I'm sharing a love letter with you on the 5th Birthday of www.MyDamnChannel.com.
I'm flying home from the 30th Birthday of "Just for Laughs" in Montreal -- the annual, best family reunion in comedy. I've just spent 4 daze and nights with many of the world's best comic minds -- and I'm heading into our birthday re-inspired to keep giving you more.
Everything everyone said about being an entrepreneur has turned out to be true. It's been much more rewarding to not work inside the old corporate monoliths of my past: MTV, VH1, CBS. But I'd never be here without remembering everything I learned there. It's been much harder work to create and run my own business -- the hours are endless -- the pressure to win for everyone who believes in us and works with us is a weight I've tried to carry with honor every day since leaving people like Mr. Moonves, Mr. Redstone, and their worlds 6 years ago.
We launched My Damn Channel July 31. 2007 to create a new destination for comedy fans and a new home for talent to get the freedom, money, production, distribution and promotion they deserve. Don Was still runs our music channel too. YouTube changed the world. Technology empowered every single content creator to finally get the equipment and distribution we needed to get our art seen by the masses without having to break down the walls of major television networks.
Most new companies never make it 5 years. We made it. Thank you for being part of this family and for supporting our simple mathematical premise: The Best Talent + The Best Original Entertainment = Big Audiences + Big Business.
From our first minute, we trusted smart artists to create their best work. We trusted smart fans to discern the difference between schlock and great video worthy of your views, likes, comments, and shares. This entire dream evaporates without you.
Smart advertisers trust us to deliver excellent talent, creative, production, distribution and promotion alongside every marketing dollar they spend to reach millions in a whole new way.
Our backers trust us never to raise too much or spend too much. They trust us to win big. Those backers include saints we love and many of our closest friends and family members.
To every artist, fan, advertiser, backer and business partner that's been with us since 2007 - thank you for believing and thank you for building the future of entertainment.
My Damn Channel would never have made it to our 5th birthday -- we'd never have even launched without WARREN CHAO. He's my Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, and the man who proves every single day that he's the most dedicated, brilliant, multi-talented executive in media. When I hatched the My Damn Channel idea in 2006, I went looking for the one person who could embody most of the things I was missing to take this dream from inception to glory. Warren is a Harvard graduate, a lawyer, a venture capitalist, a technologist, a business development executive and the only man in the world I'd trust to manage the math and the money. I want to thank Warren and his family for their trust as we all work every day to turn that trust into success.
Every artist who's ever had a video on My Damn Channel shares our belief that show business is best when TALENT is in charge. We vow to continue to put as many of you in charge of your art as we possibly can. We vow to continue to share your art with as many humans as possible. And yes...we vow to continue to share the cash.
Every person who's ever worked inside My Damn Channel has brought their energy, spirit, sweat, brain and backbone to help build an idea and a business that's grown gradually and consistently bigger every year. We worked together to try to avoid most of the mistakes of the first Internet bubble more than a decade ago. We worked tirelessly to outlast dozens of companies who raised countless millions to try to get this right. We worked together passionately to bring us onto the same stage as much deeper-pocketed, excellent pals like Funny or Die and College Humor. If you're on our team right now, you know that 2012 is the inflection point. This is the year when premium original content became the Queen and King at the prom. This is the year when our phones started ringing off the hook. This is the year we launched My Damn Channel LIVE every weekday afternoon with YouTube. This is the time when the great work you've done begins to reap more of the rewards you've earned.
Thank YOU again for every minute you've helped everyone at My Damn Channel.
Please share our link:
www.MyDamnChannel.com
Please subscribe here:
www.YouTube.com/MyDamnChannel
Please continue to let me know what you think of all that's good/bad/ugly -- and how we can work together.
Great art is usually reliant on breaking the rules. I apologize for breaking the rule to "keep it short" - but I couldn't let this 5th birthday go by without one final story:
My wife and I have twins who will also soon turn "5." My youngest daughter nearly broke my heart when she asked today why I couldn't have a job that got me home at 3 o'clock in the afternoon every day. She once asked me why I couldn't be a mailman - since he seemed to have to only work in the morning. The hours we all put into a career can be ridiculous and wrong. Jessie: I hope you find this one day and know that this was the night when your Dad started getting so good at his job making videos that he was home more with you and your sister and your brother and your most beautiful and loving mother.
Respect and Love,
Rob
(This note appeared originally on Rob Barnett's Facebook Page, 7/31/12)
Posted in
My Damn Channel with tags
My Damn Channel LIVE,
Beth Hoyt,
Rob Barnett,
Warren Chao on 3/21/2012 2:39:42 AM by Rob Barnett
We've rebirthed!
My Damn Channel has a totally new site with HUGE thanks to everyone on our team who worked 'round the clock for months. And eternal thanks as always to my Co-Founder/COO Warren Chao, without whom life would hold far fewer smiles for us all.
We wanted to give you a better experience with My Damn Channel.
Please take a full tour of your new home. We've got a totally new design. You can log in with Facebook and share and comment much easier than before. We will be launching a totally new mobile site in the days ahead. And we've got more new sites launching in the My Damn Channel Blog Network.
We made a mondo announcement today with all the details about MY DAMN CHANNEL LIVE.
We're taking some of the best ingredients of late night TV andbringing them kicking and streaming onto the Internet.
MY DAMN CHANNEL LIVE is the first, daily, live comedy channel on YouTube and here on our site every weekday at 4 PM Eastern.
Our shows start next Wednesday, 3/28/12.
We're counting on you to be there with us. We'll be here for you every afternoon with celebrity guests, live interaction, and the premieres of more than 30 new My Damn Channel original series! (not kidding)
Here's our host and the newest member of the My Damn Channel family: MEET BETH HOYT!
We love Beth and love every one you of who have helped us build My Damn Channel since 2007. The real world doesn't seem to get much easier out there, but we're in love with the idea of giving you as many happy good times as possible.
Today it all begins again.
Yours,
Rob Barnett
Founder/CEO, My Damn Channel
Posted in
Maria,
My Damn Channel,
Rob Barnett with tags
Rob Barnett,
My Damn Channel,
mydamnchannel,
online video,
online video space,
social video,
online video strategy,
professional content,
original content,
original online entertainment on 1/27/2012 12:44:52 PM by Maria
At CES 2012, Founder/CEO Rob Barnett gave JWT Worldwide Chairman and CEO Bob Jeffrey a little insight into his perspective on the online video space and My Damn Channel's strategy:
Posted in
Christmas,
My Damn Channel with tags
2011,
New Year,
Holiday,
Top 11,
Videos,
Wainy Days,
Gigi,
Daily Grace,
Harry Shearer,
Mark Malkoff,
Versailles,
Slacktory,
Don Was,
Dicki on 12/22/2011 3:26:52 PM by Rob Barnett
It's the 5th year we get to thank you and wish you Happy Holidays from the heart (no joke).
We honestly love you for watching & sharing My Damn Channel original videos.
We promise to deliver the goods again in '12‚ and we'll be launching our new daily live show with YouTube, strangely titled:
MY DAMN CHANNEL: LIVE
The staff took an informal poll and picked 11 faves from the past year‚ they're all
HERE for your holiday dining and dancing pleasure:
1.
WAINY DAYS -
Kelly & Arielle (Part 1)
David Wain returns in the triumphant Season 5 of our longest-running hit comedy series with a killer new cast & a new sponsor: FIAT!
2.
GIGI: ALMOST AMERICAN -
Donate Good Cause
Josh Gad stars as "Gigi," an awesome, original character that infected our fans on My Damn Channel and on YouTube.
3.
GARFUNKEL & OATES -
David Wain is Sexy
Garfunkel & Oates created this chart-topper to honor WAINY DAYS with David Wain guesting on vocals and guitar.
4.
DAILY GRACE -
Official Sexy Friday song with Rebecca Black
Rebecca Black recently told YouTube that our My Damn Channel goddess, Daily Grace was one of her favorite people on YouTube. Grace invaded Rebecca's studio for the surprise awesome duet of the year.
5.
HARRY SHEARER -
Touch My Junk
Our patron saint and in-house hero has blown our brains with original videos since day ONE back in 2007. Here's his musical love note to airport TSA pat-downs.
6.
MARK MALKOFF -
Apple Store Challenge
MARK MALKOFF -
Big Wheel vs. Bus
Every Malkoff adventure captures our imagination, lotsa video views and tons of well-deserved press. He tied for #6 with two videos that tapped the zeitgeist in 2011.
7.
VERSAILLES -
Episode #7
David Hunt created one of the most original series on My Damn Channel this year with an amazing cast joining him including Patricia Heaton, William H. Macy, Eve Gordon, Martha MacIsaac & the great Fred Willard.
8.
SLACKTORY -
Slackgeist 2011: The Year in Stupidity
We launched a new My Damn Channel Blog Network this year and Nick Douglas is running an awesome new site for us called
Slacktory. Their blog posts are toooo good and they make videos tooo. Here's their year-ender.
9.
WAINY DAYS -
Kelly & Arielle (Part 4)
Thomas Lennon reunites with David Wain in this new episode from Season 5.
10.
SAUL HERNANDEZ -
Molecular (from our music channel produced by Don Was)
Don Was is one of the greatest musicians and music producers there is. He's been running our music channel here since day one in 2007 & we all fell in love with one of this year's original songs by Saul Hernandez, lead vocalist and songwriter for the Mexican bands Caifanes and Jaguares.
11.
DICKI -
Making Friends
We're in love with Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe from "24"). She's a new member of the My Damn Channel fam with an original character comedy, DICKI.
Posted in
Animation,
Bruce McCall,
Daily Grace,
IAWTV,
Maria,
Mark Malkoff,
My Damn Channel with tags
Web Series Awards,
IAWTV,
Awards Season,
IAWTV nominations,
Golden Globe nominations,
Oscar nominations,
Academy Awards,
SAG nominations on 12/15/2011 8:00:00 AM by
Maria
It's Awards Nomination Season: Golden Globe nominations! SAG nominations! Oscar nominations! IAWTV Award nominations!
Yes, the International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV) created these Awards to "provide a venue for celebrating original entertainment distributed on the open Internet by honoring the best in web television programming and recognizing the achievements of online content creators."
And that's US!
We scored FOUR nominations and couldn't be prouder:
Best Writing (Non-Fiction): Daily Grace
Best Animated Series: The World of Bruce McCall
Best Variety Series: Mark Malkoff
Best Comedy Series: Gigi: Almost American
Congrats to all of our fellow nominees! We're honored to be among you. Can't wait to see all of you in Las Vegas in January, at the
IAWTV Awards Ceremony!
Meet Melissa! Melissa Schneider is our new Director of Production, joining the My Damn Channel family with the experience, energy and cred we need to help produce over 30 new original series in the months ahead. She's also the lead producer for our new 2012 mega show with YouTube...
My Damn Channel: Live
Melissa expands our management team in the NY office where
Jesse Cowell (Director of Content) and
Molly Templeton (Director of Talent & Audience Development) work with
Rob Barnett (Founder/CEO) to oversee more killer original comedy and music than legally allowed on the Interweb.
"Melissa brings awesome experience, talent and spirit to our team as we prep to make 2012 the year My Damn Channel delivers more new original programming than ever before," said Rob Barnett. He added, "She's developed and produced over 30 original digital series and branded entertainment campaigns and over 30 independent music videos, commercials, and short films. She worked for David Chase for god's sake!"
Melissa graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, and went on to work for The Public Theater / NY Shakespeare Festival during George C. Wolfe’s tenure. She left the theater to work in (wait for it) The Sopranos...in the writers' office for creator David Chase, and writers: Terence Winter (creator, "Boardwalk Empire"), Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess (creators, "Blue Bloods") and Matthew Weiner (creator, "Mad Men").
Melissa went digital...producing online content for Macy’s, XBOX, Vuguru, Nickelodeon, Swanson, Verizon FiOS, CJP Digital, and Summit Entertainment to name a few. She was the Director of Production at Digital Broadcasting Group (DBG) in New York City, where developed and produced digital series and branded entertainment campaigns.
More announcements on our new series, stars and launch info for My Damn Channel: Live hits this space soon.
Posted in
My Damn Channel,
YouTube with tags
"YouTube News",
YouTube,
My Damn Channel,
announcement,
breaking YouTube news,
Google news,
YouTube original channels,
Google TV,
youtube channels,
youtube channel initiative,
professional youtube,
"pro youtube" on 10/28/2011 9:00:00 PM by Rob Barnett
Today, Google made a major announcement setting the stage for new programming on YouTube. We're honored that My Damn Channel is working to create a new YouTube original channel as part of this initiative.
We launched www.MyDamnChannel.com back in 2007 - dedicated to giving the most talented people in entertainment a studio and distribution platform where they can co-create, produce and showcase the best original video programming. We've made thousands of videos and many of the most watched and awarded comedy series like “Wainy Days,” “You Suck at Photoshop,” “Horrible People,” “Daily Grace” and political satire from the great Harry
Shearer. We've been supported by major advertisers who partner with us to reach engaged, loyal fans online with media
campaigns and branded entertainment that break through the noise.
In addition to running our own site, we've always syndicated to other outlets and YouTube has been a powerful partner since we launched our first channel there in 2007.
In February, 2012, we’re expanding our YouTube relationship to give you MY DAMN CHANNEL LIVE: a hosted, 30-minute, weekly comedy show featuring world premieres of our original videos
and series. We'll bring you stars you love and new talent too.
MY DAMN CHANNEL LIVE will also invade your screens daily with 10-minute, interactive blasts from our host. You'll see our new live show on a dedicated channel on My Damn Channel, on a new
channel on YouTube, and in syndication.
We'll keep you plugged in on the birth of our new baby with fresh updates about all the artists we’re signing and the new series we’re producing from now 'til launch.
I want to give HUGE thanks to everyone who's supported My Damn Channel. A few short years ago, Warren Chao and I
were two crazy fools with a power point presentation and a dream. The fact that one of the most revolutionary companies in the world just tapped us for their new adventure blows us away and we're
counting on all of you to be watching.
Rob Barnett
Founder/CEO, www.MyDamnChannel.com
Sizzle Reel: 2007-2011 HERE
Wow.
TIME Magazine has honored us as one of its 50 Best Websites of 2011.
We don't know what to say. We're kind of speechless.
Thanks to TIME, thanks to all of our hardworking artists for consistently turning out some of the best stuff on the internets, and thanks to YOU for wanting to watch it and read it and share it.
We're
one of the Best of 2011 and it's only August! Wait until you see what we do with the rest of the year.
It happens all the time. The birds leave the nest. The cubs leave the cave. The horses leave the stable. Who knows if all of those euphemisms are correct? We're just happy we know what the word "euphemism" means.
But today's the end of summer internships for a couple of the good ones:
Adam and Katie.
Adam helped us write pithy one-liners and articles for a blog that we might never be able to share with you at the rate we're going.
Katie dutifully sent t-shirts and pens to about five people over the summer, just like we asked her to.
We're not sure if they learned anything useful during their time with us, but we're pretty happy to share
burritos and
taco salads with them on their last day. Nothing quite says, "thank you," like the gift of Mexican cuisine.
So here's to you, sweet summer interns! May your returns to your respective schools and future ventures be as awesome as this past summer, but with a lot less heatpocalypse type stuff.
Maybe our very own Dan Wilburn-- himself a former Professional My Damn Channel Intern-- said it best in his tribute to them on Twitter:
But they were also the BEST kind of mediocre. (And actually, they were awesome all the way through. Not mediocre. Take it back, Dan Wilburn, take it back.)
Posted in
Josh Meisel,
My Damn Channel,
That Ain't Right,
Twitter with tags
twitter,
my damn channel,
that ain't right,
indignance,
josh meisel,
social networking,
search,
out of context on 8/12/2011 9:30:00 AM by Josh Meisel
On August 2 we introduced the world to "Searching for 'My Damn Channel,'" a feature on our blog in which we enter "My Damn Channel" into a Twitter search and post tweets tweeted by tweeters who've probably never heard of us! They're pretty much all mad at something, and that ain't right!
Like @Mr_Primetime24:
Bullshit indeed, @Mr.Primetime24. That ain't right.
@cantbNO1_butMe was NOT happy with DIRECTV:
That simply ain't right. I'm impressed she was able to remember her "please's" and "thank you's" in the midst of these wrongdoings.
Our next "my damn channel"er,
@ExTREordinary_J, also cares deeply about politeness:
That ain't right, @ExTREordinary_J. I don't even want to know who "she" is.
@_ThePilot was more explicit about the source of his anger:
Words can't describe my sympathies @_ThePilot! Unless those words are "that ain't right!"
Twitter won't display older results.
That ain't right.