| MUMBAI:
Singapore media companies have secured deals worth $128 million in terms of co-production
and distribution projects at the recently concluded television trade event MipTV
in Cannes, France. This
figure is more than double the $54 million clinched by Singapore companies at
Mipcom last year. MDA
CEO Dr Christopher Chia says, “Singapore companies have risen above their
size and shown mettle to achieve success on the international stage. The newly
established networks at MipTV provides more collaboration opportunities for exportable
Singapore-made programmes and firmly establishes us as a major player in the international
television and animation production industry and beyond.” From
animated television series to documentaries to dramas, Singapore companies inked
a slate of collaborations that testified to Singapore companies’ ability
to create exportable content with strong international appeal. They include collaboration
by Singapore Technologies Electronics with Canada’s Nelvana Studios to co-produce
three animated TV series and 10 DVD movies. Worth about US$100 million, the projects
will be completed over the next four years. The first two DVD projects in the
partnership will be Puff the Magic Dragon and Franklin the Turtle, estimated between
US$5 - 10 million each. Other
successful deals include Big Communications’ $6.5 million collaboration with
Australia’s Flying Bark Productions and Canada’s Thunderbird Films on
Zigby, The 3-D animated series is based on HarperCollins’ popular
literary children’s character. It will be distributed internationally by
EM.Entertainment and broadcast on ABC in Australia and Canada’s Treehouse
TV next year.
The company has also inked an MoU with South Korea’s Sieundesign to co-produce
two 3-D animated TV series The Chronicles of Oujo and Rpeng Bini.
Another animation company, Mediafreaks Cartoon has secured MoUs to co-produce
with US/Malaysia’s Rocket Fish Studios for The Pupu Squad and with
Omens Studio for Sedo Dog. Both are estimated to cost $2.6 million each. On
the distribution end, Character Farm’s Katakune has secured representation
by Spain’s Neptuno Films for the European market while Scrawl Studios’
Nanoboy will be distributed by Canada’s Cookie Jar Entertainment for
North America and Europe. Nanoboy
has also been sold to Mediacorp TV12’s Kids Central. In addition, Scrawl’s
Milly, Molly was pre-sold to worldwide broadcasters such as Australia’s
ABC Network, Canada’s TV Ontario, Portugal’s Aquaris & Auqris Ltd
(Radiotelev), and Hong Kong’s ATV World; with deals in negotiation with Finland’s
YLE Finnish Broadcasting Company, Norway’s NRK Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation
and France’s TPS Jeunesse. Aside
from animation, Singapore-made TV content also forged ahead successfully at MipTV
with Upside Down Entertainment’s collaboration with Korea’s Dreamville
Entertainment and India’s Clapstem Productions on Asian Crisis Centre.
This is a $5 million adventure drama series. Mega Media, content management company
Six-Six-Eight and France’s Project Images Films will also be collaborating
on the first ever Singapore-France TV series Déjà Vu. The
$4.1 million youth fiction series will feature four episodes shot on location
in Singapore. | 
