4mations

4mations
Type of business	Channel 4 project, backed by Aardman Animations and Lupus Films
Type of site	Video hosting service
Available in	English
Founded	2008
Headquarters	Bristol, U.K
Owner	Channel 4
Key people	Adam Gee (Channel 4), New Media Commissioner; Rohini Denton / Paul Deane (Aardman Animations), Producer; Mel Kirk (Aardman Animations), Communities Manager; Camilla Deakin (Lupus Films), CEO & Founder ; Rachel Roberts (Lupus Films), Producer
Registration	Optional; (required to upload and to comment on videos)
Launched	July 4, 2008
Current status	Unavailable (Website for sale)

4mations was a website where users can upload, view, and share animated films and games. The site was founded in 2008 by the Channel Four Television Corporation, sponsored by Aardman Animations and Lupus Films. As the site was targeted to adults, risqué animations were often featured.^{[citation needed]}

History

Channel 4 commissioned the project, backed by Aardman Animations and Lupus Films and it was in development for two years before its launch.^[2] The project team then sent out a call for submissions to commission some animations and the beta site launched in August 2008. The main site launched in September 2008. In November 2008 the site was taken down by Channel 4 in order to remove some adult content from the site.^[3]

The site relaunched on 1 June 2009 as an animation blog featuring director interviews, user-submitted clips and news and reviews from the animation world.

Features

User accounts

The free user account includes access to upload animation films and games as well as viewing and commenting on other user's content.

Uploading films and games makes users eligible for a £250 prizefund which is awarded monthly for the most viewed content.

Profile: Each 4mations user has their own individual profile page which displays their username, a description (written by the user), a URL, their videos/games and the content that they've marked as favorites.
Groups: 4mations allow the creation of user groups between users with something in common (for example, fans of an experimental films, a genre of animation, or membership of another internet forum). Any user may start a group and invite members. Each of the members of the groups can initiate or contribute to a discussion.
Friends: Users are able to create friends lists with whom they can share animations that they upload or find on the site.
Messages: The site provides the facility for you to send a direct message to one or more 4mations user. Depending on how the users have set their preferences, this will then send an email to the user's private email address, prompting them to check their 4mations account.

Subscription

A user can choose to subscribe to either a tag or specific user, which are then displayed on the "subscriptions" page. Alternatively, users can choose to receive these subscriptions via an RSS feed.

Similar Services

References

^ 4mations.tv - Is 4mations Down Right Now?
^ Kiss, Jemima (2008-08-28). "Channel 4 creates 'home for animation'". London: guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
^ Kiss, Jemima (2008-11-27). "Channel 4 takes down animation site after S&M imagery is posted". London: guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-04-24.

[1] 4mations.tv - Is 4mations Down Right Now?

[creates-2] Kiss, Jemima (2008-08-28). "Channel 4 creates 'home for animation'". London: guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-04-24.

[imagery-3] Kiss, Jemima (2008-11-27). "Channel 4 takes down animation site after S&M imagery is posted". London: guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-04-24.

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