Warner Creates ‘Social Series’ for Facebook

29 Sep, 2011 By: Erik Gruenwedel

---

Studio expands upon movie rentals to launch first-ever scripted series earmarked for social media

Warner Bros. Digital Distribution Sept. 29 said it has created an original scripted series for Facebook that allows viewers to become part of the program.

The action comedy, “Aim High,” stars Jackson Rathbone (the “Twilight” movies), Aimee Teegarden (“Friday Night Lights”) and Greg Germann (“Ally McBeal”). The series bows Oct. 18 at and .

Users can join the show by linking select profile information, including photos, texts and friends, in an app on the show’s Facebook page. Images and users will appear in selected scenes throughout the series. Users in turn can share comments about the show and scenes in which they appear.

The series ratchets up Warner’s Facebook involvement, which began last year when it offered select catalog movies on transactional video-on-demand payable by Facebook credits.

“Facebook is an increasingly influential destination for discovering and acquiring movie and television content,” said Thomas Gewecke, president of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. “This effort takes video distribution to a whole new level by making the actual viewing experience personal and social in a truly innovative and entertaining way.”

Indeed, Warner’s foray into social media — underscored by the acquisition of movie recommendation website Flixster — realizes a goal first undertaken by 10 years ago with Entertaindom.com, the studio’s short-lived attempt to distribute branded video entertainment on the Internet.

The executive in charge of that site, Kevin Tsujihara, now is president of the Warner Bros. Entertainment Group. In a 2006 interview with Home Media Magazine, Tsujihara hinted at ongoing changes in theatrical, home video and pay-TV distribution windows. At the time Tsujihara argued against maintaining artificial time barriers erected in home entertainment between packaged media and digital distribution.
 

Bookmark it: