YOBI.tv
YOBI.tv is the free online reality contest network. The site combines social networks, user-generated videos, and reality talent contests. YOBI.tv features talent based user-generated videos. Contestants compete for cash prizes as well as grand prizes that have included trips to the Grammy Awards, Sundance Film Festival and similar venues.
History
A Yobibyte is the largest binary prefix, and it is from this term that YOBI.tv gets its name. YOBI, LLC was founded by entrepreneur Dianne Victor of West Bloomfield, Michigan.
Contests
Contests run on a seasonal basis similar to TV show seasons.
Contest List
At present, YOBI.tv has four contest areas:
- YOBISing - Vocal Talent Contest
- YOBIFilm - Filmmaking Contest
- YOBILaugh - Comedy Contest
- YOBIPics - Photography Contest
YOBI World
The philanthropy section of YOBI. It is the area for charity organizations and groups to be heard. Organizations can create profiles and blogs. Victor founded a nonprofit organization, One Village One World, to support economic development in impoverished African villages. Five percent of YOBI’s profits will go to support this organization.
Yoko Ono expressed interest in YOBI World after corresponding with YOBI, LLC owner Dianne Victor. Ono created a profile on YOBI World and added a YOBI World link to her Imagine Peace website.
YOBI Show
The show is hosted by Danielle Ryan and actor/activist Jeremy Sumpter known for the lead role in 2003's Peter Pan film and currently playing in the show, Friday Night Lights. The YOBI show typically features weekly winners, semifinalists, and finalists. The hosts also go over news regarding the website.
Features
- Entering Contests - Joining YOBI is free if one enters a contest or not. After joining, members can enter any of the contests with videos or photos they have created. No copyrighted material is allowed unless the member owns the copyright or has attained permission from the copyright holder.
- Voting/Prize Funds - Members act as judges and can vote on any contest entry. Vote counts are reset each week before and during the semifinals. YOBI members decide who the winners will be and how large their prizes will be. With each vote the prize funds increase. Prize funds start at $10,000 in each contest and members control how high the prize funds can grow through participation.
- Commenting - YOBI members can view and comment any entry.
- Profiles - All members can create personal profiles. Users can upload a photo, a bio in the about section, and upload a resume. When checking a user's profile one can find links to that user's contest entries, interests, blog posts, and vlogs. Users can also message or add members to their friends from profiles.
Season 1 (2008-2009) Semifinals/Finals
Semifinalists were chosen for 30 weeks. There were a total of 120 semifinalists, 30 in each contest. Semifinals voting lasted for 5 weeks. Each week 5 semifinalists from each contest were voted off which left 5 finalists in each contest for the finals.
Finalists
$ = USD |
YOBI Sing |
YOBI Film |
YOBI Laugh |
YOBI Pics |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1st Place |
Tom Hall - Brisbane, Australia: $17,500 |
Paul Kurti - Toronto, Canada: $12,500 |
Ben Green - London, England: $10,000 |
Philip Southern - Warren, MI, USA: $10,000 |
2nd Place |
Sheryll Gabumpa - Hailey, ID, USA: $5,250 |
Leonie Ellis - London, England: $3,750 |
Jay Gates - Virginia Beach, VA, USA: $3,000 |
Steve Magyar - Edinburgh, Scotland: $3,000 |
3rd Place |
Benjamin Williams - Chandler, AZ, USA: $3,500 |
Miki Miyazaki - Yokohama, Japan: $2,500 |
Albion Gray London, England: $2,000 |
Christy Keech - Virginia Beach, VA, USA: $2,000 |
4th Place |
Haley Dreis - Winston-Salem, NC, USA: $2,625 |
Aaron Levesque - Naugatuck, CT, USA: $1,875 |
Matt Kazam - Reston, VA, USA: $1,500 |
Gediminas Vasilevskis - Vilnius, Lithuania: $1,500 |
5th Place |
Bo Collins - Sisaket, Thailand: $1,750 |
Joseph Bauer - Brisbane, Australia: $1,250 |
Mark Wirtz - St. Petersburg, FL, USA: $1,000 |
Samresh Shrivastava - Delhi, India: $1,000 |
Grand Prizes
- YOBI Sing - Premium tickets to the 2010 Grammy Awards
- YOBI Film - All-access to the 2010 Sundance Film Festival
- YOBI Laugh - Tickets to the premiere of a major comedy film
- YOBI Pics - Tickets to an opening at the Annenberg Space for Photography
Season 2 (2009-2010) Semifinals/Finals
The YOBI.tv second season began June 1, 2009. Semifinalists are chosen for 40 weeks. The semifinals last for 4 weeks and 8 contestants from each contest move on to the finals.