Late night TV is coming to YouTube Space LA. At the Playa Vista production facility, which serves as a base of sorts for YouTube’s homegrown creative community, CBS will film an episode of The Late Late Show, with host James Corden interviewing several prominent YouTube stars.
The Hollywood Reporter notes Kandee Johnson, Tyler Oakley, Epic Rap Battles of History creators Peter Shukoff and Lloyd Ahlquist, and Slow Mo Guys hosts Gavin Free and Dan Gruchy among the roster of guests who will sit down with Corden at the YouTube Space. “YouTube has become a big part of the late-night television experience, and we are delighted to celebrate their 10-year anniversary this way,” said Late Late Show executive producer Ben Winston. “The show will be packed full of surprises, games and music — all with a YouTube twist.”
Like many other late night TV talk show hosts, Corden has utilized YouTube as a key distribution tool since becoming the host of The Late Late Show last March. His Carpool Karaoke series has been particularly popular online; an episode featuring Justin Bieber has more than 31 million views on YouTube. He’s not the only CBS talk show host making use of the world’s most popular video site, either. As he gears up for his September 8th debut on The Late Show, Stephen Colbert has launched his own spate of web videos.
Corden won’t be the first late night host to engage with the YouTube community, but by devoting an entire episode to it, his efforts to connect to the site where he gets so much of his traffic arguably go beyond all of his peers. The YouTube-themed episode of The Late Late Show is slated to premiere on August 21st.
Hulu’s dive into RocketJump’s creative process will begin on October 21st. That’s the date when RocketJump: The Show will begin its eight-episode exploration of the titular production company’s effects-laden videos.
RocketJump: The Show was first announced in January 2015. It is an extension of the RocketJump channel, on which Freddie Wong and his team of digital video producers release sketches that thrillingly blend action, comedy, and pop culture. In each of its episodes, the Hulu series will focus on a new sketch, taking viewers through RocketJump’s production process and ultimately revealing a completed product.
Hulu revealed RocketJump: The Show’s mid-October release date among the announcement of its fall lineup. RocketJump will follow two weeks after the premiere of another new Hulu show, Jason Reitman’s Casual, which will arrive on October 7th. The fall will also bring the third season of Seth Meyers’ animated series The Awesomes as well as the return of Mindy Kaling’s The Mindy Project, which has come to Hulu after FOX declined to pick it up earlier this year. Hulu also lists two more series–11/22/63and The Way–as “coming soon,” though it did not offer specific debut dates for either.
We receive a ton of tips every day from independent creators, unaffiliated with any major motion picture studios, television networks, new media studios, or other well-funded online video entities. The Indie Spotlight is where we’ll write about and shout out to a select few of them and bring you up to speed on the great (and sometimes not-so-great) attention-grabbing series you probably haven’t heard about until now. Read previous installments here.
Creative weirdos come in all shapes and sizes, but they all share one need in common: Rehearsal space. Space Available uses that idea as its central premise. It focuses on the titular rehearsal studio, where oddballs converge and big egos clash.
Space Available is framed as a documentary shot by an aspiring student. He primary points his camera at the employees of Space Available, who must manage a whirlwind of self-important customers. No character better exemplifies the plight of the exasperated employee than Matthew (Patrick Avella), who is caught between his aggressive boss and his pushy clients.
It’s the supporting characters, though, who allow Space Available to shine. There’s an entire ensemble in play here, and they run the gamut. Everyone, from the abrasive yogi to the fussy thespian, comes with his or her own little quirks. As a result, Space Available is consistently enjoyable. The two episodes available so far can be found on the series’ website.
OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SERIES TO CHECK OUT
I Can’t Even. Nerds act out their fangirlish fantasies in this whimsical web series.
Turning Intern. Unpaid workers try their best to cope with their difficult work environment.
Sham. Two “friends” who hate each other follow through on their promise to get married after they turn 30.
Delivery Men. How well do films deliver on their premises? These dudes decide.
Got a series you’d like to see featured in the Indie Spotlight? Be sure to contact us here. For best coverage, please include a full episode in your e-mail.
AwesomenessTV is looking north of the border to find its latest partnership. The multi-channel network, which is aimed primarily at teens and tweens, has struck a deal with DHX Media that will bring three of its series to Canada’s Family Channel.
The deal between AwesomenessTV and DHX Media covers nearly 50 hours of AwesomenessTV content. Most significantly, the agreement will bring 40 episodes of AwesomenessTV–the sketch show that premiered on Nickelodeon in 2013–to the Family Channel. Make Me Over, in which YouTube stars like Bethany Mota and Ingrid Nilsen provide makeovers for fans, will be distributed across 26 half-hour episodes. Cheerleaders, which explores its titular topic, will have 26 episodes of its own.
The Family Channel is owned by DHX Media and reaches more than six million Canadian households, making it the most-watched children’s TV channel in the country. “In addition to reaching a new audience for existing AwesomenessTV content, we are looking forward to collaborating with DHX Television on the creation of new series for Family Channel Canada,” said Kelly Day, Chief Digital Officer at AwesomenessTV, in a press release. “We are always looking for new opportunities to reach the Gen Z audience, whether it’s a new platform or a new territory. In this case it’s both.”
AwesomenessTV is not the only MCN with its eyes on Canada. Kin Community has also staked a claim there thanks to a $12 million funding round led by Corus Entertainment, and Collective Digital Studio recently opened an office in Toronto. AwesomenessTV did not reveal when its own foray into the Canadian TV market will begin.
Rooster Teeth’s annual RTX convention kicked off on August 7, 2015, with a panel dedicated to the production company’s highly acclaimed anime series RWBY. In a packed ballroom, animation leads Kerry Shawcross, Miles Luna, and Gray Haddock, along with the four lead voice actresses, discussed their plans for the future of RWBY.
The RWBY panel started with a moment of silence for the show’s incredibly talented creator Monty Oum, who passed away unexpectedly in February 2015. The show’s cast and crew noted how the unfortunate situation has put them behind about five months on production, but that they’re still pressing forward with RWBY Volume 3 and all things RWBY-related.
Shawcross then showed concept art from new locations and sets to appear in RWBY Volume 3. The first set is a tournament arena. Located on the campus of the show’s fictional Beacon Academy, the arena comes complete with a center battle field large enough to boast various biomes like fire, ice, and grasslands. Outside of the arena is a fairgrounds set with food stands, shops, and games.
Finally, the RWBY team announced the voice talent for new characters in Volume 3. Elizabeth Maxwell, known for her work in Ghost in the Shell Arise and the English version of Attack on Titan, will play Winter Schnee, the sister of one of the main character, Weiss. Additionally, Uncle Qrow will be voiced by Vic Mignogna (of Fullmetal Alchemist fame).
Before closing the panel with questions, Shawcross, Luna, and Haddock revealed in a touching moment they had asked Neath Oum to take over his brother Monty’s voice acting duties for the character Lie Ren. While Ren will obviously sound different, Haddock explained “[Neath]’s working really hard” to take over for his brother’s role. “He’s not a professional actor, but he cares very, very much about doing right by the part.”
Out of all the podcasts led by YouTube stars, we’re particularly partial to Ear Biscuits, hosted by the inseparable duo of Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal. Each week, we will bring you a recap of the latest Ear Biscuits episode, as well as an invitation to listen in and join the conversation.
As YouTube turns ten, content creators who began their careers on the platform as teenagers are progressing into adulthood, and their fans can watch them grow up in real time. No one better exemplifies this phenomenon than Charlie McDonnell. The 24-year-old Englishman went viral on YouTube shortly after his 17th birthday, and he has been making videos ever since. His journey from goofy teen to well-rounded young filmmaker is an intriguing story, and he discussed it on the latest episode of Rhett & Link’s Ear Biscuitspodcast.
As with many of his contemporaries, McDonnell “did a lot of acting” before launching his YouTube channel. By approaching the Internet with the confidence he gained from his theater roles, he was able to thrive. “I think I was always a pretty shy guy and I think doing acting stuff helped a bit,” he said. “I also needed that acting base to get into YouTube, to feel confident enough to do that.” He does admit, though, that “more than anything, I feel like YouTube was the thing that boosted my confidence.”
The initial result was a string of videos that are now private on his channel. As he explains it, “they’re just really embarrassing things i would prefer people not to see.” The video that first put him on the map was, in true English fashion, a video about tea.
McDonnell succeeded as one of YouTube’s first vlogging stars; he ended up becoming the first creator in the UK to achieve one million subscribers. Along the way, collaborations have been key. He has been a regular participant in the annual Project For Awesome charity drive; of the Vlogbrothers, who run that initiative, he said “I feel like they’ve always been very good role models.” More recently, he has collaborated with his girlfriend, Emily Diana Ruth. He edited “Cold,” the short film Ruth created alongside New Form Digital.
As he grew up on YouTube, McDonnell began to explore heavier topics, and that change required him to embrace new formats. Despite best being known as a vlogger, he began to incorporate short films into his oeuvre. “I very much want my video blogs to be pretty lighthearted and pretty fun and to be something that will brighten someone’s day,” he said during the podcast. “There are facets of my personality and things I think about that don’t feel appropriate to talk about [in a vlog].”
One of the films that came out of this desire to explore serious topics was Our Brother, which screened at the 2014 Buffer Festival in Toronto. “My last short film that I made was about death,” he said, “and I wanted to talk about death in a very serious way, and about mourning, and the importance of mourning correctly, and I didn’t feel like I could just sit and talk about that in a video blog.”
The latest format McDonnell has adopted is the daily news show, which he is exploring on a secondary channel called Cereal Time. Once again, it’s an experiment for McDonnell, who is always looking for new ways to engage with his viewers. On Cereal Time, which is mostly shot in one-take, he’s “a bit more of myself than I am on my main YouTube channel.” The result is a show that aims to be more “authentic” than a typical vlog.
As McDonnell’s YouTube career enters its ninth year, we can only expect him to continue rounding out his video presence. Beyond what we’ve discussed here, there are plenty more insights in his full hour-long Ear Biscuit. Check it out below, on Soundcloud, and on iTunes.
As it has built up its library of original programming, Amazon Studios has used “pilot seasons,” in which multiple potential shows premiere at the same time, to its advantage. After debuting its fifth pilot season earlier this year, Amazon is following up with a mini-season that includes two pilots. It has shared the first episodes of Casanovaand Sneaky Pete and has welcomed viewer feedback on both of them.
Both of Amazon’s new dramas come with big names attached. Casanova, which was first attached to Amazon in January, will follow the life of the titular 18th century Venetian libertine, with particular attention paid to his time in “exile” in Paris. It comes from veteran TV producer Ben Silverman, featuresAmelie’s Jean-Pierre Jeunet in the director’s chair, and stars Diego Luna of Y Tu Mama Tambien fame.
Sneaky Pete, on the other hand, follows a con man who takes on the identity of his former prison cellmate. Originally produced for CBS, it is co-written by Brian Cranston and David Shore, and stars Giovanni Ribisi in the lead role. Amazon picked up the pilot in June.
As has been the case with the majority of pilots Amazon has distributed, the two new releases have gone over well with viewers. In their first few hours online, they have both brought in a preponderance of five-star reviews. Based on this early acclaim, don’t be surprised if both Casanova and Sneaky Pete get picked up for full seasons and join Amazon’s rapidly-expanding arsenal of original programming.
It’s no secret collaborations are one of the most effective ways to build a YouTube channel. YouTube itself highlights the practice as its keys to success in their Creator Academy. As a result, the opportunity to work with top creators has become a highly sought after commodity within the YouTube ecosystem, especially among brands. With that in mind, Mountain Dew is going to help one lucky creator collaborate with one of YouTube’s biggest creators as part of a new campaign promoting their Kickstart line of beverages.
The campaign is a compelling promise for any ‘up and coming’ YouTuber because D-trix’s audience is massive. Beyond being the single largest dance channel and those couple million subscribers, his videos have received more than 280 million views and his Now Add a Dancer videos regularly generate well over one million views an episode.
YouTube is planning to challenge Twitch with a website and mobile app dedicated entirely to gaming, and while that project still doesn’t have a confirmed release date, Android users can give it a test drive. A “Creator Preview” version of the mobile app is now available thanks to a leaked APK currently available for download.
The gaming app will feature videos from YouTube’s creative community as well as live streams of top e-sports events, Let’s Play videos, reviews, and other video game content. Significant streams will be featured at the top of the app, and users will also be able to browse through a list of “trending games.” A prominent chat window is clearly intended to mirror Twitch’s infamous chat, which has taken on a life of its own as the streaming video site has grown in popularity.
The current version of the app could still change, but the rough draft has impressed some people who have installed it so far. “I’m very impressed with how clean, simple and functional the app is, to the point where I think this is way better than Google’s actual YouTube app,” wrote Luke Plunkett of Kotaku. Plunkett also provided his readers with a video walkthrough in which he offers his first impressions of the app.
A cartoon dog and his human companion are coming to Netflix. As reported by Variety, the streaming platform will host The New Mr. Peabody and Sherman Show, which will bring the titular animated duo to a talk show format.
Mr. Peabody (a dog) and Sherman (a child) are best known for appearing in short segments during the 60s animated TV series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. DreamWorks Animation rebooted them with a 2014 film that, despite receiving warm reviews from critics, ended up as a box office flop. Now, the studio will try to restart them once again with a new series. The New Mr. Peabody and Sherman Show will feature its lead characters as they chat with famous figures from throughout history, such as Mozart, Napoleon, and Edgar Allan Poe.
The New Mr. Peabody and Sherman Show will join several other programs DreamWorks has produced for Netflix. The streaming video platform has emerged as a hub for rebooted versions of classic animated TV series; it distributed a live-action rendition of Richie Rich produced by DreamWorks subsidiary AwesomenessTV and will house a new version of 90s PBS series The Magic School Busbeginning in 2016.
The first season of The New Mr. Peabody and Sherman Show will run for 12 episodes. The series will make its debut on October 9th.
Last December, the Hearst Corporation paid $81.25 million in order to acquire a 25% stake in AwesomenessTV, the multi-channel network that appeals to tweens and teens on YouTube. The investment led to a partnership between the two companies, and now, that partnership has resulted in a pair of new web series. Hearst Digital Studios is behind Prank U and The Honest Show, both of which are distributed by AwesomenessTV.
In Prank U, top online video stars teach viewers how to pull silly pranks on their friends. In the first episode, guest star David Dobrik (who has more than one million subscribers on Vine) pulls the ol’ Oreo creme/toothpaste switcheroo on some unsuspecting victims.
The other new series, The Honest Show, is entirely scripted. Its episodes turn common scenarios on their heads by approaching them with complete honesty. In the premiere, a teacher (played by another Vine star, Arielle Vandenberg) accompanies presentations from her students with a constant barrage of truth bombs.
The two new web series are the first of several Hearst will produce for AwesomenessTV, but this is not the first time the two brands have worked together on YouTube. One of Hearst’s most popular publications, Seventeen, has its own channel and multi-channel network, both of which are managed by AwesomenessTV.
New episodes of Prank U and The Honest Show will roll out on AwesomenessTV’s YouTube channel, which has more than 2.8 million YouTube subscribers and nearly 800 million total views.
Since its launch in 2013, Pluto TV has used a series of strategic partnerships to create a compelling library for its users. Now, with its latest hire, the streaming video company has made one of its biggest moves yet. Ken Parks, Spotify’s former Chief Content Officer, will join Pluto TV as its Executive Chairman.
Parks will do more than just lead Pluto TV’s board; he’ll also run Pluto TV’s content, monetization, and distribution efforts, according to a press release. His presence will help accelerate the growth of Pluto TV’s signature product: A “lean back,” TV-style video player available both on the web and across mobile devices.
While he is only now joining the company full time, Parks has been a Pluto TV advisor for several months. He participated in a $13 million funding round Pluto TV landed last November, and he joined its advisory board at that time. Since then, he has been impressed by what he has seen. “I believe Pluto TV has an enormous opportunity to define the future of television and online video,” he said in the release. “As an advisor since 2014, I’ve had a front row seat to the rapid growth the company has achieved so far and I’m thrilled to join the team full-time. The timing is perfect for Pluto TV to reach massive global scale and become one of the premier consumer video platforms in the world.”
Parks, who joined Spotify in 2007, was the music streaming service’s first employee in the US. Most recently, he served as the company’s Chief Content Officer. His departure comes at a time when Spotify is actively pursuing video content to complement its musical offerings. While Parks will move to Pluto TV, he will remain an advisor to Spotify CEO Daniel Ek.
Pluto TV is headquartered in Los Angeles, but Parks will work out of a new office in New York.
