The Next New Reblog
Andre is a man of mystery - a hybrid that defies stereotypes. Though he shifts between on-screen roles as “Random Frat Boy” and “Drug Dealer #2,” when he enters the sacred halls of his Los Angeles apartment, he dons his dark-rimmed glasses, flips on his camera, and becomes … The Black Nerd.
“Some people think of black people as what they see on TV, or in music and stuff, so when they see me, it’s like - ‘you don’t make sense’ … and if I ever hang out with the cool black people they’re like - ‘you don’t make sense.’” Andre pauses, and laughs. “So I don’t make sense anywhere … EXCEPT on YouTube!”
I had been excited to meet Andre for a while, since seeing his awesome music video for our Key of Awesome music video competition. Though it wasn’t the slickest, it was one of the most hilarious and clever entries.
Time and time again we see the Darwinian ecosystem of the internet supporting not the hulking, big-budget videos - but the small, the nimble, the clever of the bunch. What Andre does fills a special and unique niche - he provides for more than just fans of pop culture, or music videos, or video games - he is creating a home for people who didn’t have a home before … a great army of nerds (black, and otherwise), Wii controllers in hand, ready to take their rightful place in the halls of YouTube.
More Creator Spotlights:
Kevin Nalty - “Nalts”
Alan Kaufman - “Ultra Fur”
Grace Randolph - “Beyond the Trailer”
Back in the COLD! Nblog update!
Thanks everyone who helped make my LA trip fun! I’m back in NYC.
If you’re ever seen Next New content, Pat has probably been the man behind pushing the content up on the internet. Get to know a little about him in this NNN Staff Profile
Creators Spotlight #007: Hungry in Brooklyn
Meet Shea and Raphael who run the food show Hungry in Brooklyn, where they spotlight one ingredient a week and pull together a tv-quality show on their own! They support local ingredients, and local food artisans in their home ‘burb of Brooklyn.
More Creator Spotlights:
Kevin Nalty - “Nalts”
Alan Kaufman - “Ultra Fur”
Grace Randolph - “Beyond the Trailer”
Alan Kaufman has seen it all. From production on the film sets of the 1970s, to the video heyday of Nickelodeon, to an original hire of Next New Networks, Alan has spent the past 30 years saving images to film - tape - DVD - and file servers.
When we first met at Next New Networks nearly four years ago, Alan was a never-ending fount of knowledge and a teller of entertaining tales. When crafting the populace of a start-up, it’s important to have fresh young minds, excited for a bleeding-edge medium … and though Alan eclipsed many of us in years, the excitement and “let’s go out and make some magic!” enthusiasm he had was unmatched. When I was feeling tired and beat-down, I’d look to Alan to give me that creative kick in the pants I needed.
It’s this same spirit that infuses “Ultra Fur” with it’s special brand of home-brewed, DIY goodness. With over 40 episodes, and typically several weeks of episodes already created in advance, it’s clear Alan loves his quiet safari into the untamed reaches of his front (and back) yards.
Get to know him in this weeks Creators Spotlight.
