Before you start waving the flag today, eyeball some bad news in the morning paper.
Two heavyweight champions have been in a classic battle that effects our access to information and entertainment.
Our privacy just got thrown into the middle of the ring:
SAN FRANCISCO — A federal judge has ordered Google to turn over to Viacom its records of which users watched which videos on YouTube, the Web’s largest video site by far.
The order raised concerns among YouTube users and privacy advocates that the video viewing habits of tens of millions of people could be exposed. But Google and Viacom said they were hoping to come up with a way to protect the anonymity of the site’s visitors.
Full story here.
Summer Redstone Eric Schmidt
("The Night Feed" note: I worked at Viacom's MTV, VH1, & CBS. My Damn Channel works with Google & YouTube. We're represented by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.)
Happy Independence Day.
Posted in
Big Fat Brain,
Donnie Hoyle,
Snatchbuckler,
You Suck at Photoshop with tags
You Suck at Photoshop,
YSAP,
Big Fat Brain,
Troy Hitch,
Matt Bledsoe,
Snatchbuckler,
Rob Barnett,
TIME Magazine,
MTV,
VH1,
CBS,
Peopleburg on 5/3/2008 2:08:44 AM by Rob Barnett
TIME 100 Most Influential People in the World
Technoculture
Fun with Photoshop
Thursday, May. 01, 2008 By JOSH QUITTNER
Troy Hitch, left, and Matt Bledsoe have just been revealed as the co-creators of the hit Web series You Suck at Photoshop.
Five hundred Gazillion Web video channels and nothing good on? Google this: You Suck at Photoshop. Narrated by the fictional Donnie Hoyle--an angry, sarcastic, cuckolded Photoshop expert--it was launched in late December and ended 10 episodes later, in April, when Donnie mysteriously disappeared. Not that you ever saw him. In the videos, the camera remains centered on a computer desktop and follows Donnie's cursor as he conducts mock tutorials on how to use the photo-altering application. Sound obscure? Maybe not. With the explosion of blogging and do-it-yourself publishing, Photoshop has become one of the Web generation's indispensable tools. Accordingly, the Donnie series has been viewed nearly 8 million times and is up for two 2008 Webby Awards: Best Comedy and Best How-To Video.
How a goof became a phenomenon is a Web-age love story almost as sweet as Donnie is bitter. Many fans believed the video series had to have been made by a professional comedian; Dane Cook was a favorite suspect. But it turns out to be the work of Troy Hitch, 37, and Matt Bledsoe, 39, both of Covington, Ky.--two former ad-agency guys who met while recording a radio commercial in nearby Cincinnati, Ohio. They buddied up, started writing funny bits and launched a new-media-centric creative agency called Big Fat Institute in 2005.
That's where Rob Barnett discovered them. A show-biz guy who had worked at MTV and VH1 before spending two years at the helm of CBS Radio, Barnett had decided to become a Web-video impresario. He found Big Fat Institute while looking for someone to design his website. You Suck at Photoshop "was hysterical," Barnett recalled recently. "I was instantly engaged and e-mailed them: 'WHO are you?' In 38 seconds, I get a response: 'Who are YOU?' We started flirting." The e-mail led to phone calls and an invitation to visit Barnett in New Jersey. "A few days later, they jumped on a plane to Newark, and we fell in love," he says. Barnett signed the guys to build his video-entertainment website, MyDamnChannel.com and then produce comedy videos for it. You Suck at Photoshop was their first baby.
Hitch and Bledsoe had long nurtured an idea for a character they thought of as the Angry Photoshop Guy. Explains Bledsoe: "We had both been in the agency business so long that after a while we'd seen every kind of person in the advertising world." One of those stereotypes, he says, was the "insane designer, basically. He has horrible social skills and horrible things going on in his life, and the only thing he has going for him is he can out-Photoshop the guy in the cube next to him." It took 2 1/2 hours to complete Episode 1. "The vast majority is improvised by Troy," says Bledsoe. "I hate him for that." Hitch adds, "It was meant to be a one-off thing." But within a few weeks, the blogosphere discovered it, and the series began racking up page views.
In my favorite episode, Donnie shows viewers how to seamlessly remove the wedding band from a picture of his cheating wife's finger. "We actually really put the ring up for sale on eBay, and within four hours, 30,000 people had come by to look or bid on it," Hitch tells me. "The ring was bid up to $760." But eBay shut down the auction after discovering the performance art--a violation of the terms of service, apparently.
The team emerged from anonymity in April to launch a sequel, Snatchbuckler's Second Chance. It's filmed in a fictional, virtual world called Peopleburg.com Snatchbuckler, Donnie's erstwhile partner in the online game World of Warcraft, has gone there to shake off his Internet addiction. The video debuted on MyDamnChannel.com in late April, and it looks pretty cool. But I miss Donnie and wish I could Photoshop him back into my life.
We built My Damn Channel with a few of patron saints in mind. Johnny Rotten is usually painted by critics with such a simple brush. Most miss the point. John may often be brutal - but he's alway honest.
During the "Rotten TV" run, we walked the red carpet, as a goof on the way into that year's VH1 Fashion Awards. Out of the corner of his eye, John spotted four important looking humans standing a few feet away from all the action, surveying the scene.
"Who are they!?" - he challenged.... I looked over my shoulder to see Sumner Redstone, flanked by Tom Freston, Judy McGrath & John Sykes. "Don't - just don't," was my hapless request, knowing full well I was screwed. Rotten headed straight for Sumner. He grabbed his hand first. Then he shook the rest & asked the group one simple question: "How much money are you lot all making on this tonight?"
As we turned to walk on, Freston grabbed my arm and offered, "I love that show." It was one of the moments that was supposed to go horribly wrong, and somehow went surprisingly well. Probably just luck.
As we head to Vegas to try to haplessly explain why My Damn Channel trusts our talent - here are a few of our gold-plated rules - we'll think of a few more before tomorrow's event - Wed 4/16 - 2pm - here:
Never lie
Don't hold back bad news
Don't use 'creative input' as an excuse for 'J J" (Job Justification)
Make decisive decisions
Never bait & switch
Communicate constantly
Avoid the 'handlers' - go direct
Be specific
Move fast - no waiting
Work the press
Pay on time - every time
Pick up the check - almost every time
Posted in
John Sykes,
MTV,
VH1 with tags
John Sykes,
MTV,
VH1 on 3/12/2008 10:04:00 AM by Rob Barnett
Do you remember your first secret Rock & Roll moment? You're in your room, with the door closed. The music's up loud. You're fairly sure you've got at least a few minutes of privacy before one of your parents barges in to shout: "turn it down." Pre-iPod, Pre-Guitar Hero. In that room, in that moment, the music moves you to the mirror. You strap on the imaginary air guitar - for a moment you are the singer and the song.
The rock beast born inside you is a hungry monster that has to be fed. Few take the brave path of opening up that bedroom door and walking out into the world committed to life as "the artist."
Most grow to a certain age where they ignore the hunger long enough to starve the monster to death. These secret settlers head for a straight path to adulthood without causing too much damage. Others have a wellspring of sacred angst that eats them up inside.
Certain rock disciples choose a middle path. This is a road traveled by souls who never stray far away from their original rock inspirations. These souls find careers as DJs, A&R execs, MTV execs, VH1 execs, concert promoters. JOHN SYKES has done ALL of that.
Along the way, he's honored the music; celebrated it; televised it; played it; inducted it; he took us BEHIND THE MUSIC; he POPPED it up; he backed STORYTELLERS, saints & sinners...he even dedicated himself to SAVE THE MUSIC.
It's easy to forget that all the music you love takes at least two steps to get into your head. First, it has to be made - and then it has to have a champion. John is a lifelong fan and champion of great music.
In a world full of bad guys, John's raw enthusiasm and force of will have always overcome mountains. If you're a rock soul looking to lead a life in tune, you're lucky to cross paths with this guy. He's both leader and cheerleader - driven - soulful - smart - and fearless.
Thanks for every help along the way John. The future is damn full of fun. Syked to see your next great vision.