Jay Bennett has been handed a wider remit at Canadian producer-distributor Shaftesbury. Currently head of the company’s digital arm, Smokebomb Entertainment, he will move into a new post as senior VP, creative and innovation. The company-wide post, a new role, will see Bennett (pictured) oversee creative direction and innovation at Shaftesbury, including digital original projects, […]
Canada-based producer and distributor Shaftesbury has joined forces with millennial agency Youth Culture to launch a digital agency, shift2. The joint venture will create and distribute youth-skewed content for brands, on YouTube, across the reality, how-to and scripted programming genres. Shaftesbury’s content creation contribution will come through its existing digital arm Smokebomb Entertainment. Sahftesbury said […]
The CW is taking digital series Backpackers from the web to TV. The US broadcast network will show new episodes of the show from this sumer with a ten-episode run of half-hour episodes. The first four eps will use content from the web series, which previously went out on The CW’s digital platform CW Seed, […]
US streaming service Hulu has acquired four shortform series produced by Canadian digital prodco Smokebomb Entertainment, including dystopian sci-fi show State of Syn. The shows will roll out on Hulu over the next month. State of Syn is billed as an 8x5mins “3D-enable sci-fi motion novel”, while Long Story, Short is a “provocative” 11x5mins drama, […]
Canada’s Shaftesbury has promoted Ryan St. Peters to the role of VP, sales and business development. In his expanded role, he will continue to work on television and digital presales, sales and distribution strategies across the Shaftesbury and Smokebomb Entertainment imprints, but will now work with third parties to find new kids, factual and digital […]
Smokebomb Entertainment founders Daniel Dales and Jarrett Sherman have launched a new digital venture and have a deal in place for a project with Mark Burnett. The pair exited Smokebomb last July four years after Canadian producer Shaftesbury Films acquired the company to become its digital arm. They have now launched Digital Howard, which will […]
The CW has picked up Shaftesbury’s online comedy series Backpackers for its nascent digital service. The youth skewing broadcaster will launch the comedy on its CW Digital service. This follows its recent acquisition of the latest season of Vuguru’s Prom Queen. Backpackers is produced by Shaftesbury’s digital media division Smokebomb Entertainment and has already been […]
