YouTube Australia Blog: February 2011

Summer highlight: Tropfest

Tuesday 15 February 2011

For the first time ever, Tropfest, the world’s largest short film festival, will have a 16th finalist as voted by YOU, the YouTube community. Your votes will determine which film will screen live on the night in front of hundreds of thousands of film lovers. That film will be in the running for the same awards and prizes as the rest of the Tropfest finalists.

Vote today at youtube.com/tropfest, all votes need to be in by Wednesday Feb 16th.

YouTube will also be at Tropfest on Sunday Feb 20th. We’ll capture the best moments from the day - from the walk down the red carpet, to the final moonlight screening, the announcement of the winners and the winning films.

If you’re at the Tropfest event on Sunday, come along to the YouTube Map My Summer tent and share your summer stories. We’ll be updating our Summer map with clips throughout the day.

Posted by Ernesto Soriano, YouTube Team, just watched Tropfest 2011 Trailer

Countdown to YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011

Monday 7 February 2011

In just a few weeks, the world's online, collaborative orchestra lands on our shores, as Sydney hosts the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011.

We asked for your auditions, and you voted for your favourites. Now, the 97 orchestral musicians and 4 winning improvisers are hard at work preparing for their musical journey down under:

New this year, we will be hosting a week-long extravaganza celebrating creativity, the arts, and global collaboration between March 14 - 20. Here are four easy ways for you to get involved:

Want to see the winning orchestra in action? Grab your ticket to the Grand Finale, held in the Concert Hall of Sydney Opera House, under the baton of Grammy Award-winning conductor Michael Tilson Thomas. An epic multimedia celebration of creativity and technology, this gala performance will come to life through soaring musical interludes and vast images projected on the interior and sails of the Sydney Opera House. More tickets should be released very soon - check back often as they’re going fast!
Can’t make the finale performance? Check out any of the week’s ensemble concerts, which will feature musical luminaries from around the world and Australia joining members of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra, including Synergy Percussion and didgeridoo legend William Barton, amongst others.
Want to see some jamming? This year we’re bringing you a Brazilian guitarist, a Chinese guzheng player, an American violinist and an Australian double bassist jamming with their fellow musicians in a special, pre-finale improv session at The Basement. Grab your tickets now as this is sure to be a popular event.
Win a chance to jam! The auditions aren’t over just yet... You could still win a chance to jam with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011 on stage! Qantas is offering you and a friend the chance to win flights to Sydney, 7 nights accommodation in the Four Seasons Hotel and the opportunity to join the orchestra for an Open Mic concert. Just submit your non-traditional talent and prove you’ve got what it takes for a chance to win.

We’ll keep you up to date with news and content over the next few weeks on the YouTube Symphony Orchestra Channel. And of course, be sure to tune in to watch the live stream as this truly global orchestra takes the stage at Sydney Opera House on March 20, 2011.

Ernesto Soriano, YouTube Team, recently watched Synergy Percussion Mallet Quartet

From the main stage to your computer screen: Laneway Festival Live

Friday 4 February 2011

You asked, Jess Mauboy responded. The Temper Trap jammed. Jamiroquai rocked out.

And now, we’re bringing you our first live event on YouTube Sessions, direct from the famous St. Jerome Laneway Festival in Sydney. The festival tours this February throughout Australia & New Zealand. And to make sure everyone can get involved, we’ll be live streaming some of the hottest acts from the first event in Sydney. Catch Yeasayer, Beach House, Two Door Cinema Club, and the Holidays live at youtube.com/sessions this Sunday!

Didn’t get tickets to this sold out event? Never fear. Just tune in this Sunday, 6th February at 5:00pm to catch the live set, which runs until 9:00pm.

Sit back, enjoy the show!

Posted by Ernesto Soriano, YouTube Team, recently watched Beach House, Used to Be

Coming soon to the big screen: Your Australian summer map

Wednesday 2 February 2011

Last week we announced our plan to map the Australian summer with all your experiences. And you responded with videos around Australia, from racing your pets down a sand dune to surf lessons at the beach.

The map of Australia is starting to take shape, and this week, we’re raising the stakes. You may have caught the premiere of Life in a Day, the world’s first full-length user generated documentary. As part of this next generation of radically inclusive creative filmmaking, we’re proud to announce that Screen Australia, in partnership with renowned Australian filmmaker George Miller, will be working with one of the hottest up and coming Aussie directors to turn your summer map into the next great summer film. Only you can answer the question: What does an Australian summer really look like?

Hear from George Miller: What do you see, hear, and feel about the Australian summer?

We’ve just posted a summer playlist with short films from three Australian directors, Ariel Kleiman, Luke Doolan, and Amy Gebhardt, with their own versions of the Australian summer.
One of these directors will be working directly with George Miller to turn your videos into a final film which will debut at the Sydney Film Festival later this year.

What’s more, five members of the YouTube community whose footage is included in the final film will be invited to attend the premiere screening at the Sydney Film Festival.

Ever wondered what the Aussie summer looked like 60 years ago? Here’s one look at our summers past, courtesy of Screen Australia.

To take part in this year’s summer experience, upload your videos from to youtube.com/mapmysummer. You have until March 31st 2011 to film and upload. Let’s share the diversity and the extraordinary nature of this Australian summer with the world.

Ernesto Soriano, YouTube team, recently watched racing your pets down a sand dune.

Australia Blog

Summer highlight: Tropfest

Countdown to YouTube Symphony Orchestra 2011

From the main stage to your computer screen: Laneway Festival Live

Coming soon to the big screen: Your Australian summer map

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