New Online Video Talent Wanted at Astronauts Wanted NewFront
The people at Astronauts Wanted are going to spend their summer looking for the next great online video series. Astronauts Wanted is a production company created by Sony Music Entertainment and Judy McGrath, formerly the chairperson and CEO of MTV Networks, and it was founded to create programming for a young audience. At the company's newfront presentation today in New York City Astronauts Wanted announced it's partnering with Snarled to create an online video incubator program. Owned by Ripple Entertainment, Snarled is a small multi-platform video network creating scripted and unscripted series for generation Z women.
The incubator will kick off this summer with an open call for interesting ideas for pilots. The two companies will choose 3 or 4 ideas to move forward with, explains Chris Murphy, senior vice president of branded entertainment at Astronauts Wanted, then match them with writers, directors, and showrunners. After a 6 to 12 week production process, the finished pilots will go online for viewer feedback.
"We hope to develop one really, really special one," Murphy says, but all or none of the pilots could get picked up depending on viewer feedback.
The incubator was created to develop branded series, so both companies will look for brand support as the pilots progress. Sponsors could come from any industry, but Murphy suspects food and beverage or cosmetics could be the best fit.
If all goes well, what will Astronauts Wanted report at its 2018 newfront presentation? "Hopefully, that we had four hit successes—all with brand partners attached to them," Murphy says.
Astronauts Wanted shared the state with Rumble Yard, a division of Sony Music Entertainment that creates original video content. Today Show host Al Roker stopped by to talk up Turn Table, his series that brings together chefs and musicians. Rumble Yard has created a documentary about 13-year-old America's Got Talent winner Grace VanderWall, who ended the evening by performing two songs from her debut EP.
Grace VanderWaal at the Astronauts Wanted/Rumble Yard newfront
Related Articles
Entrepreneur plans to launch 37 new video series in the year ahead. Several of its stars took the stage to pitch their projects to Madison Avenue.
09 May 2017
The BBC held its first newfront presentation today, choosing to explain its reach and reputation to the ad community—and why that matters for U.S. companies.
08 May 2017
In today's advertising climate, even Vice needs to assure advertisers their messages will find a brand-safe home on its platform.
05 May 2017