We just launched! Howcast.com is now live and we’ve just sent out our first press release. So it’s official… Howcast Media is open for business.

It feels great to be able to talk about what we’ve been working on since last spring—and what better place to do so than in our first blog post?

In the future, we’ll use our blog to announce new features and programs as well as to introduce you to our favorite videos, filmmakers, and experts from Howcast.com. But for today, here’s a little bit more about who we are and what we’re doing at Howcast Media.

What are we doing?

Take a look for yourself…

We take pride in making Howcast.com the best place on the web to learn how to do something by producing free, fun, and informative how-to videos at Howcast Studios and creating new opportunities for emerging filmmakers, online experts, content partners, and advertisers.

Learn How Today at Howcast.com

Howcast.com makes it easier for you to learn how to do something by watching, creating, and sharing fun, informative online videos and wiki guides.

It’s easy to find what you’re looking for by doing a quick keyword search or browsing across our 25 topic categories. Our categories cover everything from broad subjects, such as food and fitness, to more specific topics, like origami, baby care, and more. We also feature playlists of videos grouped around a common theme. Mixology, Stretch it Out, Origami Master and Retro Games are some of our favorite playlists.

We’ve woven features into our video player that make it easier to learn something while watching a video online. We offer handy step-by-step instructions integrated right into our videos that make it easy for you to go back and forth within a video—and then print out a copy of our steps for future reference.

We think you’ll agree that flipping to full-screen mode, which is our favorite way to sit back and relax while watching a bunch of videos.

Throughout the site, we encourage you—and everyone else in the community—to contribute what you know and love by voting for your favorite videos and guides, suggesting new topics, writing new guides, and uploading your own videos.

We love receiving suggestions for what you’d like to see on Howcast—many of them turn into new Howcast videos.

Of course, once you’ve found something you love, we’ve made it simple for you to share it with your friends. (Just look for the “Share” button.)

All of these great features truly come alive when you’re watching a Howcast video.

Hip, Fun and Informative Videos from Howcast Studios

Fun, hip, and informative, our videos stand above the crowd. (Here are some of our favorites: How to Paint a Wall, How to Get Paid for Donating Plasma, How Not to Get Mugged, but you check them all out.) It’s probably because we produce our own videos with producers and talent in our own Howcast Studios in New York City.

The Howcast Directors Program

Being around gifted filmmakers and production artists all day, we’ve become dedicated to working with emerging filmmakers to help them gain experience, exposure, and a paycheck through our Howcast Directors Program. Who knows? One day we’ll see one of our up and coming filmmakers accepting an Academy Award. You heard it here, first.

Howcast + Partners

Howcast works with leading marketers like JetBlue Airways to reach their target audiences with relevant, unobtrusive advertising, as well as with great content partners like MySpace and YouTube to bring our original Howcast content to the world. In the next few weeks, we’ll share more about our work with these and other business partners.

Who are we?

We’re a pretty small, nimble team of technology, film, editorial, and business people from all over the U.S. and abroad. We’re lucky enough to work in two of this nation’s greatest cities (New York City and San Francisco) with plenty of coffee, pizza, and a (bizarrely) well-stocked collection of breakfast foods. (Thanks Darlene.) We’re definitely hiring, so check out our Job Postings and let us know if you’re who we’re looking for.

Today, we’re also proud to have secured an initial $8M investment from Tudor Investment Corporation and other investors, which will help us to continue building the best place on the web to learn how.

We hope you enjoy what we’re building for you. Feel free to leave a comment here—or better yet, anywhere you find a “Comment” button on Howcast.com.

What’s Next?

Well, we’re going to have a bicoastal launch party a little later today. (Fingers crossed.) But then it’s back to the grind. Stay tuned for more great stuff in the months ahead.

Thanks for visiting.

The Howcast Team
New York City & San Francisco

Go Giants!