AFI BLOG: Media and Technology

The Hollywood Reporter

NBC Universal relaunched its Digital Studio on Thursday with a focus on branded entertainment and two series already in the works.

The studio is headed by its vp, Cameron Death, who was hired last year by Ben Silverman, co-chairman NBC Universal Entertainment and Universal Media Studios. Death and his team report to Silverman and Vivi Zigler, executive vp digital entertainment and new media at NBC.

The two missions of the studio, Zigler said, are to provide an avenue for branded entertainment and to “find amazing talent.” To those ends, the studio has named Omnicon Media Group Digital as its first strategic partner and has signed a deal with Electric Farm Entertainment to produce two shows.

“Gemini Division,” a sci-fi series starring Rosario Dawson, is set to debut in the summer, while “Woke Up Dead” is a zombie comedy in preproduction. Both will be available on company Web sites, including NBC.com, and the network has the options to bring both to TV with Sony Pictures TV International holding the series’ international rights.

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