MySpace, Fox and the Producers Guild Create The Storyteller Challenge
By Jim Benson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/26/2007 3:02:00 AM
Continuing the wave of recruiting new producing talent over the Web, MySpace, Fox and the Producers Guild of America have partnered for a new program they are calling The Storyteller Challenge.
The program will invite aspiring producers to enter their original five- to seven-minute pilots on a dedicated MySpace community page starting Sept. 4. The two winning entrants will each receive $25,000, as well as the chance for a development deal at Fox.
Additionally, the MySpace community will have exclusive access to the entries and the opportunity to weigh in on their favorite content.
This marks the second such large-scale effort this month. Crackle (formerly Grouper) recently announced a similar plan to get Web talent in front of Sony executives by submitting their work to the site (B&C, July 16).
“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.
Winners will be determined by a combination of user rankings and judging by an expert panel consisting of members of the Producers Guild, top film schools and Fox executives.
MySpace users will also be able to vote for their favorite videos, interact with the creators, suggest plot lines and critique videos.
“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.
The top six finalists will be announced in early January and flown to Hollywood to meet, screen and pitch their series ideas to the judges. On Jan. 25, the winning videos could be featured on MySpace Film and MySpace’s new global video platform, MySpaceTV.
