MDA and MediaCorp collaborating on digital branded entertainment3 min read

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In a joint effort to develop the nascent online video market, the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) and MediaCorp are jointly calling for content proposals.

An extension of MDA’s Content 360TV Initiative, this collaboration will develop, finance, and distribute a slate of original Web productions through MediaCorp’s xinmsn video platform.

The MDA and MediaCorp invite applications from Singapore traditional or digital production companies for format-driven and sponsor-friendly Web productions that are aimed at the younger audience of 15 ““ 34 years old; who enjoy mainstream entertainment and are active users of social media but not necessarily early adopters.

Both MDA and MediaCorp hope that the producers’ ideas will take advantage of the richness of traditional TV, harness the power of the broadband like interactivity, mobility, social media etc to deliver compelling new entertainment for the connected audiences around the world.

Proposed projects should already have secured some financing to meet their production budgets, and preference will be given to projects with concepts, stories and themes that have international relevance and appeal.

Selected projects will be promoted through xinmsn and potentially on MediaCorp’s extensive media network. MDA will co-invest up to 50% of the production budget of the selected projects, together with the production companies and their partners. There is also opportunity for the Web series to spin off into television productions, or syndicate onto the TV platform, internationally. The call for proposals will be open until 31 January 2011. Details of the Call application guidelines can be found in the Annex.

“We hope Singapore independent producers will increase the value of the productions by exploiting traditional and new online media platforms. We are delighted to work with MediaCorp and the independent production sector to grow the Singapore media industry” said Aubeck Kam, MDA Chief Executive Officer.

Mr Shaun Seow, MediaCorp Deputy CEO (News, Radio, Interactive & Print) said, “We are very proud to partner MDA in this exciting initiative which we hope will catalyse the development of original web video productions in Singapore. We operate Singapore’s largest local portal, xinmsn.com, which will offer an excellent platform to showcase these productions. Producing content for the web also allows producers to push the envelope in terms of interactivity, and to tap on social networking tools to enhance reach”.

Xinmsn, the online bilingual entertainment and lifestyle portal jointly developed by Microsoft and MediaCorp, has seen tremendous growth since its debut in April 2010 and has become Singapore’s top portal attracting more than 1.9million unique visitors according to comScore, an online measurement agency and preferred source of digital marketing intelligence.

The Content 360TV Initiative was launched by MDA in April 2009 to encourage content producers to develop episodic video programmes in partnership with brands and online publishers. The initiative, which provides partial funding for the early stage development of Web TV content, has since shortlisted nine proposals have been selected, of which four listed below are now in production:

* 1,000 miles by Threesixzero Productions;
* LoveQ.tv (working title) by The Very Love Company;
* NowShowingLife.tv (working title) by Interactive Digital Reality; and
* Terrorville (working title) by Oak3 Films