When people think of the metaverse, they often think of a futuristic world reminscent of Ready Player One, but Shantal Anderson — a media executive and metaverse pioneer in the unscripted reality television industry — formed ReelMood.com to redefine people’s perceptions.
She argues that the metaverse is much more than crypto, NFTs and confusing technological jargon, and offers an opportunity for content creators to connect with people in ways they never could before. Such is the case in what she’s doing with the American Reality Television Awards, which air tonight, Thursday, November 17th.
Shantal, along with her colleagues at ReelMood.com, will be presenting the world’s first pre-watch party in the metaverse at 3pm PT / 6pm ET, before the awards show starts at 5pm PT / 8pm ET.
Fans will be able to tune in and watch this first-of-its-kind immersive metaverse experience, which will also include a VR-enhanced telecast of the actual awards, by visiting ReelMood.com via the Meta Quest headset or computer.
We chatted with the media powerhouse about her vision for the future and how reality television fans will absolutely love it.
Monsters and Critics: What can people expect when experiencing the awards show in the metaverse?
Shantal Anderson: An immersive experience where they can interact with fans, purchase ARTAs NFTs, and watch the show. Winners can also claim NFTs at the award station.
M&C: What are you personally doing to improve the image of people in the metaverse/crypto space and why is it so different than the media has described it before?
SA: We don’t focus on improving the image. Our focus is on creating memorable moments and experiences in the metaverse and breaking the technology barrier of entry for creators and users.
We do this in two ways, connecting with our brands and partners like Paramount Plus, Discovery Plus, Live out Live — to name a few — and working on creating a virtual event that’s authentic to their brand. We then work with some of the best creators in the metaverse, curated from our Reel Mood Marketplace, to help with the content creation and vision.
M&C: Who is creating brand experiences the right way in the metaverse and how do you see it evolving?
SA: Reel Mood’s mission is helping brands and creators meet to create memorable exciting moments in the metaverse. And to be on the path to normalizing the way we consume content in the metaverse.
M&C: What is it like being one of the few women of color in the metaverse space and how are you personally pushing the boundaries?
SA: The metaverse is a decentralized and democratized space. Your gender or color doesn’t matter in the creation of web3, like the metaverse. What matters is how fast you can code, build and design and create a working proof of concept that makes your product stand out from the rest.
M&C: How can reality TV and unscripted producers use the metaverse to expand their audiences?
SA: Reel Mood can help all forms of content creations, podcasts, live events, scripted and unscripted programming, music content and more. The list is endless. At Reel Mood we emphasize that everything you create in the real world deserves a space in the metaverse.
M&C: What type of shows would you like to create in the metaverse that are unscripted/reality?
SA: You will soon find out. Reel Mood will release our winter programming lineup after the awards.
M&C: What parts of the Awards Show in the metaverse are you most excited about sharing with the world?
SA: Having our presenters, nominees and winners come up to the trophy station to collect their NFT awards. It will be a fun special moment.
The American Reality Television Awards airs tonight, Thursday, November 17th @ 5pm PT / 8pm ET, and will stream live on MonstersandCritics.com and OUTtv. You can also listen to the awards on reVolver podcasts. To experience the pre-show in the metaverse, be sure to go to ReelMood.com at 3pm PST / 6pm EST.