Kickstarter 2012 – The Stats

Posted on April 1, 2013 by hydle

Kickstarter continues to be the worlds largest funding platform for creative projects. I recently reviewed Kickstarter’s 2012 year in review. The stats are unbelievable and continue to grow as their demographic base increases. Last year Kickstarter collected a total of $274,391,721 million in pledges which is 85.6% of of all pledges given. This does not mean that 85.6% of all projects reach their goal, actually only 44% of all 41,765 projects launched reached their goal. And of those 18,109 kickstarter projects, there were a select few that completely blew out their goal.

Hydle’s 1 favorite kickstarter highlight from last year – The Griz Coat by Buffoonery Factory.

Our successful Blackbox Case project from 2011 pales in comparison to some of the numbers being generated today. I feel like it is time for another Hydle project in the Kickstarter arena again.

Immediate potential projects:
Blackbox Case needs an iPad Mini Case
VersaTowel
Suitcase Speaker + mini Keg

Doug Smith – I Am Craig Video

Posted on March 29, 2013 by hydle

[Vimeeeeeo] <— 1848 LinkedIn recently inquired me to write about some projects from my past, so I thought I would share this little write up on the 2011 Craig Hospital Push Dinner video with Doug Smith, the most amazing pianist (sorry doug) in the world.

The 2011 installment of the “I Am Craig” PUSH Dinner Video was a fun one. Getting the opportunity to interview Doug Smith, a true musical genius, was a treat for me to figure out where his creativity comes from. Tying his story into a live show was a first for the Craig Hospital PUSH dinner videos… something they have now copied three times since this 2011 showing.

If you could have only been there to feel this transition take place… to see my work presented on such a large scale to tell the story of Doug Smith and then have him revealed and play such a powerful song live — It was such an amazing feeling.

I shot, edited and directed this piece with a small team of Jake Manley, Mary Bonner and myself. We all had a fun working road trip to Lubbock, Texas were everyone on the team learned a lot about each other, the local watering holes, and the man Doug Smith!

After the 6:40 mark in the video… I had zero control of shooting and editing. I feel as if the impact could have been a bit better matched to my original work – but you still get the impression of how impacted the audience was. [raw video]

I can’t wait to actually tell this entire story in Hydle detail sometime in the near future for all of you loyal readers and newly Doug Smith fans :) But for now – it stays in the memory bank.

Don’t hesitate to pick up the most amazing Doug Smith album of all time. It was recorded live in 2000 before his injury. The stories behind the recording of this album are incredible, but Doug Smith’s playing is even better.

[iTunes – Live – Doug Smith]
[Doug Smith – The Amazing Piano Player – Homepage]
[Doug Smith – The Amazing Piano Player – On Hydle.com]
[Craig Hospital]

Mom + Dad + Me

Posted on March 10, 2013 by hydle

Today I randomly found the last photo that I had taken with both of my parents. Here is a little message to my dad…

“Today I’m randomly going through media and SD cards that I have piled around the house… and not only did I find a card that contained my last visit to Grandma’s, but I also found this little gem … which I’m pretty sure is the last photo I have with you and mom. This was the day you guys signed your papers … and you two were getting along beautifully. Pretty sure we went to tequilas after this to celebrate… yum. Oh – and just so you know, that place burnt down too. What a shitty year :) But just like everything good in life, it will be re-built – bigger and better. Hope your having fun up there…”

Susan Hydle + Les Hydle + Greg Hydle = A Good Time (always!)

I Want To Say

Posted on February 27, 2013 by hydle

[YouTubeUlar] <— 5,145 I'm no expert by any means... but I do impose a question. When viewing the above video about technology being the solution for autism — Has anybody thought about technology being the creator of autism? Autism birth rates: 1970 - 1 in 10,000 1995 - 1 in 1,000 2012 - 1 in 88 ?

Shane Koyczan – To This Day

Posted on February 26, 2013 by hydle

[YouTubeUlar] <— 4,684,243 Bring back poetry. Thanks Shane. See this live.

Upon listening to Shane Koyczan present some of his poetry, I’m reminded of Sarah Kay and her TED Talks from 2011.

More Often Than Sometimes – Watch another

“Shut Up and Say Something” – iTunes

[Shane Koyczan – Homepage]
[Shane Koyczan – Facebook] <— 23,609 likes [Shane Koyczan – YouTube] <— 30,087 subscribers

Code.org – This Is My Office

Posted on February 26, 2013 by hydle

[YouTubeUlar] <— 302 trending

Great coders… are today’s rock stars. That’s it!

Beautiful work by Hadi Partovi from code.org for creating a pretty remarkable video about ideas, coding, and awesomeness from the leaders of today.

Steve Jobs – Apple
Bill Gates – Microsoft
Jack Dorsey – Twitter
Mark Zuckerberg – Facebook
Vanessa Hurst – Girl Develop It
Ruchi Sangvi – Dropbox
Drew Houston – Dropbox
Elena Silenok – Clothia.com
Gabe Newell – Valve
Chris Bosh – Miami Heat
Makinde – Facebook
Tony Hsieh – Zappos
Bronwen Grimes – Valve
will.i.am – The Black Eyed Peas

Genius.

[60 second teaser] <— 307 [What Most Schools Don’t Teach – Short Short Film
[What Most Schools Don’t Teach – Short Film] <— 301

Hydle – A Monumental Golden Purchase

Posted on February 18, 2013 by hydle

Donovan Rossi and I picked up a pretty monumental package today in Golden. This little guy is going to change shift our direction toward more awesomeness.

Harlem Shake – Hydle Edition

Posted on February 18, 2013 by hydle

[YouTubeUlar]
[iTunes – Harlem Shake – Single – Baauer]

We shot a Harlem Shake at Bent Gate’s Silverton Sick Days this past Wednesday. It’s worth a socially creative review as this could be the fastest growing viral campaign ever.

“The Harlem Shake” Timeline of Events

1981 — The dance was originally coined in 1981 as a drunk dance by a Harlem resident and creator “Al B”

“it’s a drunken shake anyway, it’s an alcoholic shake, but it’s fantastic, everybody appreciates it.”

2001 — It was featured in a G Dep – Let’s Get It – Music Video.

2012 — An electronic producer named Baaur out of Brooklyn uploaded the Harlem Shake (HQ Full Version) on May 10th, 2012. Unrelated at the time, a vlogger known as FilthyFrank uploads this video while dancing to Skrillex.

2013 — On January 23rd, 2013 – 2 weeks after Baaur’s “The Harlem Shake” dropped on iTunes, still unrelated FilthyFrank uploads this “How To Dubstep”video with his character PINK GUY. At this time, his facebook page which claims he “once tripped and had anal sex with himself” has less than 4,500 likes.

On January 30th he uploads his Compilation #6 – Smell My Fingers video with the Harlem Shake short introduction. This video still only has 322,347 views, but his viewers were asking for more shake. So on February 2nd – he gives them the original Harlem Shake which now has over 10,900,000 views.

“yall naughty fellas wanted the full separate version of HARLEM SHAKE SO HERE IT IS.

SHARE IT WITH YO FRANS XOXO

♥”

Over the next 2 days, 257 of Filthy Frank’s fans share the video, 908 like it and 84 people comment on his original post. A Filthy Remix even pops up and somewhere in the mix people start uploading their own versions. A few of the early videos gained even more views than Filthy Frank’s original, so he re-posted the original to his now growing facebook fan-base on February 6th…

“some swagfag guys made a harlem shake video right after ours and it’s obviously copied. and it’s getting crazy views. but we stand strong, because we have the power of each individual filthy character. don’t forget where you came from, and stay filthy.”

This repost gained another 105 shares, 1,239 likes and 116 comments to propel the Harlem Shake to the masses of the interManets. The competition was on and the creatives started uploading. ImAfricanJesus began a playlist of his Harlem Shake consumptions. CollegeHumor was #9 on the list. By February 9th ImAfricanJesus quit adding Harlem Shakes to his consumption playlist stopping at 47 videos.

On February 8th, the new york times posted an article relating winter storm Nemo + the Harlem Shake as a way to pass your time while being stuck indoors. Filthy Frank posts the article and it gains 38 shares, 858 likes and 150 comments from his fan base. The Chive, Break, Buzzfeed, and Maker Studios out of LA created job campaigns out of their versions of the Harlem Shake which proved the shake could definitely be used for marketing traction. Musical talent Matt and Kim even jumped into the mix.

A good friend of mine, Jason McWilliams, preached the Harlem Shake to Copper Mountain Ski Area on Saturday, February 9th. By February 11th, around 12,000 “Harlem Shake” videos had been posted with a collective 44 million views. One of my favorite and most creative versions was posted by the UGA Men’s Swim and Dive team on February 11th.

[YouTubeUlar] <— 17,926,850

On February 12th, Copper Mountain dropped their Harlem Shake creation, which is when I first took notice of the completely random sensation. We recorded our random version on February 13th in Silverton, CO and nearly had the mountain convinced to shoot and upload what I still believe would be the most epic Harlem Shake ever. Conceptually you couldn’t beat a helicopter hovering behind a bunch of Bent Gate Silverton Sick Days skiers and riders dancing their asses off by the rental bus at Silverton. I blame myself, and partially Devin Rhinehart for not TSOIGDH’ng and following through with this one.

By Valentines Day the number of “Harlem Shake” uploads had increased to 40,000 with a collective viewership of 175 million views. Thank YouTubeTrends for the February 12th writeup.

The Today Show ripped their own version on February 14th, officially killing the interManets viral meme formerly known as the “Harlem Shake”. To put an exclamation point on it, McWilliams walled me this one just to be sure. Filthy Frank now has over 47,000 likes and 125,000 YouTube Subscribers and overall he seems pretty modest about creating the sensation and actually makes fun of his post Harlem Shake audience.

This completes your Hydle write up and review of what catalysts enabled a creative meme to go Viral. I’m actually pretty surprised the Adelia Shake didn’t take off.

The song is still Number 1 on iTunes.

[Helping Article #1]
[Helping Article #2]
[Wikipedia (song)]
[Wikipedia (dance)]

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 18, 2013 by hydle

We were all brought up thinking that the heart that you see for Valentine’s day is similar to the Human Heart Organ. That cannot be farther from the truth. Heart Organs are oblong and have a bunch of nasty looking arteries and ventricles coming out of them. The attached photo shows clearly the true origin of the Valentine heart.

I hope you learned something today.
Happy Belated Valentine’s Day

Sun, Surf and Sand – Adventures in Bikini

Posted on February 1, 2013 by hydle

VimeeeeeO] <— 114,000 Nothing wrong with some I Love Awesomeness adventures in bikinis.

[Sensi Bikinis]

Tanner Hall – Hype Man

Posted on January 31, 2013 by hydle

[VimeeeeO] <— 77,214 Tanner Hall nails it with this hype man speech to amp up Henrik Harlaut to throw the first ever nose butter triple cork 1620 which resulted in a perfect score 50 to secure his ESPN X Games Big Air gold medal.

I love RAW video.

2013 X GAMES ASPEN BIG AIR RESULTS

Henrik Harlaut — 97.00
Kai Mahler — 91.00
Elias Ambühl — 89.00
Bobby Brown — 86.00
Gus Kenworthy — 81.00
PK Hunder — 79.00

Alan Watts – By Trey Parker + Matt Stone

Posted on January 23, 2013 by hydle

[YouTubeUlar] <— 1,523,412 Matt Stone and Trey Parker created these little animations based on presentations and lectures from the late Alan Watts. It needs zero explanation. Don’t even tell yourself to watch it… just get it.

Here is where it comes from.
[Open Culture Link]

Don’t like watching things? Here is something else to wrap your head around.
[Tim Lott on Alan Watts – Article]

And here is an entire world of thought and abstractness wrapped around money $$ from an Alan Watts 1960s television program.

“Just let your mind alone, and stop trying to make sense of the world. There is really something to think about… other than thought itself.”

[Alan Watts – The Silent Mind]

The Edge of Never

Posted on January 22, 2013 by hydle

[YouTubeUlar] <— 145,415 Another movie worth finding... and watching. Thanks for the heads up Manley. I Can't believe we hadn't heard of this 2009 film starring Kye Petersen, Mike Hattrup and Glen Plake earlier. [Edge of Never Homepage]

Alan Watts – Wake Up

Posted on January 22, 2013 by hydle

[YouTubeUlar] <— 521,871 Need a quote to inspire the weak necessities of real work, real time and real money? Pick one of these 50 Quotes from Alan Watts and get busy. Good luck freeing your mind.

Need more inspiration?
[What Do You Desire?]

Still need more?
[What Do You Desire – FULL]
[What Do You Desire – RAW Audio Only]

Pick one. Get inspired… and wake up.

Zen Buddhist Alan Watts passed away, or transformed life in November, 1973 at the age of 58. He was an imaginative creature and I feel as if I could learn a lot from him and his writing.
[Alan Watts Wikipedia]

Here is another?
[Alan Watts on Hermits and Outcasts]