Wise Owl Films’ youth offshoot Hoot has today announced its first commission – for the newly-announced Channel 4.0.
Led by Head of Development, Lucy Smith, alongside, Nathalie Mayer and Kariim Case, Hoot has been formed to serve 16-34 year olds across a range of broadcasters and digital channels.
Box Fresh is a six-part, anarchic fashion format, hosted by London rapper Dreya Mac, in which contestants dress head-to-toe in brand new designer clothes before facing an obstacle course designed to destroy their outfit.
The series was commissioned by Evie Buckley, digital commissioning editor, and executive produced for Hoot by Lucy Smith.
Smith said: "There's always one mate who turns up to a muddy walk in fresh white kicks - so we thought, how could we supersize this ‘universal dilemma’?! Box Fresh gives wannabe hypebeasts and sneaker heads the chance to win their holy grail outfit, but first they must pit their prize streetwear against an obstacle course designed to trash it. To what lengths will they go to keep their new garms box fresh?
"Filmed at the epic Sunny Bank Mills in Farsley, Box Fresh celebrates urban youth culture from the heart of Yorkshire. Hoot is proud to have worked with so many talented young creators across the North of England to bring this series to life."
Channel 4.0 will exist on YouTube and social media as a destination for formats and returners ‘with playful mischief at their heart’, while acting as a platform for new on and off-screen talent as the channel bids to engage with 13-24 year olds as part of its Future 4 strategy.
Channel 4 has also selected Hoot as one of three labels the channel is working with to find the next generation of on-screen talent from diverse backgrounds. Channel 4 is also collaborating with Wise Owl Films and Hoot to fund two Content Creative Trainee Researchers, to be based at the production company’s Leeds office.