ITV

Category: ICC WORLD CUP

  • 24 Singaporean firms at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: 24 Singapore companies will be at next month‘s international television trade event Mipcom in October, to showcase for sale and distribution close to 100 programmes.

    A highlight of the slate is the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) – supported children’s 2D animated series Tales Alive. Produced by Peach Blossom Media, the nine-episode series is based on original children’s stories (books) by Singapore writers and is one of the first print-to-screen projects initiated by MDA to encourage multi-purposing of content.

    The stories are adapted from nine original children’s storybooks published under MDA’s First Time Writers and Illustrators Publishing Initiative, which supports aspiring authors and illustrators in the publication of their first works. The short-form animated series is slated for telecast on Singapore broadcaster MediaCorp TV12’s Kids Central channel at the end of this year.

    MDA CEO Dr Christopher Chia said, “We are delighted that our print-to-screen initiative Tales Alive will debut at MIPCOM. This animated series as an excellent example of how Made-by-Singapore content can be adapted across different platforms. Such multi-purposing of content extends the shelf-life of original properties and opens up new revenue opportunities for industry players.”

    The Singapore slate of programmes at Mipcom comprises of 46 factual, lifestyle and animation titles in High-Definition (HD), continuing a strong trend of HD programming by Singapore companies exhibiting at the MIPCOM markets.

    Reflecting Singapore‘s traditional strengths in factual programming, the line-up features 27 documentaries and 23 lifestyle shows, including new completed factual programmes such as Bang Singapore’s First Flower, Sitting In Pictures’ Kylie Kwong: My China, and Oak3 Films’ Taming the Savage: Prowess, Plunder and Butchery of the Far East Pirates, which is in production. Oak3 Films is co-producing the documentary with Korea’s Channel Q, and is the first project under the Co-production agreement signed between MDA and the Korean Broadcasting Commission in June this year.

    Besides factual programming, the Singapore Pavilion will also showcase a line up of animated content, as half of the programmes on offer comprise animation titles including new ones like Scrawl Studios’ Clang Invasion, Pixelworx’s Free Radicalz and Fist of Light by Peach Blossom Media. 57 projects are making their market debut at Mipcom.

    This year marks the seventh year of Singapore’s participation at Mipcom. Singapore’s content producers, post-production talents and media content management service providers will be promoted at the Singapore Pavilion, under the umbrella positioning of Singapore Media Fusion to reflect the collective richness and diversity of the Singapore media industry, and amplify the strengths and offerings of local creative talents.

  • Indian media far closer to rest of world now: Raj Nayak

    Indian media far closer to rest of world now: Raj Nayak

    MUMBAI: Continuing with our series on what leading Indian media and entertainment figures have to say about the Indian television and media scene ahead of next month‘s television trade event Mipcom in Cannes, France we present NDTV Media CEO Raj Nayak‘s views. He holds forth on addressability, ad spend, collaboration among other issues.

    Relationship between Indian media and the rest of the world: “The Indian Media is far more closer to the rest of the World now in more ways than one than ever before. International alliances / International Funding. Soon this will translate to International Best Practices across all operations.”

    Ad Spend: “Accountability and ROI will be the next wave in Media investments and collective action as this Industry comes to the fore.

    “The transition to ad spend being 1 per cent of GDP doesn‘t seem too far… with more and more fragmentation and the case for survival, the price points will get pushed up. There is no other alternative.”

    Collaboration and outsourcing: “Online has done it and now other media are following. It‘s all about synergies of scale. No individual company can manage 25-30 per cent growth year on year for the next 10 years. People will collaborate, efficiencies will improve, more and more processes will be outsourced. Individual processes will come out and shine. Ad sales and distribution outsourcing will take centre stage.”

    Talent Crunch: “People will be an issue and the talent crunch to manage this growth will be immense. Investments in people will continue. Good stock of people will enter the market getting best practices from other industries.”

    No more free lunches for TV viewers: “Addressability will mean no more free lunches for even audiences. Pay for what you want to see. Better investments will follow.”

    The regional boom: “The retail wave will ensure shopping behaviours are altered and hence local promotions will be most critical heralding the arrival of the new wave regional channels.”

    More niche content: “More and more niche content will come into India. There is no reason why an Aviation channel cannot come to India. After all there are more people in the Indian Air Force than all aviation enthusiasts in whole of the UK. And at Rs 5/- a month for even 10 million HH‘s (estimated DTH penetration by 2010), this by itself translates to Rs 600 million revenues in a year, thus challenging all previous business models.”

  • Zee looking to create major buzz at Mipcom

    Zee looking to create major buzz at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: One of the Indian firms that will have a major presence at next month‘s television trade event is Zee. The firm is buoyed by the fact that that India is the country of honour and is looking to boost relationships with partners.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Neil Chakravarti, business head for Zee‘s English channels, says Subhash Chandra‘s media conglomerate will have a presence across multiple areas. These will be content acquisition, syndication and strategic dialogue. The third area could include doing co-productions. In terms of acquisitions, Zee is looking at different content like films, television series, as well as buying formats like telenovellas.

    Chakravarthi adds that a lot of content for the network comes from the US, Western Europe. South East Asia is also growing as a market for the network, he points out.

    As had been reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com, Chandra will deliver a keynote address at Mipcom. In terms of licensing and syndication, Zee head – Asia Pacific, international business Mukund Cairae, is leading the networks efforts. Cairae says that properties that Zee will push there include the family dramas/soaps – Teen Bahuraniyan, Jab Love Hua, Kassam Se, Dulhan. It will also push the costume drama Ravan as well as Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai, a show that profiles celebs.

    “We are also taking a slate of Bollywood movies to Mipcom. These are Sholay, the Raj Kapoor starrer Awara, Shahrukh Khan‘s Baazigar, Taal with Aishwarya Rai. Adding variety to our catalogue are general entertainment shows. In the travelogue genre there is Full Circle. In fashion we will showcase Trendsetters. In cookery there is Khana Khazana. From the Jagran channel we will be showcasing a Tarot show Home Healers. From the Zee Music library we are taking B-News.

    “We are also taking up a tent just outside the Palais announcing Zee‘s presence and directing inquiries to the sales booth as mentioned above. We are also throwing an exclusive party for our clients on 9 October at La Mandala opposite the Carlton hotel on the beach. However we are currently not looking at selling formats at Mipcom.”

    And what significance does India being the country of honour at the event have for Indian firms? “India being the country of honour does bring the focus of the Mipcom press and those attending to Indian content suppliers. With the largest library of Indian content there is a benefit that Zee will derive by riding on this. Our chairman Subhash Chandra being the keynote speaker also would focus attention on the stall and content sales.”

     

  • Kim Cattrall to lend star appeal at Mipcom with ‘My Boy Jack’

    MUMBAI: Kim Cattrall who got famous for her role as Samantha Jones in Sex and the City joins a growing list of stars scheduled to attend next month‘s television trade Mipcom 2007.

    The British-born actress will be in Cannes to support the new television drama My Boy Jack an Ecosse Films/WGBH Boston/Ingenious Broadcasting co-production for ITV in association with Octagon Films and Granada International.

    Adapted by David Haig from his original play it tells the tale of Rudyard Kipling‘s son and his efforts to join the army in World War One, despite having poor eyesight. Cattrall plays Jack‘s mother, Caroline ‘Carrie‘ Kipling, with David Haig in the role of Rudyard Kipling and Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe as Jack.

    The other international personalities attending Mipcom include Australian actress Gia Carides, best known for her starring role in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. She will present her new drama series East of Everything. Surfing on the wave of Green TV, telenovelas writer, Gloria Perez, will introduce her new ecological mini-series Amazonia.

    Young British clairvoyant, Lisa Williams, who communicates with the dead, will promote her TV show Lisa Williams: life among the dead. The global bestselling series Midsomer Murders actors, John Nettles and Jason Hughes will be celebrating 10 years of the show at Mipcom.

    British actor and musician Max Beesley, best known for his starring role in Hotel Babylon, will present the new thriller The Last Enemy and the celebrity French writer Marc Lévy, whose novel Just like Heaven was acquired by Steven Spielberg, will introduce the new series Will You be There, adapted from his book O? es-tu?.

    On 10 October, the third edition of the Mipcom Mobile and Internet TV Awards will be hosted by British showman Brian Conley.

  • Venus eyes co-production deals in animated and action films

    MUMBAI:Venus Movies sets for Mipcom looking forward for co production deals in animated and action films.

    Venus VP International acquisition and sales Ashok Jain said, “Considering India as a the country of honour for this year‘s Mipcom, we hope to get good lucrative deals.”

    According to Jain a lot of animated content needs to be explored and it has a good market in India.

    “India is an emerging fast in the entertainment sector and that opens a lot of doors for such deals,” added Jain.

    Additionally they will also be pitching to distribute and market the movies in their library. These include Aishwarya Rai starrer films like Raincoat and Chokher Bali, both of them directed by Rituparno Ghosh. They will also be marketing films starring Amitabh Bachchan.

  • Thunderbird Films & Daro Film Distribution ink worldwide deals for 2 series

    MUMBAI:Thunderbird Films and Daro Film Distribution today announced they have picked up worldwide distribution rights for the mini series Dragon Boys and the youth drama Edgemont.Making its worldwide premiere at Mipcom, Dragon Boys is a thriller set in the world of Asian gangs and organized crime on the West Coast of Canada. Based on detailed research, the drama follows a Chinese-Canadian police detective and an immigrant family as they confront a deadly threat from Asian organized crime. The four hour mini series was recently nominated for nine Gemini awards in Canada, including Best Mini Series.

    “We are very proud of Dragon Boys and Edgemont because of the quality of these productions. Dragon Boys is exceptional in that is was able to achieve a combination of high level writing, direction and performances from people at the top of their professional game,” said Omni Film Productions president and executive producer Michael Chechik.

    The two companies also picked up the half-hour teen drama Edgemont.Starring Kristen Kreuk, the series explores the vividly real world of high school life. From jocks and misfits, to the dreamers and girl-next-door, Edgemont chronicles all the characters known to populate school hallways, as they tackle the challenges of growing up.

    “This is the seventh project that we have done with Daro in the past 18 months and we are deeply impressed with their expertise and professionalism. Daro really knows how to sell,” said Thunderbird Films president Michael Shepard.

    “Edgemont, already a proven winner in North America, stands out with strong writing and showcases a terrific group of young actors. I‘m delighted that these productions will receive exposure to international audiences. They really do deserve success,” added Chechik.

    Both Dragon Boys and Edgemont were produced by Vancouver-based Omni Film Productions Limited Led by industry veteran, Michael Chechik Omni. For 26 years Omni Film has produced over 200 hours of documentaries and series across various genres. Together with sister companies Water Street Pictures and Water Street Releasing, Omni is a complete film and television production and distribution entity. A few shows currently in production are West Coast Tsunami, a two-hour documentary for CBC; Robson Arms (season three), the critically acclaimed dramatic comedy series for CTV; and She‘s Crafty a hip new craft series for HGTV.

  • IMImobile eyes music based content at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: Digital platform player IMImobile will be eyeing music based content at Mipcom 2007.
     
    The television trade event which takes place at Cannes, France from 8-12 October, is an important occasion for IMImobile to acquire local and international content.

    Says IMImobile VP content and alliances Pradeep Rao, “This will be our first visit to Mipcom. We will be looking to acquire rich and popular music.”

    “We will also sell IMImobile-exclusive content to other content aggregators for territories where we do not operate or do not have a strong presence in,” he says.

    “Being a managed services player present in territories across the world, IMImobile is in constant need of local and international content. In fact, this year, we have already participated in Mobile World Congress at CTIA(Miami), MIDEM(Cannes), more than five Informa telecom events and even NetEvents and Terrapinn events. There are more upcoming events where IMImobile is either sponsoring or participating as an exhibitor,” Rao adds.

    IMImobile is a provider of carrier grade messaging platforms and gateways, content management systems, and voice platforms through managed services. Services provided by these platforms include interactive portals, community and user generated content applications, caller ring back tone, and video streaming.

    IMImobile delivers managed VAS and content platforms and aggregates content for operators and portals, manages the delivery of content for content partners. It also mobile campaigns for media, advertising and enterprise customers.

    The customers include operators such as Airtel, Vodafone Essar and Maxis, enterprise and portal customers such as Yahoo!, Google and Reuters, content partners such as Sony, Disney and Universal.

  • Breakthrough films and television, Partners In Motion join forces for programme development, distribution

    MUMBAI: Canada-based Partners in Motion and Breakthrough Films and Television along with their distribution division, Breakthrough Entertainment have teamed up for a programme development and distribution co-venture Breakthrough Entertainment is launching Partners In Motion‘s latest line-up of programmes at next month‘s television trade event Mipcom in cannes, France.

    As part of the new strategic alliance, Breakthrough and Partners In Motion will be co-investing half-a-million dollars combined over the next three years into a joint venture initiative. This financing will be utilized to develop factual programmes that meet market demands while creating new partnerships with international broadcasters, as well as third-party producers. Further details of this new development initiative will roll out closer to Realscreen 2008.

    In addition, Breakthrough Entertainment, BFTV‘s distribution division managed by Tanya Kelen, head of distribution has been appointed as Partners In Motion‘s worldwide distribution agent for their catalogue of factual programming.

    BFTV president and executive producer Peter Williamson says, “This new alliance is part of our ongoing strategy to grow Breakthrough‘s production and distribution business, and we are looking forward to a long and successful relationship with the Partners In Motion team,” said Williamson.

    Partners In Motion CEO Ron Goetz says, “Breakthrough‘s strength in programming, development, production and distribution is a natural fit with our own, and we are anticipating a fruitful partnership as we gear up for making further announcements at Realscreen 2008”.

     

  • Granada International to launch four new shows at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: Granada International has acquired worldwide distribution rights to four new shows from factual production unit Original Productions. Subjects range from a fascinating glimpse of the underground world of fighting clubs, to an unconventional tour company that goes in search of the best-ever tornado, to the ultimate garden makeover show and the heartbreak and loss of families of missing children. Each one of the new shows will be launched to international buyers next month in Cannes at the television trade event Mipcom. Granada International director of acquisitions and co-productions Emmanuelle Namiech, says, “We are delighted to continue our relationship with Original Productions. An independent company that always finds the most original aspects of our world today and captures them in the most creative and entertaining way for TV viewers.”









    Backyard Nation is a backyard makeover show that delivers dream gardens to people who cannot or will not do it themselves. From a professional Hollywood stuntman who wants a motocross track and skate bowl built in his backyard, to homeowners Adam and Athena who request an Alice in Wonderland makeover, complete with giant cement mushroom and a tea cup hot tub. Each makeover is worth $100,000 in labour and materials, providing the lucky homeowners with their ultimate fantasy in the show where no dream is too over-the-top or wacky for the Backyard Nation makeover team.


    Our Lives: Dog Brothers explores underground fight clubs. There are no rules, no judges, no referees and no trophies in The Dog Brothers club. Twice a year, members from all over the world attend a tribal ritual they call ‘The Gathering of the Pack’, an intense day of head-to-head combat, using hardened rattan sticks as weapons. They wear no protective padding or clothing other than gloves and a thin fencing mask. Fully aware they could get seriously hurt, they are driven by the adrenalin rush of facing not only their opponent, but also their own fear.


    Our Lives: Disappeared is a factual crime show that reveals the forgotten true stories of missing children and their families. Every forty seconds, a child goes missing in the US alone. Recounting the true tale of Jody Plauche and Jennifer Martilez, who went missing over 20 years ago, Disappeared profiles what happened to the victims, their families, and the dedicated police officers who worked on the cases. As the families share their compelling stories, the programme hunts for clues and memories that not only honour innocence lost, but remind children and parents.


    Besides these shows from Original Productions the other shows that Granada International will showacse at Mipcom will include the drama My Boy Jack. In his first television role since Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe stars with Kim Cattrall Sex & the City in this family drama about duty, sacrifice and the horror of war. It is based on the true story of Jack Kipling (Radcliffe), son of acclaimed British author Rudyard Kipling, who was determined to become a soldier in the First World War.


    Suffering from severe myopia, 17-year-old Jack was refused entry to the army until his famous father intervened, obtaining him a commission in the Irish Guards. But shortly after going into battle, he was listed as “missing believed wounded” and Kipling and his American wife Carrie (Cattrall) began a frantic search to find their son.

    The Murdoch Mysteries is a new 13 episode drama series. It is set in Toronto, Canada in the 1890s. Yannick Bisson stars as William Murdoch, a young detective who solves a series of challenging murders using emerging and progressive forensic techniques. Scorned for his ideas by Chief Inspector Brackenreid, he forms an unlikely ally with beautiful coroner Dr Julia Ogden, who is also struggling against tradition and prejudice, and together they prove a formidable team.


    More drama comes courtesy Ballet Shoes. Victoria Wood and Emma Watson Harry Potter star in this drama about family, fame and realising your dreams. Sisters Pauline, Petrova and Posy Fossil live a sheltered life with their guardian Sylvia Brown until they are accepted at the Children’s Academy of Dancing and Stage Training. Only then do they discover their special talents and start to realise their dreams.


    Granada International will also showcase several formats at Mipcom. One of these is Born Winners. Ywo players go head-to-head for a large cash prize. In each round, the players have to guess the ages of their opponent’s team members, made up of friends, family and colleagues.


    Hilarity ensues as the contestants – and the audience at home – try to guess their ages based on their looks and appearance. In the nail-biting final round, the contestants must accurately guess the age and birthday of their opponent. The first one to guess correctly wins the cash, and the loser goes home with nothing.









  • UTV eyes movies at Mipcom; to sell Bindass’ show formats

    UTV eyes movies at Mipcom; to sell Bindass’ show formats

    MUMBAI: UTV Global Broadcasting Ltd (UBL), the broadcast arm of UTV, is eyeing movie acquisitions at Mipcom. It will also exhibit its existing formats on its recently launched youth channel Bindass.

    Says Bindass CEO Zarina Mehta, “We will be primarily eyeing movies at Mipcom. Also, we want to sell Bindass show formats for Lagegi, Shakira and Sun Yaar Chill Maar.“

    UTV‘s movie acquisitions are expected to supplement the content demands for its upcoming movie channels. UBL plans to launch a world cinema channel and a Hindi movie channel.

    The company will also look to add movies to the Bindass library. Bindass currently has approximately eight to nine hours of programming in the form of movies.

    “We are currently screening Hindi as well as dubbed movies on three slots – 12 noon, 5:30 pm and midnight,” says Mehta.

    Further, Mehta reveals that she wants to replicate the Bindass model by launching similar channels in other countries.

    “I want to use the Bindass model for launching channels in countries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. But as of now, I want to do one thing at a time,” she says. Bindass officially launched on 24 September.