You might have noticed that Babelgum looks a little different. We think you’ll like the changes we made to our appearance, but the improvements run deeper than cosmetics.
Firstly, we’ve added a new Animation channel. There you’ll find amazing works, including the hugely popular Dilbert and New Yorker cartoon series. From simple pencil drawings and paper cutouts to state-of the-art digital rendering, we built a shiny new home for all types of animation.
We’ve also made it easier to explore our vast collection of content, save multiple playlists and share your faves with friends.
Babelgum keeps expanding the boundaries of digital broadcasting with original series and exclusive material you won’t find everywhere else. That’s why we’ve also adopted a new motto: Watch What’s Next.
The Editors
We’ve just released a new version of Babelgum Mobile, the free-to-use mobile video application that we launched in the UK and Italy in December.
The new version has been released for the first time in the US too, and is available for free download on iPhone and iPod Touch devices as of now. It can be used in 3G and Wi-Fi mode so users can enjoy Babelgum wherever they are, on-the-go.
A version of the mobile application for G-Phone 1 will release later this month, with one for G-Phone 2 coming in mid-April, and we’ll gradually be extending it to Blackberry Storm, Samsung Omnia and Nokia N97 and 5800 handsets, thus covering most of the global 3G smartphone market.
Babelgum Mobile users will be able to enjoy a range of new web-style programming tailored to the local market, across five channels: Music, Comedy, Film, Our Earth and Metropolis. The five channels are editorially driven by professional publishers who scout and select appropriate programming for each, with online premieres and original productions from Babelgum including:
- Bananaz, a film on the virtual band Gorillaz, premiering online on Babelgum this spring;
- Our first original comedy commission, Goodnight Burbank: Hollywood Report from renowned comedian Hayden Black;
- Babelgum’s first original production Downstream, a controversial documentary from Academy Award® nominated director Leslie Iwerks about Canada’s multibillion dollar oil sands industry.
To coincide with this new release we’ve totally redesigned our website too, as you may have noticed. The new site is creatively aligned with Babelgum Mobile, and is now Flash based – that’s right, you can watch videos directly in your browser and there’s no need to download our software. It has a host of other new features to explore, including a fun “Shuffle” button.
Take a look around, we’ll be interested to have your feedback.
We’re pleased to announce that so far we’ve received over 1700 entries for the second Babelgum Online Film Festival.
And there’s good news for filmmakers who have been busy during the holidays and have not yet entered the competition, as we have decided to extend the entry deadline until January 11th at 11.59pm GMT.
So if you’ve got a film, or multiple films, to enter in one of the four categories, now’s your chance.
Sign up for the Festival here, click on the “Submit your film” button, and make 2009 the year in which you win 20,000 euros ($27,000 +) in cash and an accolade from Spike Lee.
Watch this space for details of the screening and voting period, coming soon.
Exciting news for Babelgum fans who want entertainment on the move: we’ve created a specific video platform for mobile phones. It’s available as of today for Vodafone customers in Italy and from tomorrow in the UK, for those who have a Nokia N95 or 6210, as well as the iPhone 3G in Italy only. Other new generation smart phones, starting with the N96, will be added in the near future.
Babelgum Mobile is the first service of its kind, offering free videos for both WiFi and 3G phones streamed at 250 kbit/s through Vodafone’s HSDPA network. It is being launched through an innovative partnership deal with Vodafone, to allow people to enjoy web-inspired content tailored to mobile phones. Content and traffic are totally free and unlimited for all Vodafone contract customers with data bundles.
Babelgum Mobile reflects the spirit of our web platform and is integrated with the world of social networks, so that users can post short, fun “video messages” on Facebook, vote for their favourites and share them with friends.
The editorial focus is firmly on independent film and music, comedy, animation and of course our contests to find new talent.
There are music videos from artists such as Coldplay, Robbie Williams and Kings of Leon, as well as web exclusives with Kaiser Chiefs and Franz Ferdinand among others. There are also bite-sized clips of animation, BBC nature docs and comedy such as The Office and the Mighty Boosh, and previews from the 2nd Babelgum Online Film Festival.
You can get your hands on Babelgum Mobile through the Vodafone live! portal or the App Store. For more details, click here for info in English, and here for details in Italian.
This is a quick update for all those who are wondering when they’ll be able to use the new Babelgum player on their Macs.
Unfortunately we were not able to get both versions of the new player out on the same day. Rather than delay the new release entirely, we preferred to go ahead and release the Windows version. Our developers are working round the clock to ensure that the Mac version will be out early next week.
We are really keen for our Mac users to get hold of the new player – especially as we know that many of our Music Video Awards competitors and viewers fall into that category. So please bear with us for a few more days; we’re nearly there now, and we appreciate your patience.
Following on from our revamped website, we’ve got more news for you today: the moment has finally come for the Babelgum Music Video Awards to go live.
We’ve been receiving a steady flow of entries since we launched the contest with Music Nation in October, and submissions are now closed.
Judging from the videos we’ve seen so far, the standard is pretty high. But judge for yourselves – the first round of audience voting begins today.
All of the entries are now screening in the Music Video Awards Channel and Community on the Babelgum player. You can view them and help launch the career of your favourite artists by casting your vote in a few clicks.
You decide which videos make it to the finals in early 2009, and get to be seen (and judged) by Michel Gondry and David Ford.
So turn up your speakers and get voting now!
If you’re reading this, you’ll have noticed that we’ve made a few changes around here – yes, Babelgum has had a huge makeover!
The layout and graphics have changed, and so has the way we’ve arranged the content: we’ve categorized our thousands of videos into nine Channels, each on a different theme. So now you can go straight to the subject matter that interests you, whether it’s Comedy, Sport or Science, to name but a few.
In addition to the 9 Channels, we have 3 Passions. For now these are Indie Film, Indie Music and Underwater – we’ll be introducing more in the future. We know that you, our audience, are particularly passionate about these subjects, so we wanted to create a space to share that interest with you. Each Passion will have a dedicated publisher to pick the best content and open up the debate.
But the changes don’t stop there: our new player comes with a much faster, more streamlined installation process – and once you’ve installed the player, you can view videos directly in your web browser. To access the full set of functions on the player (Passions, Communities, My Babelgum, social features and so on) simply go full screen.
We’ll be kept busy over the next few weeks building upon these changes. And Mac users: be patient, your new version of the player is coming very soon…
Have fun exploring the new site, and let us know what you think.
Calling all musicians!
Hot on the heels of the Babelgum Online Film festival, our talent-scouting mission continues with the Babelgum Music Video Awards: a whole new competition, dedicated to upcoming musicians and video directors – in partnership with Music Nation and with creative genius Michel Gondry heading the jury.
The contest is free to enter and open to independent acts looking to get noticed and get a record development deal: participating artists have the chance to win
- the “Mobile Award” (promotion on a Babelgum application for mobile devices)
- the “Performance Award” (the opening slot at a gig in the UK), or
- the Grand Prize, a record development deal with Universal Music!
You can upload your videos from today until November 16th – you’ll find all the info you need on the Babelgum Music Video Awards website including FAQs, details of the prizes, jury and voting system.
Videos will of course be screened on Babelgum. Public voting will begin on November 17th and end on January 27th 2009, and the final winner will be announced in early February 2009.
Following the hugely successful first edition, the Babelgum Online Film Festival is back!
With new awards, new categories, but the same mission: to reward talented independent filmmakers.
The announcement was made by Spike Lee at a press conference in Toronto, where the Toronto International Film Festival is currently in full swing.
We’re sure the standard will be as high as the first edition, with a few differences as far as the prizes and categories are concerned. This time round there will be 3 different kinds of award (including prizes of 20,000 euros); and 4 categories, including an exciting new section called “Mini Masterpiece”.
As in the first Babelgum Online Film Festival, the audience’s vote will be crucial in deciding the top 10 shortlists from which Spike and the professional jury pick their winners.
For more details see the dedicated website here.
Every August the YoungCuts Film Festival provides a platform for the current generation of independent filmmakers. Check out the new YoungCuts Film Festival channel for exciting short films from talented bright young things featured in the 2007 festival – on Babelgum from August 18th.
Here’s a selection of some of the most intriguing shorts on the channel:
- Live Love Work Play - An animated comedy from Brazil: “you have the power to change”…
- Tinkerers sharpening service – A documentary in which a couple reflect on their life as itinerant knife sharpeners. Nominated for Best Documentary at the 2007 YoungCuts Film Festival.
- Good Night. Sleep Tight – Being a child can be dangerous if you have something a witch wants! Nominated for Best Animated Film at the 2007 YoungCuts Film Festival.
- Avarice - A drama in which a paranoid man wins the lottery.
- An Inconvenient Penguin Death March – Penguins seek revenge for Global Warming! Winner of Best Animated Film at the 2007 YoungCuts Film Festival.
