Sling TV has new programming for subscribers to watch. Dish’s over-the-top subscription service has added the channel Polaris+ from Maker Studios to its core $20-a-month package.

Polaris+ is an extension of Maker’s Polaris network, which, according to a Sling blog post, rakes in three billion monthly views. As with the Polaris network, Polaris+ will focus on gaming, pop culture, and comics-related content, available on-demand or within Sling’s 3-day replay feature. The Polaris+ channel will feature long-form original programming available first on the subscription platform, before moving to other distribution outlets.

Sling TV, which was announced in January 2015 and launched in February, had already included a channel in its core package for long- and short-form content from Maker Studios. The service also includes popular networks and channels such as Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, ESPN, HGTV, Food Network, TBS, and CNN. More recently, Dish added HBO and AMC so subscribers could enjoy hit titles like Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead.

You can read more about Polaris from Maker on the network’s official site.

Filed under: Articles, News, Sling TV by Bree Brouwer
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Barely Political has been releasing videos on YouTube for eight years, and over that time period, the channel’s focus has changed considerably. In order to better represent the channel’s current direction, co-stars Todd Womack and Mark Douglas have announced a rebranding effort: Barely Political will now be known as Barely Productions.

Barely Political began as a home for political satire; the channel’s first-ever video, “Crush on Obama,” went viral after its release and catapulted the “Obama Girl” to national prominence. More recently, though, Barely Political has better known for other projects, especially the song parodies it hosts as part of the Key of Awesome web series. “We haven’t made political videos in a long time,” explains Douglas in a video introducing the channel’s new name.

The switch to Barely Productions is purely a cosmetic change. The channel will still serve as a home for all of its series, including The Key of Awesome, Frank Ruins Movie Trailers, and several others.

Of course, once the 2016 election season rolls around, the Barely Productions team could end up producing some topical videos. A year from now, we hope to see the channel’s political spirit reappear, even without a name to match.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, Web Series by Sam Gutelle
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Rooster Teeth has more information on its newest convention. The Austin-based entertainment studio has announced the location and date for its upcoming RTX Australia event.

The first-ever RTX Australia will take place at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney on January 23 and 24, 2016. Tickets for the event range from $35 single-day passes to $400 for a VIP pass; these go on sale starting July 2, 2015 on RTX Australia’s official site. So far, Rooster Teeth co-founder Gus Sorola and community manager Barbara Dunkelman are confirmed guests.

Rooster Teeth’s Chris Demarais and Josh Flanagan revealed the RTX Australia details at Supanova Sydney on June 19, alongside Cameron Rooney of Hanabee, the licensing and pop culture event company co-producing RTX Australia. The Down Under event will also be produced by Supanova.

Originally announced on June 12, RTX Australia is Rooster Teeth’s answer to its large, global fanbase. The main convention in Austin, Texas, has continued to grow over the last several years, with fans traveling to the city from around the world. But now those Rooster Teeth devotees who are in Australia or closer to that portion of the globe will be able to attend a closer event.

You can keep up with new RTX Australia information by following the event on Twitter or Facebook.

Filed under: Articles, News, Rooster Teeth by Bree Brouwer
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RocketJump, in case you haven’t heard, is making a leap. The digital studio and YouTube channel headed by visual effects maestro Freddie Wong will soon premiere a Hulu original series called RocketJump: The Show, and in order to give fans a brief tease of the fun to come, showrunner Ben M. Waller has authored a blog post describing the series, breaking down its production timeline, and sharing a few photos from the set.

Waller, a RocketJump employee who was just announced as the Hulu series’ showrunner, describes the upcoming program as “Project Greenlight meets Parks and Rec meets Looney Toons.” In each episode, the production process behind a specific short will be highlighted, with the short itself serving as the icing on the cake. This format, Waller explains, “will be a little bit BTS, a little bit action comedy extravaganza, and hopefully a lotta bit of heart.”

In keeping with RocketJump tradition, Waller also offers complete transparency about the production process. In his blog post, he breaks down the entire production timeline, from an initial June 2014 meeting with Lionsgate (seven months before the show was announced publicly) to the current final week of shooting. A few pictures from the production show that yes, this is going to happen, and yes, there are going to be gorgons.

One thing Waller doesn’t reveal is the show’s planned release date, though he tells us to “get ready for some bus-punching.” In the meantime, there are plenty of shorts available on the RocketJump YouTube channel, and most of them are ridiculous fun.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, Hulu, News, RocketJump by Sam Gutelle
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Twitch will start recognizing some of its most important and game-changing partners. The live streaming platform dedicated to gaming content has announced its creator-focused Top Broadcaster Program.

Twitch’s new program aims to celebrate some of its most well-deserved broadcasters. The streaming platform will pick gamers who have significantly contributed to the Twitch community with their live gaming content. Those who are selected as top broadcasters will receive a variety of exclusive rewards, such as a Twitch track jacket, VIP passes to Twitch parties, and corporate opportunities.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about Twitch’s upcoming Broadcaster Program is its lenient “requirements.” While other programs from brands or companies might only allow digital creators with a certain number of followers or subscribers to join, Twitch isn’t putting such limits on its Broadcaster Program.

Instead, Twitch looked at a variety of average monthly data points to determine what should qualify someone as a top broadcaster. These seven statistic areas include minutes watched, hours broadcast, max peak concurrents, average concurrents, total followers, total subscribers, and subscriber growth. Twitch will review broadcasters’ channels twice per year in January and July, and select those streamers who reach the top in at least four of the data areas (not all of them).

Twitch employee, gamer, and live streamer Aureylian wrote in a company blog post that this open-ended way of looking at statistics allows Twitch to feature many different types of broadcasters and channels. This metrics system also allows Twitch to define broadcasting success beyond simply a number of followers or hours viewed.

“A broadcaster who regularly streams a few days a week, carries 3,000 concurrents, and is seen as being in the top of their field, but only has 30,000 followers will be recognized,” Aureylian explained. “That broadcaster is equally as important to one who has grown from a few dozen viewers to a few hundred by broadcasting many hours a day daily over the past quarter.”

Twitch said the first round of top broadcasters will be picked within the next few weeks. Selected live streamers can expect to see an email from the company in the first half of July.

Filed under: Articles, News, TwitchTV by Bree Brouwer
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Netflix continues to add original titles to its roster of programming. This time around, the video subscription service has ordered a comedy series called Lady Dynamite from producer Mitch Hurwtiz and comedienne Maria Bamford.

The 13 episodes of Lady Dynamite tell the story of a woman with a messed up, crooked life who manages to get it all straight again. Inspired by Bamford’s own life and career, the series will be executive produced by the comedienne alongside Hurwtiz and Pam Brady (South Park), who both wrote the pilot episode. Brady is also on board as the Lady Dynamite showrunner.

For Hurwitz, this new comedy series deal builds upon a previous pact he made with Netflix. He signed a multi-year deal with the streaming platform back in April 2014 to create and produce original series. In addition to Lady Dynamite, Hurwitz is also executive producing Netflix’s comedy Flaked (starring Will Arnett), and could possibly be working on another season of Arrested Development.

Lady Dynamite won’t be Bamford’s first appearance on Netflix, either. The actress and funny lady had a supporting role as Debrie Bardeaux in the fourth season of Arrested Development, which Netflix debuted back in 2013. Bamford also has a long history of online entertainment, including her Maria Bamford Show and the web series The Program for Funny or Die.

No release date has been announced for Lady Dynamite as of yet.

Filed under: Articles, Netflix, News by Bree Brouwer
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BroadbandTV, which now counts more than 4.7 billion views per month across 34,000 partner channels, calls itself the fastest-growing major online video network on the Internet (and backs up that claim with Comscore data). In order to sustain its growth, BBTV continually adds new partners to its network, and within the past few weeks it has signed deals with three notable names. YouTube personality DaveyWavey, electronic musical group Major Lazer, and beauty guru Rachel Levin (aka Rclbeauty101) have all joined the BroadbandTV network.

Davey’s videos often discuss topics relevant to gay culture, and he frequently collaborates with his fellow YouTubers. Across three YouTube channels–one featuring sketches, a second serving as a home for vlogs, and a third showcasing workout tips–he has more than 1.3 million subscribers.

The vast majority of Levin’s YouTube presence, on the other hand, is concentrated on her primary channel, which we profiled in our YouTube Millionaires column earlier this year. To date, her array of makeup tips, advice videos, and comedy sketches have attracted more than 2.6 million subscribers.

The third new BBTV signee, Major Lazer, is best known for their recent hit “Lean On.” Over the years, they’ve provided the soundtrack for a number of colorful videos, none more colorful than the ridiculous video Eric Wareheim made to accompany the song “Pon de Floor.”

“These signings represent our commitment to growing our strengths in key content verticals and attracting the highest-tier of talent,” said Ali Adab, VP of Content & Partnerships at BroadbandTV, in a release. “We look forward to investing in and growing each of these unique brands online and across platforms with additional revenue streams such as licensing (book publishing), e-commerce, merchandising, apps and subscription services.”

Together, these three channels will contribute to BBTV’s continued growth, but they won’t be alone. According to information from BBTV, the network’s roster of partners has tripled since September 2013.

Filed under: Articles, BroadbandTV, Featured, News by Sam Gutelle
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YouTube is usually known as a community full of young adults, teenagers, and tweens. But as many creators who grew up with YouTube since its inception (like Philip DeFranco and Shay Carl) enter into their adult years, video content for a more mature demographic has focused on babies and family life.

Video rights management and monetization company ZEFR decided to analyze the popularity of baby brands and video content on YouTube in its new “Parenting on YouTube” report. And in terms of presence on Google’s online video site, diaper company Pampers has all others beat, with over 200 million total video views across almost 8,000 videos featuring the brand.

The next diaper company with the highest-viewed branded content is The Honest Co., which has garnered roughly 1,200 videos and 175 million total video views to date. Huggies isn’t far behind in views (150 million), but the brand has far more videos with its name attached to them (over 5,500 clips) than The Honest Co.

In terms of baby food, ZEFR found Gerber earned the most video views at over 12 million, earning it the top spot in terms of brand impact and presence on YouTube. Similar to the way The Honest Co. videos and views performed in the diaper category, baby food company Plum Organics came in second for presence in the food category with 900,000 video views, but across only 100 or so videos.

It’s not just brands who are hitting it big on YouTube for family-oriented content. Parents may be less well-known creators on YouTube than those who attract teenage viewers, but these moms and dads are still attracting millions of views across the board. From gender reveals to nursery tours, baby content on YouTube is popular in its own right.

For example, the pregnancy announcements ZEFR studied had over 56 million total views. Baby shower decorating ideas and hauls racked up a whopping 256 million collective views, while videos with pregnancy tips garnered 46 million views. Stroller and car seat reviews, while less popular overall, still pulled in 13.7 million collective views across only 857 videos.

You can download the entire ZEFR “Parenting on YouTube” report via the company’s official blog.

Filed under: Articles, Channels, News, YouTube by Bree Brouwer
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Vimeo has performed a major overhaul of its video editing and creation app. The online video platform released an updated version of Cameo with several new, practical features and editing tools on June 18, 2015.

Vimeo acquired Cameo in March 2014, only a few months after the app’s official release in October 2013. According to a Vimeo rep, the site’s team completely re-built and redesigned Cameo from the ground up to directly integrate Vimeo, simplify the design, and better improve the app’s user experience.

As part of the new features, Cameo users can now import videos to the editing app from either their Vimeo library or their iPhone’s Camera Roll. And as a bonus benefit, Cameo doesn’t restrict the length of clips or how many videos users can upload. Editing has been sped up, as well, thanks to a simple swiping feature which allows users to quickly trim and clip videos. Plus, local rendering means video creation can now happen offline.

Cameo has also added tools for creating high-quality and aesthetically-pleasing videos. Users can choose from various themes and video effects, as well as a library of hundreds of free, licensed music tracks. Cameo now also supports uploading your videos to sites in 1080p (previously, the app only generated clips as high as 720p). Additionally, users can directly share their videos to Vimeo or other social sites; the video platform plans to curate some of the best Cameo submissions for the “Best of Cameo” channel.

You can download the Cameo app for iOS via the iTunes App Store. And once you’ve created a clip, you can tweet @cameoapp to submit your for a chance to be featured on the curated Vimeo channel.

Filed under: Articles, News, Vimeo by Bree Brouwer
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It’s Friday, and there’s no better way to greet the weekend than with a dark, horrifying short film. Filmmaker Patrick Scott–long the creator of bizarre web videos–has updated his Zoochosis YouTube channel for the first time since 2014 by posting a new eight-minute film called “Help.”

Scott’s videos, which often achieve seven-digit view counts, usually include a heavy dose of what is colloquially referred to as the “WTF Factor.” “Help,” which looks like something out of a Victorian-era nightmare, is no exception. As Zoochosis videos are wont to do, Scott’s newest short will polarize its viewers, but there’s no denying its originality, its artistry, or the boldness of its practically dialogue-free approach.

Zoochosis has been around since 2011, with its two most popular videos scoring more than 20 million views each. The channel’s success ultimately led Scott to create a Machinima Prime series, also titled Zoochosis, which debuted in 2013. Since then, Zoochosis has been relatively quiet, but the release of “Help” was closely followed by another premiere. On the same day, Scott also released “Rubbie,” a much shorter and brighter short film that still manages to be very odd in its own right. Zoochosis fans wouldn’t want it any other way.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, News, Web Series by Sam Gutelle
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Netflix’s UK platform will soon distribute its biggest original series to date, and that series now has a suitably dynamic cast. Netflix has announced Claire Foy, John Lithgow, and Matt Smith as the three lead actors for The Queen, an upcoming drama about the life of Queen Elizabeth II.

Foy, who will portray the Queen at age 25 during the show’s first season, has experience with historical dramas. She appeared in BBC2’s Wolf Hall as Anne Boleyn. Smith, who will play the Queen’s husband, Prince Philip, is best known for his role as the Eleventh Doctor on Doctor Who. Lithgow, ironically, is an American, but he will co-star as one of the most famous Brits in history: Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

It’s a great cast, but it’s also unlikely these actors will keep their roles for long. The plan is for each season to cover a decade of the Queen’s life, so the characters will at some point age out of their current performers.

No release date for The Queen has been announced, but the series will arrive on Netflix some time in 2016. The streaming video platform reportedly shelled out $170 million to acquire the series, so potential viewers should have high hopes. The top-notch cast will give those viewers faith that The Queen will live up to expectations.

Filed under: Articles, Featured, Netflix, News by Sam Gutelle
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Making The Jump—Successfully Transitioning From Free To Paid In Online Video
Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at Busby’s East

Early Bird Tickets WILL SELL OUT—get your tickets now!

Video advertising has long-dominated the online video industry as the primary income source for content creators—revenue sharing initiatives like YouTube’s revolutionary Partner Program have laid the foundational framework for the entire Multi-Channel Network industry.

But as our industry has matured, revenue opportunities have also diversified. Our past Tubefilter Meetups have explored the wide range of ways that creators are building their businesses: from integrated brand campaigns, book deals, television shows, touring and appearances, exclusive platform windows, and merchandising.

And now video content itself has become a product to buy, rent, or subscribe to. Altough the ever-alluring pay-to-play video model has fallen flat for creators in the past (see our December 2012 Tubefilter Meetup), this time around it is seeming to stick. Creators are turning to platforms like Vimeo On Demand to sell streaming and downloadable content directlyto fans.

We’re sitting down with Vimeo’s Director of Marketing and Distribution along with some of the most successful creators, filmmakers, and studio executives in online video for a deep dive into Vimeo’s newest VOD service. Join us as we learn how the 10-year old platform is reinventing itself and quickly becoming the darling of the online video community, and learn how creators are successfully moving their fans from free to paid content.

Making The Jump—Successfully Transitioning From Free To Paid In Online Video
Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at Busby’s East

Early Bird Tickets WILL SELL OUT—get your tickets now!

Panelists:

Peter Gerard Director of Marketing and Distribution, Vimeo

Marc Hustvedt Founder, SUPERGRAVITY Pictures

Philip Wang Wesley Chan Wong Fu Productions

Desmond “Dez” Dolly Co-founder, RocketJump

Moderator: Drew Baldwin, Founder of Tubefilter and Creator of the Streamy Awards

Making The Jump—Successfully Transitioning From Free To Paid In Online Video
Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at Busby’s East

Early Bird Tickets WILL SELL OUT—get your tickets now!

Filed under: Uncategorized by Drew Baldwin
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