Cable nets mine SXSW energy

Bravo takes 'Watch What Continues Live' to SXSW with host Andy Cohen and TaskRabbit, an internet site for services including bartending. SXSW keeps cooking for fans, customers South by Southwest can be a three-headed monster turning around film, music and interactive, there's however another thread that winds using the festival: cable systems.Cablers including IFC, Bravo, MTV and VH1 are utilizing the fest's wired aud to push brands for instance "Top Chef" that stress their interactive character. The fest's growing concentrate on comedy offers an all-natural tie-together with cable comedy designers for instance IFC and Comedy Central, which hosts the "Workaholics" house party March 16 in Austin. The nets start to see the festival just like a prime place to attain both fans as well as the designers of that's indie, fresh and appealing to the 18-49 demographic. "The festival is ongoing to develop a great deal. It's where people go after they launch tales about interactive things, not just to be heard with the press, but furthermore with the fans. It's incredibly social and viral," mentioned Bravo senior V . p . of marketing Ellen Stone.People visit SXSW to uncover what's new, she mentioned, which dovetails in what she calls the net's early adopter audience. Bravo's activities in Austin are known as to interactive late evening series "Watch What Continues Live." The show, situated by Bravo professional Andy Cohen, can have a panel on transmedia with "Top Chef's" Tom Colicchio, which is joining as much as advertise TaskRabbit, an online service that will help people uncover assistants to accomplish various chores. Bravo may even take advantage from the interactive conference to create statistics around the introduction of second-screen viewing. Getting a show like "Top Chef," "the (viewing) experience cannot be complete without prone to another platform," mentioned Stone. On Saturday, professionals from Bravo, MTV and Food Network will consider ale social networking to operate a vehicle TV ratings through the Interactive section panel @TVEngagement.IFC, a sponsor in the festival, hosts the Crossroads house within the Vice Bar on Austin's sixth Street, with five days of comedy and music including Delta Spirit and Produced to Spill. IFC senior V . p . of marketing Blake Callaway mentioned the web will there be because the festival "includes my way through independent culture -- film, music, comedy." Funny customers are progressively crucial that you IFC, which sees SXSW just like a place to locate and showcase emerging names. Knowing what's funny is really a type of social currency for youthful males, mentioned Calloway. While MTV and VH1 are actually heavily mixed up in music part of the fest for any very long time, VH1 may also be prominent inside the film area, due to the festival's strong selection of music-focused docus. Two VH1 documents are screening, "Marley" and Snoop Dogg-read "Uprising: Stylish Hop as well as the L.A. Riots." A sneak take a look at docu "Downloaded: Digital Revolution" features a panel with Napster founders Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker.MTV Group prexy Van Toffler mentioned the web elevated its participation within the music fest by beginning the Woodie honours a year ago. It's a good option to hold the music activity kudos that's selected on by college auds, Toffler mentioned, since many bands are available to do, including Imagine Dragons and Santigold. MTV also streams concerts within the Hive house music venue within the fest. "It's a great way to consult with artists, fans as well as the industry," mentioned Toffler. Despite the fact that Bravo is relevant the transmedia way of getting audiences connected with Tv shows, MTV will announce an idea to help artists connect directly utilizing their fanbase. Toffler will unveil the forthcoming professional-artist initiative and platform just like a Featured SXSW Music Speaker on Thursday. "We will create a home for artists,Inch he mentioned. Contact Pat Saperstein at pat.saperstein@variety.com