RelativityREAL Bolsters Production Team and Closes Duo of Overall Deals

(Beverly Hills, Calif.) November 15, 2012 – RelativityREAL, Relativity Media’s television arm, has signed multi-year overall development and production deals with Aengus James and Colin King Miller’s multi-platform production company This is Just a Test, as well as Jonathan and Oliver Bogner’s film and television company Bogner Entertainment, it was announced today by Tom Forman, Chief Executive Officer, RelativityREAL. This is Just a Test and Bogner Entertainment will develop and produce reality series, scripted series and digital content for television and cable networks via RelativityREAL. 

In making the announcement, Forman said, “I’m thrilled to welcome two new, ambitious and wildly creative production companies to the RelativityREAL family. Both This is Just a Test and Bogner Entertainment know how to tell amazing stories and make memorable television. They’re going to do a lot of both here.”

“Video content is expanding across platforms and changing exponentially. We are thrilled to be at a place that encourages entrepreneurship, creativity, and values innovation in production,” said Aengus James of This Is Just a Test.  Added Miller, “And the snacks here are first rate.”

Jonathan and Oliver Bogner said, "We are excited to be partners with Tom Forman and RelativityREAL." Oliver added, "Tom is a tremendous producer and mentor who I have looked up to for years. It's a dream to be working alongside such a prolific creator and I can't wait to hit the ground running with lots of new shows together." 

This is Just a Test (TIJAT), a collaboration between close friends James and Miller, creates TV, film, and digital content.  TIJAT currently has a slate of unannounced projects in development and production with cable networks and brands.  Since TIJAT’s inception, their film and digital projects have won a number of accolades including awards for excellence on the web.  In addition, their theatrically-released documentary American Harmony was critically-acclaimed and TIJAT’s recent PSA for Military families was honored by the White House. James has directed many of TIJAT’s projects including documentaries and commercials for both brands and non-profits.  He executive produced the History series “Madhouse” and served as cinematographer for Barry Levinson’s film “Poliwood.” Miller previously worked in production for the Walt Disney Company, serving as Production Finance Lead on a number of animated films including Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph and Prep and Landing. 

Bogner Entertainment is a family-run business founded by Jonathan Bogner in 2000. Nine years later, his then 16-year-old son Oliver Bogner (now 19-years-old) joined the company and launched Bogner Entertainment Television, focusing on reality television. In 2009, Oliver became the youngest person ever to sell a show to E! with his own reality show “Party Prince 90210.” The film and television company has since executive produced such shows as “Down South Dance” which premiered on TLC in late September, as well as “Addicts and Animals” for Animal Planet and “Drum Heads”  for Halogen TV, which both premiered in October. They also produced "The McCords” and “Love Scouts” for Oxygen and currently have shows setup and in production at Lifetime, HGTV, and TLC. Jonathan is currently in development on “Meet the Murphys” for Nickelodeon with Emmy® Award Winner Bryan Cranston. Oliver was featured in the Los Angeles Times as “Hollywood’s New Junior Partner” and in August 2012 was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the top All Star entrepreneurs in the country. Today, he is currently a sophomore at Chapman University studying television at Dodge College. As a part of Bogner Entertainment’s overall production deal with RelativityREAL, Oliver will oversee creative, Jonathan will oversee production and Cindy Bogner, wife of Jonathan and mother to Oliver, will work with business affairs for Bogner Entertainment. Bogner Entertainment Inc. is represented by Rebel Entertainment Partners.
TIJAT and Bogner Entertainment join RelativityREAL’s burgeoning team of producer pacts including: Jay Blumenfield and Tony Marsh (Showtime’s “Gigolos”), Ellen Rakieten (TV Guide Channel’s “Hollywood Girls Night”), Ashley Tisdale’s Blondie Girl Productions (Bravo’s “Miss Advised”), and Ray Ricord (Lifetime’s “This American Housewife”). 

RelativityREAL recently celebrated the success of “Catfish: The TV Show,” the television adaptation of Relativity’s hit documentary thriller, which premiered November 12th on MTV and became the highest-rated 11:00 p.m. premiere in the network’s history. The show’s debut also ranked as the No. 1 cable series in its time slot among P12-34, and averaged 2.7 million total viewers. Additionally, RelativityREAL’s “LOLWork,” the outrageously funny work-place documentary series premiered November 7th on Bravo and its hit series “The Mortified Sessions” returned for its second season on the Sundance Channel on October 8th. RelativityREAL’s original series “American Bible Challenge, hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, on the Game Show Network also premiered in August to GSN’s highest ratings in its 17-year history and was renewed for a second season. RelativityREAL currently has 70 projects in active production, including 17 original series airing on television or in the upcoming season.

ABOUT RelativityREAL
Under the leadership of award-winning producer Tom Forman (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Kid Nation), Relativity’s television arm launched in June 2008. The division has quickly become one of the country's largest suppliers of unscripted television. In addition, the division is developing a slate of scripted sitcoms, dramas, and sketch comedy series to be released in the upcoming year. Most recently, RelativityREAL partnered with YouTube and will be launching a channel in the fall.  RelativityREAL's executive ranks are bolstered by overall production deals with TV veterans Jay Blumenfield and Tony Marsh, Ashley Tisdale’s Blondie Girl Productions, executive producer Ellen Rakieten (“The Oprah Winfrey Show”) and Ray Ricord.
 
 

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