Update: Sample video below.
YouTube has announced the winner of its first Sketchies contest, which was sponsored by Sierra Mist for th promotion of The Lonely Island's new film "Hot Rod." The winner is Awkward Pictures, a production group based in L.A. Read our initial coverage of YouTube's Sketchies contest here.
As part of the prize, Awkward Pictures gets a contract to produce a comedy short for Sierra Mist's website, and all expenses paid trip to meet The Lonely Island and attend the premiere screening of their film "Hot Rod." What else do they get? A Panasonic AG-HVX200, a copy of Apple Final Cut Studio 2, and a pretty tricked-out Lighting Kit with all sorts of bells and whistles (more like a 300 watt variable output video/digital lights with fan).
Awkward Pictures has already gained some momentum from participating in the contest. Its website has gotten a nice traffic, and their YouTube subscribers have also increased by abut 1,000. With job offers coming in from studios and other companies, looks like it's been well worth it for Awkward Pictures. It's also been a good way for The Lonely Island to stay connected to its "user-generated roots" and promote its upcoming movie as well.