The channel best known for its adorable commander-in-chief is taking on a heavier subject. Soul Pancake is the home of The Forge , an awe-inspiring short film where creator Eric Lim discusses his sister’s suicide and offers emotional support to other people suffering from depression. The Forge unravels Tanya Lim’s suicide with a metaphorical and special-effects laden production in which Eric must battle a demon who is simultaneously figurative and very real.

Michelle Phan’s Generation Beauty isn’t the only event catering to YouTube’s fashion crown. YouTube recently held a Beauty Lab at its LA creator space , where it invited the biggest names in online video style to participate in panels, networking events, and runway videos. The Beauty Lab began when YouTube invited 12 creators to come share the LA space: Evelinicutza , GlamLifeGuru , WendyTeresita , dazzlemehay , ANNEORSHINE , GlassSlipperbeauty , thatssociciyo , Lagunabeachlove10 , DaniAustin2 , ArikaSato , beautybitten , and fashionnewslive .

Wu-Tang Clan frontman GZA is known for his skills on the mic, but in a new collaboration with THNKR , he’s also showing off his skills in the classroom. The MC stars in a video where he teaches kids to love science via the ‘ Science Genius ‘ program. In the video, GZA shows up at Bronx Compass High School, a school currently attempting to teach science by way of hip-hop

The self-described “number one channel for drama on YouTube” is making a move that will give it a similar presence on a different platform. WIGS , the female-oriented YouTube Original Channel from Jon Avnet and Rodrigo Garcia , has debuted Blue , its most popular series, on Hulu . Blue stars Julia Stiles as a single mom who moonlights as a prostitute, and it became the first WIGS series to receive a second season when it released the first of ten new episodes last March

A new social media hub is connecting YouTube personalities to the things they love. Subblime , started by entrepreneur Adam Winnick , Kevin Stone , and YouTube creator Elle Walker (AKA WhatsUpELLE ), lets its users organize their favorite products into lists that can be shared with followers.

If What’s Trending is honest about its mission to find the most buzzworthy stories YouTube has to offer, then it’s about time the show discussed itself. The daily YouTube talk show has reportedly secured a seven-figure investment from Bedrocket Media Ventures , ceding an ownership stake to the media company in exchange for some serious capital. What’s Trending will be keen to use the funds to support its incredibly regular stream of videos.

After drawing lots of coverage thanks to its unusual format, Peter Chernin and AT&T ‘s Summer Break has launched across several platforms, with viewers getting their first look into the lives of the teenagers who will be chronicled nonstop during their last summer of high school. Chernin called the project risky because the show’s producers don’t plan to engineer any drama, but the first episode shows why that won’t be an issue

Actor Gary Busey is known for his outspoken and unfiltered manner of speaking, so he seems like the perfect man to give honest, frank life advices to the droves of college graduates who are just now leaving the cushy, safe environment of the university and are entering the real world. Busey has used his Blip vlog series, The Busey Zone , as a platform for a commencement address to students at online universities.

The rise of Vine has been arguably the most important online video storyline in 2013 (and, unless the Koreans have any more ideas , expect it to stay that way). The easy-to-use video app has seen a dramatic rise in popularity; earlier this month, it surpassed Instagram in terms of shares .

Back in April, we first heard the news that Fullscreen had secured a Series A round of close to $30 million led by Comcast and The Chernin Group . Now, the investment has become official, with the top multi-channel network joining Maker Studios, Machinima, and Alloy Digital in the $30 million funding round club