Andrew Park and Jato Smith, writers/directors of the interactive Web series “The Hayley Project” have joined Versitile Entertainment, a new full-service entertainment management and production company. “The Hayley Project” is gaining a loyal fan base, as well as industry recognition.
Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) November 18, 2009 -- Versitile Entertainment, a new full-service entertainment management and production company, is proud to announce the signing of Andrew Park and Jato Smith. Versitile Entertainment will be working with Park and Smith to publicize and distribute "The Hayley Project," a 37-episode Web series created and produced by the pair. An innovative and interactive series coupling a complex and edgy storyline with unique characters, “The Hayley Project” is already gaining recognition in the industry with two Streamy Awards nominations in fields filled with well-known Hollywood celebrities and projects. Versitile Entertainment was founded by former Wall Street broker Anthony Clarke and industry veteran Ted Evans.
“The Hayley Project” centers on misfit college sophomore Hayley Winters, who investigates the mysterious and untimely death of her best friend Keira Madison. Classified a suicide by detectives, Keira’s death opens a slew of questions for Hayley. Why was Keira murdered? Who killed her? What has Keira been doing behind Hayley’s back? Hayley takes it upon herself to clear her friend’s name and track down the killer. But she can’t do this alone…she’s going to need help. So, Hayley flips on her webcam and video blogs to the world, asking everybody watching to help her solve this murder mystery. The question is, can she trust her Internet audience, or is she telling them too much?
Throughout her investigation, Hayley encounters a host of seedy and quirky characters and ventures deeper into the “rabbit hole” than she’d ever imagined. As she gets closer to the truth, danger starts to lurk, and Hayley realizes her life might be in jeopardy.
The Hayley character was born as an ironic counter to the rise of social networking. Hayley is an edgy, independent, strong female lead who is forced to turn to the Web to solve a crime. “The Hayley Project” encourages viewers to help Hayley in her investigation. This interactivity reflects how the art of storytelling is evolving in the new media space. The result is a heightened audience engagement level unlike that found in traditional film or television.
The high-level concept for “The Hayley Project” was formed in 2006 when Park, who recognized the opportunity to build a narrative story around an interactive platform, approached Smith to develop the project together. At the time, Smith was working on a crime-based reality television series, following actual homicide investigations. Park and Smith, who met while working together on a short film, and who were one of the first New Media WGA signatories, managed to complete “The Hayley Project” for a mere $10,000 out of pocket. They kept costs down by hiring talented aspiring actors and a crew working for free. The series was shot during nights and week over the course of three months.
In spite of its low budget and little-known cast, "The Hayley Project" was an Audience Choice Award finalist for the 2009 Streamy Awards, losing to Dr. Horrible, a musical comedy from writer Joss Whedon, starring celebrities Neal Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day.
“The audience choice finalist selection demonstrates the rabid nature of our fan base and the impact that interactivity and higher engagement storylines have with our fan base. We have created advocates, who not only want to enjoy a story, but actually participate in it. As an example, some fans of ‘The Hayley Project’ created their own Web videos and even inserted themselves into the plot as a way to fully engage with the story. As for Rachel, the nomination committee simply and rightly recognized her fantastic work in bringing a rich, dynamic character to life,” Park says.
Rachel Risen was also nominated for a Streamy for Best Actress in a Dramatic Series for her role as Hayley.
“The audience choice finalist selection demonstrates the rabid nature of our fan base. Fans of ‘The Hayley Project’ have created their own Web videos and even inserted themselves into the plot! As for Rachel, the nomination committee simply and rightly recognized her fantastic work in bringing a rich, dynamic character to life,” Smith says.
“The Hayley Project” is distributed across multiple channels, including TiVo, KoldCast TV, Blip TV, Sony Bravio, YouTube, Zune, iTunes and Boxee.
For more information about “The Hayley Project” or to watch the Web series, visit www.thehayleyproject.com. For more information about “The Hayley Project” creators Andrew Park and Jato Smith, visit www.versitile-ent.com.
About Versitile Entertainment
Versitile Entertainment is a dynamic management and production company dedicated to help start, manage and develop the careers of high quality writers, directors and actors, as well as produce film and television projects. We focus on advancing new talent and constantly discovering, shaping and developing brilliant and interesting content. Versitile Entertainment can be found online at www.versitile-ent.com.
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