MTV Ponies Up ‘$5 Cover’
MTV New Media’s New Online Series Tracks Memphis Music Scene
By Larry Barrett -- Multichannel News, 8/22/2008 4:33:00 AM
MTV New Media will team up with Hustle & Flow director Craig Brewer on $5 Cover, a new episodic online series that tracks the lives of young musicians as they try to follow in the footsteps of Elvis Presley and Justin Timberlake by making a name for themselves in the Memphis music scene.
In what the network is calling “groundbreaking, music-driven episodic scenes, the series will focus on the storied musical landscape of the city” as well as the drama these young people create and endure in “15 digital episodes as they fight for love, inspiration and rent money.”
The characters play themselves and perform their own music, with each episode incorporating an exciting performance or recording session. $5 Cover allows viewers to follow authentic characters as they hustle to hone their craft and “survive the heat of the South.”
$5 Cover will be available on multiple screens, including online at www.fivedollarcover.com, mobile and gaming devices and MP3 players.
“$5 Cover allows a talented filmmaker like Craig to use technologies that change the way audiences consume and engage in content,” said David Gale, executive vice president of MTV New Media, in a statement. “Rather than using all the new screens as simply additional distribution platforms, we are building an entirely new interactive experience that makes connections between the audience and content more meaningful.”
MTV also plans to share social networking applications and other digital tools with fans to build anticipation in between episodes and stoke their excitement for new content. MySpace and Facebook widgets created for $5 Cover will continuously feed related content, including exclusive music performances, video blogs and video tours of popular Memphis juke joints.
