March 2009
Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE), part of Viacom, and Gaumont, one of Europe's largest film production and distribution companies, announce the development of ‘Section 8,’ an interactive Web series exclusively distributed in America by social online portal, MySpace.
Endemol, a global leader in entertainment programming, will handle worldwide distribution, product integration and brand partnerships.
Following the highly successful digital release of Jackass 2.5, the first studio-backed feature film to be offered online, comes ‘Section 8,’ an interactive short-form serial thriller set to introduce online audiences to an online entertainment experience that engages them in character and plot development never-before-seen on the Web.
Featuring an ill-fated cast of characters, the supernatural thriller will take audiences through a spine-tingling journey as personal dramas are revealed. Throughout the short-form series, each character will face a moment of jeopardy, leaving only one survivor. In a unique new media twist, audiences are invited to guess the solution to the cryptic back-story using customized interactive experiences situated in and around the series. When collected together, the series will be redistributed as a full-length feature.
MySpace will be the exclusive hub for ‘Section 8,’ allowing its American audience the opportunity to view, share and uniquely interact with this high quality thriller. In addition to finding character descriptions, episode discussions and behind-the-scenes content, users will be able to embed each episode on their MySpace profile pages.
"PDE is continuing its commitment to developing high quality original content for Web audiences," says Thomas Lesinski, president of Paramount Digital Entertainment.
"For 'Section 8,' Paramount has partnered with top producers and distributors to develop a compelling interactive story on a unique platform that will engage audiences like never before."
"Our partnership with PDE is an important next step in Gaumont's production strategies," says Christophe Riandee, CEO Gaumont.
"We are constantly looking for new platforms to deliver quality content to a global audience."
‘Section 8’ uniquely creates opportunities for brands to become deeply integrated into the story. Leveraging the interactive quality of mobile and online entertainment allows users to participate in a compelling exploration of the content through customized marketing experiences.
"'Section 8' sets a new standard of theatrical quality for an online production. The innovation and creativity that has been invested in the project will make this a unique opportunity for our digital and brand partners," says Adam Valkin Global Head of Digital at Endemol.
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