CYNOPSISDIGITAL
10.23.15

Good morning. It’s Friday October 23, 2015, and this is your first early morning digital briefing.

 
The next gen Apple TV ships next week, and with it comes a new operating system, tvOS. One of the OS’s most compelling features is that it will make a wide array of TV apps, including games, available to Apple TV users. To make that happen, Apple is swinging the doors open for app developers, just as the company does with iOS. And that’s officially started: As of this week, Apple is accepting app submissions from developers for review. 
 
Instagram has launched Boomerang, a new standalone app. Boomerang takes a one-second burst of five photos, then runs the image together, forward and backwards, on a continuous loop. The result is a GIF-like silent video. The app doesn’t feature its own news feed, but the videos can easily be shared via messenger apps and social media.

 
Chinese streaming company iQiyi has expanded its multi-year agreement with Universal Pictures. Under the deal, iQiyi will hold exclusive streaming rights to all of Universal’s new releases. The company will also hold streaming rights to select films currently in the Universal library, including the Jurassic Park and The Fast and the Furious Franchises.
 
Production company Endemol Shine North America has struck a deal with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Season 2 episodes of Kingdom, the linear series produced by Endemol Shine Studios (Endemol’s scripted division), will now become available on multiple digital platforms the day after linear broadcast. Those include iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and GooglePlay. Kingdom, about a champion MMA fighter, airs linearly on AUDIENCE Network, on both DirecTV and U-Verse.   
 
Zonzia, an OTT service widely used in hotels as well as homes, has selected Kaltura to power its service. Kaltura’s OTT TV service allows creators and distributors to more easily customize, create, and monetize OTT channels.
 
 

 
Hulu has renewed the original comedy Casual for a second season. The series is Executive Produced by Jason Reitman (Juno) and series creator Zander Lehmann, among others. It debuted barely two weeks ago, on October 7.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE FROM  PRODUCERS GUILD OF AMERICA

The Producers Guild of America is proud to announce the 2nd annual Produced By: New York conference, taking place on October 24 at the Time Warner Center. This year’s lineup includes Tina Fey, Christine Vachon, Peter Saraf, and many more.

 
Some unsolicited advice: If the directors of Hostel and Kill Bill ask you to make the scariest video you can muster, it can’t hurt to heap on the gore. Just in time for Halloween, Director Eli Roth has announced #15SecondScare, an Instagram contest aimed at eliciting 15-second shorts from users. Celebrity judges will include Quentin Tarantino and Jordan Peele, among others. The contest is being launched in partnership with CrypTV, which was co-founded by Roth. The winner (announced on Halloween) will receive a cool 10 grand and the chance to have the CrypTV team turn their work into a short.
 
Need a reminder that Twitter and Vine aren’t two separate companies? Now, users who have connected their Twitter and Vince accounts will find that their Twitter account info appears on their Vince Accounts. Likewise, a new Twitter setting allows creators to show their Vine account on their Twitter profiles. And if someone searches Vine for a user’s Twitter name, that name will come up. Following that user is then as simple as tapping the name.

 
If you lower the price of ad spots by 75%, apparently more advertisers will buy them. Yahoo is airing a global live stream of the Bills/Jaguars game this Sunday, the NFL’s first-ever Internet-only broadcast. And now that Yahoo has lowered the asking price of a 30-second spot from $200,000 to around $50,000, the company has sold out all its inventory. Around 30 advertisers have partnered with Yahoo for the live stream, including Toyota and Microsoft. 
 
In a Q3 earnings call, Google CEO Sundar Pichai emphasized the importance of online video and programmatic advertising in Google’s overall strategy. He pointed to the “substantial growth of mobile search revenue, complemented by contributions from YouTube and programmatic advertising.” He also downplayed the threat posed by Apple’s decision to allow mobile ad blocking extensions on its mobile devices. “We are used to this, we have seen this for a while,” he said of ad blocking. “It’s not a new phenomenon.” Ultimately, he has good reason to be optimistic: In large part due to mobile ad revenue, Google reported Q3 revenue of $18.7 billion­a 13 percent improvement over the same period last year. Net income was $4 billion, compared to $2.7 billion last year.

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

When you’re coming in second only to yourself, you’re doing something right. The first full-length trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens aired during Monday Night Football. Writing for Variety, ListenFirst Media’s Jason Klein noted that the trailer just narrowly fell short of the single-day record for global YouTube views. The trailer finished at about 37 million views, less than a million shy of the first place video. That video? The second teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
 
Ad management platform Sizmek released its 2015 Video Index Report, assessing the state of video advertising in 2015 – adoption trends, growth, and performance across several primary consumer verticals. The report determined that although marketers have adopted digital video in their campaigns, they still have difficulty learning how to blend content types in a strategic way.
 
Some findings:
 
Video ads in the first half of 2015 had a start rate of 62.5%, up from 40.5% in the
same period  of 2013
 
The Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Entertainment and Auto verticals leveraged
video ads the most (22, 20 and 10 percent of all video ads served, respectively).
 
Nearly 11 percent of ads served in 2015 were rich media, but fewer than 5 percent
of those rich media ads included video.
 
While Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) saw the most growth since 2013 at 160 percent, North America saw the most growth in video in 2015 at 52 percent, followed by Asia-Pacific (APAC), at just under 50 percent.
 
 

Cynopsis Digital’s Model D Awards, dedicated to innovators who have demonstrated continued excellence in engaging audiences and spurring online growth, less than a month away. What does it mean to be singled out for the honor?
 
“We were definitely surprised and excited to find out we were a finalist…[Our Colleagues] have been great partners, and really pushing for more branded work, so this is seen as great validation for our efforts…It’s nice to know your team’s efforts are valued.” 
 
– Maurice James, Director of Digital Content, This Is Just a Test Productions
 
“Having REAL selected as a finalist comes as an honor, but not so much a surprise.  It’s the perfect travel show that blends insight, action and humor, with gorgeous cinematography and a dynamic host…I happened to be on location in Nantucket, MA, shooting the next episode of REAL with my partners [when I heard we were finalists]…No question the announcement provided a nice shot of motivation to hit that 5am call time the next morning to keep the magic going.”
 
– James Morley, Director of Digital Programming, Travel Channel
 
Register for the November 13 Model D ceremony here.
 
 

 
Iinteractive entertainment company Activision Blizzard has launched a new eSports division, and the company has hired an industry heavyweight to lead it. Steve Bornstein, who formerly served as CEO of both ESPN and NFL Network, will serve as Chairman of the new division.  Meanwhile, Activision has hired Mike Sepso, the former president of Major League Gaming, to serve as SVP for eSports.
 
Video supply side platform Altitude Digital has added Toby Gabriner to its Board of Directors. Garbiner previously served as CEO of AOL’s programmatic video advertising platform Adap.tv. He currently serves as CEO of social music platform MAGNIFI.
 

A CYNOPSIS MESSAGE

At a time when consumers trust word-of-mouth over brand messaging, harnessing the powerful online influencers who can share content and encourage action is key. The latest Cynopsis webinar, Finding Social Media Influencers to Boost Ratings & Brands, on Thursday, October 29, will show you how to identify and reach the tastemakers you need to get to the next level.

 
This ad from  Japanese cosmetics brand Shiseido is astonishing – and we won’t say why, or we’ll ruin it. Just watch it from the beginning and prepare to let your jaw hit the floor. Check it out here.

CYNOPSISJOBS – For More jobs, visit Cynopsis.com

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR PR/USA NETWORK/NYC: Lead PR campaigns with 7 yrs TV publicity exp required. Must be PR leader w/strong writing skills. Full info/apply HERE (10/30)

JOB OPENING: SALES PLANNER/AMC & Sundance TV/NYC: Generate/analyze/comm proposals for sales org to present to ad agencies. Min 3yrs exp at ad agency or media req’d. BA deg comm or mktg. Knwlg media math. Strong math & comm skills a must. Full info/apply HERE (10/29)

JOB OPENING: SALES ASSISTANT/High Times/NYC: Assist ad sales director w/support duties w/high vol sales. Previous exp as sales admin req’d. Highly organized and attention to detail critical. Strong comm skills & ability to resolve issues. Email Resume HERE (10/29)

JOB OPENING: DIRECTOR BUSINESS STRATEGY & DEVELOPMENT/E!/LA, CA: Manage business development and strategy for E! Online digital platforms. Min. 5 years digital media exp required. Full info/apply HERE (10/29)

JOB OPENING: MANAGING EDITOR/E!/LA, CA: Supervise the day to day editorial news operations for E! Online and News. 5 years similar experience required. Full info/apply HERE (10/29)

JOB OPENING: WRITER/PRODUCER On Air Promos/E!/LA, CA: Conceive, develop and produce creative promos, advertisements and promotional content for E! Min. 3 years on-air promo exp. Full info/apply HERE (10/29)

JOB OPENING: PROJECT MGR/WO Network/NYC: Consult w/clients & oversee complex implementation projects. Ability to understand client’s bus. & goals for the project & quickly grasp bus. workflow & processes. Cable ntwrk exp pref’d. Req Id6802. Full info/apply HERE (10/29)

JOB OPENING: DEPT HEAD, CINEMA & TV/Drexel University/PHL: Sprvs strategic, financial & academic mngmnt of Cinema & TV dept; represent dept w/in university & larger cinema & TV comm. Dynamic blend of media ind & academic & 5 yrs exp leadership role a must. Full info/apply HERE (10/29)

JOB OPENING: SALES ASSISTANT/REELZ/NYC: Daily maint of accounts. Booking orders, pulling reports & brand allocations. Work closely with traffic dept, planners & AEs in all areas scheduling & inv management. Sintec exp. a plus.Full info/apply HERE (10/28)

JOB OPENING: ON-AIR WRITER PRODUCER/MSG Networks/NY: Write, produce and edit promos for live Knicks, Rangers, Islanders & Devils telecasts & related programming. Min 4+ yrs exp in on-air promotion. Editing skills a must. Full info/apply HERE (10/28)

JOB OPENING: SR MANAGER BRAND RESEARCH INSIGHTS/A+E Networks/NY: Focus on brand research and support of the marketing departments, including program research and social media support. Full Info/Apply HERE (10/28)

JOB OPENING: PUBLICITY ASSISTANT/A+E Networks/NYC: Non staff position. Assist VP, Publicity, HISTORY & handle any other tasks for HISTORY Publicity dept. Excellent verbal and written comm skills, proofreading, computer. BA Deg pref’d. Full info/apply HERE (10/28)

JOB OPENING: MGR, INTEGRATED MARKETING SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY/Viacom/NYC: Conceputlize/implement digital, social & video dist strategies for sponsor programsBA deg. 5yrs mktg exp w/in media/ent ind, promotions/advrtsng agency or branded ent/prod co. Full info/apply HERE (10/27)

JOB OPENING: VP CREATIVE DIRECTOR/MTV/NYC: Lead/oversee creative dvlpmnt of cobranded content for MTV channel & all screens, incl on air, digital and mobile. 8+ yrs hold creative positions, namely Creative Dir & above at Top Ad Agencies, Prod or Media co. Full info/apply HERE (10/27) 

JOB OPENING: PUBLICIST/IFC/NYC: responsible for the development and implementation of effective publicity campaigns and execution resulting in media. 3 yrs hands on comm & media relations work exp. Full info/apply HERE (10/27) 

JOB OPENING: DIR, AFFILIATE SALES/Music Choice/NYC: Oversee sales, affiliate relations & local promo efforts. Min 5-7 yrs exp strategic sales & mktg cable/dist or related ind. Knwlg contractual language & negotiation of complex carriage agreements. Full info/apply HERE (10/27)

JOB OPENING: DIGITAL ACCT EXEC/ABC 7/Chicago: Driven self-starter looking to overachieve in 3rd largest TV mkt to identify/dvlp new client relationships. 3-5 yrs digital &/or media exp. Has est’d, high level local agency/client contacts. Full info/apply HERE (10/27)

JOB OPENING: DIGITAL/SOCIAL STRATEGIST-PLANNER/LA: 3-5 yrs exp Dig/Soc Strat. Resp bringing fresh ideas on leveraging soc media to achieve valued outcomes. Play active role as dig expert to dev perspectives on trends & use of emerging dig media in mktplc. Resume HERE (10/27) 

JOB OPENING: PROJECT MANAGER, LBE/Fox/LA: Manage Projects from concept to opening related to Location Based Entertainment through working with developer/clients, designers, masterplanners and the LBE/Creative teams. Full info/apply HERE (10/27)

JOB OPENING: FREELANCE ROOM PRODUCER/FOX SPORTS Overnight Shift (8-5am)/CLT, NC: Mng nightly vid & audio mastering across mult bays, ensure promos have approp tags, proper duration, accurate metadata. Det oriented & able to prioritize workflow a must. Full info/apply HERE (10/27)

JOB OPENING: VP MULTICULTURAL AD SALES/Fuse Media/NY: Lead national multicultural sales & sales strategy, Strong negotiation & presentation skills. Extensive client and agency relationships and knowledge of the multicultural market. BS req & min 10 yrs exp. Full info/apply HERE (10/27) 

CASTING CALL: Companies can showcase their casting notices/casting calls here. For information on rates and specs for posting a casting notice, please email Trish at [email protected]

EXPERT SERVICES ADS: These ads are for companies or people who offer an expertise in the field of media by way of production, voice over artistry, writing, set development, etc. For information on rates and specs for posting an Expertise Service ad email Trish at [email protected]

SITUATION WANTED ADS, POSTED BY THOSE LOOKING TO BE HIRED… There is no charge for placing your Situation Wanted ad… for more information contact Trish Pihonak at [email protected]

SITUATION WANTED: REALITY/COMEDY/SPORTS SUPV. PRODUCER/NY-STAMFORD: Award winning TV/Digital team leader with proven track record with MTV, FUSE, NICK, BET is available for hire within a co. Contact: [email protected] (10/30)

To subscribe to any Cynopsis edition(s) click here.
%%PLUGIN_Unsubscribe: 2193667-unsub-generic%%

All outgoing e-mails are scanned and sent out virus free. Copyright Cynopsis 2015