Like many people, we've been struck by the devastation in Japan since last week. So in addition to our regular round-up, we've included some information to help you stay informed about events on the ground in Japan.
Footage from Japan on CitizenTube
In the aftermath of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami that hit Japan, we worked with Storyful to make eyewitness footage accessible on CitizenTube, YouTube’s News and Politics channel. We also featured some of the most moving videos, like this footage from inside a grocery store during the quake, in a spotlight on the YouTube homepage. You can find more videos on youtube.jp and the livestream of the Tokyo Broadcasting System’s news coverage.
Hollywood comes to YouTube with Girl Walks Into A Bar
We’ve premiered Hollywood's first feature-length film created specifically for the Internet. Presented by Lexus and now playing in the YouTube Screening Room, Girl Walks Into A Bar is a comedy directed by Sebastian Gutiérrez. The film stars (among others) Carla Gugino, Zachary Quinto, Danny DeVito, Rosario Dawson, Josh Hartnett and Emmanuelle Chriqui. Watch it in its entirety or in installments via this playlist.
Brave bloggers and more—reporting from Afghanistan
Steve Grove of YouTube News and Politics was recently part of a Google/YouTube delegation that went to Afghanistan. There, they interviewed people who have lost their jobs due to blogging and discovered a country that is hungry for information. Ninety percent of people listen to the radio every day, and even though only 30% of Afghans have electricity, 60% say they watch television daily (using generators or community viewing locations). Learn more about their trip and the state of media in Afghanistan in this blog post.
Full version of Kevin Bacon film on YouTube
Ivan Cobenk—the self-proclaimed No. 1 Kevin Bacon fan in the world—has posted the full version of his latest movie on YouTube. You might be familiar with "Ivan" from advertisements for the Logitech Revue with Google TV—turns out, they were only using clips of a documentary about Ivan, which you can now watch in full on YouTube.
YouTube @ SXSW 2011
A vast array of musicians and filmmakers are in Austin this week for the SXSW Music, Film and Interactive Festival, and so is YouTube. We showcased several YouTube artists—including Beardyman, Playing for Change, Oh Land and Das Racist—at a party Tuesday night, and other events include artists like The Antlers, The Joy Formidable, Wild Flag, Khaira Arby, The Sway Machinery, tUnE-yArDs, !!!, Ted Leo, Edwyn Collins, James Blake and Colin Stetson. You can find videos of many of these folks on YouTube, and look out for video from some of the events next week.
Apply to the YouTube Creator Institutes's inaugural class
We know there are people out there who have always wanted to express themselves through video, but may be limited by funding, video-making skills or insufficient tools. That’s why YouTube is establishing the YouTube Creator Institute—the first initiative from YouTube Next—to help nurture content creators, existing YouTube partners and the next generation of stellar YouTube talent. For details, visit www.youtube.com/creatorinstitute.
This week's trends: Dr. Seuss, politics and more
Here are a few of the YouTube Trends that have gotten the community talking in the past couple of weeks:
- On the author's birthday, we studied YouTube Dr. Seuss readings
- We saw how satellite images can help add perspective on dramatic footage from Libya
- And we looked into just what in the world that "Apaci Dansi" video is actually all about
World View interview with John Boehner now online
If you missed the YouTube interview with Speaker of the House John Boehner as part of the YouTube World View program, you can now watch it in full. Stay tuned for upcoming interviews.
We’ll update you again in a few weeks. In the meantime, head over to the YouTube Blog.
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