Conspiracy 365 Case Study presentation given to Film Victoria - Connect With Subscription TV - conference delegates.

4. In exactly 365 days, Cal Ormond must solve the mystery of the ‘Ormond Singularity’, a family secret that took the
life of his father and links Cal to the Virgin Queen of England, Elizabeth I.
In the face of murderous enemies, he must complete the task begun by his deceased father, redeem himself, clear
his name and heal his wounded family, and he must do it all as the countdown inches ever closer to its final
conclusion.
Conspiracy 365 is the story of a year in the life of teen fugitive Cal Ormond, each month coming closer to the truth
about his family’s secret and ending on a cliff hanger…resolved in the next instalment.
The story builds dramatically over a one-year arc, delivering a fast-narrative that satisfies as an action thriller, a
mystery, a historical romance and a rite of passage tale as a young man comes into his full inheritance.
CONSPIRACY 365’s ESTABLISHED FAN BASE WITH A SPECIFIC AUDIENCE , YET
BROAD GENRE APPEAL MET FMC’s ‘SHARED VIEWING EXPERIENCE’
(TWEENS, TEENS & PARENTS) PROGRAMMING OBJECTIVE

5. • A novel franchise with a well established fan base
• Based on the series of 12 x best selling novels targeting the tween and teen markets
• Written by prolific Australian author Gabrielle Lord (Fortress, Whipping Boy) sold internationally
in 13 countries including the USA, UK and China
• Over 1,000,000 novels in print worldwide and distributed through Scholastic
• The 2011 Australian Book Industry Award - ‘Book Of The Year’ for Older Children (8-14 years)

6. • Largest ever STV drama production $13 million investment
• A unique television proposition comprising 12 x 49 min with multi-platform series extension
• Multi-platform investment +/- $1m in additional content creation and digital assets
• Mirroring the one-book- a-month release of the novels, the TV series has a 12-month roll-out
strategy for broadcast and online
• Creating a year-long marketing and programming event for the program and the channel
IT IS A SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGE FOR ‘PREMIUM’ CHANNELS WITH LOW(ER)
AUDIENCE REACH TO CUT THROUGH AND ESTABLISH KEY ORIGINAL &
COMMISSIONED PROGRAMMING. CONSPIRACY 365’s LONGEVITY ON-AIR AND
ACROSS MULTIPLE PLATFORMS SERVES TO BUILD AUDIENCE AWARENESS
AND ENGAGEMENT

7. Development
Commenced October, 2010
Writing workshops early December ,2011
Series & episode outline completed February, 2011
Series formally commissioned March, 2011
Production
Pre-production May, 2011
Production commenced June 20, 2011
Production finished December 16 ,2011
Filmed entirely on location in Melbourne, Victoria

9. Harrison Gilbertson as Callum Ormond
2010 AFI Award Winner Beneath Hill 60, Blessed, Australian
Rules, Accidents Happen, What’s Wrong with Virginia
Taylor Glockner as Boges Marny Kennedy as Winter
(2006 AFI Best Young Actor Ward for Mortified,
TV’s Saddle World and A gURLs
wURLd)

10. Rob Carlton as Sligo Julia Zemiro as Oriana Ryan O’Kane as Detective
(TV’s Paper Giants, Underbelly, (RocKwiz, Talkin’Bout Your McGrath
Movie Extra’s Chandon Pictures) Generation) (Rage, TV’s City Homicide)

11. David Whitely as Rafe Ormond Mietta White as Gabbi Ormond Kate Kendall as Emily Ormond
Artistic Director Red Stitch Theatre Matching Jack, The Librarians,
Company, The Hollowmen, Killer Elite Stingers

12. Existing Audiences
Fans of the book series, aged
10 – 16 with a 50/50 female/male
New Audiences
Parents drawn into Conspiracy 365
by their children’s knowledge/enthusiasm
for the property & their own realisation of the appeal
upon seeing cast & tonality of the series.

13. • Premiere Saturday January 14, 2012
• New episodes air on the first Saturday of each month from January to December, 2012
• Promoted as a tent pole programming and marketing event each month for FMC
• Multiple plays in the month, with heavy pre-promotion of the next instalment
• Scheduled regular catch-up opportunities & omnibus programming events
• Mid-year release of episodes across additional platforms to engage new audiences and build
franchise awareness

15. • Promote the series & build an audience for broadcast
• Primary target for Multi-Platform are the teen / tween audiences
• Keep this target audience engaged, excited and loyal for 365 days
• Move the audience from passive watchers to active advocates
• Facilitate recommendation through comprehensive social media extensions
• Drive retention and upgrades to Movie Network Channels package

18. • Conspiracy 365 re-released to • Inclusion of the TV series in monthly
Edm’s to Scholastic Conspiracy 365
• Feature Harrison Gilbertson fan database
on the cover • Involvement in Scholastic book fairs
• On cover driver to TV series, & book clubs
FMC, central destination URL • Book retailer cross promotion
& Foxtel. • Selected joint window displays
• 4 page book insert featuring in high traffic areas
stills from the series • In-store POS & up to 50,000
• Inside back cover dedicated to bookmark give-away
TV series messaging & central • In-store radio and register
destination URL displays
• Access to Gabrielle Lord to support
launch of TV series to media
• Agreed stock quantities for prizing

19. MEET BARDY
• Engage – the teen audience by giving them
a portal to discuss, decipher and debunk the
mysteries behind the Ormond Singularity • Wannabe investigative journalist, Bardy, fan
and Cal’s adventure of the series who uncover and deciphers
exclusive intelligence on the Ormond
Singularity
• Interact – give the audience ‘direct access’
to Conspiracy 365 by creating a character
that represents them and will act as the • His job is to provide answers, or at least ask
mediator between them and the characters the right questions to help audiences follow
of Conspiracy 365 the plot and unravel the mystery behind the
Ormond Singularity as the clock counts
down to December 31
• Unravel – use the character to assist the
audience in deciphering the many clues and
• Pointers broadcast audience to online
puzzles within the series; keep the audience
destinations for exclusive MP content
up to date on all the characters and how
they fit within the story as the series unfolds
• Case File 365 episodes available online post
TX on FMC

21. There are 365 rewards to collect for the year-long experience:
• All content has a reward associated with it
• Rewards take the form of clues, events or items that Cal has come across, exclusive video
content and physical prizing
• There are 365 rewards to collect for the year-long experience.
• High engagement figures: 5 minute+ average session time, less than 20% bounce rate.

22. Each month audiences will be able to complete multiple-choice quizzes based on the most recent
episode of Conspiracy 365 .i.e. – “What is Oriana’s last name?”
2 x quizzes, 10 x questions each month
Share your results via Social media
Website tracks your progress / results over the
months

23. Polls Facebook
Each week of the experience audiences will be Facebook will house a community forum around
able to participate in a community poll based on the TV show and online experience, offering
the most recent episode of Conspiracy 365. topics to discuss, hints and general help.

24. • Prequel web series
• Delivers the backstory of Cal’s father in Ireland as he uncovers the Ormond Singularity and the
mystery leading up to his death, which is where broadcast series kicks off
• Plays out as 12 x 4 minute episodes via online platforms
• Shot by main unit and developed with writing team

25. • 12 x 1 minute video
• Cal pleads his innocence while on the run
• Written by TV writers and integrated into the TV episodes
• Released on YouTube & iTunes Podcast
• Shot by Main Unit

26. • Detective McGrath asks the community to report sightings of Cal
• Users can upload a video report of where they saw Cal

27. • 12 x 1 minute web series
• A tabloid current affairs show dubs Cal the “Psycho Kid” and conducts interviews with TV
characters
• Written by TV writers and integrated in the TV episodes, shot by main unit
• FMC subscribe/upgrade messaging

28. • 12 x 1 minute video
• Winter is keeping a video dossier of her investigation into the mysterious death of her parent’s
which she suspects her guardian Sligo may be linked to
• Written by TV writers and shot by Main Unit
• FMC subscribe/upgrade messaging

29. Video Recaps (12 x 2 mins) Photo Gallery (12 x 12 images)
Recaps of each TV episode will be Each month of the online
made available to audiences in a experience will offer audiences
dedicated video gallery 12 exclusive production stills
from C365 in a dedicated gallery
Preview Clips (12 x 2 mins)
Each month the multiplatform
experience will release an
exclusive “first look” preview scene
from the next episode of
Conspiracy 365. These clips will
only be available on the central
destination site

30. • Text message threads & voice messages from characters
• FMC electronic programming guide
• Facebook chat
• Push notifications
• Check-in facility

31. MULTIPLATFORM CONTENT DISTRIBUTION

32. THOUGHTS AND LEARNINGS FOR MULTI-PLATFROM PRODUCTIONS
Make it a core component of your proposition Don’t over invest
• Consider the story you are telling via broadcast & • Take the time to get your MP budget right
other platforms • Be realistic about its commercial returns
• Is there genuinely more to tell online? • Create content & build elements that can
• Bring MP into the world of the ‘main unit’ story tellers become sales assets for the series
• Give equal value & priority to its production
Target Multi Platform carefully and appropriately Think about distribution & how to reach /
• MP audiences will likely differ from broadcast build an online audience
• Create the right content for this audience • It is no longer simply about ‘your’ website
• Create appropriate content for each platform • MP requires you to go where audiences are
• Aggregate & congregate where the target is
Resource it well, use people who know Be sure that your broadcaster wants it
• Budget adequately and in detail upfront • MP needs a broadcast voice and / or
• Understand the impact it will have on the Production marketing support to succeed
• Engage providers and partners who ‘know’ the MP • Make it synergistic with the broadcaster’s
space but also know yours broader online / business strategies

33. PETER JENETSKY
General Manager,
Content Strategy & Marketing
twitter; @peterjenetsky
www.mnc.tv
www.youtube.com/mnctv
www.facebook.com/conspiracy365
www.conspiracy365.tv