LOS ANGELES, Dec 18, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Machinima.com, the premier entertainment network for the gaming generation, today announced the creation of the Machinima Comedy Lab; a collaboration with fifteen leading episodic television writers from popular series--such as The Simpsons, Saturday Night Live and Seinfeld--to develop 15 original episodic comedy pilots for the Machinima.com network. Revolutionizing the digital content development process, Machinima.com is pioneering a cost effective way to create computer-generated online programming with professional Hollywood talent to incubate series that can migrate from the Internet to traditional platforms like broadcast and cable TV.
Machinima--a word derived from the combination of machine and cinema--is the term used to describe the creation of computer-generated video created in real time by leveraging video game engines and environments. Machinima became widely known by the entertainment industry in 2006 when the creators of South Park released the Emmy Award winning episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft," a large portion of which was created with machinima techniques inside the massively popular online game "World of Warcraft."
"Machinima.com lets us put our work in front of an audience that already knows and loves our style of writing and is embracing new forms of digital entertainment," said Bill Oakley, an Emmy-winning writer and past showrunner of The Simpsons. "We get to do what we love the most--write and create fun content while Machinima.com handles all the production, marketing and distribution."
The series will be distributed on the Machinima.com network, which served more than 38 million video views in November, is among the top five most-viewed channels each month on YouTube, and in less than 14 months, has become the seventh most subscribed YouTube channel of all-time. Machinima.com provides a revolutionary platform for creative talent to develop computer generated content using video games where all game components, including the characters, sets and environments can serve as a "virtual backlot" to quickly and inexpensively generate high-end original content in real time.
The Machinima Comedy Lab pilots will be created by top Hollywood writers, including:
-- Chris Cluess: Mad TV, The Simpsons, Beggars and Choosers, Cheers, SCTV
-- Bill Freiberger: Drawn Together, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, The Simpsons
-- Eric Horsted: Boondocks, Knights of Prosperity, Futurama, Home Improvement, Coach
-- Ken Keeler: Futurama, The Simpsons, Wings, The Naked Truth, The Critic, The Late Show
-- Stacie Lipp: King of Queens, Roseanne, Married With Children
-- Christina Lynch: Wildfire, The Dead Zone, Unhappily Ever After
-- Peggy Nicoll: WordGirl, Daria
-- Bill Oakley: Mission Hill, The Simpsons, Futurama
-- Max Pross & Tom Gammill: The Simpsons, Seinfeld, Monk, The Critic, Saturday Night Live, The Late Show
-- Mike Rowe: Family Guy, Futurama, Comedy Central Roasts, The Jaime Kennedy Experiment
-- Loren Segan: Wildfire, The Dead Zone, Spyder Games
-- Patric M. Verrone: Futurama, Muppets Tonight!, The Simpsons, The Critic, Pinky and the Brain
-- Maiya Williams: Mad TV, The PJs, The Wayans Bros., The Fresh Prince of Bel Air
"This is the future of comedy in new media - a fast and low cost way for writers to create shows that attract an existing audience," said Patric M. Verrone, an Emmy-winning writer and president of WGA West. "We're thrilled to break ground and forge a relationship that empowers independent production and gives writers both creative freedom and financial participation."
"As an emerging entertainment network, we're dedicated to bringing aboard top creative talent," said Allen DeBevoise, Machinima.com chairman and chief executive officer. "Machinima.com provides these writers with a new, evolving medium in which to reach the highly desired 18 to 34 male audience, showcase creativity and develop episodic pilots for multiple platforms."
About Machinima.com
Machinima.com is the premier entertainment network dedicated to the gaming generation with the best and most extensive original machinima content. Machinima-a word derived from the combination of machine and cinema--is the term used to describe the creation of computer-generated video created in real time by leveraging video game engines and environments. Machinima.com is comprised of highly-engaged gamers and content creators and is the seventh most subscribed YouTube channel and serves more than 38 million videos views per month. Companies from the film, gaming and consumer industries are using Machinima.com as an advertising platform to launch new video games and movies and to reach gaming and film enthusiasts around the world. Current Machinima.com advertisers include: EA, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Paramount Pictures, Sega, Universal Studios; Warner Bros. and others. To learn more, visit www.machinima.com or its YouTube channel.
Patric Verrone is represented by Joel Wright of Paradigm Talent Agency and Bill Oakley is represented by Michael Rosenfeld of CAA.
SOURCE: Machinima.com
Allison & Partners
Emily Murphy, 310-496-4470
machinima@allisonpr.com
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