Will Video for Food » 2007

The Thrill of Fake YouTube Battles: What The Buck vs. Nalts December 28, 2007

Posted by Nalts in : Online Video , 39comments

I learned some time ago that online video viewers aren’t the most discerning bunch. When Charles Trippy and I created a fake feud, many viewers fell “hook, line and sinker” for the drama (in which we pretended to give out each other’s cell phone numbers, which were actually numbers to the “rejection hotline.”) Here’s my video and here’s his, and the responses and comments will show how vigilant the “fans” of one YouTuber get to protect the honor of their weblebrity (here’s one example). We thought people would be more skeptical, and eventually I had to to this satire spoofing his overzealous fans. Trippy also came clean, and he’s since updated his video title to reveal the joke.

History repeats itself this week. Recently I decided to claim that I’m the writer behind the popular What The Buck Show. It began with some banners, and I’d like to thank Gage Skidmore (the creator of the Nalts logo) for his recent banner collection displayed here (He’s also created a delightful Nalts cartoon you can see by selecting “more below,” although I look a bit doughy if I’m keeping it real).

Yesterday evening my e-mail starting filling with hate mail. It seems Michael Buckley, one of the most popular YouTubers, posted a dramatic video on his Peron75 channel that chastises me for lying. It’s rather convincing, and Michael has a knack for Tammy Fay-like tears. I must confess there was part of me that thought he was serious. His fans not only believed he was upset by me, but many sent horrid comments, videos and e-mail that urge me to die.

Nothing I haven’t seen before. It’s the price of being one of YouTube’s most annoying creators ™. Nonetheless, here’s my spoof response, where I take fake claim to scripting his fake video attack. We’ll see if Michael is compelled to “clear the air” in his What The Buck blog, but frankly I prefer the confusion. Who wouldn’t rather be despised than forgotten?

So what have we learned here? Don’t believe it when YouTubers pretend to feud. It’s all part of promotional drama, and clearly another example of how far some YouTubers will go to hitch their star to my wagon.

(more…)

YouTube Is My Life (Destined for Feature) December 24, 2007

Posted by Nalts in : Killer Video, Making Videos, Online Video, Viral Video, YouTube, popular videos , 24comments

I don’t think there’s been a video in 2007 that I’ve watched as many times as this recent discovery, “YouTube is My Life.” Seriously. I think I’m up to 19 views.

It’s by ChurchofBlow (aka WeepingProphet). His real name is either Jeremiah McDonald or Bernard Smith, and he’s a former film student based near Boston. (Parenthetically this is the first Google result if you search “Kevin Nalts real name… stalker! . As he waits for his career to take off (and I’m quite confident it will), he has worked in the coffee industry among other places. Here’s the musician behind the most excellent score.

I’m on a mad campaign to get this featured by YouTube editors because it’s just perfect. Clever, well produced, fantastic cameos by some YouTube weblebrities (TheHill88, MarkDay and Sean Bedlam). It’s a totally addictive song, it’s well lit, the sound effects are fantastic, the acting is dead pan, the humor is intellectual, the camera movements are thoughtful, and the stop-animated finger puppets are just plain cute. It’s a great example of what an amateur with talent can do with scarce resources.

Here’s another one we seem to be watching some what obsessively (Farting Elves from JibJab).

Brotherhood 2.0: Two Brothers Using Only Videos for One Year December 23, 2007

Posted by Nalts in : Future of Online Video, Online Video, Viral Video, popular videos , 4comments

It’s nearing the end of John and Hank Green’s experiment called Brotherhood 2.0. They’ve used video to communicate each day for the past year… each posting a video on alternative days, and communicating in no other way. And they’ve invited the world to watch…

The two recently helped initiate “Nerdfighter Power: ‘07 Project for Awesome” takeover of YouTube. I’m not really sure how to explain it, so I’ll let John. Or maybe Hank should explain it.

I participated in it (to help reduce world suck), but didn’t quite know about this whole Brotherhood 2.0 thing at the time. How? I’m a friggin’ Viral Video Genius, and I am just finding out about this!?

Now I’m infatuated by it, even if they are ghosts of ZeFrank. Check out their FAQ.

Entries to the “Piss Off Lane Hartwell” Video Contest December 22, 2007

Posted by Nalts in : Contest, Viral Video, copyright , 22comments

Below are some video montages that will soon get removed by YouTube, resulting from the inevitable DMCA notices that Wired freelance photographer Lane Hartwell will send (when she’s finished wrapping presents and invoicing strangers).

Per my earlier post, Hartmwell took action against The Ricter Scales for using a second of her photo in their “Here Comes Another Bubble.”

Copyright protection for artists? I’m all about that. But this isn’t a big corporation monetizing a starving artist without permission. This is accomplished photographer kicking the crotch of struggling amateur a Capella group that finally got some attention and made virtually nothing from it.

Hartman has the audacity to:

demand YouTube remove the video
hire an attorney
and invoice the struggling musicians because her lousy, stinking photo appears for a second in a video that made the group no money.

So here are some links to Lane Hartwell music videos (none of which are mine, so send your invoices somewhere else, honey) using her photos without copyright permission.

And yes I encouraged it in my video, now titled “Wired Freelancer Picks on Struggling A Capella Singers.” Check out the more than 200 comments for an interesting debate (it’s one of the top-10 “most discussed” YouTube videos in news and politics).

So sue me, Hartwell. Well, actually don’t.

P.S. Doesn’t Wired have a PR person that can reign this gal in?

Web Junk Alumnus, Patrice Oneal, Puts Out Edgy DVD December 22, 2007

Posted by Nalts in : Killer Video, Making Money, Making Videos, Viral Video , 4comments

Remember VH1’s Web Junk, which sometimes didn’t suck? Comedian Patrice Oneal, whose “I don’t give a shit” attitude was the most endearing part of the show, is now making online-video shorts with NYC Studio “For Your Imagination.” The DVD includes such favorites as “Cockfights,” “Last White Man Alive, “Dyke Punching” and “Child Labor.” For more see www.patriceoneal.com.

“The sheer popularity of the web series, and the fact that his fans have been asking for this format, made this DVD release the next logical step in our partnership with Patrice,” said Paul Kontonis, For Your Imagination’s CEO. “Plus there are other ways for a web series to make money without having to wait for a sponsor to write a check.”

“We’ve all been working very hard on this show and I’m happy to have an outlet for all of the things that VH1 wouldn’t let me say,” said Oneal.

We won’t admit to watching, but we will.

Here Comes Another DMCA Whiner December 22, 2007

Posted by Nalts in : Online Video, copyright , 21comments

I try to be fairly objective on this blog, but I really have no sympathy for whining photographers that hire attorneys because their photos appear for a second in a popular YouTube video. The photographers, like the writers striking, are under the delusion that they’re being deprived of their rightful income. The reality is that there is no damned income.

It’s like a feuding family competing for the box of molded National Geographic magazines their dead father left behind.

Background: “Here Comes Another Bubble,” by “The Richter Scales,” is a case study in copyright lunacy. The penniless a Capella singers stitched their song to random photos they found on the web… because a YouTube music video with a black screen (or worse yet, facially-challenged a Capella singers) just wouldn’t have been as viral. They received no advertising revenue because they weren’t yet in YouTube’s partner’s program (if they were, they would have known the risk, because YouTube puts us through a daunting meeting with an attorney before we get into the program).

Along comes photographer Lane Hartwell (whose image above is used without her permission) and sends YouTube a DMCA notice because she finds one of her photos in the montage.

Explains Richter Scales: “when Lane emailed us shortly after the video was released, we immediately gave her a credit, with a link, in the “About This Video” section on YouTube, but weren’t able to assess whether that was sufficient because Lane wouldn’t talk to us via phone and didn’t respond to our emails with any requests or proposals before she issued the DMCA take-down request.”
Fartwell’s attorney claims The Richter Scales were cavalier, and Hartwell herself said: “the band opted not to work with me toward a fair resolution of the issue. I have to say that I’m very disappointed with the members of the band I negotiated with in good faith.”
This appears to be a divided issue, but isn’t it amazing how radically different these accounts are of what happened before the DMCA notice was filed by Hartwell?

Lane’s attorney friend is sympathetic but acknowledges she has little legal recourse. So what it this about? Standing for principals or fame whoring? I’ve got my theory. (Parenthetically, here’s an article on this subject from Wired, but don’t expect objectivity since Fartwell contributes to the publication).

Now this stupid thing is a debate of magnitude proportions:

Point: “The Richter Scales are benefiting from the video because they are promoting themselves and selling a product (their CD) on their website/blog,” Whining Photographer Ramona Rosales told PDNPulse. “Because of the free use of my image (and all the other photographers/artists involved), they stand to make a profit.”
Counterpoint: These guys sold 8 CDs as of this post. They took the first video down (thus removing all of the coveted stats they had earned, and took a great deal of effort to provide credit to anyone and everyone.

How about you photographers save your energy for when someone is actually making money on your images instead of doing it on principle? Or find a way to put your talents to making your own profit, instead of whining when someone else uses your photos to not make money. There’s no mistaking that the a Capella group violated Hartwell’s copyright, but it’s not like they were out selling her framed photos to line their limos with puppy fur… they didn’t make any money directly from the viral video, and to date have sold a few of their legacy music CDs that don’t even contain the “Here Comes Another Bubble” song.

Here’s the essence of the problem. It’s a good motive gone perverse. Photographers, video creators and a Capella singers are all in the same boat. We’re artists who are not generally making significant dollars via our passion, and so we want to preserve our rights. But do we chase each other down for our fair share of dink, or find ways to collaborate and monetize?

My videos are constantly ripped and posted. Sometimes I’ll alert YouTube, but I usually consider it free advertising. The only time I ever took objection is when someone posted my “Bored at the Mall” on Break.com and made profit from it as it hit ~1.5 million views. But I didn’t go on a witch hunt and didn’t expect to get a dime.

If creators instead invest the time they spend whining about copyrights in promoting their work and monetizing it, things will change. And the only ones who will suffer in that scenario are ambulance-chasing copyright attorneys.

Thanks to NewTeeVee for getting me all riled up before my second cup of coffee. By way of disclaimer, I have no relationship with The Richter Scales and I’m a strong believer in artist rights — hence my passion for models like Revver. But I have zero tolerance for unreasonable behavior like this.

Hey, Lane. If you’ll drop this, I will personally send you a check for their entire proceeds of 8 CDs. But if not, please have fun filing DMCA notices against those strangers that participate in my “Lane Hartwell Video Collage contest” using your Flickr photos (See my video rant).

Revver 3.0 Launches With “Quilty” December 21, 2007

Posted by Nalts in : Online Video, Revver, Video Sites , 9comments

Two years ago I discovered Revver (the pioneer of creator ad-sharing via video), and she’s growing up. Here’s a Revver blog announcing the new Revver, which includes the ability of viewers to finally comment.

Revver has always suffered from low views relative to larger sites, and the new “Quilty” (see Revver homepage) addresses that. It’s an addictive-like series of thumbnails that rotate and provide instant access to quality content. Not sure if this is editorial or viewer populated, but I assume a blend.

The gulf between sites like Revver and the market leader (YouTube) is widening despite the better quality/crap ratio on Revver. And, until recently, Revver was dense with Adsense and “house” advertisements, which makes me worry about its longevity.

But Revver’s model is unique, the technology is innovative and it has a quirky, creator-friendly soul. And a monkey. Don’t underestimate the monkey.

Research About Online-Video Viewing December 20, 2007

Posted by Nalts in : Future of Online Video, Online Video, Video Sites , 5comments

More research about online-video and television viewing. This Harris study tells us so much and yet so little. What I was hoping (based on the lead) is that it would talk about how online-video is cannibalizing, if at all, television viewing. Certainly for me I spend far more time watching video on my monitor than my overpriced HDTV.

More television viewers are turning to the Internet to watch videos, films and TV episodes, according to a new survey.
Approximately 65 percent of the 2,455 U.S. adults surveyed by Harris Interactive said they have watched a video on YouTube, compared to 42 percent during the same time last year. More than 42 percent of YouTube viewers said they visit the site frequently, up from 33 percent last year.
Apart from YouTube, which most people favored because they felt it had almost every video they could find, 43 percent said they have watched a video on a TV network Web site, followed by 35 percent on news sites and less than 30 percent on search engines such as Yahoo and Google.
Online viewers said they would watch more TV episodes and full-length movies if more were available. There was less interest in viewing more amateur or user-generated videos, news and sports, according to the survey.

Via Reuters. By Claire Sibonney; Editing by Patricia Reaney.

Great Targeting or Luck? December 19, 2007

Posted by Nalts in : Viral Video, YouTube, advertising , 4comments

An ad for Suboxone (a pharmaceutical medication that helps people get over opoid addictions) appeared on my YouTube video called “Ten Fewer Holiday Things to Stress Over This.”

Targeting or luck?

Why do I have a feeling this blog post is going to attract a lot of spam for Percocet and Oxycontin?

Party at My Place Saturday Night December 19, 2007

Posted by Nalts in : Online Video , 9comments

Online-video has its share of online-video pranks, but this one is quite memorable. Last evening I discovered that YouTube’s Gay Godfather, Zipster08, announced a party at my place Saturday night.

Naturally I hadn’t heard about this until seeing the video. But it did prompt the following conversation last night between me and my wife (which I regret not videotaping secretly):

Kevin: Do we have plans Saturday night?
Jo: What?
Kevin: Saturday night. Are we doing anything?
Jo: (Stop fighting, Grant and Charlie!) Why?
Kevin: Zipster made a video about a party at our house. So I was thinking…
Jo: (One of those “conversation is over” stares).

(Parenthetically, Zipster08 got more than 3.5 million views on his Christmas collaboration last year, and here’s his fresh new one- The Night Before Christmas).

older posts »

The Thrill of Fake YouTube Battles: What The Buck vs. Nalts December 28, 2007

YouTube Is My Life (Destined for Feature) December 24, 2007

Brotherhood 2.0: Two Brothers Using Only Videos for One Year December 23, 2007

Entries to the “Piss Off Lane Hartwell” Video Contest December 22, 2007

Web Junk Alumnus, Patrice Oneal, Puts Out Edgy DVD December 22, 2007

Here Comes Another DMCA Whiner December 22, 2007

Revver 3.0 Launches With “Quilty” December 21, 2007

Research About Online-Video Viewing December 20, 2007

Great Targeting or Luck? December 19, 2007

Party at My Place Saturday Night December 19, 2007

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