| NEWS 05.20.09 4:01 PM |
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In the News: Celebrities Return to Washington Social Scene, Life Ball Draws 40,000
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Vienna Swells During 2009 Life Ball: An estimated 40,000 people visited Vienna, Austria, over the weekend to take part in the 17th annual Life Ball, Europe's largest H.I.V./AIDS charity event. The night ended up something of a combination between a black-tie benefit and Mardi Gras, with Bill Clinton and Eva Longoria Parker speaking to the crowd about social responsibility and Pamela Anderson and Katy Perry dressed as sea creatures in an ocean-themed runway show. Held at Vienna's town hall, the event also included a pool filled with more than 600,000 gallons of water, filled with dancers dressed as sea monsters, jellyfish, and mermaids. [NYT]
Obama Administration Keeps Celebrities in Washington: Obama's presidency has brought a resurgence of celebrities to Washington—and not just for big events like the inauguration and the White House Correspondents' Dinner. From official White House events to local campaign stumping for Virginia gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, celebrities including Will.i.am, James Earl Jones, and actor-turned-White House staffer Kal Penn have not been strangers to the town's social scene. Event planners in Washington should strongly consider beefing up their step-and-repeats. [Examiner]
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Life Ball, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Will.i.am, Louis Vuitton, Richard Prince, Bravo, Gossip Girl, History Channel |
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| THE SCOUT 12.22.08 7:00 AM |
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How to Recreate a Reality Show for a Group
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 | The Top Chef-inspired teambuilding event
Photo: Courtesy of Smartt Entertainment Inc. |
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Reality television hasn't fizzled out yet, and many competition-based shows have maintained—and expanded on—a dedicated following. San Diego-based Smartt Entertainment Inc. recently introduced two packages that draw from the success of these shows, and they're available worldwide.
The "Dancing Under the Stars" package can bring in judges, professional dancers, celebrities, and contestants from So You Think You Can Dance and Dancing With the Stars to perform in a variety of styles, from waltz to hip hop. Smartt Entertainment can customize the program's length and choose the performers to fit big and small budgets. They'll also bring in world-champion dancers to complement TV contestants. Rates vary and generally start around $10,000. Programs could be presented purely as entertainment or become a bit more interactive by involving key executives in the dances, for example.
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So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With the Stars, Bravo, Top Chef |
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| NEWS 12.12.08 11:49 AM |
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National Ballet's Live Nutcracker Broadcast Expands to 79 Theatres
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 | Sonia Rodriguez in The Nutcracker
Photo: Bruce Zinger |
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The National Ballet of Canada is broadcasting Saturday's 2 p.m. presentation of The Nutcracker live in HD in 79 Cineplex theatres across the country. The company launched the initiative last year—and drew an audience of more than 10,000 people. This year there are "at least 10 more theatres" participating, said Kevin Garland, the National Ballet's executive director. "Everybody in the performing arts world has been watching the Metropolitan Opera broadcast with much interest," she said. " We approached Cineplex last year and asked if they would be interested in doing a ballet performance. They jumped at The Nutcracker."
The ballet will be captured by six HD cameras at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts and transmitted live via satellite, said Garland, who noted that the broadcast is a massive undertaking. “We produce live ballet. We don’t know anything about producing live television." The company got some advice from New York's Metropolitan Opera—which launched a Live-in-HD program during the 2006-07 season—and turned to Joan Tosoni at Insight Productions for assistance. “She really masterminded the six cameras in the theatre," Garland said of Tosoni. "It’s a ballet with a lot of detail."
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National Ballet of Canada, TD Waterhouse, CTV, Bravo |
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| BEST OF 2008 11.24.08 8:00 AM |
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Scripting Reality
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In television, like fashion, you’re either in or you’re out, and staying relevant in the still-evolving medium is not as easy as it once was. Internal marketers need to approach their existing and potential audiences from every direction, and for Bravo director of digital marketing and events Valerie Brown, that task hinges on creating signature moments to herald the premieres of new and existing series.
First in a Series: Brown joined the network in 2004, on the eve of an extensive rebranding initiative. That effort included the launch of Project Runway, the first series she worked on closely, collaborating with producers Magical Elves and IMG Fashion to run the front of the house for the contestants’ Bryant Park fashion shows. In the four years since, Bravo has grown each year, posting record ratings in 2007 and then again in the second quarter of 2008.
Expanding Lineup: Brown became team director in 2006, working with Bravo senior vice president of marketing Ellen Stone. She recently produced a competition to find a new cast member for gym reality show Work Out, a dating advice seminar with the star of The Millionaire Matchmaker, and dance classes at Crunch gyms nationwide to promote Step It Up and Dance. “As you grow, budgets become more accessible, but at the same time, you have to maintain profitability,” says Brown. “We pick anchor events to invest in and to put on a large platform. When you have the breadth of programming we have, you have to make strategic decisions.”
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Bravo, Project Runway, Work Out, Millionaire Matchmaker, Step It Up and Dance, Shear Genius, Top Chef |
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| ASK BIZBASH 09.08.08 9:00 AM |
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Who Can Produce a Cool Tribute Video?
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 | Stills from a variety of tribute videos.
Photo: Courtesy of Lifefilm (top), Courtesy of Madprops (middle), Courtesy of Raw Films (bottom) |
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Honoring a retiring exec or an award winner with a video about their life’s work is a great idea, but only if the piece doesn’t move guests to check their BlackBerries or sneak off to the restroom. Here are three companies that specialize in these types of films and, if asked, will travel to make it happen.
With more than 20 years of combined film and television industry experience, Lifefilm Productions co-founders Peilin Chou and John Brancaccio use the same production professionals they worked with at companies such as Walt Disney Studios, MTV Networks, ESPN, and Bravo to craft their celebratory docs. The firm prides itself on delivering broadcast-quality, story-driven films that are truly entertaining. Past clients include C-level execs from Hasbro and real estate developer S.R. Weiner. Rates start at $5,000, with longer and more intensive projects ranging from $10,000 to $20,000.
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RELATED TOPICS
Walt Disney Company, MTV, ESPN, Bravo, Academy Awards, Saturday Night Live, VH1, A&E, E! Entertainment, NBC, Clinton Global Initiative, Miramax, Hasbro |
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