In an arrangement described as "innovative," Francis Ford Coppola's stylish alien-themed drama "First Wave" is going to the web for musical atmosphere.
Future episodes of the series will feature soundtracks built exclusively from digital music seller MP3.com's online catalog of some 154,000 songs.
Production studio Peace Arch Productions, together with Coppola's American Zoetrope, will select 30 songs from the site to appear in the show.
"The partnering with MP3.com confirms American Zoetrope's interest in the newest technology working hand-in-hand with artists," Coppola said in a release. "American Zoetrope is always looking for ways to marry the Internet and artistic storytelling. We're excited to be part of this important next step."
One important facet of the relationship between the "
This effectively bypasses the established music industry, allowing artists to interact directly with the television executives who bring their work to a mass audience.
"This is a seminal step in using MP3.com and the Internet to help facilitate the synergy of television production and promotion," said Steve Love, who facilitated the deal in his role as vice president of Pearson Television.
As part of the arrangement, Pearson, MP3.com and the Sci Fi Channel, where "First Wave" is enjoying an exclusive three-year run, will promote the show through a variety of contests and cross-linking efforts. The financial terms were not disclosed.
In addition to the marketing potential of the deal, spokesmen for both the American Zoetrope and Peace Arch teams expressed great optimism for the creative opportunities of working with MP3.com.
"Since the launch of 'First Wave,' we have focused on using cool, cutting-edge music from new bands to give the series a particular flavor," said series creator Chris Brancato. "With MP3.com on board, we can literally reach out to artists around the world."
"This is the television version of shareware, which inevitably improves the quality and value of the product," Tim Gamble, Peace Arch president, succinctly noted.
MP3.com distributes music over the Internet in exclusively digital formats, keeping costs low by avoiding the expense of pressing CDs. As such, the company has the luxury of making the work of unsigned and relatively unknown artists available to the web audience at a relatively low price, encouraging free sampling and experimentation.
"First Wave" recently
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