EW.com Partners with NowLive to Provide Three Full Days of Live Streaming Video Digital Brand Extensions also Include Trend Tracking Infomous-Powered “Tag Cloud” and Direct On-The-Scene Reporting with Fans via CNN iReport.
EW’s Comic-Con Presence also includes Two All-Star Panels and our 5th annual Exclusive Closing Night Party Sponsored by Batman: Arkham City
NEW YORK (July 18, 2011) – Entertainment Weekly is invading Comic-Con for the fifth consecutive year with a comprehensive and multi-platform program that truly commemorates this annual fan fest. Through digital partnerships, onsite events and our award-winning editorial coverage, we’ll bring you the latest reporting, celebrate the fans and bring a piece of the action to the masses like never before. Our powerful line-up includes: two highly anticipated panels, three consecutive issues of Entertainment Weekly with comic-con coverage, a comprehensive and dynamic experience on EW.com and an exclusive A-list party sponsored by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment’s Batman: Arkham City videogame, which will host some of the biggest names in television and film.
“Comic-Con has always been a celebration of the fans, and so is EW,” said Jess Cagle, Entertainment Weekly managing editor. “That’s what makes it special, and that’s why we’re always there in a big way. This year EW.com managing editor Bill Gannon is building a very robust digital presence so we can bring all the stars and excitement at the convention to fans all over the world, as it’s happening, on our site. Comic-Con really has earned the title “The Super Bowl of Pop Culture” and we’re proud to bring consumers the best reporting and greatest access to it through our panels, our site, and our pages.”
The first of EW.com’s three digital initiatives this year is a partnership with NowLive, a full-service production and high-quality streaming company dedicated to live entertainment events that will incorporate three full days of streaming video from EW’s own photo and digital studio where famed photographer Michael Muller will take photos of the iconic talent attending the convention. We will also stream from the red carpet of our annual closing night star-studded event. Whether it’s the cast from HBO’s fan-favorite True Blood or the highly anticipated stars of Cowboys & Aliens, our partnership with NowLive will help provide a window into the glamorous celebrity scene at Comic-Con like only EW.com can. Fans can watch their favorite actors, casts, and comic-book heroes streamed live on Thursday, Friday and Saturday up close as they speak with EW’s editorial staff and hang out at EW’s exclusive rooftop spot at the Hard Rock Hotel. EW.com will also allow fans to submit their own questions to their favorite stars to be answered in real-time online.
“Our partnership with Entertainment Weekly is the perfect marriage of new technology and unparalleled entertainment reporting,” says Sara Bordo, Founder and President of NowLive. “We didn't set out to be another consumer solution for sharing webcam video – there are plenty of platforms already doing that really well. We saw a need for a live, professional, broadcast-quality solution with a relevant audience interaction platform. Comic-Con is the perfect stage to blend our technology with Entertainment Weekly’s longstanding reputation as a leading news and pop culture authority.”
Entertainment Weekly has always ignited the pop culture conversation, and in our efforts to take that to the next level, we have partnered for the first time with the Infomous-powered “Interactive Tag Cloud.” This trend-tracking device allows fans online access to the latest breaking news and videos from the convention floor in real time. The “Infomous Cloud” displays the most commonly used words (“tags”) from all of EW’s Comic-Con coverage as well as Twitter updates containing #SDCC -- bringing in a user-generated feel and a more accurate buzz meter from the ground of the Convention Center.
Comic-con has always been about the fans and to be sure we are providing a forum for their voice to be heard, EW.com has also partnered with CNN iReport, CNN’s global participatory news community, to get immediate and direct updates from iReporters and fans taking in the scene on the convention floor. This initiative will truly bring to light all of the costumes, excitement and genuine fan camaraderie that occur on the floor each day of the convention.
Entertainment Weekly’s Comic-Con panels will surely be the talk of the convention as they bring together some of the best and brightest creators in television and movies to discuss the work that is being done in their respective fields. The first of these panels will be Entertainment Weekly Presents … The Visionaries: A discussion with Jon Favreau (Cowboys & Aliens) and Guillermo del Toro (Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark) on the Future of Pop Culture. EW’s Jeff “Doc” Jensen will moderate an in-depth conversation with these two filmmakers at the forefront of bringing geek culture to the masses and making blockbuster art out of pulp fiction. They will discuss their inspirations, their current work, and how they strive to put a personal stamp on blockbuster entertainment. This panel will take place at 6:00pm on Thursday, July 21.
Next up, EW’s Lost gurus Jeff “Doc” Jensen and Dan “Dan” Snierson will moderate Totally LOST: One Year Later. The duo will wax nostalgic about the past, perhaps with a surprise guest or two, and discuss how they are “moving on” in the wake of Lost’s departure from the air a year ago. The duo will look to the future by previewing promising TV obsessions. This panel will take place at 3:30pm on Friday, July 22. Video highlights—as well as both of these entire panels—will be available on EW.com.
In addition, Entertainment Weekly is publishing its fourth annual Comic-Con preview package jam-packed with sneak peeks at some of the most highly anticipated TV shows and movies including The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Terra Nova, Immortals, Underworld 4: New Dawn, The Raven, Snow White and the Huntsman and EW’s exciting July 22nd cover story featuring Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man. Ten thousand copies of the fan favorite issue will be distributed at the Convention Center.
No Comic-Con experience would be complete without EW’s legendary closing night party on Saturday evening. This year, Entertainment Weekly will be joined by Hollywood’s biggest film and television talent and industry luminaries to celebrate all things pop culture at a poolside fete at the Hard Rock Hotel in San Diego. The exclusive event will be sponsored by Batman: Arkham City, the highly anticipated videogame based on DC Entertainment’s core Batman license, published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developed by Rocksteady Studios. Toshiba will also have a presence at this invitation-only star-studded event.
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