Your Film Festival - A Global Search For The World's Best Storytellers

Youtube & Emirates Airlines recently launched Your Film Festival, 'a global search for the world's best storytellers.'  The idea is simply...

15 minutes to tell a story. Millions of people to watch it. $500,000 to make a new one for the world to see.


So how does it work? Aspiring Filmmakers have until March 31st to submit a short, story-driven video. There's no entry fee. It can be any format - short film, web-series episode, TV pilot - and any genre. In June, audiences around the world will vote, sending 10 deserving storytellers to open the 2012 Venice Film Festival where a Grand Prize Winner will be be rewarded with a $500,000 grant to create a new work, produced by Ridley Scott and his world class team (the same guys behind the Youtube Life In A Day initiative).

There's a couple things that really standout for me about this initiative.  We often talk about the democratization of content creation as the barrier to entry for filmmakers gets lower and lower.  Video and editing equipment that used to cost thousands of dollars can now be purchased for an almost inconsequential amount of money, allowing amazing and incredible work to be produced at a fraction of the price.  Obviously the emergence of video platforms such as Youtube, Vimeo, etc. provide an outlet and global reach for literally anyone and their work.  

However, the barrier that still typically exists is traditional distribution.  Many of the independent movies that make it into cinemas are first screened at various festivals, and those festivals have significant entry fees that are beyond the reach of many aspiring filmmakers.  

That's what I love about Your Film Festival.  There's no entry fee, literally $0.  Additionally, it takes the idea of global distribution and accessibility to an entirely new level.  The top 50 semifinalists will have their film translated/subtitled into more than 50+  languages where Youtube is localized.  Additionally, any entries submitted with a script will then be machine transcribed into any of the localized languages.  Pretty amazing if you think about...

In another cool twist, all of the semi-finalist entry films will be shown on the in-flight entertainment systems of Emirates flights for an extended period of time.

Supporting Articles: Huffington Post | PSFK | Youtube Blog

Heineken Serenade

Heineken #Serenade is the latest initiative from Wieden + Kennedy.  The Facebook app invites you to create a humorous serenade for that special one you would like to bring on a date.  Users are asked a serious of questions (what you intend to do with that person, why they should go out with you, etc.) which are then used to create the serenade (there are something like 600 different options if you factor in the different languages available.  Once you create a serenade for that special someone, it's sent off to that person where they can respond Yes or No on whether they'll go out with you.

In addition, Heineken hosted a 8-hour live event on the Heineken Youtube channel where they chose some of the best serenades and invited users to surprise their loved ones by having their serenade performed live by the band.  You can view the highlights on the Youtube channel or check out one of the videos below.


via Sibylle Tretera

Supporting Articles: Creativity | Digital Buzz Blog

Red Hot Chili Peppers 'Look Around' Interactive Video

The Red Hot Chili Peppers recently released a cool interactive video for their new single 'Look Around.'  Developed by Axe Studios & Therapy Studios, the panoramic video allows users to click and drag around the video panning back and forth and zooming in and out between various rooms.  Little easter eggs with bonus videos, photos, etc. are sprinkled throughout the video and can be revealed via the 'show hints' button.  Check it out below:



You can also see the linear, non-interactive version here.

Valentine's Day Google Doodle

If you haven't already gone to google.com to see the delightful Valentine's Day doodle animation, stop reading and go there now (if you're reading this post Valentine's Day I'm sure it'll be in the archive) or check out the video below.

There's also a nice article over on TechCrunch about the creative process behind the animation.

5 Cool Things Superbowl Special Edition

Considering I'm a Yank & a HUGE New York Football Giants fan (channeling my inner Chris Berman, for those of you who don't get the reference), I thought it'd be worth doing a special Superbowl edition of 5 Cool Things.  Is that an original idea?  Not at all.  Does it make for a fun 15 minutes of you time?  Absolutely.  Read on the posts below for the latest and greatest in advertising for this Sunday's game.

Also, don't forget to check out Youtube AdBlitz during (or before) the game, where the Youtube team will be posting the various spots as they air during the game and allowing fans to vote for their favorites.  

Honda - Ferris Bueller

Ferris Bueller is back, but for whom?  This unbranded teaser was uploaded to Youtube last week with the  following in the video description: "We hate to be such a tease, but on a day like today, we just have to. Stick it out until the Super Bowl, or take a 'day off' on Monday and catch the big reveal."



After racking up 4 million + views and generating a ton of buzz in a few short days, it turns out it's an epic two and a half minute spot for the Honda CR-V that stays true to the movie.  According to Honda:


To celebrate the launch of the all-new 2012 CR-V, Honda brought Ferris Bueller's Day Off back in a big game commercial. We cast Matthew Broderick as himself, skipping out on a day of acting work and living it up in his all-new CR-V. Relive movie history with Honda's fresh twist and wonderful homage to this '80s classic.

Think you're a true fan of Ferris Bueller's Day Off? We hid over two dozen references to the movie throughout the commercial. Some are obvious, some are VERY subtle. See how many you can find. #dayoff 

My only question is...where's Cameron?

VW - The Bark Side

Lat year The Force: Volkswagen Commercial was the clear winner (at least in my mind) of all the Superbowl ads.  Not only was it the best spot of the game, but they also dominated in the lead up to the big game by releasing their spot five days before the Superbowl and racking up 14 million views prior to kickoff on Superbowl Sunday.  Those views (and this holds true for all of this year's pre-released ads) are arguably more valuable than a typical TV view.  Why?  Well a view on Youtube (or other channels) represents an explicit choice to view the content, rather than a passive, interruption based view that one normally associates with TV.  In fact, Kantar media estimated that the pre-game views for The Force equated to more than $500,000 in free media for VW, and that didn't include the PR/buzz around it.

With that in mind it's not surprising to see more and more brands releasing their full creative or the extended versions of their creative as VW did last year.  So how do Deutsch LA and VW follow up on last year's hit?  We won't know until Gameday, but they've generated a tremendous amount of buzz (not to mention 10 million+ views) with their teaser 'The Bark Side.'

I just hope that the actual spot can live up to the expectations generated by this canine chorus.

Audi - Race The Light

Audi has been teasing it's upcoming Superbowl spot from Venables Bell & Partners.  The teaser looks back at the highlights of the spots they've run during the big game in past years.

They've now revealed the full Game day commercial, 'Race The Light.' which promotes the Audi S7.  Rather than just a typical reveal, they challenged Facebook fans to piece together/gather all 60 frames from the 60 second spot in order to unlock it.

Result? nearly 2 million views of the full spot as of Monday.  See below for the spot.

First Bank - Pee Break

Without a doubt, this year has seen more brands releasing their full creative before the Superbowl than in any previous year.  By my count there's more than a dozen spots that have already been released and it's only Monday.  All of these commercials are battling for pre-game buzz and hoping to be 'The Force' of 2012.

For me there's one commercial that stands out among the rest.  It's just so completely different than the typical spot and takes such a different approach to the insane media buy that's become the 30-second Superbowl spot.  I really wish I could've been a fly on the wall during the client pitch for this.  It's really too bad it's only a local spot.

As The Denver Egoist explains:

'For the jittery Super Bowl fan whose own unflinching game day passion exceeds his bladder’s, FirstBank offers solace. Continuing its ongoing “helpfulness” campaign, the bank’s first-ever Super Bowl spot, created by TDA_Boulder, is a pee break. The spot runs on NBC’s Colorado Super Bowl programming during the break between third and fourth quarters. Wish the rest of the country could witness this genius.'

Coca Cola - Polar Bears

Coca-Cola is undertaking an ambitious Gameday initiative using the much loved Coca-Cola Polar Bears.  This year Coke promises that the bears, one of whom will be supporting the Patriots, and one the Giants, will respond in real-time across the web and even in the TV commercials during the game.


According to the press release:
'Coca-Cola is capitalizing on the growing trend of second screen media consumption to extend its connection with fans beyond the television screen to the computer screen and the social media universe. Coca-Cola is launching a unique viewing experience for fans that merges a live digital stream and social media with traditional television advertising. The stars of the campaign are two Coca-Cola polar bears who will be watching the big game live and sharing a Coke from the comforts of their Arctic ice cave.
Fans can join in on the fun and watch the game with the polar bears "in the Arctic" by visiting www.CokePolarBowl.com. The digital platform uses proprietary technology to bring the computer-generated polar bears to life through live animation -- a technological first for the big game or any media event. The live stream will showcase the animated polar bears' reactions to all the plays on the field, the halftime show and highly anticipated commercials.'

They also have alternate versions of the commercials set to run depending on which team is winning.  See this mashable article for a more complete explanation of the Weiden + Kennedy campaign.  It'll be interesting to see how successful Coke is in engaging the audience on a second screen during the game.  The strategy makes a ton of sense considering more than 50% of viewers watching the game plan to have a second screen running.