YouTube's Blog


Green Guru Challenge Highlights
In June, Michelle Kaufmann asked you to share your creative alternatives to recycling. Many great ideas were submitted, but perhaps the most impressive was the Bejeweled 'Cuff Style' Bracelet by beadclub. To take an everyday coffee sleeve and to turn it into a fun accessory exemplifies what this challenge was all about:



Other entries didn't disappoint, either. With baby shoes made out of plastic bags and art pieces constructed out of old magazines, you showed us that almost anything can be turned into something new with a little bit of imagination.

And don't forget that this month, Lance Armstrong wants to hear how you've dared to change your life or the life of someone close to you:



Take care,
Sadia H.
YouTube HowTo & Style

Trendspotting Tuesday: One-Minute Movies
If you can spare about a dozen minutes on TrendspottingTuesday, you can catch 12 examples of tight film-making, as we highlight short films that punch the clock around the one-minute mark.

At a time when Hollywood blockbusters often run for more than two hours, it can be exhilarating to catch videos that can make a point in a minute. Take film maker Ari Gold, who delivered a sharp 60-second riff on culture, taking home the Best Narrative Short prize at the SXSW Film Festival for his efforts. User georgepaul123 took all of a minute to express his views on disability. Another meaningful moment comes from Friends of the Earth, who present the winner of their one-minute green film award, "The Plastic Battle", by Danish director Ulla Jacobson. (Of course, not every ultra-short short is designed to deliver a strong point. Spend a minute in "The Bathroom" to see just how far the film-making team can ratchet up the tension in what can only be described as a dark and edgy bathroom break.)

While not every video included on the homepage and playlist below is exactly 60 seconds long, it's clear that self-imposed creative rules are at work in many of these clips, with memorable results. Rather than take up any more of your time telling you about them, we can only encourage you to take a moment to watch them all:



And if even 60 seconds is too much for your short attention span, you can always go the one second route. C’mon – Kiefer (Sutherland), Kevin (Bacon) and Stephen (Colbert) are already in...



Gone in 60,
The YouTube Team

Guru Challenge: Lance Armstrong Asks for Your Inspirational Stories
For this month's Guru Challenge, Lance Armstrong –- who just joined YouTube and launched a wellness web site, Livestrong.com -- wants to know how you've dared to change your life or the life of someone else.



Make a response video to his video, telling the legendary bicyclist your inspiring stories, particularly how you've overcome obstacles in your life. The Livestrong.com team will select the most compelling videos to be featured on their site and possibly also the YouTube home page.

Dare to inspire!
Sadia H.
YouTube HowTo & Style

Vote for Your Favorite Red Carpet Reporter
Which of these budding entertainment journalists will win a press pass to report from the red carpet at a major awards ceremony this fall? It's up to you to decide! People.com narrowed down the hundreds of entries to these final 10, and now it's your turn to pick your favorite YouTube reporter to strut their stuff on the red carpet next month.



The finalist with the most "thumbs up" votes will not only win a trip to L.A. and the opportunity to interview the stars at this ceremony in September, but (s)he will also get access to the hottest parties in Hollywood and receive a red carpet makeover courtesy of Revlon. To vote, go here (http://www.youtube.com/redcarpetreporter) and click on the vote button. Voting for this contest ends on Aug. 25 so show them some love today!

Kiss-kiss,
The YouTube Team


DNC and RNC Convention Winners Announced!
Back in July, Democratic and Republican National Convention Committees called upon YouTube users to answer the question: "Why are you a Republican (or a Democrat) in 2008?" Hundreds submitted, ten finalists were selected – and now, after tallying your votes, two winners have been chosen to attend this year's upcoming Democratic and Republican National Conventions and spend a day on the campaign trail with their party's candidate.

Rich Peters (username richprince78) has been selected as the winner of the DNC's Convention Contest, while Shawn Summers (username: jedimaster51090) has been selected as the winner of the RNC's Convention Contest.

In "Why I'm a Democrat in 2008," Peters goes through the list of reasons why he's supporting the Democrats and Barack Obama in the fall. Featuring clever green-screen effects and a catchy synthesized score, the video serves as a rousing endorsement of the DNC platform, from universal health care to withdrawing from Iraq. But perhaps the last line sums up his reasoning best: "I'm a Democrat because like so many of you, I love America…and I want my country back."



Meanwhile, in his video "Why I am a Republican," Summers uses a combination of dry humor and party pride to explain his reasons for supporting the Republican Party and John McCain. A freshman at Georgetown University, Summers argues that the core principles of the Republican Party are still the principles that should guide America — both now and in the future: "The Republican Party…stands poised to lead America and the changing world into a new global century. And Shawn Summer, along with millions of other Republicans…stands with them."



Peters and Summers have both won tickets to their party's respective conventions (in Denver and St. Paul, respectively), where their videos will be screened during the proceedings. They'll also spend a day on the campaign trail next week, in the press pool of their party's candidate... Stay tuned for the videos they'll upload there, which we'll feature here on YouTube.

Yours,

Steve G.
YouTube News & Politics

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