DAILY NEWS Jun 9, 2008 10:29 AM - 0 comments

Shaftesbury Films Adds Digital Media Division

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Shaftesbury Films, Canada's top producer of dramatic and children's programming, has acquired Smokebomb Entertainment, an award-winning developer of original multiplatform digital content.

Heading up Shaftesbury's newly created Digital Media division are Executive Producers Daniel Dales and Jarrett Sherman. This groundbreaking deal moves Shaftesbury into the forefront of production of original content for the web and all digital media platforms.

"Jarrett Sherman and Daniel Dales have demonstrated remarkable talent and insight for developing stories and entertainment for new and emerging outlets. We're looking forward to exploiting the multiplatform world together," said Christina Jennings, Chair and CEO, Shaftesbury Films.

"Both Shaftesbury and Smokebomb want to create unique and powerful work for online, mobile and all digital outlets, and build on our successful recent collaborations, such as the Gemini award-winning Life with Derek podcasts and website enhancements," said Shane Kinnear, VP of Marketing, Sales and Digital Media, Shaftesbury Films.


"We are both committed to producing online programs that will redefine original entertainment for the web," said Daniel Dales, Executive Producer, Smokebomb.

"We believe that the Internet opens up huge opportunities for compelling story-telling and much deeper connections with our audience. We will deliver the best entertainment to the widest audience possible," added Jarrett Sherman, Executive Producer, Smokebomb.


Shaftesbury and Smokebomb recently collaborated on podcasts for the wildly successful Family Channel Life with Derek website, which earned them a 2007 Gemini Award for Most Popular website. Shaftesbury also co-produced the ReGenesis Extended Reality cross-platform game, an online companion to the one-hour drama series which garnered them an International Emmy and a Gemini among other prestigious awards.

Shaftesbury and Smokebomb's next major project is the online companion project for the upcoming drama series The Listener (CTV/ NBC/ Fox International), which will feature a pre-launch audio and visual marketing campaign, an immersive web experience and cross-platform integration. The site, www.thelistenertv.com, will be created in partnership with CTV and funded in part by the Bell New Media Fund.


Smokebomb Entertainment's name remains intact and the company will move into Shaftesbury HQ mid-summer to embark on an ambitious development and production slate that includes a minimum of two original online series for production in the first year.



About Shaftesbury Films:

Founded in 1987, Shaftesbury Films is Canada's leading producer of high quality award-winning film and television programming. Recent productions include the drama series Murdoch Mysteries for Citytv; four seasons of the drama series ReGenesis for The Movie Network, Movie Central and Showcase in Canada and 100 countries worldwide; the record-breaking CTV movies In God's Country and Eight Days to Live, both featuring Kelly Rowan; and The Robber Bride, the Emmy-nominated TV movie starring Gemini award-winner Mary-Louise Parker for CBC. Shaftesbury Films also produces a variety of kids' programming, including the highly successful series Life with Derek, currently airing on Family Channel and Disney Channel, in 18 languages and broadcast in over 140 countries worldwide. Visit the Shaftesbury website at www.shaftesbury.ca.



About Smokebomb:

Smokebomb Entertainment is a new media company specializing in the production of entertainment programming for distribution on the Internet and all forms of mobile devices. The company is engaged in two distinct areas of production: original entertainment programming for the new media space and the creation of new media properties as companion experiences for traditional movie and television properties. Smokebomb produced the award-winning podcast for Life with Derek. Visit the Smokebomb website at www.smokebomb.ca .
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