In an ambitious and provocative new 4-part series exploring our global ocean, CBC’s THE NATURE OF THINGS with David Suzuki brings to audiences a unique, investigative look at the water that covers more than 70 percent of our planet.

With games, a pledge and more, cbc.ca/oneocean accompanies the series, airing on Thursdays through to March 25^th, further educating and entertaining audiences about the wonders and challenges facing our oceans.

The One Ocean Pledge is an open call to think resourcefully, reduce consumption and waste, and get involved in protecting aquatic ecosystems. Among the 50 pledge points addressing issues such as coral depletion, deadzones, overfishing and pollution, participants can pledge from a range of choices to change their actions. Examples range from activities such as supporting conservation organizations to refraining from de-icing sidewalks with salt.

Pledge activists can earn virtual eco-points making One Ocean commitments. These points can be used to play The Biosphere, an online 3D game that allows users to create their own marine reserve, play video games to help balance the health of their ecosystem, explore landscapes from deep ocean trenches to colourful coral reefs and swim virtually with prehistoric creatures.

“This combination of evocative television series, immersive game, action-oriented pledge and social networking represents the next generation of environmental education and entertainment,” said Catherine Warren, president of FanTrust Entertainment Strategies, which provides community-building strategies and tactics for One Ocean Interactive, produced by clients Merit Motion Pictures and Tactica Interactive.

The Biosphere is built using Unity, the innovative 3D social gaming engine, and will be available on Facebook as well as www.cbc.ca/oneocean

The One Ocean Pledge also makes use of Facebook Connect functionality, allowing participants to help spread the word about the importance of ocean conservation as well as what can be done to help.

Finally, Ocean Explorer takes users on guided tours of the ocean using Google Earth’s satellite and sonar imagery. Historical timelines, profiles of sea life, experts, and creators of the series and website are also available, along with new webisodes and podcasts.

Conservation partners currently promoting the One Ocean pledge include:

David Suzuki Foundation

Canadian Wildlife Foundation

Living Oceans Society

One Ocean is co-produced by CBC’s The Nature of Things and Merit Motion Pictures (The Science of the Senses, The Truth About Liars and The Secret World of Shoplifting), in association with National Geographic Channel, and with the participation of the Canadian Television Fund, Manitoba Film & Music, the Government of Canada – Canadian Film and Video Production Tax Credit and the Government of Manitoba – Manitoba Film and Video Production Tax Credit.

www.cbc.ca/oneocean is co-produced by Merit Motion Pictures and Tactica Interactive Communications, in association with CBC’s The Nature of Things, and with the participation of the Canadian Television Fund, the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, and the Government of Manitoba – Manitoba Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit.

The launch will allow Unity game developers – representing a growing base and 100,000 downloads of Unity’s engine to date – to create an account at http://www.dimerocker.com and access an ever-growing feature-set that includes the following turn-key API:

• Deployment to Social Networks (Facebook and MySpace )
• Real-time global and Social Leaderboards
• Achievements
• Scalable Hosting
• Social Engagement (Wall Posts, Challenges, etc.)
• Microtransaction System

“These initial beta developers will be invaluable in helping to shape dimeRocker’s technology moving forward, and will receive many ‘first-look’ opportunities as we roll out new tools and services,” said OverInteractive Media CEO Jason Joly. “We currently have more than 150 Unity developers signed and expect to see more exciting games tapping our platform in coming months.”

In tandem with the open-beta launch of dimeRocker, OMI is showcasing two next-gen social games inside the Unity booth at GDC.  The first, “Air Traffic Commander,” developed by Downtown East Side Games, in partnership with Complex Games, shows-off a wide range of dR functionality from social engagement to microtransactions.

The second is a browser-version of the popular iPhone/iTouch title “Battle Bears”, downloaded more than two million times via Apple’s App store.  The game took under two weeks to port over to the web and deploy via dimeRocker.  SkyVu Pictures, the company behind “Battle Bears” sees this opportunity as way to not only market the App, but also provide a secondary stream of revenue from social networks like Facebook with its 400 million users.

“DimeRocker is bringing consumers and developers together in the explosive world of 3D social games,” said FanTrust Entertainment Strategies President Catherine Warren, who also serves as a board director of OMI. “Facebook and other social network fans are now looking for immersive entertainment environments as part of their gameplay experience.” In coming months, OMI will keep expanding the dimeRocker platform by offering real-time analytics, in-game advertising and iPhone connectivity.

View the full news release

Santa Monica, CA / Waterloo, ONTARIO  – RingTales (www.ringtales.com), a digital media content company that produces and syndicates animated video versions of world renowned print cartoons s across all digital media, and Metranome (www.metranome.net), a leading mobile applications production company, have partnered to launch the first ever animated Dilbert and New Yorker “Cartoon a Day” integrated calendar applications for BlackBerry.

FanTrust client Metranome 2009 is one of Canada’s Top 20 Innovative Companies and winner of the 2009 International ITV Award for best Mobile Interactive App.

Read the full press release

* Ice Pilots NWT delivers highest-ever ratings for a Canadian series on History Television
* Highest-rated program on Specialty Television during its timeslot

The series premiere of the highly-anticipated Canwest original series Ice Pilots NWT garnered massive ratings with 459,000 viewers (2+), marking the highest audience ever for a Canadian series on History Television. The debut episode, which aired Wednesday, November 18 at 10 pm ET/PT, hauled-in 174,000 viewers in the A25-54 demographic and achieved a remarkable 164,000 viewers in the younger, A18-49 category. Ice Pilots NWT also proved to be a hit with females, pulling in 59,000 (W25-54) and an impressive 74,000 in the W18-49 demographic. The highest-rated series on Specialty Television during its timeslot, Ice Pilots NWT also won the timeslot against conventional network CityTV and sports Specialty TSN.

The epic premiere of Ice Pilots NWT aired after the compelling viewer-favourite series, Ice Road Truckers, which continues to achieve huge audience numbers for the channel. An impressive 323,000 viewers (2+) tuned-in to the eleventh episode of the season on November 18 at 9 pm ET/PT, creating a powerful lead-in for the premiere of Ice Pilots NWT. Garnering over 750,000 (2+) viewers between the two shows combined, this audience success has proven that Canadians are captivated by History Television’s gripping living history series, set right here in the great Canadian North.

Ice Pilots NWT is a thirteen–part series that follows a group of elite pilots in Yellowknife and the extraordinary adventures of the most unorthodox airline in the Canadian North. Renegade Arctic airline Buffalo Airways defies the cold and the competition by using WWII-era propeller planes to haul vital fuel, supplies and passengers to remote outposts. Rookie pilots with nerves of steel come from across the country to Yellowknife to receive training from the very best and for the chance to earn their wings flying vintage planes originally built for war. From landing vital cargo onto airstrips at mine sites to carving out runways on frozen lakes and rocky tundra, the Ice Pilots do it all, despite frequent blizzards and breakdowns.

For more on the show’s online and on-air success, visit http://www.fantrust.com/2009/12/07/ice-pilots-takes-flight-for-history-television/

Ice Pilots NWT airs Wednesdays at 10 pm ET/PT on History Television.

Source: BBM Canada PPM

Historical Cdn premiere data – BBM-NMR meter data (Mark 2)

You can view the full Bell Fund 2008 annual report, including the funded new media productions, online.

As in years past, the awards will gather over 200 professionals across the entertainment, mobile and Internet industries. Catherine Warren, FanTrust President and Academy member, will join other digital luminaries at the invitation-only ceremony.

“We are very pleased to be recognizing these nominees for their outstanding achievements in producing content specifically designed for delivery on a digital platform,” said Bruce L. Paisner, President & CEO of The International Academy. “Digital programming is now a significant option for audiences around the world seeking out content.”

In addition to the presentation of the International Digital Emmy® Awards for Children & Young People, Fiction and Non-Fiction. The International Academy will present a special award – the Pioneer Prize, which is not an Emmy® but rather a special initiative from the Academy which honors an industry personality or organization. “The Pioneer Prize will be presented to Nokia, Inc. for its innovative contributions to the field of digital television and video broadcasting on a mobile device,” added Paisner.

Niklas Savander, Member of the Nokia Group Executive Board and EVP, Nokia Services will accept on behalf of the company.

“We are delighted to accept this prestigious award. As consumers’ digital consumption habits are increasingly going mobile, Nokia and the mobility industry at large is excited by the business opportunity it presents for us together with our content partners,” commented Niklas Savander. “Services like the groundbreaking Comes With Music service and the Ovi Store media distribution network are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in mobile entertainment.”

Read full press release

WATERLOO, ONTARIO/VANCOUVER, BC – January 20, 2009 – Metranome, the creators of mobile video applications for smartphones and portable devices such as the iPhone™ and iPod touch®, has retained FanTrust Entertainment Strategies for business development, community-building and to capture its share of the global mobile content sector worth $167 billion by 2013.

“We chose FanTrust for our business development because of its track-record in digital deal-making, its global executive network of video rights-holders and its audience-building strategies,” said Metranome CEO David Kruis. “We are working with FanTrust to attract world-class content partnerships and grow our international fan base.”

Mobile video uptake is growing at a staggering rate. To date, Apple® is estimated to have shipped more than 10 million 3G iPhones – and already about 30 percent of iPhone users watch mobile video on their devices. In the third quarter of 2008, total mobile video downloads across all handsets increased by almost 90 percent from the previous quarter.

“Metranome can do for mobile video what TiVo™ did for television,” said FanTrust Entertainment Strategies president Catherine Warren. “Consumers want relevant, high-quality video-to-go and entertainment companies want their videos in consumers’ pockets. Metranome has created the killer mobile app that will unite this powerful triad of targeted video, fans and brands.”

Metranome’s application Poptiq delivers short form, entertaining and informative videos to mobile users, learning their likes and dislikes to ensure videos remain relevant. Poptiq users can also share videos with their friends via social networks using the Poptiq applications on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. Poptiq’s groundbreaking approach provides a high quality video experience to mobile users, regardless of network connection. By connecting to WiFi networks to retrieve new videos for each user, Poptiq delivers the lowest cost mobile video experience available today. Mobile viewers can then watch these videos on their own schedule, even when they do not have WiFi access.

Poptiq is currently available for download to the iPhone and iPod touch from the Apple iTunes App Store and the Poptiq website: www.poptiq.com. The full version of Poptiq is available for $3.99. The company offers Poptiq Lite, a trial version, for free.

Metranome recently closed a financing with Tech Capital Partners, bringing its total raised to more than $2M for expanding application development and delivering Poptiq to other mobile devices. “This type of cross-platform mobile video will provide a tremendous breakthrough for the entertainment industry, fans and advertisers in the year ahead,” said Warren.

About Metranome Inc.
Metranome is a leading provider of mobile video solutions for consumers, brands, and content producers. Poptiq, Metranome’s mobile video application, was released for the iPhone and iPod touch in September 2008, supporting major content creators and publishers in their efforts to connect with and engage mobile users through video. Metranome also works with leading advertising networks and brands in bringing video messaging to mobile users. Metranome is a venture-backed private company. For more information, please visit www.metranome.net and www.poptiq.com.

About FanTrust Entertainment Strategies
FanTrust provides the entertainment industry with strategies and tactics for digital media growth, including raising capital, distribution deal-making, revenue generation and cross-platform production, partnerships and fans. FanTrust also helps technology distribution companies with business development, strategic ventures and community-building in entertainment, including games, television, movies and animation. In essence, FanTrust serves as digital matchmakers, helping bridge different media and build innovative companies and intellectual property. With a laser focus on the fans, FanTrust helps clients capitalize on the digital audiences and committed consumers that interact with multi-platform content. www.FanTrust.com

###

To set up a media interview or for more information, please contact:
Brandi Sundby
FanTrust Entertainment Strategies Consultant
Tel: 778-896-0570 (Pacific Time Zone)
bsundby@fantrust.com

“The Awards were highly competitive this year,” said FanTrust Entertainment Strategies President Catherine Warren. “We are pleased but not surprised that a number of our distinguished clients were acknowledged by a jury of industry peers.”

Production powerhouse marblemedia swept two key awards, winning for both Company of the Year and Producer of the Year for partner Mark Bishop. Vancouver/Beijing-based Next Level Games won Excellence in Gaming for Mario Strikers Charged.  And the National Film Board of Canada-supported Homeless Nation won for Excellence in Social Media.

As a partner and co-founder of marblemedia, Mark Bishop plays a key role in developing television and interactive projects that tell unique stories that entertain and engage audiences across all platforms, including marblemedia’s This is Daniel Cook and This is Emily Yeung series. Current marble initiatives include The Adrenaline Project and Taste Buds; upcoming projects include the animated comedy The Dating Guy, now in production with Teletoon for debut in 2009.

Mario Strikers Charged is a hall of fame sequel to the high-energy soccer game Super Mario Strikers, for the Nintendo Wii. With this game, Next Level brings Mario Strikers, and its publisher Nintendo, into the online arena, allowing players to compete online via the Wi-Fi Connection.

Homeless Nation is an online forum where Canada’s homeless community share their stories – through blogs and audio visual content – as an on-going dialogue for social awareness and positive change. The project, executive produced by Daniel Cross, was co-produced by National Film Board of Canada.

In addition to FanTrust clients cited for their outstanding contributions to digital media, six awards went to Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund related ventures and individuals.

OddJobJack.com, which won for Excellence in Cross Platform, allows viewers to experience first-hand the on-the-job misadventures of the perpetually unemployed Jack Ryder, a 25-year old Sociology grad, through the sites casual games and contests.

Excellence in News/ Information winner Diamond Road Online brings the technologies of collaborative filtering, tagging and personal recommendations – techniques behind popular sites like Flickr and Amazon.com – into the world of documentary storytelling.

Designer of the Year was awarded to Daniel Riley of Life Capture Interactive; the company was recently received Bell Fund support to develop CBC’s Who Do You Think You Are? website.

Sheridan Scott, instrumental in founding the Bell Broadcast and New Media Fund, received Special Recognition for her long-standing commitment to Canada’s new media industry.

Producer Mark Bishop and marblemedia most recently received funding for TheAdrenalineProject.com, where users play and compete in a tournament style game online with Boomer, the over-the-top cheerleader and drill sergeant who serves as a guide and mentor throughout.

“The Bell Fund continues to play a major part in cultivating digital media leaders and innovation, positioning Canada at the global center of excellence in this industry,” said Catherine, who has also served on the Bell Fund Board for close to a decade.

###

Executive produced by series creator and award-winning writer/producer James Parriott (Grey’s Anatomy) and Michael Edelstein (Desperate Housewives), Defying Gravity is a Canadian/U.S. co-venture that will air in Canada on CTV and SPACE, in the United Kingdom on BBC and in Germany on ProSieben.

Defying Gravity is a sexy, provocative relationship drama set in the very near future against the background of our solar system, in which eight astronauts from five countries (four women and four men) undertake a mysterious six-year international space mission covering eight billion miles. With the eyes of the world upon them – everything they do is monitored, and every emotion they feel, scrutinized – they soon discover that their real assignment is not at all what they thought.

“Omni Film is tremendously excited to lift off on this historic journey,” affirmed Canadian Executive Producer Brian Hamilton for Omni Film Productions. “Defying Gravity is a unique programming event which will appeal to fans of relationship dramas like Grey’s Anatomy, and passionate sci-fi aficionados as well.”

Read full press release from CTV