Imaginative Online Project Inspired by Ten Years of Saved Phone Messages.

Dedicated to expanding its network and channel brands across multiple platforms and connecting viewers with their favorite shows anytime and anywhere, Disney-ABC Television Group’s ABC.com is launching, for the first time in its history, an original series of video shorts entitled “Voicemail.”

Inspired by a decade of saved phone messages from creator Michael Wilde, the never-before-seen collection of humorous, fictionalized vignettes captures the life of Mike, a twenty something,
slacker male in pursuit of happiness and the avoidance of all responsibility.

From psycho first date stalkers and torturous breakups to hung over mornings and nagging relatives, the often serious answering machine messages are in stark contrast to the creative interpretation seen in the shorts. Whether it’s Mike boxing up an ex-girlfriend’s belongings while she leaves a message thanking him for being so mature during the breakup, or re-gifting an elderly Aunt’s cookie jar gift only to discover it was filled with cash, Mike’s imaginative unpredictability strikes a chord
with young adults, all of whom have a friend, roommate or relative like him.

“We’re very excited to launch this one-of-a-kind program across multiple digital platforms, including ABC.com,” said Bruce Gersh, senior vice president, Business Development, ABC Entertainment. “The creative approach for 'Voicemail' aligns perfectly with the digital media audience. It is snack size, funny, relatable, and has a distinctive point of view.”

The short-form series consists of 30 one-to-four minute episodes starring actor Ezra Godden as Mike. The first three shorts are currently available for viewing on ABC.com and several new episodes will debut each week through mid-June. “Voicemail” will also be available on
wireless platforms.

Based on an original film by Michael Wilde, “Voicemail” was created by Michael Wilde, who also serves as the co-executive producer. The webisodes were produced by ABC.com.

THE PITCH

Voicemail felt like it would be a good fit for someone looking to establish a foothold in web and mobile based content. The show was quirky, the format was snack size, and the concept was
based on a cellular feature that everyone uses everyday.

So, I started sending out copies of the pilot to everyone I knew, who knew somebody. One day, I got a call from Angela Mancuso, a producer who works with ABC. She liked the concept, and asked me to come down to ABC and pitch the show.

I loaded a few clips of the pilot onto my iPod, put together a brief presentation and headed down to ABC. The meeting was with Mark Pedowitz, President of ABC Touchstone Television, and Bruce Gersh, senior VP of business development for ABC Entertainment and ABC Television Studio.
The pitch began; I pulled out my video iPod and presented Voicemail. About 9 minutes into the presentation, Mark Pedowitz said, “go make the show, I love it.”

"It was the first time we were pitched a show on an iPod," Mr. Gersh said. "It was completely relatable. Everybody has messages left on their machine in some way, shape or form."

Voicemail was the number one viewed show on ABC.com during its Spring launch. Season two is currently in production and will air in September.

415.509.7855  michael@wildeproductions.com