Tag Archives: comedy

advertising, book, Viral Video, YouTube

Rick Astley Makes Come Back With “Never Gonna Give You Up”

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Rick AstleyWarning: YouTube prank spoiler here. If you haven’t spent some time on YouTube’s homepage today, stop reading immediately.

If you have been there, you might have noticed that each of the attractive thumbnails take you to the same video. Rick Astley’s supah cheesy “Never Gonna Give You Up.” You’ve been “rickrolled.”

My hats off to the person that sold this internally. I’ve watched this video recently, and I’m quite sure I didn’t find it on my own. I wish I could remember where I found it. According to Wikipedia, Around the year 2007, posting mislabeled links to the video on the Internet became popular, in a prank known as “rickrolling.”

I can just hear the discussion at a YouTube “April’s Fool Brainstorming” meeting last week in San Bruno.

  • The prankster: So here’s my big idea. All these captivating homepage thumbnails, but every click goes to Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
  • Stephen Chen: Who? Who’s Ricky Ashley?
  • Prankster: A 1980s star. When were you bor… never mind.
  • Editorial: That would give Astley an unfair advantage above other 1980s musicians trying to lift themselves out of oblivian. Like Weird Al. Then again, he’s big on Revver.
  • Tall, Balding Advertising Guy: It would give him millions and millions of views. Would we charge his agent a CPM or “per click”?
  • Community Lady: Who invited the bald guy with the bad breath? Anyway, I’m not sure people will get it. And they may get annoyed.
  • Advertising Guy: Wait, Goth Lady- can we host the video and take 100% of the advertising revenue? Like we’d just post it on a “house” partner’s account?
  • Stephen Chen: I don’t know. I’d rather go back to the original idea of putting the logo upside down. That smacks of comedic brilliance.
  • Mark Day: Righto, Stephen! That’s hysterical. Upside down logo. Steven Chen pees with Mark DayLOLLOLLLOLLLL. I can hear them now: “hey, is my computer upside down?” Can I walk you to your car. Mr. Chen? It looks like it’s raining again.
  • Stephen Chen: Yes, Smithers. Then it’s settled (he says dismissively, before leaving conference room with Mark Day by side).
  • Technical Guy: I liked your idea.
  • Prankster: Sighs. Well it would have been funny.
  • Technical Guy: Correction- it will be funny.
  • Prankster: Won’t Stephen get pissed?
  • Technical Guy: Nope. He hasn’t visited YouTube in 11 weeks. He’ll never know.
  • Stephen Chen (voice audible from hallway): Mark, I’d just assume you wait out here while I pee. I’m not sure I want the world knowing I drop my pants and undies below my knees when using the urinal.
Viral Video, YouTube

Best Video About Video Game: Arby ‘N the Chief

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arby and the chief hugIf it’s one thing that puzzles me — maybe even annoys me sometimes — it’s the proliferation of videos that are simply video screen captures of a video games with added dialogue or music. They’re hard to ignore, though, and often dominate YouTube’s “most watched” and “best rated” videos.

But along comes this masterpiece and restores my faith in gamers nerds everywhere. It’s called “Arby ‘n’ the Chief: Episode 6 – “Brawl,” and was posted on Machinima, a YouTube channel based on content from Machinima.com (a gaming and entertainment site). The video, which is already past a half million views, and destined for the viral charts, was created by DigitalPh33r, and there’s a whole thread of discussion around his post.

Mind you, you’ve got to be in the mood for this. But if you are, it can be the most enjoying online-video experience you’ve had in a while. Honestly, I can’t stop making the sound, SOISOISOI and LOLOLOLLL.

In fact, this video inspired me to create my clone video (when he surfaces from the mud, he is impersonating these sounds, a reference lost only on everyone except me).

MAI ROFLCOPTER
iT GOAS SOI SOI SOI SOI SOI SOI SOI There is something absolutely addictive about this video, and you’ll find it impossible to escape some of the quotes. I saw it Saturday night for the first time, and have watched it many more times. The timing. The dialogue. The Internet slang. Even some touching moments then surprise parody. I know nothing about new video games or Halo, but I still had deep appreciation for this puppy.

Here’s the “Arby ‘N the Chief” series URL. An edited-down version of this video would find a secure place on Saturday Night Live. It’s just brilliant. Based on this Q&A the creator sounds a bit “socially challenged,” but that might have helped spawn the humor. The funniest people I know are not the most stable, zen humans.

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Nalts, YouTube

10 People Bought My DVD

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Yey! Nine people bought my “Best of Nalts” DVD, which is precisely 8 more than I expected. Thank you:

  1. Damon (Maryland)
  2. Kimberley (Florida)
  3. Mattias (Sweden)
  4. Jason (New York)
  5. Krysta (Canada)
  6. Gordon (UK)
  7. Ian (England)
  8. James (Georgia)
  9. Diane (CT)

One of the problems about it is that you can’t select “play all.” Unfortunately, my Mac crashed and I lost the whole project so I can’t fix that. Thank goodness I produced the DVD, because some of those videos are gone except on this DVD and YouTube.

The quality is amazing, but people in general don’t like to pay for content they can get for free. So I didn’t expect to retire on this, much less cover my cell bill for a month.

Update: March 22. One more!

  • Robert R. (PA)
advertising, book, Contest, Video Sites, Viral Video, YouTube

YouTube Sketchies (and Stupid Thumbnail Ad by Dove)

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sketchies.pngYou have until March 3 to enter your comedy video into the first round of YouTube’s Sketchies II. Corolla, leveraged popular YouTuber LisaNova to promote the contest (she was second place last year with this “LisaNova does George Bush” video).

I spoke with LisaNova via phone for the first time on Saturday, when TheMightyThor1212 was good enough to put her on the line while at the YouTube San Francisco gathering.

Here’s a recap (wish I had videotaped it since it doesn’t quite translate as a manuscript):

  • dove.pngNalts: Hey, Lisa
  • Lisa: Hey
  • Nalts: Are you getting bombarded?
  • Lisa: What?
  • Nalts: I’m a big fan. I liked your recent video about the comedy contest.
  • Lisa: Which one?
  • Nalts: You know- the one on the beanbag. With your face on the homepage.
  • Lisa: Oh- the Sketchies.
  • Nalts: Yeah. Will you do the BubbleGumTreeShow? (a show featuring viral creators, like Mark Day, who will perhaps be juding the Sketchies?).
  • Lisa: Sure. Just send me the information.
  • Nalts: Kay. Have fun.
  • Lisa: Some kids is asking me to autograph their shirt.
  • Nalts: Go make their day. Nice speaking with you.
  • Lisa: Nice speaking with you too, Renetto.

Too bad I don’t have a screen grab of the YouTube homepage when it featured LisaNova’s video. It was framed so the ridiculously huge gray play button doesn’t obscure LisaNova’s face. Unlike the image here by Dove.

Honestly. Who lets an ad like this go live?

dove2.pngJust before I posted this, I hit refresh and found this version. Now instead of featuring the Dove host, they’ve got an image from the winning entry (by Celeste Wouden) of the Dove Cream Oil Body Wash advertisement contest.

Hmmm. Two-star rating with the last 4 being the lowest possible. Hmmm. Either the YouTube audience doesn’t care for this video or some of the losers are launching an attack on this video.

Too bad about the thumbnails. You know, Dove, this gal isn’t going to drive nearly as many clicks as a woman with a slender neck and face shaped like a play button.

Making Videos, Video Sites, YouTube

Should Comedian Mark Day Stop Creating Now That He’s YouTube’s Comedy Manager?

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Mark Day ComedyThis isn’t breaking news, but I feel remiss to not have covered the news that Mark Day (markdaycomedy) is now a YouTube employee as “comedy manager” (see YouTube blog. Mark (markdaycomedy) started on YouTube in March 2006, and I’ve long been starstruck by his omnipresence on YouTube and other sites. He’s best known for pimping his “Smiley Face Intervention” mug, and his frequent comedic, topical bits. He was the premier guest on our recently launched BubbleGumTreeShow (Charles Trippy is the next guest, and I think I’d better find a sponsor for the show or drop the goal of 52 creators in 2008 to about 26).

Mark’s announcement in the YouTube blog says, “Now that I’m part of the YouTube team, you won’t be seeing much of my big bald head any more.” I spoke with Mark, and challenged him on this decision. He explained how it might feel for an upcoming creator to see Mark as both a decision-maker and, effectively, competition. While there are potential conflicts of interest, I would argue that it can be reconciled. Selfishly, I’d like to see Mark continue. And the more we see of the editors and community managers, the more human the company feels. What do you think?

It’s possible this is a red herring. Many YouTubers burn out when the adrenaline of faux fame wears down, and we realize it’s consuming our time and energy. I think we’ll see more YouTube burnouts as some top creators realize that the partner program’s revenue isn’t what they expected, and that few have “crossed the chasm” to additional media forms.

P.S. Comedy Manager is a stupid title. You can’t manage comedy.

advertising, book, Making Money, Making Videos, Nalts, Online Video, popular videos, Profit, Revver, Viral Video, viral videologist, YouTube

Buy “Best of Nalts” Video Shorts on High Definition DVD

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Best of Nalts DVD SleevePer my post in December, I finally received and approved my proof of the “Best of Nalts: Volume 1” DVD. So now you can buy 71 minutes of Nalts videos (with 29 videos) on CreateSpace.com by clicking here.

I have nearly “comedic” 600 videos online for free, but I think these are the best ones (although a few of you pointed out a few that need to be high on the list for volume two). I avoided videos that were too YouTube centric like Renetto shaving my head, or other inside jokes. So most of these are family-friendly and don’t require any context to appreciate.

So buy your copy now for the low, low price of $19.94. Yey. My kids and their friends just gathered around to watch the proof DVD tonight, and it’s frightening how clear the quality is since most of them are high definition… especially when you’re used to seeing them in horribly compressed format on YouTube. You can actually read little things in the background, so I’m sure I’ve inadvertently left a credit card number visible. But unless I sell about 30,000 of these DVDs (and something tells me I’m lucky if I sell 50), those credit card numbers won’t be much worth to you.

To see the full list of videos, click “more” below. To see the sleeve in higher resolution, click the image on the right.

Click here to buy one for $19.94. Click here to watch ’em for free in low resolution and with annoying ads. 🙂

P.S. I priced mine exactly one penny below HappySlip‘s, and I make big $6.02 per copy sold.

Continue reading Buy “Best of Nalts” Video Shorts on High Definition DVD →

Killer Video, Making Videos, Online Video, popular videos, Viral Video, YouTube

YouTube Is My Life (Destined for Feature)

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YouTube is My LifeI 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).