For more than three years, comedian Paul F. Tompkins hosted Speakeasy, a series of video interviews with celebrities. On June 22nd, he added to the Speakeasy collection with a new episode featuring fellow comedian Hannibal Buress, but unfortunately, that installment will be his last. In a Tumblr post, Tompkins announced his plan to cease production on Speakeasy, citing a busy schedule as the culprit.
“In an effort to devote more time, energy and focus to fewer projects, I’ve had to make some tough decisions, and one such decision was “retiring” from Speakeasy,” wrote the 46-year-old Tompkins on his blog. “As much as I’ve enjoyed doing the show for the last few years, I have had to face facts and realize that if you burn the candle at both ends, you will get so close to the middle of the candle that you can see the middle of the candle is no more candle. And they should not sell those double-wicked candles! They are, at best, IMPRACTICAL!”
Since launching Speakeasy in 2012, Tompkins has delivered 94 episodes of high-quality conversation. If you’re a fan of the series–as we are–its entire run is available on the Defy Media-owned Made Man channel.
Crackle is helping people worldwide turn themselves into hicks. Sony’s streaming video network has launched the Hick Yourself! app to promote the upcoming release of Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser on July 16, 2015.
The Hick Yourself! app allows users to add mullets, mustaches, and other white trash-inspired accessories (including a chainsaw) to photos of themselves. The app’s users can upload their completed hick photos to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. As Variety notes, Crackle appropriately released Hick Yourself! on July 2, which is National Mullet Day.
Crackle’s Joe Dirt film is a made-for-digital sequel to the hit 2001 film starring David Spade as the titular mullet-wearing Southern redneck “hero.” Produced by Adam Sandler’s Happy Madision Productions and directed by the original Joe Dirt helmsman Fred Wolf, Joe Dirt 2 tells the story of Joe as he travels through central America (and, apparently, his mind) to find his family.
The summer movie season is upon us, and as blockbusters arrive in the movie theaters, they are accompanied by auxiliary videos released on online platforms like YouTube. We’ve already spotlighted web content related to summer movies like Jurassic Worldand Minions, and Magic Mike XXL is the next flick to get the YouTube treatment. The sequel to the 2012 film Magic Mike has been spoofed on Maker Studios’ Nacho Punch channel, where a gentleman named “Regular Mike” has taken up residence.
Nacho Punch introduced the world to Regular Mike with a fake trailer for a film of the same name. Like Channing Tatum’s character in Magic Mike, Regular Mike (played by Mike McNeal) gets up on stage and performs in front of a crowd of fawning women. However, instead of wowing his female audience with a seductive striptease, Regular Mike impresses the ladies by building a spice rack, doing yoga, and putting the toilet seat down. Move over, Channing: Regular Mike is the perfect man.
As with other videos on the Nacho Punch channel, the “Regular Mike” trailer includes some YouTube content creators, such as Peter Gilroy and Angel Moore, among its cast. The clip, which first arrived online on June 27th, has since been featured on Good Morning America.
While “Regular Mike” is (at least for now) still little more than a typical woman’s fantasy, his stripping counterpart is back in theaters. The fake trailer was time to coincide with release of Magic Mike XXL, which arrived across the United States on July 1st.
Twitch will have its eyes on the UK, not the U.S., this Fourth of July weekend. The live streaming platform owned by Amazon will run broadcasts from the official Minecon 2015 event, hosted in London, from July 4-5, 2015.
Minecon 2015 is a celebration of all things Minecraft, bringing the video game’s loyal community together in one place. The event surrounding the popular Mojang-created (and Microsoft-owned) sandbox title will feature expert interviews, discussion panels, keynote speeches, gameplay sessions, and even building and costume contests.
For fans who aren’t crossing the pond to attend the event, Twitch’s live streams will do the trick. The Minecon live stream hub will be found at twitch.tv/minecon, with three separate streams to choose from: the main stream from Mojang in the Expo Hall (twitch.tv/mojang), the main stage stream (twitch.tv/mineconstage), and panel room one (twitch.tv/mineconpanel).
The only drawback to these Minecon live streams on Twitch is the time difference. Since the Minecraft-related event will take place in London, which is five hours ahead of the U.S.’s Eastern time zone (eight ahead of the West Coast), the Minecon streams start at 5 AM EST on July 4 and 5. If you don’t feel like getting up that early, Mojang has promised to upload Minecon highlights to the studios’ YouTube channel after the event ends.
You can view the three live stream channels’ complete schedules via Twitch’s official blog.
CutePolish is run by 26-year-old Canadian Sandi Crystal Ball. Ball grew up in a small town of about 300 people in Newfoundland; with little to do, she taught herself coding and computer repair by the age of 12. When Ball attended college to be a teacher, the YouTube star would paint her nails a different style each week, and classmates asked her to show them how. Ball founded her channel in February 2010, combining all her skills and love for computers, teaching, and nail art.
Under Ball’s deal with ICON, CutePolish will produce exclusive content and videos for the network to release across its various platforms (including a recently-created app for Amazon Fire TV). CutePolish will debut its first five pieces of original content on the ICON Network in the late summer of 2015.
CutePolish currently boasts over 2.4 million subscribers and almost 300 million collective video views.
Welcome to YouTube Millionaires, where we profile channels that have recently crossed the one million subscriber mark. There are channels crossing this threshold every week, and each has a story to tell about YouTube success. Read previous installments of YouTube Millionaires here.
On YouTube, Lauren Elizabeth Luthringshausenstays true to herself, and that authentic approach is paying off. The young creator of Love, Lauren Elizabeth, is part of the ever-expanding community of online video vloggers, but she has managed to distinguish herself by forming a strong bond with her fans. Beyond the one million subscribers she has accrued on YouTube, Luthringshausen (who is partnered with AwesomenessTV’s Big Frame) has also parlayed her success into a starring role in Bad Night, a feature film that will premiere on July 21st. Here, in her own words, is how she sees her accomplishments:
Tubefilter: How does it feel to have 1 million subscribers? What do you want to say to your fans?
Lauren Elizabeth Luthringshausen: It feels unreal, which is a great thing. I feel like I’m living a dream I never thought could really come true, but thanks to my amazing subscribers it did. So I owe them the world.
TF: If you could re-do one thing about your early days of vlogging, what would it be and why?
LEL: My old videos are so embarrassing!! I actually refuse to watch them. But I don’t delete them because it shows how much a person can grow. I had no idea what I was doing or who I was supposed to be but I wouldn’t redo anything because it’s all gotten me here.
TF: Your toptwo most-viewed videos have to do with pranks. Why did you decide to make those videos?
LEL: Pranks make for hilarious videos and I love producing hilarious content! I love making people laugh which is why sometimes I feel so bad for pranking people because when you’re the one being pranked it isn’t so funny! But as long as it’s harmless and fun I’m down. I love improvising and you never know what you’re going to get while pranking!
TF: How far in advance do you plan out your videos? What does that process look like?
LEL: I get this question a lot and it’s sad but true when I say I don’t do much planning. Everyone has their own process. But what I’ve done with my channel in the past year is made is very real, raw, and organic. I don’t like to plan things because I want them to be real in the moment. Every week usually on the day I upload, I decide what I’m going to film while I’m setting up the camera. I sit down talk the camera’s nonexistent ear off! And boom! There’s my video. I’m either in the mood to make everyone laugh or want to talk about something I’m really passionate about. Either way it’s always real and me.
TF: If you could collaborate with anyone on a video, who would it be and why?
LEL: I would honestly collaborate with anyone who wants to collaborate with me! There are so many talented people on the Internet that I haven’t worked with yet because I just want the collaboration to happen organically with the right idea and timing. So if anyone has a good idea for us and it feels natural, I’d love to!
TF: What was your favorite part about working on Bad Night?
LEL: I loved everything about shooting Bad Night. I love being on set for long hours, watching the story come to life and working with the directors and other actors.
TF: Are you nervous about Bad Night‘s upcoming release? What are your hopes for the film?
LEL: I’m so excited for the release of Bad Night. I’ve been working so hard on this film from the ground up and can’t believe it’s finally almost here. My hopes for the film are for my supporters on the Internet and in real life to enjoy it and be proud. I hope to continue acting in features and hope this is just the beginning
TF: Where do you see yourself five years from now? Would you want to do YouTube the rest of your life?
LEL: I know YouTube will always be apart of my life at some capacity. I’m happy where I am right now on YouTube but I know in five years I see myself acting and producing full time. I love being able to share everything with my subscribers so I will always bring them along on my journey in some way, shape or form.
TF: What’s next for your channel? Anything fun?
LEL: What’s next for my channel is really exploring other kinds of content. I want to test out different kinds of material and sketches and vlogs. I have some exciting things in the works to really up my content while still having my silly vlog videos consistent on my channel.
The most popular viral video of last week didn’t feature cats (for once), but a fish, and not just any fish, but one that plays fetch. Take a watch:
Having been live and online for just over a week, the video has garnered well over 1.5 million views across multiple postings to a variety of video sharing sites (the YouTube version is currently just shy of a million) and generated a great deal of publicity, getting some prime real estate on the AOL Homepage, LaughingSquid, and the twitter feed of entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki.
According to the faux description found within several of the videos on the YouTube channel, the upload is of a fish with the mind of a dog – the result of a mind transfer process known as ‘shedding’. This cutting-edge scientific, neurobiological process was seemingly created by a PhoenixBiogenic.com and a cursory search for the company reveals its actually a promotional website for Self/less. Apparently, the plot of Self/less revolves around this same type of ‘shedding’. Judging by the trailer, the film portrays a billionaire (Kingsley) who’s only hope to survive cancer is a radical medical procedure called “shedding,” in which his consciousness is transferred to a healthy body (more specifically, Reynold’s very health body).
This isn’t the first ilm to use viral animal videos to to build anticipation for a film’s release (and there are a few other ‘shedding’ videos, too, like this one of a cat that thinks it’s a bird). Rise of the Planet of the Apes was propelled to number one in the box office four years ago, supported in large by its viral campaign feature an Ape with an AK-47 (the video of which has over 34 million views and counting).
Fourth of July is just two days away, and Netflix is celebrating with some good-old American camping. The streaming platform released a poster and official trailer for Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp on July 2, 2015.
The poster for Wet Hot American Summer is a throwback to the original film’s art. All the cast members’ images, including those of the newcomers, are included, though in a slightly less cartoon-ish style than the Wet Hot film’s poster.
Netflix announced it would be turning David Wain’s Wet Hot cult film into a series back in December 2014. Once all the original acting talent was on board, the streaming service started production. Netflix has released two teaser trailers up to this point, one in January 2015 and the other more recently in June.
All eight, 30-minute episodes of Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp will be released on July 31, 2015.
Kin Community is looking to serve both the creators within its network and its brand partners through a new studio initiative. The multi-channel network, which serves female YouTube viewers of all ages, has announced Kin Studios, a new division that will create sponsored content.
“We see strong demand from world-class brands wanting premium content solutions with lifestyle influencers,” said Michael Wayne, co-founder and CEO of Kin Community, in a press release. “Lauren and Beth’s expertise in both sales and content strategy will empower these brands to tell richer stories and engage our audiences in entirely new ways.”
While it has only now launched a dedicated branded content studio, Kin has, like other MCNs, regularly fostered brand partnerships for its creators. In May, it partnered with decor brand Wayfair for a web series that provided its network partners with home makeovers. Just a few days later, it announced additional partnerships with hair brand Batiste, liquor brand Mark Anthony’s Palm Bay, and food brand McCain SuperFries.
Despite only just opening its doors, Kin Studios is already working with a number of well-known brands. Its current batch of clients includes Beiersdorf, P&G, and Wilton.
Welcome to the Fund This column! Each week, we’ll look at a planned web series or other online video project currently in search of funding on crowdfunding sites. We’ll tell you what the series is all about and explain why it is worth your money. Do you have a project that’s currently being crowdfunded? Contact us to let us know and we may feature it in upcoming installments and check out previous installments righthere.
Description: Hosted by FUSE host and sneaker fan Esteban Serrano, the documentary-style series The Sneaker Life promises to take viewers behind-the-scenes in the world and industry of sneakers. The show’s creators plan to cover footwear topics like luxury, sports,design, sneaker culture, and the business of sneakers.
The Sneaker Life will also feature interviews with executives in the sneaker and footwear industry, collectors, athletes, designers, and even sneakerologists (yes, that’s really a term used to describe sneaker gurus.)
Creator Bio: New York-based Carma Studios is the production team behind The Sneaker Life. Carma’s Cary Grant Jr. created The Sneaker Life and brings to the project digital media experience from companies such as Discovery Communications and Barnes & Noble Nook. Vaitari Anderson is on board as the series’ producer; Anderson is a videographer and sneaker collector who’s worked with the likes of MTV and Vevo.
Best Perk: While $50 will get the casual sneaker fan a nice-looking t-shirt and digital extras, true aficionados may want to consider shelling out 10x that much. At $500, The Sneaker Life backers can get a limited edition pair of custom sneakers from artist Alexander John. Backers at this level will also get the digital series and extras, a music mix, their name listed in the credits, and a photo of themselves in their favorite pair of sneakers on The Sneaker Life website.
Why You Should Fund It: If you’re even the least bit curious about what sneakerologists actually do every day, or what the word sneakerhead means, you should donate some of your cash to The Sneaker Life. Plus, it’s a rare find when a show promises to cover such a niche topic which boasts loads of passionate followers. Wil Wheaton already proved the unabashed enthusiasm people around the world have for his own favorite niche topic, tabletop gaming, by raising $1.4 for a third season of his TableTop show. The Sneaker Life could be on track to attract its own following, especially considering the billion-dollar industry it covers.
Got a crowdfunding campaign you’d like to see featured in Fund This? Be sure to contact us here.
Looking to learn about some powerful, iron-willed, and all-around badass women from the past 2100 years? A pair of porn stars are ready to educate you. Ela Darling and Sovereign Syre, both of whom are known for their work in adult films, are the creators of Boss Bitches of History, a new web series that profiles strong women throughout history.
Boss Bitches of History can be found on Wisecrack, a YouTube channel best known for its Thug Notes web series. In each episode of Darling and Syre’s new series, they spotlight a specific historical figure and explain why she was a boss bitch. As you might expect, this does not turn out like a typical high school history lesson, unless your teacher was the kind of person who would call Julius Caesar’s haircut “et tu brutal.”
The first installment of the series hones in on Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra and examines her relationships with her two brothers, Caesar, and Mark Antony. A second episode skips forward more than 1700 years to discuss Marie-Josèphe dite Angélique, a slave who left her mark on the city of Montreal.
As the writers and hosts of Boss Bitches of History, Darling and Syre strive to break down the porn star stereotype. Darling has a master’s degree in library science, while Syre has studied at the MFA level with two poet laureates. Boss Bitches is a canvas on which they can share their respective smarts and research skills, all while maintaining an entertaining presentation style filled with sexual innuendo.
“It’s been great working with Sov and Ela. Sov is like a walking Wikipedia- she can go on for HOURS about history. Ela is so on point with her writing and research capabilities,” said Wiscrack’s Jared Bauer. “They both have way more academic experience than I have. From the moment I met them, we were on the same page. We all shared a thirst for knowledge and a passion for shaking up people’s worldviews.”
Subscribe to Wisecrack if you want to view new episodes of Boss Bitches as they arrive online.
Facebook isn’t slowing down in its push to improve video offerings across the board. The social media site has created a new type of feed called Suggested Videos, and will start offering content creators and brands a percentage of the revenue generated by video ads within the new feed.
Facebook’s Suggested Videos feed will be akin to its regular News Feed, but exclusively for video content. The feed will host clips from regular site users, brands, and well-known content creators, using Facebook’s recently-updated and tweaked algorithm to determine which videos are most relevant to each user’s individual preferences.
Site users who click on a video in their News Feeds will be taken to Suggested Videos and shown the video they originally clicked. Facebook users will then be shown other content related to the original clip they selected. For example, users who select a video from a friend are more likely to see other clips from that person, and those who click branded content will get more of the same.
And here’s where Facebook’s new ad revenue share program comes in. Within the videos published on Suggested Videos, the social site will run individual auto-play video ads from marketing partners. Facebook will offer creators a 55%-45% revenue split in favor of the partners from any ads run next to their content. Facebook’s VP of Partnerships Dan Rose told Re/code the social site will initially offer this opportunity to about 12 brands starting in the fall of 2015.
“A lot of [our partners] have said this will be a big motivation to start publishing a lot more video content to Facebook,” Rose explained. “That’s exactly what we’re hoping for.”
However, Facebook’s new revenue share has a bit of experimenting to do. Currently, the site isn’t sure how it will charge marketing partners for the video ads within Suggested Videos. On other parts of the site, Facebook currently lets advertisers choose between a cost-per-impression basis or the new cost-per-view model.
Another problem with Facebook’s Suggested Feeds product and coordinating revenue share arises when site users view more than one content partner’s videos alongside an ad. For example, if a user watched clips from current partners Fox Sports, Funny or Die, and the NBA, but only saw one video ad, Facebook would split the 55% cut of the ad revenue between all three brands, based on which company’s video received the most watch time.
Re/code notes the social site plans to test Suggested Videos for a few months, all while giving marketers “bonus impressions,” before deciding how to charge (and reward) for video ads.
Facebook’s Suggested Videos feed will be arriving on iOS within the next few weeks; Facebook’s website and Android platforms will get the new feed over the next several months.
