TORONTO – Digital content creators Daniel Dales and Jarrett Sherman have announced the launch of a new interactive entertainment company, and one of their first projects will be to create a digital version of a new TV game show launching on Channel Zero’s CHCH network this fall.
Digital Howard is the latest brainchild of Dales and Sherman, who founded Smokebomb Entertainment in 2008 and saw it acquired shortly afterward by television production company Shaftesbury (the pair left Shaftesbury in the summer of 2012). The new company is focused on creating and producing 360-degree entertainment experiences for audiences on all platforms.
Digital Howard is working on a digital version of a new half-hour game show from reality show mogul Mark Burnett called Spin Off. Channel Zero announced in April that CHCH will be the exclusive Canadian television broadcaster of the new program.
Spin Off 360, the digital version of the television game format, will allow the audience watching at home to play along with the television game show, in real time, on their digital device of choice – tablet, smartphone, or laptop.
The interactive experience also includes a “Digital Home Edition” of the show where users can play any time and compete against the rest of the digital community. All game play will generate points to qualify players for the season-ending Spin Off digital tournament for cash and prizes.
“Pulling Digital Howard together has been a lot of fun. We’ve assembled a talented team, and have already begun to put some exciting strategic partnerships in place. We couldn’t be happier to be coming out of the gate with Spin Off 360,” said Digital Howard executive producer Dales in a release. “Who doesn’t want to actually play along with the game shows they love?”
“Digital Howard is at the forefront of creating a real, vivid and compelling second screen experience for home viewers. We’re excited about the roll out of Spin Off 360 and can’t wait to have thousands of Canadians playing along at home”, said C. Scot Cru, SVP of International distribution and production at One Three Media, the joint venture between Burnett and Hearst Entertainment which brokered the deal to bring Spin Off to Canada.
Dales and Sherman said they are developing a growing slate of convergent and original 360 degree projects through Digital Howard, and expect to announce more projects in the coming months.
