Disney is finally letting Maker Studios talent have some fun with one of its most popular and well-loved franchises. On September 2, 2015, several Maker creators will participate in a global live streaming event to unbox the brand-new toys from the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens, which will premiere in theaters on December 18, 2015.

The Star Wars product launch and unboxing live stream event will feature well-known Maker talent like EvanTubeHD, Bratayley, HobbyKidsTV, and Chris Pirillo. Starting at 5:45 PM EDT in Sydney, Australia (7:45 AM EST on September 3), the 18-hour Star Wars unboxing event will span 15 different cities and 12 different countries. A different Maker creator in each location will highlight key features of the The Force Awakens toys via the stream hosted on the official Star Wars YouTube channel.

Disney and Maker’s Star Wars live streaming product launch will appropriately wrap up at Lucasfilm headquarters in San Francisco, California, at 8 AM PST/12 PM EST on September 3. Then, at midnight local time on the same day, toy retailers will start selling Star Wars: The Force Awakens merchandise to fans around the world.

Here’s a complete schedule of the Maker talent involved and what location they’ll be streaming from around the world, thanks to The VideoInk:

The news of Maker’s Star Wars unboxing event is the latest in a growing number of collaborations between the digital media entity and its parent company. And regardless of whether Maker Studios hits its bonus payout goals from its acquisition by Disney, the Mouse House is finding ways to work with and utilize the network’s talent.

You can catch the Star Wars: The Force Awakens unboxing live stream on September 2 via the Star Wars YouTube channel.

Filed under: Articles, Maker Studios, News by Bree Brouwer
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Rooster Teeth finally has a release date for its first feature film Lazer Team. The Austin-based web production company’s sci-fi comedy movie will make its worldwide premiere at Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar during the genre cinema festival Fantastic Fest on September 24, 2015.

Presented by Fullscreen (Rooster Teeth’s parent company) and its recently-launched film department, Lazer Team tells the story of four hapless idiots who accidentally don various pieces of a genetically-linking super suit, originally intended for the Champion of Earth to defend the planet from an oncoming alien invasion. The film stars Burnie Burns, Michael Jones, Gavin Free, Colton Dunn, and Alan Ritchson, who will all be in attendance at the Lazer Team world premiere for a post-screening question-and-answer session.

Lazer Team was originally launched as an Indiegogo campaign by Rooster Teeth in June 2014. The production company managed to raise over $1 million in just three days, and then went on to top off at over $2.4 million. This sum made Lazer Team the most-funded feature film of all time in Indiegogo’s history. Rooster Teeth announced the principal cast and began production on Lazer Team in October 2014, and released the flick’s official trailer in March 2015.

“It’s a tremendous honor to hold the World Premiere of our first feature film in our home town,” said Lazer Team director and Rooster Teeth CEO Matt Hullum in a release. “Getting to this point has been an incredible journey, and we couldn’t have done it without our talented cast and crew, the generous Indiegogo backers, and all of the fans that have supported us along the way.”

If you’re local to Austin, you can purchase a Fan badge to Fantastic Fest here, which will give you access to see the premiere of Lazer Team. Otherwise, you can purchase a 2nd Half badge and hope to catch a replay of Rooster Teeth’s feature film at some point during the second portion of the festival.

Filed under: Articles, News, Rooster Teeth by Bree Brouwer
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On August 26th, Kenyan native Julius Yego won gold in the men’s javelin throw event at the World Championships in Athletics in Beijing. His winning distance of 92.72 meters set an African record and was the longest throw in 14 years. Yego, however, is no ordinary javelin thrower. As The Washington Post and other outlets have reported, he does not have a coach; instead, he augments his training by watching javelin videos on YouTube.

Yego’s reliance on YouTube is not a new development. In the early stages of his professional career, he used videos to study the techniques of master javelin throwers like Andreas Thorkildsen and world record holder Jan Železný. “I watched YouTube and it really paid off for me, to see the training techniques and skills they are using,” he told CNN in a 2013 profile. He also discussed his unusual training method in a video produced for the 2012 Olympics. In London, Yego made it out of the qualifying round and finished 12th.

Yego is not the first athlete to use YouTube to assist his career in high-level athletics. Håvard Rugland, a Norwegian placekicker, caught the attention of NFL teams when he showed off some absurd “trick shots” in a YouTube video called “Kickalicious.” Rugland ultimately earned a contract with the Detroit Lions in 2013, though he did not make the team’s opening day roster.

Yego’s accomplishments in his sport have already surpassed Rugland’s. He’s likely to be one of the favorites in the javelin throw event at 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio di Janeiro. I’ll certainly be rooting for him to take gold.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, YouTube by Sam Gutelle
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Seven months after it first launched, Snapchat’s branded content portal is expanding. The messaging app’s Discover section, on which users can find text, image, and video updates from media companies, digital publishers, and other participating brands, has added Mashable, Tastemade, and IGN to its roster.

Of the three new additions, Mashable is the most intriguing. The publication, which covers social media and Internet culture, has frequently used the newest platforms to deliver fun updates for its followers. It has created fun six-second videos for its Vine channel and has experimented with all sorts of content on its official Snapchat hub.

“Mashable is very excited to be joining Snapchat Discover, which we believe is a unique storytelling format that puts the narrative first and allows for an exciting mix of videos, shareable interactives, animations, illustrations and articles like nothing else in digital storytelling,” said Mashable CMO Stacy Martinet. “The Mashable Discover channel will feature next level tech and digital culture in a way that’s native to Snapchat.”

Tastemade will become the second food brand on Discover, joining the Food Network. Its Snapchat presence extends from its YouTube network, where it delivers artsy food videos to millions of viewers.

IGN, on the other hand, fills in a gaming niche that Discover did not cover previously. Like Tastemade, IGN’s has established itself on YouTube, where its official channel has more than six million subscribers.

The last time it added new brands to Discover, Snapchat also removed others, thus maintaining an equilibrium of 12 Discover publishers. This time, there are no brands leaving the app, so Discover will increase to 15 publishers. That will require a slightly more crowded design, but the extra content will be more than worth it.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, Snapchat by Sam Gutelle
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To find the latest offering for its On Demand library, Vimeo has turned to the independent web series community. There, it has found EastSiders, an acclaimed drama that will premiere its second season exclusively on Vimeo On Demand beginning on September 15th.

EastSiders tells the story of Cal (series creator Kit Williamson) and Thom (Van Hansis), a gay couple looking to save their relationship after infidelity threatens to break it apart. The first season of the series premiered in December 2012 and completed its nine-episode run more than six months later. Eventually, a single-installment version of the series made it to TV via Logo.

In April 2014, Williamson began his quest for a second season. He launched a Kickstarter campaign through which he hoped to raise $125,000 to fund additional episodes. Despite that hefty price tag, EastSiders met and surpassed its goal, ultimately raising more than $150,000.

On the EastSiders Kickstarter page, Williamson explained he wanted “to make season two of the show every bit as good as a cable TV show.” Judging by a trailer now available on the show’s Vimeo page, he has achieved his goal:

In bringing his series to Vimeo On Demand, Williamson said he “was inspired by the enormous success Vimeo has had with shows like High Maintenance,” which is now on its way to TV. Viewers who are eager to view season two of EastSiders can pre-order it for $19.99. If you’d rather wait for the show to move elsewhere, circle November 3rd on your calendar; that’s the day EastSiders will arrive on DVD and additional digital platform.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, Vimeo, Web Series by Sam Gutelle
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Reelio has some new cash to help boost its business operations. The influencer marketing platform, which connects brands with digital stars for branded content initiatives, has closed a $5 million Series A round, backed by previous investors as well as a group of global investors.

Reelio will use this new influx of money to build out the brand’s match-making technology, as well as its salesforce and executive teams. Founded in 2012, the influencer marketing company previously raised over $3 million in seed money to launch in beta mode. Reelio’s previous investors include e.ventures and firms from the likes of Lorne Michaels, Phillipp Schindler, and Tremor Video founders Jason Glickman and Andrew Reis.

“Today, brands are aggressively investing in ways to connect with audiences through branded content, and while the influencer marketing space is very exciting for marketers, it can also be new and scary,” said Pete Borum, co-founder and CEO of Reelio, in a release. “The surprising simplicity of our product, along with the attentive and expert support of our account specialists, makes it easy for brands to execute incredibly successful content partnerships in a scalable, predictable, repeatable, and brand-safe way. And our data-driven technology proves the results. This allows brands to achieve a high and measurable ROI at any budget, which in turn creates a high concentration of brand dollars on our platform for content creators.”

“This raise allows us to continue to invest in our technology platform, executive team, and expansion into key markets,” added Ben Williams, co-founder and COO of Reelio. “All these facets will help us continue providing more convenience, transparency, and opportunities for both our brand and influencer partners, and the agencies and MCNs that represent them.”

Having worked with brands including Clinique and Visa, Reelio currently boasts an influencer network of more than 10,000 creators.

Filed under: Articles, News, Reelio by Bree Brouwer
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Got a Twitter or YouTube-related mystery that you just can’t solve? Call the Social Media Special-Ops. The SMS (get it?) takes center stage in a new three-episode web series produced and distributed by MTV.

Social Media Special-Ops, is, at its heart, a parody of overblown criminal investigation shows like CSI and NCIS. Those shows are easy targets, and they’ve been ridiculed on the web before, but SMS adds a fresh spin by tossing in some social media-related satire. Twitter hashtags appear on the screen at ill-fitting moments, and the punchy script doesn’t miss any chances to take a few shots at the inherent egoism of Internet culture.

Each installment of Social Media Special-Ops has its stars taking on a new case. In the premiere episode, the SMS team meets with an over-the-top vlogger who must recover her stolen phone, lest her viewers see videos that portray her as an upstanding member of society. That description probably does a better job than my previous paragraph when it comes to explaining what SMS is all about.

Social Media Special-Ops is one of several web series MTV has produced since launching MTV(other), a digital content studio dedicated to “short shows” and “random weirdness.” The music television network’s other digital projects include new episodes of The Untitled Web Series Morgan Evans Is Doing and a pair of programs that serve as vehicles for YouTube stars Franchesca Ramsey and Laci Green. The majority of MTV’s web content can be viewed on the channel’s official YouTube home.

Filed under: Articles, Channels, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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Actor Keith Powell is best known for his role as Toofer on the sitcom 30 Rock, but he has also produced a number of original web series. Powell’s latest effort is Keith Broke His Leg, which follows his life while he is laid up at home with a broken leg.

While nursing his injury, Powell can’t move around too well, and as a result, Keith Broke His Leg plays out as a slow-burning comedy. A mellow soundtrack accompanies Powell as he hangs out with friends, records a promo for an all-black cruise line, and, in the first episode, disappears down a porn-related Internet rabbit hole.

In total, Keith Broke His Leg runs for six episodes, which are all available on the series’ official website. Throughout the show’s run, some familiar faces show up. Most significantly, Aubrey Plaza appears as a guest star in the sixth episode.

The bottom line: Keith Broke His Leg is a sleek, well-shot, reasonably funny web series. If, like Powell, you’re marooned in your own house–or even if you’re not–it’s a nice way to spend an hour.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, Web Series by Sam Gutelle
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Rooster Teeth is bringing Red vs. Blue to the big screen. The Austin-based production company has teamed up with theater chain Alamo Drafthouse to marathon all episodes of Red vs. Blue: Season 13, complete with the unreleased season finale, on September 7, 2015.

Rooster Teeth will screen the Red vs. Blue marathon at select Alamo Drafthouse locations in Austin, Texas; Houston, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; and Yonkers, New York. Fans of legal age attending the Red vs. Blue screening at any of these four Drafthouses will be able to sample the theater’s renowned in-theater menu and beer offerings during the marathon. The Red vs. Blue screening starts at 6 PM CST and ends with a showing of the 18th and final episode of season 13, the last season of the show’s Chorus trilogy story arc.

Additionally, for Rooster Teeth fans local to Austin, the production company’s Red vs. Blue cast and crew will attend the marathon at the city’s Alamo Drafthouse establishment. After the screening, the Red vs. Blue team will host a question-and-answer session with attendees. Miles Luna, a show lead and writer for Red vs. Blue, has confirmed via a journal post the Q&A will be recorded and released at a later date for fans unable to get to the Austin marathon.

“If you’ve been watching Red vs. Blue: Season 13 on your phone or computer, you ain’t seen nothing yet,” declared Gray Haddock, Head of Rooster Teeth Animation, in a release. “Come join hundreds of other Red vs. Blue fans and celebrate the epic, action-packed conclusion to the Chorus trilogy on the big screen! Plus, they serve beer.”

If you live near one of the Alamo Drafthouse locations, you can purchase your tickets to the Red vs. Blue: Season 13 marathon event by visiting the theater chain’s official website.

Filed under: Articles, News, Rooster Teeth by Bree Brouwer
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Since its launch in November 2014, IFC’s Comedy Crib has served as a home for high-quality web series, some of which have caught our attention. Now, Comedy Crib has announced the shows that will make up its fall slate, and it has assembled a strong lineup. Leading off is Suburban Sons, a series produced by Above Average that stars Lamorne Morris of New Girl fame.

In Suburban Sons, Morris plays one of four dads who together make up a gang of suburban gangsters. However, instead of running a dangerous criminal syndicate, the “Willow Drive Devils” spend their time making sure local lawns are well-maintained. In the premiere episode, this process involves torturing a resistant neighbor by over-cooking hamburgers and sharing Breaking Bad spoilers.

Suburban Sons, which is sponsored by Hyundai and will debut its episodes across four consecutive Tuesdays, is one of at least eight series that will arrive on Comedy Crib over the next couple of months. Many of the indie creators involved in the slate are people who we’ve featured on this blog before, including Megan Rosati, Charlie Hankin and Matt Porter, Amy York Rubin, and Joe Pera.

It’s exciting to see a platform emerge on which independent creators can receive support from a television broadcaster. The comedians involved in Comedy Crib’s slate are funny people with plenty of smart ideas; luckily, they now have a place where they can share their work. Keep an eye on the IFC’s website over the next months to catch these shows as they premiere.

Filed under: Articles, Channels, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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YouTube is finally going to reveal the gaming-centric product it announced back in June 2015. The Google-owned online video property will officially launch its YouTube Gaming apps and website on August 26, 2015.

After testing the new product with a selection of gaming fanatics and volunteers, the new YouTube Gaming app and website is ready to be the go-to destination for all gaming videos on the platform. YouTube Gaming pulls in all videos related to the titular genre, and boasts over 25,000 pages dedicated to individual game titles, as well as thousands more channels from YouTube creators. The Gaming app will even show users personalized gaming recommendations based on the games and channels they choose to follow.

YouTube’s new Gaming hub also shows users relevant live streams from creators based on their preferences. The app allows users to more easily create their own live streams with a new streaming product currently in beta. Some internet users and media outlets believe this new broadcast offering is YouTube’s answer to the Amazon-owned live streaming giant Twitch, which currently claims 43% of the revenue from the $3.8 billion gaming content industry.

“Together, we all make gaming better,” said YouTube Engineering Manager Frank Petterson in a release. “Our peers make us better gamers, and games are made better by the communities that surround them. Thanks for your feedback as we brought you YouTube Gaming, and keep it coming. This is just the beginning.”

Starting August 26, you can access YouTube Gaming at gaming.youtube.com, and download the app via the iTunes App Store or Google Play. English versions of all three will be available, with YouTube promising to add support for other languages in the future.

Filed under: Articles, News, YouTube, YouTube Gaming by Bree Brouwer
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WME continues to add to its burgeoning list of digital and YouTube-based creators. The Hollywood-plus-online-video talent agency has just signed digital stars Kenzie Nimmo, Andie Case, and Manon Mathews.

Two of WME’s newest recruits are widely-known for their musical talents. Nimmo, best known for her Vine videos and song covers of pop hits from artists like Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran, placed in the top five in Macy’s iHeartRadio National Contest. 

Case is a Seattle-based musician whose original songs and mash-up covers have garnered her over 67 million total video views.

As for Mathews, the female Viner is popular for her impersonations of female Hollywood celebrities. She was also recently a finalist on TBS’s Funniest Wins.

As a collective whole, these three digital stars boast over 945,000 YouTube subscribers, 73,000 Twitter followers, 592,000 Instagram followers, 1.2 million Facebook likes, and 3.7 million Vine followers.

Nimmo, Case, and Mathews join a growing roster of online video-related talent under WME’s banner. The agency recently added YouTube stars Jake Roper, Caspar Lee, Emily Skye, Elise Strachan, Casey Neistat, and the Fung Brothers. Previous to those signings, WME had already partnered with Freddie Wong’s Rocket Jump, which should boost the digital studio’s creative efforts and reach. Other digital stars in the WME family include Lohanthony, HolaSoyGerman, Laci Green, and CaptainSparklez.

Filed under: Articles, News, WME by Bree Brouwer
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