[Editor’s note: In full disclosure, Vimeo is a sponsor of Tubefilter. Individuals at Vimeo helped facilitate our interview with Sawyer Hartman, but otherwise didn’t contribute to the content of the article.]

During VidCon, Vimeo will invite prominent online video creators and executive to participate in sessions at a space called Vimeo Studio. One of the guests at Vimeo Studio will be Sawyer Hartman, a filmmaker who came to prominence thanks to his popular YouTube channel. Hartman, along with PJ Ligouri, is one of two filmmakers who is working with New Form Digital to create a web series that will be distributed via the Vimeo On Demand selling platform.

In Hartman’s case, he is adapting his short film Parallax into a full-length feature called Parallax Theory, which will be released across multiple episodes. As Hartman prepares for Parallax Theory‘s upcoming release, he spoke to us about his process.

Tubefilter: How has your YouTube career helped your development as a filmmaker? Are their any ways you think your YouTube fame has hindered you?

Sawyer Hartman: Well besides the obvious “opportunities” developing an audience of my own has brought me, YouTube gave me a “safe place” to try out different techniques and narrative styles, while also gaining feedback and support for my craft. I never attended film school or anything so YouTube kind of acted as the “safe place” and training grounds for what I wanted to do next.

I wouldn’t say it hindered me, however I have had to tell a lot of places “I don’t want to make an influencer film, I want to make a film of influence.”

TF: What has been your biggest challenge as you transition from the shorter content on your YouTube channel to the longer, serial format of Parallax Theory on Vimeo On Demand?

SH: Actually not much, it’s just a lot easier to make a film when you can spend more than 28 dollars and you have a team of people who you can trust to do the things you want to get done.

TF: How, if at all, has working with New Form influenced your creative process?

SH: New Form has been a great media partner and has given a lot of awesome feedback, but most importantly they have allowed me to create the stories in my head without trying to “manipulate or change” in any big way!

TF: Out of all the VOD options, why choose to go with Vimeo?

SH: I believe my audience will be happy with the level of content we are striving to produce for them, and the fit of Vimeo as a VOD platform really excites us! Vimeo as a company, as well as a community, have always had an extremely high level of standards and expectations in terms of content expectations. We look forward to trying to surpass these expectations, and bring people a truly organic story! Parallax Theory has been structured to be viewed as a feature film broken into chapters, rather than into single serving episodes. I just can’t wait for everyone to see it!”

TF: Viewers have left a number of critical comments on the Parallax Theory short film. Did you heed any of this viewer input when producing the Parallax series?

SH: I always listen to viewers and take feedback into consideration. However, The Parallax Theory is a much different story than the one originally portrayed in the short film, so I look forward to really seeing how the people respond!

TF: What do you want your fans to keep in mind when they watch Parallax Theory?

SH: Nothing, just sit back and enjoy the story! We’ll besides, I LOVE THEM AND THANK THEM FOR HELPING ME GET TO THIS STAGE IN MY CAREER! THEY’RE MY HEROES!

TF: What about people who are unfamiliar with your work and your YouTube channel? If someone in that group sits down to watch Parallax Theory, what do you want them to know?

SH: All I care about is the story, and hope they enjoy it!

TF: What do you hope to do next?

SH: I want to keep creating compelling projects and stories about people that deserve to have their story told. We just want to stay true to the work and to the characters. If we can accomplish that, than everything else will fall into place!

Have some more questions for Hartman? Want some more answers? You can see and here the prolific filmmaker in person at VidCon. He’ll be at the Vimeo Studios on Friday, July 24 at 11AM.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, Sawyer Hartman, Vimeo by Sam Gutelle
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This summer, Netflix will tell the stories of not just counselors from Camp Firewood, but also those of lifeguards from Staten Island, New York. The streaming video platform has announced it will release the feature film Staten Island Summer, produced by Saturday Night Live’s Lorne Michaels, on July 30, 2015.

Written by SNL head scribe Colin Jost and directed by Rhys Thomas, Staten Island Summer is a comedy flick which tells the story of high school seniors who are working as lifeguards at Great Kill Swim Club on Staten Island. The group of young adults is trying to plan the biggest going-away bash ever before they all head off to college.

“I’m very happy that Staten Island Summer has found the perfect home,” said Michaels to The Hollywood Reporter, who originally broke the story. “Netflix has quickly become the biggest supporter of what’s new and exciting in comedy.”

“We are excited to team with Lorne Michaels, Rhys Thomas, and Colin Jost to bring this hilarious coming age comedy to Netflix members around the world,” added Netflix’s CCO Ted Sarandos. “Colin’s script and the appearances of so many SNL cast members make Staten Island Summer the perfect summer comedy for fans.”

Staten Island Summer stars lots of SNL talent including Cecily Strong, Fred Armisen, Will Forte, and Kate McKinnon, who are acting alongside other cast members like Kate Walsh, Vincent Pastore, comedian Jim Gaffigan, and rapper Method Man. Staten Island Summer will have a limited run in theaters before it debuts on Netflix on July 30.

Filed under: Articles, Netflix, News by Bree Brouwer
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In an April 2015 letter to its creators, YouTube said it would offer its users “an ads-free version of YouTube for a monthly fee.” Now, in a new report from Bloomberg, the details of that service are taking shape. YouTube has reportedly signed the majority of its creative community to contracts that cover the upcoming paid tier, which could arrive sometime in 2015.

YouTube doesn’t have deals in place with network TV channels, but it has succeeded in bringing most of its important users on board with its paid subscription plans. “We are progressing according to plan,” the company said in a statement. “We have support from the overwhelming majority of our partners, with well over 90 percent of YouTube watchtime covered by agreements, and more in the pipeline about to close.”

Bloomberg’s article on the upcoming service paints a contrasting picture to a June report published by The Information, which highlighted various hurdles YouTube faced as it looked to launch its ad-free initiative. TV networks, which have licensing deals with sites like Netflix and Hulu, have contractual obligations that make it hard for them to join YouTube’s new service. Creators, on the other hand, were characterized by The Information as both worried about the potential effect an ad-free subscription service would have on their revenue streams and fearful of a policy change through which YouTube could make private the videos of anyone who does not make their work available on the new offering.

Judging by YouTube’s statement, the fears of its creative community have been assuaged, at least for the time being. Meanwhile, Bloomberg’s sources reveal that YouTube could spruce up its paid subscription service by folding several other upcoming initiatives into it. The oft-delayed Music Key service, for example, could bring a selection of music videos to the new offering, and subscribers to the paid tier may be among the first site users to get access to a long-rumored offline viewing mode.

Finally, YouTube-funded programming could emerge as a central part of the app’s appeal. The video site is working with creators like The Fine Bros and Joey Graceffa on original series, and Bloomberg suggests that some of those videos may be made exclusive to paid subscribers. As YouTube looks to learn from its previous content initiatives and paid tiers, the exclusivity of these new series could be a big draw for the site’s new ad-free section.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, YouTube by Sam Gutelle
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GoPro has just made it easier for marketers to get a hold of adventurous, inspiring video footage. The action camera company has launched GoPro Licensing, a platform where marketers can license hundreds of the high-definition, first-person videos of sports, action, and wildlife that have defined GoPro’s brand over the last several years.

GoPro Licensing will contain over 600 videos at its inception. GoPro struck deals with amateur and professional videographers alike to stock these initial clips on the Licensing platform; the action camera brand plans to keep adding new content as well. Marketers can search for and preview videos, and license them starting at $1,000, depending on the scope of the use and distribution of the piece.

“We’ve gotten calls almost daily from creative agencies, TV networks and film studios that want to use our content,” GoPro’s Head of Programming Adam Dornbusch said to AdWeek, who originally reported the story. “This is going to stay at a very premium level. If you are looking for top-shelf content, this is the platform.”

It only makes sense, then, that GoPro would create a destination for marketers to turn to when they don’t want to invest huge chunks of money into developing and producing their own video shorts or spots. David Karnstedt, CEO of branding consultancy Quantifind, told AdWeek brands could save thousands on production and creative costs by using GoPro Licensing, which will in turn create a new revenue stream for GoPro.

“I believe licensed video is another step in the evolution of user-generated content in brand marketing,” Karnstedt explained. “There is a significant demand from marketers for quality video content, and with proven economic models from [periphery incumbents like Getty Images and Shutterstock], I believe this new market could be a significant value-creation event for GoPro.”

You can learn more about GoPro’s new licensing platform via the company’s official blog.

Filed under: Articles, GoPro, News by Bree Brouwer
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This past year, brands on YouTube did very well for themselves in terms of viewership and subscribers. In a new report, the first of its kind officially published by YouTube, Google’s online video site analyzed the top 100 brands on YouTube and found viewership increased a whopping 85% between June 2014 and June 2015.

YouTube teamed with video marketing company Pixability (which has released similar studies before) to compile statistics of the top 100 brands on the video site, as defined by Interbrand’s 2014 rankings. These companies claimed a total of 40.1 billion video views as of June 2015, as opposed to only 21.7 billion in June 2014, resulting in the 85% increase in total video views. In addition to brands increasing viewership, companies on YouTube also increased their total combined subscriber count year-over-year from 49 million to 72 million, a 47% uptake.

YouTube and Pixability also noted some interesting figures in terms of brands’ publishing trends and the engagement with their branded content. The top 100 brands on YouTube collectively post a new video to their respective channels every 18.5 minutes, with 10% of brand videos lasting longer than ten minutes in length.

And subscribers enjoy what brands are producing; brands claim a collective total of 16 million comments from subscribers. Brands also have an average of ten times more video likes (90 million) than dislikes (8.9 million) on their content.

“We love the opportunity YouTube gives Coca-Cola to interact, build relationships and share stories that are authentic and relevant to the brand,” said Chris Bigda, Director of Coca-Cola North America’s Connections Planning & Investment, on the Google Agency blog. “We are seeing continued success on the platform, uploading higher quality content and achieving better results for it. We are really proud to be part of the YouTube community and excited by the partnership.”

You can see more of YouTube and Pixability’s top 100 brand findings by checking out the official post on the Agency blog.

Filed under: Articles, News, Pixability, YouTube by Bree Brouwer
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According to John Green’s novel of the same name, “Paper Towns” are locations that only exist on maps, mythological places for mapmakers to ID their work. Luckily, on the evening of Friday, July 17, YouTube Space LA was definitely not one of these imaginary destinations.

Rolling out the red carpet in honor of the book’s upcoming film adaptation, Los Angeles’ YouTube Space hosted a lavish livestream event to celebrate the flick and its accompanying soundtrack. With many members of Paper Towns’ cast and contributing music artists in attendance, the event was something of a coming home for Green, whose roots to the YouTube and digital communities remain strong.

Similar in fashion to The Fault in Our Stars soundtrack release party held at the Space last summer, the film’s guests arrived via red carpet before being whisked inside for an evening of celebration and music. Emceed by notable film critic Ben Lyons and YouTube personality Meg DeAngelis, the event alternated between a light-hearted Q&A with the film’s cast and live performances from artists on the film’s soundtrack, culminating in an evening of non-stop entertainment.

On-hand for the proceedings were author John Green and the film’s leads, Nat Wolff and Cara Delevigne. The trio carried the majority of the evening’s discussion, but were later also joined by  director Jake Schreier and cast members Halston Sage and Jaz Sinclair.

Between tales of set improvisation and the studio forcing the 20-year-old Wolff to get his driver’s license due to the fact that they were making a “road trip movie,” the cast conveyed themselves as truly celebratory. Like Green’s novel itself, they made it clear that making the film was a journey…and one that they were happy to take.

The mood for celebration was only amplified by the live set of music performed by the film’s soundtrack artists. Opening the evening was Saint Motel, playing their top 10 single, “My Type.” Emerging artist Sam Bruno also wowed the crowd with her song “Searchlight.”

An extra special music event occurred when Wolff took the stage with his brother Alex to perform a live rendition of their song “Look Outside.” The duo also shared an exclusive clip from the song’s official music video, proving that Paper Towns has given Wolff much to celebrate artistically.

The evening closed with a performance from Vance Joy, who had travelled all the way from Australia to perform his contribution to the soundtrack, “Great Summer.”

A photo posted by John Green (@johngreenwritesbooks) on Jul 17, 2015 at 5:52pm PDT

Streaming live worldwide, the event saw a significant real time social media response, with the hosts fielding a barrage of questions from Twitter, and viewers across the globe tuning in to catch a glimpse of their favorite star or singalong. By merging Green’s digital audience with his traditional media followers, the event proved to be highly visible for all parties, and served as a great showcase for YouTube Space LA’s capabilities. Above all, it was a night of music and fun, and a great celebration of the work of one of YouTube’s most notable luminaries.

During the Q&A, Wolff, in an off-the-cuff moment, asked Green (with whom he had also worked on The Fault in Our Stars) what the author hated most about him. Taking a second to make Wolff sweat, Green laughed and said, “When we don’t make movies, I don’t get to hang out with you as much.”

For all those gathered at YouTube Space last night for this great event, it’s safe to say: We agree, John. We agree.

Filed under: Articles, Vlogbrothers, YouTube, YouTube Spaces by Michael Varrati
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As YouTube’s creative community continues its search for revenue, FameBit has emerged as a helpful tool. The digital marketplace, which lets brands like L’oreal and Dollar Shave Club connect with YouTube stars who can help spread brand messages, has facilitated the creation of thousands of videos that result in big payouts for creators. Now, FameBit is looking beyond its primary business. It has announced FilterFreeTV, its first original series.

FilterFreeTV, which will launch its first episode during VidCon on July 23rd, will offer just the sort of brazen conversation its title advertises. The show will be hosted by a panel of five YouTube stars–Tiffany Ma, RJ Aguilar, Raya H, Deserey Morales and Kayla Lashae–who between them have more than 1.2 million subscribers. In a trailer for the series, they chat about drugs and sex while also playing a game of “Never Have I Ever.” A line of text on the screen describes FilterFreeTV as “not your mother’s talk show.”

While much of FameBit’s work is centered around brands, its original content plans are primarily intended to support the creators with whom it works. FameBit co-founder Agnes Kozera explained the company’s strategy in a press release:

“Until now, only the biggest YouTube stars could have hoped to get an original web series, let alone generate a profit from it, but original programming should be based on talent and ability to entertain, rather than a number of subscribers. FameBit is known to be innovative when it comes to helping talent monetize and we’re looking to demonstrate this through our expansion into content. In the same way that we once validated the value of niche and long-tail channels to brands, we’re also focusing on attracting a highly engaged audience to original, unscripted web programming.”

FilterFreeTV’s presence will be centered on a mobile app that has launched alongside the show. The press release explains that “episodes will be released once a week on Thursday at 3pm PST/6pm EST and will be available for purchase.” Whether those paywalls manage to generate significant revenue for FameBit and its creative partners remains to be seen, but no matter how FilterFreeTV fares, its release signifies that FameBit is now much more than just a branded video marketplace.

Filed under: Agencies, Articles, FameBit, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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Charles Green is known for his cuss-laden rants on the YouTube channel The Angry Grandpa Show. His youngest son Michael, who has his own vlogging channel and goes by the moniker “Pickleboy,” constantly pranks his dad to goad him on, with great humorous effect.

However, Michael recently decided to lighten up on the joking and do something rather serious and sentimental for his father. In a video from July 10, 2015, Michael and his girlfriend Bridgette West purchased a house for Green and surprised him with the news.

Michael starts by explaining to viewers how he and Bridgette had planned a big prank for Angry Grandpa for months. The prank, however, was that the couple took Green house-hunting with them under the pretense the house was for them. Green, who at the time resided in a trailer park, starts pointing out all the upgraded and attractive features of the house he likes, such as the large spaces and the classy wainscoting in the living room.

After looking over the entire place, Michael hands Green the key and tells his father the house is really his. Green refuses to believe it at first, before breaking down into tears and insisting to Michael he “doesn’t deserve” a new home. Michael tells him he does, and that “every kid wants to buy their father a house.”

Michael isn’t the first YouTuber to help someone important to them take care of house needs. In May 2014, prankster Magic of Rahat purchased a residence for a homeless man named Eric he’d included in many of his videos. And a few months later, YouTube star Timothy DeLaGhetto gifted $210,000 to his parents so they could pay off their mortgage.

So far, the feel-good video of Green receiving a new house has reached 4.6 million total video views. The Angry Grandpa YouTube channel currently boasts over 1.3 million subscribers.

Filed under: Articles, News, The Angry Grandpa Show by Bree Brouwer
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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. 

If you’re looking to end your work week on the edge of your seat, I suggest tuning into Drained World. Fabien Garcia’s post-apocalyptic thriller is a sublime accomplishment that includes well-balanced doses of suspense, melancholy, and exquisitely-choreographed action.

Drained World takes place 65 years in the future, in the aftermath of a nuclear war. Its pilot begins by introducing us to Frank (played by Garcia), a solitary protagonist in search of edible food and unirradiated drinking water. Frank’s first foray into the wilderness is accompanied by stirring music, and the scene accurately conveys the loneliness of Drained World’s post-apocalyptic landscape.

And then, with remarkable skill, Drained World goes from zero to sixty. In the second half of the pilot, Frank encounters a group a bandits, and after a brief exchange of words, he savagely cuts his way through their numbers. This fight scene benefits from the pedigree of co-producer Lohan Buson, who worked on the web series Dragon Ball Z: Light of Hope and has collaborated with The Raid director Gareth Evans. It’s still July, but I doubt you’ll see a better action sequence in any indie series this year.

As of now, Drained World’s run is limited to its pilot, but Garcia and his team at Z Team Films hope to raise enough funds to produce nine more episodes. In lieu of a crowdfunding campaign, they’ve set up some old school donation buttons on Drained World’s website. I would certainly enjoy seeing how Garcia’s vision plays out across the next nine episodes. If you concur, consider giving Drained World some love.

OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SERIES TO CHECK OUT

• Outreach. A young woman looks to prove her worth by serving as a street fundraiser.
• QSN with Helene Ellford. Home shopping gets very weird, very fast.
• Newsroom One. A piece about a thieving Spider-Man is one of the stories in this fake news series.
• Decrees. A pair of young men live their lives with a series of self-styled “decrees” in mind.

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.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, Indie Spotlight, News by Sam Gutelle
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In its basic form, Twitch’s chat box allows its users to comment on gameplay footage and spread dank memes. A new video game, however, will give Twitch chat a lot more power. It’s called Choice Chamber, and it leaves the fate of each player for his fans to decide.

Choice Chamber, from developer Studio Bean, doesn’t allow its players to choose any of their own circumstances. Instead, viewers use Twitch chat to vote on the environments the player must traverse, the weapons he can equip, and the powerups he receives. It’s the most recent game designed around the participation of spectators; another recent example of this trend is Jackbox’s Quiplash.

Twitch is not just the platform on which Choice Chamber is hosted; in addition, the streaming video platform kicked in funds to support Studio Bean’s Kickstarter and ensure the game’s production. Twitch’s active participation in the development process should not be a surprise, given the incredible success the site has seen with other games based around its chat. Most significantly, Twitch Plays Pokemon became a worldwide phenomenon when it gathered thousands of simultaneous viewers for a chaotic playthrough of Pokemon Red.

“The Twitch community has already shown extraordinary enthusiasm for interactive games using Twitch chat,” said Brooke Van Dusen, Director of Business Development at Twitch, as quoted by The Next Web. “Choice Chamber is an excellent example of how developers can embrace this next-generation concept, so we are helping support this evolution of gameplay experiences in the age of social video.”

If you’d like to give Choice Chamber a spin, you can pick up a copy through Steam or Humble Bundle. Be forewarned, though; if you want to get the full experience, you’ll need to bring in some followers.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, TwitchTV by Sam Gutelle
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AwesomenessTV has welcomed a new executive to its leadership team. The YouTube multi-channel network named former Nickelodeon executive Paula Kaplan to the newly-created position of Head of Talent and Live Content.

In her new role, Kaplan will be responsible for all of AwesomenessTV’s future talent and casting initiatives for its show and feature film productions. Among other projects, AwesomenessTV is planning a pair upcoming flicks, one starring YouTube supergroup The Janoskians and another led by digital stars Kian Lawley and Bella Thorne. Kaplan will also create and lead AwesomenessTV’s live event and programming ventures.

“Having worked closely with Paula for many years, her eye for talent and ability to cultivate stars for the young adult audience is unmatched, which is why she is the perfect person to head up our talent and live content division,” said Brian Robbins, AwesomenessTV founder and CEO, in a release. “Her strong relationships throughout the creative community will play an integral role at AwesomenessTV as we build our channels and continue to expand in film, series and live events.”

Kaplan spent 20 years at Nickelodeon, where she was instrumental in developing the network’s Kids’ Choice Awards. She was also responsible for casting big-name talent for shows like iCarly, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Dora the Explorer.

Kaplan was also instrumental in launching the careers of many well-known pop culture celebrities, including Nick Cannon, Ariana Grande, and Jennette McCurdy. With her impressive background from Nickelodeon, and her more recent years of consulting for digital companies, Kaplan seems well-suited for her new position at AwesomenessTV.

Filed under: Articles, AwesomenessTV, News by Bree Brouwer
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The first-ever Stream Con NYC is boosting its roster of guests. The online video industry and fan-based convention, which takes place October 30-November 1, 2015, has added YouTube star Rosanna Pansino, actor and singer James Maslow, Viner Alx James, musician Travis Clark, and canine internet icons Henry and Penny to its lineup of guests.

With over 4.2 million subscribers on her channel, Pansino is best known for her Nerdy Nummies web series. The baking YouTuber recently partnered with cake company Wilton for branded content and tutorials, as well as with home decor company Wayfair for a makeover of her home on the Kin Community web series Overhaul.

Fans will also be able to see Maslow, known for his roles on Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush and Crackle’s Sequestered digital series, perform at Stream Con on October 31 at the Vimeo Theatre. Additionally, Stream Con attendees can see guests Clark (who’s the lead singer for the band We the Kings), James (who claims 7.6 million followers on Vine), and French bulldogs Henry and Penny (who have appeared in national TV commercials) during the two-day event.

Stream Con NYC’s guest lineup is headlined by newsman Al Roker, Vimeo’s Kerry Trainor, Frederator Network’s Fred Seibert, and New Form Digital’s Kathleen Grace. You can see an entire list of featured guests on Stream Con’s official website; keep checking back for new guests to be announced through September.

Filed under: Articles, News, Stream Con NYC by Bree Brouwer
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