Fullscreen Acquires Social Media Studio McBeard

Fullscreen is setting out to fill more screens: The global media company has acquired social media content creator McBeard, the company revealed Monday on the morning of its 2015 NewFront presentation.

Los Angeles-based McBeard leads creative online campaigns for clients such as Coca-Cola, 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Mary Kay, NBCUniversal, Warner Bros., Mattel, Netflix, AT&T and more. McBeard, which will operate as a fully-integrated subsidiary of Fullscreen, collaborates with its new parent company on AT&T programs “@SummerBreak” and “SnapperHero,” the first scripted series produced for Snapchat.

The acquisition is an attempt to strengthen Fullscreen’s ability to develop full-service content programs for creators and brands, including cross-platform storytelling, social asset creation and social media distribution.

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Among Fullscreen’s 70,000 creators, the global media company boasts participation from Grace Helbig, The Fine Brothers, filmmaker Devin Super Tramp, Lohanthony and Shane Dawson.

YouTube star Eva Gutowski (“MyLifeAsEva”) has now also joined the talent ranks.

Fullscreen is the first within its vertical to create real-time video content that is unique to Twitter, thanks to the social media platform’s Amplify program. Fullscreen is also developing product solutions with Nielsen and fellow measurement company Millward Brown to “qualify and validate custom content and influencer marketing’s reach compared to linear television buying,” the company said.

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“The way people consume content today is dramatically different, so it’s important to create differently in order to reach them,” said George Strompolos, founder and chief executive officer of Fullscreen. “The McBeard team has mastered the art and science of creating social content that people love to engage with and share. This acquisition gives Fullscreen and our partners the ability to reach people across every social platform through compelling native content and storytelling at scale. We’re thrilled to welcome Alan, Alec and the McBeard team to Fullscreen.”

“Fullscreen and McBeard have a shared vision-that successful branded social content must first serve fans,” said Alan Beard, co-founder and chief exec of McBeard. “We’ve grown fast by assembling a team of social media enthusiasts who create branded content at scale, and Fullscreen’s resources will allow us to grow even faster.”

McBeard co-founder and CCO Alec McNayr added, “This allows us to instantly serve our clients better, bolster our video production and media buying offerings, and integrate with Fullscreen’s world-class influencer network.”

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Here is Fullscreen’s content slate, in the company’s own words:

“#O2LForever,” a documentary featuring beloved vlogging supergroup O2L (Our Second Life) while on their 2014 DigiTour before they broke up. The uninitiated will discover why Connor Franta, Kian Lawley, Ricky Dillon, Jc Caylen, Sam Potorff and Trevor Moran are the Beatles of this generation. Watch the trailer.
“The Outfield” stars wildly popular social media personalities Cameron Dallas and Nash Grier as varsity baseball players navigating difficult choices on and off the field as they enter their senior year of high school.
Rooster Teeth’s Indiegogo record-breaking film “Lazer Team” features four small-town losers who stumble across an alien crash site and are bound together by an incredible battle suit that forces them to save humanity. Watch the trailer.
The Sid and Marty Krofft reboot “Electra Woman and Dyna Girl” stars dynamic duo Grace Helbig and Hannah Hart, in partnership with Legendary Digital Media. More here.

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The Amazon Studios original series "Transparent" chronicles the abnormal life of the Pfefferman family once it's revealed that father Mort is transgender. The groundbreaking series won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy, and Jeffrey Tambor snagged the award for Best Actor in a Television Series for his portrayal of Mort-now-Maura Pfefferman.

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