NBC Publishing & Universal Pictures Release “47 Ronin: The Legend Reborn”

Edited from Metrodigi blog

Just in time to coincide with the Christmas Day release of the Universal Pictures feature film 47 Ronin—and with eBook tablets appearing in stockings hung by the chimney with care—NBC Publishing and Metrodigi have collaborated on development of the companion work 47 Ronin: The Legend Reborn, a dazzlingly designed book with spectacularly vibrant movie stills and extensive details about the film’s plot, characters, and design.

47 Ronin, a reimagining of an inspiring legend that is Japan’s unofficial national epic, stars Keanu Reeves as a half-British, half-Japanese outcast who aids a band of samurai in their quest for vengeance after the treacherous death of their lord.

This production, the first English-language big-screen version of an oft-filmed story (it’s also been the subject of many plays, books, and other accounts), introduces fantasy elements to the traditional tale, including demon monks, a shape-shifting witch, and other malevolent creatures. But the foundation is a timeless tale of devotion, of selfless attention to duty, honor, and loyalty.

47 Ronin: The Legend Reborn captures the film’s grand sweep, as well as its dynamic cinematography and design, full of kinetic action, imaginative visual concepts, and bold, lush colors.

The eBook includes a trailer for 47 Ronin, cast member bios, comments from Reeves and key crew members, image galleries of film footage, behind-the-scenes photos, and virtual posters. From right inside the book, readers can share postcards of the lead characters on Facebook and Twitter, plus interact with the film’s various social media platforms—not only Facebook and Twitter but also Instagram, Tumblr, and YouTube—as well as access the official 47 Ronin website.

Available on the iBookstore.

A Visit to Medford: His Holiness The Dalai Lama: A Message of Spiritual Wisdom - New eBook from Comcast NBCUniversal

In October 2012, His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited the Kurukulla Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies in Medford, Massachusetts. He spoke in front of approximately 1,800 people in both English and Tibetan, focusing on the values of Tibetan Buddhism. Comcast secured the sole rights to videotape the event, which was streamed live on Project Open Voice web sites.

For the one-year anniversary of his visit to Medford, Comcast’s Local Media Development department has produced a package that will educate consumers on the Dalai Lama and his impact around the world. The package consists of three primary products across web, digital and VOD platforms. 

The full, 72-minute event of the Dalai Lama’s speech and program at the Kurukulla Center is available to Comcast subscribers nationally via Xfinity On Demand, and available to the general public at Comcast’s Xfinity Asia microsite. 

##

A ten-minute highlight reel, including preparation for the event and interviews from various religious leaders and community members, available at AMessageOfSpiritualWisdom.com.

##

   

      A free, educational eBook on the Dalai Lama’s life and history, co-produced with NBC Publishing. The eBook includes an introduction by Ann Curry of NBC News. His Holiness the Dalai Lama: A Message of Spiritual Wisdom can be downloaded at the NBC Publishing website. 

##

The Dalai Lama is a well-known figure, with millions of followers on social media and around the world. Yet his history, background, and the scope of his accomplishments often go unnoticed. A Visit to Medford will take viewers through how the Dalai Lama was chosen, his political and cultural history, and how he brings communities together through his message of peace and nonviolence.

To view the trailer for the program, visit: www.AMessageOfSpiritualWisdom.com

###

For more information, please contact Jason Villemez at jason_villemez@comcast.com.

Grimm: The Essential Guide, Seasons 1 & 2 -- Now Available

Grimm: The Essential Guide, Seasons 1 & 2 from NBC Publishing is here!

Download this free interactive, multi-touch book and let the NBC hit drama series Grimm come alive!

• Learn about Homicide Detective Nick Burkhardt and the rest of the characters on Grimm.
• Watch Season One and Season Two Recaps.
• Enter Aunt Marie's Trailer and view her mysterious artifacts.
• Browse pages from Nick’s family journal passed down by generations of Grimms.
• Get a 360 degree look inside Rosalee’s Exotic Tea & Spice Shop.
• Navigate through the Creature Gallery and see their creepy transformations.
• View and maneuver 3D models used to design the mythical creatures.
• See behind-the-scenes photos from the filming of both Seasons 1 & 2.
• Be one of the first to see the terrifying new creature, El Cucuy.
• See exclusive photos from the Season 3 premiere episode. 
• Create your favorite creature, save it and/or submit it to NBC – We just might post it online or in a future edition of this book.
• Meet the cast, test your Grimm trivia knowledge, get each episode, and so much more!

Both die-hard fans (aka Grimmsters) and curious newcomers will discover the ancient secrets of the supernatural Wesens that live among us in this revised edition of Grimm: The Essential Guide, Seasons 1 & 2.

Available for iPad  on the iBookstore now -  So download load it today and can get ready for Season 3 of Grimm!

Comcast Commemorates 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington Across Multiple Platforms

Interactive Website Chronicles Civil Rights Movement History on HisDreamOurStories.com; Video Interviews with Civil Right Leaders, Including Rev. Billy Kyles, Mamie Chalmers, Rep. John Lewis, and Former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young to be Available through Xfinity On Demand, Online, Comcast Newsmakers and E-Book

PHILADELPHIA, PA – August 22, 2013 – To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, a major milestone of the Civil Rights Movement where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his historic “I Have a Dream” speech, Comcast has created a first of its kind video compilation to help chronicle the history and impact of the movement. Called His Dream, Our Stories, the package includes more than 80 unique and personal interviews with civic leaders, elders, clergy, and activists, and will be available on Xfinity On Demand and online through October 12th and permanently at HisDreamOurStories.com.

Through commentary and archived footage, His Dream, Our Stories chronicles the March on Washington, the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement through interviews from influential leaders, including Rev. Billy Kyles, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., former U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, Ernest Green of the Little Rock Nine, political leaders like Rep. John Lewis and attendees of the March on Washington, the Detroit Walk to Freedom and the Selma-Montgomery March. Other topics include sit-ins of the 1960s, the Atlanta Student Movement, Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike of 1968 and the impact and legacy of the Civil Rights Movement on minority communities of all types.

In addition to viewing the full library of interviews, visitors to HisDreamOurStories.com will be able to submit their own stories commemorating the 50th anniversary of this pivotal event in our nation’s history. Users will also be able to discover and learn about civil rights organizations which continue to work toward equality and freedom, including the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, the National Urban League, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the National Civil Rights Museum.

“Comcast and NBCUniversal are proud to contribute to this anniversary with such compelling content about the fight for civil rights,” said Charisse R. Lillie, Vice President of Community Investment, Comcast Corporation, and President of the Comcast Foundation. “It’s important to remember Dr. King’s legacy, and this unprecedented interactive multimedia package enables stories to be shared like never before.”

In addition to HisDreamOurStories.com, which serves as the ongoing online location for footage, features and finding and sharing information about the Civil Rights Movement, Comcast and NBCUniversal are making the content available across a variety of other platforms as part of current and planned coverage of the August 28th March on Washington anniversary.

• His Dream, Our Stories e-book: In late August, an educational e-book from NBC Publishing including 25 videos and an introduction from news journalist Lester Holt will be available to download for free on iTunes, Amazon and Nook stores.
• MSNBC: Will feature His Dream, Our Stories content online.
• And much more!

Additionally, anyone interested in utilizing the rich content library of His Dream, Our Stories can embed any of the videos to share content on their own websites, blogs and social media platforms.

For more information about Comcast and NBCUniversal’s diversity and inclusion efforts, visit www.comcast.com/diversity.

About Comcast Corporation:
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK) is a global media and technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is the nation's largest video, high-speed Internet and phone provider to residential customers under the XFINITY brand and also provides these services to businesses. NBCUniversal operates 30 news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures and Universal Parks and Resorts. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.

# # #

Media Contact:
Katie Lubenow
Katie_Lubenow@comcast.com
215-286-5691

Meet the Press: 65 Years of History in the Making, Volume Two - Available Now

In the continuing celebration of Meet the Press' 65th year on television, we've released the second volume of our interactive eBook, for free on the iBookstore.  To mark the anniversary, Meet the Press and NBC News opened its vast archives of videos, photos, and other memorabilia to present a compelling retrospective that should be required reading for anyone interested in the people and events that have shaped the political and cultural landscape from the late 1940s to the present. 

Meet the Press: 65 Years of History In the Making, Volume Two features a video introduction by David Gregory, moderator of Meet the Press, as well as a behind-the-scenes tour of the MTP Studio, photo slide-shows, and a reflection on working with Tim Russert by Executive Producer Betsy Fischer Martin. 

Volume Two focuses on Meet the Press' landmark interviews with such diverse personalities as Herbert Hoover, Lyndon Johnson, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Geraldine Ferraro, Ross Perot, Bill Clinton, John McCain, Joe Biden, Robert Oppenheimer, Billy Graham, Jimmy Hoffa, Gloria Steinem, Carl Sagan, Yogi Berra, John Glenn, Bono, Lance Armstrong, Stephen Colbert, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Rudy Giuliani, Condoleezza Rice, and many others.

Meet the Press: 65 Years of History in the Making, Volume Two is available now, for free, exclusively at Apple’s iBookstore.

Also available, Meet the Press: 65 Years of History in the Making, Volume One

BROADCAST SCHEDULE:

“Meet the Press” airs Sundays from 9-10 a.m. ET on the NBC-TV network; 10:30-11:30 a.m. ET in New York and Washington. (Please check local station listings for airtimes in your area .) The program also re-airs at 2 p.m. ET Sundays on MSNBC on cable. The entire program is available as a webcast and video podcast at 1 p.m. ET Sundays on our website, MeetThePressNBC.com.

NBCUniversal's “The More You Know” Unveils Interactive eBook, Growing Up Online, In Collaboration with NBC News

eBook featuring NBC News Journalists Provides Internet Safety Tips for Parents, Teachers and Kids in Spanish and English

NEW YORK, June 10, 2013 – In support of National Internet Safety Month in June, NBCUniversal’s The More You Know, in collaboration with NBC News, has launched Growing Up Online, a free, interactive eBook for parents, teachers and kids about digital literacy and Internet safety.  The first release from The More You Know Learning Series, Growing Up Online offers informative, media-rich tools to help parents in discussions with their children about using technology responsibly and safely, as well as entertaining video comic books focused on real-life situations that might arise when kids go online. The eBook features NBC News journalists including Brian Williams, Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Dr. Nancy Snyderman speaking about the importance of keeping kids safe online.

Growing Up Online is available as a free download on Apple’s iBookstore for iPad and iPad Mini, Barnes and Noble’s Nook Tablet, Amazon’s Kindle Fire, Kobo, as well as online for desktop and laptop viewing at www.themoreyouknow.com.

“When 52% of children have access to a mobile device and one in three kids has experienced cyberbullying, we are proud to provide resources and tools so that people can address the pressing issue of how to navigate the digital world securely,” said Beth Colleton, NBCUniversal Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility.

In collaboration with leading experts from Common Sense Media and NetSmartz Workshop (an education program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children),Growing Up Online addresses the increasing concern around kids’ online privacy issues and cyberbullying in a unique way.

“We all have a part to play to ensure that our kids are navigating the digital world safely and responsibly” said Jim Steyer, CEO and Founder, Common Sense Media. “The eBook content is relevant and practical, and it's organized to encourage conversations between parents and kids. With the right tools and guidance, every kid can thrive with media and technology."

The eBook will soon be made available for Google Play for Android devices along with Spanish language editions releasing to all of these retailers in the coming weeks.

"Our goal in teaching Internet safety is to empower families and their children to make smarter and safer decisions when they are online," said National Center for Missing & Exploited Children CEO, John Ryan. "Education is critical and this free resource teaches families how they can enjoy the benefits of the Internet while avoiding some of the risks."

To download Growing Up Online and learn about digital safety and internet security, visit http://www.themoreyouknow.com/ebooks/ and start a conversation with your kids.

###

About "The More You Know"

For more than two decades, NBCUniversal’s Emmy award-winning The More You Know public service campaign has given viewers easy-to-use, concrete, manageable steps to help set realistic change in motion. This multi-platform campaign, through its public service announcements, digital content, programming and community outreach efforts and The More You Know Learning Series eBooks, focuses on some of the country’s most important social issues in the core areas of education, diversity, health and the environment. The More You Know partners with leading nonprofits and government agencies to ensure we deliver the most credible, useful, timely information possible.

For more information contact:

Amanda Collins
(212) 664-4732

Amanda.Collins@nbcuni.com

Defiance: A Groundbreaking Immersive Experience in an eBook

***Reprinted from Metrodigi Blog

This groundbreaking show, set in 2046, and its connected massively multiplayer online game will be taking interactive entertainment to a whole new level—with events in the game influencing what happens on the show and vice-versa. Naturally, the eBook we created for it, Defiance: The Essential Guide, had to be every bit as cutting edge.

Since an immersive experience is what the show and game creators were after, we made each page full of surprises, with additional content revealed to readers as they tap and explore. The show and game get their name from the town of Defiance—built on what used to be St. Louis, Missouri—so we’ve included a 3D aerial view of the town with points that can be tapped to reveal pictures and information about town landmarks. Videos with details on the production of the show are interspersed throughout the eBook, as are galleries of concept art and behind-the-scenes photos.

After viewing the construction of massive sets, elaborate makeup transformations, and the creation of two complete alien languages, there’s a strong sense of just how ambitious a project Defiance is. And speaking of those alien languages, did we mention the eBook even includes a Votan/Human translator?

The Defiance game world lets you play as an Ark Hunter, “a specialist in survival, combat, and tracking who braves dangerous frontiers to locate and retrieve lost relics of alien or advanced origins in return for great financial rewards.” In other words, you become a mercenary with mad skills. You become even more powerful if you find all the hidden codes in the eBook and enter them at defiance.com/arkhunter.

After exploring the eBook, we think you’re going to be as psyched about Defiance as we are. If you want to spread the word, you can do so by sending free postcards featuring Defiance characters directly from the eBook.

Watch the show. Play the game. Read the eBook. Join the fight!

Also available for Kindle Fire and  Nook Tablet.

NBC Publishing, Blue Star Families and Vulcan Productions Debut Deployment and Reintegration Handbook for Military Families and Friends

New Everyone Serves e-book offers support and advice

through every stage of deployment and reintegration
 

New York, NY and Washington, DC (March 27, 2013)— NBC Publishing, Blue Star Families and Vulcan Productions are proud to announce today a new, free e-book to assist military family members and friends cope with the emotional toll of deployments and reintegration. Everyone Serves: A Handbook for Family and Friends of Service Members During Pre-deployment, Deployment and Reintegration is now available for download from Amazon, Apple, Barnes & Noble, Google, Kobo and Sony platforms. Everyone Serves debuted today at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes job fair in New York City. This free resource is available to the millions of military family members and friends, including more than two million children, who have experienced a deployment or reintegration with their service member during the last twelve years of war. A unique handbook, Everyone Serves was developed by military family members to help the family, friends and support network of United States service members better understand what to expect from a deployment and reintegration life cycle, and gain the tools to keep them and their families strong before, during and after separations. “When your service member is deployed, you live for the day they come home,” said Vivian Greentree, Ph.D., a military spouse and Director of Research and Policy for Blue Star Families. “Even through the joy of being reunited, both deployments and homecomings take an emotional toll on everyone, and each presents unique challenges. The Everyone Serves handbook is the first comprehensive resource for military family members and friends to help guide them through the many stages of deployment and reintegration.” Helping to address the full spectrum of emotions that accompany a military deployment and reintegration, Everyone Serves features videos, interactive worksheets and an up-to-date resource section, highlighting mobile apps that help enhance the military lifestyle. The material is delivered in a user-friendly format, highlighting key topics and tips in each section covering relationships, communication, self-care, and offering information on the possible emotional affects of each stage of deployment and reintegration. “As more than twelve years of continuous war comes to a close, military families and friends are facing the challenge of adjusting to life at home with their service members, or are still experiencing the cycle of deployment and reintegration,” said Michael Fabiano, Vice President and General Manager of NBC Publishing. “While service members spend most of their careers training for deployment, their family and friends do not. Everyone Serves offers much-needed information and support for the millions of military family members and friends who provide vital support to our nation’s service members.” Everyone Serves also features sections on caregiving and transitioning to civilian life, both topics of growing importance to our nation’s service members and their families. Military family members and friends can find themselves caring for wounded warriors who have sustained traumatic and life-altering injuries. Everyone Serves offers information and a list of resources to turn to for help and support. Additionally, as the military services reduce the size of their forces, more veterans and their families are transitioning to civilian life. This type of reintegration brings its own set of hurdles for service members, and their families and friends. “Everyone Serves provides a great starting point for anyone who is or has been affected by a deployment or reintegration. As the wars come to an end, more service members and families are transiting to civilian life, or managing the long-term care of a family member. These are all areas addressed in Everyone Serves, making it an important resource for all military service members, families and friends,” says Bonnie Benjamin-Phariss, Director, Vulcan Productions. The fact that Everyone Serves is available digitally means it will reach more people impacted by military life than ever before, using all aspects of e-publishing to deliver enriching and informative content to military family members and friends. Support for Everyone Serves was provided by HealthNet and Defense Centers of Excellence. # # # About Blue Star Families Blue Star Families is a national, nonprofit network of military families from all ranks and services, including guard and reserve, dedicated to supporting, connecting and empowering military families. With our partners, Blue Star Families hosts a robust array of morale and empowerment programs, including Books on Bases, Blue Star Museums, Operation Honor Corp, Blue Star Careers and Operation Appreciation. Blue Star Families also works directly with the Department of Defense and senior members of local, State and Federal government to bring the most important military family issues to light. Working in concert with fellow nonprofits, community advocates, and public officials, Blue Star Families raises awareness of the challenges and strengths of military family life and works to make military life more sustainable. Our worldwide membership includes military spouses, children, parents, and friends, as well as service members, veterans and civilians. To learn more about Blue Star Families, visit http://www.bluestarfam.org.  About Vulcan Productions Vulcan Productions is the award-winning media company created by philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul G. Allen. It produces compelling films, innovative digital programs, and outreach initiatives designed to explore critical issues and inspire people to take action. Its programs have won numerous broadcast and journalism awards, including the George Foster Peabody Award, the Emmy Award, the Grammy Award, and the Wildscreen Panda Award. Vulcan Productions has developed social action campaigns that accompany its media projects, including an impact campaign for This Emotional Life, plus “Early Moments Matter” and “A Handbook for Family & Friends of Service Members”— outreach toolkits dedicated to early attachment and support of military families. Vulcan Productions also developed Success at the Core, a web-based education initiative that uses media to help leadership teams in middle schools enhance quality instruction in science, math, and literacy. For more information, visit: http://www.vulcanproductions.com/ About NBC Publishing NBC Publishing, a division of NBC Universal Media, LLC, launched in January 2012 and will be releasing eBooks and enhanced eBooks throughout the coming year. This publishing group is part of NBC News and works across all divisions within NBC, Universal Studios, and Comcast. For more information, visit www.nbcpublishing.com.

For more information contact: Marie Wicht NBC News e: marie.wicht@nbcuni.com

‘Heroes Get Hired,’ A Free eBook For Veterans From NBC Publishing & Citi

February 20, 2013 – NEW YORK – A free eBook and guide for veterans, Heroes Get Hired: How to Use Your Military Experience to Master the Interview, has been released today by NBC Publishing. Sponsored by Citi and produced in collaboration with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network (MSCCN), this free enhanced eBook by Michelle Tillis Lederman provides a resource to aid veterans in the difficult career transition from military service into civilian employment. Featuring an introduction by Medal of Honor recipient and NBC News and MSNBC military analyst Col. Jack Jacobs (Ret.), as well as editorial input from IAVA and MSCCN, two leading veterans service organizations, the invaluable information provided in Heroes Get Hired includes specialized advice and coaching designed to meet the unique needs of veteran job-seekers and their families. Lederman’s eBook includes job search and interview tips, real-life success stories, and instructional videos that feature IAVA member veterans interacting with seasoned human resources professionals in order to visualize and demonstrate key concepts.  “As a part of NBCU’s continued commitment to veterans, NBC Publishing is proud to create a project that gives something back to all of the servicemen and women that have done so much for our country,” says Vice President and General Manager of NBC Publishing, Michael Fabiano, “It was an incredible collaboration between many organizations and individuals and really focuses on very practical methods to prepare for the interview process.” Citi’s support for Heroes Get Hired underscores the work of Citi Salutes™, a firm-wide initiative that focuses on career opportunities for veterans and their families, partnerships with veterans service organizations through Citi Community Development, and the development of Citibank financial products and services tailored to the greater military community. “Citi employs more than 2,000 military veterans, many of whom faced the challenge of transitioning directly from active-duty service to the civilian workplace,” said Suni Harford, Citi’s Regional Head of Markets for North America. “Through our support of this free e-book, Citi aims to make the job search process less daunting and more likely to end positively: with a great job and a long, successful career that builds on the qualities and talents of our service members and their families.” Heroes Get Hired: How to Use Your Military Experience to Master the Interview is now available in both enhanced and non-enhanced versions as a free download for e-reading devices such as Kindle, Nook, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Sony Reader, Kobo, and Google Nexus. For veterans and family members without access to a dedicated e-reader, Heroes Get Hired: How to Use Your Military Experience to Master the Interview will also be available in full, free of charge, at HeroesGetHired.com. # # # About the Author Michelle Tillis Lederman, author of The 11 Laws of Likability, is the founder of Executive Essentials, a training company that provides communications and leadership programs, as well as executive coaching services. She has delivered seminars internationally for fortune 500 companies, universities, high schools, and nonprofit organizations. She has been quoted in the New York Times, The Star Ledger, Working Mother and Real Simple magazines, US News & World Report, on MSNBC, and Monster.com among others. Her book, articles, quizzes and videos have been featured on USA Today, AOL, Forbes, CNBC, and About.com. Visit www.michelletillislederman.com for more information. About NBC Publishing NBC Publishing is a division of NBCUniversal Media, LLC that focuses on developing digital publishing projects from content created within the NBCUniversal and Comcast family of properties, as well as publishing original works with outside authors and publishing partners. Visit www.nbcpublishing.com for more information. Aabout Citi Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management. Additional information may be found at www.citigroup.com and www.citisalutes.com | Twitter: @Citi | YouTube: www.youtube.com/citi | Blog: http://new.citi.com | Facebook: www.facebook.com/citi | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/citi

For more information contact: Marie Wicht NBC News e: marie.wicht@nbcuni.com