The biggest viral video hits are often from amateurs – those Korean kids singing Backstreet Boys, etc – but now big stars are trying to get involved, and sponsors and investors are throwing money at them.

Will Ferrell: With venture capitalist cash, Ferrell launched Funny or Die in April. You might not have heard of it, but you’ve probably seen its launch video, The Landlord, in which a two-year-old girl bullies Will and says “Bitch” a lot. The clip has been watched more than 40 million times, and its success and Ferrell’s contacts are bringing more stars to the site. The latest is Willem Dafoe, as a man with a Hall & Oates song implanted in his brain.

Harry Shearer: The star of This Is Spinal Tap (and voice of Mr Burns) is the biggest name attached to My Damn Channel, which launched in July with, well, a spoof of The Landlord. It hasn’t had any real hits, but has attracted money from investors – and an Ozzy Osbourne endorsement.

Steve Coogan: Although he’s not (yet) in the show, Steve Coogan’s production company is behind Meet the Joneses, a sitcom which has been running on YouTube since mid-June. The plot involves a woman looking for her 27 siblings after discovering her father was a sperm donor. Most of the action takes place in the woman’s car, which is handy as the entire thing is paid for by Ford. So far, the series has been a ratings disaster, with the three-minute episodes attracting an average of 800 viewers each.

Michel Gondry: The director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is also a YouTube star. His first big hit showed him apparently solving a Rubik’s Cube with his feet in two minutes. Now he’s solving a Rubik’s cube with his nose – which has to be seen to be believed.

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