FremantleMedia today celebrates the success of its central new media division FMX at the Rockie Awards, presented at the 31st Banff World Television Festival on 16 June 2010. The division’s online scripted drama FREAK was selected as the world’s best Original Online Program this year in the Interactive category, which recognises programmes created specifically for internet audiences and assesses each entry on its innovation, originality, and resonance and engagement with viewers.
FREAK is a fully interactive experience developed by FMX and the highly successful first season aired on MySpace UK in 2009. The edgy, original drama is a story of teenage love, friendship and identity, uniquely told in a series of high definition video episodes that allow the central plot to unfold while additional social media content is added in real-time. This allows fans to immerse themselves in every aspect of the story and its characters. FREAK is now set to launch in the US following a format distribution agreement with MySpace, which will see FMX produce a local version of the unique scripted series for the MySpace US site.
Claire Tavernier, Senior Executive Vice President, FMX and Worldwide Drama, FremantleMedia said: “I am delighted that FREAK has been recognised with a Rockie Award and I am extremely proud of FMX’s continued progress and innovation in cross platform media activities. FMX’s work joins a raft of exciting digital activities taking place throughout FremantleMedia’s global network. Our ability to both create and produce fantastic digital media programming like FREAK means that we’re taking inspiring entertainment far beyond the reach of television, delivering appealing content to audiences across multiple platforms in collaboration with fantastic brands and partners”.
The Rockie Award for FREAK follows a range of new productions, deals and accolades for the FMX team. FREAK was selected as an Official Honoree of the 14th Annual Webby Awards in 2010, an international award presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences honouring excellence on the internet, and FMX also received an International Digital Emmy Award nomination in March 2010 for the eccentric online comedy PrintFriends in the category of ‘Best Digital Programme: Fiction’.
In addition, FMX has recently entered into a new digital development partnership with SORTED, a food and lifestyle brand for young adults that puts the fun into cooking across a range of print and online publications. FMX will further develop the SORTED brand on digital platforms both creatively and commercially, helping it to grow online and further engage with its target audiences. The first stage of the partnership strategy started in May 2010 with the launch of a revamped website, www.sortedfood.com, as well as a Facebook page and YouTube channel, coinciding with the release of the new SORTED book.
FREAK is online at http://www.myspace.com/FREAK, and SORTED is at www.sortedfood.com / www.youtube.com/sortedfood / www.facebook.com/sortedfood.
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Notes to Editors
About PrintFriends
PrintFriends is FMX’s eccentric online comedy incorporating an interactive community of mischievous print-out finger puppets. One of the first on-line formats born of a global partnership with YouTube, the show aired in the UK in summer 2009 incorporating 32 episodes and 15 ‘how to’ videos over 6 months. Characters in the production emulate familiar on-line behaviours and social trends, using Twitter blogs, Facebook pages, Flickr photos, mobile uploads and video responses to create a full-bodied interactive user experience. PrintFriends was nominated for an International Digital Emmy Award in the category of ‘Best Digital Programme: Fiction’ in March 2010
About FremantleMedia
FremantleMedia is one of the leading creators and producers of entertainment brands in the world. FremantleMedia is part of the RTL Group, Europe's largest television and radio broadcast company, which is in turn 90 percent owned by Bertelsmann AG, one of the world's major media and entertainment companies. FremantleMedia’s worldwide production arm is responsible for many of the world’s highest rated prime time entertainment, drama, serial drama and factual entertainment programmes. FremantleMedia Enterprises is the brand extension arm of FremantleMedia, offering a one-stop-shop for all Licensing, Distribution and Home Entertainment around the world. The FremantleMedia Group (which includes talkbackTHAMES, UFA and Grundy amongst others) has operations in 22 countries, one of the most comprehensive global networks, creating nearly 10,000 hours of programming a year, rolling out more than 60 formats and managing over 300 individual titles. FremantleMedia has some of the world’s most sought after and long running formats in its catalogue, and globally, produces such programmes as: Idols (co-produced with 19 Productions in the US), The X Factor (co-produced with Syco in the UK), Got Talent (co-produced with Syco in the UK and the US), Neighbours, The Bill, Family Feud, The Price is Right, Farmer Wants A Wife and Hole In The Wall.
www.fremantlemedia.com About FMX
FMX is part of FremantleMedia's Creative Networks division. The department serves as a central new media unit which coordinates all digital activities in the FremantleMedia group as well developing and producing original online formats. In addition to FREAK and PrintFriends, past FMX projects have included Project V and URFantastic. FMX is also responsible for establishing and managing FremantleMedia’s global relationships with key digital players such as YouTube, as well as supporting new media production efforts around the group. Successful new media projects within FremantleMedia include Atomic Wedgie (FremantleMedia Enterprises), Toyboize (talkbackTHAMES), Road Tour (FremantleMedia Australia) and Pietshow (Grundy UFA).
For further information:
Blair Metcalfe, Ogilvy PR
Tel: +44 (0) 207 309 1024
Blair.metcalfe@uk.ogilvypr.com