeles and will star O2L’s Kian Lawley (who has nearly three million YouTube subscribers across his twochannels, more than 1.7 million Twitter followers, and recently went missing as part of a marketing campaign for the horror film Ouija), Elizabeth Keener (of Showtime’s The L Word fame) and Dayna Devon (of Extra and TLC’s Plastic Wives). The film is also being made in partnership with Terror Films, and Terror’s Joe Dain, Jim Klock, and Miles Fineburg are on board as Producers. Hustvedt and Benator are both Executive Producers, along with Peter Schafer, while Ben Jehoshua is taking on the directorial duties with an original screenplay by Barry Jay Stich.
Similar to the marketing strategy Hustvedt successfully employed with Camp Takota, fans can register today for “exclusive access inside the making of the movie,” including “clips and updates from the cast, advanced access to special Insider’s theater tickets, discounts on official merchandise and more” at TheChosenMovie.co. Those fans who register as “Chosen Insiders” will also undoubtedly be notified with information on when and where they can purchase the final film (in addition to a bunch of branded merchandise) once it’s on sale.
But from where on the internet The Chosen will be sold hasn’t yet been decided. Supergravity notes the distribution of its finished products “will leverage all platforms with the focus directed toward where audiences consume entertainment rather than relying on traditional windowing.” That’s just vague enough to leave the company open to sell the films through iTunes, YouTube, VHX, Vimeo, Fullscreen, Vessel, or any combination of advertiser-supported, subscription-based, or pay-to-view premium online video destinations.
And then, of course, there is the possibilty of movie theaters.
“Audiences today are connected directly to their favorite stars and their entertainment portal is always at their fingertips,” noted Benator in the release. “We’re using the internet to scientifically identify our audience and make our product directly available to them, which includes the theatrical experience as well.”
American Entertainment Investors has structured the financing for Supergravity’s first film slate. The company presumably has the cash already in place for its first handful of productions. Expect to hear a lot more news from the new online video initiative in the days, weeks, and months to come.
Full Disclosure: Marc Hustvedt is one of the founders of Tubefilter. He’s also a great guy.
The tour begins today (November 5th) in Wolverhampton and slowly winds its way around Great Britain before ending in Glasgow, where Miranda will perform for a sold-out audience on November 16th. The only other sold-out show is the November 13th date in Manchester; tickets for the other eight can be purchased from Miranda’s website, where they cost £22 (or £32 for a meet-and-greet ticket).
At each show, Ballinger will serve as an “opener” before slipping into character and delivering Miranda’s intentionally-awful performance. Here’s Miranda, announcing her UK tour back in August and pining for a British castle of her own:
This is Miranda’s first tour of the UK, but she has already performed several shows in the US, and she will undertake another stateside tour when she returns from across the pond. After two November shows in Arizona, she will travel to 16 US cities across three months. If you’re curious to see what Miranda’s absurd YouTube act looks like in real life, you can purchase tickets for her upcoming shows over at her website or through Ticketmaster.
The first episode takes place at the First Rooster Teeth Banquet, a formal event hosted by Rooster Teeth co-founder Burnie Burns in appreciation of nine of his staff members. The night quickly turns sour when Achievement Hunter‘s Michael Jones accuses everyone in the room of their awkward and gruesome past crimes and threatens to turn them into the authorities. However, Jones soon falls over dead by way of a poisoned drink, and from there on it’s all Clue-the-movie-style mystery and mayhem as the rest of the staff tries to figure out who’s out for blood before they also find themselves without a mortal coil.
Ten Little Roosters is one of the most meta pieces of entertainment to come out of the production company yet (though some episodes and one-offs from Red Vs. Blue are self-referential, too). Many of the jokes are based on Rooster Teeth’s previous productions. For instance, Chris Demarais wears his hobbit costume from A Simple Walk Into Mordor, with a tie added on to make it “formal,” while Ryan Haywood dons a kilt (like his Minecraft avatar in the company’s Let’s Play videos). Other references are more personal in nature or derived from Rooster Teeth’s company culture. For example, there’s a lot of people flipping the bird at one another, Burnie yells “god d*** it, Barb!” at Barbara Dunkelman when she’s annoying, and Miles Luna fawns over Adam “Gilby” Ellis’s massive beard.
But the truly unique part about this show is how Rooster Teeth turns over the sleuthing to the fans. Each week, viewers can vote on who they think the murderer is, who they think will die in the next episode, and how that person will meet their untimely end. Correct guesses get entered for a chance to win Rooster Teeth merchandise, and the fan with the most correct answers at the end of the entire show will win a trip to the Rooster Teeth studios (or to a convention of his or her choice). Needless to say, audiences on both Tumblr and Reddit are in a tizzy, posting their who-done-it theories and even collaborating with each other to deduce what seemingly irrelevant details in the debut episode could mean.
New episodes of Ten Little Roosters will be released every Tuesday. If you want to take part in solving the mystery, watch the first episode on RoosterTeeth.com and sign up on the site (if you aren’t already) to enter your guesses before new episodes are released. Good luck, detective.
The video brings Atwood to the headquarters of JAFCO, a Floridian charity that assists abused and neglected children. In the night, Atwood arrives at the JAFCO building and makes it seem as if he has broken in. The next morning, he dons his best detective costume, goes to “investigate,” spends a few minutes doing his best CSI: Miami impression, and then gives the JAFCO employees a nice surprise by showing them that there hasn’t been a break-in at all; instead, TigerDirect has replaced all of the company’s outdated equipment, providing them with a suite of new computers.
Atwood posted the video to his YouTube channel on November 2nd. It needed just two days to cross one million views, with Atwood’s 4.6 million YouTube subscribers serving as the primary audience.
TigerDirect used the prank to promote some of its sale items, which Atwood links to in the video’s description. This isn’t the first time the retailer has attached its brand to a video from a popular YouTube channel; previously, it sponsored Rhett and Link’s “Nerd Vs. Geek” rap battle. The robbery prank is a heartwarming stunt that provides good press for TigerDirect, a needed upgrade for JAFCO, and a positive addition to Atwood’s catalog.
YouTube beauty and fashion guru Rachel Cooper (aka RachhLoves on the world’s largest video sharing site) is getting a web series order north of the border.
Canada’s Corus Entertainment’s W Network tapped the StyleHaul partner and burgeoning online video star with more than 400,000 YouTube subscribers to host at least eight episodes of Get Ready With Rachel. Produced by Toronto-based RTR Media, the program will feature Cooper helping audiences prepare for big life events (like weddings, first days of school, birthday parties, pumpkin patch day trips, etc.), many of which she’s already touched on in her YouTube series “Get Ready With Me!”.
Get Ready With Rachel will be released on W Network’s online video destination, but the idea is it could eventually get some play on another entertainment medium. The series is produced with the support of Bell Fund’s TV Development Online Program, according to StreamDaily. The initiative was put in place to “enhance the development of potential new television programming by supporting the production of ‘pilot’ content produced for online testing.” So, expect another announcement in the not-so-distant future of Get Ready With Rachel getting picked up for Canadian television if Cooper’s new show resonates with online video audiences of the W Network and beyond.
