• by Gavin O'Malley  @mp_gavin, June 27, 2012

Keeping the focus on fresh content, multimedia entertainment studio Electus has partnered with actor/director duo Kevin Smith and Ralph Garman to launch their podcast show “Hollywood-Babble On This Week” on its new YouTube channel, LOUD.

Premiering with a Comic-Con special in mid-July, “Hollywood-Babble” will feature co-hosts Smith and Garman as they highlight a compilation of best-of clips from a new episode of their podcast.

Explaining the thinking behind the deal, Drew Buckley, COO and head of digital at Electus, said they wanted to “build on the strengths of both YouTube and traditional television in terms of creating series with high production value that speak directly and intimately to the YouTube community.”

The company also announced several additional series that will launch on LOUD in the coming weeks, featuring YouTube personality George Watsky, actor/comedian JB Smoove, MMA stars Rashad Evans and Kenny Florian, jeweler-to-the-stars Ben Baller and TV personality Quddus.

Founded in 2009 by former NBC Entertainment co-chairman Ben Silverman and Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp, Electus has sought to differentiate itself with unique talent content.

Largely conceptualized by Silverman (with the help of production studio DiGa), LOUD is expected to house fresh and edgy series featuring celebrities and popular YouTube talent.

Last year, Electus acquired Engine Entertainment, with which it formed an in-house global distribution arm named Electus/Engine Distribution to handle worldwide sales for Electus' content, including television, motion picture and digital.

At the time of the deal, Electus said the acquisition would not disrupt an existing partnership with Elisabeth Murdoch's Shine Group -- which, according to Electus, would continue to handle international distribution.