Two Weeks to Become a Star

It took Peter Jackson 438 days to shoot The Lord of the Rings. Unfortunately, you only have another 14 days to create your own masterpiece.



On Monday, December 14, submissions close for Project: Direct, YouTube's annual short film competition. If you miss the deadline, you could also miss your chance to attend the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and to meet with the festival's Director of Programming, as well as to see your film screened at a festival event and distributed on DVD to hundreds of industry executives.



Don't let this happen! Make a short film, no more than five minutes long, creatively incorporating three props: choose two of those props from a list of 25 made famous by films from the Sundance Film Festival, and your third prop must be a red phone. To see the list of 25 props, visit youtube.com/projectdirect and select "Choose Props."



Remember that this contest is only open to users in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Brazil, Spain, Italy and France, however we encourage users outside those regions to send films to filmz@youtube.com for a chance to be featured on the site.



Good luck!



Sara P.

YouTube Film

More about → Two Weeks to Become a Star

Welcome New FANalysts

We recently added two new football FANalysts to our roster off the waiver wire, and they've hit the ground running. Meet your new pigskin prognosticators:



The Young Turks: Known more for their no-nonsense political analysis, TYT are also avid (rabid?) football fans and bring that same keen eye to the gridiron.


CowboyTD: Vlogging from his dorm room at the University of Texas, CowboyTD makes no bones about where his loyalties lie but nonetheless has a clear grasp of what's going on league-wide and offers solid advice for these critical remaining weeks.



At this point in the season, a smart roster move or pick-up can make all the difference, so check back to the FANalysts channel every week for fantasy tips and more football talk. While you're there, check out the Take My TV Contest: upload a video showing your crummy TV before December 7, and you could win all the gear you need for a state-of-the-art entertainment room from Circuit City.



Thanks!


Andrew B.


YouTube Sports

More about → Welcome New FANalysts

Guru Challenge: Thanksgiving Recipes

Thanksgiving is about many things: expressing gratitude for the good things in life, being with family and – let's be frank – eating. Turkey, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pie: you know the drill. But, sadly, these things don't cook themselves, which is why we geared the latest Guru Challenge towards finding the finest Thanksgiving recipes that YouTube has to offer.




Operating as an element of the Holiday Solutions Center, designed to guide you through Thanksgiving troubles, Hannukah hitches and the cold chill of Christmas, we have brought together videos that we believe will help smooth your path towards a memorable holiday dinner.









The thorny issue of Thanksgiving dinner hopefully addressed, remember that the Holiday Solutions Center isn't all about cooking tips. We've got decorating masterclasses, advice on plotting a pain-free path through the gift giving process, and bright ideas galore across the board. It's a digital database of smart solutions.




So, thanks to everyone who submitted a video to the challenge and congratulations to the garlanded Gurus. Here's to an unforgettable Thanksgiving – and one that the Holiday Solutions Center has hopefully made a tiny bit tastier thanks to our creative cooks.




Happy Holidays,


Sadia H.


YouTube HowTo & Style

More about → Guru Challenge: Thanksgiving Recipes

Bigger Isn't Always Better... But in This Case, We Believe It Is

Over the years we've heard a lot of feedback from you about what you'd like to change about YouTube, and the size of our video player is always top of mind. That's why today we're excited to announce a bigger YouTube player.



We're expanding the width of the page to 960 pixels to better reflect the quality of the videos you create and the screens that you use to watch them. This new, wider player is in a widescreen aspect ratio which we hope will provide you with a cleaner, more powerful viewing experience. And don't worry, your 4:3 aspect ratio videos will play just fine in this new player.



As always, we welcome your feedback and encourage you to share your thoughts with us on this exciting, new change happening for all videos on YouTube.



Have fun watching!

The YouTube Team

More about → Bigger Isn't Always Better... But in This Case, We Believe It Is

Help Center Videos Made By You: Call for Submissions - Round 2

Last month we took video submissions from the YouTube community to be included in our Help Center. We received a ton of creative, informative videos and have embedded six of them in our Help entries. Check out the Round 1 selections in the Favorites section of the YouTubeHelp channel.



Based on such great success last month, we are opening the floodgates for Round 2! We're asking you again to use your skills to create videos that we can embed in our Help Center. If selected, your video will be seen by many of the 1+ million users who visit the Help Center each day.



To participate, here's what you need to do:



1. Decide which Help Center entries you'd like to make an original video about:

• Editing my video


• Customizing channels


• Contact lists


• Transferring from camera to computer


• File formats


• Embedding videos


• Can't hear audio


• Clear cache and cookies


• Using QuickCapture


• Director, Musician, Comedian, Guru and Reporter accounts

2. Upload your video to your YouTube account, then submit it through this page.



Here are a few tips to help you along the way:

• Keep it brief (1-2 minutes is perfect. Last round we got some epics, which were great, but just too long).


• Be creative, clear and 100% original


• Stay on topic (only submissions which address the Help Center entries included in the list above will be accepted)


• Keep our Terms of Use and Community Guidelines in mind


• Have fun with it

The deadline for submitting your video is December 19, 2008.



Grab a camera and show off your helpful community spirit!



The YouTube Help Team

More about → Help Center Videos Made By You: Call for Submissions - Round 2

YouTube Live! The Buzz Builds...

Is Katy Perry really going to dress as a tube to sing "Hot And Cold"? Who are The League of Extraordinary Dancers, and what is their mission? Has Tay Zonday unwittingly stumbled upon the solution to The Economic Crisis? The answers to all these questions and more lie but three days away…



This coming Saturday, November 22, YouTube hosts YouTube Live – the first ever live streaming event on the site, designed to celebrate our extravagantly talented user community. In preparation for the big day, today on YouTube's home page we present a selection of videos from some of the personalities you have come to know and love – and one from Nalts:







Brilliant beatboxing, perfectly formed philology, Will.i.am and Soulja Boy Tellem… all these elements are going to come together at YouTube Live, and the best part is you don't need a ticket to attend – or even to be in the country. Starting at 5PM PST/8PM EST, YouTube will bring you the entire show, streaming live as it sparks into life and builds to a thunderous climax at Fort Mason Center's Herbst Pavilion in San Francisco. Part concert, part variety show and part party, YouTube Live is like… well… it's like YouTube. Only Live.



We hope you are as excited as we are to see all of this talent gathered in one place for your continued entertainment. Enjoy today's preview of the big day as participants announce their arrival and start to rehearse for the big event. Join us online!



Have fun,

The YouTube Team

More about → YouTube Live! The Buzz Builds...

Project: Report - Local Stories, Global Impact

Since the launch of Project: Report, aspiring journalists from around the world have produced video reports on issues not covered by the traditional media. Voting for Round 2 is complete, and the panel of journalists from the Pulitzer Center is in the process of tallying the final counts. Tomorrow, we will announce which five of the 10 semi-finalists will advance to the final round of competition and get one step closer to the $10,000 journalism fellowship to report on a story abroad.













Tomorrow, these five finalists begin their work on the third and final assignment: produce a piece of collaborative storytelling that empowers an underrepresented community to share its own story with the world. First, choose a group of people rarely covered by the traditional media. Then, let them use the camera to document their own lives.




The video must be five minutes or less. All entries must be submitted in English or have English subtitles. For those of you who were not selected as finalists, you can still complete the Round 3 assignment to compete for additional technology prizes from Sony Vaio and Intel.




If you're looking for some examples, take a look at this video from Pulitzer Center journalist Andre Lambertson on child soldiers in Liberia. He also offers tips for how to produce a piece of collaborative storytelling.




All accepted entries will be reviewed by a panel of journalists from the Pulitzer Center and judged based on the depth of the reporting, the clarity of the narrative, and the power of the story. The videos from the five finalists will also be voted on by the YouTube community.




Though only five reporters will move on to the final round, all ten of the semi-finalists produced impressive work, and in today's homepage takeover, we feature the videos they submitted in Round 2, each of which tells a story unfolding in a local community that touches on global themes and issues.




We hope you enjoy!




Yours,

Olivia M.

YouTube News & Politics

More about → Project: Report - Local Stories, Global Impact

The Spirit Takes Over the YouTube Screening Room

Lionsgate's new film The Spirit is hitting theaters everywhere this Christmas, and to honor the occasion, the YouTube Screening Room is going graphic. Graphic novel that is.



Directed by Frank Miller and based on the comic by Will Eisner, The Spirit tells the story of a rookie cop who returns from beyond the grave to fight evil in Central City. So, for the next two weeks we'll be featuring four shorts that reflect the film's spooky subject matter and comic book roots.



In "The Aviatrix," the only escape for a young woman woman living with cancer exists in the form of her comic book alter ego. A young couple attempting to salvage their marriage by dressing as superheroes find themselves faced with an even greater task after being unexpectedly forced out of their apartment in "Super Powers." Based on a 19th century urban legend, "Spring-Heeled Jack" tells the story of a goblin who steals the voices of naughty children. Finally, a little girl overlooked by everyone in her village takes her savage revenge in "The Little Girl Who Was Forgotten."



Happy viewing!



Sara P.

YouTube Film

More about → The Spirit Takes Over the YouTube Screening Room

Be A Record Breaker At YouTube UK

There is something about the Guinness Book of World Records that stirs people into action in ways ranging from the sublime to the gloriously ridiculous. Seeing as YouTube arguably provides a similar catalyst, today we are happy to hand the homepage over to Guinness Editor-in-Chief Craig Glenday.

















The occasion? The fourth annual Guinness World Records Day, inaugurated to mark the publication's place in its own pages as the biggest-selling commercial book of all time. Craig has set himself the task of surfacing some of the best record-breaking videos out there, coming up with a list that spans global superstars and local heroes – although he argues that they share some common traits.







"The videos I've highlighted today all embody the spirit of determination and dedication required to earn yourself Guinness World Records certification," he explains. "This selection is, I truly believe, a realistic snapshot of the world we live in today. The news is full of doom and gloom, and rarely paints a true, balanced picture of the world we live in. The truth is that humanity is full of optimistic, fun-loving, determined people, and Guinness World Records is here to celebrate the fantastic diversity of people and their achievements."









As you can see above, Craig isn't beyond taking part in the record breaking process himself and is keen to spark that spirit in others. Today, for example, he will be joining the crowds at St Pancras station in London who, together with the Pants To Poverty organisation, will be attempting to set a new record for the Largest Gathering of People Wearing Pants. If they can do it, so can you – although if you want to share your efforts through YouTube, we'd really rather you remained fully dressed…







Have fun,


The YouTube Team

More about → Be A Record Breaker At YouTube UK

Flagging at YouTube: The Basics

The YouTube flagging system works best when you take the time to understand our Community Guidelines before you flag a video. Then, if you come across a video that you think may not belong on YouTube, it will be easier for you to let us know the reason you flagged it, whether it be for hate speech, nudity, violence, or another Guideline violation. Once a video is flagged, we review it quickly, and if we find that it shouldn't be on YouTube, we remove it within hours. It's as easy as that.



Lots of users ask us questions about flagging. Whether you're brand new to the Community Guidelines or looking to get a flagging refresher, check out this new video to get a closer look at how it works.







The next time you come across inappropriate content on the site, flag it!
We're counting on you.



The YouTube Team

More about → Flagging at YouTube: The Basics

Promote Your Video With YouTube Sponsored Videos

When we first started YouTube, our vision was to create a platform that would allow everyone to broadcast themselves. So when it came to developing an approach to online advertising and marketing, we had a similar goal: everyone should benefit from the experience, whether you're a user, advertiser, or content partner.



We've been fortunate to have grown so quickly. The popularity of YouTube has been outstanding — we have millions of viewers watching hundreds of millions of videos every day, and 13 hours of new video uploaded to the site every minute. But as our community has grown, it's become harder for people to get their content to stand out and be discovered. Aspiring musicians, talented performers, small business-owners and many others have asked for ways to promote their videos and reach users who are interested in their content.



So today, we're excited to announce our newest advertising innovation, YouTube Sponsored Videos. Sponsored Videos is a self-serve advertising platform that will allow you to promote your video to the audience you are interested in reaching in an easy, effective, democratic, and affordable way. Then, when people use YouTube to search for videos, YouTube will display the most relevant, compelling videos alongside the search results. These videos are clearly labeled as "sponsored videos" and are priced on a cost-per-click basis. (For more details about Sponsored Videos, you can visit ads.youtube.com, or read our announcement on the official Google blog.)



Check out our video for more details on how Sponsored Videos works:







If you have any videos you'd like to share with the world, give Sponsored Videos a try! It takes just a few minutes to set up, and you can set your budget at any level you wish. Please visit ads.youtube.com to start your own Sponsored Videos campaign.



Don't forget to let us know what you think about Sponsored Videos. You can leave a comment here or join the discussion in our Forums.



Have fun!

The YouTube Team

More about → Promote Your Video With YouTube Sponsored Videos

Attention Filmmakers: Who Wants To Go To Sundance?

Project: Direct, YouTube's annual short film competition, is back to offer another talented filmmaker a chance to be discovered!



This year we've partnered with AOL Moviefone and The Sundance Film Festival to bring you this challenge: direct an original short film incorporating three specific props. One must be a red phone and the other two must be chosen from a list of 25 props that have played stand-out roles in some of the most memorable films to emerge from the Sundance Film Festival over the past 25 years. To choose your props, visit www.youtube.com/projectdirect.



Submissions open on November 16 and close at 9PM PST on December 14. A panel of Sundance Film Festival executives will review your film and whittle the competition down to 10 semi-finalists. Then, on December 27, the YouTube community will start voting for the winning film.



If you win, you'll be off to the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, where you'll meet with the Festival's Director of Programming and screen your film at a festival event. The top three films will also take home cash prizes and be distributed on DVD to industry executives at the Festival.



While the competition proper is only officially open to entrants in the US, Canada, Brazil, UK, Spain, Italy and France, everyone is welcome to submit and we will feature top films on the YouTube site.



Need some inspiration to get started? Check out last year's three finalists:







Visit the Project: Direct channel to learn more, and take advantage of a rare opportunity to introduce your work to both a global audience and key industry executives.



Good luck,

Sara P.

YouTube Film

More about → Attention Filmmakers: Who Wants To Go To Sundance?

Voting now open for PROJECT: REPORT

Today Project: Report, the journalism contest YouTube is holding in partnership with the Pulitzer Center, moves into the voting phase. Submissions for Round 2 are in, and now you can help decide which of the 10 semi-finalists should take a step closer to winning the $10,000 fellowship to report on a story abroad.




The 10 semi-finalists, chosen by a panel of Pulitzer Center journalists, have just turned in their assignments, in which they're asked to tell a local story unfolding in their communities that demonstrates global issues or challenges. Now you have the opportunity to decide which of these aspiring journalists should advance to Round 3 and continue competing for the grand prize.













Visit the Project: Report channel to watch the contestants' efforts and vote for the stories you find the most compelling. You can only vote for one video per day, and voting continues until Sunday, November 16. Also, be sure to stay tuned to the News & Politics page, where we will highlight some of the videos submitted by reporters other than our semi-finalists. The best of this crop will win additional prizes from Sony and Intel.




Happy Viewing (and Voting)!




Yours,

Olivia M

YouTube News & Politics

More about → Voting now open for PROJECT: REPORT

Your Election, Documented on YouTube

In high school gyms, small-town churches, and McDonald's drive-thrus across America, over 130 million Americans voted in this week's presidential election. Thousands of citizens documented their experiences on camera and shared them with the world here on YouTube to commemorate this historic event.




Marking the end of an epic and exhilarating election season, the videos on the homepage today include clips that chronicle the excitement of the big day, and capture the euphoric reactions to Obama's election as the next President of the United States. Jubilant Obama supporters celebrated everywhere -- in their living rooms, in front of the White House, even half-way across the world -- and produced records of their experience that they can one day show their grandchildren.













Over 2,000 videos (and counting) have poured into the Video Your Vote channel thus far, which is where YouTube and PBS teamed up to collect videos capturing the American voting experience. Each one is plotted onto a Google Map, painting a fascinating and important picture of what took place on Tuesday. This record will exist far past this election, allowing you to search and find videos uploaded near your home - and to experience how historic November 4th, 2008 was for America.




Yours,

Olivia M.

YouTube News & Politics.

More about → Your Election, Documented on YouTube

Helping You Shape Your YouTube Experience

As YouTube grows, more and more people from all parts of the world are communicating and connecting. We want to make it easy for you to reach out and learn from each other, while you engage only in those conversations you choose. That's why we've developed the Help and Safety Tool to help you manage communications with other community members.



Using the tool is easy: Once you are logged into your personal account, the tool lets you connect directly into your channel so that you can see all communications you've had with a particular user, remove comments you'd rather not keep, and even block the user from further communication.



In addition to letting you decide which communications you would like to see, the Help and Safety Tool also gives you a simple way to let us know about additional concerns you may have related to other users. This is only the first step; we'll continue to add more features to the tool to keep the power in your hands.



Remember: you have choices on YouTube. To learn more, visit our Abuse & Safety Center, where you can find additional information about these issues. If the Abuse & Safety Center doesn't answer all your questions, you'll find "Contact Us" links at the bottom of some of our articles. Click on the link to get to the new tool, and from there you can report your concerns to us.



The YouTube Team

More about → Helping You Shape Your YouTube Experience

Holiday Solutions Center

The holiday season is quickly approaching. For all the fun that ensues, there are always lots of things to do and sometimes a little stress. Well, YouTube is here to help. This year we've teamed up with Lowes Home Improvement and created the Holiday Solutions Center to help with your holiday hassles and share some great ideas for the special season. This YouTube checkpoint is built to get you through the holidays without a hitch. From cooking to decorating and gift giving, our Holiday Solutions Guide brings together some of our favorite festive experts in one place.









First time hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house? Epicurious.com gives you recipes and tips on the staples. Want to give your place an inviting feel for the holidays? E-How has plenty of DIY ideas that are quick and simple. Whatever your quandary, the Holiday Solutions Center is the perfect place to visit when you need answers to your holiday questions.




Happy Holidays


Sadia H.


YouTube HowTo & Style

More about → Holiday Solutions Center

Rock Out With Katy Perry, Party with Fred, and Hit the Dance Floor With Soulja Boy Tell Em

SAN BRUNO, CA (November 6, 2008) – YouTube™, the leading online video community for people to discover, watch, and share originally created videos, has added to the talent lineup of YouTube Live, the company’s first official live community celebration. The in-person audience of thousands will experience some of the site’s renowned musicians, bedroom vloggers, side-splitting comedians and world-class athletes at Herbst Pavillion in Fort Mason on November 22. The event will also be streamed live on YouTube at the same time, enabling millions from around the globe to partake in the festivities. To sign up for a chance to get tickets or to tune in on the day of the event, visit http://youtube.com/live.



YouTube Live will honor the most groundbreaking, creative, and buzzworthy videos and individuals from the site’s early days through today. Previously announced participants include internet born stars Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em and Esmee Denters, Grammy Award winners’ Will.I.Am and Akon, and Discovery Channels’ MythBuster stars Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman. New acts scheduled to join this lineup include known performers such as:



• Katy Perry – Music’s top rising star, Katy’s song “I Kissed a Girl” reached #1 in the US as well as in 20 countries across the globe. A hit in its own right, the song became a YouTube sensation by spawning hundreds of parody videos created by users around the world. Her popularity shows no signs of slowing, as the song she’ll be performing, “Hot N Cold,” quickly climbed into the top 5 on Billboard.



• Fred – Since bursting onto the scene less than a year ago, the hyperkinetic Fred Figglehorn, with anger management issues and all, has racked up viewers and subscribers in record fashion. In his first six months the hilarious videos skewering childhood’s biggest fears have amassed more than 135 million video views and 625,000 subscribers, making Fred the all-time number one most subscribed channel in YouTube history.



• Jon M. Chu and The League of Extraordinary Dancers – No YouTube event would be complete without a dance-off, and Step Up 2 The Streets director Jon M. Chu has been front and center for some of YouTube's most celebrated dance videos, including the biggest online dance battle in YouTube history between the Miley Cyrus/ Mandy Jiroux Cru and his ACDC. He's bringing his unique choreographic style to the event by introducing his most ambitious project yet: The League of Extraordinary Dancers.



• Brandon Hardesty – Best known for his spot-on re-enactments of scenes from Hollywood’s most beloved films, Hardesty has quickly become a favorite not only of the YouTube community, but also of Jimmy Kimmel for whom he did a series of recreations leading up to this year’s Academy Awards.



• Joe Satriani – YouTube is a haven for aspiring guitar aficionados hoping to glean techniques from the masters. Few can rival Satriani’s skill, but millions continue to try as videos of the guitar legend rank among the site’s most popular and most commented.



• Bo Burnham – One of YouTube’s most talented young performers, Bo’s original songs are as funny as they are catchy. In addition to more than 20 million views, the 18-year-old comedian has released a best-selling EP, taped an upcoming HBO comedy special, and signed a deal to write a feature-length movie musical for producer Judd Apatow.



• MC Hammer – A pioneer in combining dance and hip-hop, three-time Grammy Award winner MC Hammer remains a powerful influence in music, as evidenced by the hundreds of YouTube videos in which users attempt to emulate his unique dance skills.



• The Spinto Band – Independent music is alive and well on YouTube, as evidenced by the ongoing success of this Wilmington, Delaware rock act. Their wistful harmonies and creative videos have generated some great response, with fans uploading their own versions alongside the band’s official entries.



• Katers 17 – Among the most popular UK YouTube personalities and recently signed to a contract for Starburst, Katers 17 represents the truly global nature of YouTube, bringing her Anglo style and unique Britishisms to her homespun videos.



In addition, a YouTube Live event will be held in Tokyo, extending the celebration to the other side of the Pacific Ocean.



"YouTube Live is the first time a broad variety of YouTube stars are scheduled to appear together under one roof,” said Chris Di Cesare, Head of Marketing for YouTube. “There have been so many wonderful talents that have emerged from YouTube and more established acts continue to recognize how invaluable YouTube is to building their audience. We felt it was only right to recognize them all in true YouTube fashion.”



YouTube also announced today that this inaugural event will be Executive Produced by former MTV veteran Salli Frattini and her newly-formed company, Sunset Lane Entertainment. Frattini is no stranger to charting new courses for entertainment broadcast productions and specials, as she started working at MTV in 1988 and is credited for transforming a then-fledgling franchise into a pop culture icon and annual cool kudofest: the MTV Video Music Awards.

More about → Rock Out With Katy Perry, Party with Fred, and Hit the Dance Floor With Soulja Boy Tell Em

New Features for the YouTube Embeddable Video

You don't have to be on the YouTube site to watch videos. The YouTube player can be added to virtually any website, giving website creators and web surfers infinite access to the YouTube library. With close to 44 percent of our users watching embedded videos, we're committed to constantly refining the player. Today, we are pleased to announce four new features:

• High-quality start images (thumbnails) – Before you press play on embedded YouTube videos, the thumbnails for the video will be presented in high-quality. We're pleased with the results – let us know if you agree.



• Search in embeddable player – At the close of an embedded video or if the user moves the mouse towards the top of the player, a search box will appear. Not only will you be able search from within the embedded player, you will be able to watch videos through the same window. That's right, you can search all of YouTube from the comfort of your favorite blog, news, or humor page.



• Integrated video annotations – Annotations enable video producers to incorporate text information into their videos, create choose your own adventure-style stories or add links to any YouTube video. People watching videos through the embedded player can now join the fun.



• Integrated closed captions – Back in August we started allowing video creators to add captions to their videos. Closed Captions are now available in embedded videos like this one:

Our open APIs and embeddable players allow more and more people to transform the way they distribute and enjoy videos while avoiding the traditional cost and hassle of hosting videos. We look forward to seeing the fun and creative ways you will use these new features.


Let us know what you think by leaving a comment here or posting in our Help Forums.



Have fun,

The YouTube Team

More about → New Features for the YouTube Embeddable Video

Video Your Vote! And Then Watch the Election on YouTube

After thousands of campaign stops, tens of thousands of speeches, and billions of videos viewed on YouTube, the 2008 Election is finally here. What began almost two years ago -- when seven of the 16 primary presidential candidates announced their campaigns on our You Choose '08 platform -- is finally coming to a close as Americans turn out to vote for should lead the country these next four years.




The influence you've had on this political season has been well noted in this blog and by most every major media outlet in the world. Your use of video to document and describe this Election on your own terms has created a new, more democratic political ecosystem and has caused many to call this the "YouTube Election." But while the profound increase in online activity has reshaped our national dialogue in so many new ways, today is where we see just how much it matters: the ultimate political action isn't to upload a video to YouTube or to watch "Yes We Can" or "We Need McCain" one more time; it's to GET OUT AND VOTE.




Today we're featuring all political videos on the homepage of YouTube; check them out and get a flavor for what's coming in on Election Day. We're also plotting videos of your polling place experiences on a special Google Maps mash-up on our Video Your Vote channel with PBS. So bring your video camera with you to your polling place to document your experience; then submit your videos to the Video Your Vote channel and keep an eye on PBS's Election coverage -- they'll broadcast the best ones on TV.









And as always, you can keep track of what the candidates are up to on our You Choose '08 platform.




Congratulations, YouTube users. You've made this a historic Election -- now get out and vote in it! Then stay tuned here to see the first YouTube Election unfold, on video.




Steve Grove

YouTube News & Politics

More about → Video Your Vote! And Then Watch the Election on YouTube

Project: Report - What's your story?

Is there something happening where you live that you think the world should know about? An important story you want to share that others around the world might relate to? Now is your opportunity to tell that story for the chance to win technology prizes from Sony and Intel.




In Round 2 of Project: Report, the journalism contest YouTube is holding in partnership with the Pulitzer Center, aspiring journalists are asked to tell a local story unfolding in their communities that demonstrates global issues or challenges. Your videos must be four minutes or less, and submitted in English or with English subtitles.




If you're looking for some examples, check out this video from Pulitzer Center journalist Kwame Dawes on the HIV epidemic in Jamaica. He also offers tips for how to make a local story globally relevant.











The deadline for Round 2 submissions is just one week from today, so make sure to submit your video to the Project: Report channel (youtube.com/projectreport) by Sunday, November 9 at midnight PT.




The 10 semi-finalists chosen by the Pulitzer Center after Round 1 are busy working on their videos for Round 2, and you'll have the opportunity to vote on which of these reporters should advance to the final round and compete for the grand prize -- a $10,000 journalism fellowship to report on a story abroad.




So stay tuned!




Olivia M.

YouTube News & Politics

More about → Project: Report - What's your story?

Auto Translate Now Available For Videos With Captions

In August, we added captions and subtitles to YouTube videos to help uploaders reach a wider audience.



While we've been working to offer captions in as many different languages as possible, there are often only a few translated versions available. To solve this problem, we added a new "auto translate" feature. Google Translate adds real-time machine translation to any caption tracks you upload. Now you can enjoy this video spoken in Italian, even if you don't understand Italian.



To get a translation for your preferred language, move the mouse over the bottom-right arrow, and then over the small triangle next to the CC (or subtitle) icon, to see the captions menu. Click on the "Translate..." button and then you will be given a choice of many different languages.







When you add captions to your video in one language, it will be readable to almost everybody through auto translate. While machine translation is not perfect, we hope this will help creators to offer you a better understanding of their videos.



For more information about how to use captions, please visit this page.

Tell us what you think of auto translate by leaving a comment here or posting on our Help Forum.



The YouTube Team

More about → Auto Translate Now Available For Videos With Captions