Upfront Update: The MTV Series Parade & a Message from Screenvision - Simon Applebaum

MTV closed out the April assortment of TV network ceremonies, while Screenvision, a major provider of pre-movie commercials and vignettes among the nation's theaters and multiplexes, did its first Upfront turn.

MTV

Venue : For big NY showplaces with classy architecture, few top Beacon Theater on Broadway between W. 74-75th Streets. Thousands of seats and beautiful art along the side walls, restored to glory last year by owner Madison Square Garden. A top year-round concert space. Grade : 5 Jacks

Presentation : One of the rare situations where the channel's on-air talent, not executives, did the presenting. All the presenting. Amid the march of talent and video clips, MTV offered four points. First, no more being dependent on one series, such asJersey Shore, to establish an identity with its millennial audience. Second, spinoff channel MTV2 is becoming a new series incubator for the mothership. Third, no matter where you advertise on the network (along with MTV2 and collegestudent-targeted MTVU), you'll draw a huge social media crowd (160 million fans all told). Final point: whether you believe we still play music videos or not, we still have clout in breaking out new pop superstars, such as Emeil Sande, whose new hit "Next To Me" opened the show. Selena Gomez, once Disney Channel star on Wizards of Waverly Place not so long ago, wrapped up with catchy "Come & Get It" and "Love You Like A Love Song" Grade: 4.5 Jacks

News : MTV and MTV2 will premiere 17 new series over the next year. Contender for most controversial: Generation Crio, dealing with teens conceived through artificial insemination and one, Breeanna, searching for her biological father. Guy Code, MTV2's sleeper success this season, gives birth to two more series--Girl Code for MTV and daytime court series parody Guy Court on MTV2, by fall. A pilot based on the popularScream movie series, possibly with Wes Craven directing, will be filmed for summer 2014 consideration. Other new nonfiction series include Nurse Nation and Bachata Nights. One premiere not highlighted: scripted comedy Zach Stone Is Gonna Be Famous, which started last Thursday. Grade: 4.5 Jacks

Host : Anyone not knowing MTV News anchor Sway Calloway, or new late-night show hosts Nikki Glaser and Sara Schaefer beforehand left wanting more from all three. Sway is as authoritative as anyone can be on a stage, while Nikki and Sara can deadpan one-liners with ease. Grade : 5 Jacks

Overall Grade: 4.5 Jacks All the elements clicked, from the Beacon Theater's stately look to the talent and points made on-stage.

5 Jacks - Excellent
4 Jacks - Very Good
3 Jacks - Good
2 Jacks - Fair
1 Jack - Poor
0 Jacks -Worse than bad

Screenvision

Venue : Stands to reason that if you're a major cinema advertising player, you go make your case at the movies. In Screenvision's case, the one-of-a-kind Ziegfeld Theater on W. 54th St. nearRockefeller Center. Everything about this place welcomes you, from the lobby ushers to the lush seats to, oh yes, that nice-sized soda cup or popcorn bag. Even the green spotlights below the stage, which came off blinding at times, can disturb that ambience. Also love the audio track of great music themes, including E.T. from John Williams and Batman by Danny Elfman.Grade : 5 Jacks

Presentation : Early on, you got the sensation that Screenvision was making a bigger pitch for watching movies than for the case they're out to make: buying commercial time before the movies and trailers preceding them. The sensation came in part from running trailers of upcoming blockbusters such as The Great Gatsby and Man of Steel. That dual-message making stopped when chief revenue officer Jim Tricarico (once Nickelodeon's top sales executive) went front and center for this "Front & Center"-labeled event. If we want more sponsors to see we're a viable alternative to TV, especially in the summer when viewership drops and theater attendance peaks, we have to adopt some standard TV practices, Tricarico said. "It's great to be here, live and unskippable," he joked, referring to growing DVR usage. "We're shattering the image you have of cinema advertising." Grade: 4 Jacks

News : From here on, Screenvision (used among 14,000 theaters nationwide) will allow advertisers to purchase time by daypart (afternoon, evenings and weekends), separately or in association with TV buys they make. Pricing will be adjusted on a seasonal basis, with audience delivery guaranteed by demographics, using Nielsen's cinema reporting. Taco Bell is the first advertiser on board, with others in negotiation. Separately, a new branded entertainment venture invites sponsors to create featirettes made by a group of young cinema producers overseen by independent producer Rose Ganguzza (Margin Call). More pre-feature material with ad opportunities will be crafted by My Damn Channel and YouTube channel ENTV. Grade: 4.5 Jacks

Host : Shared by Tricarico (one quite passionate, heart and fun on-sleeve advocate), Screenvision chief executive Travis Reed (calm, cool, collected) and other company reps. Grade: 4 Jacks

Overall Grade: 4 Jacks Nice debut into the upfront world, although a bit heavy on the movie trailers. Two, maybe three at most are all you need to showcase how great movies are. One missing element: examples of unique cinema advertising, exclusive to theaters. Two or three of them would help get the message across.

5 Jacks - Excellent
4 Jacks - Very Good
3 Jacks - Good
2 Jacks - Fair
1 Jack - Poor
0 Jacks -Worse than bad

Next up: a pair of last week's Digital Content NewFronts

Until the next time, stay well and stay tuned!

Simon Applebaum is producer/host of Tomorrow Will Be Televised, the radio program all about TV. Tomorrow runs live Mondays and Fridays at 3 p.m. Eastern time, noon Pacific Time onwww.blogtalkradio.com, with replays available atwww.blogtalkradio.com/simonapple04. A weekly TV series edition will soon premiere on the new UBC-TV network.

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