When we started looking at this assignment, the first thing immediately came to mind was a YouTube group of Remixers notorious for “Autotuning the News.” With over 500 million views on their YouTube channel, Schmoyoho turns otherwise ordinary people into internet sensations. They can also be accredited for taking already viral videos like Sweet Brown, and Antoine Dodson over the top. One of my favorite Schmoyoho videos take an already eccentric news report and amplifies it, turning the “witness” into yet another overnight internet celebrity.
This video “borrows” material from the news agency, but also adds new original content that is not initially part of the report. This video embodies a number of features that could be defined as “transformative use”. This video is not only a parody, but also becomes a new creative product.