Natan EdelsburgAwesomeness held it’s NewFront in NYC yesterday announcing more premium content than ever before. The multi-platform media company that targets Gen-Z is moving away from just AwesomenessTV, which is now only one part of its offering. Awesomeness Films for example, is releasing You Get Me, an original film with Netflix (starring Bella Thorne) that launches on June 16th.
Committed to entertaining the Gen Z audience with their favorite shows, multiple AwesomenessTV scripted series have been renewed for new seasons including Freakish on Hulu, Foursome on YouTube Red, Guidance and t@gged on go90 and The Commute onAwesomenessTV.
Freakish: After premiering on Hulu last October, Freakish will be returning for a second season and will begin production this month. In season two, the Kent High School students are still trapped inside by the deadly explosion and will find their relationships tested when a new group of survivors arrive. Friendships will be lost, enemies made, and ventures outside into the dangerous unknown will present life and death stakes for the students. Leo Howard, Liza Koshy, Adam Hicks, Meghan Rienks, Melvin Gregg, and Tyler Chase will reprise their roles.
Foursome: After season two premiered to over 12M views, Foursome has been renewed for a third season. In the new season, the gang scores tickets to a winter break vacation, but the Foursome’s problems aren’t so easily left behind. Starring Jenn McAllister, season three will premiere later this year on YouTube Red.
Guidance: Guidance, the anthology series for go90, has recently wrapped production on its third season starring Meg DeAngelis (10M followers) and Monique Coleman (High School Musical). In season three, a senior named Grace is struck and killed by a car and many questions arise – was it an accident or was it suicide? And if she killed herself, then why? Shawnee High’s guidance counselor finds herself investigating the accident. Hidden animosities, unforeseen allies, and secret affairs are revealed that may have led to Grace’s death.
t@gged: t@gged has been renewed for its third season and will begin production in New Mexico. The third season of t@gged will force the girls to form unlikely alliances in order to confront a deadly threat that finally has a face.
The Commute: After winning a WGA award, The Commute, starring Claudia Sulewski and Steffan Argus, will be premiering its second season next month on AwesomenessTV. In season two, the summer is ending and the new school year is just around the corner. Hansen (Argus) and Emma (Sulewski) are faced with the merging of their social circles and the ever awkward relationship status discussions. Will their romance survive or are some relationships just meant to be a summer fling?
Awesomeness News:
Awesomeness will launch Awesomeness News. This new editorial content will focus on the socially conscious issues Gen Z cares about including politics, the environment, social justice, and more. Many generations have faced significant social change and Gen Z is no different. However, what has evolved is the widespread impact they can achieve. Gen Z has the opportunity and the opinions to make a difference right now on what matters most in their lives. Gen Z has actively embraced their favorite platforms as a way to have their voice heard and inspire change. Awesomeness News will be available on all AwesomenessTV platforms.
Awesomeness + Hollister:
Awesomeness and Hollister Co, a global retail brand, are celebrating the spirit of the endless summer. Together, they are launching a bold original series and integrated campaign aimed at inspiring the Gen Z audience through live events, an original soundtrack with music videos, and purpose-built brand integrations into existing AwesomenessTV formats.
This is Summer is set to premiere on May 20th on AwesomenessTV’s YouTube channel and will follow a group of juniors and seniors in San Francisco as they navigate some of the most important and adventurous times of their lives. With music as the soundtrack of these students’ lives, Awesomeness and Hollister will release songs and music videos inspired by the series. Featuring original and cover songs from Awesomeness talent and cast, the soundtrack will be available to stream on Spotify® and will play in Hollister stores later this year.
Awesomeness Films:
Fresh off the success of Before I Fall, the critically acclaimed YA film starring Zoey Deutch, Awesomeness Films will be releasing its Netflix original film You Get Me on Friday, June 16th. Starring Bella Thorne (Famous in Love), Halston Sage (Before I Fall) and Taylor John Smith (American Crime), Anna Akana (Miss 2059), and Nash Grier (The Outfield), You Get Me follows Tyler (Smith), a high school student who is crazy in love with his perfect girlfriend Ali (Sage). When a big fight sends him spiraling, he lands in the arms of sexy out-of-towner Holly (Thorne) who shows him a night he won’t forget. The next morning, he finds that not only is Ali taking him back, but that Holly is a new student at their school and is dead set on keeping Tyler to herself.
Research:
Today, Awesomeness released key Gen Z insights in collaboration with Trendera. “Gen Z: The Audience You Can’t Ignore” focuses on how the first truly digitally native generation is poised to be the most influential audience to date. Including insights on how they will reshape the use of technology, change social norms, and impact the future, “Gen Z: The Audience You Can’t Ignore” proves Gen Z is here and is ready to create a whole new world for themselves and the rest of us.
With nearly 3 million subscribers and 1.7 billion lifetime views, DreamWorksTV is the #1 major kids entertainment brand on YouTube – and it keeps getting bigger and better. In the first half of this year alone, DreamWorksTV added more than half a million subscribers and doubled its minutes watched year-over-year, proving that DreamWorksTV is unmatched in the space in terms of growth and reach. With more than 2500 episodes of original digital-native content, DreamWorksTV has custom-made shows for kids that tickle their funny-bone, spark their curiosity, and get their toes-tapping.
Top hits and new series include:
Life Hacks for Kids: This 2016 Kidscreen Award Winner for Best Webseries shows kids how to make cool stuff out of ordinary things they have at home. Whether it’s creating a harmonica with popsicle sticks, turning a t-shirt into a tote bag or making a lantern out of a sports drink, kids keep tuning in for these expert life-hacking tricks garnering the show an average of 1.5 million views each week.
Songs that Stick: A fan favorite that gets kids up on their feet and grabbing for the mic, this show gives kids a chance to sing, laugh and dance along with YouTube’s favorite kid musicians as they cover today’s catchiest songs! YouTube sensation Johnny Orlando’s cover of pop-song “Cheerleader” popped off the charts with a record-breaking 37 million views and counting!
Junk Drawer Magic: One kid’s junk is another kid’s … magic trick! From levitating fruit to swallowing a spoon, kids learn how to create awesome magic out the forgotten objects around their house. And with more than 137 million lifetime views, it’s clear kids all over the world have fallen under this show’s magic spell!
Bloxflix: DreamWorksTV’s fastest growing new series, Bloxflix launched last December and became an almost instant fan favorite. Set in the world of the video game phenomenon Roblox, this show follows Buster Block – a typical teen who also happens to be a secret agent!
Colossal Questions: This brand new DreamWorksTV series is the ultimate conversation starter! In just 12 weeks, this series already has off-the-charts engagement as kids can’t wait to find answers to their most pressing questions like “When Did Pink Become a Girl Color?” and “What REALLY Happens If You Swallow Gum?”. The one thing no one can question is that this show has the makings of a hit!
Awestruck:
Awestruck, the fastest growing digital video brand for millennial moms, has grown 5x year-over-year in their audience base, with monthly video views increasing by 300%. Since last year’s NewFront, Awestruck has produced over 100 hours of premium content including their first scripted series Confess based on the novel by #1 New York Times best-selling author Colleen Hoover.
Awestruck announced that Carrie Franklin has been hired as the Head of Awestruck. Franklin is an Emmy-nominated showrunner whose resume includes Project Runway, Ruby, and Vh1’s hit series, Candidly Nicole. She spent the last year working with ABC Digital Studios to relaunch their streaming service, heading up the alternative team that produced original digital short form series. In her role, Franklin will be developing a new slate of programming that gives a fresh approach to the different aspects of motherhood. Awestruck’s content will not only serve as an informational resource to moms but will also provide levity, escapism and entertainment.
Awestruck has also signed Grammy-winning singer, actress and author Kelly Rowland to their network. Kelly’s YouTube channellaunches today and showcases her life as a busy working woman and mom to 2-year-old Titan. She’ll sit down with her famous mom friends and leading experts to talk about the joys and challenges navigating parenting and balancing career and home life. Kelly joins a robust roster of talent including Zoe Saldana, Molly Sims, Mario Lopez, GloZell Green, Kandee Johnson, and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi, and Jennifer “JWOWW” Farley.
Yale Buchwald
