Meet the YouTube Filmmakers

Arin Crumley
At the age of 16, Arin Crumley began experimenting with low-res digital video equipment, making short documentaries, and abstract video art to display behind his band's electro concerts. Today, The Wall Street Journal lists Arin among the top 20 new media moguls, and applauds the co-creation of the popular independent film and online video series, Four Eyed Monsters. In late 2002, Arin met his future co-director and collaborator, Susan Buice, beginning a relationship that evolved into the creation of Four Eyed Monsters. Since the film's completion (and the launch of its online video-complement), the project has become a cult phenomenon. To date, the video podcast has received over two million views, theaters across the nation have booked the film due to its online fan-base, and the film itself was nominated for two Spirit Awards – including Best Cinematography (which is extremely rare for a film shot on digital video). Four Eyed Monsters became the first feature-length film to be uploaded in its entirety to YouTube – where the film raised $50,000 in sponsorship revenue.

Ben Shelton
Ben Shelton made his first film in Junior High. He received a BA in Theatre Arts from the University of Puget Sound and co-founded the student film club with his filmmaking partner Eric Ankrim. In 2004, Ben moved to Los Angeles to pursue filmmaking. After spending his early career as a Set Production Assistant, Ben and Eric began making internet videos. The success of their work led to a number of projects with companies including Fox Entertainment, the NBA and MySpace. Ben co-wrote and directed the short film "My Name Is Lisa," which won third place in YouTube's first film competition, Project Direct, and went on to win the 2007 YouTube Award for Best Short Film, as decided by the YouTube community.

Francis Stokes
Francis Stokes is a screenwriter and film director living in Los Angeles. He has two dogs. He attended New York University's Tisch Film School. In the time it took his sister to produce two actual human beings, he produced the independent feature film 'Harold Buttleman, Daredevil Stuntman'. He then scaled back a bit, shooting the ultra low budget web series 'God, Inc.' in two weekends and uploading it to YouTube. It was featured on the main page of YouTube and developed a cult following. Francis currently has two TV series in development with the Sci-Fi Channel, one of which is 'God, Inc.'

Javier Prato
Javier Prato was born in 1977 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He studied filmmaking under Rodolfo Hermida, a prominent Argentinian teacher and TV producer, and studied screenwriting under Beda Docampo Feijóo, an Argentinian film director. Following Hermida's advice that the best way to study film was to move to the U.S., Javier began taking English language classes while studying television production in college. He moved to Los Angeles in July of 1998 and enrolled in Cinema Studies at LACC. Rather than transfer to USC, he decided to start making his own short films. Since then, his shorts, commercials and music videos have won awards at film festivals around the country. His short "Jesus Christ! The Musical", a 1-minute provocative and satirical vignette, has become a phenomenal international Internet success. He recently wrapped production on his latest 3-minute short film, "Ring of Blood", produced with practically no budget, using the power of editing and special effects to increase the production value of the film. The trailer can be seen on his YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/javierprato. Javier was one of the top 20 finalists in YouTube's first film competition, Project Direct.

M dot Strange
M dot Strange makes wacko animated feature films in his bedroom that debut at the Sundance Film Festival. He's won awards and all that...His next animated feature film will be here in 2010. He has a bike and too many computers.