Warner Bros has a long history in the online video world, and its latest foray into that industry is revving into high gear. The entertainment company has officially launched Stage 13, a production unit that plans to release new original programs each month, beginning in October.
As Stage 13’s executive team explained to Tubefilter last week, a chief goal of the studio is to incubate young talent. In order to find impressive up-and-comers, Warner Bros’ new unit has partnered with several other media companies and has forged a strong connection to the film festival circuit, where shows like I Love Bekka and Lucy (pictured above) have made an impact.
The resulting slate Stage 13 has built is a melange of unscripted and scripted shows, many of which will be made available through the studio’s YouTube and Facebook pages, as well as its website. It has also linked up with distribution partners like Go90; Verizon’s mobile video platform served as the home for Stage 13’s first original series, a horror comedy called Snatchers that won fans at midnight screenings before premiering back in June.
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Other shows featured in Stage 13’s lineup include an unscripted series called Lipstick Empire and the heartfelt comedy The Incredible Life of Darrell. In total, the studio says it has produced 11 shows so far, several of which are on display in a sizzle reel available through the Stage 13 YouTube channel.
“We were looking for an opportunity to super-serve the young, multicultural audience and we saw premium digital content with an authentic, relevant and fearless voice as the path,” said Stage 13 SVP and GM Diana Mogollón in a press release. “Warner Bros., which has a long history of cultivating new talent, got behind the idea and encouraged us to move forward with our vision of a short form premium content brand celebrating youth culture.”
If you’re curious about the lineup Stage 13 has put together, check out the platform’s social channels in October, when it is set to begin a run of monthly premieres. Here, via a press release, are details about the shows you can expect to see:
· “Lipstick Empire”: This female driven, unscripted series follows two of the beauty industry’s biggest brands – Lora Arellano and Dana Bomar, co-founders and CEOs of Melt Cosmetics. As the owners and faces of Melt, the two fierce makeup moguls tell their story that began behind a makeup counter and has blossomed to be one of the biggest independent makeup brands, with over 3 million global fans. The fast-paced, fans-first business keeps the co-CEOS’ busy balancing friendship, life and the highly competitive beauty industry. “Lipstick Empire” is produced by Shed Media.
· “Marching Orders”: Regarded as the nation’s best, Bethune-Cookman University’s marching band always has a lot at stake. This unscripted series follows the incoming class trying to keep the legacy alive and the seniors who make sure they do. Led by band director Donovan “The Devil” Wells, the Wildcats take it to the field every performance, risking college scholarships and national fame every time. “Marching Orders” is produced by Gigantic Productions.
· “Independent”: This unscripted series follows four of hip hop’s most exciting independent artists, Futuristic, Reverie, Sean Brown, and Trinidad James, as they work to take over the music scene without the ties of a major record label. Stage 13 follows these bold artists as they grow their fan base, tour internationally and deal with the harsh realities that come when chasing the dream. “Independent” is about the hustle, the vision and the American Hip-Hop dream. The series was in the digital shorts episodic competition at Series Fest this June, the series was produced by We Are Famous Productions..
· “I Love Bekka & Lucy”: The first digital series to ever be featured in the episodic category at SXSW, takes an honest and comedic look into the friendship of two best friends who face the evolution of their relationship when one of them gets engaged. Rachael Holder created, wrote and directed the series. It stars Jessica Kennedy (“Black Sails”) as Bekka, Tanisha Long (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”) as Lucy, Alexis Denisof (“How I Met Your Mother”) as Glen and Chris Smith (“Paranormal Activity 3”) as Harry. In addition to Holder, “I Love Bekka & Lucy” is produced by Haven Entertainment.
· “The Incredible Life of Darrell”: Revolves around Darrell, an awkward wallflower who finds himself delaying the transition into adulthood at all costs. Unlike most of his colorful friends, Darrell refuses to get a job and instead focuses on building jetpacks and playing hacky sack in his spare time. Darrell Lake created, wrote, directed and stars in the series. It also stars newcomers actors Joy Regullano, Justin Bryant Rapp, Caleb Brown, Abigail Klein, April Grace and more. “The Incredible Life of Darrell” is produced by West of 7th Digital Productions.
