Think of a zombie. What comes to mind? I’m guessing 1) survival, 2) brains, and 3) the undying appeal of the 2009 Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Emma Stone flick Zombieland. I’m guessing what doesn’t come to your mind is couture. But in the new-age Halloween spirit of pairing two seemingly disparate things into something awesome, StyleHaul is looking to change your stylish conceptions about the undead.
The female-skewing lifestyle network has launched its first-ever Halloween-inspired Snapchat series, mashing together the worlds of zombies and fashion. It’s called The Stylish Dead.
Exclusively available on Snapchat, The Stylish Dead addresses what would happen to the world of fashion during a zombie apocalypse. StyleHaul beauty, fashion, and lifestyle creators will take Snaps of their zombie-fashion interpretations, which will be curated across the creators’ and StyleHaul’s Snapchat accounts. Fans will also be able to catch extra Stylish Dead content, such as tutorials and look books, using the hashtag #StylishDead on StyleHaul’s Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube channel, too.
“Snapchat is the perfect platform for this kind of zeitgeisty, sharable content,” said Mia Goldwyn, StyleHaul’s Chief Content Officer, in a release. “We look forward to sharing the gore-ified, yet highly stylized looks our creators brew up as they transform themselves into the Stylish Dead.”
A release claims StyleHaul pulled in 1.5 million total views on YouTube alone for the network’s 2014 Halloween content. Overall, StyleHaul currently boasts over 1 billion video views per month across its network of 5,000 YouTube creators.
TV viewers in the UK will soon get an inside look at the world of YouTube vloggers. BBC Three is set to air a documentary called Rise of the Superstar Vloggers, which will follow YouTuber Jim Chapman as he interviews his friends and colleagues in the YouTube community.
The 60-minute documentary will feature conversations between Chapman (who himself has more than 2.4 million subscribers) and top YouTube stars like Tyler Oakley, Joe Sugg, Alfie Deyes, Laci Green, Marcus Butler, and Ingrid Nilsen. Additional videomakers, such as Rhett & Link and Tomska, will show up to talk about the influence of vlogs and their creators.
The goal, according to producer Little Dot Studios, is to paint a complete picture of the vlogging profession, one that heralds its positive impact while also recognizing its drawbacks. Some of the featured vloggers, for example, will discuss how hard it is for them to maintain any sort of private life.
“Audiences think they know everything about vloggers, and many assume they have turned up and become overnight superstars,” said Little Dot’s Dan Jones in a press release. “The reality is different, with plenty of vloggers having fascinating stories on the road to becoming the 21st century’s new breed of celebrity. Having worked across TV and YouTube for the past decade, we’re in a unique position to unearth the most interesting of these stories, and tell them from the perspective of the vloggers themselves.”
Rise of the Superstar Vloggers will premiere “later this year,” according to Little Dot.
In March and April 2015, Yahoo debuted three new original series, including the sixth season of the NBC-cancelled Community. However, these in-house projects didn’t do so well financially for the struggling tech giant. Yahoo lost $42 million from its original video division in the third quarter of 2015.
In its most recent earnings call, Yahoo’s CFO Ken Goldman said the primary originals responsible for the $42 million loss were Community (which debuted on March 17), Sin City Saints (March 31), and Paul Feig’s Other Space (April 14). Goldman said with these projects, Yahoo simply “couldn’t see a way to make money over time.” The $42 million hit only helped contribute to Yahoo’s overall poor third-quarter performance, as the internet brand missed both net and revenue income estimates.
Yahoo pushed heavily into original video content in early 2015. Community, Sin City Saints, and Other Space were all developed under the leadership and encouragement of then-CMO Kathy Savitt, who recently left Yahoo to helm digital at STX. In August, Community star Joel McHale told The Hollywood Reporter the series wouldn’t be revived for a seventh season (mostly because the status and going rates of the show’s stars has dramatically increased since the series left NBC), though Yahoo insisted it would work on more opportunities for the show.
On the third quarter earnings call, Goldman emphasized Yahoo isn’t giving up on originals. “We’re not saying we’re not going to do these at all in the future, but what we are saying is, in three cases at least, it didn’t work the way we had hoped it would work,” the CFO explained.
At the time of its Digital Content Newfronts presentation earlier this year, Yahoo outlined 18 new series set for production, including an EDM competition show helmed by TV personality Simon Cowell. However, all these projects were initially given the greenlight by Savitt. Now, with that executive out of the picture and Yahoo’s original video financial failings, the internet pioneer will presumably attempt to be more strategic with what content it decides to pursue next.
After months of speculation, YouTube has publicized its paid subscription plans. The site’s new service will be titled YouTube Red, it will cost $9.99 per month, and its offerings will include original programs created by prominent members of the YouTube community.
YouTube Red will launch in the US on October 28th, at which point users will be able to try it out for free for a month. Perhaps the biggest draw for the premium service will be the ad-free viewing experience it provides, but the $9.99 subscription will also include access to several of YouTube’s most enticing features, including a few that have been in the works for a long time. Subscribers will gain access to a shiny new YouTube Music app, as well as Google Play Music. YouTube Red users will also be able to download videos and watch them offline, thus making available a feature the video site has talked about for years.
As YouTube has continually stressed, the launch of Red will not affect the site’s basic, ad-supported service. “You’ll still be able to enjoy YouTube, along with the YouTube Kids, Gaming and Music apps free of charge,” reads a YouTube blog post. “But with YouTube Red, you’ll be able to support the people who make your favorite videos while watching what you want, when you want, on any device you want, uninterrupted.”
Here, courtesy of YouTube, is information about the programming subscribers will find on YouTube Red:
Scare PewDiePie: In this reality-adventure series from the creator and executive producers of The Walking Dead at Skybound Entertainment and Maker Studios, experience thrills, chills and laughter as PewDiePie encounters terrifying situations inspired by his favorite video games.
Sing It!: From Fine Brothers Entertainment and Mandeville Films comes SING IT!, a scripted comedy that lovingly satirizes the reality singing competitions that have become a centerpiece of pop culture.
Lazer Team: In this feature-length action-comedy from Rooster Teeth and Fullscreen Films, four small-town losers stumble upon an alien ship carrying a mysterious cargo, leading to a battle to save Earth from an all-powerful enemy.
A Trip to Unicorn Island: From the team at Astronauts Wanted, this feature-length movie gives fans an extraordinary look inside the life and journey of Lilly Singh as she embarks on a challenging 26-city global tour where she has to remember to practice what she preaches: happiness is the only thing worth fighting for.
Untitled Joey Graceffa project: In this all-new reality adventure series, Joey Graceffa brings together an ensemble of top YouTubers for a Murder Mystery they’ll never forget. They’ll form alliances to survive, but little do they know that most won’t make it out alive.
360 Project from MatPat of Game Theory: YouTube educator and pop culture expert MatPat from The Game Theorists invites the audience to come along for the ride in an innovative new series and 360 VR experience. In each episode Matt explores the real-life science behind popular video games by throwing gamers into the high-stakes scenarios they play through every day, from water jetpacks to haunted pizzerias.
Single by 30: In this romantic drama series from Wong Fu Productions and New Form Digital, two high school best friends make a promise to get married if they’re still single at 30. A decade later, with 30 quickly approaching, their attempt at upholding their vow unfolds in unexpected ways. Starring Harry Shum, Jr. and Kina Grannis.
Untitled CollegeHumor project: Written by and starring the cast of CollegeHumor, along with special guests, this new anthology series will take a dark and comedic look at the absurdity of Internet culture.
Fight of the Living Dead: In an unprecedented social experiment reality show from Alpine Labs, Fight of the Living Dead takes popular YouTube talent and traps them in a frighteningly realistic zombie apocalypse. They must use their instincts and gaming skills to survive as they battle the elements for the ultimate prize of survival.
I Am Tobuscus: From the mind of Toby Turner, this scripted comedy explores the world of a self-involved YouTube creator pursuing bigger stardom. The show features original music, and satirizes the hilarious details of being an eccentric, the new-age celebrity.”
Now that details about YouTube’s subscription plans are out in the open, we can start to think about Red’s long-term viability. There will surely be plenty of hubbub surrounding the service once it launches, but a lot of its success will surely hinge on the popularity of the original programs attached to it. The first of those programs will launch early next year.
We’ll share more details on the specifics of YouTube Red as we have them.
The past few months have turned a slew of YouTube stars into bestselling authors, and now that Tyler Oakley’s book has been released, it only makes sense for him to join that list. The affable vlogger, who has more than 7.6 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, has seen great early returns from Binge, his personal memoir.
Binge was born out of a May 2015 deal between Oakley and Simon & Schuster’s Gallery Books; the deal itself was the culmination of more than two years of focused writing from the YouTube star. In the book, Oakley shares a number of personal essays, which detail his rise from a wide-eyed college student at Michigan State University to an uber-confident YouTube star particularly known for his views on LGBT issues.
“Even if I spend every waking moment attempting to keep my life in balance, I’m going to fuck up. Having already fucked up quite a few times in my life, and having lived to tell the tale, I don’t regret any of it,” says Oakley in the book’s introduction. “I’ve binged plenty of times in my life, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Regardless, I indulged. This collection is the result.”
As we expected, Oakley’s fans have binged on Binge, and as a result, the book is already a bestseller on Amazon. At the time of this post, it is the online retailer’s 23rd most popular title; other YouTube stars whose books reside in the top 25 include Dan Howell, Phil Lester, and Felix “PewDiePie” Kjellberg.
Should you wish to add to Oakley’s big sales figures, you can pick up a copy of Binge right here.
Maisie Williams is already on her way toward becoming a digital media star. Now, her TV sister is looking to do the same. Sophie Turner, best known for playing Sansa Stark on the HBO TV series Game of Thrones, will host an upcoming Huffington Post web series called #PowerShift.
In #PowerShift, Turner will explore the world of social media and bring viewers interesting cases that show its importance. Topics like social justice and politics will be central to the show’s focus. “Social media has amplified the voice for my generation around the world and changed the way that we communicate,” said Turner. “I am a huge advocate of social media and thrilled to be given the opportunity to delve deep into its influence and impact on society at large.”
For AOL, Huffington Post’s parent company, this genre of celebrity-driven web content is nothing new. The media company has launched dozens of web series, most of which feature their own high-profile hosts.
#PowerShift, which will run for ten episodes, does not currently have a confirmed release date.
Every once in a while, an unusual video arrives online and leaves the Internet to deduce its true meaning. In 2013, there was the curious case of the Pronunciation Book YouTube channel, which turned out to be promoting an art show. Now, two years later, there’s another cryptic video in the crosshairs of Internet sleuths. It comes from a YouTube user named aetbx, and its true meaning is currently unknown.
The video, first uploaded in May 2015, features a lone figure dressed in robes and a plague mask. He or she is accompanied by a loud droning noise, and abrupt cuts do their best to creep viewers out. In their analyses, many viewers have hearkened back to The Ring, the 2002 horror film that centered on its own creepy black-and-white video.
Interest in the video reached its peak after it appeared on a mysterious CD sent to a Swedish blog earlier in October. Since then, viewers have scoured the video in search of clues. Its title and description, both written in binary, translate to a Spanish message that reads “Death: You have a year or less” when translated into English. A group of coordinates shown in the video refer to the location of the White House, and a hidden message anagrams to “KILL THE PRESIDENT.” When the droning sound is placed into a spectrogram, it reveals a graphic image that reads “you are already dead.”
Based off the sinister nature of these clues, some people believe the video is the work of a criminal mastermind. The more likely solution, however, is that it’s some sort of viral marketing campaign or art piece. One Reddit user has noted how closely some of the clues relate to the plot of Inferno, a book by Dan Brown. A film adaptation of Inferno is indeed in the works, and it’s due out on October 14th, 2016. In other words: You have a year or less.
So that’s our working theory, for now. Some dissenters have quibbled with it, as they believe the images in the spectrogram are too graphic to relate to a PG-13 movie. If you have any other theories, you can contribute to a growing Reddit thread. This video has certainly caught our attention. Has it captivated you as well?
It’s no secret YouTube boasts a massive video library, thanks to the site receiving about 400 hours of new content uploaded every minute. But surprisingly (or not) the majority of those clips rarely contribute much towards YouTube’s total view count. ReelSEOreports just 5% of YouTube videos account for nearly 95% of the site’s all-time video views (which puts the Pareto Principle to shame).
ReelSEO determined these percentages thanks to Tubular Labs. The online video analytics company (that recently acquired ReelSEO) found YouTube is home to roughly 1.1 billion videos that have generated 7.8 trillion all-time views. Out of these clips, only 58.6 million videos on YouTube claim at least 10,000 views a piece. And those videos with at least 10,000 views account for 7.4 trillion aggregative views on YouTube, or about 95% of the 7.8 trillion all-time total.
It’s interesting to note, too, how ten out of the 58.6 million videos with at least 10,000 views each have now hit the billionth view mark. Psy’s “Gangnam Style” music video is sitting at the top of the list with over 2.4 billion video views as of this writing (the video is notorious for “breaking” but not really breaking YouTube’s view counter at the 2.14 billion mark). The other clips in the one-billion-view-mark-and-counting crowd are also all music videos from the likes of Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Enrique Iglesias, Meghan Trainor, and the club’s newest member Wiz Khalifa.
You can see a list of all eight of YouTube’s billion-view videos on ReelSEO’s blog post.
If there weren’t enough social media-friendly news sites out there, CNN has added one more. The cable news network has funded Great Big Story, a news site that offers shareable video features.
Great Big Story launched its first videos on October 20th, and it immediately identified its target audience. Two of the first videos profile a pair of 90s icons: Lisa Frank and the Kool-Aid Man. The potential for Millennial nostalgia is high, and nostalgia flows in the direction of social media shares.
That being said, Great Big Story has pledged to offer a higher-quality brand of buzzy content. “What if there were more to your social feed than empty clickbait and cat videos?” asks a narrator in the site’s intro video.
While Great Big Story is looking to use a newsy approach to differentiate from its major competitors, it is also borrow their most compelling elements. Each post, for example, is branded with its own adjective (e.g. “Something Teeth-Rattling” or “Something New”), a touch that resembles the badge systemBuzzFeed uses to promote reactions. The overall sleek and stylish feel of the features themselves challenges Vice, which has made a name for itself thanks to edgy, artful stories it shares with its readers and viewers.
It’s hard to say if Great Big Story will find its niche in an increasingly saturated market. CNN’s support will certainly help, as will a talented team with experience at sites like BuzzFeed, Vice, and Vox. Variety says Great Big Story will share about three to five stories each day, and we’ll know how well the site is doing by tracking how many of these stories find their intended home on social media. I’ll keep an eye on my personal feed to see if any Great Big Stories show up there.
In a hugely popular 2013 ad, Turkish Airlines facilitated a “selfie shootout” between Kobe Bryant and Lionel Messi. The airline’s new spokespeople may not be great at sports, but they have highly engaged audiences of their own, and as a result, they’ll get to go on their own adventures. Turkish Airlines and multi-channel network Rightster have launched the 2015 edition of their #FortuneTraveller campaign, which will send ten popular online video stars on a trip to Istanbul.
The ten creators who are participating in Turkish Airlines’ new campaign are a global bunch who have more than 40 million followers between them on social media. Among them are French Snapchat pioneer Jerome Jarre, American filmmaker Casey Neistat, British makeup expert Bubz Beauty, and German vlogger Sami Slimani. Turkish Airlines invited its creative partners to come to Istanbul by sending them boxed invitations. The ensuing reactions have been collected in a playlist:
While in Istanbul, the participating creators will share their experiences in regular travel vlogs. Their journey will also take them to an additional mystery location in Turkey. My money’s on Cappadocia.
“Following the success of the #FortuneTraveller campaign, we are really excited to launch another global social campaign featuring some of the world’s most influential creators,” said Neset Dereli, Interactive Marketing Manager at Turkish Airlines, in a press release. “Bringing together creators from multiple networks, and utilising Rightster’s expertise in creating branded content, will mean we have the opportunity to reach a truly global audience.”
Videos from the #FortuneTraveller campaign will be posted to each individual creator’s YouTube channel. If you’d like to keep track of the journey, you only need to press subscribe.
The company known for producing “in real life” events led by digital media stars just hauled in a big partner. Viacom has led a funding round in DigiTour, acquiring a minority stake in the process.
DigiTour did not disclose the size of Viacom’s investment, but the funding round is believed to be worth somewhere in the vicinity of $10 million, according to Variety. As part of the deal, Viacom has gained a presence on the DigiTour board. Other venture capital firms participating in the round include LionTree and Slow Ventures.
The funding round will support DigiTour’s existing operation, through which it runs massive meetups across the United States. Its Digifest events, which give YouTube, Vine, Instagram, and Snapchat stars a chance to perform in front of their biggest fans, have been known to draw as many as 12,500 attendees.
“Partnering with a premiere entertainment company like Viacom and its powerhouse brands is something I have always envisioned for DigiTour,” said Meridith Valiando Rojas, Co-Founder and CEO of DigiTour, in a release. “We believe that this pairing will lead to opportunities to combine our authentic connection to Generation Z with Viacom’s unparalleled television, film, digital and international resources in order to help accelerate and scale our media brand globally.”
On October 15th, NBCUniversal announced SeeSo, a subscription service with a focus on comedy programming. Four days later, a trailer for the service has arrived, and it shows us some of the people who subscribers will see.
As with other digital comedy platforms (like Broadway Video’s Above Average), SeeSo will mine a lot of its talent from New York’s Upright Citizen’s Brigade. Specifically, UCB’s four co-founders–Matt Besser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts and Matt Walsh–all show up together in the new service’s trailer. So too do cult favorite comedy writer Dan Harmon and well-traveled actor Thomas Lennon. Also, they’re all apparently in the Illuminati, or something like that. Watch the trailer and you’ll see what I mean:
Of course, Poehler and Harmon share more in common than just their affinity for comedy. They’re both well-known as NBC collaborators: Poehler for Parks and Recreation and Harmon for Community. That connection gives us another idea of the sort of stuff we can expect among SeeSo’s 20+ planned original series. There will likely be new material from NBC regulars to go along with full seasons of the Peacock’s network shows.
A subscription to SeeSo will cost $3.99 per month. While the service does not have a specific release date, it is expected to arrive in the first quarter of 2016.
