BlackBoxTV is a commercial YouTube channel and production studio founded by director Tony E. Valenzuela.[2] It was launched on August 17, 2010[3] and relaunched on April 13, 2012[4] as part of YouTube's $150 million original channel initiative.[5] The channel, which has collaborated with Wes Craven,[6] Guillermo del Toro[7] and Anthony E. Zuiker,[8] is home to BlackBoxTV Presents, which Variety called "the longest-running scripted drama online" in March 2016.[9]
The channel originally launched in August 2010 with one scripted series - BlackBoxTV Presents, a horror anthology featuring a cast of YouTube creators including Philip DeFranco, Justine Ezarik and Shane Dawson.[10]
In October 2011, it was announced[11] that BlackBoxTV was among 100 entities YouTube had partnered with as part of a $150 million investment in television-style programming.[12] The channel relaunched on April 13, 2012, with four new series: Silverwood, Black Friday, True Stories and Anthony E. Zuiker Presents, produced in collaboration with CSI creator Anthony E. Zuiker and Collective Digital Studio.[13]
In 2014, Legendary Entertainment partnered with the channel to produce Versions of Elloise for the “YouTube Space House of Horrors: A Legendary Halloween short film contest.”[14] The film was selected among ten finalists by Guillermo del Toro.[15] Also in 2014, Alpine Labs (formerly Ketchum Labs)[16] partnered with BlackBoxTV to distribute the reality competition series Fight of the Living Dead.[17]
| Year | Title | Featuring | Notes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–Present | BlackBoxTV Presents | Bree Essrig Nikki Limo |
Horror anthology series in the vein of The Twilight Zone created by Tony E. Valenzuela.[18] | Current |
| 2012–2013 | BlackBoxTV: Silverwood | Brea Grant Drake Bell |
Eleven-part scripted horror anthology series set in the remote mountain town of Silverwood, California.[19] | Concluded |
| 2012-2013 | Black Friday | Various | Weekly news magazine hosted by rotating correspondents exploring genre pop culture.[20] | Concluded |
| 2012 | True Stories | Jessica Rose | Unscripted reality series focusing on the scary and supernatural, including sleepovers in real haunted houses and exploring frightening places.[21] | Ongoing |
| 2012–2013 | Anthony E. Zuiker Presents | Bill Bellamy Goran Višnjić |
Scripted anthology series featuring 10- to 15-minute episodes developed by Anthony E. Zuiker.[22] | Concluded |
| 2013–Present | BlackBoxTV Pranks | Jesse Wellens | Hidden camera series featuring staged pranks and hoaxes based on horror films.[23] | Concluded |
| 2015 | The Fourth Door | Joey Graceffa | Twelve-episode scripted supernatural drama series also starring Monique Coleman. | Acquired by go90[24] |
| 2015-2016 | Fight of the Living Dead | Meghan Camarena Iman Crosson |
Reality competition series where 10 YouTube creators try to survive a simulated zombie apocalypse.[25] | Acquired by YouTube Red[26] |
| 2015–Present | BlackBoxTV Presents: Horror | 360 | Monique Coleman Lenne Klingaman |
Virtual reality anthology featuring fictional characters and urban legends from the world of horror. | Ongoing |
| 2017-2018 | Find Me | Madison Lawlor | VR/360 narrative series produced in partnership with Collab and the Los Angeles Times featuring visual codes and puzzles for viewers to solve.[27] | Ongoing |
In October, 2015 the channel launched BlackBoxTV Presents: Horror | 360, a virtual reality series for mobile devices and VR headsets. The 11-episode first season included collaborations with Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema.[28] On September 26, 2017[29] the series won "Best Immersive Series" for excellence in 360 and VR filmmaking at the 2017 Streamy Awards.[30] In September, 2016 Collab announced[31] it had signed a deal with BlackBoxTV to represent the channel and fund two 360 video projects.[32] In 2017, the channel debuted Find Me, a scripted virtual reality series, mobile app and game produced in partnership with Collab and the Los Angeles Times.[33]
In 2018, Serial Box acquired the rights[34] to produce Silverwood: The Door, a scripted audio series and eBook that will expand the BlackBoxTV: Silverwood universe.[35]
