Virtual Worlds have the ability to bring creators together
with passionate fans in an environment that supports rich
storytelling and engagement on a level impossible with other
forms of entertainment media. Virtual Worlds Hollywood is designed for
entertainment industry professionals seeking to understand the
opportunities presented by virtual worlds and how to effectively
work in virtual worlds tied to entertainment brands. VW
Hollywood takes place at Virtual Worlds Expo, Sept. 3-4, 2008 at
the Los Angeles Convention Center.
Virtual Worlds Primer for Entertainment Industry
How do you take an existing entertainment franchise to the virtual
world? What are the expectations? How do you leverage existing audiences
to drive new revenue streams? What are the hurdles? How do you create a
compelling virtual environment that does justice to the original content
and yet is fresh, engaging and entertaining to participants? This
session, designed specifically for content owners, will answer all these
questions and more.
- Chris Carella,Chief Creative
Officer, The Electric Sheep Company
How TV Networks Are Effectively Using Virtual Worlds Television networks have been exploring virtual worlds for
some time. Examples range from the promotional use of virtual
worlds, like Showtime’s L Word community in Second Life, to the
virtual world extension of established franchises such as CBS’s CSI
and MTV’s multiple virtual worlds, all based upon established shows.
This session provides a series of mini-case studies exploring how
Showtime, CBS, Warner Bros., MTV and others are effectively using
virtual worlds.
- Valerie Williamson,
VP of Marketing and Business Development,
The Electric Sheep Company
(moderator)
- Christopher Lucas,
Vice President and Executive Producer, Showtime
Bringing Movies into the Virtual World: a Legal and Business
Perspective This panel of business professionals and legal experts will
discuss what is involved in bringing movies into virtual worlds.
Several studios have already expanded the movie experience into the
virtual world. The movies “300” and “Live Free or Die Hard”, just to
name two, have created virtual world extensions of the films where
avatars can experience the action of the movies. Moreover, Disney
announced it would build more virtual worlds like Pirates of The
Caribbean Online, based on a broad range of its properties,
including Toy Story, Narnia, Cars, The Incredibles, Cinderella and
others. Other companies are taking a different tack and entering
into licensing deals allowing film clips or movies to be shown in
the virtual world. Makena Technologies has struck a deal with
Paramount Digital Entertainment to license clips from thousands of
the latter’s films and TV shows for use in Makena’s There.com
virtual world. Likewise, Sony and Warner Bros. have both struck
deals with Gaia Online. This session will discuss the main legal and
business issues faced in such deals.
- Sean Kane, Attorney, Drakeford
& Kane LLC
- Daniel Light, Head of
Interactive, Picture Production Company
- Malik Ducard, VP North
American Digital Distribution, Paramount Digital Entertainment
- Roxanne E. Christ,
Partner, Latham & Watkins
