If I Can Dream
MEDIA BIO:
From Simon Fuller, the co-creator of American Idol and So You Think Can Dance?, comes the first generation of post-reality entertainment. If I Can Dream is a ground-breaking new multi-media experiment that gives viewers a behind-the-scenes and totally uncensored look at what it really takes to succeed in the entertainment industry.
Five talented young people — a musician, an actor, two actresses, and a model — are plucked from small-town obscurity and moved into a luxury home in the Hollywood Hills. All five live together as they go on auditions and castings, take meetings, and network with industry people who can help launch their careers. Along the way, each individual’s every move is captured and streamed live over the Internet at www.ificandream.com. Innovative camera and sensor technology allows a global audience to watch all the action 24 hours a day, seven days a week as it unfolds in real-time — something that has never before been attempted on such a large scale and certainly not in reality television programming.
In another first, viewers can interact with each individual via cell phones, MySpace, YouTube, and Twitter to share their thoughts and opinions, which will be recorded and posted on www.ificandream.com. As the show evolves, the community around If I Can Dream will introduce new talent to the show. In this way, If I Can Dream becomes an interactive cultural experiment, opening up the American Dream and democratizing the process of the making of a star.
In addition to a round-the-clock presence on the website, If I Can Dream is also broadcast each week on premium content provider Hulu.com. Storylines from the previous seven days are re-capped in weekly half-hour episodes that catch viewers up on all the action. This is the first time a recurring show will be available to an international audience via Hulu.
Shot in a raw, documentary style, If I Can Dream reveals the inner workings of the Hollywood star-making machine with a presentation that is tailor-made for the social-networking set whose members broadcast all aspects of their lives to the public via their mobile phones, MySpace and Facebook updates, and Tweets. In the process, the stars of tomorrow are created by a new generation of entertainment fans from around the world.
“I am determined to continue challenging convention and pushing the boundaries of mainstream entertainment,” Simon Fuller says. “The next frontier is the video world of authentic real-time interaction. If I Can Dream experiments with technology to provide for a complete open-door experience that allows the viewer to experience reality in a way never before attempted. It is time the public got to see the truth behind what it takes to launch the careers of young artists who dream that one day, based on pure merit, they can be professional entertainers and gain the recognition they crave. This is the dawning of a new age.”
Of course, talented as these five are, no one is guaranteed success in Hollywood. If I Can Dream will open doors, as each individual is given access to the best acting, voice, and modeling coaches in the business, but it’s up to each one to walk through those doors. Do these aspiring hopefuls have what it takes to become stars? Is sheer talent enough? Who will rise to the challenge and fulfill their dreams and who will crack under the pressure and see everything begin to crumble?
Find out on If I Can Dream — coming in February 2010 from 19 Entertainment.
WEBSITE/CONSUMER BIO
What does it really take to succeed in the entertainment industry? The struggles and triumphs surrounding that journey are chronicled on If I Can Dream — a ground-breaking new multi-media experiment from American Idol and So You Think You Dance? co-creator Simon Fuller that goes behind-the-scenes as five talented young people are plucked from obscurity and given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pursue fame and fortune in the city where showbiz dreams come true: Hollywood, California.
Meet 21-year-old Justin, an earnest singer-songwriter who writes his own music and wants to share it with the world; 19-year-old Kara, a classically trained theater major who dreams of becoming a brilliant actress; 19-year-old Giglianne, a sultry Brazilian-American beauty who is ready to ditch her dead-end catering job and become a high-fashion model; 22-year-old Amanda, a confident burger joint waitress from upstate New York who dreams of acting and red carpets; and 21-year-old Benjamin, an all-American model who wants to cross over into acting.
These five ambitious young talents leave their hometowns and live together in a luxury home high above the Hollywood Hills, where their every move is captured and streamed live over the Internet at www.ificandream.com. Innovative camera and sensor technology allows a global audience to watch all the action 24/7 as it unfolds in real-time — something that has never been attempted before on such a large scale. Viewers can interact with each individual via cell phones, MySpace, YouTube, and Twitter to share opinions on their progress as each housemate writes, rehearses, and hangs out in the house. You’ll also get a front-row seat as Justin, Kara, Giglianne, Amanda, and Benjamin venture out on auditions and castings, take meetings, and network with industry people who can help launch their careers.
In addition to a round-the-clock presence on the website, If I Can Dream is also broadcast each week on premium content provider Hulu.com. Storylines from the previous seven days are re-capped in weekly half-hour episodes that catch viewers up on all the action. This is the first time a recurring show will be available to an international audience via Hulu.
Of course, talented as they all are, no one is guaranteed success in Hollywood. If I Can Dream opens doors, as each individual is given access to the best acting, vocal, and modeling coaches in the business, but it’s up to each person to walk through those doors. There are no judges and no eliminations. Do these aspiring hopefuls have what it takes to become stars? Is sheer talent enough? Who will rise to the challenge and fulfill their dreams and who will crack under the pressure and see everything begin to crumble?
(December 2009)
