Lifetime, MySpace and The Weinstein Company Launch Nationwide Models of the Runway Casting Challenge

Lifetime, MySpace and The Weinstein Company Launch Nationwide Models of the Runway Casting Challenge

Online Competition Calls on America to Help Select One Aspiring Model to Appear in an Upcoming Season of PROJECT RUNWAY'S Companion Series MODELS OF THE RUNWAY Leading Online Interactive Casting Site GOTCAST.COM to Provide Challenge Functionality

NEW YORK, Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- Lifetime Digital, the ultimate digital source for women's entertainment, escape and play, MySpace and The Weinstein Company today launched the Models of the Runway Casting Challenge, a nationwide online casting competition that will give one woman the opportunity to be selected as a model in an upcoming season of Lifetime Television's Models of the Runway, the all-new companion series to the hit unscripted program Project Runway.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090901/NY68548 )

Lifetime Television and The Weinstein Company are searching for an aspiring model to become one of the contestants on Models of the Runway to compete to win prizes that may include cash and a national modeling opportunity. Models of the Runway, which follows the models' lives "behind the seams" of Project Runway, currently airs Thursdays at 11pm ET/PT.

Beginning today, hopeful models can enter the Models of the Runway Casting Challenge on myLifetime.com, MySpace at www.myspace.com/modelsoftherunway or ProjectRunway.com, where they can complete an online application and upload an introductory video and three photos of themselves. They will also be required to submit other materials, including a brief essay that outlines why they feel they deserve to be on Models of the Runway and how, if selected, it would change their lives. Functionality for Models of the Runway Casting Challenge will be provided by leading online interactive casting site GotCast.com.

"We are very excited to let America help us cast Models of the Runway," said Dan Suratt, Executive Vice President, Digital Media and Business Development, Lifetime Networks. "It's a natural fit to work with MySpace on this competition to reach a broader audience for both programs, effectively promote the Models of the Runway Casting Challenge and potentially find fashion's next supermodel."

"MySpace empowers its community to discover great content and share it with their friends," said Jason Kirk, Vice President of Video and Entertainment for MySpace. "We're thrilled to see how the Models of the Runway community on MySpace will socialize and share this unique content."

"The Project Runway brand continues to seek untapped talent in new and creative ways, and we are thrilled to be going viral with the Models of the Runway Casting Challenge," said Barbara Schneeweiss, Vice President, TV and Film Production and Development at The Weinstein Company. "It allows us to incorporate the fans directly into the selection process, giving them the opportunity to participate in the show that they love so much."

The winner of the Models of the Runway Casting Challenge will be selected from a multiple round, online voting process in conjunction with guidance from the Program's producers and Lifetime during the final stage of the competition. Call for entries and the first round of voting on myLifetime.com, MySpace and ProjectRunway.com will end September 20, 2009, when the challenge's contestant pool will be reduced by approximately 25%. Remaining contestants will be required to provide additional videos and information to secure more online votes to advance to the third round. The Models of the Runway Casting Challenge contestants will then be put through the next round of online voting, with five prospective models scheduled to be announced on October 31, 2009. The winner will be unveiled in November of this year.

The sixth season of Project Runway made its long awaited return to television on Lifetime on August, 20, 2009, when it became the highest-rated premiere for the series ever and in the Network's 25-year history. Models of the Runway also performed well in its debut, averaging 1.9 million Total Viewers.

ABOUT PROJECT RUNWAY AND MODELS OF THE RUNWAY

Hosted by supermodel and fashion maven Heidi Klum, the hit series Project Runway provides budding designers with an opportunity to launch their careers in fashion, under the watchful eye of mentor and Liz Claiborne Chief Creative Officer Tim Gunn. The wildly successful competition reality series has proven to be one of television's most talked about shows and is this year's highest-rated unscripted competition series premiere on all of cable.

Models of the Runway, an exciting new companion series to Project Runway, gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at the reality competition -- from the models' perspective. Viewers experience the drama, anxiety, joys, tears and frustrations as the models themselves face elimination each week and compete for a cash prize and photo spread in Marie Claire magazine.

Produced by The Weinstein Company, Miramax Films, Bunim-Murray Productions and Full Picture Productions, Project Runway and Models of the Runway are executive produced by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, Co-Chairmen of The Weinstein Company, and Jon Murray and Sara Rea of Bunim-Murray Productions (The Real World). Heidi Klum; Desiree Gruber and Jane Cha of New York City-based Full Picture also executive produce both series. Barbara Schneeweiss oversees the production on behalf of The Weinstein Company.

About GOTCAST

GotCast.com, led by its new CEO Alec Shankman (formerly the long-standing Head of Alternative Programming at Abrams Artists Agency), is the Web's premier interactive TV casting & social networking platform for aspiring talent. It is currently powering interactive castings for nearly every network, studio, production company, and casting director in the business. GotCast is making it realistic and possible for people from coast-to-coast to have a shot at getting noticed by casting directors and network execs in Hollywood -- without having to make a pre-emptive move to L.A.

About Lifetime Digital Media

Lifetime Digital Media, the ultimate digital source for women's entertainment, escape and play, reaches women wherever and however they connect, play and share. Combined with the reach of the Lifetime Networks, Lifetime Digital Media provides sponsors an unrivaled opportunity to reach women with a powerful, singular-branded experience across all platforms. More than 3.8 million women per month (May, 2009; ComScore Media Metrix) visit Lifetime Digital's robust properties (myLifetime.com, Roiworld.com, DressUpChallenge.com, LMN.tv, LifetimeMoms.com, and MothersClick.com) and consume Lifetime's content on mobile devices and partner platforms.

About Lifetime Networks

Lifetime Networks is a diverse, multi-media company, committed to offering the highest quality entertainment and information programming that celebrates, entertains and supports women.

Through its award-winning public affairs initiatives, the Company also advocates a wide range of issues affecting women and their families. Lifetime Television, Lifetime Movie Network, Lifetime Real Women and Lifetime Digital are part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, a 50/50 joint venture of Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company.

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Source: Lifetime Digital

CONTACT: Chris Brienza, cbrienza@coynepr.com, or Lauren Curtin,
lcurtin@coynepr.com, both of Coyne PR, +1-212-938-0166; or Cindy Ronzoni of
Lifetime Networks, +1-310-407-8525, cronzoni@lifetimetv.com

Web Site: http://www.mylifetime.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment