YouTube Stars!

I have been working on a program to keep track of who's in the Top 20 most subscribed. Each Sunday night after midnight, I grab data on YouTube's 20 Most Subscribed of All-Time and store it in a database. In the following link, you can see who is in the Top 20, how their position changed from last week, and how their subscribers numbers changed.

YouTube Top 20

I have 8 weeks of data so far. I plan to add the ability to show all the past weeks' data for each member in number and chart format. Numbers may not mean much to some people, but my background is actually in Engineering, so I like numbers.

If anyone has any feedback, I'd love to hear it. Thanks! =D

posted by KennyCrane at 10/30/2006 05:13:00 AM 4 Comments

This is part 11 in our continuing series, Cinema du jour, the movie of the day. In this post, I'll show you an inspiring video from FreeWingz, and introduce you to three ladies who have just recently started to post videos on YouTube!

Free Wings
FreeWingz (read more here) has become a popular YouTube member due to his video producing and editing skills. He is involved in the YouTube community. He replies to his comments and makes encouraging comments on many others' videos. In this movie, FreeWingz shows much courage by telling us about his disability. Watch this inspiring video!


If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

How to plan a YouTube video
Katers17 (her myspace) is a 17-year-old woman named Kate who lives in the UK. She just joined YouTube 2 weeks ago but she already uploaded 8 videos and has over 5500 subscribers! Kate combines good looks with a witty intelligence. She has created some very entertaining videos which feature high picture quality and good editing. One of her videos, Blog- Responses, has received almost 400 thousand views so far! Let's have a look at a short but fun and random video titled "How to plan a YouTube video":


If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

Disclosed Blog- Entry 5 'Hangin With The Princess'
VenetianPrincess (her myspace) is a 22-year-old woman who lives in Massachusetts. She joined YouTube a month ago and has uploaded 10 videos. She mentions things from her previous videos in her newer works; they will make more sense if you watch them in order (her first is here). In her earlier videos, we learn that her husband has not bought her a wedding ring yet, and that he often spends too much time playing on his XBox. This beautiful lady has a bubbly personality and a creative mind. Watch her shine in this video blog:


If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

HowToGirl makes a Choc Raspberry Smoothie
I am very happy to have found Madeline Merced, The HowToGirl, on a recent night of video cruising on YT. This dark-haired attractive 21-year-old Wisconsin woman makes videos that are as instructive as they are entertaining! Every video is loaded with helpful tips and advice on interesting topics. Most of the themes are aimed at women, but men will also like to watch this charming hostess as she smiles and gestures her way through informative movies. Madeline is on the WyethDigital channel, which is made up of Madeline and her production crew. Be sure to watch the fabulous "How To's Action Packed Movie Night" based on TombRaider, on that account. Here, we'll watch Madeline make some delicious smoothies!


If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

Be sure to read our last episode of Cinema du jour, featuring Darahgna, celestialsam and ysabellabrave! Thanks. =D

posted by KennyCrane at 10/23/2006 02:20:00 AM 0 Comments

Generally, I post about talented people who make entertaining videos staring themselves. Many of these people have become very popular YouTubeStars! They have thousands of fans who have subscribed to their videos so that they can find out quickly whenever their favorite videomakers put out a new movie.

But there are many other people who just drop by YouTube once in a while to get a laugh at work, or from home after they've finished paying their bills online. Or maybe a friend emailed them a link to a funny video or they read about one on a website somewhere. For those who aren't on YouTube all the time, I have 4 funny videos to present. Feel free to email a link to this post to all of your friends to give them a chuckle or three. =D Simply click on the envelope icon at the end of this post. Thanks!

Biff's Question Song (Stand-up Comedy)
Tom Wilson is a stand-up comedian who played Biff in the "Back to the Future" movies. He made this funny song/video to answer questions that he gets asked all the time. Have a look and a laugh!


If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

White and Nerdy
Weird Al has been making funny parody videos for decades. Now he's on YouTube! Here's his latest video. The song he based this one on is "Ridin'" by Chamillionaire featuring Krazie Bone. It's hilarious; check it out!


If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.


Funny cats 2
If you have a cat or cats, you know that they can act very strange at times! Here's a compliation video of some cats being funny. Be sure to email your cat-lover friends about this post by clicking on the envelope icon at the end of this post!


If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

Crazy Dog
Dogs can be funny too! I think this dog is Schizophrenic. He doesn't deem to realize that that foot is his own! Watch this funny video then click the envelope icon below to email your friends about it. Thanks!


If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

posted by KennyCrane at 10/19/2006 04:12:00 AM 0 Comments

What brought you to Youtube?
My internet connection. Still does, actually.

What influences your videos? Also, is Paperlilies your favourite Youtuber? *wink*
Thoughts that have been on my mind for a while, simple everyday things, and of course, remarks, gossip and issues of the YT community. Oh yeah, Paperlilies is also a great influence on my work since she's my favourite YouTubian. *winks back*

Do you have a big family? How many brothers and sisters do you have?
I have one younger sister, who is also my biggest fan on YouTube. For my last birthday, she gave me the webcam I now use. Without her, there would be no videos on the AericWinter channel.
My father doesn't live too far away and I see him about once a month.
My mother is even closer than that, her place is in my heart. She died of cancer nearly ten years ago.

Andreas' mother was Indonesian, and his father is German. How would he describe your experience growing up in a mixed family in Germany to someone who has experienced neither Indonesian nor German culture?
I cannot. You've either grown up like that or you haven't. However, I can tell you this:
I believe growing up within two cultural spheres and at least partially bilingual has made me a more open person, ready to embrace other cultures than my own.

Do you find much similarity between the various European languages or are they all quite different?
There are great differences, though I haven't attempted to learn all of them, mind you. Still, I have tried my hand at, English, French, Hungarian, Polish, German Sign Language, Portuguese, and most recently, Italian.
Languages are like people. They are born, they develop, they die. Each has its own talents and faults. Ultimately, they all have the same goal, which is communication, so the basics of any European language are easy enough to master. I also retain that anyone can learn to speak a non-native language fluently if properly motivated.

Do you eat brats often, and what else do you pwn at besides chess and frisbee?
A brat for breakfast a day keeps annoyances away.
As for non-frisbee and non-chess pwnage, I am also into pois, origami, short stories, and poetry. Also, I very much enjoy the sex, though I cannot be sure I pwn at it since I've never done it competitively. I am also a tournament level dancer, though I haven't waltzed for a very long time.

Do you want a game of chess sometime? How about backgammon?
Sure, just name a time and place for the game of chess and I'll be there. But prepare to be pwned like a n00b!
As for backgammon, I've never played it, but I'm always open for new challenges.

Which do you like better, orange juice or Tang? Do you even know what Tang is?
Orange juice. I need my dose every morning to start into the day. It pwns coffee. While Tang is fine, it is the German word for seaweed, so thanks but no thanks.

And what about orange juice, with or without pulp?
Either is fine in the morning, but definitely without pulp when mixing long drinks and cocktails. Ugh.

On your profile, you state "the soundtrack to my life is in a constant state of flux." Let's be real Andreas, everyone has a few favorite bands, or songs at least. Let us know what you like for Pete's sake.
Well alright, but just for Pete's sake. We all care a lot about Pete. Here's a snapshot of what I currently listen to: Massive Attack, Krezip, and Air. I also like the German bands 'Wir sind Helden' and 'Juli'. You have heard songs by each of these bands, since I occasionally use short bits of their music to underscore my videos. Dove95 recently sent me two CDs of a girl punk band called Sirsy, which I have quite grown to like.

What's your dream car?
Even if money didn't matter, I don't think I could live with a supercar like the Porsche Carrera GT, McLaren Mercedes SLR or a Koenigsegg. I'd be far too worried about something that costs so much and is so easy to damage. Plus, if I need to possess one of those, there has got to be something wrong with my love life. The only expensive sports car I could picture myself having is an Aston Martin DB9, which is awesome but doesn't have "P-R-I-C-K" spelled on its side. I'm also a fan of off-road driving. I'd love to do the Paris-Dakkar in a Bowler Wildcat, or dare the swamps of Sumatra in a Discovery one day.
Of the more affordable cars, I think the Alfa Romeo Brera is the most beautiful while the TVR Sagaris is the most provocative. At the end of the day, the Land Rover Defender is the overall coolest car. Its design is timeless and there are very few things it cannot do. That is the car I would like to buy should the need ever arise for me to have one. I heard you can get them quite cheap from British military surplus. Ack, why did you get me started on cars? I could write for days on end about that subject.

You have said that you prefer single person vlogs for your subscription list. Why do you enjoy them more than other types of video on YouTube, and how do you find such highly interesting people with all the mediocrity clogging up the Blog section of YouTube?
Considering the fact that I have seen over 14,000 videos, it certainly isn't precision. I just kept what I liked and passed by what I didn't. Most of the good channels I have come across are via word of mouth and have nothing at all to do with official YouTube search functions. (JENTHELUSH's "The Who's who of YouTube" gave me the first starting points. Then I came across the lisasimpson community, where I found some wonderful vloggers.)
Also, I look very closely at the comment sections of my own and my friends' videos.
If someone there leaves a clever or well-thought out comment, you can be fairly certain that I'll click to check that user's profile and maybe one of their videos as well. My friends also recommend channels to me all the time, either here directly or on YTT. Snazzit , for example, seems to have this gift for finding intelligent and original female vloggers. As a result, I am currently subscribed to more female than male channels.

Being a relatively recent addition to the YouTube community, how do you feel about your views-to-subscribers ratio? It seems pretty high to me. Do you enjoy your semi-celebrity status and growing popularity with the YouTubers?
First of all, I have been a YouTube member for over six months and started uploading videos more than three months ago. I wouldn't call that recent; in YouTube time, that's half an eternity. As for the view to sub ratio, the 'Aussagekraft' (representativeness) of that number is doubtful, at best. I don't pay any attention to it. I certainly don't regard myself as a celebrity on YouTube, semi-mode or otherwise. To me, there is no such thing. There are just more and less frequently viewed channels. Feedback from my friends is much more important to me than an intangible number.
Of course it is nice to have more viewers, because we all love feedback on our ideas, and interaction is why I started 'toobing in the first place. I still find it fascinating that I can exchange thoughts on a subject with someone who lives eight time zones down the block from me.
What's troubling now is that I find myself unable to respond to every comment, message, and video I receive, which is a shame. I do read everything I get and try to respond as much as I can, though.

Bonus question #1: Is there life after death?
Hell if I know.

Bonus question #2: Would you have taken the blue pill or the red one?
Definitely the blue pill. Ignorance is bliss.


To learn more about AericWinter, please watch these three videos:

FAQ
Here is a video in which AericWinter answers questions that he is asked frequently.

If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

Curiosity [Vlog]
AericWinter answers some questions about himself and talks about this interview.

If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.


Out of context into a contest [Vlog]
This is the video that AericWinter submitted to Morbeck's "Hottest of YouTube 2006" contest. AericWinter won!!!

If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

posted by KennyCrane at 10/16/2006 02:21:00 AM 2 Comments

Renetto, real name Paul Robinett, is a 39-year-old Ohio man who has been making YouTube videos for the last few months. He started out by doing "Renetto Reviews" videos. These were a series of funny commentaries on videos made by popular YouTubers. Paul used a goofy voice which was remenicient of Bill Murry's "CaddyShack" character. We wore black thick-framed glasses (which he says he always wears), donned iPod earphones and stuck a toothpick in his upper lip to look like the part he was playing. His videos did well, but it was only after he "Came Out" that his numbers really started to climb. Paul is currently the Number 10 Most Subscribed YouTube Member of All-Time.

Paul has done quite a lot for the YouTube community. He has made videos such as Who are you....Who, Who...Who, Who in which he discusses the community aspect of YouTube and encourages everyone to make a video about who they are. There have been 344 video responses to date! He has given away 100 webcams to people who don't have one (see the results here), and most recently, he made a video in support of the Stand Up Against Poverty cause, see millenniumcampaign.org.

I'm going to show one video of the transition from Renetto the reviewer to Renetto the YouTube community advocate. Then, I'll include the interviews of FilthyWhore at a Chili's in Pennsylvania and of Boh3m3 at the Pittsburgh airport.

Renetto is ....out of the CLOSET....I can't believe he's....


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

FilthyWhore EXPOSED at Chilli's! (Part 1)


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Part Two has been removed.....


Renetto, Boh3m3 and CNBC... EXPOSED!


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

If you enjoy interviews of YouTube members, please read our interviews!

• KwaiChi Interview
• thewinekone interview
• cutiemish interview
• Silent Girl Interview

posted by KennyCrane at 10/09/2006 02:35:00 AM 1 Comments

This is a recurring feature of YouTubeStars. I discuss some videos that were recently added to YouTube, or ones that I've just discovered. This time, we have 4 videos from 3 very talented ladies!

Mr Sandman

Darahgna, a.k.a Angharad (read more, here and here) just released another excellent video! This time, she made, and stars in a music video for the The Chordettes song, "Mister Sandman" which topped the charts in 1954. This song might be familiar to fans of the movie, "Back to the Future". It was used in the scene where Marty arrives in 1955 Hill Valley. Angharad looks lovely as she pops around the room and acts out parts of verses. This will put a smile on your face!


If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

Sweet Dreams

I recently mentioned celestialsam as a YouTube member who had done a lipsynch to ysabellabrave's, "Mambo Italiano". This 16-year-old U.S. woman has uploaded almost 50 videos and most are lipsynchs. I began to look through her videos and found two funny ones! Watch her face as she sings along to this classic song once sung by Mama Cass. Don't miss the last 2 seconds. =D


If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

"Insane Nonsense Song"

Celestialsam lipsynchs to another YouTuber again in this video. This time, she sings along to the "Insane Nonsense Song" written and originally performed by KrisShred. This wacky ditty is now stuck in my head!


If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

YIKES it's Horrorfest!

By now, most YouTube watchers know ysabellabrave (read more here) as a fantastic singer who covers several genres of songs in her 30+ videos. But she is also a fan of horror movies and has entered the "Miss Horrorfest" contest on YouTube. The winner will get $50,000 in cash! Vote for ysabellabrave! WARNING! This video is NOT FOR CHILDREN!


If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

Please read our last Cinema du jour post about Michiko7, LUCYinLA, Freewingz, awilliams100 and shedwa. Thanks!

posted by KennyCrane at 10/02/2006 02:44:00 AM 0 Comments