Do you watch The Mindy Project? If so, it is pretty much guaranteed that you will thoroughly enjoy the sitcom’s web series centered on the show’s breakout star Ike Barinholtz. It’s called The Morgan Project. Need I say more? Watch all three installments after the break, and keep tabs on the show’s official site for more.

The Mindy Project airs Tuesday nights at 9:30PM on FOX. (Click here for more…)

This Tuesday Halo 4 releases for Xbox 360 and a new trilogy forges on. In the original trilogy developer Bungie introduced us to the iconic Master Chief and we controlled the super-solider as he discovered the Halo Array and the Ark, crippled the alien alliance known as the Covenant, and battled the parasitic Flood. After going on to release a prequel to Halo 3 designated ODST and a prequel to Halo: Combat Evolved with Halo: Reach, Bungie handed the franchise’s reigns to a new developer, 343 Industries. Halo 4 brings us back into control of the Chief, and we find him just where we left him at the end of Halo 3 in 2007; he’s aboard the UNSC ship Forward Unto Dawn, floating in space drifting toward a mysterious Forerunner planet called Requiem. Chief’s last words were delivered to Cortana, his AI companion, and they were, “Wake me, when you need me.” Halo 4, in addition to providing addicting online multiplayer modes, will delve deeper into the franchise’s mythology as Master Chief inadvertently crash lands on a Forerunner planet infested with Covenant, Forerunner technology, and, according to the game’s marketing, “an ancient evil awakens.” And on top of that, there’s something wrong with Cortana; she is going “rampant” (or insane) because she is operating beyond her natural lifespan.

Excited yet? Let me give you a boost…

Leading up to the release of Halo 4, Microsoft Studios and 343 Industries developed a five-part live-action web series set in the Halo universe. Forward Unto Dawn follows a group of freshman cadets at the UNSC’s Corbulo Academy of Military Science and places particular focus on troubled cadet Thomas Lasky. The story takes fans to the beginning of the Human/Covenant war and it seamlessly weaves into where things kick off in Halo 4. The series is a bold journey into the Halo universe and it tells a compelling story worth investing your time in, especially if you’re a fan of the franchise. The acting and special effects are surprisingly effective, and in addition to amping you up for the new game it will also make you wish a Halo miniseries a la HBO’s Band of Brothers was made. Forward Unto Dawn can be viewed online at Machinima or on your console via the Halo Waypoint app.

Halo 4 is being sold in various forms; there’s the regular copy ($60), the limited edition copy ($100), it’s bundled in a Halo-themed 320GB console package ($350), and there’s a Halo-themed wireless controller ($60). Want a read more before jumping in? IGN gives a glowing review. Watch the launch trailer after the break. (Click here for more…)

The return of The Walking Dead may be a little over a week away, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your zombie fill right now. The show’s makeup and special FX expert Greg Nicotero is back directing a new batch of Walking Dead webisodes. The four-part web series is titled Cold Storage and it follows Josh Stewart (No Ordinary Family) as Chase, a man trying to make his way to his sister in the early days of the zombie apocalypse. Thanks to some nasty walkers, he is forced to make a pit stop at a storage facility controlled by a guy (Lost‘s Daniel Roebuck) who thinks he has it all figured out.

“It’s such a thrill to revisit the The Walking Dead world from a new perspective and tell a bit of a darker story this time around with the webisodes,” said Nicotero. “We had a terrific cast, and once again the crew came up with some killer walker gags and visual effects. This year there’s a clear nod to the ‘show’ but our story could definitely exist on it’s own as the ‘what if’ story of The Walking Dead.”

Here are direct links to the four gory, suspenseful installments that make up Cold Storage:

PART 1 // PART 2 // PART 3 // PART 4

The Walking Dead returns with all-new episodes October 14 on AMC.

These days technology plays a big part in the production and progression of music. Don’t believe me? There’s a new web series out now that will help explain and entertain. It’s called The Playlist and it comes from the minds of G4′s Attack of the Show host Kevin Pereira and Musical Playtime segment producer Yaniv Fituci. The web show serves as a platform to educate fans of music across all genres about the fusion of technology, music, and pop culture as well as an interactive competition that will pit renowned musicians against each other to claim victory inside the “Audio Octagon.”

Episode 1, directed by Nick Tabri, is out today and it is comprised of five videos. Video DJ and turntablist Mike Relm (perhaps best known for his “Old Spice Remix” clip) explores the history of video mixing and tells how the art of VJing has become a worldwide phenomenon today. The other videos introduce the first two teams who will enter the Audio Octagon, namely video mixers Eclectic Method and Screenwerks. In addition to getting to know the players, you will also be acquainted with their DJ equipment that includes Pioneer’s DVJ-1000 and DJM-800 and Novation’s Dicer. And then there are the rules.  Field correspondent Kathryn Lyn explains that each team is given a playlist of 15 unique samples ranging from viral hits to video game sequences and over the course of three rounds a winner will be crowned based on the most creative use of the audio-visual clips. Viewers can voice their opinions and vote for the victor over Twitter. The battle between Eclectic Method and Screenwerks is coming soon.

With The Playlist, Pereira and Fituci intend to spark interest and discussion around the way modern technology is shaping the evolution of music and the pop culture scene. Over the course of several episodes sponsored by Pioneer DJ, The Playlist will cover a wide spectrum of musically-inclined technology like controllerism, chiptune, percussion, and MIDI. Sure, it’s cool to say you’ve seen the latest and greatest viral hits the Internet so generously offers; but wouldn’t it be even better to be informed about the people and technology that drive them?

Enter The Playlist. (Facebook / Twitter / YouTube)

Felicia Day and her team of Guildies have released their third music video based on Day’s wildly popular web series The Guild. Jed Whedon directed and co-wrote the song with Day. How does it compare to the insanely catchy “(Do You Wanna Date My) Avatar” and the Bollywood themed rompus from the past? Click play and find out for yourself! Fun fact: I assisted in the making of this video. So watch it and share it and love it.

Felicia Day, creator of The Guild and Penny from Dr. Horrible, stars as Tallis the Elvish assassin in the new six-part web series Dragon Age: Redemption. It takes place in Bioware’s Dragon Age universe, based on the video game franchise of the same name. Though the web series is essentially here to promote downloadable content for Dragon Age II, it also serves to elevate the relevance and respectability of a made-for-Internet series. Check out the first episode titled “Tallis” to see how Day and the creative team behind it have expertly blended fun dialogue (written by Day) and exciting action (directed by Peter Winther) that results in a worthy introduction to a live action series grounded in a video game-based world. New episodes will be uploaded to Machinima’s YouTube channel every Tuesday at midnight.

Today AMC uploaded a six-part web series set in the Walking Dead universe. “Torn Apart” tells the sad tale of how mother-of-two Hannah transforms into the iconic “Bicycle Girl” zombie Rick Grimes is forced to kill in the pilot episode. You know, the one pictured above. The webisodes are directed by Walking Dead FX specialist (and now co-executive producer) Greg Nicotero. Sit back and enjoy this bloody vignette; it’ll surely whet your appetite as the season 2 premiere of the Walking Dead looms. It’s under two weeks away: October 16 at 9PM.

Here are direct links to the webisodes: PART 1 // PART 2 // PART 3 // PART 4 //  PART 5 // PART 6

Can you remember way back to June 2010 when a live action Mortal Kombat-themed video hit the ‘Net and instantly went viral? The nearly eight-minute short film garnered critical acclaim and its maker Kevin Tancharoen (Fame) quickly climbed the latter of popularity. Tancharoen’s intent was to pitch his vision for a reimagined Mortal Kombat movie to Warner Bros., the company that owns the rights to the video game and film franchise. Taking baby steps, the studio has granted the director/choreographer the rights to make a 10-part web series based in the MK universe. The web series–now officially titled Mortal Kombat: Legacy–will serve as a promotional crossover as it will debut April 12, one week prior to the release of the new Mortal Kombat video game. It has been confirmed that the following actors from the the 2010 viral hit will return in the upcoming web series: Jeri Ryan (Star Trek: Voyager) is Sonya Blade, Michael Jai White (The Dark Knight) is Major Jackson ‘Jax’ Briggs, and Darren Shahlavi (300) plays Kano. This week the production team unleashed this all-too-brief fight sequence from the series which stars Jax taking on Kano (update: and this trailer).

If this web series turns out to be anything like last year’s spectacular reboot, we are all in for a very big treat. Anticipate the 4/12 debut and on that day point your browser to Machinima’s YouTube channel at precisely midnight PST.

Update (4/12): Episode 1 is out now! I’ve replaced the embedded video above with the twelve minute ep, which happens to include the Jax/Kano fight sequence teased late last week. The production value is through the roof, something that shouldn’t come as a surprise if you watched the summer short. Episode 1 introduces many of the main characters and places them in a stylistically gritty MK universe I think you’re going to fall for. No more chit-chat, mash play and enjoy Mortal Kombat: Legacy, part 1 of 10. Keep tabs on this YouTube channel for upcoming eps.

Update 2: Character stills have been found and placed in the gallery below. Also, jump after the break to watch a video interview featuring director Kevin Tancharoen, stars Jeri Ryan and Michael Jai White, and MK co-creator Ed Boon. In it they discuss the making-of the web series and what’s in store for the future.

The Confession, fully previewed here, is a thriller that follows a hitman (Kiefer Sutherland) who has a theological discussion with a priest (John Hurt) about why his victims deserved to die. The series streams exclusively on Hulu; 10 five-to-seven-minute webisodes have been produced. The first batch of “chapters” have been made available to watch starting today. In “Chapter 1″ Sutherland enters a Catholic church confessional where he confronts a priest at gunpoint and forces the holy man to listen to his sins. Sutherland makes it a point that it has been 35 years since his last confession. The episode switches back and forth between the confession and action-packed flashbacks highlighting the hitman’s misdoings. Having watched the first episode I can say though this new character is not Jack Bauer, Sutherland certainly can’t contain the man he played for so many years. Also of note, 24‘s composer Sean Callery has produced the music for this series, and you can hear (ever-so-slightly) hints of 24‘s sound effects. Whether or not you’re a fan of the genre-defining FOX show you should make some time to watch this top notch, high caliber series being distributed over the web. Graphic scenes do pop up, so if you haven’t signed up for a free Hulu account you’ll have to do that to access the video page.

Watch the intense trailer above, then head over to Hulu and stream the first three chapters of The Confession.

BioWare, the studio behind the role-playing game franchise Dragon Age, has tapped web series guru Felicia Day to produce a brand new series based in the world of the game. Dragon Age: Redemption takes place in Ferelden, the same environment Bioware’s original Dragon Age and upcoming Dragon Age 2 games are set in. Day, who penned the story, will play Tallis an Elven assassin who she describes as being “headstrong, she fights dirty, and she has a really sarcastic sense of humor.”  She adds, “I wanted to bring a modern sensibility to a fantasy character in a fantasy world.” Day teamed up with director Peter Winther (associate producer of Independence Day), cinematographer John Bartley (Lost‘s DP), and props extraordinaire Greg Aronowitz to up the ante in terms of web series creation. “They are going to take this a step above what we have seen on the Web before,” says Day. Comedy web series The Guild this is not. Expect higher production value and kick-ass action sequences to boot. More than serving as a marketing device for Bioware (and parent company EA), Redemption will further propel the art of the web series into an entirely new realm of respectability…certainly if Felicia Day has anything to say about it.

Last night Day was a featured guest on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and there she premiered a teaser trailer for the series. Watch the trailer above and click after the break to find the Fallon segment. Dragon Age: Redemption is slated to begin its six-episode run this summer.

[Via USA Today] (Click here for more…)

Do you watch the fantastic web series The Guild? Well I’ve got some great news for you: sponsors Microsoft and Sprint have picked up The Guild for a fifth season! In case you’re living inside a bubble, the long-running web series follows the on- and off-line lives of a group of MMORPG gamers. The wildly colorful characters and the laugh-out-loud words they speak to one another were imagined by co-creator and writer Felicia Day. Says Day to GigaOm, “We’re lucky that we have such an eager fanbase and that our numbers have stayed so high. Partnering with Xbox increased our fanbase in a real way–it introduced us to millions of people who never would have seen it before.” She adds, “Every season has had a different style and sensibility. That has been on purpose. We’re always exploring different aspects of our characters. This season will be no different!”

After last season’s cliffhanger of an ending, it’s expected that Day will take the gang to a convention for the game they play. According to co-creator Kim Evey, cosplayers may or may not be involved. Director Sean Becker, confirmed to helm season 5, adds to the conversation. “The convention based story line will allow us to take these characters further out into the unknown (meaning away from their computers), which will be new to us as well on the production side,” he told Tubefilter. “I look forward to personally exploring this new environment as well as seeing the characters interact in it. It’s going to be a lot of fun, and by fun I mean extremely hard work.”

If you aren’t caught up on all the seasons, run–don’t walk–to portals like Xbox Live, MSN Video and the Zune Marketplace to watch them. I can confidently say that The Guild is bar none the greatest web series of all time. And I’m not just saying that because I contributed to the production of season 4. It’s smart, funny, witty, and best of all it’s a feel-good comedy that always leaves you wanting for more. Expect season 5 to hit the ‘Net this summer. But will season 5 be the last? According to Day, don’t even think about. “For the end of this season, I have an idea for what I want to do and it’s definitely not closing a door. I’m definitely not planning to make Season 5 the final one. The characters are a vast well. I can’t stop coming up with ideas for them.”

[Via GigaOm; Tubefilter]

The trials and tribulations of Jack Bauer have come to an end, so what’s next for the incredible actor who played our nation’s hero for eight years?  In a surprising move, Kiefer Sutherland has decided to test the Internet waters in an upcoming web series produced by Sutherland, Chris Young, Joseph Gomes, and Maura Mandt.  It’s called The Confession and Sutherland stars as “a hitman who has a theological discussion with a priest (played by English actor John Hurt) about why his victims deserved to die.”  The series, written and directed by Brad Mirman, was shot in New York during the snow storm last month over nine days.

Sutherland shared with EW his excitement about this new project.  The origin story: “It came about in such a different way,” Sutherland said.  ”I was meeting a couple friends of mine, who wanted to introduce me to Chris Young (of Digital Broadcasting Group). I know so little about the internet, but that’s what a lot of friends do for work. Most of that stuff being produced for the internet is comedy, very much like Jackass kind of material, which is great but didn’t appeal to me. Chris started talking about wanting to do a drama, but his criteria was so different. A drama in five-minute episodes! It was one of those things, like a puzzle over the course of the lunch. It can’t be that complicated to figure out a story in five minutes, right? I couldn’t, and it frustrated the crap out of me. So I went home that night, still thinking about it, and it stayed with me for three days. I was falling asleep when I literally got this idea of a confessional.”

He thinks that creative content distributed over the Internet is the wave of the future.  ”None of us were paid what we normally get paid,” Sutherland admitted. “Everybody found their own challenge in it, and that was the reason to do it. All of us believe very strongly that the internet is the future, the largest network in world, with the ability to reach a big audience.” (Click here for more…)

As promised, the first episode of The Jeff Lewis 5-Minute Comedy Hour is here!  The (web) series premiere “Tag” stars comedian Jeff Lewis (The Guild) and fellow Guild castmates Brett Sheridan and siblings Vince & Tara Caso.  There’s minor instances of NSFW language, so beware.  The video is embedded after the break.  In my opinion the preview episode “Dinner” screened at Comic Con’s Celebrate the Web panel is laugh out loud hilarious on a whole different level for its gracious use of explitives and gross humor; but that’s just me.

The ten-episode first season was written by Lewis and directed by Sean Becker (The Guild, Awkward Pictures).  Guest stars will include Felicia Day (The Guild), Vince Caso (The Guild), Tara Caso (The Guild), Brett Sheridan (The Guild), Jamie Kaler (My Boys), Kyle Bornheimer (Worst Week), Tom Konkle (Safety Geeks SVI), and Kim Evey (Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show).  Watch out for new one-sketch episodes every Tuesday on YouTube.

[Via TubeFilter] (Click here for more…)

The name of this new web series gets me every time: The Jeff Lewis 5 Minute Comedy Hour.  “Coming soon” is this new foul-mouthed, crazy hilarious series that brings The Guild‘s Jeff Lewis into the spotlight.  The first season is directed by Sean Becker (The Guild, Awkward Pictures).  I was given a taste of the first few episodes this summer and I must say they truly are freaking laugh-out-loud hilarious.  Lewis is riot; it’s about time he’s starring in his own series.  The video above was shared last week at Comic Con during the “Celebrate the Web” panel.  It was received extremely well by the crowd.  Do yourself a favor today and watch this sneak peek and prepare yourself for the hilarity that will surely ensue when the “5 Minute Comedy Hour” hits the web soon.

Warning: This video contains lots and lots of swearing.

I still can’t get “(Do You Wanna Date) My Avatar” out of my head and now there’s this!  At this year’s Comic Con acclaimed web series The Guild unveiled their latest creation, Bollywood-inspired music video.  The lyrics are catchy (again), the production value is top notch, and the art direction is superb (thanks to the enormously talented Greg Aronowitz).  So watcha waiting for?  Jump in and GAME ON!

Update: Great new, Guildies!  “Game On” is now available to purchase for keeps at iTunes.  Since it was placed in the digital store it quickly climbed the charts to become the #1 top-selling pop music video in the US and UK, surpassing the likes of Justin Bieber and Katy Perry.  The video currently stands at the #2 spot behind Kenny Chesney for top-selling overall music video.  Help the cause, purchase a copy, and let’s make “Game On” the top-selling music video today!

You know Rob Corddry.  He started as a correspondant on The Daily Show and he starred in the failed FOX series The Winner and movies Harold & Kumar: Escape from Guantanamo Bay and Hot Tub Time Machine.  Well he’s a got an award-winning web series called “Childrens Hospital” and it’s downright hysterical.  Created and written by Corddry and collaborators David Wain and Jonathan Stern, “Childrens Hospital” is a satirical medical comedy that “explores the emotional struggles and sexual politics of a group of doctors charged with healthy libidos.  Their dedication to their personal lives is relentless, interrupted only by the occasional need to treat sick children.” 

Check out this all-star cast: Rob Corddry, Malin Akerman (Watchmen), Lake Bell (How To Make It In America), Ken Marino (Party Down), Megan Mullally (Will & Grace), Rob Huebel (Human Giant) and Henry Winkler.  And the guest stars are even better:  Ed Begley Jr. (Arrested Development), Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation), John Cho (Star Trek), Ernie Hudson (Ghostbusters), Kurtwood Smith (That ’70s Show), Lizzy Caplan (Party Down), Rachel Harris (The Hangover) , David Wain, Paul Scheer (Human Giant), Kerri Kenney-Silver (The State), Marion Ross (Happy Days),  Erinn Hayes (Worst Week),  Jason Sudeikis (SNL),  Ed Helms (The Office), and Michael Cera (Arrested Development).

What started as a web series is being turned into a television show to be aired on Adult Swim (late-night Cartoon Network) this summer.  You can watch season one in its entirety right now at TheWB.com, or you can wait to watch it on TV starting July 11 at 10:30PM.  Watch the trailer here.  Ten episodes have been produced and they’re each about 4-5 minutes long.  Season two will follow in August.

[Via IGN]

Web series-turned-comic book The Guild is back with issue numero dos today.  Go ahead and preview it at Dark Horse Comics.  You can buy it there for $3.50.  Missed out on issue #1?  Download it from the App Store for a mere 99 cents here!  Here’s the synopsis for the latest issue:

Since discovering role-playing games, Cyd Sherman spends more and more time in-game as the healer Codex. As her boyfriend ignores her in favor of his fledgling band and her therapist questions whether or not she has “real” friends, Cyd decides to form her own group within the game after meeting Clara, who teaches her about reputation points, and Zaboo, who introduces her to “friending” within the game.

[Via ComicsAlliance]

Calling all Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog fans!  Graphic designer Doctor Octoroc has put together the story of Dr. Horrible in old school 8-bit fashion.  He calls it “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Game” and it plays out like an old Pokeman Nintendo GameBoy game.  Says the good doctor: “All music, sound effects, graphics and animation were created by me as a tribute to Dr. Horrible (Joss Whedon) and the NES.”  This really is a must-watch if you’re into the story and music of Dr. Horrible.  It’s quite brilliant, actually.

CLICK HERE to watch Act 1.  If you have troubles viewing it there, watch it on YouTube.  DocOc promises the next two acts are on their way.  (I will alert you when they’re available to watch.)

Update: Act 2 is now up in all its 8-bit glory!  CLICK HERE to access the homepage and click “Load Game” to select Act 2.  Or watch it on YouTube.  Act 3 is in the works…

Update 2: The final act is up!  Again, CLICK HERE to access the homepage and click “Load Game” and select Act 3.  Or opt for the YouTube page.

[Via Doctoroctoroc]

On April 1 word got out that Felicia Day’s web series The Guild was to expand its dominance to the television with a children’s program called Lil’ Guildies.  The opening segment for the animated series was put on YouTube and it received a ton of positive buzz.  Greg Aronowitz co-created it with Day, and Paul and Storm came up with the catchy theme song.  The miniature Guild members even included an embryonic version of Bladezz, since he is the youngest of the group on the web series.  That little nuggest of information should have made me roll my eyes and figure that this was an elaborate April Fool’s hoax.  But it didn’t.  And now I’m disappointed that it’s not real.  It all started at Tubefilter and it came to a screetching halt when Day screamed April Fools on Twitter.

[Via Tubefilter]