ITV

Category: Specials

  • Disney ABC Intl TV showcasing 11 new shows at Mipcom

    Disney ABC Intl TV showcasing 11 new shows at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: At next week‘s television trade event Mipcom in Cannes, France, Disney ABC International Television, the distribution arm of US media conglomerate Disney, will be showcasing 11 new shows.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Disney-ABC International Television (Asia Pacific) VP sales Greg Johnson says, “We are showcasing our biggest ever lineup at Mipcom this year with 11 new series and 12 returning ones, including recent Emmy winners Ugly Betty, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy and Brothers & Sisters.

    “We are very excited by our new slate of shows with a great roster of talent and unique storylines such as Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, Army Wives, Reaper, Carpoolers and Private Practice, which is a Grey’s Anatomy spin-off. These shows have already been picked up by broadcasters in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and the Philippines. We’re very confident that many of these new series will also resonate with audiences in India.”

    He adds that the company‘s kids programming slate has had a record breaking year both in the US and internationally, starting with High School Musical 2. “We are also presenting at Mipcom the brand new animated series for kids and parents Phineas & Ferb, pre-school series My Friends Tigger & Pooh and the live action comedy series Wizards of Waverly Place by the creator and executive producer of Hannah Montana.”

    When asked about the genres where he expects to see an uptake, Johnson notes that every market is different. “We work closely with local broadcasters to find the right content fit for their programming schedules. Shows with a strong track record in the US typically do well for us in the Asia Pacific also.

    “But at the end of the day, it’s all about the quality of the content and the storylines. A good story told in an entertaining way travels well – and we’ve proven that we tell some of the best stories on TV. A perfect illustration is Ugly Betty, which originated in Latin America, has been a big success in the U.S. and earned America Ferrera the Emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy Series at last month’s Emmy Awards.

    “In the Asia Pacific, we’ve now licensed the US version to 11 markets, from Australia to Vietnam, and local audiences are now also falling in love with the charm of Betty. From our new slate, we are seeing interest for dramas such as Dirty Sexy Money, Private Practice and Reaper as well as our new comedy Carpoolers.”

    Asked about the relationships the Mouse House‘s distribution arm enjoys with Indian broadcasters, Johnson says that it has strong relationships with a number of them, particularly Star, which telecasts many properties, notable ones being Desperate Housewives and Lost.

    “In addition to that there is the Sab channel, which is now providing these series in Hindi for the first time. We also work closely with broadcasters Zee Studio, Filmy, Max, Star Gold and Star Movies who feature our movies from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Miramax Films. We‘ve also just licensed the new hit cable drama Army Wives to Zee Cafe.

    “In terms of kids programming, our Disney branded and Jetix animation blocks are available in Hindi and English on Star Plus, DD1 and Star One.

    “On the formats front, soon Indian audiences will see the Indian version of reality makeover show Extreme Makeover, produced by Sony Entertainment Television and hosted by Mona Singh.

    “India has huge TV potential and is an important part of our global business strategy. We were the first US studio with on-ground presence in India and we’ve recently strengthened our team with a new sales director (Swati Shetty), which is another step in our commitment to our clients. Our aim is to continue to grow and strengthen our relationships with clients in India as well as find new ways for people to enjoy and connect with our content.”

  • Breakthrough Animation to celebrate 5th anniversary at Mipcom

    MUMBAI: Breakthrough Animation will be celebrating its five year of completion at Mipcom this year. Breakthrough Animation specializes in developing and producing animated programming for young audiences. It has created Atomic Betty, Captain Flamingo and Miss BG, among others.

    Breakthrough Animation executive producer and managing partner Kevin Gillis said, “We are extremely pleased with the progress Breakthrough Animation has made in just five short years. Our initial vision was to develop a company where creative individuals could come together to make fresh, memorable animated programming that would have annuity value.”

    “The popularity of our trademark properties like Atomic Betty and Captain Flamingo is a testament to our creative team‘s dedication to delivering a world class animation experience for viewers. We are thankful for the extremely supportive relationships we have enjoyed both with our Canadian broadcasters and our broadcast and production partners worldwide. We look forward to many more years of working with all of them,” Gillis added.

    Jetix Europe Senior Vice President of Programming Marc Buhaj said, “We always enjoy working with the entire Breakthrough team. They are a fresh, fun studio who creates standout characters. From Atomic Betty to Captain Flamingo and next with Jimmy Two Shoes – Breakthrough Animation are creating truly global shows and brands that stand out in the crowded market place.”

    Atomic Betty and Captain Flamingo have been sold in over 100 countries. Miss BG‘s 104 11 minute episodes and 44 minutes of multiplatform content have been licensed to Qubo in the U.S. Breakthrough Animation‘s track-record for developing noteworthy animated television.The company has received a number of notable honors, including several Gemini nominations, a BAFTA nomination, The Actra Award and The New York Television Film Festival Award.

  • Sandra Carter Global to exhibit range of formats at Mipcom

    MUMBAI:Sandra Carter Global announced a new slate of programs including documentary, reality, lifestyle and sports series that it will take for the international broadcasters at this year‘s Mipcom.

    From the rality section, they have The Red Carpet Reporter (52 x ? hr; 30 x 80″ vignettes) that reveals the latest celebrity news, star fashion and glamour to audiences.
    Another show Shop The World For Beauty Secrets (13 x ? hr; 52 x 50″ vignettes) provides audiences with the exclusive beauty secrets of the alluring actresses and models.

    These also include Shop The World For Fashion Secrets (51 x 1 hr) which provides fashion ideas from several places across the globe. Brush With Life from Brush with Life Productions takes audiences on an adventure across the U.S. in search for America‘s next great artist. The show is produced by Sandra Carter Global in association with Brush with Life Productions.

    Passport And Palette another show from from Brush with Life Productions follows master artists as they travel the world painting the most fabulous and fascinating cities, including Paris, Rome and Istanbul.

    The first city will be New Orleans and the original paintings and photographs, as well as limited edition lithographs will then be sold at auction and online. The profits will be contributed to non-profit organizations involved in sustaining the music and artistic roots that signify New Orleans, stated an official release.

    The range of programs from the lifestyle section are Caribbean Escapes (13 x ? hr HDTV) which provides the affluent traveler with an inside look at the Caribbean names in hostelry, cuisine, beauty and shopping. The series was shot in high definition and visits Jamaica, St. Kitts, Barbados, Nevis and many other beautiful and luxurious destinations.

    Asian Green will focus on healthy and organic Asian styles of cooking. Produced by Sandra Carter Global.

    The Lifestyle Programming Package (104 episodes) is a collection of series that give audiences tips on gardening, cooking, home décor, travel and more. Included in the package are Life Made Simple and Carefree Gardener.

     

    Three films from the documentary section have been selected for Mipcom.

    Legends Of The Italian Cinema (30 x ? hr) is a collection of documentary specials about the lives and careers of the Italian film stars and filmmakers of the 20th century including, Claudia Cardinale, Virna lisi, Monica Viti, Roberto Rossellini, Anna Magnani, Bernardo Bertolucci, and Frederico Fellini. This is produced by Babygang.

    The Pavarotti Collection (1 x 1 hr; 130 min recital and 10 CD set) documents the life, marriage and funeral of the great Luciano Pavarotti. The collection includes an exclusive footage and a variety of Pavarotti‘s music. The show is produced in association with Pavarotti Estate.

    Hollywood Rebels (3 x 1 hr) is a collection of documentary specials about the lives of young Hollywood “rebels,” including James Dean, Montgomery Clift and Marlon Brando.

    The sports segment has two programs Girls Gone Fishing and Soccer Greats.

    Girls Gone Fishing (26 x ? hr) follows two girls, Sarah and Lea, as they travel across America, Canada and Mexico to learn new tricks for the sport of fishing and using some of their own tricks along the way. This show is produced by Tsunami Productions.

    Soccer Greats (3 x 1hr) is a collection of biographies, highlighting some of today‘s best soccer players, including Baggio Del Piero, Batistuta, Totti, Montella, Roby, Baggio, Maradona, Pele, Pulici, Graziana, Vialli, Mancini and more. Produced by Sandra Carter Global.

     
     
     

     

  • 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.