We're happy to announce a new way to add interactive commentary to your videos -- with Video Annotations. With this feature, you can add background information, create branching ("choose your own adventure" style) stories or add links to any YouTube video, channel, or search results page -- at any point in your video.
Uploaders have control over creating and editing an unlimited number of annotations on their videos. To start annotating, first make sure you have videos uploaded into your account. Log in, then go to view one of your videos. On the Video page, click the blue "Edit Annotations" button to the right of the video.
As you play your video, you can insert commentary by adding speech bubbles, notes and highlight boxes anywhere you want. You can also use the...
Newsflash: A friend just called to tell you that there's an abandoned convertible teetering over the edge of a bridge, about to fall into the river just a mile from your house.
You:
a) Return to the couch and finish watching the season finale of Lost, which you TiVoed last week.
b) Turn on your laptop to see if CNN has published a story yet on its website.
c) Grab your video camera and sprint to the scene of the action, ready to capture the car's dramatic plummet into the rushing waters below.
If you answered c, you might be one of the many citizen reporters here on YouTube -- those who may not be practicing journalism for a living but are certainly helping to tell news stories that might not otherwise be covered by mainstream media outlets....
Back in March, Vancouver Film School and YouTube announced a first-of-its-kind competition. The challenge was to make a three-minute video about the theme, "What matters most to me." The prize: three full-tuition scholarships to one of VFS's world-class programs. After months of submissions and many fantastic entries, our judges whittled the competition down to ten worthy finalists. Now, after a week of voting by the YouTube community, we are pleased to announce the winners of the VFS/YT Scholarship Competition.
From Mexico in the program of Digital Design, Jorge Rolando Caneda Estrada:
Is vacation planning giving you your first case of the summertime blues? With gas prices and airfares skyrocketing, embarking on an exciting/bank-breaking getaway is probably the least appealing thing on the thrifty traveler's mind.
Some travel gurus on YouTube feel your pain and are here with helpful tips for turning those dollar-draining days into dog days. For instance, to avoid the costs of pricey hotels or hostels, you might try Couch Surfing:
As summer officially approaches (at least here in the U.S.), it's time to move the cooking outside. Luckily, your fellow YouTubers have no shortage of advice on how to blow everyone away with your grilling skills. You'll find a plethora of videos on making many of the staples everyone loves, including baby-back ribs, chicken, and hamburgers. Expertvillage has a series that teaches you everything you need to know about barbecuing sausages, thanks to Lawrence Holmes of L.A.'s Big Papi's BBQ joint.
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