Wattpad, a community of readers and writers, has launched Wattpad Studios, an entertainment division driven by the diverse stories and storytellers on the platform. Wattpad is already leveraging strategic partnerships with UTA, Management 360, Simon & Schuster and others, and–with this new division–plans to roll out additional partnerships this summer. Operating like a multi-channel network (MCN), Wattpad Studios will partner with the entertainment industry to co-produce Wattpad stories for print, film, television, and digital platforms. Aron Levitz has been promoted to head of Wattpad Studios. In this new role, he will connect the entertainment and publishing industries with original content created by Wattpad Stars, the biggest influencers on the platform. Previously, as the head of business development, Levitz helped establish the company’s monetization strategy and launched Wattpad Brand Stories, a native advertising solution. He was also instrumental in launching the Wattpad Stars program that gives top influencers access to a variety of paid and promotional opportunities….
Previsualization house Proof Inc. has formed virtual reality and immersive design division PRIME, it was announced by creative director Ron Frankel who founded Proof in 2002. The genesis of PRIME began in 2014, when Proof was invited to work with Justin Lin on Help, a VR film for Google Spotlight Stories. Previously, Proof worked with Lin on several of the Fast and Furious films. Realizing the approach to feature film previs was amazingly well suited to the immersive storytelling needs of virtual reality, Proof’s proprietary tools and techniques, combined with years of experience working on feature films, made the transition from cinematic storytelling to immersive storytelling seamless. Christopher Bellaci has joined PRIME as head of business development and sales. Prior to joining PRIME, Bellaci had been the overseas supervisor for RGH Entertainment on the stereoscopic, computer-animated feature film Postman Pat: The Movie (based on the hit UK franchise)….
