First it was “Lonelygirl15,” then it was “Prom Queen” and now it’s “Roommates,” a video series from MySpace and Iron Sink Media/Los Angeles that launched Oct. 18 and is playing five new episodes a week. The series is sponsored by Ford to promote the 2008 Ford Focus.
“Prom Queen” debuted on MySpace but was not exclusive. “Roommates” is airing exclusively on MySpace, which co-produced it, which enhances the quality, according to Scott Zakarin, co-founder of Iron Sink Media. “This is a whole new level, with higher production value,” he said. “It’s shot in high definition with multiple cameras and it’s lit more like a movie. We’re taking more time with individual episodes and spending more time editing and in post.”
He also said, “We scripted it pretty thoroughly.” “Roommates” tells the story of a group of young adult women from Los Angeles who went to college together and now share an apartment. “It’s a high quality reality show telling the satirical story about smart women that plays against footage from their college years. You see how the characters changed over four years and watch them change during the show. They keep the party going, but realize adult life is different,” Zakarin said.
The show was cast with actors Zakarin worked with and others he found in auditions.
The increased production budget was also due to the growing popularity of the medium, which explains MySpace’s, which is owned by News Corp., interest in controlling the show. “If you can get cable numbers on a webisodic show, the audience will come to expect a certain production value,” Zakarin said. The first episode, “Life After College,” has received over 400,000 plays since October 18.
The Ford advertising hasn’t started yet and it’s unclear what kind of ads will play. A Ford spokesman said he doesn’t think traditional TV-style spots will run with the show. Instead, the show will be branded with a Ford nameplate that can be clicked to take viewers to a Ford website and product placement shots of the Ford Focus will appear in the series. “We’re venturing into uncharted waters in terms of these types of shows,” he said. “They’re low cost to produce and have a different kind of audience. We’ll see if it drives the traffic we think it will.”
Zakarin also said there will be integrated product placement advertising in the show, but he said it hadn’t occurred in the first seven episodes. “There are hints of things to come, which the story lines will help to introduce,” he said. “It will positively effect the story.”
“Prom Queen” used post-roll ads as well as product placement advertising. There is no indication that “Roommates” will use post-rolls yet. MySpace declined to comment for this story.
Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey Launch Production House 34North
Executive producers Ron Cicero and Bo Clancey have teamed to launch 34North. The shop opens with a roster which includes accomplished directors Jan Wentz, Ben Nakamura Whitehouse, David Edwards and Mario Feil, as well as such up-and-coming filmmakers as Glenn Stewart and Chris Fowles. Nakamura Whitehouse, Edwards, Feil and Fowles come over from CoMPANY Films, the production company for which Cicero served as an EP for the past nearly five years. Director Wentz had most recently been with production house Skunk while Stewart now gains his first U.S. representation. EP Clancey was freelance producing prior to the formation of 34North. He and Cicero have known each other for some 25 years, recently reconnecting on a job directed by Fowles. Cicero said that he and Clancey “want to keep a highly focused roster where talent management can be one on one--where we all share in the directors’ success together.” Clancey also brings an agency pedigree to the new venture. “I started at Campbell Ewald in accounts, no less,” said Clancey. “I saw firsthand how much work agencies put in before we even see a script. You have to respect that investment. These agency experiences really shaped my approach to production--it’s about empathy, listening between the lines, and ultimately making the process seamless.” 34North represents a meeting point--both literally and creatively. Named after the latitude of Malibu, Calif., where the idea for the company was born, it also embraces the power of storytelling. “34North118West was the first GPS-enabled narrative,” Cicero explained. “That blend of art and technology, to captivate an audience, mirrors what we do here--create compelling work, with talented people, harnessing state-of-the-art... Read More