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).
The “youtube is my life” was so well edited. I get so aggravated with videos that have a decent premise and then people leave so much dead air in between their edits that I’m sitting there looking at my watch. This was excellent. i agree it deserves a feature.
OMG! You mean to tell me you actually watched someone elses’s video!? That must have been your Christmas gift to the world. 🙂
It was an awesome video!
While they are at it they need to feature DameEdithDivine!
The editing was very well done, timing, cuts, and yes I too loved the puppets (who has a shakespeare puppet? really…) I love watching the collaberation between YouTubers, like in Christmas Collabed Out.
why did I think this guy was from Tennessee? AM I thinking of a different Church?
And why did marquisdejolie turn off the lights? hmmmm? inquiring minds wanna know!
Wow that’s a funny coincidence, I just watched “YT is my Life” earlier today, got the link from Mark Day on his MySpace. I agree – good stuff.
I dont watch youtube videos,they pollute the mind…….now if i can just find out what time the jackass reruns come on?
The tortured artist, has a little of that Johnny Depp, Jack Nicholson, Anthony Perkins thing going for him. This guy is very good, there’s a vulnerable sweetness about him, he’s intelligent and likes Dr. Who! Classes You Tube up. I hope everyone who reads this follows suit and features him on their page, tell your friends, support talent!
Actually, the “online classified” or “video dating profile” is a classic shtick, it’s been done many times, but this guy has a nice quality and I thought the helpful editor feeding him cues was a nice touch. (too lazy to find a synonym for “nice” it is after all a holiday)
Love the edits and such. Will youtube feature something longer than 5mins though? I bet not (reverse pyscology on youtube.)
The great and powerful Nalts has spoken! Please feature. LOL
Thanks Kevin for keeping a great blog like this to keep us informed. Busy life already and you still do this. Big thanks (no sarcasm used I promise!)
That was VERY good… My only criticism (and it’s a minor one) is that it seemed a little long to me. But the upshot is that it was 5 FULL minutes of quality… There are shorter videos out there that seem WAYYYY longer…
Long story short, I subscribed. Thanks for the link.
beating Kevin to the punch!
BEST OF You Tube 2007
What’s yours, what did I forget, straighten me out!
http://forum.willvideoforfood.com/forumdisplay.php?f=17
It’s been featured! 😀
btw, happy new year!
Bout time! I was beginning to wonder if You Tube was on automatic remote for the Holiday. First time since Nappy I ran out of people to write. His follow-up video was excellent (linked). I hope they partner him up.
The comments seemed overwhelming. I think he must have broken the Internet record for the most “You Suck” ever, thus creating a new Urban Lexicon for, Very Good Video.
Happy to see it. Congratulations Mr. Bernard Cornelius Jeremiah Smith etc, etc, etc.. Blow.
I thought it was maybe a touch too long. I really like the first 80% of it. His other videos are really good too though, solid channel. I’m glad he got featured.
We watch YouTube, but YouTube watches Nalts. 😉
Is anyone else watching this thing?
Truly viral now, 45k to 115k in 2 hours. We might have to come up with a hurricane or a tornado scale. Side bar has gone from basically, I’m poor, but Merry Christmas Y’all to Move Along Nothing to See Here. I’m happy and sad for the guy, I hope he doesn’t take all the negative comments personally and hope he’s able to walk away for the rest of the day. Talk about way too much excitement and totally depressing. This is a part of You Tube I’ve heard little about; growing a thick skin and not freaking out.
Anyone?
Still watching this thing and roughly nine hours later he’s hit 218.6k.
You go girl!
Kevin, loyal readers, videographers, anyone… what’s do you think made this particular (not sexy girl) video go viral?
Because it’s on the front page jischinger.
well you got me there, but I hope that doesn’t mean exposure is everything? Scrolling down through You Tube’s front page, not every video is equal. There must be other components at work: thumbnail, title, perhaps even the day of the week which it is featured? I wonder if anyone has done a statistical analysis? Not to mention how You Tube decides which video to feature on it’s front page.
It mostly has to do with thumbnail, title second, and then how quickly YouTube bumps it down by featuring other videos. They used to stick to one a day, recently they’ve done anywhere from 0-5 a day.
On New Years they featured a couple random, horrible, unfunny videos and then took them down after a ton of hate and one-stars were left.
I think the Jr. Editors had run of the page while all the adults were out of the office for the holidays.
Thanks for your comment; I don’t mean to say it’s not a good video, just that “perfect” might be too much. It is cute, though.
And your YouTube promotion book is really interesting.
fallof… I would really like to know how You Tube chooses their featured videos, but I may have to wait until some disgruntled employee writes a book.
Josh Josh Josh…
“In fact, it seems like the purpose of Nalts’s “mad campaign” is not just to get this video featured, but to have his name attached to it.”
Posting and attaching your blog here rather than sending Kevin an e-mail thanking him for his comment just makes me want to ask, Kettle Black?
tsk tsk
Your comment about Kevin attaching himself to the video may be true, but maybe it’s not, you don’t back it up other than citing his enthusiasm for the video. When Film Critic Roger Ebert writes a must see favorable review about a film and it wins an Oscar is that self-promotion? Lighten up!
Some of your other comments…
Like Mr. Smith’s video or not the guy has talent. Nothing wrong with promoting and supporting that. Sure you may not like his acting, editing or music, but not everyone likes cat videos, my favorite moments in Second Life, shoot-um-up-mindless-bang-bang-clips, or a video series where bad actors talk to their plants.
Further, You Tube is part of our modern culture and deserves lots of commentary. There isn’t a televission network or media outlet world wide that hasn’t spotlighted You Tube in some form or other, including candidate who are on the road to one of the most powerful and important offices in the world. Google’s $1.6 billion purchase alone makes what comes out of You Tube much more than an “insular subculture.” What’s your blog worth?
Face it, the culture of You Tube, love it or hate it, is here and is just as important and redeeming as Brittney, breast implants, Darfur and Ron Paul.
It’s a Small World After All…