BBC just released a trailer and short clips on their YouTube channel to hype their latest nature series, following the success of Planet Earth and Life. This time Human Planet points the cameras in the mirror so to speak – just not literally back at ourselves. You know BBC went out and found the most remarkable human situations on Earth. Which is much more interesting then a documentary on humans that stare at the computers and iPhones all day.

The trailer shows you footage of gravity-defying jungle tree house structures, oxygen-defying spear fisherman, dudes galloping on horses cloaked in furs with falcons perched on their arms – all which, I anticipate, will make the rest of us feel like lazy assholes. Watch the trailer below as well a clip from the series. If it doesn’t make you go “sweeeet” afterwards then you might hate humans and nature. Check out the Human Planet blog.

Urgent team member Kasia posted this video on her blog fake tv the other day. It’s a short doc about fashion blogger Scott Schumann of The Sartorialist made for Intel’s new Visual Life campaign. It’s nice to see intellectual and influential bloggers getting more mainstream love by collaborating with brands. With 70k hits a day, they must be making an impact, so it’s only natural that marketers and advertisers would be all over internet tastemakers like Schumann.

So maybe not all bloggers are as hip as The Sartorialist. That dude is really hip! But a lot of them are intensely passionate and curious individuals who’s brain power and creativity needs to be spread beyond the confines of WordPress templates and the Tumblr dashboard. Fortunately, I think that’s going to start happening more often.

I’m assuming we’ll see some more interesting profiles for this campaign. Who else do you think they’ll feature?

Adventurer Steve Duncan (above) recently took filmmaker Andrew Wonder though the bowels of New York City on a special tour of the city’s hidden history. No, this isn’t the latest Discovery Channel special. It’s a fascinating homemade, 30-minute doc on Vimeo that answers any questions you might ask yourself about what it’s like to explore the subway tunnels, or, if you’re really curious, the old and very, very abused sewer system.

Aside from the exciting and illegal adventure that goes down, you have to admire this “anything for the shot” style of filmmaking. With just Steve and Andrew down there, I could really sense their fears of being arrested and getting hurt or killed. Not to mention the camera work that really puts you in their perspective (for example: the shots of subway trains passing by in the tunnels makes you feel like you’re hiding with them). I recommend reading up on these guys on NPR and NY Times and also watch some more of Andrew Wonder’s various projects on his website.

Ok that’s a really far stretch for a post title. Hear me out though… I recently had privilege of shooting with Puff aka Diddy for our series of Celeb Flip spots on his video shoot for “Coming Home” which took place on a salt flat in the middle of the desert. It wasn’t just the actual shoot experience that made for a cool time, but the journey of getting there was really out of a certain movie (featuring my fellow Xroads alum, Jonah Hill aka Jonah Feldstein. Nice work J!)

It all started back in Las Vegas, where I was on set, for another UC production, that was just as interesting. (Post on that soon to come)

I got the call at 9pm that I if I wanted to shoot with Puff, I had would have to make a call time at 6AM the next day at a Holiday Inn in 29 Palms, CA. WTF!?! I booked it to the airport and rented a car with GPS (thank G_D). And there started my journey. When I looked on Google Maps it seemed simple, 3.5 hours away, no problem. Little did I know, I’d be driving for hours through the Mojave desert on a 2 lane highway. Luckily for me, the entire UC crew was busting ass late night in the office to make deadlines, so I called Henry on the phone to let him know my location. If he didn’t hear from me in 3 hours, then at least he knew where I was and could alert the authorities that I was chopped up to pieces and buried Casino Sam Rothstein style in the desert somewhere.

The Sirius Radio was a serious life saver, specifically BBC Radio 1 (s/o to Gilles P) and Shade45 really pulled me through. I literally drove for 3 hours without seeing one light, not one car passing me in either direction. Fast forward, it’s the next morning, and I’m following a van, driving a half hour on a dirt road to “the location”, where there are 3 helicopters and a full scale production. I must say though, considering how large scale this shoot was for the video, the crew was pretty streamlined. It was blazing hot, and the sun was reflecting off the salt on the ground. But I was ready to get my close up with Diddy.

Diddy could not be more of a professional. and a gentleman. His team, the same way, all pros, all good people, no ego. meanwhile, this is the guy that has really defined an era of music, not to mention, is responsible for shepherding the greatest MC ever to be (B.I.G. RIP). We talked a little bit about the approach to the spot, the length of the final product, how he was going to shoot while in the helicopter (they strapped him in as he hung out the side one leg out of it, no stunt man, WOW!) And he went for it. Puff is a true fan of the product, which really helped. And here you have it ladies and gentleman: the music video in all it’s 3 helicopter splendor!

I’m kinda pshyced to see the fest winner “Last Minutes with ODEN” Doc is so in right now. BTW unrelated note… Catfish” was kinda ill right?

Remember LonelyGirl15? YouTube’s 5th birthday was last week and I’ve finally gotten around to watching the “YouTube Stories” series they produced– 2 minute interviews with select creators about their successes with the medium. The stories, and this interview with the director, contain interesting little insights about creating for YouTube that are worth checking out–

What kinds of techniques do you use to make these videos look so good and feel emotional?
When we all make YouTube videos, we’re creating for a screen size of about 630 by 350 pixels, so go in close. Use eyes, use foreheads, look at the way people move their mouths when they talk…all that says a lot, beyond just the words. Use that emotional power of the face to amplify what they are saying. Shoot as close to the face as possible, because we’re trained by thousand of years of evolution to respond to those movements of the face. And don’t forget hands, which can speak in the opposite way…or in sync…and reveal much. In the end, we want viewers to feel they’ve had a chance to meet these subjects over a cheeseburger or a beer and really feel them viscerally.

What is something about YouTube users you didn’t know before you started this project?
What I didn’t fully understand was how much the content creators have given their lives over to communicating with others. They’ve found their mission. Sharing their talent or passion with the world. Despite realities of family obligations, old jobs, the need to learn a bit more about technology, the people who shine come through because of sheer passion and faith. They believe that what they are doing on YouTube will change the world, and the effort that belief inspires in them usually gets to a positive outcome.

– Inside the Making Of “My YouTube Story,” interview with documentary filmmaker Stephen Higgins

The story behind LonelyGirl15

They also cite this rehab clinic, which is so obviously a great setting for a doc, I have to assume at least one film student is there shooting as week. I also have some great (read: lame) ideas for the title of the doc:

Unplugged

NetZero

Rehab Dot Com

What would you call it?

Also deserving of dap is a nice looking film festival called “SPECIAL OFFER” they’re putting on at Dash’s gallery, (directed by Katrina Lencek-Inagaki) this week.  With screenings of people’s work we like, it should prove to be worth stopping by.  If you’re in a fly over state and can’t go… sorry.

April 22-25th, at Damon Dash’s gallery in TriBeCa, The Dash Gallery, at 172 Duane Street.

mRelease is the dopest app I’ve seen yet, or most relevant to media creators that is:

Once you have entered basic information about your shoot, for each release you just add some quick details about your subject, an image from the built-in camera or photo library, and get a touch-screen signature – it is that easy! The app creates, stores, and emails you a pdf file of the signed release, including the embedded photo of your subject.

We’re currently looking into the legality of the releases and how they hold up, becasue this is a true game changer.

Link via Alison Davis, thanks.

“The recipients did not know that the video crew documented their snatch and get-away, sometimes trailing them for blocks. “I’ve never actually trailed anybody before,” said Henry Joost, an executive producer for Supermarche, the video production firm. “The only thing I know about surveillance is from movies.”" — full story in Fast Company

The campaign touches so many different platforms, it wins at social media bingo: a real world competitive game, tracking and buzz on Twitter, and a viral video on Vimeo. It’s a playful way to engage unsuspecting potential consumers in a game about design, ownership, and their product.

via fake TV