LOS ANGELES--()--MySpace, the Fox Broadcasting Company (FOX), and the Producers Guild of America today announced an exclusive industry partnership designed to recruit the next generation of talent in original programming. Together, the companies are introducing “The Storyteller Challenge”, a program inviting aspiring producers to enter their original 5-7 minute television “pilots” on a dedicated MySpace community page beginning September 4, 2007. As a result of the program, two winning entrants will each receive $25,000 and an opportunity for a development deal with FOX. Additionally, the MySpace community will have exclusive access to the entries and the opportunity to weigh in on their favorite content.
“The Storyteller Challenge gives aspiring producers the potential opportunity to cut through Hollywood’s red-tape and get an audience with top brass in the television business, all while cutting their teeth with the MySpace community”
“The Storyteller Challenge gives aspiring producers the potential opportunity to cut through Hollywood’s red-tape and get an audience with top brass in the television business, all while cutting their teeth with the MySpace community,” said Chris DeWolfe, CEO of MySpace. “By tapping into MySpace’s community of millions of users worldwide, FOX and the Producers Guild will have a crack at discovering the best new ideas from the most promising aspiring talent.”
Two winners will be determined by a combination of user rankings and judging by an expert panel consisting of distinguished members of the Producers Guild of America, top film schools and FOX executives.
As part of an innovative interactive selection process, MySpace users will be able to vote for their favorite videos, interact with the creators, suggest plot lines and critique videos. While the finalists will be narrowed down over two rounds by the expert panel of judges, user votes will first bring the favorites to the forefront, giving them a boost by showing they’ve established an online fan base.
“One of the most exciting aspects of working in entertainment today is that you never know where the next great storyteller will come from. Companies like MySpace have given aspiring producers the essential tools to put their creations in front of a mass audience; as a result, the barrier to entry into this industry is lower than it’s ever been in our lifetimes,” said Marshall Herskovitz, President of the Producers Guild of America. “Make no mistake, producing will always be a difficult and competitive job, but I’m proud that our Storyteller Challenge will give unique new voices the chance to find their audience.”
The top six finalists will be announced on January 6, 2008 and flown to Hollywood to meet, screen and pitch their series ideas to the judges. Winners will be announced on January 25, 2008 and the winning videos could be featured on MySpace Film and MySpace’s new global video platform, MySpaceTV which has experienced explosive growth in recent months, with 38% of people streaming video on Internet doing so on MySpace, according to comScore Media Metrix.
About MySpace
MySpace, a unit of Fox Interactive Media Inc., is the premier lifestyle portal for connecting with friends, discovering popular culture, and making a positive impact on the world. By integrating web profiles, blogs, instant messaging, e-mail, music streaming, music videos, photo galleries, classified listings, events, groups, college communities, and member forums, MySpace has created a connected community. As the first ranked web domain in terms of page views(a), MySpace is the most widely-used and highly regarded site of its kind and is committed to providing the highest quality member experience. MySpace will continue to innovate with new features that allow its members to express their creativity and share their lives, both online and off. MySpace’s international network includes localized community sites in the United States, France, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, Austria, Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Japan, Sweden, Latin America and the United Kingdom. Fox Interactive Media is a division of News Corp. (NYSE:NWS - News, NWS.A - News; ASX:NWS - News, NWSLV - News).
(a) Among the top 2000 domains comScore Media Metrix, June 2007. For more information on comScore Networks, please go to http://www.comscore.com.
About the Producers Guild of America
The Producers Guild of America is the only organization in the entertainment industry that brings together the leading creators of film, television and new media. Over the past six years, the Producers Guild has grown from roughly 350 members to over 3,500, including regional offices in New York and San Francisco, complementing its Los Angeles-based headquarters. In representing, protecting and promoting the interests of all members of the producing team, the PGA is proud to offer employment opportunities, seminars, health benefits, credit arbitrations and networking events among other benefits.
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