Kohn’s Corner is a weekly column about the challenges and opportunities of sustaining American film culture.
As actors continued to strike this week, the biggest stories about performers were unrelated to the unions. First came 21-year-old YouTube and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat being charged with inciting a riot after his impromptu Union Square giveaway led thousands to storm the park. Then came the shocking announcement that 10-year-old internet rapper Lil Tay had died under mysterious circumstances, followed by the revelation a few hours later that Lil Tay was actually alive and well but the victim of a hack.
Welcome to the wild, wild west of the online creator economy that drives so much of popular culture. While SAG-AFTRA and the WGA want streaming-dominated Hollywood to provide a better support system, the internet has no infrastructure to strike against. A few weeks ago, I wrote about how documentarians have no union,...
As actors continued to strike this week, the biggest stories about performers were unrelated to the unions. First came 21-year-old YouTube and Twitch streamer Kai Cenat being charged with inciting a riot after his impromptu Union Square giveaway led thousands to storm the park. Then came the shocking announcement that 10-year-old internet rapper Lil Tay had died under mysterious circumstances, followed by the revelation a few hours later that Lil Tay was actually alive and well but the victim of a hack.
Welcome to the wild, wild west of the online creator economy that drives so much of popular culture. While SAG-AFTRA and the WGA want streaming-dominated Hollywood to provide a better support system, the internet has no infrastructure to strike against. A few weeks ago, I wrote about how documentarians have no union,...
- 8/12/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
The YouTuber movie is one that's often been considered very specific. Usually, they are comedies that star and/or are made by a YouTube content creator specifically to appease their fanbase. None of these are what you can consider future Oscar contenders, but as long as they succeed in satisfying their target audience, they'll be perfectly fine. Right?
If the history of these movies is anything to go by though, a ton of YouTuber movies aren't particularly successful in winning this niche fanbase, let alone general audiences. In a way, it almost seems like the sheer amount of terrible movies with a YouTuber's name on them has set back one of YouTube's primary appeals in the first place. This is, of course, the platform's unique ability to allow creatives to find a platform for their work, eventually building up to bigger projects.
However, the idea of the successful YouTuber creative...
If the history of these movies is anything to go by though, a ton of YouTuber movies aren't particularly successful in winning this niche fanbase, let alone general audiences. In a way, it almost seems like the sheer amount of terrible movies with a YouTuber's name on them has set back one of YouTube's primary appeals in the first place. This is, of course, the platform's unique ability to allow creatives to find a platform for their work, eventually building up to bigger projects.
However, the idea of the successful YouTuber creative...
- 3/11/2023
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
React Media, the YouTube– and Facebook-focused video company formerly known as Fine Brothers Entertainment, has been acquired by digital startup Electric Monster Media. React was cofounded in 2004 by YouTuber brothers Benny and Rafi Fine, and currently produces several major brands across YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram, including Kids React, Teens React, Celebs React, People […]
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- 11/18/2021
- by James Hale
- Tubefilter.com
At this year’s South By Southwest media and music festival in Austin, Patreon will host -- for the second time -- a House Of Creativity event, where a slew of the platform's top creators will participate in panel discussions and live performances.
This year’s event, to be held from March 16 to 18, will feature appearances by Rafi Fine of Fbe, comedy duo and former CollegeHumor writers Jake & Amir, Epic Rap Battles Of History stars Lloyd and Josie Ahlquist, and Ryan Bergara and Shane Manej -- the BuzzFeed video stars who branched out on their own earlier this year with a new digital production company, Watcher Entertainment. Additionally, Patreon creator Issa Rae will be hosting a music showcase for her record label, Raedio.
On March 12, Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte will also deliver a SXSW keynote, discussing his journey as a musician, YouTuber, and entrepreneur.
For
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This year’s event, to be held from March 16 to 18, will feature appearances by Rafi Fine of Fbe, comedy duo and former CollegeHumor writers Jake & Amir, Epic Rap Battles Of History stars Lloyd and Josie Ahlquist, and Ryan Bergara and Shane Manej -- the BuzzFeed video stars who branched out on their own earlier this year with a new digital production company, Watcher Entertainment. Additionally, Patreon creator Issa Rae will be hosting a music showcase for her record label, Raedio.
On March 12, Patreon co-founder and CEO Jack Conte will also deliver a SXSW keynote, discussing his journey as a musician, YouTuber, and entrepreneur.
For
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- 2/20/2020
- by Geoff Weiss
- Tubefilter.com
Fine Brothers Entertainment (Fbe), the multiplatform digital empire founded by brothers Benny and Rafi Fine, has added yet another YouTube channel to its growing arsenal.
The channel, dubbed Try Not To, is Fbe’s first new YouTube channel in six years, and was spun off its flagship React channel, on which participants of varying demographics react to noteworthy YouTube videos and other viral trends.
On the React channel, Fbe has long posted ‘Try Not To’-themed clips, including YouTube Couples Try Not To Touch Challenge (ft. a Chinchilla) or Try To Watch This Without Laughing Or Grinning #134. While this series will continue to be featured on React, the Try Not To channel will feature even more challenge-style content in this same vein. On the new hub, for instance, Fbe personalities, real-life friends, and even couples will be pitted against one another to try to avoid doing something in exchange for prizes and cash rewards.
The channel, dubbed Try Not To, is Fbe’s first new YouTube channel in six years, and was spun off its flagship React channel, on which participants of varying demographics react to noteworthy YouTube videos and other viral trends.
On the React channel, Fbe has long posted ‘Try Not To’-themed clips, including YouTube Couples Try Not To Touch Challenge (ft. a Chinchilla) or Try To Watch This Without Laughing Or Grinning #134. While this series will continue to be featured on React, the Try Not To channel will feature even more challenge-style content in this same vein. On the new hub, for instance, Fbe personalities, real-life friends, and even couples will be pitted against one another to try to avoid doing something in exchange for prizes and cash rewards.
- 2/13/2020
- by Geoff Weiss
- Tubefilter.com
Fine Brothers Entertainment (Fbe), the digital goliath founded by brothers Benny and Rafi Fine -- which is perhaps best known for popularizing the ‘react’ genre on YouTube -- is making a major push toward interactive storytelling with the establishment of a dedicated content lab.
Fbe, which counts 34 million followers across all platforms, has launched its own internal Interactive Content Lab (Icl), and has subsequently pacted with interactive video company Eko (which is backed by Walmart) to develop at least of 12 interactive TV pilots.. The Icl will play in myriad formats, including scripted, unscripted, and game shows -- all of which will give viewers the ability to choose outcomes. Greenlit shows will each receive their own, full-series production funding from Eko.
Fbe recently wrapped production on an interactive series in conjunction with Eko titled Epic Night (pictured above), about a people-pleaser and his college friends who are planning a massive pre-graduation party.
Fbe, which counts 34 million followers across all platforms, has launched its own internal Interactive Content Lab (Icl), and has subsequently pacted with interactive video company Eko (which is backed by Walmart) to develop at least of 12 interactive TV pilots.. The Icl will play in myriad formats, including scripted, unscripted, and game shows -- all of which will give viewers the ability to choose outcomes. Greenlit shows will each receive their own, full-series production funding from Eko.
Fbe recently wrapped production on an interactive series in conjunction with Eko titled Epic Night (pictured above), about a people-pleaser and his college friends who are planning a massive pre-graduation party.
- 7/11/2019
- by Geoff Weiss
- Tubefilter.com
Fine Brothers Entertainment (Fbe), the digital media firm founded by YouTube luminaries Benny and Rafi Fine, has acquired Officially Penned -- an upstart that creates collectible pins in collaboration with top creators.
Officially Pinned was founded last spring by digital vet Max Benator and the Brooklyn-based artist Andrew Shuta. The company has since collaborated with 16 YouTubers to vend their own enamel pins, including Shane Dawson, Eva Gutowski, ASAPScience, Justine Ezarik, Kingsley, and Nikita Dragun.
The pin purveyor has created a total of 34 designs to date -- including Dawson sipping on root beer and a pink iPhone touting Ezarik’s ‘iJustine’ channel moniker -- and is ramping up its output with 10 launches slated to arrive in the next month alone. In addition to its creator-sanctioned pins, Officially Pinned also vends proprietary designs inspired by internet culture, like a rainbow donut and a recreation of the infamous World Record Egg. The company...
Officially Pinned was founded last spring by digital vet Max Benator and the Brooklyn-based artist Andrew Shuta. The company has since collaborated with 16 YouTubers to vend their own enamel pins, including Shane Dawson, Eva Gutowski, ASAPScience, Justine Ezarik, Kingsley, and Nikita Dragun.
The pin purveyor has created a total of 34 designs to date -- including Dawson sipping on root beer and a pink iPhone touting Ezarik’s ‘iJustine’ channel moniker -- and is ramping up its output with 10 launches slated to arrive in the next month alone. In addition to its creator-sanctioned pins, Officially Pinned also vends proprietary designs inspired by internet culture, like a rainbow donut and a recreation of the infamous World Record Egg. The company...
- 2/27/2019
- by Geoff Weiss
- Tubefilter.com
Few YouTube-born-and-bred producers go on to create studios that bridge the ever-shrinking gap between digital and traditional Hollywood. With ten years, 30 million followers on YouTube and 15 premium projects on television, including popular “React” franchise, Benny and Rafi Fine (pictured) are among them.
The duo’s production company Fine Brothers Entertainment (Fbe) is adding four new TV projects to its development slate in partnership with political-activist Amanda Werner, “Big Brother” producers Fly on the Wall Entertainment, Group Nine’s Jash and interactive storytellers Eko.
The projects include unscripted “Co-Conspirator,” hosted by Werner (Aka “Monopoly Man“); family-reality show “Our Family Rules,” co-produced with Fly on the Wall Entertainment, which will follow blended family the Wallaces — parents Jared and Shelly and their 20 children; an immersive and interactive comedy series “Epic Night” with Eko; and “Everything’s Happened Before” — a weekly satirical news show with Jash.
Also Read: Above Average CEO Take Chief...
The duo’s production company Fine Brothers Entertainment (Fbe) is adding four new TV projects to its development slate in partnership with political-activist Amanda Werner, “Big Brother” producers Fly on the Wall Entertainment, Group Nine’s Jash and interactive storytellers Eko.
The projects include unscripted “Co-Conspirator,” hosted by Werner (Aka “Monopoly Man“); family-reality show “Our Family Rules,” co-produced with Fly on the Wall Entertainment, which will follow blended family the Wallaces — parents Jared and Shelly and their 20 children; an immersive and interactive comedy series “Epic Night” with Eko; and “Everything’s Happened Before” — a weekly satirical news show with Jash.
Also Read: Above Average CEO Take Chief...
- 9/27/2018
- by Jocelyn Johnson
- The Wrap
Internet-video veteran Marc Hustvedt is leaving Above Average, the digital comedy brand formed by Lorne Michaels’ Broadway Video, to join Fbe (Fine Brothers Entertainment) as CEO.
Fbe was founded by Brooklyn-native siblings Rafi and Benny Fine in 2004, who hit it big as YouTube creators. Rafi, who had served as CEO, will become president of the media company/studio, while Benny Fine will continue as chief content officer.
Hustvedt leaves New York-based Above Average a little over a year after he joined as CEO in May 2017. With the move to Fbe, he’s relocating from New York to L.A.
As CEO, Hustvedt is tasked with leading the launch of new networks for digital-first audiences, forging alliances with strategic partners, and increasing Fbe’s development of content formats for digital platforms and traditional TV.
“While I’m definitely looking forward to being back on the West Coast, I embrace the opportunity...
Fbe was founded by Brooklyn-native siblings Rafi and Benny Fine in 2004, who hit it big as YouTube creators. Rafi, who had served as CEO, will become president of the media company/studio, while Benny Fine will continue as chief content officer.
Hustvedt leaves New York-based Above Average a little over a year after he joined as CEO in May 2017. With the move to Fbe, he’s relocating from New York to L.A.
As CEO, Hustvedt is tasked with leading the launch of new networks for digital-first audiences, forging alliances with strategic partners, and increasing Fbe’s development of content formats for digital platforms and traditional TV.
“While I’m definitely looking forward to being back on the West Coast, I embrace the opportunity...
- 7/19/2018
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Fine Brothers Entertainment (Fbe), which has brought its brand of reaction videos to TV several times before, has more serial projects in the works. The digital media company led by fraternal duo Benny and Rafi Fine has announced three new development deals, one of which is with Nick Cannon's NCredible Entertainment.
Fbe and Cannon previously partnered on React To That, a Nickelodeon series that became Fbe's first TV series when it premiered in 2014. That show ultimately ran for one 13-episode season.
This time, Fbe and NCredible are teaming up for a series that will invite celebrity guests to relive their pasts by examining their old social media posts. Cannon will serve as the show's executive producer and will guest star in it.
The format for Fbe and NCredible's new show resembles some of the React videos the former company has posted of late. Here, for example, is a clip...
Fbe and Cannon previously partnered on React To That, a Nickelodeon series that became Fbe's first TV series when it premiered in 2014. That show ultimately ran for one 13-episode season.
This time, Fbe and NCredible are teaming up for a series that will invite celebrity guests to relive their pasts by examining their old social media posts. Cannon will serve as the show's executive producer and will guest star in it.
The format for Fbe and NCredible's new show resembles some of the React videos the former company has posted of late. Here, for example, is a clip...
- 6/15/2018
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Exclusive: Fine Brothers Entertainment announced today that it has partnered with Nick Cannon’s NCredible Entertainment, Kinetic Content, and Sonar Entertainment in various development and co-production deals for multiple television projects.
The various partnerships mark the expansion of its relationship with NCredible Entertainment which includes a new unscripted show that takes celebrities through the timeline of their lives via their fun and often forgotten social media posts. Cannon will executive produce and guest star in the series. Benny Fine, Rafi Fine, Brandie Tucker and Michael Goldman will also serve as executive producers.
Fbe will partner with Kinetic Content and former ABC alternative and late-night programming chief John Saade on an unscripted business format set in the world’s most unusual product testing center. Benny Fine, Rafi Fine, John Saade, Brandie Tucker, Chris Coelen and Max Benator are attached as Executive Producers.
To round out the bunch, Sonar Entertainment and Fbe...
The various partnerships mark the expansion of its relationship with NCredible Entertainment which includes a new unscripted show that takes celebrities through the timeline of their lives via their fun and often forgotten social media posts. Cannon will executive produce and guest star in the series. Benny Fine, Rafi Fine, Brandie Tucker and Michael Goldman will also serve as executive producers.
Fbe will partner with Kinetic Content and former ABC alternative and late-night programming chief John Saade on an unscripted business format set in the world’s most unusual product testing center. Benny Fine, Rafi Fine, John Saade, Brandie Tucker, Chris Coelen and Max Benator are attached as Executive Producers.
To round out the bunch, Sonar Entertainment and Fbe...
- 6/14/2018
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Freeform has put in development an hourlong retirement community drama from Benny and Rafi Fine’s Fine Brothers Entertainment and writer Lindsey Rosin (NBC’s Cruel Intentions). Written by Rosin, the untitled project is set in a vibrant retirement community in Athens, Ga. It follows a core cast of elder characters through their life in present day 2018 as well as flashing back in time to tell stories about their past. The first season's flashbacks will be set in the 1960s…...
- 1/24/2018
- Deadline TV
Fine Brothers Entertainment (Fbe), the digital media company founded by brothers Benny and Rafi Fine, is throwing its hat into the Facebook Watch ring.
Fbe has announced two shows for Watch, Facebook’s episodic video hub that launched last August, including What Would My Kid Do? -- which debuted on Monday. The game show, which features children from its popular React series on YouTube, will see parents competing with one another to guess what their kids would buy with 100 dollars at different kinds of stores. Four additional episodes will roll out weekly, and Fbe says that the shows will be exclusive to Watch for now.
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Fbe has announced two shows for Watch, Facebook’s episodic video hub that launched last August, including What Would My Kid Do? -- which debuted on Monday. The game show, which features children from its popular React series on YouTube, will see parents competing with one another to guess what their kids would buy with 100 dollars at different kinds of stores. Four additional episodes will roll out weekly, and Fbe says that the shows will be exclusive to Watch for now.
Visit Tubefilter for more great stories.
- 1/18/2018
- by Geoff Weiss
- Tubefilter.com
Fine Bros Entertainment (Fbe), the digital media company founded by brothers Benny and Rafi Fine, has come on board as the executive producer of a contest-winning pilot. The main Fbe YouTube channel is the home of Talking To Myself, a project born out of New Form's Pitch To Pilot Campaign.
Talking To Myself, from creator Eric Jaffe, showcases interactions between two people with the same name. In the pilot, the guests also happen to share their handle with a major celebrity: Selena Gomez. Across their five-and-a-half-minute conversation, they discuss awkward introductions, their respective issues with Facebook, and their shared namesake, Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla. While they chat, they sip coffee provided by Dunkin’ Donuts, one of the sponsors of Pitch To Pilot.
This is not the first time Fbe has used its platform to promote up-and-coming creators. It previously funded series from multiple creators, which it shared on YouTube.
Talking To Myself, from creator Eric Jaffe, showcases interactions between two people with the same name. In the pilot, the guests also happen to share their handle with a major celebrity: Selena Gomez. Across their five-and-a-half-minute conversation, they discuss awkward introductions, their respective issues with Facebook, and their shared namesake, Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla. While they chat, they sip coffee provided by Dunkin’ Donuts, one of the sponsors of Pitch To Pilot.
This is not the first time Fbe has used its platform to promote up-and-coming creators. It previously funded series from multiple creators, which it shared on YouTube.
- 12/14/2017
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
It's back! By popular demand, the Tubefilter Meetup is hitting up Los Angeles with at least one event every quarter in 2017.
We're incredibly excited and looking forward to once again playing host to YouTube stars big and small, aspiring and established digital media creators, enterprising entrepreneurs, entertainment industry executives, advertisers, and brand representatives as we all evaluate, critique, and navigate the ever-changing new media landscape among friends, acquaintances, and business associates old and new.
It's crazy to think we hosted our first Tubefilter Meetup almost a decade ago in 2008. Way back then it served as a focal point and stomping ground for individuals invested in the nascent online video and digital media industries. It was a time and place where people with budding businesses and big ideas could congregate to exchange inspirations and know-how or find collaborators for whatever project the democratized tools of entertainment production made possible.
In the years since its inception,...
We're incredibly excited and looking forward to once again playing host to YouTube stars big and small, aspiring and established digital media creators, enterprising entrepreneurs, entertainment industry executives, advertisers, and brand representatives as we all evaluate, critique, and navigate the ever-changing new media landscape among friends, acquaintances, and business associates old and new.
It's crazy to think we hosted our first Tubefilter Meetup almost a decade ago in 2008. Way back then it served as a focal point and stomping ground for individuals invested in the nascent online video and digital media industries. It was a time and place where people with budding businesses and big ideas could congregate to exchange inspirations and know-how or find collaborators for whatever project the democratized tools of entertainment production made possible.
In the years since its inception,...
- 3/1/2017
- by Tubefilter Staff
- Tubefilter.com
Fine Brothers Entertainment (Fbe), the media company spearheaded by brothers Benny and Rafi Fine, has launched this week its latest original series titled Sample School, which breaks down how popular songs were composed by delving into the tracks that they sample.
In the first episode, for instance, Drake’s Hotline Bling is revealed to include a sample of Timothy Thomas’ 1972 hit Why Can’t We Live Together. The show doesn’t feature any live actors. Narrator Alex Wechsler describes music composition and history in a funny, fast-paced tone as quirky graphics illustrate each song’s backstory.
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In the first episode, for instance, Drake’s Hotline Bling is revealed to include a sample of Timothy Thomas’ 1972 hit Why Can’t We Live Together. The show doesn’t feature any live actors. Narrator Alex Wechsler describes music composition and history in a funny, fast-paced tone as quirky graphics illustrate each song’s backstory.
Visit Tubefilter for more great stories.
- 10/20/2016
- by Geoff Weiss
- Tubefilter.com
As mobile marketing currently enjoys a period of exponential growth, the new name of the game is engagement — deep engagement — executives in the field said on Tuesday at the 2016 edition of TheGrill, TheWrap’s annual entertainment and media conference at the Montage Beverly Hills. “React” video series creators Benny and Rafi Fine (a.k.a. The Fine Brothers), VoteBlast CEO Ardy Falaki, YouNow CEO Adi Sideman and Seriously CEO Andrew Stalbow appeared on a panel where they discussed this brave new world. The ability to gain and interpret real-time metrics, they agreed, gives mobile marketers a massive edge over traditional television.
- 9/27/2016
- by Meriah Doty
- The Wrap
Fine Bros Entertainment recently wrapped up the first season of American Idol parody Sing It! on YouTube Red. Meanwhile, on the recently-launched streaming video on-demand platform fullscreen, the studio run by Benny and Rafi Fine has brought back another one of its musical parodies. The Svod destination run by the digital network Fullscreen (with a capital F) is home to the second season of the animated web series Emo Dad.
Emo Dad first launched in 2013 on Fine Bros Entertainment’s ad-supported YouTube channel. As its title implies, it follows the life of a sad-sack patriarch with a passion for guyliner, studded bracelets, and whiny rock music. The second season, as previewed in its trailer, will show the titular dad’s struggle as he attempts to ward off the emo feelings within him.
One of Emo Dad’s strongest selling points is its talented voice cast. Scott Chernoff will return to voice the show’s protagonist,...
Emo Dad first launched in 2013 on Fine Bros Entertainment’s ad-supported YouTube channel. As its title implies, it follows the life of a sad-sack patriarch with a passion for guyliner, studded bracelets, and whiny rock music. The second season, as previewed in its trailer, will show the titular dad’s struggle as he attempts to ward off the emo feelings within him.
One of Emo Dad’s strongest selling points is its talented voice cast. Scott Chernoff will return to voice the show’s protagonist,...
- 7/7/2016
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
On May 25, 2016, Fine Bros Entertainment released Sing It!, a web series available through YouTube Red. Sing It! seeks to expose the cliched and highly-scripted nature of singing competitions like American Idol and The X-Factor through a combination of wacky characters, ridiculous situations, and eye-winking dialogue.
Sing It! is satire at heart, but what makes it different from other parodies is the degree to which it also functions as a legitimate showcase for the actors who appear in it. Sprinkled in between each episode’s comedic bits are honest performances across a variety of genres. While Benny and Rafi Fine want their viewers to laugh, they also want them to be impressed by the musical chops on display.
No Sing It! star better exemplifies the show’s dual nature than Diamond White, a 17-year-old up-and-comer who portrays in-show contestant Maisy Kelly. White, like her character, has experience with musical competitions. In...
Sing It! is satire at heart, but what makes it different from other parodies is the degree to which it also functions as a legitimate showcase for the actors who appear in it. Sprinkled in between each episode’s comedic bits are honest performances across a variety of genres. While Benny and Rafi Fine want their viewers to laugh, they also want them to be impressed by the musical chops on display.
No Sing It! star better exemplifies the show’s dual nature than Diamond White, a 17-year-old up-and-comer who portrays in-show contestant Maisy Kelly. White, like her character, has experience with musical competitions. In...
- 6/22/2016
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Another original series produced by popular online video creators is on its way to YouTube Red. The video site’s paid subscription service has released a teaser for Sing It!, an American Idol parody that comes from Fine Bros Entertainment.
Sing It! was one of four series revealed by YouTube when the video site announced its decision to fund content from its high-profile stars. Six months after that, YouTube revealed that Sing It! would first release on Red, which costs $9.99 per month and removes ads from the viewer experience. Other original series distributed as Red exclusives include PewDiePie's Scare PewDiePie and PrankVsPrank's Prank Academy.
While Fine Bros Entertainment best known for their plethora of React formats, they have experimented with scripted content before. Their most significant past venture in that area was also set in the music world: It was titled MyMusic, and it rolled about as part of...
Sing It! was one of four series revealed by YouTube when the video site announced its decision to fund content from its high-profile stars. Six months after that, YouTube revealed that Sing It! would first release on Red, which costs $9.99 per month and removes ads from the viewer experience. Other original series distributed as Red exclusives include PewDiePie's Scare PewDiePie and PrankVsPrank's Prank Academy.
While Fine Bros Entertainment best known for their plethora of React formats, they have experimented with scripted content before. Their most significant past venture in that area was also set in the music world: It was titled MyMusic, and it rolled about as part of...
- 4/13/2016
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Fine Bros Entertainment (Fbe) has answered the massive wave of Internet backlash it previously inspired. The media company run by brothers Benny and Rafi Fine has canceled a planned licensing program called React World, given up the trademarks for its signature React formats, and announced its intention to rescind ContentID claims, all in response to a huge controversy stirred up by Reddit’s /r/videos community.
The decision to cancel React World comes one week after it was announced and several days after it became a hot topic on Reddit and beyond. The Fine Bros’ detractors believed the new program, which would have allowed international creators to license Fbe’s reaction-based trademarks, marked an attempt to monopolize the reaction genre itself, even though such videos are protected under fair use.
As a result of the controversy, Fbe found its videos harried by dislikes and its subscriber count dropping. From within the YouTube community,...
The decision to cancel React World comes one week after it was announced and several days after it became a hot topic on Reddit and beyond. The Fine Bros’ detractors believed the new program, which would have allowed international creators to license Fbe’s reaction-based trademarks, marked an attempt to monopolize the reaction genre itself, even though such videos are protected under fair use.
As a result of the controversy, Fbe found its videos harried by dislikes and its subscriber count dropping. From within the YouTube community,...
- 2/2/2016
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
On January 26th, Fine Bros Entertainment (Fbe) announced a new program called React World. In an introductory video they released on that day, Benny and Rafi Fine explained the services React World offers and the reasoning behind it. The essential goal is to expand the Fine Bros brand worldwide by inviting international creators to license the specific React formats for which Fbe is famous. Beyond sharing the assets for their shows, Benny and Rafi pledged production and promotional support to the creators who work with them.
Within days, the React World announcement drew significant backlash on the Internet. In particular, Reddit’s /r/videos subreddit picked it up as a crusade du jour and has bombarded the forum’s front page with videos criticizing The Fine Bros. The most popular arguments against Benny and Rafi concern their perceived attempt to trademark a format over which they hold no legal control,...
Within days, the React World announcement drew significant backlash on the Internet. In particular, Reddit’s /r/videos subreddit picked it up as a crusade du jour and has bombarded the forum’s front page with videos criticizing The Fine Bros. The most popular arguments against Benny and Rafi concern their perceived attempt to trademark a format over which they hold no legal control,...
- 2/1/2016
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
At the end of the year, The Fine Bros’ React channel served up a pop quiz. Benny and Rafi Fine presented ten parents with pictures of YouTube stars and asked them to identify the ones they know.
In quizzing their guests, Benny and Rafi Fine selected a wide cross-section of the YouTube community, ranging from makeup experts like Zoella to educators like Vsauce. In the end, all of the chosen creators left at least half of the parents stumped, and on average, only two or three parents correctly named individual stars. Tyler Oakley, whose smiling face was correctly identified by half of the participating parents, was the most-recognized creator in the field. He even drew more correct responses than PewDiePie--or, as one parent called him, “the pie one.”
A lot of The Fine Bros’ best and most-popular React episodes have asked parents and elders to watch the videos of YouTube’s biggest personalities,...
In quizzing their guests, Benny and Rafi Fine selected a wide cross-section of the YouTube community, ranging from makeup experts like Zoella to educators like Vsauce. In the end, all of the chosen creators left at least half of the parents stumped, and on average, only two or three parents correctly named individual stars. Tyler Oakley, whose smiling face was correctly identified by half of the participating parents, was the most-recognized creator in the field. He even drew more correct responses than PewDiePie--or, as one parent called him, “the pie one.”
A lot of The Fine Bros’ best and most-popular React episodes have asked parents and elders to watch the videos of YouTube’s biggest personalities,...
- 1/4/2016
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Fine Brothers Entertainment recently celebrated the premiere of Six Degrees of Everything, its second TV series, but don’t expect the studio led by Benny and Rafi Fine (aka The Fine Bros) to slow down anytime soon. Fbe has announced the hires of Matt Labate, a former Discovery Digital Networks exec who has also worked for social video agency Reach, and Andrea Kinloch, who most recently served as Head of Marketing and Partner Management for AOL.
Labate and The Fine Bros worked together back when Benny and Rafi were partnered with Revision3. In his new role, Labate will have the title Vice President of the Channel Group. He will oversee Fbe’s network of digital channels, which includes The Fine Bros’ flagship hub and a separate React channel they spun off last year.
Kinloch will become Fbe’s VP of Business Development. In that role, she will seek out new...
Labate and The Fine Bros worked together back when Benny and Rafi were partnered with Revision3. In his new role, Labate will have the title Vice President of the Channel Group. He will oversee Fbe’s network of digital channels, which includes The Fine Bros’ flagship hub and a separate React channel they spun off last year.
Kinloch will become Fbe’s VP of Business Development. In that role, she will seek out new...
- 8/20/2015
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
The guys who rose to prominence by dishing out Internet spoilers and collecting reactions to viral videos will soon connect the dots between disparate topics. The Fine Bros, whose 13 million subscribers make them two of YouTube’s biggest stars, will premiere the first episode of their second TV show, Six Degrees of Everything, at 9:30 Pm Est on August 18th on TruTV.
Six Degrees of Everything, as its title implies, which give its subjects the Kevin Bacon treatment by linking them through a series of intermediate topics. The first episode, for example, will somehow find a connection between Albert Einstein and breast implants, while checking in with Elvis Presley and The Incredible Hulk along the way. The goal, as Benny and Rafi Fine explain in a video they made with TruTV, is to provide high quality “edutainment” for viewers. “With every topic we’re touching upon,” says Benny Fine in the video,...
Six Degrees of Everything, as its title implies, which give its subjects the Kevin Bacon treatment by linking them through a series of intermediate topics. The first episode, for example, will somehow find a connection between Albert Einstein and breast implants, while checking in with Elvis Presley and The Incredible Hulk along the way. The goal, as Benny and Rafi Fine explain in a video they made with TruTV, is to provide high quality “edutainment” for viewers. “With every topic we’re touching upon,” says Benny Fine in the video,...
- 8/17/2015
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Benny and Rafi Fine (aka The Fine Bros.) have teamed with ABC Family to bring some supplementary Pretty Little Liars content to traditional television. The YouTube stars, boasting over 12 million subscribers on their main channel, produced a segment called Superfan Suite, which will air on August 11, 2015, during ABC Family’s Pretty Little Liars (Pll) marathon.
Starting at 12 Pm Est, ABC will run The Fine Bros.’ Superfan Suite snippets between Pll episodes until the series’ all-revealing finale from 8-9 Pm Est. A release calls the Suite the place for “fans to experience the ultimate insider’s look at their favorite shows.”
The Superfan Suite segments will feature behind-the-scenes facts, talks with ABC stars, and info-revealing games. Celebrity guests like YouTube star Ricky Dillon (who tweeted about how excited he was to talk about his favorite show) will also make appearances throughout the day. The Pll-themed Superfan Suite snippets are hosted by Stephanie Gray,...
Starting at 12 Pm Est, ABC will run The Fine Bros.’ Superfan Suite snippets between Pll episodes until the series’ all-revealing finale from 8-9 Pm Est. A release calls the Suite the place for “fans to experience the ultimate insider’s look at their favorite shows.”
The Superfan Suite segments will feature behind-the-scenes facts, talks with ABC stars, and info-revealing games. Celebrity guests like YouTube star Ricky Dillon (who tweeted about how excited he was to talk about his favorite show) will also make appearances throughout the day. The Pll-themed Superfan Suite snippets are hosted by Stephanie Gray,...
- 8/11/2015
- by Bree Brouwer
- Tubefilter.com
YouTube has a new way to officially recognize content creators who’ve finally reached the 9-figure subscriber count. At VidCon on July 23, 2015, Google’s online video site revealed its new diamond-level YouTube Play Button award for creators who hit the all-impressive milestone of ten million subscribers.
YouTube’s VP of Product Management Matthew Glotzbach took to the industry stage at the end of the industry track’s closing keynote speech by YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki. Glotzbach explained how YouTube had previously created the silver- and gold-tier Play Button awards (bestowed at 100,000 and one million subscribers respectively), but hadn’t quite foreseen the need for an award for ten million subscribers.
But now, Glotzbach said over 35 different YouTube creators have ten million subscribers or more. Therefore, YouTube created the diamond Play Button, which Glotzbach had Wojcicki unveil on stage in all its sparkly glory.
Glotzbach then asked all ten-million-subscriber creators who...
YouTube’s VP of Product Management Matthew Glotzbach took to the industry stage at the end of the industry track’s closing keynote speech by YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki. Glotzbach explained how YouTube had previously created the silver- and gold-tier Play Button awards (bestowed at 100,000 and one million subscribers respectively), but hadn’t quite foreseen the need for an award for ten million subscribers.
But now, Glotzbach said over 35 different YouTube creators have ten million subscribers or more. Therefore, YouTube created the diamond Play Button, which Glotzbach had Wojcicki unveil on stage in all its sparkly glory.
Glotzbach then asked all ten-million-subscriber creators who...
- 7/24/2015
- by Bree Brouwer
- Tubefilter.com
In 2010, before Kids React and its resulting spin-offs had become the centerpiece of their online video presence, Benny and Rafi Fine debuted Milly, a hand puppet who vlogged in a high-pitched voice. Milly’s channel has been dormant since 2012, but on July 14th, The Fine Bros brought her back to interview a pair of special guests. Milly sat down with Bill Hader and Amy Schumer, the stars of the upcoming movie Trainwreck.
In the video, Milly sits down with Hader, Schumer, and Rafi Fine (who shows up to keep his “friend” in check). She proceeds to ask a series of risque questions that challenge her childlike purity. Hader and Schumer play along by delivering a steady stream of droll one-liners.
Hader and Schumer aren’t the first actors to promote a movie alongside The Fine Bros. In December 2014, a few weeks before the release of The Interview, Seth Rogen and...
In the video, Milly sits down with Hader, Schumer, and Rafi Fine (who shows up to keep his “friend” in check). She proceeds to ask a series of risque questions that challenge her childlike purity. Hader and Schumer play along by delivering a steady stream of droll one-liners.
Hader and Schumer aren’t the first actors to promote a movie alongside The Fine Bros. In December 2014, a few weeks before the release of The Interview, Seth Rogen and...
- 7/14/2015
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
The Fine Bros have gathered an audience of millions by asking kids, teens, elders, and YouTubers to react to the most significant viral videos on the Internet. Between them, those four demographics cover a wide range of viewpoints, but there are still many Americans who have not yet delivered their opinions on K-Pop. In the latest expansion of their React franchise, Benny and Rafi Fine will launch Adults React, which will star guests between the ages of 20-55.
As with the other React shows, Adults React will feature a handful of recurring participants. In particular, The Fine Bros noted in an introductory video how the launch of Adults React will provide a new home for cast members who have aged out of Teens React.
In a new twist for the React franchise, Adults React videos will often be broken down even further, with groups like college students, parents, and thirtysomethings receiving their own reaction videos.
As with the other React shows, Adults React will feature a handful of recurring participants. In particular, The Fine Bros noted in an introductory video how the launch of Adults React will provide a new home for cast members who have aged out of Teens React.
In a new twist for the React franchise, Adults React videos will often be broken down even further, with groups like college students, parents, and thirtysomethings receiving their own reaction videos.
- 6/1/2015
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
TruTV has turned to CollegeHumor's Big Breakfast Studios for its latest round of linear television projects. The cable network has ordered a pilot based on the comedy site’s longest-running original web series Jake and Amir, and also picked up a season of the site’s popular series Adam Ruins Everything.
TruTV will air a pilot episode of Jake And Amir, produced by Electus Digital and Ed Helms’ Pacific Electric Picture Company. The linear show is based off the weekly CollegeHumor buddy comedy series starring Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld, which ran its last episode on April 7, 2015. The web series produced over 800 videos, with nearly 1 billion total video views since the show’s beginning. No release date for TruTV’s Jake and Amir pilot has been announced as of yet.
TruTV also ordered a full season of Adam Ruins Everything, a show based on the titular web series from CollegeHumor starring comedian Adam Conover.
TruTV will air a pilot episode of Jake And Amir, produced by Electus Digital and Ed Helms’ Pacific Electric Picture Company. The linear show is based off the weekly CollegeHumor buddy comedy series starring Jake Hurwitz and Amir Blumenfeld, which ran its last episode on April 7, 2015. The web series produced over 800 videos, with nearly 1 billion total video views since the show’s beginning. No release date for TruTV’s Jake and Amir pilot has been announced as of yet.
TruTV also ordered a full season of Adam Ruins Everything, a show based on the titular web series from CollegeHumor starring comedian Adam Conover.
- 5/13/2015
- by Bree Brouwer
- Tubefilter.com
DisneyCollectorBR continued to hold onto the #1 spot on the Top 50 Most Viewed U.S. YouTube Channels chart for the 12th week in a row. YouTube's prime destination for videos featuring adults playing with children's toys shot up 50% on the week to top just shy of a very impressive 123.8 million views. In a very distant second place is WWEFanNation. The YouTube outpost of World Wrestling Entertainment crushed it over the last week, slamming down 44% more views than it did the week before to end with nearly 77.5 million views over the seven-day stretch.
Taylor Swift maintained her third place position. The international country-turned-pop star's channel's view count was up 38% to amass more than 77.4 million views on the week. Next up is Wiz Khalifa. The YouTube channel of the American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pa saw a 43% increase in its view count to end the week with almost 70.7 million views.
And rounding out the Top 5 is BuzzFeed Videos.
Taylor Swift maintained her third place position. The international country-turned-pop star's channel's view count was up 38% to amass more than 77.4 million views on the week. Next up is Wiz Khalifa. The YouTube channel of the American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pa saw a 43% increase in its view count to end the week with almost 70.7 million views.
And rounding out the Top 5 is BuzzFeed Videos.
- 5/10/2015
- by Joshua Cohen
- Tubefilter.com
Read More: Watch: First Teaser for 'Penny Dreadful' Season 2 Hints at More Horror Showtime debuted today exclusive "Penny Dreadful" content from massively popular YouTube creators Fine Brothers Entertainment, MadeYewLook and VSauce3. The YouTube stars have each created customized videos to promote the Season 2 premiere of the gothic literary drama. Check them out below. The Fine Brothers If you're short on time to binge-watch but still want to tune in on Sunday night, Beni and Rafi Fine of The Fine Brothers have you covered with the new episode in their "Spoilers" series. "Penny Dreadful" Season 1 is fully-covered in an 8-minute long, one-take recap. MadeYewLook Anyone looking to get a head start on their Halloween costumes should tune in to MadeYewLook's makeup tutorial video, where she explains how to use makeup effects to recreate a certain someone's werewolf look. Vsauce3 For a more philosophical take on the show, check out...
- 4/28/2015
- by Becca Nadler
- Indiewire
YouTube’s New Projects Include AwesomenessTV Feature Films, Fine Brothers and More ‘Prank vs. Prank’
Get ready for more quality content from the Fine Brothers. YouTube said Tuesday that it’s launching partnerships with some of its top creators, including Benny and Rafi Fine (pictured above), the sibling team behind the “React” videos and others. The partnership with the Fine Brothers includes plans for a scripted comedy series, which will take “a satirical look at the world of singing competition shows,” will be produced by Mandeville Films. Also in the works: A new project from “Prank vs. Prank” duo Jeana and Jesse Wellens. The series will feature the pair being joined by celebrity guests in a quest.
- 4/28/2015
- by Tim Kenneally
- The Wrap
Mandeville Films is partnering with YouTube powerhouse Fine Brothers Entertainment on an untitled original series.
Benny Fine, Rafi Fine, Max Benator, David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Laurie Zaks serve as executive producers. YouTube will fully fund the series.
The half-hour show, created by the Fines and developed with Mandeville’s Hoberman and Lieberman, is a comedic series that pokes fun at TV singing contests.
“We thought the Fines were amazing and we all got excited about the idea of a real transmedia opportunity as well as this ambitious push by YouTube into the scripted spaces,” said Hoberman and Lieberman. “With the Fines’ built-in audience in that platform, it felt like a natural fit.”
“We are excited to be part of this new phase with YouTube to continue our decade long passion to produce premium online shows,” added Benny and Rafi Fine, whose creations include Kids React and spin-offs Teens React and Elders React.
“This partnership...
Benny Fine, Rafi Fine, Max Benator, David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Laurie Zaks serve as executive producers. YouTube will fully fund the series.
The half-hour show, created by the Fines and developed with Mandeville’s Hoberman and Lieberman, is a comedic series that pokes fun at TV singing contests.
“We thought the Fines were amazing and we all got excited about the idea of a real transmedia opportunity as well as this ambitious push by YouTube into the scripted spaces,” said Hoberman and Lieberman. “With the Fines’ built-in audience in that platform, it felt like a natural fit.”
“We are excited to be part of this new phase with YouTube to continue our decade long passion to produce premium online shows,” added Benny and Rafi Fine, whose creations include Kids React and spin-offs Teens React and Elders React.
“This partnership...
- 4/28/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
As they look to stock their YouTube channels, Benny and Rafi Fine are once again turning to third-party creators. The brothers, who have amassed more than 11.8 million subscribers on their primary YouTube hub, plan to fund between 6 and 12 new web series for their various channels.
According to a release, The Fine Bros plan to source programming from both internal development and third-party pitches. They will begin by offering three-to-five episode orders for each program they greenlight; from there, they will fund additional episodes for the shows that see the most success.
“Our channel is home to some of the most popular series online for both scripted and unscripted content," said Benny Fine in the release, "and we’re looking to find and develop the next hit series on on the web, and excited to fund emerging talent and creators and get their work seen by our dedicated subscriber base."
The...
According to a release, The Fine Bros plan to source programming from both internal development and third-party pitches. They will begin by offering three-to-five episode orders for each program they greenlight; from there, they will fund additional episodes for the shows that see the most success.
“Our channel is home to some of the most popular series online for both scripted and unscripted content," said Benny Fine in the release, "and we’re looking to find and develop the next hit series on on the web, and excited to fund emerging talent and creators and get their work seen by our dedicated subscriber base."
The...
- 3/25/2015
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Recently, The Fine Bros--whose main channel counts more than 11.6 million subscribers and upwards of 2.7 billion views--have attempted to increase their presence across alternate platforms like film and TV. As they expand their operation, Benny and Rafi Fine are in need of a bigger team, and to that end, they have hired Brandie Tucker, a veteran TV producer, as Vice President of Alternative Television.
Tucker is perhaps best known for producing hit TV shows like Big Brother and Hell's Kitchen. At Fine Bros Entertainment, according to a release, she will "be responsible for growing Fbe's burgeoning nonscripted television business through creative development of new properties and oversight of current production."
"Alternative television has become a very active area for us and we're fortunate to have someone with Brandie's experience and background join us to help shepherd that part of our business," said Benny Fine in the release.
The Fine Bros...
Tucker is perhaps best known for producing hit TV shows like Big Brother and Hell's Kitchen. At Fine Bros Entertainment, according to a release, she will "be responsible for growing Fbe's burgeoning nonscripted television business through creative development of new properties and oversight of current production."
"Alternative television has become a very active area for us and we're fortunate to have someone with Brandie's experience and background join us to help shepherd that part of our business," said Benny Fine in the release.
The Fine Bros...
- 3/4/2015
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Welcome to our second annual installment of the yearly Tubefilter Top 250 Most Subscribed YouTube Channels chart.
With 2015 now firmly underway, we've collected and organized all the data from the year prior so you can see which online video channels amassed the the largest audiences and fan bases in 2014. The names won't be unfamiliar to any regular reader of our Tubefilter Charts, though you may seem some new channel discoveries as you scroll down the list.
And Spoiler Alert: Very impressive stats below.
Chart Toppers
In 2014, the most subscribed channel on YouTube belonged to a twentysomething Swedish gamer whose parents named him Felix Kjellberg, but who's better known online as PewDiePie. Kjellberg's ever-growing collection of Let's Play videos accompanied by the occasional personal vlog and charitable campaign amassed almost 14 million subscribers last year, bringing the total count of his Bro Army to well above 33 million.
In a far distant second, but...
With 2015 now firmly underway, we've collected and organized all the data from the year prior so you can see which online video channels amassed the the largest audiences and fan bases in 2014. The names won't be unfamiliar to any regular reader of our Tubefilter Charts, though you may seem some new channel discoveries as you scroll down the list.
And Spoiler Alert: Very impressive stats below.
Chart Toppers
In 2014, the most subscribed channel on YouTube belonged to a twentysomething Swedish gamer whose parents named him Felix Kjellberg, but who's better known online as PewDiePie. Kjellberg's ever-growing collection of Let's Play videos accompanied by the occasional personal vlog and charitable campaign amassed almost 14 million subscribers last year, bringing the total count of his Bro Army to well above 33 million.
In a far distant second, but...
- 1/23/2015
- by Joshua Cohen
- Tubefilter.com
For the first time in a long time neither DisneyCollectorBR nor PewDiePie is in the #1 spot on the weekly chart. That honor goes to GetMovies. The YouTube destination for Russians wishing to watch cartoons and family programming amassed nearly 114.9 million views in the last seven days. That's a very impressive weekly view count, but DisneyCollectorBR still wasn't far behind. The internet's top destination for videos of adults playing with children's toys received almost 112.9 million views on the week.
Felix Kjellberg's PewDiePie channel is up next in the unfamiliar #3 spot. The Swedish gamer's repository of Let's Play clips scored more than 97.9 million views during the week. Taylor Swift is next up in fourth place. The country-turned-international-pop-star's music video catalog witnessed an 8% uptick in views to end the week with more than 78.8 million of them.
And rounding out the Top 5 is LittleBabyBum. The online video collection of everyone's favorite children's songs...
Felix Kjellberg's PewDiePie channel is up next in the unfamiliar #3 spot. The Swedish gamer's repository of Let's Play clips scored more than 97.9 million views during the week. Taylor Swift is next up in fourth place. The country-turned-international-pop-star's music video catalog witnessed an 8% uptick in views to end the week with more than 78.8 million of them.
And rounding out the Top 5 is LittleBabyBum. The online video collection of everyone's favorite children's songs...
- 1/9/2015
- by Joshua Cohen
- Tubefilter.com
The Fine Bros will soon have a TV show credit to their name. Benny and Rafi Fine have partnered with Nickelodeon to bring the premiere episode of ReactToThat (based on their hit React YouTube series) to traditional television on December 15, 2014. In the ReactToThat TV show, celebrities and children will react to viral online videos, but with an addition not found in the Fine Bros’ digital series. The participants will be asked to partake in a challenge or showdown based on the video they just watched, such as trying to see who can clap the fastest. The premiere episode will feature YouTube fashion vlogger Bethany Mota (who’s more than content to stay on YouTube and launch fashion lines with Aeropostle), AwesomenessTV’s Lia Marie Johnson, Paris Smith of Nickelodeon’s Every Witch Way, and Mace Coronel and Aidan Gallagher of the network’s Nicky, Ricky, Dicky, & Dawn. Nick Cannon and...
- 12/11/2014
- by Bree Brouwer
- Tubefilter.com
It's another installment of the weekly Tubefilter Chart of the Top 50 Most Viewed U.S. YouTube Channels and a channel for tots is still in the top spot. Chart Toppers DisneyCollectorBR is in first place on the U.S. charts for its 11th week in a row. The YouTube destination for toddlers and parents of toddlers that features videos of adults playing with children's toys received a 5% bump in views to end the week with more nearly 93.3 million of them. MovieClipsTrailers is next up in the second place position. Fandango's home for trailers of hot new movies saw a massive 150% week-over-week increase in views to net almost 85.8 million views on the week. Taylor Swift is up next in the #3 spot. The international pop star's view count continues to stay relatively constant after the release of 1989 and ended the seven-day stretch with almost 83.6 million views. In fourth place is Meghan Trainor.
- 12/8/2014
- by Joshua Cohen
- Tubefilter.com
YouTube stars the Fine Brothers are joining with Big Block Entertainment on an untitled teen comedy. Benny and Rafi Fine — who have built a big presence on YouTube and other social media — and will write, direct and produce the untitled feature-length project.
The film is billed as “an over-the-top look at the clique-filled world of high school” as outcasts turn the tables on their tormentors.
“We haven’t made a feature-length film since we were teenagers, and we’re excited to be making one now,” the brothers said in a release. “Consider this our spin on classics like Can’t Hardly Wait and Mean Girls, and we can’t wait to unleash this movie to our 10+-million subscribers and beyond.”
Big Block’s Tom Pellegrini (Jiro Dreams Of Sushi, Hesher) and Tony-nominated Broadway producer Scott Prisand (Rock Of Ages, Legally Blonde) will produce. Big Block founder and CEO Scott Benson (Ride,...
The film is billed as “an over-the-top look at the clique-filled world of high school” as outcasts turn the tables on their tormentors.
“We haven’t made a feature-length film since we were teenagers, and we’re excited to be making one now,” the brothers said in a release. “Consider this our spin on classics like Can’t Hardly Wait and Mean Girls, and we can’t wait to unleash this movie to our 10+-million subscribers and beyond.”
Big Block’s Tom Pellegrini (Jiro Dreams Of Sushi, Hesher) and Tony-nominated Broadway producer Scott Prisand (Rock Of Ages, Legally Blonde) will produce. Big Block founder and CEO Scott Benson (Ride,...
- 12/4/2014
- by David Bloom
- Deadline
The Fine Bros may be best known for their short-form React series on YouTube (and soon to be on television), but the two fraternal partners are now taking their creative talents to the big screen. Benny and Rafi Fine (who boast over 13.8 million subscribers across three YouTube channels) will write, produce, and direct a currently-unnamed film in partnership with Big Block Entertainment Group. The upcoming movie is set to be a teen comedy filled with a premise of high school growing pains and angst. Here's the logline from the release: Comedic feature film that takes an over the top look at the clique filled world of high school and how the people you grew up with, and even used to be friends with, often become the same people who torment you by the time you graduate....and now it's time for the outcasts to change all of that. Big Block...
- 12/4/2014
- by Bree Brouwer
- Tubefilter.com
A year ago, The Fine Bros and 8-bit animator Doctor Octoroc completed a choose-your-own-adventure game based off the short-lived NBC series Freaks And Geeks. The Fine Bros explained the game as "our tribute to the cast & crew of this brilliant but cancelled show," and they have now taken the tribute one step further by sharing the game with two members of that cast. James Franco and Seth Rogen stopped by The Fine Bros' studio for a special episode of React, in which they played their way through the Fine Bros version of the Freaks and Geeks universe. Rogen and Franco are currently promoting their film The Interview, which arrives in theaters on Christmas. As part of their rounds, they checked out their 8-bit likenesses and played through the annotation-based game. They seemed to enjoy themselves, though Rogen notes that "you didn't make Jason Segel tall enough." At the end of their video,...
- 12/2/2014
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
At the most recent VidCon, prominent YouTube duo Benny and Rafi Fine announced their plan to finance content from other creators. Four-and-a-half months later, the first of those funded videos has arrived. Fine Bros Entertainment has distributed an underwater version of The Hunger Games created by The Kloons. The video is a shot-for-shot remake of the climactic standoff from the first Hunger Games film, but with a twist: The entire scene is filmed underwater. The video arrived on YouTube just ten days before the franchise's latest installment, Mockingjay: Part 1, debuts in theaters. The Kloons are a trio of sketch comedians who some viewers may remembers as finalists from the second season of Internet Icon. The group has made the re-enactment into its signature video format, and its most popular series, Sisters, features lip-synced versions of conversations between 60-year-old women. The latest episode of Sisters recently arrived on The Kloons' channel,...
- 11/11/2014
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Felix Kjellberg's PewDiePie channel is, for the first time in a long time, not at the top of our monthly Most Subscribed YouTube channel charts. The internet's most popular destination for Let's Play videos dropped down to the #2 spot despite a 36% month-over-month increase in subscribers. The twentysomething Swedish gamer's more than 1.1 million new subscribers on the month just wasn't enough to top a brand new channel from a pair online video vets. The Fine Bros.' shiny new React channel took the top spot away from PewDiePie to become the Most Subscribed YouTube Channel in July 2014. The online video outpost for new iterations of Benny and Rafi Fine's React franchise went from 0 to more than 1.2 million subscribers during the month. And what's more is The Fine Bros. original channel also increased its subscriber base in a very impressive way. The Fine's primary YouTube destination took third place on...
- 8/31/2014
- by Joshua Cohen
- Tubefilter.com
The Fine Bros' Teens React web series is usually light-hearted, but every once in a while, Benny and Rafi Fine release an episode with a more serious tone. The latest Very Special Episode in the Teens React library discusses an important topic for teens who are out on the road for the first time: drunk driving. As with other Teens React, the drunk driving video features ten adolescents as they watch and respond to a topic video. In this case, the chosen video is titled "I killed a man", and it describes an instance of DUI-related vehicular homicide from the driver's perspective. Since its release on August 24th, the video has been viewed more than three million times. The drunk driving episode of Teens React was launched in partnership with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (Nhtsa) as part of the "Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over" campaign. The timing...
- 8/29/2014
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
The Fine Bros have come up with another new spin for their React format, and it involves guest stars who have established themselves on traditional media platforms. On August 14th, Benny and Rafi Fine will debut "TV, Film, and Sports Stars React", a special edition of their most popular series. This will be the fifth version of React (or the sixth, if you could their "Cats React" April Fools joke), joining Kids, Teens, Elders, and YouTubers React. The trailer features ten guests who, in typical React fashion, will be subjected to whatever viral video The Fine Bros choose to show them. The ten guests in the trailer are Maria Menounos, Sarah Hyland, Nick Cannon, Tony Hawk, Emily Osment, Aimee Teagarden, Debby Ryan, Chris Hardwick, Pete Holmes, and James Van Der Beek; from the looks of it, the video they will react to will be a bizarre one. This won't be...
- 8/12/2014
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
On Tuesday, Variety released a survey that revealed the five most influential figures among Americans ages 13-18 are all Youtube celebrities. These stars beat out mainstream stars (including the queen of relatability, Jennifer Lawrence), all without the help of studio budgets, national TV appearances, or PR teams.
That’s kind of the point.
Teens in Variety’s study found Youtube stars more “engaging,” “relatable,” and even “smarter” and “more reliable” than mainstream stars (their relative sex appeal was about even), primarily because these internet celebrities provide an “intimate and authentic experience.” People who run Youtube channels speak directly with their fans,...
That’s kind of the point.
Teens in Variety’s study found Youtube stars more “engaging,” “relatable,” and even “smarter” and “more reliable” than mainstream stars (their relative sex appeal was about even), primarily because these internet celebrities provide an “intimate and authentic experience.” People who run Youtube channels speak directly with their fans,...
- 8/6/2014
- by Jackson McHenry
- EW.com - PopWatch
When we last checked in with React, the new channel from online video creators Benny and Rafi Fine, it had pulled in 500,000 subscribers in one day. While the channel's pace has slowed since then, it managed to reach one million subscribers just six days after The Fine Bros debuted it in an introductory video. Thanks to data from VidstatsX, we can see that the React channel had 60,000 subscribers on July 21st. The next day, the channel's creators made its presence known, and Fine Bros fans flocked to it at an unparalleled rate. On July 27th, the channel's first episodic video--in which the Teens React teens play the Goat Simulator video game--pushed the subscriber count over one million. By the next morning, the channel passed 1.06 million subs, thus ensuring a million subscriber week for The Fine Bros. As far as we can tell, the React channel now holds the title of...
- 7/28/2014
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
The Fine Bros run one of the biggest channels on YouTube, so it comes as no surprise that a new channel under their umbrella has attracted a huge swarm of fans. Despite contained no videos other than a channel trailer, the new React channel has amassed more than 500,000 subscribers in one day. React is not the first offshoot channel launched by The Fine Bros; Benny and Rafi Fine previously created a separate home for their web series MyMusic. While React will not contain any actual episodes of the web series from which it draws its name, it will feature the kid, teen, and elder stars of those videos as they play games, answer fan questions, and host several other audience-approved formats. A channel trailer released on July 22nd served as React's first release, and as The Fine Bros noted in their introductory video for the channel, fans began to flock...
- 7/23/2014
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
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