Yahoo TV is bringing the 67th Annual Emmy nominations ceremony directly to online viewers. The media publisher will host a live stream of the event on July 16, 2015, including pre- and post-ceremony commentary from Yahoo TV editors.

The official Yahoo Emmy nominations coverage will start at 8:20 AM PST. Bianna Golodryga, a Yahoo Global Correspondent, will host the pre-Emmy nominations live stream along with Yahoo TV’s Editor-in-Chief Kristen Baldwin and Critic-at-Large Ken Tucker. The three Yahoo employees will broadcast live from the company’s New York studios, discussing their nomination predictions and the latest headlines before the official Emmy ceremony.

Around 8:30 AM PST, Uzo Aduba (of Orange Is the New Black fame) and Cat Deeley (host of So You Think You Can Dance) will announce all the official 67th Annual Emmy nominees, live from Los Angeles. Afterwards, Golodryga, Baldwin, and Tucker will wrap up the live stream by covering the nominations, commenting on the selections, and talking who was left out of the running for this year’s Emmys.

Yahoo’s Emmy nominations live stream will be available on July 16 on the Yahoo TV website, as well through the Yahoo Screen iOS and Android apps. Viewers can also tune in to the nominations broadcast via connected devices like Xbox, Roku, and Apple TVs.

Filed under: Articles, News, Yahoo! by Bree Brouwer
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360-degree videos are hot right now, and Legendary, among all its Comic-Con hubbub, found a way to get in on the fun. The film studio has released a pair of videos–one that takes viewers to the house of Crimson Peak and another that enters the world of Warcraft–that both offer 360-degree views and are available on devices that support the Google Cardboard VR app.

The video each serve as previews for their respective films; Crimson Peak, which was previously the subject of a filmmaking contest on YouTube, will arrive in October, while Warcraft, which adapts the video game franchise of the same name, will follow in June 2016. A third 360-degree video supports a previous Legendary film, Pacific Rim.

The videos are best viewed on devices that support the Google Cardboard app, but viewers who aren’t yet ready (or able) to step into the world of VR can watch them through Google Chrome. They’re available on Legendary’s official channel as well as the 360-degree video hub YouTube launched earlier this year.

Legendary, which has often worked with the YouTube Spaces to turn its films into tentpole events, has done a good job of using online video to promote its upcoming projects. Virtual reality, based on the amount of conversation it generated at this year’s Newfronts, is the web video industry’s next great frontier, so why not use it to show viewers what it’s like to soar across the sky on the back of a dragon? I can think of no more practical use.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, Legendary Entertainment, News by Sam Gutelle
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Rooster Teeth has plenty of content coming out in the next few months to excite its fans. At San Diego Comic-Con on July 11, 2015, the production company unveiled the official X-Ray and Vav season two trailer and discussed its upcoming sci-fi comedy feature film Lazer Team.

In the official trailer for season two of X-Ray and Vav, viewers are re-introduced to the titular characters voiced by Ray Narvaez, Jr. and Gavin Free. The animated series, which originally launched in November 2014, is also bringing on board new characters voiced by Adventure Time’s Jessica DiCicco and Parks & Recreation’s Colton Dunn (who’s also starring in Rooster Teeth’s Lazer Team film).

X-Ray and Vav season two premieres on July 18, 2015; a total of ten episodes will be released in two batches of five each. Rooster Teeth sponsors get to see the first episodes a day before they’re released to the public on July 19. Rooster Teeth’s Lindsay Jones said at the SDCC panel the company would like to continue X-Ray and Vav beyond season two if fan reception is positive.

In addition to the X-Ray and Vav news at SDCC, Rooster Teeth employees revealed some interesting facts about the production of the company’s first feature film Lazer Team. CEO Matt Hullum noted how filming took place over about 30 nights, mostly in sub-zero temperatures. Dunn said some of the cast members “may or may not” have eaten eight burgers each during one scene instead of spitting out their bites after each shoot.

Rooster Teeth’s CCO Burnie Burns also explained how the Lazer Team film crew is using part of the $2+ million raised on Indiegogo to create the film to make the visuals as stunning as possible. “We’re in the later stages of film production [on Lazer Team], especially with the visual effects crew,” Burns said. “We want to show the world what 2.5 million can do and we want to blow people away.”

Hullum said an official release date for Lazer Team will be revealed in the near future, but he noted that the flick will definitely be available sometime in 2015.

Filed under: Articles, News, Rooster Teeth by Bree Brouwer
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When 11-year-old Logan Fairbanks published a YouTube video addressing his haters, he probably didn’t expect much of a response from the Internet at large. Instead, his stirring response to his bullies made him the viral video star du jour, and earned both him and his father Josh invitations to the White House.

In Logan’s two-minute video, he stares directly into the camera and reads off several insults he has received as YouTube comments. While he’s certainly not the first person to point out the nasty wounds hurtful comments can cause, his slow, somber delivery makes his anti-bullying plea into a raw, emotional video.

In the six days after posting his video, Logan pulled in nearly 750,000 views. He also left a mark on the thousands of people who stopped by to leave him comments. “Hey Logan, I’m proud of you for standing up to bullying, it’s unfortunately something a lot of people have had to deal with but often very little is done about it,” wrote YouTube gamer Ohmwrecker. “Keep your head up, and don’t let the haters stop you from doing anything that you’re passionate about.  As you get older those haters will matter less and less, I promise you.”

One particularly important person who took a shine to Logan and his anti-bullying stand was Valerie Jarrett, a Senior Advisor to President Obama. In a tweet, Jarrett invited Logan and his dad to come by the White House. The two Michiganders eagerly accepted the offer.

.@DadVsLogan If you’re ever in DC, pls stop by the @WhiteHouse and say hi. Logan may be a future occupant one day 🙂 https://t.co/38wvYDB84C

— Valerie Jarrett (@vj44) July 11, 2015

@vj44 @WhiteHouse Thanks to some amazing people it looks like we are going to be able to make the trip. Would love to visit you. DM us.

— Dad vs. Logan (@DadVsLogan) July 12, 2015

Even though cyberbullies hide behind anonymity, Logan’s video shows it is possible to combat them in a meaningful way. Kudos to the White House for picking up Logan’s story and rewarding him for his bravery.

Filed under: Articles, Channels, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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MTV has brought back one of its more thought-provoking web series. The cable network’s digital studio MTV (other) has released the premiere episode of Braless season three, hosted by sex educator and feminist YouTube star Laci Green.

Braless originally debuted online in October 2014 to cover feminist and pop culture-related topics in a smart yet accessible and entertaining manner. Seasons one and two of the show combined to pull in over 4.9 million total video views on YouTube and covered topics such as “Should All Bathrooms Be Gender Neutral?” and “Is Bob’s Burgers a Feminist Masterpiece?”

Round three of Braless will address similar issues as previous seasons. The premiere episode, dubbed “Just Say NO to Abstinence Only!”, finds Green, who boasts over 1.3 million subscribers on her own channel, discussing why abstinence-only programs are still promoted in the U.S., even though they don’t tend to work.

“If you look at the comments section of Braless… you’ll see why we’re so proud of this show,” said Garth Bardsley, VP of Original Video for MTV Digital, to StreamDaily. “The majority of our comments come from intelligent young people sharing their thoughts on issues that are important to them. That’s the goal.”

You can catch all future episodes of Braless season three on the show’s dedicated YouTube channel.

Filed under: Articles, MTV, News, Web Series by Bree Brouwer
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One of Amazon’s most intriguing original series thus far will soon arrive for the site’s Prime subscribers, and its trailer paints a picture of a bleak alternate history. A preview for The Man In The High Castle premiered at Comic-Con International, and the upcoming series looks like it will be Amazon’s most ambitious offering yet.

The Man in the High Castle, from executive producer Ridley Scott, is based on a novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick. In the show’s timeline, America lost World War II, and as a result, the land of the free was divvied up between Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany and renamed the Axis Powers of America. The series will be set in 1962, when a group of patriots look to join a resistance movement against the evil powers that govern them.

While it does not yet have an official release date, The Man in the High Castle figures to make a splash with the Amazon audience. When it was picked up for a full season, Amazon Studios VP Roy Price called it “our most watched pilot ever.”

The Man in the High Castle arrives at a crucial time in the development of Amazon’s original video library. The platform’s first wave of series bore limited returns, but its second round of pilots produced a trio of critical favorites: Transparent, Mozart in the Jungle, and Bosch. The Man in the High Castle premiered during the third round of pilots, from which it was picked up alongside Ron Perlman vehicle Hand of God (which recently dropped its own trailer) and two other series. For Amazon to continue its momentum, it needs its big bets to pay off. Based on its trailer, The Man in the High Castle certainly looks like its headed in the right direction.

Filed under: Amazon, Amazon Studios, Articles, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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Comcast has a new offering to help it reach those elusive “cord-nevers” who have no interest in cable. The communications giant announced plans for a internet-only TV service called Xfinity Stream, which will include access to HBO and major broadcast networks.

Xfinity Stream will boast live and on-demand content, as well as DVR capabilities. Stream will cost an extra $15 a month for Comcast subscribers who pay for standalone Xfinity broadband internet. At this price, Comcast’s over-the-top service is $5 cheaper per month than Dish’s Sling TV service.

Unlike Sling TV, though, Xfinity Stream won’t provide access to popular cable networks like Disney Channel or ESPN. But the inclusion of HBO will likely boost Stream’s appeal, especially considering the cable network just launched its own subscription service separately for $15 a month (and of course, HBO’s service doesn’t include any non-HBO content).

Variety notes this isn’t the first time Comcast has released an over-the-top service. Back in 2013, the cable company released Internet Plus, which included internet and a limited selection of channels, including HBO again. However, Comcast’s Internet Plus requires a set-top box to watch available programming; Stream customers, on the other hand, will be able to watch live TV, on-demand, and DVR content on mobile devices.

“We want to make ordering Stream as easy as buying a song online,” said Matt Strauss, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Video Services at Comcast, in a company blog post. “And make tuning in to a show as simple as opening an email.”

Comcast plans to launch Xfinity Stream to broadband customers in Boston by the end of summer 2015. Chicago and Seattle are next in line for Stream’s launch, with all Comcast cities covered by 2016.

Filed under: Articles, Comcast, News by Bree Brouwer
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Nerdist had a big presence at Comic-Con International, and it made sure to show off its shiny new feature film acquisition. During the yearly fan culture convention, Chris Hardwick’s network premiere the trailer for The Hive, a horror thriller set at a summer camp.

The Hive, which was first screened in 2014 at Austin’s Fantastic Fest. It utilizes the horror genre’s well-worn amnesia trope by focusing on a counselor who wakes up in a cabin and must stop a scourge that threatens the children at his camp. The trailer shows off a balanced blend of mystery, jump scares, and unexplained black goo, which seems to coat most of the characters who appear in the video.

While it has distributed feature films in the past, Nerdist’s June acquisition of The Hive has been billed as an audacious move through which the nerdy network can gain a bigger hold within the movie world. The film is expected to be released in the fall, when it will arrive both online and in theaters.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, Nerdist, News by Sam Gutelle
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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. 

How do you spice up a comedy web series about an odd couple who move in together? Add in some gay Hobbit sex. One True Pairing, from creator Laura Jordan, explores the friendship between a middle-aged divorcee and a teenage former child star through the lens of Hobbit slash fiction.

One True Pairing‘s main characters are Sheila, portrayed by Jordan, and Jeremy, played by Peter Graham. Before the beginning of the series’ timeline, Sheila and Jeremy become friends based on their shared interest in steamy fan fiction. Each episode opens with a hilariously explicit excerpt from Sheila’s writing; she shows a particular fondness for the pairing of Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakenshield.

Slash fiction makes up One True Pairing‘s roots, but at its core, it is a simple story about two friends who hail from completely different worlds. Age-wise, Sheila and Jeremy are separated by several decades, but as the series begins, they both find themselves at crossroads in their respective lives, and that makes them perfect matches for one another. When you add in the chemistry of the two leads and a fun script filled with banter, you get a charming series that is refreshingly down-to-earth. Check out the three episodes available on YouTube.

OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SERIES TO CHECK OUT

• Livin’ The Dream. A woman looks to follow her calling by becoming a filmmaker. Easier said than done.
• Dog Days. Against the backdrop of San Francisco, a down-on-his-luck protagonist looks to pull himself out of the dumps.
• Dirty Girl. A city dweller explores the world of urban gardening.
• Uber Lives. The lives and personalities of Uber drivers in Los Angeles come into focus.

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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National Geographic‘s newest program is sure to interest online video fans. The cable television network will air a documentary called Generation YouTube on July 11, 2015.

Generation YouTube will cover the founding story of Google’s massive online video site before it became the massive cultural phenomenon it is today. A trailer for the National Geographic documentary shows interviews with YouTube’s founders Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim, who unknowingly created one of the most popular websites of all time from a garage in Silicon Valley.

YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005. Google’s online video site recently celebrated its 10th birthday this year by releasing a series of blog posts covering its impactful history. The posts covered topics such as the kid-based memes that started on YouTube, animal videos, and “Gangnam Style,” which is the most-watched video of all time on the video site.

National Geographic will air Generation YouTube on its linear TV channel at 10 PM EST on July 11.

Filed under: Articles, Branded Entertainment, News, YouTube by Bree Brouwer
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A company that offered studios and filmmakers a platform on which they could sell their work directly to viewers has gone dark. Yekra, which targeted documentaries and feature at the audiences most likely to enjoy them, has shut down.

Sonya Waterworth, one of Yekra’s co-founders, discussed Yekra’s closure in a Facebook post. She explained how the company’s investors “shut the doors without notifying anybody.” Waterworth, along with her husband and fellow Yekra co-founder Lee Waterworth, left the company in April.

Yekra first popped onto our radar in 2013, when it roared out of beta with $3 million in funding. At that point, several other options already existed for creators looking to sell their work directly to consumers, but Yekra hoped to use its technology to establish its niche. It was bullish on its AffiliateConnect tool, which it used to find the consumers who would be most interested in buying and sharing specific films. Yekra also allowed its sellers to enable DRM, which gave it an advantage among studios that wished to utilize the controversial distribution technology.

Thanks to these and other selling points, Yekra managed to attract a number of high-quality projects from both narrative and documentary filmmakers. It was also able to expand its offerings in 2014 through a partnership with Indiegogo and an embeddable service called Yekra Theater.

Unfortunately for Yekra and its users, pay-to-view video distribution is a tough business. One of the platform’s competitors, Chill, also closed its doors when its own investor support dried up in 2013. Now, its site offline and its Twitter feed deactivated, Yekra has gone the same way. It’s too bad to see it go, but luckily, filmmakers who wish to sell their work online can still rely on platforms like VHX and Vimeo On Demand.

Filed under: Articles, Channels, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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YouTube may be a top destination for game content, but Twitch ultimately made more money from gaming in 2014. According to a study by SuperData Research, Twitch claims the largest revenue share in the video game content industry, taking 43% of the $3.8 billion market.

SuperData defines gaming video content as “recorded gameplay, reviews, and anything that engages the gaming community,” including live streams, trailers, and even eSports events. Content creators earned approximately $2.9 billion in 2015 from sponsorships and advertising (the latter of which accounts for 77% of all game content revenue), with the remaining $890 million coming from donations and paid subscriptions.

Within this setting, YouTube commanded a higher percentage of total global viewers (73%) in 2015 than Twitch (53%). However, YouTube only claimed 36% of the game content industry’s total global revenue. Twitch’s 43% share has thus resulted in $1.6 billion in revenue for the site’s creators in 2015.

SuperData believes Twitch’s upper hand in the global revenue share is primarily due to the fact Twitch attracts hardcore gamers and fans, who are more willing to donate funds and purchase subscriptions. SuperData found American live stream viewers spend an average of $4.64 per month on creators, with 44% of all live stream viewers paying at least $21 per month on paid content and subscriptions.

You can read more of SuperData’s findings on the game content industry by downloading the “Gaming Video Content Market Brief 2015” from the firm’s website.

Filed under: Articles, News, TwitchTV by Bree Brouwer
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