Mark’s Internet Genius of the Week 3/22/10

Welcome to Mark’s Internet Genius of the Week. An exciting new feature on ID8 in which I examine creative and entertaining stuff hiding in the darkest corners of the interwebs! This week’s internet genius is Joe Penna. A Brazilian native who moved to LA to pursue a career in awesome. Better known by his YouTube handle as the Mystery Guitar Man, Penna consistently puts out the most innovative and labor intensive videos on YouTube.

Penna pushes the boundaries of the YouTube platform by creating choreographed videos made entirely with annotations, or by combining stop motion with house hold instruments to make awesome musical tributes to classical composers like Beethoven. He’s even found ways to turn his viewers into composers with an interactive virtual piano.

Here’s my favorite video of his called, “iFlip,” it combines the childish wonder of flipbooks with the slick interface of the iPhone.

Not only is Penna a musical genius but he’s a skilled editor with a creative flair that is missing from most YouTube musicians. And that’s why Joe Penna, the Mystery Guitar Man, is the Internet Genius of the Week! Check back next week for a new internet genius and other cool content.