MTV Films veteran David Gale joins the judging panel
For more information go to: one80project.com.au
The OPTUS ONE80PROJECT has again opened the door for two local aspiring TV makers by launching its fourth year of competition. US based international heavyweight, Executive Vice President of New Media at MTV, David Gale, will be joining the industry expert panel of judges bringing with him industry knowledge and experience from critically acclaimed films such as Election, The Longest Yard and Napoleon Dynamite. The OPTUS ONE80PROJECT is a joint initiative between Optus and MTV Networks Australia, in association with BlackBerry and Event Cinemas.
"This initiative plays an increasingly important role in nurturing the development of young local television talent," said Rebecca Batties, General Manager, Music Brands, MTV Networks Australia and NZ. "It is the only competition of its kind in Australia that invests in the development and creation of fresh television ideas. Now with the addition of David Gale, this year's winner will have more opportunity than ever before to reach a wider audience."
Jim Jaques, Marketing Director, Optus Consumer said, "The OPTUS ONE80PROJECT allows us to offer our customers entertaining and interactive content across mobile, internet and TV platforms while supporting talented Australian TV makers with an opportunity to break into the industry. More and more of our customers are turning to their mobiles and the internet as a source of entertainment and the OPTUS ONE80PROJECT is another way we are delivering content to meet this demand. We are proud to be supporting the OPTUS ONE80PROJECT for a fourth year and I can't wait to see what this year's entries have to offer."
The national television competition OPTUS ONE80PROJECT, is an opportunity for all local aspiring TV makers to turn their good idea into a big shot at the small screen. A 180 second pilot with an accompanying treatment can be uploaded onto the OPTUS ONE80PROJECT website, one80project.com.au from 12pm (AEDT), Monday November 16, 2009 until 5pm (AEDT), Friday February 12, 2010. All entries must be suitable for viewing on Optus smartphones and 3G mobile phones, internet and TV.
Ten entries will then be short-listed by an industry panel of judges including David Gale who will also go on to select a judges' choice winner. Previously head of MTV Films, Gale oversaw the release of 26 movies including Hustle and Flow, Election, Napoleon Dynamite, The Longest Yard, Murderball, Beavis and Butthead Do America, Jackass: the Movie and Jackass number two. Previous OPTUS ONE80PROJECT judges have included Noah Taylor, Abbie Cornish, Emily Barclay, Neil Armfield, Teresa Palmer, Alex Dimitriades and Nash & Joel Edgerton.
The public will also be able to choose a winner. The ten short-listed pilots can be viewed by Optus mobile customers on their 3G smartphone or mobile phone via the Optus ZOO Mobile TV site, or they can be streamed from the competition website (www.one80project.com.au). Viewers will vote for their favourite pilot via a short code sent to their mobile phone or at the competition website. Votes can be cast over five weeks, from Monday March 1, 2010 to Monday April 5, 2010.
The pilots from the ten finalists will be screened at the OPTUS ONE80PROJECT Festival held on Sunday, April 18, 2010 at which the two winning entries, the Judges' Choice Award and the People's Choice Award, will be announced.
Both winners will receive an amazing prize package including a share in $20,000 cash and a BlackBerry® Smartphone. In addition, the Judges Choice will get the opportunity to work with MTV production experts and an Executive Producer at MTV Australia's production facilities, valued at $250,000, to develop and shape their original pilot into a full-length multi-platform drama. The completed final episodes will be shown first on the Optus ZOO web and mobile portals and later shown on MTV Australia.
The winning submission will be produced and aired on MTV in Australia and will be available to Optus 3G customers on the Optus ZOO portals.
To find out more about OPTUS ONE80PROJECT and how to enter, LOG ONTO www.one80project.com.au
For further information:
Laura Vozzo
Communications & Publicity Manager
Email: laura.vozzo@mtvna.com.au
MTV Networks Australia
Phone: (02) 9921 0299
Milly Gattegno
Publicist
Email: milly.gattegno@mtvna.com.au
MTV Networks Australia
Phone: (02) 9921 0261
Siobhan Quinn:
Corporate Affairs Executive
Email: Siobhan.Quinn@optus.com.au
Optus
Phone: (02) 8082 8432
About David Gale (Executive Vice President of New Media at MTV)
David Gale is Executive Vice President of New Media at MTV, overseeing the development and production of interactive projects for the web and other new media platforms. Gale's division has launched a variety of unique properties including a social network and video uploading site for skaters called The CLUSTR, a motion comic series based on the hit comic book Invincible and the blockbuster online release of Jackass 2.5, the first major studio film premiered on the internet. In May 2009 MTV New Media released $5 Cover Memphis, created by Hustle and Flow filmmaker Craig Brewer, which recently won a 2009 OMMA award. $5 Cover is a reality-based story set in the current Memphis music scene. The experience encompasses music performances and user discovery using the most current technology to provide access to the content on all platforms. MTV New Media recently announced $5 Cover Seattle directed by Lynn Shelton (writer/director of the critically-acclaimed Humpday) and Savage County, an original horror film for new media platforms. Gale was previously head of MTV Films, where he oversaw the release of 26 movies including Hustle and Flow, Election, Napoleon Dynamite, The Longest Yard, Murderball, Beavis and Butthead Do America, Jackass: the Movie and Jackass number two.
About Optus
Optus is an Australian leader in integrated communications. The company specialises in a broad range of communications services including mobile, local, national and long distance telephony, business network services, internet and satellite services and subscription television. For more information please visit www.optus.com.au
About Optus Mobile TV
Mobile TV gives Optus 3G customers the chance to access the biggest TV brands on their mobiles, both live and on demand. Channels include: MTV, Sky News, South Park, The Hills and more. Access is through Optus ZOO, for more information please visit www.optus.com.au/mobiletv
About MTV
MTV Networks International includes the premier multimedia entertainment brands MTV: Music Television, VH1, Nickelodeon, TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, Paramount Comedy and Game One seen in 442.9 million households in 170 countries and 28 languages via 121 locally programmed and operated TV channels and 95 Web sites. The company's diverse holdings also include interests in television syndication, digital media, publishing, home video, radio, recorded music, licensing & merchandising and two feature film divisions, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. MTV Networks is a unit of Viacom International Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA)