| A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE |
“…part revival meeting and part college reunion…”
Connect and Regroup at the Cynopsis Kids !magination Awards
“The Cynopsis Kids !magination Awards is a who’s who of everyone you’ve known – or would like to know in the kids industry. The event itself is a first rate, lively production with a friendly vibe that feels like part revival meeting and part college reunion. ”
– Alan W | Sayles & Winnikoff Communications
|
| |
PROGRAMMING
LaVar Ball will lead the cast of Ball in the Family, a new Facebook show. Premiering today on the social platform, the docu-series focuses on Ball and his basketball-playing sons. Ball, the owner of a sports apparel company, gained notoriety earlier this year when he made a series of grandiose statements about his sons’ basketball skills. (One plays in college, the other in high school.) Ball in the Family, which is funded by Facebook and produced by Bunim-Murray Productions, is one of the social media giant’s first original shows. It’s part of Watch, Facebook’s new platform for longer-form video content.
Ball in the Family isn’t the only show that’s hitting Facebook’s Watch platform. The social giant has been steadily rolling out new programming. Two of its newest additions include Mom’s Movie Reviews and What’s Good in Your Hood, shows from the digital video network mitú. The two shows, which are geared toward Latino audiences, previously gained popularity on YouTube. Facebook, it seems, isn’t going to be shy about going after its rivals’ content.
Music video service Vevo is rolling out a new live talk show. Called Vevo Live, the series will run across YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Vevo has been quietly testing the new talk show format – which features artist interviews in front of a studio audience, as well as interactions with online viewers – over the summer. Vevo Live soft-launched last Friday, with an episode featuring the group Fifth Harmony. Vevo still hasn’t settled on a precise schedule for future episodes. News of the show’s launch was first reported by Variety.
APPS + PLATFORMS
IBM is launching a new set of AI-powered features in time for this year’s US Open tennis tournament. IBM Watson Media, a suite of solutions powered by IBM’s titular super-computer, will analyze video, images, language, tone and sentiment at the tournament. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) will be using IBM Watson to share rapid highlights from matches. IBM notes that the US Open will make use of Cognitive Highlights, one of Watson Media’s new tools, which analyzes statistical data, crowd sounds, and player reactions to arrive at the most significant moments of a match.
Looks like Google’s voice assistant won’t be limited to the Google Home device. At the IFA trade show in Berlin, consumer tech companies Anker, Mobvoi and Panasonic unveiled voice-controlled speakers that are compatible with the Google Assistant smart assistant. And it won’t stop there. Back in May, Google announced plans to bring Google Assistant to devices made by companies such as Sony, Polk Audio, and others. It looks like Google’s plans to compete with Amazon in the smart speaker market may wind up being pretty similar to the way it’s pitted Android against iOS: Google won’t limit its software to its own hardware.
VIRTUAL + AUGMENTED REALITY
Technology has done a lot to change the way we go on dates, but you ain’t seen nothing yet. Conde Nast Entertainment is out with Virtual Dating, a new unscripted series in which real people go on “dates” in VR. Wearing headsets and haptic equipment, the daters “meet” in worlds populated with zombies, in outer space, or in other exotic, simulated locales. The series is available on Facebook’s Watch platform.
MEASURING UP
Tubular Top 10 Global Sponsored Videos from Monday, August 21, 2017 – Sunday, August 27, 2017. Based on Tubular Video Ratings measuring 8 million video publishers, 3 billion videos, and 400 million viewers. Sponsored videos are ranked by V3, total views in the first three days after upload.
SHAREABLEE SOCIAL TV RATINGS: Top 10 U.S. Primetime and Streaming Shows for August 21 – August 27. Based on Shareablee’s Video Power Index (VPI), which combines viewing, consumer interactions and audience scale across all active platforms, and includes the video performance of primetime and streaming shows.
Source: Shareablee Inc. The total actions metric includes the total volume of post-level likes, shares, favorites, retweets and comments across social platforms.
Tweet of the week: @anna_pinchokk: But I give McGregor major kudos
Canvs, the emotion analytics company, analyzed tweets about TV and streaming programming from Aug. 23-29 using Twitter data from Nielsen. Insights from the 2,854,924 tweets expressing a specific Emotional Reaction (ER) include:
– Viewers gushed about the beauty of stars during the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards hosted by Katy Perry, with actress/singer Vanessa Hudgens standing out in particular when it came to people commenting about looks.
– Outside of sports, people were most excited to watch the season finale of Game of Thrones on HBO, although it was a bittersweet event: many fans lamented the fact that the next season is more than a year away.
– Despite Floyd Mayweather’s triumph over Conor McGregor during a highly anticipated PPV boxing match, fans still rushed to congratulate the latter, declaring props and respect for the young UFC fighter who held his own until eventually succumbing to the famous boxer.
– Viewers went nuts during the most recent episode of Twin Peaks: The Return on Showtime when Audrey was suddenly transported from the Roadhouse to a clinical white room; questions swirled while fans gasped.
– Canvs
EXECUTIVE MOVES
YouTube has a new brand strategy chief. Google’s video giant has named Tom Blessington as its VP of Brand, Media and Experiences, a newly created position. In the new role, Blessington will oversee brand strategy and integrated marketing campaigns across all lines of the company’s business. He officially starts work in mid September. Based at YouTube’s headquarters in San Bruno, CA, Blessington will report to YouTube CMO Danielle Tiedt. He joins the company from the ad agency Wieden + Kennedy, Portland, where he served as Managing Director.
TRIVIA
Our Last Trivia Question: Channing Tatum and Joseph Gordon-Levitt co-star in which recently released streaming series? Answer: Comrade Detective. Kudos to Andy Pittman-TAMU/TX, Louis Lewow-Lewow Media Group/CA, Andrew Bellamy-Producers Guild of America/NY, Luke Watson-Essential TV/NY, Susan Nessanbaum-Goldberg-M and S Entertainment/CA, David Westberg-SAG-AFTRA Federal Credit Union/CA, Tom Moore-Kalt Productions/CA, Lorrie Shilling-CA, Hal Isaacson-Charity Network/CA, Amir Zolfaghari-A+E Networks/CA, and Mathew Tombers-Intermat, Inc./NY
Follow-up: The distribution/production company that worked with Amazon Studios on Comrade Detective has also worked on films such as Moonlight, Room, and Spring Breakers. What’s the company? (Email trivia@cynopsis.com with your answer and be sure to include your name, company, city and state.)
|
| A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE |
50+ media organizations
77 impressive Rising Star Honorees
Unlimited networking opportunities
AND
a one-of-a-kind awards reception!
Cynopsis Rising Star Awards | September 15 | NYC
Kick off the weekend with a networking and cocktail reception filled with promising, young innovators in media and the brands they represent. Click here for event information and a full list of this year’s Rising Stars.
|
| |
DIGITAL SPOTLIGHT
As mentioned above, Vevo is rolling out a new live talk show. You can check out a promo for Vevo Live here.
|
| CYNOPSISJOBS – For More jobs, please visit Cynopsis.com |
JOB OPENING: FIELD MARKETING SPECIALIST/Spectrum Reach/St. Petersburg, FL: Work w/Ad sales & help deliver mktg plans that drive client awareness. 3-5 yrs of ad sales mktg exp pref’d. Strong knwlg advertising/media, digital products & advanced ad products is a +. Res/cvr: HERE (9/8)
JOB OPENING: MGR MEDIA RIGHTS & LICENSING/MSG CO/NYC: Negotiate, draft and assist with administration of license agreements. Work with MSG’s stakeholders to assess music and other IP-related clearance and use issues. 5+ yrs relevant exp incl contract drafting & negotiating licensing. Full info/apply HERE (9/7)
JOB OPENING: AD SALES ACCOUNT EXEC/Crown Media Family Networks/LA: Sell Nat’l advertising time to ad agencies and clients. Strong negotiation skills and presentation skills. Strong knowledge of Los Angeles mktplace. BA/BS req & Min 2 yrs exp. Apply HERE (9/7)
JOB OPENING: SALES COORDINATOR/Nat Geo Partners/NYC: Support 3 Sales Execs & 2 VPs. Assist w/Print RFPs, mng forecasts, support VP on linear initiatives, help gather sales materials & prep for sales calls; asst w/basic client req’s & take on special. Full info/apply HERE (9/7)
JOB OPENING: DIR, FINANCIAL REPORTING/AMCN/NY: 10+ yrs tech accting & reporting exp. 2+ yrs superv exp. Prepare the consolidated fin statemnts, incl bal sheet, inc statemnt, statemnt of comprehensive inc & statemnt of cash flows & related footnote disclosures for AMC Networks Inc. on a quarterly basis. Perf calculation of earnings per share for the quart & annual SEC rpts. Full info/apply HERE (9/7)
JOB OPENING: FREELANCE DIR, BRAND MKTG/NFL/NYC: Build executable mktg strategies for new/existing brand initiatives and platforms that leverage consumer rsrch, goals & overall brand strategy. 8-10 yrs of exp in consumer mktg, in-house or agency. Detail oriented & orgnzd. Full info/apply HERE (9/7)
JOB OPENING: SR DIRECTOR, DIGITAL STRATEGY & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT/NBCU/Universal City: Evaluate, structure & help implement business growth opportunities in the digital media space. Bus Dev exp & track record of growing a consumer-facing, entertainment-focused digital property. BA deg, MBA pref’d. Full info/apply HERE (9/6)
JOB OPENING: PROD MNGR, ON-AIR/NYC: Mng promotional assets & timelines for orig prog slate. Work w/producers & vendors for promos, EPK shoots. Request & track show materials for promo use. 5-7 yrs exp, pref w/in Crtv Svcs. Exp working with scripted series. Resume HERE (9/6)
JOB OPENING: DIGITAL AD OPERATIONS SENIOR ASSOCIATE/A+E Networks/NY: Coordinate detailed implementation for complex online campaigns across all A+E Networks non-linear properties, including desktop, mobile/tablet, OTT and STB-VOD. Full Info/Apply HERE (9/6)
JOB OPENING: VP CONTENT/FlyQuest/LA: Out of the box thinker who thinks strategically and sets directions aligned to company’s strategy, applying external perspective to meet business needs. 8+ yrs’ exp working in a content strategy & editorial function, pref in the gaming, digital or ent space. Full info/apply HERE (9/5)
JOB OPENING: SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR/FlyQuest/LA: Execute SM strategy ensuring goals are met by team and content is continuously optimized for key aud segments. Min 6 yrs of exp in custom social media content creation, digital Exp w/pd search & pd social a must. Full info/apply HERE (9/5)
JOB OPENING: HEAD OF MARKETING & BRAND STRATEGY/PromaxBDA/LA: Be the key creative & strategic digital leader that will drive create mktg strategy & mng brand & creative strategy efforts for the association and all events, initiatives & programs. Mktg exp w/in tech & dig spac a must. Full info/apply HERE (9/5)
|
|
