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MUMBAI:
The Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) will be
promoting a substantial slate of Asian-themed, Made-by-Singapore
factual content under the Singapore Pavilion, at MipTV.
Included
in the line-up of 44 television and animation titles are Olympic
and China-themed High-Definition programmes that showcase
Singapore's capability in developing current and compelling
Asian stories for the global stage.
MDA
also has a library of 200 hours of Made-By-Singapore public
broadcast content for which it will be exploring distribution
opportunities at MipTV.
In
all, MDA will be leading 17 Singapore companies to MipTV 2008. Of the 44 titles
showcased, 14 are new Hi-Definition (HD) titles, continuing the trend of driving
Made-by-Singapore HD content production for the global market. The
emphasis on Asian factual content with the potential for international distribution
across several platforms such as digital and mobile, books, games and merchandise,
underscores MDA’s strategic intent to build Singapore into a trusted global
capital for New Asia Media. MDA
CEO Dr Christopher Chia says, ”New Asia Media represents the exciting new
opportunities in Asia created by the explosion of convergent media and an economically-resurgent
Asia driving growth around the world. On the content side, New Asia Media embodies
the finest stories about a confident and dynamic Asia, told by Asians themselves.
“Singapore
is well-poised to lead in this genre due to its strategic location in the heart
of Asia and strong tradition in documentary and info-educational programming.
Indeed, with an English-speaking population, high literacy levels, think tanks,
research institutes and a strong telecommunications network, Singapore is one
of the very few Asian countries able to produce English-language documentaries
on Asia. This ensures our documentaries have local relevance, and yet carry international
appeal and commercial viability, providing international media companies with
a very compelling business proposition."
Against
the backdrop of the Beijing Olympics, a slate of commercial
Olympics-themed factual content titles will also be showcased
at the Singapore Pavilion.
It
includes Beijing: Biography of a Capital. This is a
three-part HD documentary exploring the three themes that
have defined Beijing for over a thousand years – from
its nomadic beginnings, to its iconic dynasties and today's
modern, thriving metropolis. Supported by MDA, this is a joint
collaboration between Singapore’s The Right Angle, Beijing
TV and BBC Global Channels. and is scheduled to premiere on
BBC Knowledge across Asia during the second quarter of 2008
and will be broadcast in Europe.
The
main challenge facing The Right Angle was finding the means to bridge the expectations
and knowledge gap between Beijing TV’s China audience and international viewers.
The Right Angle worked with Beijing TV to isolate, from over a thousand years
of chronology, universal themes that would appeal to global viewers everywhere.
Dr
Chia adds, " Beijing: Biography of a Capital vividly illustrates Singapore’s
capabilities in producing quality Asian-themed English documentaries and developing
content of relevance to Asian and Western audiences, as well as its appeal as
a key partner for Western and China broadcasters and content providers.”
Other
Made-by-Singapore China titles at the Singapore Pavilion include
Mad About English. This is a documentary 0on China’s
newfound passion for the English language as it prepares to
host the 2008 Olympics. The Crunch is a reality format
on how six of the world’s toughest men and women underwent
endurance challenges set against the backdrop of different
natural wonders of China. Seven Wonders of China, meanwhile,
reveals the genius of China's greatest builders, engineers,
designers and visionaries for the many engineering marvels,
with the use of CGI and dramatic reconstruction.
Additional
titles demonstrate Singapore’s capability in producing
factual content across a variety of Asian themes that have
broad international appeal. For instance, Saving Gaia,
a documentary produced by MediaCorp News, examines how environmentalists,
climate experts and the public in Asia are fighting back in
nature’s defence. Design Asia examines the philosophy
of Asia’s best-loved iconic designers, covering retail,
fashion, interior design and furniture, including Ashley Isham
(fashion, Singapore), Samsung (electronics, Korea), Muji (household
items, Japan) and GOD (lifestyle, Hong Kong)..
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