Television
March 13, 2024
Warner Bros. International Television Production To Offer Format Rights To New Reality Dance Competition “One Mass Dance” At MIPTV 2010
(April 9, 2010 – Burbank, CA) – Warner Bros. International Television Production (WBITP) is looking to start a global dance party, as the newly formed unit will begin offering local production format rights to the new reality project “One Mass Dance” at the upcoming MIPTV sales market in Cannes, France. The announcement was made today by Jeffrey R. Schlesinger, President, Warner Bros. International Television.
Mass dance is a global sensation, from popular viral online videos to headline-grabbing “flash mobs” taking the world by storm. From Stone & Company Entertainment and Executive Producer Scott A. Stone (“The Mole,” “Popstars,” “NYC Prep”) and Warner Horizon Television (producers of “Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew”), “One Mass Dance” is a high-intensity reality-competition series that starts with two people in two different cities vying to win money for a civic/community project close to their hearts. Viewers watch as teams grow from one hard-working individual to thousands of jubilant dancers, culminating in dueling mass dances. The program shows how public dance can bring a community together. The U.S. version of “One Mass Dance” is choreographed by and stars Travis Payne (Michael Jackson’s “This Is It”), is hosted by well-known UK presenter Sarah Champion (VH1 UK’s “Radio Gaga”) and is currently in post-production as a pilot presentation for The CW Television Network’s 2010–11 season consideration.
At MIPTV, WBITP will begin formal discussions with production companies and broadcasters from around the world regarding the licensing of format rights to “One Mass Dance,” which has already spurred interest among potential buyers. The development and production of the local versions will be supervised for WBITP by Ronald Goes, Executive Vice President and Head of International Television Production, and Andrew Zein, Senior Vice President, Creative Format Development and Sales.
“We are excited to be bringing what we think is the strongest new dance format to MIPTV in ‘One Mass Dance,’” said Zein. “Scott Stone has vividly captured the passion and excitement of mass dance in a way that will be readily accessible on screen. This project has built-in universal appeal, and we can’t wait to begin discussing local production opportunities with our clients.”
“‘One Mass Dance’ was created with the international market in mind, as flash mobs were first popular in Europe. I am very excited about the worldwide potential of this concept and look forward to getting it set up across the globe,” said Stone. “Given the times we live in, where virtually every community needs financial support, it’s great to be able to combine the joy of mass dancing with an ability to give back.”
How “One Mass Dance” works: Civic-minded hopefuls from two different cities spend an intense week rallying support from their community to pull off not one but two mass dances each. The first dance is a surprise flash mob performed in front of the unsuspecting public and designed to garner publicity for the second and larger mass dance at the end of the show. A choreographer is assigned to each city to create special dances for their team and then post teaching videos online. Thousands turn out for their shot at glory, and no one is turned away. The mass dance teams have just 48 hours to perfect their moves before each performance, which are staged in iconic locations that capture the spirit of each region.
This mass dance battle is not just for bragging rights: The winning city – as decided by a panel of industry professionals – will receive a large cash prize for a community improvement project that the team leader has first-hand experience with (e.g. a homeless shelter, an urban daycare center or the rehabilitation of a dilapidated public play yard, etc.). # # #