Wilson Cleveland

Last updated

Wilson Cleveland
Wilson Cleveland at YouTube Space event.jpg
Cleveland at the 2015 Streamy Awards
Born (1974-07-04) July 4, 1974 (age 50)
Alma mater Boston University
Occupations
  • Actor
  • producer
  • writer
Years active2006–present
Website wilsoncleveland.com

Wilson Cleveland (born July 4, 1974) is an American actor, producer and writer. He is known as the creator, producer and co-star of Leap Year and The Temp Life .

Contents

Career

In 2006, Cleveland created and starred as the character Nick Chiapetta in The Temp Life, a comedy web series [1] which debuted on YouTube on November 29, 2006 and ended January 24, 2011 after 5 seasons. In 2012, The Temp Life won the Webby Award for Best Comedy Series. [2]

In 2011, Cleveland executive produced an 8 episode web series called Bestsellers . [3] Cleveland created, [4] executive produced and starred in [5] Suite 7 , a seven-episode branded web series sponsored by the Better Sleep Council and distributed by Lifetime. [6]

Cleveland is the co-creator, executive producer and co-star of Leap Year, [7] a comedy-drama series about five former co-workers starting a tech company in Silicon Valley, that aired for two seasons on Hulu from 2011 to 2012. [8] It was revealed during the second season that Cleveland's character, Derek Morrison is gay. Cleveland, himself openly gay, explained in a June 28, 2013 NewMediaRockstars interview, "I wanted Derek’s sexuality to be a subtle layer to the character" and "not make it some big plot twist or its own storyline." [9] In 2013, Leap Year won the Webby Award for Best Branded Entertainment (Scripted), [10] the Streamy Award for Best Branded Series [11] and the IAWTV Award for Best Dramatic Series. [12]

Other works

Cleveland produces content through Unboxd Media, which he founded. [13] In 2010, Cleveland produced The Webventures of Justin and Alden , a five-episode comedy web series sponsored by Trident and produced in association with the 2010 Streamy Awards. [14] In 2014, Cleveland starred in the season five premiere of BlackBoxTV . [15] Also in 2014, Cleveland starred opposite Hartley Sawyer in the short films Kept Man and Spin . [16] Cleveland and Sawyer shared a 2015 Webby Award for Best Drama for Kept Man [17] while SPiN was named Best Drama by the Webbys in 2016. [18] Also in 2016 Cleveland created and starred in Intricate Vengeance . [19] Cleveland has also appeared in 3 episodes of Annoying Orange , has been a guest host for DNews , [20] and is the creator and executive producer of Courageous Leaders .

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Felicia Day</span> American actress

Kathryn Felicia Day is an American actress, singer, writer, and web series creator. She is the creator and star of the web series The Guild (2007–2013), a show loosely based on her life as a gamer. She also wrote and starred in the Dragon Age web series Dragon Age: Redemption (2011). She is a founder of the online media company Geek & Sundry, best known for hosting the show Critical Role between 2015 and 2019. Day was a member of the board of directors of the International Academy of Web Television from December 2009 until August 2012.

A web series is a series of short scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet, which first emerged in the late 1990s and became more prominent in the early 2000s. A single instance of a web series program can be called an episode or a webisode. The scale of a web series is small and a typical episode can be anywhere from three to fifteen minutes in length. Web series are distributed online on video sharing websites and apps, such as YouTube and Vimeo, and can be watched on devices such as desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and Internet-connected television sets. They can also be released on social media platforms. Because of the nature of the Internet, a web series may be interactive. Web series are classified as new media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhett & Link</span> YouTube comedy duo

Rhett James McLaughlin and Charles Lincoln "Link" Neal III are an American comedy duo. Self-styled as "Internetainers", they are known for creating and hosting the YouTube series Good Mythical Morning. Their other notable projects include comedic songs and sketches, their IFC series Rhett & Link: Commercial Kings, their YouTube Premium series Rhett & Link's Buddy System, their podcast Ear Biscuits and their novel The Lost Causes of Bleak Creek.

iJustine American YouTube personality (born 1984)

Justine Ezarik is an American YouTuber. She is best known as iJustine, with over one billion views on her YouTube channel. She gained attention as a lifecaster who communicated directly with her millions of viewers on her Justin.tv channel, ijustine.tv. She acquired notability in roles variously described as a "lifecasting star", a "new media star", or one of the Internet's most popular lifecasters. She posts videos on her main channel iJustine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Streamy Awards</span> Excellence in online video production

The YouTube Streamy Awards, also known as the Streamy Awards or Streamys, are an awards show presented annually by Dick Clark Productions and Tubefilter to recognize excellence in online video, including directing, acting, producing, and writing. The formal ceremony at which the awards are presented takes place in Los Angeles, California. They were the first ever awards show dedicated entirely to web series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Academy of Web Television</span> Organization for streaming television

The International Academy of Web Television (IAWTV) was founded in 2008 and is devoted to the advancement of the arts and sciences of streaming television and web series production.

<i>Easy to Assemble</i> American comedy series by Illeana Douglas

Easy to Assemble is a web series created by and starring Illeana Douglas, and sponsored by furniture store IKEA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2nd Streamy Awards</span> 2010 awards ceremony recognizing online video

The 2nd Annual Streamy Awards, presented by the International Academy of Web Television, was the second installment of the Streamy Awards honoring streaming television series. The awards were held on Sunday, April 11, 2010, at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Paul Scheer served as the host of the presentation. Over 1,300 audience members were in attendance and the show was broadcast live online.

<i>DeStorm Power</i> American Internet celebrity

DeStorm Power is an American Internet personality, actor and rapper who began his career on YouTube.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Helbig</span> American YouTuber and actress (born 1985)

Grace Anne Helbig is an American comedian, actress, and internet personality. She is the co-creator and co-host of the podcast This Might Get Weird (2018–present) alongside frequent collaborator Mamrie Hart and is the voice of Cindy Bear in the Max animated series Jellystone! (2021–present).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">React Media, LLC</span> American media company founded by Benny and Rafi Fine

React Media, LLC is an American reacting, digital media and entertainment company founded by brothers Benny Fine and Rafi Fine, creators and media entrepreneurs. React Media produces the React video series, their several timed-spoiler series, narrative web series, and created a "transmedia" sitcom on YouTube, MyMusic.

<i>The Philip DeFranco Show</i> US YouTube webseries

The Philip DeFranco Show, often abbreviated and referred to as the PDS, is a pop culture and news series created by American YouTube personality, Philip DeFranco, and his main claim to fame. The show has gone through several schedule changes through its lifetime, but as of 2023, airs weekly, Monday through Thursday. The first video with The Philip DeFranco Show included in its intro was uploaded on June 21, 2007. As DeFranco became increasingly popular, he signed with Revision3, which would eventually acquire all of DeFranco's assets, including the PDS. The Philip DeFranco Show has been sponsored by Netflix, Ting, and State Farm. The show has been nominated for and has won several awards that focus on internet culture and web series. In 2017, DeFranco purchased his assets back from Group Nine and the Philip DeFranco Show is now a part of the Philip DeFranco Network and produced by Rogue Rocket, DeFranco's production company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachael Hip-Flores</span> American actress

Rachael Lauren Hip-Flores is an American actress. Born and raised in Piscataway, New Jersey, she is known for her role in the web series Anyone But Me, for which she received the IAWTV, Streamy, and Indie Series Awards for Best Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She also played a lead role in the web series Producing Juliet for which she received nominations for Best Ensemble Cast and starred in a series called Good people in love, for this she was nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Drama. She also appeared as a leading actress in the two webseries, Shadow Free and Lucercia

<i>React</i> (media franchise) Entertainment media franchise

React is a media franchise created and owned by React Media, LLC, consisting of several online series centering on a group of individuals reacting to viral videos, trends, video games, film trailers, or music videos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IAWTV Awards</span>

The IAWTV Awards is an annual event hosted by the International Academy of Web Television, currently based in Los Angeles, that honors web series creators and talent in more than two dozen categories.

<i>The Temp Life</i> American TV series or program

The Temp Life is an American comedy web series created and produced by Wilson Cleveland, who also stars as Nick Chiapetta. The series, sponsored by Spherion debuted on YouTube on November 29, 2006, ran for five seasons and is considered to be the first and longest-running online branded entertainment series.

<i>Leap Year</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Leap Year is an American comedy-drama series created and executive produced by Wilson Cleveland and Yuri Baranovsky, who also star as brothers Derek and Aaron Morrison. The series, sponsored by Hiscox, about five former co-workers starting a tech company, debuted June 6, 2011, on Hulu and YouTube. The first season had received 3.7 million streams as of February 29, 2012, when it was announced the series had been renewed for a second season, which premiered on June 18, 2012.

<i>The Webventures of Justin and Alden</i> American TV series or program

The Webventures of Justin and Alden is an American comedy web series co-created and produced by Wilson Cleveland, Sandeep Parikh, Dominik Rausch and Illeana Douglas, who all make appearances in the show. The series, sponsored by Trident in association with the Streamy Awards debuted on My Damn Channel on April 27, 2010 with an introduction from Grace Helbig as well as on CollegeHumor, YouTube and Atom.com.

<i>BlackBoxTV Presents</i> American horror anthology series

BlackBoxTV Presents is an American horror anthology web series created by Tony E. Valenzuela and Philip DeFranco. The first season, which featured a cast of YouTube creators including DeFranco, iJustine, and Shane Dawson, was self-funded by Valenzuela and debuted on the BlackBoxTV YouTube channel on August 17, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony E. Valenzuela</span>

Tony Edvard Valenzuela is an American director, producer and writer widely known for creating BlackBoxTV, a YouTube channel dedicated to short horror films and series. He also directed The Axe Murders of Villisca (2017), for IFC and Fight of the Living Dead.

References

  1. Kaufman, Rachel (25 August 2010). "The Branding Campaign That Became an Honest-to-Goodness Phenomenon". AdWeek. Retrieved 25 August 2010 via Eldridge Industries, LLC.
  2. "2012 Webby Award Winners". Webby Awards. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  3. Hustvedt, Marc (17 January 2011). "SFN Group Targets Working Women with 'Bestsellers'". Tubefilter.
  4. Shields, Mike (17 January 2012). "Hulu's Originals Problem". Digiday . Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  5. Miller, Liz Shannon (28 November 2010). "90210 Reunion Just One of Suite 7's Stories". GigaOm. Retrieved 28 November 2010 via Knowingly, Inc.
  6. Szalai, Georg (28 November 2010). "Milo Ventimiglia, Shannen Doherty Cast in Branded Web Series to Promote Proper Sleep". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 28 November 2010 via Eldridge Industries, LLC.
  7. Sellers, John (8 August 2011). "'Leap Year': Branded Sitcom From 'Break a Leg' Creators Is Worth a Look". Reuters . Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  8. Nededog, Jethro (29 February 2012). "Leap Year Web Series Renewed for Season 2, Sets Summer Premiere". The Hollywood Reporter . Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  9. Manarino, Matthew (28 June 2013). "Wilson Cleveland: Leap Year Co-Creator, Actor And The Hardest Working Man In Digital Video". NewMediaRockstars. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  10. "2013 Webby Award Winners". Webby Awards. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  11. "3rd Annual Winners & Nominees". Streamy Awards . Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  12. "Winners from the 2013 IAWTV Awards". International Academy of Web Television. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  13. Castillo, Michelle (1 April 2014). "Meet Watch Awards Talent Judge Wilson Cleveland". Adweek . Beringer Capital. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  14. Miller, Liz Shannon (1 June 2010). "How The Webventures of Justin & Alden Survived the Streamy Awards". GigaOm . Retrieved 27 May 2018 via Knowingly, Inc.
  15. Castillo, Michelle (1 April 2014). "Meet Watch Awards Talent Judge Wilson Cleveland". Adweek . Beringer Capital. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  16. Ehrman-Dupre, Joseph (9 December 2014). "The Art of the Short Film: Kept Man". IndieWire . Indiewire.com. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  17. "2015 Webby Award Winners". Webby Awards. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  18. "2016 Webby Award Winners". Webby Awards. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
  19. Spangler, Todd (5 April 2016). "New Form Digital Launches Third Wave of Original Scripted Pilots". Variety . Penske Business Media, LLC . Retrieved 11 June 2018.
  20. Dominguez, Trace (13 October 2014). "Can You Actually be Scared to Death?". DNews. Retrieved 12 May 2018.