YouTube UK Blog
Project For Awesome 2011: Charity Christmas Cheer
Friday, 16 December 2011
Hi! I'm
Liam Dryden
. I'm a UK YouTube Partner and member of YouTube's video-blogger community, and today I'd like to talk to you a bit about the Project For Awesome aka P4A.
Originally set up in 2007 by the
vlogbrothers
(aka John and Hank Green) and their rapidly growing subscriber base, the plan of the Project For Awesome was to take over YouTube's charts for a day with videos raising awareness and money for a wide range of charities. The date of P4A, December 17, is set a week before Christmas to remind people that the giving part of the season doesn't have to begin and end at the point of purchase.
Last year, by creating hundreds of videos talking about charity and other altruistic projects, and spending 24 hours on a mass viewing, commenting and favouriting spree of all the P4A videos across the site, all of YouTube's Most Viewed, Commented, Favourited and Rated charts were dominated by these videos between December 17th and 18th. it was a huge success, and all the vloggers whose videos had made it into the charts found their chosen charities benefitting from the event.
Every year since then, led by John and Hank every December 17, Project For Awesome has grown and grown. This weekend, P4A enters its fourth year and YouTube's gracious involvement in our gaming of their system means that a handful of people like me have been invited to show you how we do things, in case you're interested in taking part.
There are plenty of ways you can get involved, the most obvious being make a video. If you support any kind of charity that you think needs a little more awareness, then grab your camera and just tell the world a little bit about them and what people can do to help. It doesn't have to be long, most people watching will be flying through lots of different videos throughout the day anyway, so the more concise you are, the better.
If you're a YouTube Partner, there are a wide range of editable, attention-grabbing P4A thumbnails available for download at http://projectforawesome.com. Add one of these to your video to let your audience know you're involved and they'll get to work. Videos should be going live in the morning of December 17, as this is a concentrated effort lasting 24 hours.
As well as making a video, one of the most important elements of P4A is the mass watching, liking, favouriting and commenting of all the other P4A videos you come across. Many people will be linking to others, or you can search for recent "Project for Awesome" uploads (many people will be adding P4A as a tag), but it's absolutely necessary you become a part of this. With more people using YouTube every year it becomes a lot harder to make a video reach the No. 1 spots in the charts, and we need all the help we can get to make a dent in them. So with that in mind, any additional promotion you can do on sites like Twitter, Facebook or your individual blogs will be much appreciated.
This year I'm making a video for my favourite charity, Child's Play. They specialise in providing long-term patients in children's hospitals with video games, consoles, DVDs and other forms of entertainment to keep their spirits up while on the road to recovery. On top of my video, I'm holding a number of eBay auctions where I'm selling some gaming-themed t-shirts that I've worn in previous videos, and all the proceeds of those will be going towards the charity.
So I hope if you're interested, you can give my video a watch… and a comment… and maybe favourite it. Hey, it's for charity!
I'm really excited about P4A 2011; I think this is going to be the biggest year yet, and I hope you agree.
Looking forward to seeing you amongst the madness this weekend.
Don't Forget To Be Awesome!
Liam Dryden, Video Blogger/Comedian, recently watched:
"Alex Day - Forever Yours"
Poetic Justice: Impress The Band, Join Them In Australia on Jan. 1, 2012
Monday, 14 November 2011
Dance superstars
Justice
have laid down a challenge to YouTube: produce a mind-blowing video cover of one the tracks from "Audio, Video, Disco" and win the opportunity to treat yourself and a friend to a similarly mind-blowing New Year's Day at the band's January 1, 2012, concert in Sydney, Australia.
Given that the French duo have a reputation for producing innovative, quirky videos, it's time to get creative: think
"D.A.N.C.E"
or the epic
"Civilisation"
(although, naturally, your production can be on a smaller scale). The creators of the top nine entries as decided by Gaspard and Xavier will join them in an exclusive Google+ Hangout at the
Justice +Page
to review the entries, at which point the winner will be announced.
Submissions should be made at the
Justice YouTube channel
and don't forget to share your efforts using Google+ and boost your profile by interacting with
the band's +page
, as comments will be linked directly back to their
home on YouTube
and will doubtless boost your chances. The competition closes at 3pm, Paris time, on December 10, so get filming if you want to start 2012 with a bang… and more than a few beats.
Jamie Dolling, YouTube UK, recently watched
"Audio, Video, Disco"
.
Welcoming the UK’s next generation of cooking and fitness trainer stars
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Thinking of searching YouTube for a cooking recipe as Christmas approaches? Want some videos to help you achieve that New Year’s fitness resolution? You’re in good company. Searches on YouTube for cooking recipes soar around the end of every year, and searches for fitness exercises start kicking in around the start of the new year.
We have partners who are doing amazing things with food and fitness, and to supercharge their careers,
we created
the
YouTube Next Chef
and the
YouTube Next Trainer
programmes. We’d like to introduce you to the first class of partners who’ll be attending a 12-week course via
Google+ Hangouts
and receiving a $15,000 equipment and promotional package, all to help them share their passion for food or fitness on YouTube with you.
Representing the UK, we have
FitBritsGB
, who loves to cook easy meals from scratch, and one trainer,
STRskillSchool
who hosts an extremely popular football skills training school. They are among the 32 partners from six countries around the world.
YouTube Next Chef
The partners of the YouTube Next Chef class include self-taught chefs, cookbook authors, former restaurateurs and more. Their culinary styles range from making a full meal with just one pot to vegan desserts to gourmet on a budget, and represent five countries around the world. These partners will be taught by the finest folks in culinary arts, including editors from
CHOW.com
, YouTube Partners like
Rob Nixon
, and industry experts like
Lee Allison
.
YouTube Next Trainer
If fitness is your goal, our YouTube Next Trainers are here to help. This international group can teach you exercises based around city landscapes, fitness routines made for athletes, safe parkour training exercises, pilates made simple and more. Expect to see these partners get top tier training from our featured mentors
Billy Blanks
, YouTube Partners like
DeStorm
, and industry experts like
Julie DelaBarre
.
Stay tuned for
weekly videos
starting November 15 for YouTube Next Chef and November 23 for YouTube Next Trainer.
Austin Lau, YouTube Creator Programs, recently watched
“The Coolest Extreme Skiing Dudes.”
Coldplay: Live from Madrid on YouTube
Tuesday, 25 October 2011
With a string of number one singles and albums to their name,
Coldplay
are undoubtedly one of the biggest bands on the planet. So we’re thrilled that the group’s upcoming concert at the famous Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas in Madrid will be streamed live on YouTube for fans around the world to enjoy online.
The concert starts at 9pm (BST)/10pm CET on Wednesday, October 26, and will be available through Coldplay’s
official YouTube channel
.
Coldplay will be celebrating the release of their new album, "MYLO XYLOTO", which features the singles
"Every Teardrop is a Waterfall"
and
"Paradise"
, and the concert will be directed by Anton Corbijn, the award-winning filmmaker and celebrated photographer famed for his masterful use of striking black-and-white imagery.
The concert marks the conclusion of American Express Unstaged, a six-part series of live events produced in collaboration with YouTube, Vevo and American Express. The five previous concerts have attracted more than 40 million views, with fans worldwide tuning in to watch live performances from the likes of Arcade Fire, John Legend & The Roots, and Duran Duran.
Because this is an open air concert, there’s a small danger that inclement weather might mean the concert is delayed or even cancelled. So put on your favourite Coldplay track and perform a sun dance!
For more information about the Coldplay concert and other live initiatives we’ll be bringing to YouTube in the coming months, visit
www.youtube.com/live
.
Enjoy the show!
Jamie Dolling, YouTube UK, recently watched
"Chris Martin on working with Brian Eno and Rihanna"
.
Coming to a universe near you: YouTube Space Lab
Monday, 10 October 2011
Can plants survive beyond Earth? Can proteins observed in space reveal the mysteries of life? Science experiments aboard the
International Space Station
could unlock the answers and now we're giving you a chance to ask the questions. Today, we’re launching
YouTube Space Lab
with Lenovo, in cooperation with Space Adventures, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Space Lab is a new galactic channel on YouTube that will lift off from your laptop, taking you to interesting and awesome videos from around the world... and beyond.
Interested students are invited to come up with an idea for a science experiment that can be conducted in space and upload a video explaining it to YouTube. The YouTube community and a panel of distinguished scientists, astronauts and expert judges, including
Professor Stephen Hawking
, will pick the best ones. If your video is selected, it will be performed in the International Space Station (ISS) and live streamed on YouTube to the world.
We'll also throw in some out-of-this-world prizes: like
ZERO-G flights
, Lenovo IdeaPad laptops and your choice of either a trip to Tanegashima Island, Japan, to watch your experiment blast off in a rocket bound for the ISS, or—once you’re 18—a one-of-a-kind astronaut training experience in
Star City, Russia
, the training center for Russian cosmonauts. For more information on how to enter, including eligibility requirements and experiment guidelines, check out the competition page on the
channel
or
the official rules
.
All future astronauts and space enthusiasts can find inspiration in the space related content on
YouTube.com/SpaceLab
. Space Lab is just one of many educational channels available under
YouTube.com/EDU
. Educators can also visit
YouTube.com/Teachers
to learn how to better incorporate video into the classroom. We're developing a YouTube for Schools pilot aimed at making YouTube accessible in more schools. If you want to be notified when it's ready, sign up
here
.
Blast off now
and be part of a global experiment where your teacher is an astronaut and your classroom, space!
Zahaan Bharmal, YouTube Space Lab lead, recently watched "
Android in Space - Nexus S on Space Shuttle Atlantis
".
YouTube now has movies in the UK
Friday, 7 October 2011
Back in May we brought new release movies and more for rent to YouTube in the
US
. Last month, we took it to
Canada
. Now, over a thousand full-length feature films from major Hollywood and British studios are available for rent in the UK at
youtube.com/movies
.
We’ve got some cracking films to keep everyone entertained through the upcoming winter months and beyond. From blockbusters like
The Dark Knight
and
Reservoir Dogs
, to new releases such as
Hanna
,
Fast Five
, and
Red Riding Hood
, and even British classics like Monty Python’s
The Meaning of Life
and
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
, you can find many of your favourite films in high quality available to rent now at youtube.com/movies.
There’s always more to explore on YouTube. Many movie pages also feature YouTube Movie Extras with free behind-the-scenes videos, cast interviews, parodies, clips and remixes from YouTube’s unique community of content creators. Over time we'll also be adding additional videos and features to YouTube Movie Extras so that you can get even more into movies on YouTube.
Britain has a long history of cinema, starting from the
first moving pictures
being developed on celluloid film in the UK. Now British film buffs can be part of the digital revolution too, at youtube.com/movies.
Matteo Vallone, YouTube Business Product Manager, recently watched “
The Big Lebowski
”.
The MacTaggart Lecture: Eric Schmidt Live On YouTube
Thursday, 25 August 2011
The MacTaggart Lecture is the cornerstone of the Edinburgh International Television Festival and is arguably the most important media address of the calendar. Delivered to the leading lights of the media world, this year the festival is making the speech available to YouTube users in a live stream direct from the Edinburgh International Conference Centre from 6.45pm (BST) this Friday, August 26.
Past speakers have included media magnate Rupert Murdoch, broadcaster
Jeremy Paxman
and the late great Dennis Potter, writer of series like
“Karaoke”
and
“Lipstick On Your Collar”
. This year Google Chairman Dr. Eric Schmidt will be giving the lecture where he’ll discuss how the TV business can make the most of the internet opportunity. Thanks to the live stream from the
Media Guardian's International Television Festival
channel, you'll get to hear the message in real time.
Taking place on 26-28 August 2011, the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International Television Festival is the only industry event that brings together the great and the good, the heroes and villains, the stars of the screen and the people that made it all happen.
The festival weekend - now in its 36th year - will feature a line-up of over 50 sessions that focus on the year’s finest successes, address the current issues that face us all, and provide information, celebration and networking with the cream of the television industry and beyond.
To stay abreast of developments at the festival, simply subscribe to the
MGEITF
channel. And don't forget to tune in on Friday at 6.45pm (BST).
Laura Quinn, YouTube UK, recently watched
"MacTaggart 2010 highlights"
.
Labels
comments
design
live stream
music
partners
playlists
product update
ratings
Archive
2017
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
2016
Nov
Feb
2015
Dec
Nov
Jan
2014
Dec
Oct
Sept
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Jan
2013
Aug
Jul
Jun
Feb
2012
Dec
Nov
Sept
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Mar
Jan
2011
Dec
Nov
Oct
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2010
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sept
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2009
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sept
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2008
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sept
Aug
Jul
Jun
May
Apr
Mar
Feb
Jan
2007
Dec
Nov
Oct
Sept
Feed
YouTube
on
Follow @youtube
Follow
Learn more in the
YouTube Help Center
.
Follow