Company:Portal A Interactive

From HandWiki
Portal A
TypeIndependent
IndustryMedia Development and Production
Founded2009
HeadquartersSan Francisco, Los Angeles
Key people
Zach Blume - Managing Partner
Nate Houghteling - Executive Producer
Kai Hasson - Creative Director
Number of employees
53
Websitehttp://portal-a.com/

Portal A is a social video content company that creates brand and original entertainment.[1][2] The company was founded in 2009 by three childhood friends, Nate Houghteling, Kai Hasson, and Zach Blume.[3] As of 2024, Portal A is independently owned.

In 2019, Portal A entered into a strategic partnership with Brent Montgomery and Jimmy Kimmel's Wheelhouse Entertainment,[4] with Wheelhouse taking a minority stake in the company.[5]

Original Content

The studio created White Collar Brawler, an original digital series that ran for multiple seasons on TV with the Esquire Network.[6]

Portal A released Song Voyage, a comedy series shot in Asia following YouTube musical group The Gregory Brothers.[7] The show was distributed by Disney's Maker Studios, and reached over 30 million views, including the viral "Chicken Attack" music video.[8]

The studio released One Shot on Youtube Red in February 2018, an unscripted special with WilldaBeast Adams on a journey to find the next underground dance star.[9]

Portal A developed and produced 5 Minutes From Home,[10] a series starring Stephen Curry. The series received 6 million views[11] over its first three episodes. Lyft sponsored the second season[12] of 5 Minutes From Home.

In 2018, Portal A announced State of Pride for YouTube Originals, a documentary feature film directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman.[13] The film premiered at the opening night of South by Southwest[14] and was named Best Documentary at the GLAAD Awards.[15]

In 2020, Portal A announced the scripted original series Action Royale with Snapchat Originals,[16] and released the 60-minute special Ultimate Home Championship with YouTube Originals.[17] In 2023, Portal A released Level Up with Stephen Curry,[18] an episodic series with Snapchat Originals.

In 2023, Portal A announced Moonshots,[19] a content fund for investing in independent projects with creators. In 2024, Portal A reported that they had allocated $1m in production and staff resources[20] to over 20 Moonshots projects.

Branded Content

Portal A works with YouTube and Google[21] on social video campaigns, and with Lenovo, Target, AT&T, Volkswagen, Infiniti, Clorox, Amazon, Twitter, Sony Pictures, Procter & Gamble, Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, and others.[22]

Portal A is known for producing the annual YouTube Rewind, which has accrued over 1 billion views in aggregate[23][24] since 2011.[25] The company also produced YouTube Rewind 2018, noted as the most disliked video on YouTube.[26][27][28]

The company has worked with Clorox for multiple projects, including "Best Roommate Ever" with Stephen Curry and King Bach.[29] Portal A's work on the "#MotoMods + YouTube Heroes" campaign for Lenovo won a 2017 One Show Pencil.[30] In 2018, Portal A won the Streamy Award for Best Branded Content and the Streamy Award for Best Influencer Campaign for its work with Clorox.[31] In 2020, Portal A released Let's Target with Target featuring Laverne Cox, Tabitha Brown, Emma Chamberlain and others.

Portal A's work with Lenovo includes #CreatorOdyssey,[32] a global creator campaign featuring artists from around the world.

Portal A has worked on a variety of political initiatives,[33] and partnered with the Hillary Clinton 2016 campaign to reach young voters in swing states.[34] In 2020, Portal A worked with the Joe Biden presidential campaign for a social media initiative called #ImVotingFor[35] and released the documentary film American Pathogen, about the Trump administration's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[36]

Recognition

Portal A was named Agency of the Year by the Streamy Awards,[37] Brand Entertainment Agency of the Year by Campaign US,[38] Content Agency of the Year by Digiday,[39] Video Agency of the Year by Digiday,[40] and Digital Studio of the Year by Cynopsis.[41]

Portal A was profiled by Adweek as "creating branded and original content for next generation of digital" [42] and Business Insider wrote that Portal A is "a go-to for social video work for marketers anchored by influencers" and "Portal A has found success bypassing the traditional agency model."[43]

References

  1. ↑ "We make videos for the Internet. And you.". http://portal-a.com/work/. 
  2. ↑ Tate, Ryan. "Constructing This Summer's Viral Video Hit". Wired. https://www.wired.com/2012/07/portal-a-airtime/. 
  3. ↑ "Portal A videos appeal to young voters". SFGate. https://www.sfgate.com/politics/joegarofoli/article/Portal-A-videos-appeal-to-young-voters-3700819.php. 
  4. ↑ "Brent Montgomery's Wheelhouse Invests in Digital Studio Portal A (Exclusive)" (in en). 10 January 2019. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/wheelhouse-entertainment-investing-digital-studio-portal-a-1175018. 
  5. ↑ Coffee, Patrick (10 January 2019). "Wheelhouse Entertainment and Partner Jimmy Kimmel Buy a Minority Stake in Content Agency Portal A" (in en-US). https://www.adweek.com/agencies/jimmy-kimmels-wheelhouse-entertainment-buys-minority-stake-in-content-agency-portal-a/. 
  6. ↑ "How Esquire Network Was Sold on White Collar Brawler". 8 November 2013. https://variety.com/2013/digital/news/how-esquire-network-was-sold-on-fight-club-like-reality-web-series-1200809443/. 
  7. ↑ Hamedy, Saba (30 November 2016). "YouTube musical comedy group The Gregory Brothers launch new series". http://mashable.com/2016/11/30/maker-studios-the-gregory-brothers-new-series/. 
  8. ↑ schmoyoho (2017-01-25), Chicken Attack // SONG VOYAGE // Japan //, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miomuSGoPzI&list=PL8JttaK4Km_Ho803ulT5LHtIVdiTUSgY7, retrieved 2017-02-21 
  9. ↑ "Miami's Underground Dancers Get 'One Shot' on YouTube Red" (in en). http://brief.promaxbda.org/article/miamis-underground-dancers-get-one-shot-with-youtube-red-series. 
  10. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2018-04-25). "Stephen Curry to Relaunch YouTube Channel With Show Featuring His Postgame Chats With Guests" (in en-US). Variety. https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/stephen-curry-youtube-relaunch-1202782091/. 
  11. ↑ Stephen Curry (2018-06-26), Rudy Mancuso & Stephen Curry Drop a New Track | 5 Minutes from Home, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k3-CzTlLy8&list=PLi98pUBYA-vSbxgVJjmYj7N80EZpxc3_v, retrieved 2018-07-30 
  12. ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray (2019-03-14). "Stephen Curry's '5 Minutes From Home' Sets Joel Embiid, Daveed Diggs And Others As Guests For Season 2" (in en). https://deadline.com/2019/03/stephen-curry-5-minutes-from-home-season-2-daveed-diggs-e40-youtube-lyft-unanimous-media-1202574713/. 
  13. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2018-09-13). "YouTube Orders LGBTQ Documentary About Pride Movement" (in en). https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/youtube-state-of-pride-lgbtq-documentary-1202940467/. 
  14. ↑ "YouTube And Portal A's 'State of Pride' Chosen As Opening Night Feature For SXSW 2019" (in en-US). 2019-02-08. https://www.tubefilter.com/2019/02/08/youtube-portal-a-state-of-pride-raymond-braun/. 
  15. ↑ "UPDATING: Award Recipients at the 31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards" (in en). 2020-07-30. https://www.glaad.org/blog/winners-31st-annual-glaad-media-awards. 
  16. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2020-06-11). "Snapchat Renews Content Deals With Disney, ESPN, NBCU and More; Unveils Original Shows From Kevin Hart, Catherine Hardwicke" (in en-US). https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/snapchat-originals-content-renewals-disney-espn-nbcu-kevin-hart-catherine-hardwicke-1234631560/. 
  17. ↑ "NBA All-Star Stephen Curry to Host YouTube Competition Special 'Ultimate Home Championship'". 24 June 2020. https://www.tubefilter.com/2020/06/24/youtube-original-stephen-curry-ultimate-home-championship/. 
  18. ↑ "NEW Webby Gallery + Index" (in en). https://winners.webbyawards.com/2023/social/features/best-social-video-series/244066/level-up-with-stephen-curry. 
  19. ↑ Hale, James (2023-02-22). "Portal A is dedicating a "Moonshots" fund to finance creators' indie projects" (in en-US). https://www.tubefilter.com/2023/02/22/portal-a-moonshots-500000-creator-projects-2023/. 
  20. ↑ Hale, James (2024-11-22). "Portal A has spent $1 million trying to make premium short-form work. Is it?" (in en-US). https://www.tubefilter.com/2024/11/22/portal-a-moonshots-investment-premium-short-form/. 
  21. ↑ "Work | Portal A | Video for the Digital Age | San Francisco, Los Angeles" (in en-US). Portal A | Video for the Digital Age | San Francisco, Los Angeles. 2012-11-14. https://www.portal-a.com/work/. 
  22. ↑ "A Few of Our Partners and Friends". http://portal-a.com/partners/. 
  23. ↑ Watercutter, Angela. "How YouTube Crammed an Entire Year Into Its Epic Rewind Video". Wired. https://www.wired.com/2014/12/youtube-rewind-2014-making-of/. 
  24. ↑ "The Folks Behind YouTube Rewind Video Are Portal A". AdAge. http://adage.com/lookbook/article/production-companies/folks-youtube-s-rewind-video-portal-a/302158/. 
  25. ↑ "Close To 300 Creators Recreate 2017's Top Online Video Trends In Latest Edition Of YouTube Rewind - Tubefilter" (in en-US). Tubefilter. 2017-12-06. https://www.tubefilter.com/2017/12/06/youtube-rewind-2017/. 
  26. ↑ "YouTube Rewind 2018: Everyone Controls Rewind". 6 December 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbJOTdZBX1g. 
  27. ↑ "Inside the Making of YouTube's End-of-Year Video and the Company Behind It" (in en). 9 December 2015. https://adage.com/article/digital/youtube-portal-a-created-year-s-rewind-video/301665/. 
  28. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2018-12-13). "YouTube Rewind 2018 Officially Becomes Most-Disliked Video Ever" (in en). https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/youtube-rewind-2018-most-disliked-video-ever-1203088810/. 
  29. ↑ "Brita uses social influencers to target millennials - Think with Google" (in en). https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/advertising-channels/video/millennial-social-influencer-endorsement-marketing/. 
  30. ↑ "Lenovo / Moto Mods + YouTube Heroes" (in en). http://www.oneclub.org/awards/theoneshow/-award/26888/moto-mods-youtube-heroes. 
  31. ↑ "Portal A, Kevin Hart, 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Honored At First 'Streamys Brand Awards'" (in en-US). 2018-10-11. https://www.tubefilter.com/2018/10/11/portal-a-kevin-hart-rupauls-drag-race-streamys-brand-awards/. 
  32. ↑ "Lenovo collaborated with seven creators on a huge global art project—using a single laptop" (in en). 2024-12-16. https://adage.com/creativity/work/lenovo-collaborated-seven-creators-huge-global-art-project-using-single-laptop/2596666. 
  33. ↑ "Portal A videos appeal to young voters". SFGate. https://www.sfgate.com/politics/joegarofoli/article/Portal-A-videos-appeal-to-young-voters-3700819.php. 
  34. ↑ Spangler, Todd (2016-10-27). "Hillary Clinton Campaign Enlists YouTube Stars for Fan-Surprise Videos (EXCLUSIVE)" (in en-US). https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/hillary-clinton-youtube-glozell-todrick-sam-tsui-1201902383/. 
  35. ↑ Wasserman, Todd. "Portal A: From The Playground To Campaigning For Biden For President" (in en). https://www.forbes.com/sites/toddwasserman/2020/11/01/portal-a-from-the-playground-to-campaigning-for-biden-for-president/. 
  36. ↑ Grove, Lloyd (2020-09-15). "How Jeffrey Wright Is Helping Expose Trump's Coronavirus Lies" (in en). The Daily Beast. https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-the-batman-star-jeffrey-wright-is-helping-expose-trumps-coronavirus-lies. 
  37. ↑ @streamys. "Register" (in en). https://twitter.com/streamys/status/1469879180007333890.  Missing or empty |date= (help)
  38. ↑ "Brand Entertainment Awards 2023: Brand entertainment agency of the year" (in en). June 6, 2023. https://www.prweek.com/article/1825101/brand-entertainment-awards-2023-brand-entertainment-agency-year. 
  39. ↑ "Digiday Awards on Twitter" (in en). https://twitter.com/DigidayAwards/status/994387181786591233. 
  40. ↑ Hayes, Melissa (2019-03-08). "Complex, NBCU and Group Nine win at the Digiday Video Awards" (in en-US). https://digiday.com/awards/complex-nbcu-group-nine-win-digiday-video-awards/. 
  41. ↑ "Winners - Cynopsis Digital Model D Awards 2016" (in en-US). http://www.cynopsisdigitalawards.com/#best-digital-studioproduction-company. 
  42. ↑ "Portal A Creates Branded and Original Content for the Next Generation of Digital" (in en-US). http://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/portal-creates-branded-and-original-content-next-generation-digital-173318/. 
  43. ↑ "A new breed of social-video specialists is stealing business from old-school, TV-obsessed ad agencies". Business Insider. http://www.businessinsider.com/a-new-breed-of-social-video-specialists-are-stealing-business-from-old-school-tv-obsessed-ad-agencies-2017-12. 



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