November 13, 2007: Planet Planet

What's wonderful about internet video is that it's not controlled. The talent can jump genres whenever they please. Rather than being pigeonholed by box office success or by the whims of studios and agents, these internet filmmakers can go wherever they please. It leads to a great diversity of video, and for creators to find the genre which suits them best.

Take Peppergod, for instance. Recognized mostly for his Chocolate Rain parody entitled Vanilla Snow, most of his work falls into the "random comedy" milieu. He tapes his face, tells crazy jokes, freestyles in his car. His audience is entertained, and all is good.

This video goes in a completely opposite direction, polarizing the audience with an oddball take on both Sci-Fi and experimental film. If it wasn't for the internet, this short would only appear at a few obscure film festivals before disappearing into the back of a closet for the rest of time. Because of sites like YouTube, an artist can delve into something completely wacky, depart from his previous work, and still find an audience.

November 12, 2007: One Hour Max

Today's pick features an good friend of Screw It, and embodies the unique spirit of the viral Internet video. This video contains a man, a chair, and a college rec room. That's it. It's all of eighty-five seconds long, so it requires barely any investment on your part. And yet it's strangely addictive, causing you to go back and watch the same minute and twenty over and over again. You giggle a bunch, shaking your head in amazement that a chair could ever move that way. Then, if you're like me, you wonder what the hell that random shot of Madison Square is doing in the film. It's clean, simple, and incredibly effective.

What else would you expect from The Sexiest Indie Gamer of All Time and the World's Reigning Guitar Hero Champion?