After a short break concluding his legendary run on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show, former host Jon Stewart is heading to premium TV network HBO under a four-year deal.
And while there will be plenty of speculation in the days to come about what exactly Stewart will produce at his new TV network home, the first project is definitely interested. Deadline Hollywood reports that he’ll be working with graphics startup Otoy, a company known for its work adding innovation to the video space, “to develop new technology that will allow him to produce timely, current-events-focused short-form digital content, which will be refreshed on HBO NOW multiple times throughout the day.”
More specifically, Otoy’s previous work includes the creation of a 360-degree holographic capture system that has the potential to drastically change how the media industry uses video, as I reported last year. The tech is exciting not only because of the rise of virtual reality gadgets entering the consumer market, but also because it seems like the precursor to things like Star Trek’s holodeck. (Gigaom has reached out to Otoy for additional details, but still waiting to hear back.)
As for what Stewart’s contract with HBO entails, it won’t be a regular talkshow-esque television show — at least not at first. Deadline said Stewart will focus on short-form digital-first content as well as potential films and longer series.
Jon Stewart’s first HBO project teams him with ‘holographics’ startup Otoy originally published by Gigaom, © copyright 2015.
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