quarterlife

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To survive in Hollywood, you have to come up with the next big idea that will move the industry forward and generate more interest from an audience. Leave it to Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick, the creative minds behind such critical and fan favorite television shows as thirtysomething, My So-Called Life, and Once and Again, to come up with the innovative new series, quarterlife. The show is a result of a collaboration between the producers and MySpace, who wanted to begin offering high quality, short form programming from producers who would be able to create their material on their own terms, without interference from programming executives and advertisers. quarterlife is the result of the first deal from MySpace, and the first thirty six webisodes will be aired on its online channel, MySpaceTV. If successful this show and future development deals could become feature films or network series.quarterlife follows around six twenty-something artists who are growing up in the digital generation and trying to figure out a way to pursue their creative passions and make their mark on the world. The heart of the show is Bitsie Tulloch, who plays Dylan, a video blogger who uses the internet to spill the most guarded secrets of her friends. Dylan's friends include aspiring filmmakers Danny (David Walton) and Jed (Scott Michael Foster), actress-bartender Lisa (Maite Schwartz), resident geek Andy (Kevin Christy), and Debra (Michelle Lombardo), a young woman struggling with how to break the parental ties that bind her. All the characters are played by relative newcomers to the business.Because quarterlife was created in a different manner than the typical Hollywood deal, the marketing and distribution will be equally unique. MySpace will launch a profile page for the show, which will highlight series content, including profiles for the characters, behind-the-scenes footage and story spoilers. MySpaceTV will be the exclusive international distributor and will create a quarterlife video channel for the show, which will be available to users in seven different languages within twenty international territories.In addition, the creators/producers of the show are developing a website, www.quarterlife.com, which acts as a supplemental social network to the Internet series. Not coincidentally, the website is also the same site where the main character posts her video blogs. Members of the website community are invited to participate in developing the series further by submitting story ideas and video segments. Members can also use the site as a public or private space in which to edit and organize their videos, photos, music, writing and any other art they wish to create. A network of information on schools, grants, artistic techniques and expert advice will also be fully accessible. The site will ultimately appeal to people who want a support network in which to nurture their creative passions, much like the cast of characters do in the series.The show will premiere on MySpace on November 11th and will also be available on the quarterlife site on November 12th.