BuzzSugar

Buzz In: What TV Scenes Do You Like to Revisit Online?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:30:34 -0700

TV critic Alan Sepinwall recently posted a fun pick-me-up: a list of his all-time favorite TV-related YouTube videos, including Natalie Portman's profanity-laced digital short for Saturday Night Live, David Caruso's one-liners-and-sunglasses fest from CSI: Miami, and the Robin Sparkles video from How I Met Your Mother - all of which would also make my personal list of clips that I've watched over and over again.

In fact, the ability to rehash favorite scenes is one of my favorite things about YouTube (and Hulu, and whatever other online video site you prefer). Some others that are on my frequently watched list: the Cleveland and Jefferson clips from 30 Rock, David Bowie's appearance on Extras, and the opening credits of My So-Called Life, which give me that tingle down my spine every time.

What are the TV scenes you can't help watching over and over again online?

Source and Source

Buzz News Roundup, 12/28

BuzzSugar — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0800

The Library of Congress has added Back to the Future, Dances With Wolves, and 23 other movies to the National Film Registry, UPI reports.
The Police were the top-grossing live act of 2007, followed by Kenny Chesney, Variety reports.
The Hollywood Reporter writes that David Letterman and the WGA have yet to reach a deal that would allow Letterman to come back on air with his writers.
Who's happy about the writers' strike? The video game industry is pretty pumped, the Associated Press reports.
According to the New York Daily News product placement is outselling ads on television. It looks like we can look forward to more blatant advertising on 30 Rock.
In January iTunes will announce a video service enabling users to rent movies for 24 hours to the tune of $2 to $5 per film. According to Variety, Fox and Disney are already onboard.
Chris Crocker and Obama Girl are among the most watched clips on YouTube in 2007, writes Reuters

Source

Lions for Lambs Online Competition Builds Buzz, Helps Others

BuzzSugar — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 12:28:08 -0700

In an effort to build buzz for the November 9 release of Lions for Lambs, starring Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise, MGM is holding a YouTube/Google video competition. Through the competition, "individuals can produce a 90-second video discussing the social issue they’re most passionate about." People will then watch the videos and vote on their favorite submissions. The person whose video gets the most votes by November 9 will win $25,000 for the charity of their choice.

Variety has this quote from Amy Elkins, senior VP of theatrical marketing for MGM: “We really wanted to bring out the themes of the movie and tell a story in a relevant way. To do that, we wanted to look at the widest platform we could and build a community around the film’s message, namely ‘What do you stand for?’”

Sure, this is mostly a publicity stunt. But like Will Ferrell auctioning off a role in his next movie, at least it's an example of Hollywood-types doing something good. Click here to check out the YouTube Lions for Lambs site and upload your videos.

What would you make a video about for this contest?

The New Pornographers Challenge(rs) You

BuzzSugar — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 17:14:07 -0700

Because of their latest album Challengers, The New Pornographers are issuing forth a challenge to their fans. There will be weekly assignments, such as the first one in which fans are called upon to "invent a funny dance" for the New Pornographers song of their choice, and the responses should be videotaped and submitted for consideration via YouTube.

So, what do you win for completing these challenges to the band's satisfaction? The answer to this is unclear. One prize is an iPhone. Another prize is the freedom to challenge the band to anything at all. This could be a super fun and satisfying prize, though the band does reserve the right to refuse any challenge.

To check out The New Pornographers' call to action, read more

The New Pornographers explain their challenge... kind of:

Photo of New Pornographers source

TV Tonight: "Mad TV"

BuzzSugar — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 12:42:55 -0800

Will Lisa Donovan be the first superstar to come from YouTube? Lisa, aka LisaNova, makes her debut on Fox's "Mad TV" tonight. According to Fox, Lisa had auditioned for "Mad TV" before and been rejected, but her YouTube videos were the key to getting another tryout. She currently has the 12th-most YouTube subscribers of all time, which is pretty nuts. (Another famous YouTuber, Lonelygirl 15, is about to get her big break, too.)

I hadn't watched "Mad TV" in ages before last week's Kate Walsh episode, but now I'm curious to see how Lisa fits into the cast. To see Lisa announce the news to the YouTube community, and to watch one of her LisaNova videos, read more

Photo courtesy of Fox

"Degrassi" Fans Say Goodbye to J.T.

BuzzSugar — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:07:16 -0800

The kids of "Degrassi: The Next Generation" have never had it easy, with a steady string of absent fathers, Internet stalkers, pregnancies, senseless shootings, drug overdoses, and the like. But the most recent episode went one step further by killing off lovable goofball J.T. Yorke, whom longtime fans will remember as the skinny kid who beat people up with his school mascot costume.

Now "Degrassi" watchers are in mourning - and judging by the dozens of memorials that have shown up on YouTube recently, some are taking the loss of J.T. rather hard. A few of the videos relive some of J.T.'s happier moments; others are more overwrought. If it weren't for the CTV logos or "Beyond the Break" promos that pop in every now and then, you might think the memorials were actually for ... you know, a real person.

For the record, the actor who played J.T. is very much alive. To see one of my favorite video tributes to J.T., read more

Source

The Top 50 Music Videos of 2006

BuzzSugar — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 04:45:56 -0800

Just the other day, I was saying that YouTube is helping save the music video. But if you need more proof, check out this list of the 50 greatest music videos of 2006. You're not likely to find most of these on MTV, but you can find them all on YouTube. As a result, most of these artsy videos are highly creative and refreshingly unglitzy. Highlights include the famous treadmill video for OK Go's "Here It Goes Again" and some more obscure picks, like two of my favorites below.

4. M. Ward, "Chinese Translation"

12. Xiu Xiu, "Hello From Eau Claire"

Music Video: Linerider

BuzzSugar — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 17:24:47 -0800

UPDATE: For some reason, the Linerider video has been removed from YouTube. I apologize to anyone who missed it!

If you've ever had extra time on your hands at work, or even if you have have friends or relatives who do, you have probably heard of Linerider. Basically it's an online game in which you draw some lines with a drawing tool, and a little cartoon called Linerider comes out on a sled to brave the slopes you've created. Gravity and inertia are taken into account, so Linerider will eventually either wipe out or slow to a stop.

In this video, some enterprising artist takes Linerider on the ride of a lifetime, swooping and twirling and falling through strategically placed spaces. Even better, the whole journey is set to some pumping music, making Linerider both an internet phenomenon and a music-video star.

Esquire's Chuck Klosterman Says YouTube Is Saving Guitar Rock

BuzzSugar — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 14:44:19 -0800

As you can probably tell, I'm a very big fan of YouTube, and I have often asserted that it's playing a huge role in the rebirth of music videos. So I was intrigued by Chuck Klosterman's assertion in his Esquire column this month-which, to my delight, also happens to be in the issue with George Clooney on the cover-that YouTube is also "fostering the rediscovery of rock virtuosity, particularly as it applies to the guitar."

He owes this in part to the fact that the web site is "slightly less popular than oxygen." Writes Klosterman: "While I'm still mystified as to what compels the average citizen to upload the opening credits of Head of the Class onto a Web site he doesn't own, I completely understand why other people enjoy watching such clips."

The column's basic premise, which I totally buy, is that people don't really appreciate how difficult it is to play the guitar until they see someone's fingers flying up close. He makes a good point, so read more

Klosterman mentions several guitar performances posted on YouTube: namely, a wildly popular video featuring a 23-year-old South Korean dude playing a rock version of Johann Pachelbel's "Canon in D."

While 9.8 million people viewed this video, Klosterman says, he can't imagine it would have gotten nearly as much traction as a simple audio file, because "very often, profoundly exceptional guitar playing is boring to listen to." Watching it on the other hand, can be truly astounding. Check out the video and you'll understand what I mean.

Buzz-Worthy Video: Happy Birthday, Say Anything!

BuzzSugar — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:30:48 -0800

This week marks the 20th anniversary of the beloved film Say Anything. To commemorate the milestone (and its special DVD release), a hoard of guys dressed up as Lloyd Dobler swarmed various areas of New York City to re-create the famous scene set to Peter Gabriel's "Your Eyes." (You know the one - Lloyd wants to win back Diane, so he stands outside of her house with a boombox over his head.)

While these guys can't possibly compare to the original, lovable underdog Dobler (John Cusack), they still make for a pretty charming YouTube video. I only wish I had been there to see them live! Check it out when you read more.