WebProNews

Animators Collaborate on Facebook All the Way to the Theaters

Last fall, Mass Animation, which calls itself the largest global animation collaboration ever, posted an invitation on Facebook for artists around the world to collaborate on the making of an animated short film. This film is now getting a theatrical release this week with Columbia Pictures' Planet 51 release. It's called "Live Music."

Watch: Will Ferrell and Adam McKay Talk YouTube

YouTube has partnered with Funny or Die, the video comedy site founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, the duo behind such cinematic comedy gems as Anchorman and Talladega Nights. There is now a Funny or Die YouTube channel, and YouTube is giving it special promotion on the site's home page. Ferrell and McKay have uploaded the following video talking about YouTube:

Paramount Follows Up "Paranormal" Marketing with More Social Fun

Paramount, the company behind the distribution of the smash-hit Paranormal Activity is now showcasing a new film-meets-social media project. Paramount's Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) division has teamed up with Adobe, MySpace, Mountain Dew, and Blockbuster on the production, distribution, and marketing on a new "supernatural thriller" web series called Circle of Eight.

Online Marketing Leads Paranormal Activity to Wide Release

Paranormal Activity is a movie that has made its way to a wide theatrical release this weekend as a result of some clever online marketing. The movie is described as a "Blair Witch"- type film, in that it is told through fake "realistic" video footage. This is a cliché that has been used numerous times in the horror genre. The film boasts some pretty bold quotes from some well-known sources. For example:

Dreamworks Bans Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz from Twitter

Something about celebrities combined with Twitter is just a magnet for headlines and mass media attention. Perhaps it is because our society has an unhealthy obsession with celebrities, and Twitter (and really just social media in general) is turning the web as we know it into a never-ending "stream" of information.

Yahoo Expands "It's Y!ou" Campaign With User Yodeling

As part of Yahoo's big "It's Y!ou!" campaign, the company has started an initiative to let users contribute to the famous "Yahoo! Yodel". Yahoo has opened up what it calls the Yodel Studio. The aim is for people to personalize and reinterpret the yodel.

Online Video Mocked by Doogie Howser at Emmys

The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards (aka: The Emmys) were on last night on CBS, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, formerly of Doogie Howser M.D., and currently of How I Met Your Mother. During the show, "NPH" appeared as "Dr. Horrible" (not a reference to Doogie, but to a blogger he portrays on a web show), and made fun of online video and the notion that it could ever replace television. Doogie takes stabs at common limitations of online video, such as size and buffering. Watch the clip below.

Justin.tv Steps Up Copyright Protection Efforts

Justin.tv has just announced a new copyright protection process it is initiating. The site is working with Vobile to filter content on Justin.tv using their database of content.

Twitter Documentary in the Works

You've probably heard that there is a Facebook movie in the works, but now it appears that there is a one on the way for Twitter as well. However, where the Facebook film will be a mainstream hollywood-type movie with actors, the Twitter movie will be a documentary, and will be available for free to watch online under a creative commons license.

5 Media/Communication Channels Twitter Has Impacted

Twitter is everywhere you look these days. You don't have to use it, but you can't hide from it. If you live under a rock, chances are somebody's sitting on top of that rock tweeting. It took a little bit for Twitter to catch on, but I think it's safe to say that it has officially taken the world by storm. Let's look at just a few ways it has impacted different forms of media and communication. 1. Instant Messaging