A click here, a search there, a browse on this page -- sometimes it can take more than a few flicks of the wrist and finger taps to get your daily dose of video. Luckily, YouTube Leanback wants you to conserve your energy for actually watching more videos. Mmm...more videos...Just as its name implies, YouTube Leanback is all about letting you sit back, relax and be entertained. Videos tailored to your interests play as soon as you visit the site and they play in full screen and high definition, continuously. There's no need to click, search, or browse, unless you want to, of course. Watching YouTube becomes as easy as watching TV. To see what we mean, go to www.youtube.com/leanback, and you'll note that a selection of videos -- your feed -- plays immediately. This feed is based on your YouTube settings and preferences, including content from your subscriptions and videos your friends are sharing on Facebook (assuming you've connected your YouTube account to your Facebook account). You can also watch the most popular comedy, entertainment, news, or more. And if you don't care for the video that's playing, use the right arrow key on your keyboard to skip ahead to the next video, or try the up/down arrows to search, access player controls, and browse channels and videos. You won't need your mouse for this experience.Here's more about how YouTube Leanback works (we'll also show you how to hook up your Facebook account):YouTube Leanback is currently in beta, but we'd love for you to try it out at www.youtube.com/leanback and let us know what it's like to kick back and revel in the endless stream of YouTube entertainment!Kuan Yong, Senior Product Manager, recently watched “Life In A Day.”
Every day, 6.7 billion people view the world through their own unique lens. Imagine if there was a way to collect all of these perspectives, to aggregate and mold them into the cohesive story of a single day on earth.Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of “Life in a Day,” a historic cinematic experiment that will attempt to do just that: document one day, as seen through the eyes of people around the world. On July 24, you have 24 hours to capture a snapshot of your life on camera. You can film the ordinary -- a sunrise, the commute to work, a neighborhood soccer match, or the extraordinary -- a baby’s first steps, your reaction to the passing of a loved one, or even a marriage.Kevin Macdonald, the Oscar-winning director of films such as The Last King of Scotland, Touching the Void and One Day in September, will then edit the most compelling footage into a feature documentary film, to be executive produced by Ridley Scott, the director behind films like Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Thelma & Louise, Blade Runner and Robin Hood. LG Electronics is supporting “Life in a Day” as a key part of its long-standing Life’s Good campaign and to support the creation of quality online content that can be shared and enjoyed by all.The film will premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and if your footage makes it into the final cut, you’ll be credited as a co-director and may be one of 20 contributors selected to attend the premiere.Want to take part? Here’s what to do.1. Visit the “Life in a Day” channel and learn more about the project. Be sure to read through the steps you need to take to participate and the guidelines for creating your video(s). Also check out some of the sample videos for inspirational ideas.2. On July 24, capture your day on camera.3. Upload your footage to the “Life in a Day” channel any time before July 31.Regardless of whether your footage makes it into the final film, your video(s) will live on on the “Life in a Day” channel as a time capsule that will tell future generations what it was like to be alive on July 24, 2010.Be a part of history.Tim Partridge, Product Marketing Manager, recently watched “Life in a Day trailer.”
Video editing usually requires installing software packages and having a fair amount of technical savvy. But we think video editing should be fun and easy, so we’re introducing a new tool that anyone -- even this guy -- could figure out: it’s an online video editor, now available in TestTube, our ideas incubator.Without installing any software, it allows you to:
Do you ever look at a YouTube video and think, "That's a work of art?" Yep, so do we -- and now, so does the Guggenheim.In five years, YouTube has redefined media culture by changing the way the world creates, distributes and watches video. Online video is exploding not just as a medium, but as an art form, and we're proud of the originality and innovation that YouTube has fostered among our users. Our community has produced some of the most creative and celebrated works on the Internet, videos that have been viewed by millions of people around the world.We want to celebrate phenomenal video-makers and recognize the creative potential of the medium. So today we're collaborating with the Guggenheim Museum to discover the most creative video in the world, and showcase exceptional talent working in the ever-expanding realm of digital media: YouTube Play: A Biennial of Creative Video. This global online initiative is presented in collaboration with HP.We're looking for animation, motion graphics, narrative, non-narrative, or documentary work, music videos and entirely new artforms -- creations that really challenge the world's perceptions of what's possible with video. We want to elevate the debate. This presentation, we hope, will garner some of the finest creative work from every corner of the globe, not only to showcase it on one of the biggest stages online, but also in one of the most iconic artistic venues in the world: the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, and throughout the Guggenheim network of museums in Bilbao, Venice and Berlin.Participants must submit their videos to YouTube Play to enter. The deadline for submission is July 31, 2010, after which the Guggenheim will assemble a shortlist to be evaluated by an international jury of experts from the worlds of art, design, film and video. Up to 20 videos will be presented at the Guggenheim Museum in New York on October 21, with simultaneous presentations at the Guggenheim museums in Bilbao, Venice and Berlin. The presentations will also be viewable to on the YouTube Play brand channel at youtube.com/play.As we did with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, we hope to build an aspirational place for some of the world’s best artists to showcase their works and talents. For more information about how to enter, go to youtube.com/play.Ed Sanders, Senior Marketing Manager, recently watched "YouTube Play."