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Fresh Brewed Films Launches 24-Episode IPTV Series for 18-30 Demographic, Targets Liquor and Lifestyle Sponsors
"Barflies" Participates in NATPE Alternative Upfronts Showcase, Also Seeking Traditional Syndication as Writers' Strike Dries up Traditional TV Inventory
| Source: Hayworth Entertainment Group
LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwire - January 29, 2008) - NATPE - Fresh Brewed Films, LLC
(www.freshbrewedfilms.tv), a division of Hayworth Entertainment Group, will
be selling product placements, sponsorships and other forms of alternative
advertising for its new 24-episode series, "Barflies," which is slated to
debut on IPTV networks in April, according to CEO Michael E. Hayworth.
"Just as the independent film industry started small and now dominates the
landscape of the entire motion picture industry, IPTV serials will become a
large part of the consumer television experience in the next five years,"
said Hayworth. "We are at the forefront of this trend and feel that the
current writers' strike will accelerate the market acceptance of IPTV by
mainstream television consumers hungry for new content. This is
particularly true in the 18-30 year-old demographic we are targeting with
our initial IPTV series, 'Barflies.'"
"Barflies," which is produced by Hayworth, Stanley Bogest and John Lamb,
completed 24 scripts by WGA writers prior to the strike, so its content
will be viable for both Internet and traditional syndication, said
Hayworth. "Our business plan calls for short-form video funded by product
placement, including real-time product insertion, yet we also expect that
50 percent of our revenues will be generated by traditional aftermarket
opportunities, including cable television and DVD compilations." Hayworth
added that his product placement model is taking the unusual added step of
merchandising the "Barflies" brand directly into college town bars with
participating sponsors, most notably liquor companies.
The 2008 NATPE Alternative Upfronts are presented by the Interactive
Television Alliance (www.itvalliance.org) at NATPE. The "ITA Alternative
Upfronts Pavilion" is an invitation-only lounge where A-list producers and
major advertising brands meet with pre-screened potential partners for
back-to-back 25-minute sessions. This integrated program of education,
private meetings, public showcase and networking provides a structured
marketplace for ITV-enabled content and advertising.
"We see 'Barflies' as a digital 'Cheers,'" added Hayworth, "or a male 'Sex
and the City' -- it's a buddy sitcom about bar life in one's 20s."
"Barflies" is set in North Carolina, where Hayworth received incentives
from the North Carolina Piedmont Triad Film Commission. Hayworth added
that he foresees an explosion of high-quality Internet content being
produced in smaller markets because of the lower costs of production and
state film board incentives.
Hayworth is a graduate of the Full Sail School of Film, in Winter Park, FL,
and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He also holds a
certificate in media marketing management from the Harvard Business School.
Hayworth formed HEG in 2006 and has nine years experience in interactive
film production. He is a member of the well-known Hayworth family of High
Point, NC, which has been a dominant force in the furniture industry for
the past century.
Other HEG executives include Stan Bogest, CFO, and John Lamb, SVP of
development. Bogest is a 35-year motion picture veteran with a long
history of studio and production accounting positions, having worked on
legendary films including "Kramer vs. Kramer," "Annie Hall" and "Raging
Bull." Lamb has a diverse background in theater and is a graduate of UNC
Greensboro.
For more information, please contact Michael Hayworth at 336-880-5404, or
email mike.hayworth@freshbrewedfilms.tv.