Ben Silverman’s Electus is launching Loud, its latest YouTube channel, on July 2, featuring programming from a roster of pop culturati like Kevin Smith and Ralph Garman, George Watsky, JB Smoove, MMA legends Rashad Evans and Kenny Florian, celebrity jeweler Ben Baller, and TV personality Quddus.
Loud is the brainchild of Silverman (The Biggest Loser, The Office, Mob Wives) with consultation from DiGa, co-founded by Tony DiSanto and Liz Gateley (Jersey Shore, Teen Mom, 16 and Pregnant). As implied by their collective track record, Loud intends to be a home for entertaining characters and “buzz-worthy” content. (Loud supplied a guide to its programming, which is posted below.)
“It is our mission to create really funny, entertaining content for fans of pop-culture that build on the strengths of both YouTube and traditional television in terms of creating series with high production value that speak directly and intimately to the YouTube community,” said Drew Buckley, chief operating officer and head of Digital, Electus.
Related links:
Loud – http://www.youtube.com/loud
Electus – http://www.electus.com
Photo of Kevin Smith courtesy of SModcast
Loud released the following information about its initial programming and talent lineup:
• BEN BALLER (Featuring celebrity jeweler Ben Baller): Ben Baller is the jeweler to the stars. Running his business out of the Slauson Super Mall and growing his influence via his massive social media presence, Ben has created over-the-top works of gold, platinum and diamond for the likes of Justin Bieber, Tom Cruise, Paris Hilton, Michael Jackson, Nas, Reggie Bush, Mariah Carey, and many more. Each episode Ben will give us exclusive access to his process, working with a different celebrity every week to create an ever-more-baller work of bling, fighting with his staff and making tight deadlines all in the name of a fantastic piece that will lead him to a referral to his next huge client. Ben Baller is created and executive produced by Danny Lee (DANNYLEEWORKS) and Bo Bushnell (The Western Empire). Ben Baller will premiere in the coming months.
• COUPLES FIGHT (Featuring MMA legends Rashad Evans and Kenny Florian): You’re with your girlfriend at a bar, looking at the other clientele when you spot that other couple across the room – and that’s when it hits you. “We could totally take them.” In this new reality series, MMA legends Rashad Evans and Kenny Florian each take a team, training the couples for the fight of their lives, where the victorious couple wins a cash prize. Both teams go through grueling workouts, side-by-side for one week, culminating in a three-round fight, guys vs. guys and girls vs. girls! Couples Fight will premiere in the coming months.
• HIPSTER ORCHESTRA PRESENTS: FOUR STRINGS AND AN 808 (Featuring The Jingle Punks Hipster Orchestra): The Jingle Punks Hipster Orchestra channels hits from Hip Hop and washes them through the post-modern mix-brain of Jingle rawness like only the Punks can. The result—four beautiful string players from Juilliard and a bevy of bearded Punks on the 808 drum machines churning out hits and great content in a rollicking ride of creativity and guerrilla concert ideas. Each episode will feature The Jingle Punks Hipster Orchestra rapping out and performing their favorite hip hop tunes. Hipster Orchestra Presents: Four Strings and an 808 will premiere in the coming months.
• K-LOL: THE INTERNET’S LOCAL NEWS: In collaboration with Cheezburger and Serious Business and based on Cheezburger’s hit site TheDailyWh.at, K-LOL features a team of intrepid comedian reporters that will bring together the very latest memes, LOLs, weird news, and viral phenomena currently trending around the internet. Created by and for a savvier “in-the-know” audience of true “Netizens,” K-LOL’s correspondents will bring to light the best content from traditionally unexplored corners of the memesphere. Segments will include a mixture of quick-hitting headlines, analysis, interviews with Internet Heroes, tongue-in-cheek social media how-to guides, viral parodies, graphic meme contests, audio-dubbed cute pet videos and much more, culled from the various and hugely popular Cheezburger sites and the web. It’s not pop culture, it’s Internet Culture. K-LOL will premiere on Thursday, July 12th.
• ROFL (Featuring Actor/Comedian JB Smoove and more): Each week, ROFL will feature a single stand-alone sketch from top comedians including JB Smoove. Each sketch will be short, but packed with high-impact laughs that will make viewers want to share the clips with friends. ROFL will premiere in the coming months.
• THE Q-SIDE (Featuring TV personality Quddus): The Q-Side is a weekly dose of pop culture where curator and host of ABC’s Duets, Quddus, tells all of us what we need to be watching, listening to, visiting, and paying attention to. Each topic gets its very own Q-score, telling us in no uncertain terms: this is a miss, or this is a hit! The Q-Side will premiere on Tuesday, July 10th.
• WATSKY’S MAKING AN ALBUM (Starring George Watsky): Watsky’s Making An Album is a new mockumentary series starring George Watsky, the fast-rapping/hip hop phenomenon whose music videos made him one of the biggest breakout viral artists of 2011. Watsky’s fan base and fame have skyrocketed alongside his music, tracking more than 80 million viewers as well as multiple appearances on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, a profile on Last Call with Carson Daly and across-the-board media praise from the likes of XXL, Billboard and New York Times Magazine. Watsky’s Making An Album will give viewers a hilarious inside look at the comedy of errors that ensues when Watsky attempts to take his career to the next level by packing his album with big name guest stars and pop legends and preps for the July 1st kick-off of his first national headlining tour. Watsky’s Making An Album will premiere on Monday, July 9th.
