Power to the imagination! That’s the motto of two, pretty crazy men from Berlin. Their company’s name is "Datenstrudel" – which means "Data Swirl" and they’re very much into shooting innovative videos. They aim to create new worlds with very simple tools.Jörn and Jakob form a pretty formidable team with plenty of ideas. Their trademark videos require actors to act out scenes in a horizontal position. This sometimes causes complete chaos but as the sets are made mostly from plastic sheeting it doesn't matter too much. They met at film school eight years ago and have been producing monthly live shows ever since. Viewers even took part by suggesting what they wanted to see. Now clients are lining up with commissions from music videos, to live internet shows, to theatre productions. It seems the pair have got their hands full!

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

A pen, a simple whiteboard and a camera are all it takes to make an animated video.Kristofer Ström has made his video clip artwork into his own business. It may take him 40 hours to make just two minutes of film but his order books are full and his staff of six are kept on their feet. Recently, after seeing his films a Swedish TV show headhunted him for their cultural magazine. But Kristofer Ström isn't one to be tied down, wherever he goes he takes his sketchpad with him because there are always new ideas trying to get onto the paper.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

Lasse Gjertsen from Norway has proved that you don't need to know how to play a musical instrument to make music clips. If you watch his videos you’d think he’s a musical genius. His clip 'hyperactive' has attracted almost 5 million hits!Former art student twenty four year-old Lasse gave up his studies to concentrate on his film projects. He's now an Internet phenomenon. He takes his inspiration from all kinds of sources. In one video he even chases his own shadow! It's not all just fun and games though he has also produced clips for professionals such as Cellist Giovanni Sollima. But the money isn't important for Lasse he just wants to create a good product.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

Tons of old Super 8 film reels are gathering dust in German attics and cellars. Long forgotten but full of historic material. For example a first vacation in Italy with a new Volkswagen Beetle in the 1960s or a quick weekend trip in the Alps in the 1970s. It would be a tragedy if all this footage were to disappear. But luckily Thomas Mützel from Berlin is on hand to save it.By day Thomas Müzel is busy cutting hair, by night film clips! More specifically home-made vacation films. His project began when customers who felt sorry for him never taking a vaction started to lend him their holiday films to watch. After three years and over 300 hours of film the result is 'the vacation reel' a documentary about Germans and travel. All that remains is to find a distributor. Director Robert Von Aackeren has also compiled two films from home movies. His compilations are called "Deutschland Privat" or Private Germany.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 1

CLIPMANIA turns the world around with data swirlCLIPMANIA investigates political podcastsCLIPMANIA sees how Till Nowak's film really 'delivered'And CLIPMANIA takes of into the skies of Berlin Data Swirl Spins Perspectives AroundPower to the imagination! That’s the motto of two, pretty crazy men from Berlin. Their company’s name is "Datenstrudel" – which means "Data Swirl" and they’re very much into shooting innovative videos. They aim to create new worlds with very simple tools.Jörn and Jakob form a pretty formidable team with plenty of ideas. Their trademark videos require actors to act out scenes in a horizontal position. This sometimes causes complete chaos but as the sets are made mostly from plastic sheeting it doesn't matter too much. They met at film school eight years ago and have been producing monthly live shows ever since. Viewers even took part by suggesting what they wanted to see. Now clients are lining up with commissions from music videos, to live internet shows, to theatre productions. It seems the pair have got their hands full!Posting Politics on the NetEven traditional politicians can’t get by without the internet anymore. Most of them have websites and some have taken it to the next level by offering video-on-demand podcasts where they talk about their policies. This gives them the opportunity to get across their views with as much airtime as they want. Something Germany’s chancellor Merkel realized as the first head of government worldwide.Berlin is reknowned for being a trendsetting city and it seems that Chancellor Angela Merkel is very much in tune with this. She made her pioneering first podcast in 2006 and it's gone from strength to strength. It may mean a little extra work but she's glad to be able to reach people she couldn't normally and discuss issues that she doesn't often get to talk about. The opinions she broadcasts in her podcasts are increasingly being picked up by old school TV and newspapers. But the podcasts and the politicians have also been the target of satire on the internet.Till NowakHe just wanted to make a good final year project at the design school of Mainz in Germany. As it turned out it was a very good project. The animation film Till Nowak produced has won prizes by the dozen.Thanks to the sucess of his film 'Delivery' the twenty-six year old ex-media design student now runs his own small multimedia company in Mainz. To make his film he put on a special suit fitted with sensors and became an animated superhero who attempts to save the world. Till Nowak will never forget the frenzy that followed after he posted his film in an online forum. The link went round the world in a matter of days and became so popular that he decided to quickly put an end to the free distribution of his video. But by the time he acted it was too late and the rest, as they say, is history...99 Red BalloonsWell maybe not quite 99 and they're not always red but a few balloons are all Luca Nino Antonucci and Ira Mowen need to shoot their films. They attach them to a camera, let go and try to follow the balloons wherever they go. The camera shoots the whole time and the two post the footage on their website – that is if they get it back. They took us on one of their wild balloon hunts through Berlin.For the past year the two balloon project creators from America have travelled to cities like New York, San Fransico and Paris bringing an unusual bird's eye view of the cities to youtubers worldwide. Their equipment is pretty basic because there's no guarantee they'll get it back: It's just 40 helium balloons and a camera costing around 50 euros. In fact their latest mission in Prague was thwarted by a tree! Each flight is a new adventure and a unique piece of street theater into the bargain.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

CLIPMANIA goes minature with lego brick filmsCLIPMANIA combs Berlin's Streets for Fresh Fashion TrendsAnd CLIPMANIA goes live on Trueman TVBrick FilmsThere are grown-up people out there who haven’t lost their love for lego-bricks. They shoot little clips in a world where everything is made of bricks. They might reenact their favourite movie scenes or historic soccer games. It’s always a lot of work, a horrible ordeal but the results are fantastic. That’s why it’s become a trend on the internet.Pinus Hauser, Jonathan, Denecke and Milan Bolland are just a few of those who are still in touch with their inner child. They spend hours playing contentedly with lego figures in the confines of their broom cupboard film sets. The stop motion technique which involves moving the figures slightly for every frame helps them to come alive. A webcam takes fifteen pictures for every second of film. Despite humble beginnings, brick films have gained an increasly high profile. Cult moviemaker Michel Gondry tried his hand at the technique when he made a video forThe White Stripes.Internet Fashion Fresh off the StreetStyleblogs are popping up all over the internet. They’re a kind of fashion diary, where users show what they like to wear in pictures or videos. The two makers of stilinberlin go a little beyond that because they go out and look for their models on the streets of Berlin. So the catwalk is everywhere.Both passionate photographers, students Mary Scherpe and Benjamin Richter began their project two years ago after being inspired by similar blogs in Asia and the US, which attract some 30 thousand clicks a day. They hope the fashion they capture and post on their site will reflect Berlin's edgy identity. The duo have amassed hundreds of photos and have clearly come a long way from the days that they would shyly take photos of people while hiding behind lamp posts. They now calmly stop well-dressed individuals and ask if they wouldn't mind posing for a quick snap!Twenty-Four Hour CoverageRemember the movie The Truman Show? It was about a guy who was being filmed all the time without knowing it. His life was just one big show. That movie was ten years ago and now thanks to the digital revolution everyone can be his own Truman today. Marcel Kotzur from Berlin is doing just that.The twenty-five year old began his unusual project in summer 2007 both as an experiment and business idea. Now he doesn't go anywhere without his film equipment; 2 cameras, 2 microphones, a UTMS modem and two laptop computers. That's all he needs to broadcast himself live twenty four seven on his website Trueman TV. It costs nothing to watch but Marcel earns his money from sponsors and commercials. Although he claims that it's been a lot of fun the project definitely comes with its inconveniences for example, sleeping with the light on, having to ask permission from everyone he meets to film them and finding a girlfriend. So why does he do it? Well Marcel Kotzur has a dream...

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

There are grown-up people out there who haven’t lost their love for lego-bricks. They shoot little clips in a world where everything is made of bricks. They might reenact their favourite movie scenes or historic soccer games. It’s always a lot of work, a horrible ordeal but the results are fantastic. That’s why it’s become a trend on the internet.Pinus Hauser, Jonathan, Denecke and Milan Bolland are just a few of those who are still in touch with their inner child. They spend hours playing contentedly with lego figures in the confines of their broom cupboard film sets. The stop motion technique which involves moving the figures slightly for every frame helps them to come alive. A webcam takes fifteen pictures for every second of film. Despite humble beginnings, brick films have gained an increasly high profile. Cult moviemaker Michel Gondry tried his hand at the technique when he made a video forThe White Stripes.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

Even traditional politicians can’t get by without the internet anymore. Most of them have websites and some have taken it to the next level by offering video-on-demand podcasts where they talk about their policies. This gives them the opportunity to get across their views with as much airtime as they want. Something Germany’s chancellor Merkel realized as the first head of government worldwide.Berlin is reknowned for being a trendsetting city and it seems that Chancellor Angela Merkel is very much in tune with this. She made her pioneering first podcast in 2006 and it's gone from strength to strength. It may mean a little extra work but she's glad to be able to reach people she couldn't normally and discuss issues that she doesn't often get to talk about. The opinions she broadcasts in her podcasts are increasingly being picked up by old school TV and newspapers. But the podcasts and the politicians have also been the target of satire on the internet.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

Well maybe not quite 99 and they're not always red but a few balloons are all Luca Nino Antonucci and Ira Mowen need to shoot their films. They attach them to a camera, let go and try to follow the balloons wherever they go. The camera shoots the whole time and the two post the footage on their website – that is if they get it back. They took us on one of their wild balloon hunts through Berlin.For the past year the two balloon project creators from America have travelled to cities like New York, San Fransico and Paris bringing an unusual bird's eye view of the cities to youtubers worldwide. Their equipment is pretty basic because there's no guarantee they'll get it back: It's just 40 helium balloons and a camera costing around 50 euros. In fact their latest mission in Prague was thwarted by a tree! Each flight is a new adventure and a unique piece of street theater into the bargain.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

He just wanted to make a good final year project at the design school of Mainz in Germany. As it turned out it was a very good project. The animation film Till Nowak produced has won prizes by the dozen.Thanks to the sucess of his film 'Delivery' the twenty-six year old ex-media design student now runs his own small multimedia company in Mainz. To make his film he put on a special suit fitted with sensors and became an animated superhero who attempts to save the world. Till Nowak will never forget the frenzy that followed after he posted his film in an online forum. The link went round the world in a matter of days and became so popular that he decided to quickly put an end to the free distribution of his video. But by the time he acted it was too late and the rest, as they say, is history...

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

CLIPMANIA investigates new talent in advertisingCLIPMANIA discovers cell phone film creationsCLIPMANIA uncovers how men thinkAnd CLIPMANIA learns how to draw in thin air. User Generated Content in AdvertisingA flourishing genre on the internet is parodies of well known advertisements. It seems people can’t resist hitting back at the people who bombard them with commercial messages. But in some cases it seems their little joke may have backfired as some of the parodies have been so good that companies want to use them in their advertising!History and Philosphy student Philip Stute's clip for a supermarket chain won him an advertising award and an apprenticeship at an advertising agency. In his clip he takes the supermarket's slogan, which translates as "we love food" completely to heart, declaring his undying love for a Cauliflower! And he's just one of many young talents out there. In fact advertising agencies are now requesting customers to write in with their own bright ideas for ads. That way they kill two birds with one stone. The ads are cheap and they promote consumer identification with the product. A New Media LanguageThe mobile movie scene now has its own awards night. Once a year, amateur directors from across Europe gather in Berlin for the Mobile Film Festival. Amateur film maker Ulrich Wohlleben is just one of the 170 filmakers taking part this year. He takes time out to talk about his entry which features a vacuum cleaner with a mind of its own.Forty-two-year-old ear, nose and throat doctor Ulrich Wohlleben does it all. He's director, camera man and editor all rolled into one. He shoots most of his movies from home in his spare time experimenting with different accessories to create special effects. In this years entry he puppeteers his 'living' vacuum cleaner with fishing line. The new visual medium is proving a huge hit as anyone can do it but most new filmmakers are just interested in the fun factor.'Sex and the City' for MenWhen a couple of young men in Düsseldorf had had enough of “Sex and the City” and all the other regular soap operas on TV, with those perfect people who never have to go the restroom they started making their own soap. The internet-based soap opera “Sex and Zaziki”. At first just for fun, but it’s certainly gained momentum."Sex and Zaziki" has now finished its second season. Like its TV counterpart it aims to reveal the inner lives but this time of men. Their daily struggles cover everything from sweaty feet in the locker room to dressing to impress. Unlike its counterpart though, there are no high-paid actors and the characters too are just ordinary guys. The team that makes the series work on a voluntary basis and come up with ideas together. They've done away with finished scripts and often just let the dialogue flow, which makes the show more authentic and reveals that men think about very different things than you might expect.Something from NothingA completely new technique is revolutionising furniture production. The designers paint something in the air which is recorded by video cameras and then reproduced. But exactly how does it work? We visited the FRONT design team to see the magic behind the clip.The internationally successful quartet of female designers are based in Stockholm Sweden. The concept of FRONT design is all about understanding how the product is made which is where the cameras come in. The clip uses a technique called motion capture, where 10 to 20 cameras capture lines drawn by a reflective pen and then transfer them to a special computer program where the lines are materialized by lasers which irradiate liquid plastic. But the videos are also part of the marketing, 120,000 people have already mavelled over the incredible Internet clip 'Sketch Furniture'.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

Remember the movie The Truman Show? It was about a guy who was being filmed all the time without knowing it. His life was just one big show. That movie was ten years ago and now thanks to the digital revolution everyone can be his own Truman today. Marcel Kotzur from Berlin is doing just that.The twenty-five year old began his unusual project in summer 2007 both as an experiment and business idea. Now he doesn't go anywhere without his film equipment; 2 cameras, 2 microphones, a UTMS modem and two laptop computers. That's all he needs to broadcast himself live twenty four seven on his website Trueman TV. It costs nothing to watch but Marcel earns his money from sponsors and commercials. Although he claims that it's been a lot of fun the project definitely comes with its inconveniences for example, sleeping with the light on, having to ask permission from everyone he meets to film them and finding a girlfriend. So why does he do it? Well Marcel Kotzur has a dream...

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

Styleblogs are popping up all over the internet. They’re a kind of fashion diary, where users show what they like to wear in pictures or videos. The two makers of stilinberlin go a little beyond that because they go out and look for their models on the streets of Berlin. So the catwalk is everywhere.Both passionate photographers, students Mary Scherpe and Benjamin Richter began their project two years ago after being inspired by similar blogs in Asia and the US, which attract some 30 thousand clicks a day. They hope the fashion they capture and post on their site will reflect Berlin's edgy identity. The duo have amassed hundreds of photos and have clearly come a long way from the days that they would shyly take photos of people while hiding behind lamp posts. They now calmly stop well-dressed individuals and ask if they wouldn't mind posing for a quick snap!

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

The mobile movie scene now has its own awards night. Once a year, amateur directors from across Europe gather in Berlin for the Mobile Film Festival. Amateur film maker Ulrich Wohlleben is just one of the 170 filmakers taking part this year. He takes time out to talk about his entry which features a vacuum cleaner with a mind of its own.Forty-two-year-old ear, nose and throat doctor Ulrich Wohlleben does it all. He's director, camera man and editor all rolled into one. He shoots most of his movies from home in his spare time experimenting with different accessories to create special effects. In this years entry he puppeteers his 'living' vacuum cleaner with fishing line. The new visual medium is proving a huge hit as anyone can do it but most new filmmakers are just interested in the fun factor.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

When a couple of young men in Düsseldorf had had enough of “Sex and the City” and all the other regular soap operas on TV, with those perfect people who never have to go the restroom they started making their own soap. The internet-based soap opera “Sex and Zaziki”. At first just for fun, but it’s certainly gained momentum."Sex and Zaziki" has now finished its second season. Like its TV counterpart it aims to reveal the inner lives but this time of men. Their daily struggles cover everything from sweaty feet in the locker room to dressing to impress. Unlike its counterpart though, there are no high-paid actors and the characters too are just ordinary guys. The team that makes the series work on a voluntary basis and come up with ideas together. They've done away with finished scripts and often just let the dialogue flow, which makes the show more authentic and reveals that men think about very different things than you might expect.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

A completely new technique is revolutionising furniture production. The designers paint something in the air which is recorded by video cameras and then reproduced. But exactly how does it work? We visited the FRONT design team to see the magic behind the clip.The internationally successful quartet of female designers are based in Stockholm Sweden. The concept of FRONT design is all about understanding how the product is made which is where the cameras come in. The clip uses a technique called motion capture, where 10 to 20 cameras capture lines drawn by a reflective pen and then transfer them to a special computer program where the lines are materialized by lasers which irradiate liquid plastic. But the videos are also part of the marketing, 120,000 people have already mavelled over the incredible Internet clip 'Sketch Furniture'.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

Do something lasting, attract attention! That’s one big drive behind many clips. One of the strangest internet phenomenons is the Flashmob. Hundreds of people meet, seemingly at random to do something generally absurd like have a pillow fight. Then they disperse as quickly as they came.The video of possibly the most famous flashmob stunt has been online since March 2008: It took place in New York when all of a sudden 200 people at Grand Central Station ground to a halt, baffling passers by. The craze recently hit Berlin too, when hundreds of people arrived together at a fast food joint to order burgers much to the dismay of the staff! It's actually quite hard work for the organisers. They send out a message over Internet communities like Yappie with the time, date and idea for the event but then its entirely a waiting game that they can't control. Clipmania accompanied the Sturm Crew Berlin on a mission. They wanted to surprise tourists and shoppers in Alexanderplatz with a mass gathering of people dancing to the music on their cell phones.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

Robert Michel is a Political Science student at Cologne University but millions of Germans know him as Rob Vegas, one of the first of a new breed of Internet show host. His show 'The Mindtime Show' airs every week via the video portal sevenload. We invited him along to see what drives him to devote so much of his time to the project.It all began two years ago Robert Michel went on a trip to Las Vegas and lost all his money. When he came back to Germany his friends nicknamed him Rob Vegas. In search of a cure for bordom the twentyfour-year-old who grew up in a small town near Cologne started his own show. He now films himself every weekend at his apartment in front of a green sheet performing different gags. Using a computer he projects different backgrounds onto the sheet. His trademark is parodies of TV shows. Although the project has some perks, such as a free apartment and freedom to show whatever he likes, Rob isn't about to give up his studies just yet.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

The Internet has brought popstars and fans closer together. The fans get all the latest news, can see all the videos available and every once in a while chat with their idols. The stars get direct feedback from the people who listen to their music. Some even go one step further and ask their fans to help them produce their videos.That's exactly what German band 'Wir Sind Helden' did for their single 'Die Konkurrenz'. They were so impressed with the results they edited around fifty of the amateur clips together along with some of their own efforts to make the official music video. Another German band who's taken uo the idea is Die Fantastischen Vier. In autumn 2007 they held a competition for fans to produce their own video for their single "Ichisichisichisich". There were over 250 entries and the winner pocketed 44.444 euros. But it's not only in Germany, British band 'Ben's Brother' song also became an Internet hit after they used footage made by their fans. Even major international recording artists like Radiohead are encouraging their fans to get creative.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

The French inventor Jean-Yves Blondeau is a human rocket. He rips down mountain roads at breathtaking speed. All in his own special suit with over 30 wheels attached. If something goes wrong he’s had it. That’s why many think he’s got a screw loose up there. But very much to the joy of the fans of his Internet-Videos, Buggy Roller as he’s called is not about to be stopped.In 1994 Jean-Yves finished his studies in indutrial design with a graduation project that featured a suit of amour on wheels. Not long after that he made his first video, but it wasn't until 2005 that he began posting his videos on the internet. Some say he's a born entertainer, and he's certainly given the residents of Annecy old town in the French Alps, where he regularily performs a good few laughs. After 13 years of hair-raising rides, speeding down hills at 120 km per hour it seems Jean-Yves' daring has paid off. A major sports manufacturer wants to buy his suit and make it available commercially.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

Get ready for a trip to Scotland – where people eat grass and pancakes. Well at least in James Provan’s clips.The essential ingredients for his little films are: a flash of inspiration, a couple of friends to help, stop motion tricks and anything he can find in his kitchen. James Provan just loves bringing everyday things to life, his short films just go to prove that he's got a lot of talent.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

Many people dream of being a Hollywood film star but for most this dream never comes true. So what do you do if you can’t go to Hollywood? Just bring Hollywood to you! The web is full of clips, inspired by or imitating Blockbusters. So don’t be surprised if your next-door neighbour starts dressing up as Darth Vader.Oliver Jones and his friends from a quiet suburb of Birmingham are all big Star Wars fans. And in honor of their favorite movie they've not only turned the attic of Oliver's house into outer space but also his garden into a galactic swamp! Snow monsters, light sabres and dramatic space battles, all in the name of creating their own remake. Even though they're working on a low budget the friends go to extraordinary lengths to make their props and costumes look as authentic as possible. Fan films are popping up all over the place. German amateurs have reenacted a clip from the TV series Stargate. Other fans have also put their creativity to the test while remaking Forest Gump and Top Gun.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

CLIPMANIA takes to the open road with Inventor Buggy RollerCLIPMANIA goes to HollywoodAnd CLIPMANIA gets down to the rhythm of the kitchen.Buggy Rollin' with Jean-Yves BlondeauThe French inventor Jean-Yves Blondeau is a human rocket. He rips down mountain roads at breathtaking speed. All in his own special suit with over 30 wheels attached. If something goes wrong he’s had it. That’s why many think he’s got a screw loose up there. But very much to the joy of the fans of his Internet-Videos, Buggy Roller as he’s called is not about to be stopped.In 1994 Jean-Yves finished his studies in indutrial design with a graduation project that featured a suit of amour on wheels. Not long after that he made his first video, but it wasn't until 2005 that he began posting his videos on the internet. Some say he's a born entertainer, and he's certainly given the residents of Annecy old town in the French Alps, where he regularily performs a good few laughs. After 13 years of hair-raising rides, speeding down hills at 120 km per hour it seems Jean-Yves' daring has paid off. A major sports manufacturer wants to buy his suit and make it available commercially.DIY HollywoodMany people dream of being a Hollywood film star but for most this dream never comes true. So what do you do if you can’t go to Hollywood? Just bring Hollywood to you! The web is full of clips, inspired by or imitating Blockbusters. So don’t be surprised if your next-door neighbour starts dressing up as Darth Vader.Oliver Jones and his friends from a quiet suburb of Birmingham are all big Star Wars fans. And in honor of their favorite movie they've not only turned the attic of Oliver's house into outer space but also his garden into a galactic swamp! Snow monsters, light sabres and dramatic space battles, all in the name of creating their own remake. Even though they're working on a low budget the friends go to extraordinary lengths to make their props and costumes look as authentic as possible. Fan films are popping up all over the place. German amateurs have reenacted a clip from the TV series Stargate. Other fans have also put their creativity to the test while remaking Forest Gump and Top Gun.The Rhythm of The KitchenGet ready for a trip to Scotland – where people eat grass and pancakes. Well at least in James Provan’s clips.The essential ingredients for his little films are: a flash of inspiration, a couple of friends to help, stop motion tricks and anything he can find in his kitchen. James Provan just loves bringing everyday things to life, his short films just go to prove that he's got a lot of talent.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

CLIPMANIA visits internet video clown Rémi Gaillard in his hometown Montpellier in southern France. CLIPMANIA takes a trip with Germany's first internet popstar Mina to the place her success story began. And CLIPMANIA meets the senior members of the Amateur Film Club VIDEOaktiv in Jena, eastern Germany, who pioneered user-generated content in the dark ages before the internet.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 1

Advertisements work a bit like diseases. They are supposed to infect you with the desire to buy a specific product. Nowadays though many people have become immune to commercials. So now advertisers have come up with a more subtle way of getting their messages across.In October 2006, US stuntman Ron Hammer attempted to set a new world record by jumping over the Hornbach DIY superstore in Berlin on a motorbike. He crashed. But survived – miraculously uninjured. The dramatic video was soon the talk of the Internet. Posters of the event appeared all over Berlin, photos were posted on popular web pages and Ron Hammer became an instant celebrity. He appeared in a video on MTV, a poster in teen magazine Bravo and was even the focus of a deadly earnest TV report. But three months on, a TV station was given the inside story and millions of viewers were surprised to learn that it was all just an elaborate hoax to advertise the store. More and more people are being taken in by this new kind of advertising. Another brilliant video shows some unbelievable soccer skills from Ronaldinho and led internet users to discuss the video’s credibilty for weeks. It too was a fake. For advertisers, it’s a dream come true in terms of a kind of product placement that achieves maximum exposure at minimum cost. But others say it undermines media credibility.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

Rémi Gaillard is the king of the hidden camera gag. He’s taken the genre, dusted it down and given it a new twist. His simple and direct approach is great for provoking all kinds of responses from the general public.Above all, Rémi Gaillard enjoys the freedom and flexibility that working for his own internet TV station gives him. He’s his own boss and can have fun doing just what he wants. He’s already produced 100 plus videos and made them available on his website nimportequi.com. Staying true to his motto: You are what you do? His career took off after he lost a job at a shoe shop. He decided to invest the time he then had perfecting his hidden camera gags. Now he has several financial backers. Clipmania tracked the video clown down to his lair in Montpellier southern France.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0

Five young Frenchmen turn tossing a can away into an art form.Even the simplest film ideas can sometimes lead to big things. Five friends from the provincial town of Valence near Lyon got together with a camera and a tin can and took to the streets. They posted their first video on the internet in May 2006 and kick started a new trend, winning fans all over the world. Suddenly many other people tried to master their can throwing skills. The youngsters from 'The Can Gang' received an interesting proposal: a free trip around the world with unlimited drinks, courtesy of a major soft drinks producer.

• 8/24/09
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• Votes: 0

CLIPMANIA takes a glance at what the 'Can Gang' from Valence in France have been throwing.CLIPMANIA meets young polish internet drumming sensation Igor Falecki And CLIPMANIA investigates the new Marketing bug which is infecting the internet.

• 8/24/09
• Comments: 0
• Votes: 0