SONY Pictures Television: Crackle TV Upfront
April 2016. New York City, New York City Center
SONY Pictures’ digital entertainment network,
Crackle, once again partnered with Empire to produce their 2016 Upfront — an
annual presentation to advertisers and media. With an exciting lineup of both
new, original programming and returning series, Crackle had much to present.
The Upfront took place at the New York City Center, and opened with welcoming remarks by SONY Pictures Television’s President of Worldwide Networks, Andy Kaplan.
Next, an opening video featuring the League of Freedom from the television series SuperMansion led to remarks by executive producers Seth Green, Zeb Wells, Matt Seinreich, and Bryan Cranston.
Crackle Senior Vice President of Digital Media Sales, James Smith, then took the stage, emphasizing that “Because we’re Sony, we’re not just talking product placement, those are a given and we can do those all day long, we’re talking about custom story lines, talent inclusions, and technology based experiences like 360 & VR.”
SONY Pictures Television’s SVP of Digital Networks, Eric Berger, appeared on the program to give remarks including the introduction of a new “break-free advertising” sponsorship model, with additional comments by Jonah Goodhart, CEO of MOAT. Eric Berger also presented Crackle’s programming slate accompanied by many of Crackle’s biggest stars and show runners including Kate Bosworth, Christian Cooke, and Dennis Quaid.
Among the many announcements of the day, Crackle also announced that it will create original VR narrative content. The first will be a special episode of SuperMansion. Crackle will also create original VR content with sponsorship opportunities, to be viewable on PlayStation VR, Samsung Gear VR, Google Cardboard, and smartphones.
To close the event, Crackle introduced two new original series – “Snatch” and “StartUp” – and invited the “StartUp” cast members Adam Brody, Edi Gathegi, and Otmara Marrero to discuss the show.
In addition to securing the venue, designing the spaces, managing event logistics, catering and stage managing the program, Empire provided all staging and technical production support.
Empire continues to set the industry standard for producing outstanding presentations for clients seeking to communicate their mission, motivations and value proposition to key customers. Empire is proud to have served SONY Pictures Television and Crackle on this year's Upfront.