Laura Whitmore announced as the host of EE's pioneering 360° Red Carpet Show for the BAFTA Film Awards
EE, the title sponsor of the EE British Academy Film Awards and the provider of Britain’s first superfast 4G network, today announced that rising presenting talent Laura Whitmore will be hosting its technologically charged coverage and interviewing the world’s leading film stars live for the 'EE BAFTAs 360° Red Carpet Show' on Sunday 10 February. Film lovers watching the show will get the chance to see the stars and experience the BAFTA Film Awards red carpet in ways they have never been able to before.
Laura is renowned for her fun and spontaneous interviews with mega-stars of film and music for, amongst others, MTV, MTV News and its global awards shows, as well as sister TV shows for the Brits and I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. She will be anchoring the show from Camera One, right in the heart of the red carpet action outside London’s Royal Opera House, where she will be interviewing the stars as they arrive for what is one of the film world's most glittering evenings.
About the show
The live show will be produced using four interactive 360° cameras which will be situated along Europe's longest red carpet. Viewers will be able to get a taste of what it’s like to be in the director's chair, switching between each camera in real time, controlling the action by panning up down, left and right in full 360°. A highlights edit of the show will be released on Monday 11 February.
Within the EE Film app for Apple and Android phones and tablets, the integrated 360° player will use the physical movement functionality found in smart devices in order to let viewers literally turn themselves and their device to look to their left, right and even behind themselves, as if they are on the red carpet in person.
On facebook.com/EE viewers will be able to experience the stream in full 360°, switch between the four camera streams, as well as interacting and discussing the show in real time.
The 'EE BAFTAs 360° Red Carpet Show' follows on from the star turn made in 2012 by self-described "international star, role model and diva," Miss Piggy who anchored an online show for sister brand Orange, interviewing the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Fassbender, Jessica Chastain, Gary Oldman and Octavia Spencer amongst many more, before EE took over title sponsorship for the 2013 ceremony.
Laura will be anchoring the show from Camera One, right outside the Royal Opera House, where she will be interviewing leading lights of the film world, including nominated actors, actresses and directors from the year's biggest blockbusters including Life of Pi, Lincoln, Argo, Django Unchained, Skyfall and Les Misérables.
Spencer McHugh, Director of Brand, EE, commented: "We're thrilled to announce that Laura will be hosting what will be the UK's first ever multi-camera, live and interactive red carpet show streamed in full 360 degrees. By harnessing this cutting edge technology and working with BAFTA, we're excited to be offering the chance to experience the Awards and the red carpet in a way that is the next best thing to being there."
Laura Whitmore, host of the EE BAFTAs 360° Red Carpet Show commented: "I literally cannot wait to get onto that red carpet and to host the show. I've never done a 360 degree show before but I've been practicing with the technology and we're going to have lots of fun, showing a side to the red carpet you'd never normally get to see. Roll on Sunday!"
Users of Twitter will also be able to put their questions forward for Laura to put to the stars by tweeting @thewhitmore using the #EEBAFTAs hashtag, or via facebook.com/EE.
For more information, go to facebook.com/EE
-ENDS-
For further information, please contact:
Alex Wilkinson / alex.wilkinson@mcsaatchi.com / 07969 573 313
Maria Panayi / maria.panayi@mcsaatchi.com 07817 848691
Rachel Devenport / rachel.devenport@mcsaatchi.com 07825 282 302
NOTES TO EDITORS
About host Laura Whitmore
The 'EE BAFTAs 360° Red Carpet Show' will be anchored by Laura Whitmore, whose star is rapidly in the ascendant and who is known for her fun and spontaneous interviews with mega-stars of film and music for amongst others MTV News and its global awards shows, as well as sister TV shows for the Brits and I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
Watching via the EE Film app on smartphones and tablets
Especially for the ceremony, EE has integrated the content into its EE Film app (available for iOs and Android devices) which, as well as being the place to get 2-for-1 cinema tickets and streaming the latest film releases, will offer users a chance to experience the show via their device at home, or out and about via 4G.
As well as using physical movement and the gyroscopic controls, touch control within the 360° inbuilt into the apps will mean that viewers can also control their view by swiping with their fingers to pan around in 360 degrees.
In order to access the content via the EE Film App, users will need to download the app update – available in the iTunes app store, or via Android Market Place Existing EE Film app users will also need to install the update. The content has been optimised for more up to date smartphones and those in the 4GEE range so it is recommended that viewers wanting to view via the app use;
- iPhone 4 and up (iOs 6+)
- iPad 2 and up (iOs 6+)
- iPad mini (iOs 6+)
- HTC One XL (Android 4.0.4+)
- Samsung SIII (Android 4.1.1+)
- Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE tablet (Android 4.1.1+)
- Google Nexus Tablet (Android)
Viewing via Facebook.com/EE and interaction via Twitter
In addition to being streamed within the EE Film app, the show will be live streamed via EE's Facebook page, which will become the place for fans to watch the show, discuss the action in real time, as well as suggesting questions for host Laura Whitmore to put to the stars. EE has been working with Facebook to maximise the viewing experience, and the embedded player will feature the functionality for viewers to switch between all four cameras.
Desktop users will need to ensure that they have a good quality broadband connection, and access to Facebook.
No charges or use of data allowances for 4GEE mobile users
EE's 4G customers will be able to stream the 'EE BAFTAs 360 Red Carpet Show' to their smartphone or tablet free of charge wherever they are. Any data used in the viewing of the show will not count towards their monthly data allowance. Superfast 4G from EE is ideal for accessing live streamed 360 video content. For non-4G or EE customers it is advised where possible to watch the content on mobile devices via a Wi-fi network in order to get the best possible experience.
Post event highlights show
Following the live stream on Sunday 10 February, a highlights package featuring interviews with the nominated actors and actresses will be edited overnight and made available via the EE Film App and Facebook.com/EE channels, as well as made available for media to embed within news stories. Viewers should keep an eye on facebook.com/EE or @EE on Twitter for further details.
The official hashtag for the show is #EEBAFTAs. For more information please go to facebook.com/EE.
About EE
EE, the recently launched 4G mobile and fibre broadband network, has been announced as the title sponsor of the EE British Academy Film Awards in 2013, replacing sister brand Orange.
EE is the UK's most advanced digital communications company in Britain, providing mobile and fixed line services to 27 million customers, and is the first company in the UK to provide 4G mobile services alongside fixed-line fibre.
EE is the company that runs the Orange, T-Mobile and EE brands in the UK.
Its 4G service will cover a third of the population by the end of 2012 and its fibre service will cover 50% of the population by the end of the year.
EE's mobile service currently provides coverage to 99% of the population with 2G and 98% of the population with 3G.
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About BAFTA
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is an independent charity that supports, develops and promotes the art forms of the moving image by identifying and rewarding excellence, inspiring practitioners and benefiting the public. In addition to its Awards ceremonies, BAFTA has a year-round Learning & Events programme that offers unique access to some of the world's most inspiring talent through workshops, masterclasses, lectures and mentoring schemes, connecting with audiences of all ages and backgrounds across the UK, Los Angeles and New York. BAFTA relies on income from membership subscriptions, individual donations, trusts, foundations and corporate partnerships to support its ongoing outreach work. For further information, visit www.bafta.org or www.bafta.org/guru.