I hang my hat at Tumblr
In which we are reminded of how much we love Network Awesome, especially when viewed through this theme.
There really isn’t any point in denying my undying love for the Portal games. I think they’re fantastically fun, brilliantly written, and incredibly subversive in every way a modern game should be. They’re also incredibly cinematic, with characters that display true pathos and situations that try your emotions in unexpected ways. So obviously Portal is ripe for a transition to film. But here’s the thing: I can’t think of a single game-to-film translation that didn’t suck.
Until now.
Let’s get this out of the way right at the beginning: this film is awesome. Dan Trachtenberg, co-creator and co-host of The Totally Rad Show, commercial director, and overall video game connoisseur, took on the challenge of translating the Portal games to film and just knocked it out of the park. Taking on a decidedly darker tone than the games, Portal: No Escape is a distilled and concentrated 7 minutes of incredibly dextrous storytelling that notches right into the Portal universe while even making its own additions. This isn’t just a fanfilm, this is a proper creative addition to the Portal universe.
Dear VALVe: hand Dan the keys to Portal, find him a proper film budget, and let this man run wild. Trust us – the results will be worth it.
(via spytap)
Google's YouTube buys Next New Networks
Alex Pham at Los Angeles Times
Hoping to “supercharge” the next generation of online video stars, Google Inc.’s online video site YouTube on Monday announced it has purchased Next New Networks for an undisclosed sum.
As reported in Company Town in December, YouTube was in negotiations to acquire the New York video producer whose pithy flicks on websites such as Hungry Nation and Barely Political have garnered more than 2 billion views since the company launched four years ago today.
Based in New York and backed by former television executives from Nickelodeon and MTV, Next New Networks has built a network of videos created both in house and by independent filmmakers.
YouTube, which has steered clear of creating its own films, made clear that it has no plans to dive into the content business.
Instead, the San Bruno company plans to use Next New Networks as an incubator for a new class of semiprofessional videographers who are able to make a living from the advertising generated by their online videos.
Excellent news! Congrats to everyone at Next New
A nice video introducing National Geographic’s year-long examination of the soon-to-be-populated-by-seven-million-people Earth.
Billion?
Or maybe million is correct? Are we doomed?
Journey. That is all.
It is humanly impossible not to smile while watching this.
Christ, if you want to see me say, “UM” a lot, head over to TechCrunch.
This is really nice, and smart. Congrats!
Today in It’s Funny Because It’s True: “TIME Announces New Version Of Magazine Aimed At Adults”
Groat and Frank missed Nwk’s epic farewell party for this; luckily, the results are pretty great.
Early-90’s Wendy’s training music videos. I’ve already got “Hot Drinks” stuck in my head. (via nobodysdiary)
Seriously, stop what you are doing and watch these. I think “Hot Drinks” deserves a Grammy.
A New Name for Web Shows
One of the actors in “Meet the Mayfarers” - Jeffrey Gitelle (“Franklin the Lawyer”) - was at a wedding this weekend. He was attempting to explain to a much older guest what, exactly a “Web Show” is. The older guest had no knowledge or frame of reference for such a show.
After many Futile attempts to define what the show and the medium is - another guest helped explain it in a term the older guest could understand.
“It’s Computer Theater.”
The older guest finally understood.
“Computer Theater.” I kind of like it. It’s better than “Webisode.”
I love it.
“Computer Theater” sounds like something the guys from MST3K make fun of.
Hmmm.
“Dot-Comedies”?
“Net Works”?
“Embedable Feasts”?
“TCP/IP IP”?
