Press Release
Sydney-based production company The Feds is the first Australian content producer to be commissioned by MTV International to create a pilot for a ten part one-hour documentary series that delves into the lives of young people entering a sub culture for the very first time.
Directed by Josh Logue, the pilot series titled The New Crowd introduces the extraordinary stories of a selection of young people who are trying to join a group (or social clique) that they have always aspired to be a part of.
The New Crowd intertwines the stories of Michaela Williams, an 18-year-old Sydney girl with hopes to join the competitive Sydney Roller Derby League (SDRL), and resident English student 22 year-old Max Rendall, who is a budding magician undergoing a tough initiation into Sydney’s professional magic circuit at the Magician’s Cabaret.
Will Michaela make it through the intense "Fresh Meat" trials into the Sydney Roller Derby Community? Will Max be welcomed into the cabaret group after he performs for the first time on stage? These are the personal stories that The New Crowd uncovers.
“Discovering the lives of these young people who are looking to join a counter culture has been an eye-opening experience,” said director Logue (who also designed the title sequence for the show). “As we watch their journey unfold, we captured their excitement, fears and trepidations, giving audiences a fly-on-the-wall peek inside the world of intriguing youth sub cultures,” he adds.
“Making a documentary for an international audience meant that we had to choose stories that would resonate well with a global audience. To find a sense of belonging in the world is a universal human ambition so we believe these stories will speak to young people from all different kinds of cultural backgrounds and walks of life.”
In a bid to decide what the network’s next international show will be, MTV International is asking its fans around the world to visit the MTV website to view the pilot episode and post their feedback on the MTV Facebook page or tweet about the pilot on Twitter #thenewcrowd. This viewer feedback will ultimately help MTV gauge the best potential pilot series direct from the MTV viewers.
“We are excited to be a part of this MTV International pilot initiative, which demonstrates the new avenues that networks are now exploring when making decisions on what series or programs to select,” says The Feds Executive Producer Lizzy Nash. “As the first Australian production house to be commissioned to produce a pilot for MTV International we are extremely proud of the team and this achievement,” she adds.
To watch and vote for The New Crowd pilot click here. The show will be available until July 31st 2013 and will be monitored closely for the comments and twitter #TheNewCrowd