Beyond Black Mesa: Fan Filmmaking Done Right by Steve Smith

If you've ever played and loved the greatest PC game series of all time Half-Life (go on, get out of here world of Warcraft nerds!) then take 12 minutes out of your life to watch the newly-released "Beyond Black Mesa" short. Fan filmmaker extraordinaire Brian Curtin and producer-writer Matthew Hall have captured the look and sounds, even the camera conventions, of the first-person shooter. Better, they have wrapped around it a mini-adventure that represents the best of fan fiction: it adds perspective and communicates a fan's passion for the original. It is a short burst of very well-orchestrated action that ...Read the whole story

  • automotive Hyundai Effort Urges 'Don't Be A Sheep!' by Karl Greenberg

    You don't have to be a sheep and you don't have to accept conditioning. No, it's not a political slogan from a George Orwell novel. It's the theme of Hyundai Motor America's new ad campaign for the 2011 Elantra. The automaker is touting both Elantra and Sonata with four new ads, some of which will run as part of its buy on the Super Bowl. ...Read the whole story

  • Rhythm: Mobile Video Advertisers Up Eightfold In 2010 by Mark Walsh

    The mobile video audience may still be small, but that doesn't mean advertising in the emerging category isn't gaining ground. More than 200 Fortune 500 brands including Dell, Toyota and Kraft in 2010 ran mobile video campaigns, up from just 25 a year ago. In the fourth quarter alone, 70 major brands ran mobile video ads, according to a new report from mobile ad network Rhythm NewMedia. ...Read the whole story

  • What A Job: FINS.com Launches Multimedia Effort by Aaron Baar

    A year after a relatively quiet launch to serve financial services professionals, FINS.com, a job search and career management site and service from The Wall Street Journal, is getting ready to make a splash with a multimedia advertising and marketing campaign that will include television, Internet video, print and social media. ...Read the whole story

  • Tidal Taps MTV's Herman As Chief Product Officer by Gavin O'Malley

    Video ad technology firm TidalTV on Monday is expected to name Brad Herman as chief product and media officer. In this newly created position, Herman will be responsible for setting and executing product strategy, while also managing the supply side of TidalTV's operations, including driving inventory strategy and managing publisher relationships. ...Read the whole story

10 Lessons In Online Video After Five Years Of Operations by Ashkan Karbasfrooshan

Jan. 23 marked the five-year anniversary of my company. Feels like 50. With that in mind, here are ten lessons I've learned about online video in that time. ...More