Wyatt Cenac's most recent project is Rapsa (2025)weird.
It's not really a TV show, but it's also not a film. It's kind of a web series. It's about a regular dude who works as a vigilante crime fighter — albeit a relatively low-level one who deals with the same daily minutiae as everyone else.
It's good, though, and it's the kind of thing the internet tends to facilitate, or at least was supposed to. It's at home at Topic.com, the new video project from First Look Media, which also runs The Intercept, where it kicked off the website's October issue.
"What I'd like to think across the board is that we're interested in and becoming known for very high-quality, visual storytelling that is both entertaining and informative but surprising," said Anna Holmes, editor of Topic.
Cenac's series is the most high-profile project yet at Topic, but there's already plenty to watch, not all of it quite so light-hearted. In just a few months, the website has hosted a variety of videos that touch on just about any and every social issue. Some are documentaries, including "Death in the Terminal," a much-hyped documentary that looks at a terrorist attack in Israel from numerous viewpoints. Topic acquired the rights to the film and is distributing it in partnership with BuzzFeed.
Topic.com is the public-facing part of Topic's studio, which has already established itself with a variety of critically acclaimed projects, including the documentary Nobody Speak: Hulk Hogan, Gawker, and Trials of a Free Pressand the podcast Missing Richard Simmons. There are a variety of TV shows and movies in its pipeline, including a movie with Denzel Washington.
At a time when "pivot to video" has become a running joke among media companies, Topic looks legitimately different. Holmes's operation isn't a social media-optimized newsroom full of people cutting food videos for Facebook. There's no newsroom at all.
Michael Bloom, President of First Look Media, made it clear that they're betting on building a brand around original work.
"We are very decidedly not going for scale with YouTubers in what we ... won't say is a commodity market, but there's just a lot of people there and there's not much differentiation to us. We want to do something different with unique people around original stories," he explained.
Holmes said Topic is more focused on finding the right kind of ambitious projects to support or acquire.
"We're not trying to necessarily create a particular voice because we're using a lot of disparate voices in the production and creation of the projects we're commissioning and distributing," Holmes said. "What we're trying to do is to support independent creators with provocative things to say."
This kind of thing takes time; Holmes said Topic is only able to support between 13 and 15 pieces per month. So far, the launch of those pieces has taken on a magazine-like cadence, with monthly "issues" being released all at once.
"Because we have a theme every single month and the theme changes, the tone and the voice and the sensibility is going to change along with it," Holmes said.
The end goal is to make Topic into the kind of brand to which both consumers and creators will gravitate. Bloom compared it to a movie studio like A24, where the mere association with a film lends it an air of credibility.
"Right now what we're doing is building the audience, building the brand, and doing it in a way that we think will teach users and our audience what we mean," Bloom said. "So when you get something from Topic, you're going to know what it means as an end user."
The best day to book your flight, according to Google
Stressed about flying? This airport lets people play with adorable mini horses
HBO's 'I Know This Much Is True' allows Mark Ruffalo to shine: Review
'Dead To Me' ends in another jaw
Stablecoin bill advances in U.S. Senate as Trump critics call to end his crypto dealings
Microsoft Outlook is getting text predictions, 2 years after Gmail
Cobie Smulders sings social distance 'Let's Go to the Mall' parody
No one wants to name their baby Donald anymore
Outdoor speaker deal: Save $20 on the Soundcore Boom 2
Runners are using #IRunWithMaud to commemorate Ahmaud Arbery's life
Ryzen 5 1600X vs. 1600: Which should you buy?
Why it’s chilly in parts of U.S. while the world cooks
The 17 best movie kisses we'll never forget
'SNL' to air third at
The fat bears are already extremely fat
'Dead To Me' ends in another jaw
Skilled toddler puts out birthday candle with well
Adobe Fresco's coloring books are a great at
Astronomers saw one galaxy impale another. The damage was an eye
'SNL' to air third at
8 winter pranks that'll make you weep iciclesWhy rumored Apple Watch fertility tracking raises privacy concernsG2 Esports launches its first allWhite House tweets about Martin Luther King Jr. aren't going over wellApple event upgrades hard sell on iPhone, Watch, AirpodsGolden State Warriors hang out with Obama after skipping visit with TrumpIs Apple's new iPhone 14 Pro actually 'deep purple' or another color?Apple event upgrades hard sell on iPhone, Watch, AirpodsTwitter will let users edit a tweet up to 5 timesHow to use all of iOS 16's new featuresApple Watch Series 7 vs Series 8 and Ultra: How the prices compareHow to prepare yourself for anal sexTed Cruz gets called out on the Senate floor over shutdown voteStephen King's take on the Trump shutdown is as blunt as you'd expectNew AirPods Pro earbuds could debut at Apple event this week'Rick and Morty' Season 6 premiere explainer: All burning questions answeredIs Apple's new iPhone 14 Pro actually 'deep purple' or another color?'The Invitation' review: A wellThe iPhone notch is no more on iPhone 14 ProThis massive fried rice prank turned into a great Photoshop battle Meet the gender TikTok deleted over 7 million accounts supposedly belonging to minors Mom masterfully trolls her daughter, who's just trying to make a nice video How to change Alexa’s voice Trump drinks water like a child and the internet immediately mocks him 'Silicon Valley' actor T.J. Miller accused of sexual assault Loki and Bart Simpson will join forces in a new Disney+ short 'Lovecraft Country' showrunner takes a swipe at HBO after the show's cancellation Let's talk about that mid Robinhood says its future is tied to Dogecoin. Seriously. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle release swoon Miss America CEO accused of fat Find free food with this new Google site How to turn off location services on an iPhone Rome spent $57,000 on the world's saddest excuse for a Christmas tree Google deploys new AI tool to COVID Trump has joined Disney's Hall of Presidents, and it's unsettling AF How to turn off comments on a Facebook post Volvo concept car previews its all Rose McGowan and Meryl Streep's dispute makes us forget the real villain
2.7203s , 10130.1953125 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Rapsa (2025)】,Fresh Information Network