LOS ANGELES — Are Google and Hollywood, like, an item now? Anyone else notice these two have been getting a lot cozier lately? Several weeks after Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar became the first official movie website co-created by Google, Lionsgate has partnered with YouTube to promote The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 with “District Voices,” the latest campaign from Google’s Art, Copy & Code incubator. The five-part video series features different popular YouTube creators whose channel “aligns with a specific industry from one of the districts of Panem,” the companies said in announcing the project Monday. Each episode, shot at the YouTube Space LA facility in Playa Vista and around Los Angeles, is presented as programming from the Panem government’s official “Capitol TV,” spotlights life in one of the different districts. A new video will drop each day this week, starting Monday at 4 p.m. ET with District 8, in which “Threadbanger” YouTube channel co-creators Rob Czar and Corinne Leigh will show the best uses of Peacekeeper armor. Other videos will feature Peacekeeper training, baking techniques from the grain-producing District 9 and segments on electricity generation and transportation. It’s not the first time Hollywood has stopped by YouTube Space LA, which built an entire Godzilla set for its creators to play with earlier this year, and is currently hosting Halloween and horror-themed sets created by Guillermo Del Toro. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 hit theaters worldwide on Nov. 21. Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/10/20/the-hunger-games-is-the-next-film-franchise-with-a-google-promotion/
Sports are getting more attention at SXSW next year. SXsports, which was announced on Tuesday, will be an offshoot of the festival filled with media, technology and other creative industries. SXsports will take place from March 7 to 9, and is open to those who register for the film and interactive conferences. SXSW runs from March 7 to 16. The offshoot’s highlights will incude a panel featuring ESPN columnist Bill Simmons and FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver. Simmons was among the earliest stars of online sports columnizing, while Silver is the data whiz who famously delivered a flawless prediction of the 2012 presidential election results. Both now run their own sites for ESPN. Simmons founded Grantland in 2011, and Silver left The New York Times in July to reboot FiveThirtyEight with a partial sports focus for ESPN. “The world of sports truly hits the sweet spot of SXSW, the vital intersection of entertainment and technology, and we intend to approach it with the same forward-thinking and culturally relevant perspective we shine on all of our events,” Rebecca Feferman, head of media relations for SXSW’s film component, said in a statement. “We can’t wait to connect the sports world with our passionate audience of early adopters, culture nuts, digital creatives and so much more.” Other announced participants in panels and events include Peter Guber, chairman of Mandalay Sports Media and part-owner of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors; Bryan Srabian, the mastermind behind the San Francisco Giants’ massive social media following; and Kliff Kingsbury, the head football coach at Texas Tech University. Do you think SXsports is a good idea, and would you attend? Tell us in the comments. BONUS: Retro NBA Ads Starring NBA Players Retro Ads Featuring NBA Players Wilt Chamberlain for Coleco, 1973 Julius Irving for Chapstick, 1980 Earl Monroe for Jordache, 1980 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for Atari, 1981 Dr. J for Crest, 1983 Dr. J and Bill Cosby for Coca-Cola, 1984 Dominique Wilkins for Reebok, 1989 Bill Walton for Reebok, 1991 Allen Iverson and Jadakiss for Reebok, 1996 Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/10/01/sxsw-sports-sxsports/
In the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, sai-wielding Raphael gives his best Batman voice impression to scare intrepid reporter April O’Neil (Megan Fox) after she captures the secretive shell-clad heroes pummeling bad guys on her camera phone. Fans unlocked the film’s second trailer and four character posters (below) late Monday and Tuesday in an interactive “Turtle Reveal” Twitter stunt that required them to tweet hashtags — such as #TeamLeonardo — associated with each crime-fighting turtle. While the first trailer introduced us to storyline of director Michael Bay’s modern adaptation, this second attempt gives us a deeper dive into the plot involving the villainous Shredder. This reboot, which hits theaters Aug. 8, also stars Will Arnett as cameraman Vern Fenwick, William Fichtner as Shredder, Alan Ritchson as Raphael, Noel Fisher as Michelangelo, Jeremy Howard as Donatello, Pete Ploszek as Leonardo and Danny Woodburn as Splinter. Take a look at these posters that feature Donny, Leo, Mikey and Ralph. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Character Posters Donatello Image: Paramount Pictures Leonardo Image: Paramount Pictures Michelangelo Image: Paramount Pictures Raphael Image: Paramount Pictures Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/06/24/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-trailer-posters/
Stanley Kubrick’s classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey set the bar for science-fiction films and is still influencing movie makers. But, what would the film look like if it was made today? Mashup master ChugsTheMonkey has remixed the film for fan site Film School Rejects as a Hollywood summer blockbuster. The two-minute trailer is filled with a heavy soundtrack and quick cuts — a big change from the slow moving and deliberate pacing of the original. Gone, too, is the famous Zarathustra soundtrack. The trailer does keep Kubric’s iconic flying femur scene. You can check out the trailer below. YouTube fans have chimed in with their approval of the trailer, but what do you think? Give us your impression in the comments. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/07/27/a-space-odyssey-remix/
The final 13 contestants on American Idol’s season 13 celebrate becoming finalists.Image: Jordan Strauss/Associated Press Fox’s singing competition American Idol is joining forces with search behemoth Google to give viewers a new way to vote for their favorite contestants, starting on Wednesday. Looking up “American Idol” or “Idol” via Google Search on desktop or mobile during voting time periods now allows users to vote for multiple finalists as frequently as 50 times. Image: Fox Broadcasting/Mashable Composite Viewers already could vote by phone call, text message or American Idol app as well as on Idol‘s website using a Facebook account — a method Fox added in 2011 for season 10. Rival shows The Voice and X Factor have also toyed with fresh social media-driven voting methods. In 2011, for example, The Voice became the first televised singing competition in the U.S. to allow iTunes sales to count as votes. Meanwhile, X Factor began allowing votes to come in from direct messages on Twitter in 2011. Also new to Idol‘s season 13 is Harry Connick Jr., who is Idol‘s eleventh judge since the show debuted in 2002. This year, Fox also brought back former judge Jennifer Lopez, who was on the panel for seasons 10 and 11. The network replaced Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj to join the only returning judge from season 12’s panel, Keith Urban. Randy Jackson, who had been on the judges’ panel for seasons 1 through 12, returned as a behind-the-scenes mentor. BONUS: 20 Songs Turning 20 in 2014 20 Songs Turning 20 in 2014 1. “Buddy Holly” by Weezer Video: YouTube, WeezerVEVO 2. “I Swear” by All 4 One Video: YouTube, VIETNAMESEPORKROLLS 3. “Gin & Juice” by Snoop Doggy Dogg Video: YouTube, hemoglobian 4. “Crazy” by Aerosmith Video: YouTube, AerosmithVEVO 5. “Come Out and Play” by The Offspring Video: YouTube, EpitaphRecords 6. “I Wanna Be Down” by Brandy Video: YouTube, Atlantic Records 7. “All I Wanna Do” by Sheryl Crow Video: YouTube, Matias 8. “I’ll Make Love to You” by Boyz II Men Video: YouTube, BoyzIIMenVEVO 9. “Sabotage” by Beastie Boys Video: YouTube, turboEF 10. “Back & Forth” by Aaliyah Video: YouTube, Aaliyah Shakur 11. “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” by Elton John Video: YouTube, WaItDisneyWorId 12. “Zombie” by The Cranberries Video: YouTube, TheCranberriesVEVO 13. “Black Hole Sun” by Soundgarden Video: YouTube, SoundgardenVEVO 14. “Basket Case” by Green Day Video: YouTube, greenday 15. “Turn the Beat Around” by Gloria Estefan Video: YouTube, GloriaEstefanVEVO 16. “Stay (I Missed You)” by Lisa Loeb Video: YouTube, LLOnline 17. “I’ll Stand By You” by The Pretenders Video: YouTube, Javipy3 18. “Come to My Window” by Melissa Etheridge Video: YouTube, melissaetheridge1988 19. “Hold My Hand” by Hootie and the Blowfish Video: YouTube, Atlantic Records 20. “Cotton Eye Joe” by Rednex Video: YouTube, RednexVEVO Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/02/26/american-idol-google-search-voting/
Thanksgiving is here and you’re in a hurry to get the house looking spotless before friends and family come over for a hearty turkey feast. But whatever you do, don’t mistake this thing in the middle of the floor for a mop! Just wait until you see what it really is. Too funny! That funny-looking creature is a rare white puli, a breed of Hungarian sheepdog that usually has black fur. These mid-sized canines are very smart and agile, capable of guiding and herding sheep, goats, and even chickens. Oh, and they’re obviously super cute! Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/the-mop/
Prince Harry look-a-like Matthew Hicks will trick women into thinking he’s part of a royal family on Fox’s upcoming I Wanna Marry Harry.Image: Daniel Smith/Fox We’ll never be royals, as Lorde reminded us in her breakout single. And neither will any of the 12 American women participating in I Wanna Marry Harry, Fox‘s new dating show that tricked the singles into thinking they’re fighting over Prince Harry. Yes, that Harry — the royal brother of Prince William, son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. The Harry lookalike is Matthew Hicks, described by Fox as “an average English bloke,” who will pull out all of the romantic stops worthy of a fairytale ending — not that his dates are likely to get one. How long did fake Prince Harry keep his true identity secret? We’ll find out when the dating show debuts May 27 at 8 p.m. ET. We’re guessing there’ll be no faked equivalent of the Prince Harry nude photo scandal. BONUS: 12 Comedian Quotes to Help You Laugh Through Relationship Hiccups Comedians on Love 1. Will Ferrell Image: Mark Mainz/Getty Images 2. Amy Poehler Image: Larry Busacca/Getty Images 3. Louis C.K. Image: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images 4. Chelsea Peretti Image: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for AmeriCares 5. Rob Delaney Image: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images 6. Mindy Kaling Image: Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images for Hilarity for Charity 7. Lucille Ball Image: Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images 8. Jerry Seinfeld Image: Evan Agostini/Getty Images For Mohegan Sun 9. Chris Rock Image: Jemal Countess/Getty Images 10. Tina Fey Image: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images 11. George Burns Image: Harold Clements/Express/Getty Images 12. Rob Delaney Image: Randy Holmes/ABC via Getty Images Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/03/28/i-wanna-marry-harry-fox-show/
YouTube videos exist so they can be shared. And the Internet, as it always does, delivers plenty — but which ones are the best viral videos? Our new pop culture debate show, Monumental, is all about figuring that out (among other things.) Every Tuesday, we’ll sit down with a group of panelists and determine the top four — a.k.a. “Mount Rushmore” — of a familiar pop culture topic. The panelists will be given eight top contenders to choose from, and through rigorous, totally serious debate, they’ll decide who — or what — should be on the final list. In our first episode, above, YouTube legends Shane Dawson and Roman Atwood sit down with host Elliott Morgan to debate which viral videos are the viral-ist(?) of all time. Here are the eight contenders: 1. Gangnam Style Psy’s dance-heavy classic, released over the summer of 2012, became the first YouTube video to reach one billion views in December 2012. “Gangnam fever” soon followed, with notable figures like Barack Obama, David Cameron and U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon offering their own interpretations of the dance. 2. Chocolate Rain 3. Rick Astley: “Never Gonna Give You Up” You’ve heard of this one. More appropriately, you’ve fallen victim to this one. English singer-songwriter Rick Astley released the love ballad, “Never Gonna Give You Up,” in 1987. In the early 2000s, it quickly spread as a prank meme: victims would open up a link, supposedly about something completely unrelated, and be surprised with Astley’s video. At least it’s catchy. 4. Sneezing Baby Panda 5. Evolution of Dance Comedian Juddson Laiply (perfectly) performs 12 different popular dances in a row. Enough. Said. 6. Grape Lady Falls 7. Charlie Bit My Finger Maybe it’s their perfect, English-accented diction. Or maybe it’s just because they’re freaking adorable. “Charlie Bit My Finger” hit the web in 2007. At 56 seconds, it’s the most bare-boned video of the bunch — but, come on, it’s a cute kid playfully biting the finger of another cute kid over cute, British-y dialogue. It wins. 8. Leroy Jenkins These are just our top picks. Any you think should have made the cut? Let us know in the comments! Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/08/19/monumental-viral-videos/
The Rolling Stones, who played their first gig 50 years ago, have returned after a seven-year hiatus. The English rockers debuted a new single, “Doom and Gloom,” Thursday on BBC Radio 2. A mopey lyric video accompanies the release and draws even more attention to the band’s zombie reference: “I had a dream last night I was piloting a plane, and all the passengers were drunk and insane,” Mick Jagger belts. “I crash landed in a Louisiana swamp, shot up a horde of zombies but I come out on top.” Zombies and exploding heads aside, “Doom and Gloom” is a track from GRRR!, the group’s forthcoming three-disc greatest hits compilation due out Nov. 12. The Rolling Stones made headlines in the tech world earlier this year when a clever 404 error message on its website surfaced. Are you digging the band’s new tune? Does it make you want to watch The Walking Dead right now, too? BONUS: 9 Celebrity Zombies Show Brain-Eating Side of Fame Zombie Celebrities 1. Lady Gaga You can’t read my Zombie Face. Image used with permission, Rob Sacchetto 2. Clint Eastwood Go ahead, eat my brain. Image used with permission, Rob Sacchetto 3. Scarlett Johansson On the cover of ‘Undead Weekly.’ Image used with permission, Rob Sacchetto 4. Daniel Craig Dead. Living Dead. Image used with permission, Rob Sacchetto 5. Paul McCartney Let it feed. Image used with permission, Rob Sacchetto 6. Rihanna S.O.S. No, seriously. Image used with permission, Rob Sacchetto 7. Sylvester Stallone “The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s also zombies.” Image used with permission, Rob Sacchetto 8. Stan Lee Superheroes can’t save you. Image used with permission, Rob Sacchetto 9. Hugh Hefner Bunnies and brains. Image used with permission, Rob Sacchetto Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/11/rolling-stones-doom-gloom-zombies/
English singer Conor Maynard, whose first album Contrast debuted on top of the UK Albums Chart in August, is tapping into his social media-hungry fan base to help him decide where in the United States he should perform this winter. To determine the five cities in which the 19-year-old will give free concerts, his label EMI Music has created MayniacMap. MayniacMap lets his fans (a.k.a. “Mayniacs”) earn points for their respective cities. Users rack up points by connecting their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare, Tumblr and GetGlue accounts, and performing activities — such as following, Liking, commenting and sharing. So far, New York, San Francisco, Houston, Detroit and Tampa, Fla., have accumulated the most points so far. Maynard hails from Brighton and has experienced a similar rise to fame as Justin Bieber, having built a rabid global audience online with soulful YouTube cover videos starting in 2008 before earning a record deal. “It’s flattering to be compared to someone so big, but we have different sounds,” Maynard tells Mashable. His cover of Ne-Yo’s “Beautiful Monster” eventually caught Ne-Yo’s attention, and the two talked via Skype about Maynard’s future. The chat sparked media buzz in the UK, and EMI’s Parlophone label signed him. Maynard’s music video (watch below) for “Turn Around,” which came out in September, features Ne-Yo. Other musicians have also leveraged their online fans to propel projects. Most recently, American folk band Bon Iver asked people to remix songs from its album Bon Iver, Bon Iver; the songs are now on a Spotify album. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/10/08/conor-maynard-mayniacmap-concerts/
