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About

About STAGE 9

STAGE 9 is a production studio for the Web 2.0 generation. Not a portal or social network, STAGE 9 focuses on doing what studios do best: making great content. The company develops and produces high-quality entertainment programming for distribution on web, mobile, gaming, and other new media platforms. STAGE 9 is dedicated to creating plot-driven stories and fully developed characters through an interactive experience that will appeal to a young target audience.

Vision

Founded in January 2007, STAGE 9 set out to prove that there is a nascent but rapidly growing market for studio-quality programming outside traditional film and television outlets. Anyone with a handheld camera or cell phone can create videos today; not everyone can tell great stories that will meet audience expectations for great entertainment and compelling characters. STAGE 9 leverages its unique relationships with the world's top producers and broadcasters to create exceptional programming that stands apart in a sea of UGC video.

Product

STAGE 9 seeks filmmakers who create high-quality series at a fraction of the cost of film and television. Working with these talented auteurs, the company creates short-form series in a variety of genres including comedy, drama, animation and reality/competition.

Each project is developed as a scripted series with a strong, plot-driven linear narrative at its center. Series are typically 10-15 episodes per cycle, with each episode running approximately 1-5 minutes. This narrative can be packaged with more immersive/interactive elements developed in partnership with the distributor, e.g. audience participation (chat, voting, send to a friend), games, blogs/vlogs, behind-the-scenes, etc.

Business Model

STAGE 9 seeks to offer its programming as free and ad-supported wherever possible. However, the company is open to a variety of business models and partnership opportunities.

Sponsorship

Each STAGE 9 project offers potential sponsors innovative new opportunities to reach the 18-35 demographic. In addition to traditional display and streaming video advertising, sponsors can participate through product integration as well as involvement in the early stages of content creation, production, and marketing.

Funding

STAGE 9 is a fully-funded and wholly-owned subsidiary of ABC / Disney.

Management

Barry Jossen, an Academy Award-winning short-form producer and studio executive, has been appointed General Manager of Stage 9 Digital Media. In his role he will oversee development, production, post-production and distribution for the experimental new media content provider which creates original short-form programming for the digital world by merging innovative creativity with superior production quality. Mr. Jossen continues his role as executive vice president of ABC Studios, overseeing production on the studio’s slate of network and cable primetime, late night and first-run syndication programs.

Prior to joining Stage 9 and ABC, Jossen served as an executive consultant for Imagine Television from 1999 through 2002. Mr. Jossen teamed with Darren Star to co-executive produce the launch of the Emmy Award winning series “Sex and the City” in 1998. During his tenure at DreamWorks from 1995-1997 Jossen earned his greatest achievement, the Live Action Short Film Academy Award for “Dear Diary.” From 1989 to 1993 Mr. Jossen served as head of television for George Lucas’ Lucasfilm Ltd. His cable credits have earned him over 40 CableACE nominations and a win for his HBO series “Vietnam War Story.”

Offices

Burbank, California (headquarters).