Keeping Up With the Industry News
Most of the news out there that concerns the evolution and progress of the various media formats we all know and love is going to come to us via the power of news sites. It’s simply easier for Internet journalists to get off the mark quickly when something breaks and they want to let the world know (and want to make a buck or two by being one of the first to break it). But sometimes filtering through all that text can be a huge pain in the butt. So we find ourselves scanning titles to see what the gist of the news is and then, perhaps, if we have a few extra seconds, giving a once-over on the articles themselves. Heck, if it’s something we’re really interested in, we might even read the entire thing. Luckily, the miracle of the Internet has made it easy for us to get caught up on geek-centric news without necessarily having to click through tons of print-based media sites.
There are two main ways to get your news in an alternative fashion - video and radio. And when I say video, I mean sites like YouTube. And when I say radio, I really mean podcasts. Though it takes some time to put these sorts of presentations together, so you won’t get the news hot off the presses, they can be a very entertaining way of finding out what’s going on. Personally, as someone that follows geek news pretty closely, I’ve found these alternative sources of media to be much more satisfying, especially when it comes to all the stuff that’s only mildly interesting. The right personalities can make even the more boring of stories into works of comedic art. Of course, you have to wade through tons of sites before you find even a few that are right for you. So, with the growing presence of video and audio news programs, I decided to gather up a short-list of some of my favorites. Enjoy.
YouTube -
There’s nothing quite like watching someone tell you what’s going on. Great personalities are oftentimes more entertaining than the news itself, so it almost doesn’t matter what comes out of their mouths as long as it comes out funny. There’s also the advantage that not all industry-related material needs to be news-oriented, but can instead be presented as shows in their own right, complete with proper editing, commentary, special effects and all that other good stuff that comes with the visual medium.
Some of you out there may remember a beautiful and wonderful show called X-Play. It was one of (if not the primary) show that made the G4 channel famous. And then they cancelled it and started spam-marathoning episodes of Cops. Go figure. Fans of X-Play will remember a fellow by the name of Adam Sessler, a hilarious video game reviewer that, because of the loss of the show, moved on to better things. Now, he hosts a YouTube channel called Rev3Games. You can tune in to learn all the latest about video games, from reviews to examinations of the industry and beyond.
CinemaSins is a guilty pleasure of mine. They don’t so much report on the news as give the axe to movies via a series known as “Everything Wrong With…” Good movies and bad alike, they delve into all the ridiculous crap that people are expected to accept these days with regards to movie-making. The series is spoiler-heavy, but the end result is an honest look at some of the failures of
In addition to mocking celebrities and famous franchises, Screen Junkies is perhaps best known for their Honest Trailer series. Another way to get the lowdown on a film before you see it, this series talks about what the movies are really about. They have a no-holds-barred approach, so you can watch them tearing apart Transformers one day and Lord of the Rings the next. Though they aren’t a proper news channel, you’ll probably end up learning something new simply by virtue of them pointing out the obvious.
Podcasts -
Sometimes it’s better to just listen. This can be the perfect way to spend an afternoon lying on the couch or to keep your mind going while making dinner. Most podcasts run about an hour, so they’re pretty bite-sized when it comes down to it.
This is by far my favorite podcast out there right now (and it’s not just because I work with these guys on another site). The team of Jason and Jeremy bring a rude and crude snark to the latest industry news that will have you laughing yourself to tears. Every week (or thereabouts) they put together around 80 minutes that examines all the rumors, announcements and other particulars of movies, television and more. And every once in a while they’ll bring on someone famous for an interview, which is cool too. If you like independent podcasts with serious attitude, definitely give them a try.
There is hardly a geek in the world that is not familiar with the name of Kevin Smith. And while he may not be putting out too many movies these days, he does still maintain his podcast. The SModcast addresses everything from movies to comics to celebrities and all of it with the voice of Smith and his companions. Being that Smith is a pretty knowledgeable guy, it’s a smarter podcast. Though he does tend to go off on very, very long tangents sometimes, so you have to be able to endure his rants in order to fully enjoy the experience.
Another of the top-rated podcasts, the Nerdist Podcast is a show put together by geek-icon Chris Hardwick. If you’re a fan of anything geeky, you’ve probably seen Hardwick pop up somewhere in your periphery. He’s hosted tons of shows, including the Talking Dead and Talking Bad discussion series on AMC. The podcast is just another of his many projects, in which he and his co-hosts talk about all-things geek-related as well as interview some rather famous people from all across the industry spectrum
So the next time you decide that reading everything just isn’t worth the time, check out a different way to keep yourself current. Better yet, do what I do - draw a nice, hot bath, set your computer to the latest podcast episode and just kick back for an hour doing nothing but relaxing and laughing your ass off. Way better than pulling your hair out every time you hear
Photo Credits -
Rev3Games courtesy of gigadventure.com
CinemaSins courtesy of geektyrant.com
ScreenJunkies courtesy of zamonthly.com
BastardCast courtesy of radiobastard.com
SModcast courtesy of themaninthemoviehat.com
Nerdist courtesy of nerdist.com