Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE:DLB) in conjunction with Collective
Digital Studio and Rocket
Jump Studios, announces its collaboration on the highly anticipated
third season of Video Game High School (VGHS).
Created by Freddie Wong and Matt Arnold, VGHS is considered one of the
most successful made-for-digital original franchises, garnering over 84
million video views from its first two seasons and backed in large part
by its die-hard fans, who contributed to various Kickstarter®
and IndieGoGo® crowd-funding campaigns. The series is
produced by Collective Digital Studio and Rocket Jump Studios. For the
third and final season, which premieres on RocketJump’s
YouTube® channel and other electronic sell-through platforms
on October 13, Dolby provided sound design and mixing services in order
to ensure that the 5.1 surround-sound production was on par with even
the most ambitious feature films and television series.
There has been a sharp increase in the visual quality of
made-for-digital productions, as creators incorporate more sophisticated
cameras, lighting, and effects in order to deliver motion
picture–quality results. The VGHS collaboration is part of an ongoing
Dolby initiative to educate digital filmmakers on how to easily and
efficiently incorporate high-quality sound design and multichannel audio
into their made-for-digital productions, so that the audio quality can
keep pace with the visuals.
“Audiences are consuming digital content on an ever-expanding array of
devices and services that support multichannel audio, including large
smart TVs and video game consoles, and also on mobile devices,” said
Glenn Kiser, Director of the Dolby® Institute. “As a result,
made-for-digital content is sitting alongside more traditional media,
and for certain genres—such as action, sci-fi, and horror, where audio
is such a crucial storytelling device—it’s critical that creators meet
the audience’s heightened expectations concerning quality.”
“We’re excited for our viewers to experience the explosive action
sequences in the final episodes of VGHS that will be heightened by the
strong sound dynamics powered by Dolby,” said VGHS creator Freddie Wong.
In addition to VGHS, Dolby has collaborated with notable digital
filmmakers including Michael Gallagher and Corridor Digital to
incorporate multichannel audio in select productions. Dolby has
formalized the Made-for-Web Audio Program, and will identify up to a
half-dozen new, high-profile projects from premium content creators for
collaborations through 2015. The Made-for-Web Audio Program is part of
the Dolby Institute, Dolby’s initiative to educate and inspire content
creators on the creative use of sound and picture as storytelling tools.
About Video Game High School (VGHS)
Produced by Rocket
Jump Studios and Collective
Digital Studio, Video Game High School (VGHS) was created by
YouTube star Freddie
Wong and Matt Arnold. It has been hailed by Variety as “the
top web series of 2013” and recently won the 2014 Streamy Awards for
Best Action or Sci-Fi (Channel, Show or Series), Best Ensemble Cast, and
Best Directing.
Set in an alternate reality where professional video gaming is the
biggest spectator sport in the world, the series follows the adventures
of pro gamer Brian D (Josh Blaylock) and his friends who attend VGHS, an
elite competitive gaming academy, in a fun-filled, thrill ride that
mixes drama, comedy, and explosive action in the heightened world of
video games. Celebrity cameos over the last two seasons have included
Zachary Levi, Stan Lee, and Chris Hardwick.
VGHS Season 3 will feature Conan
O’Brien, with other surprise cameos in store when the series returns
on October 13, 2014. To catch up on the past seasons and more
information, please visit www.youtube.com/rocketjump
and www.rocketjump.com.
About Collective Digital Studio
Collective
Digital Studio (CDS) is a next-generation media company focused on
empowering creators, growing brands, and building audiences. It oversees
one of the leading YouTube multichannel networks, with over 800 channels
delivering more than a billion views a month. Distinguished for its
ability to produce, distribute, and market intellectual property across
multiple platforms, CDS pioneered the distribution of premium digital
content to television and is best known for producing the hit web series Video
Game High School, as well as TV shows for The Annoying Orange, Epic
Meal Time, and FЯED. It boasts an unparalleled track record for
delivering highly successful branded content initiatives for Fortune 200
brands, including Verizon, Dodge, Estee Lauder, Unilever, Procter &
Gamble, Toyota, Sony PlayStation, and many more. CDS’ world-class sales
organization includes offices in New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, and San
Francisco.
About Rocket Jump Studios
Rocket
Jump Studios is a digital entertainment company that specializes in
development, production, and distribution of original web video content,
TV shows, and feature films. Since its humble beginnings in 2010, as the
FreddieW YouTube channel, Rocket Jump Studios has since rebranded itself
as a pioneer in the digital direct-to-consumer new media landscape.
Co-founded by Freddie Wong, Matthew Arnold, and Desmond Dolly, Rocket
Jump Studios has amassed a catalogue of hundreds of original action,
comedy, and family-oriented videos, including the groundbreaking full
length web series Video Game High School, that have gained over 1
billion views across their 7 million subscribers on YouTube alone.
In addition to Hollywood-quality VFX-laden shorts and web series, Rocket
Jump is expanding their business into new forms of media including
comics, games, podcasts, and more feature-length offerings.
A rocket jump is a videogame technique where you point a rocket
launcher at your feet, jump, and then fire, using the resulting
explosive force of the rocket to propel you to unfathomable heights.
Company co-founders Freddie Wong, Matt Arnold, and Dez Dolly couldn’t
think of a name more suited to the kind of content they produce. Rocket
Jump Studios content offerings can be found on www.YouTube.com/RocketJump
and on their custom portal www.RocketJump.com.
About the Dolby Institute
Launched at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, the Dolby Institute has the
mission to help engage and educate artists and filmmakers on the
importance of sound to the overall film experience, and to invite
filmmakers and artists to think critically about sound from the very
beginning of the creative process. The institute works directly with
filmmakers and artists at leading film festivals, labs, and related
events. Since inception, the institute has brought together emerging
artists and award-winning audio veterans and masters of the craft to
offer concrete tools and advice on ways to make a story more vibrant
with sound. Dolby Institute Director Glenn Kiser, the former vice
president and general manager of Skywalker Sound, has been working at
film festivals, universities, and film schools—wherever filmmakers
gather.
About Dolby Laboratories
Dolby Laboratories (NYSE:DLB) creates audio, video, and voice
technologies that transform entertainment and communications in mobile
devices, at the cinema, at home, and at work. For nearly 50 years, sight
and sound experiences have become more vibrant, clear, and powerful in
Dolby. For more information, please visit www.dolby.com.
Dolby and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby
Laboratories. All other trademarks remain the property of their
respective owners. S14/28334 DLB-G
Copyright Business Wire 2014