The Neistat Brothers

In 1999, brothers Casey and Van Neistat each got an iMac DV, and they've been making and editing their own short films ever since. Most often using relatively inexpensive handheld digital cameras that look they're falling apart, Casey and Van shoot every aspect of their lives, from going on vacation to challenging friend and artist Tom Sachs to a boatbuilding race, from celebrating a son's birthday to sending an intern to Amsterdam to make sure they have pure maple syrup when they get there. In the summer of 2010, they teamed up with producer Tom Scott to present new and old movies on the eight-episode HBO series The Neistat Brothers, a very funny, surprisingly poignant DIY show that quickly became a cult favorite. In addition to filming themselves expanding their studio, performing silly stunts, and inventing strange competitions, they also delve into their problematic personal lives, leading to some censored bits (for legal reasons) as each goes through a breakup. Nothing seems to embarrass the Neistats; they put themselves out there warts and all, win or lose, succeeding or failing, their bizarre daily existence an open book. The series also includes brief interstitial segments in which the brothers speak directly into the camera, introducing the upcoming film in visually creative, unique, none-too-sophisticated ways, adding to the overall homemade feel of the show.