“THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT – I GOT TO WEAR SHADES”

December 5th, 2009 by admin. Tags: Film Arc, Singapore, Stina Almqvist

Film Arc in Singapore – Blog Entry No 5 by Stina Almqvist, Project Leader, Film Arc.

Today, we started with the MDA (Media Development Authority) meeting. MDA is a young organization formed 2003. We had the pleasure to meet Kenneth Than, Chief Operating Officer for MDA and also Director for Film, Animation & Publishing and also Director for Singapore Film Commission and also Tan Chee Wee, Head of Film, Animation and Publishing. MDA is both a Develop Agency and a regulator for the media business.

It is organized in 7 different sectors; Film, Games, Animation, Publishing, TV, Media Services and Music. They are thriving to become one of the mayor players in the global media industry. They have clear visions and ambitious goals, but they are also very humble in how their goals can be fulfilled. Singapore learned a long time ago to work in a multicultural atmosphere. The TV broadcast in 4 different languages, for example.

Kenneth explained to us that the former Premier Minister actually made rules that made sure that it has to be a mixture of different culture/citizens in newly built areas. He had the brains and soul I guess to look deep in to the Crystal ball. Singapore today is a multicultural place and it works well. It’s is the friendliest and safest environment that I have ever been in. It is a BIG city but it doesn’t stress you out. Kenneth told us that the government has always make sure to keep green parks and areas to balance the high building and the compact city structure and it seems to work.

In Singapore everybody knows from own or older generations experience that we all belong to the same species no matter where we originally come from. They also know that we are depending on each other, it is about sharing and building together (for example, their drinking water comes from Malaysia). I would say that they are professionals in creating alliances. Singapore has always been living on international affairs.

The result of our meeting was that MDA and Film Arc agreed to formalize an agenda and a structure together with the goal to increase co production in various sectors, such as; film, TV, games and animations. Singapore is the gateway towards rest of Asia. 17 global broadcasts for instance, are situated in Singapore.

On top of that Hannu, Nina and Steve have had meetings with the Singaporean production company Oak3 Films and also other meetings. Anne has been on some business meeting and I paid a visit to the 3D company booth, because I believe we will have something going with that technology in the Film Arc region quite soon. Can you understand the impact the zombie movie “Dead Snow” (Shoot at FilmCamp, Norway) would have had if it has been shoot in 3D ?

Then we all met at 8 a clock to go for dinner and Nina said that she was so hungry that she was not able to hear anymore. We had as always, had an intense but rewarding day and when we get back home we will announce the concrete results (on top of the MDA/Film Arc agreement) and we expect you to be impressed – because we are!

Now we will have resting days and enjoy them with our Asian colleagues. This also means that this is my last blog from Singapore, for this time. It is quite heavy to work a whole week until 03.44 in the night, but it was worth every second…/Stina

EXPERIENCE FROM A TV FORMAT SUPER PITCH (IT’S ALL ABOUT INTERACTIVITY)

Film Arc in Singapore – Blog Entry No 4 by Stina Almqvist, Project Leader, Film Arc.

Today I went to a “TV Format Super Pitch”. There were five companies that had qualified to come and do a 5 minutes pitch for a heavy jury; Julian Curtis, Sales Director Asia for 2waytraffic and Michael Mc Kay, President for Active TV and Avi Armoza, Founder at Formosa Formats and Patrick Schult, CEO at Fremantle Production Asia and Magz Osborn, Managing Director at Television Asia Plus & Asia Image, Reed Business Information Asia. I write them here for two reasons. The name indicates what they think it is important and how small (not!) territories they are addressing. The other reason is that I wish that you that read this also get involve (interactivity) and look up their websites and get updated on what works for normal TV consumers, back home in the sofa.

One format that’s already been made is “The Bubble” created by Armoza Formats.´It is a show that turns headlines into Entertainment, to quote Armoza.
The concept is to take five news-addicted journalists and put them on an isolated island without ANY connections to the world. After 1 week you bring them right back in to the studio and then they compete against each other in different aspects. First they will show 3 different persons that last week’s got “3 minutes of Fame” and guess which one is correct.
Then they show news clip and the journalist will guess which is true and which is fake. We saw one with Mr Chadaffi in Libya getting disturbed by a fly while being interview. It’s a lot of fun and I don’t know if it’s true (get interactive and check YouTube).
Then we saw glimpses of “Idol in Philippine’s and “Dragons Den” and “Indian got talent“ and so on. And then I get this scary feeling – we are all cloned from the same avatar, by now.

Patrick from Fremantle Media said that his Company has problems with the market for middle ranged production. They earn today’s money on the big expensive formats or the cheap ones. From what I know that is the same situation for Hollywood and films, you either have to spend A LOT or LITTLE money. Middle range production seems to be no business.

And then it was time for the pitch. The first was “Memory Unlimited” from Thai company (young woman) that had the ambition to help high blood pressure and Alzheimer’s with stimulation and games for stimulate the brain capacity. The jury questioned her about the age of the target group. They said that one episode can target 14 years old and next episode could target 80 years one (and I think that answer sank them).

Next pitch was “Bit Tale” presented by Japanese Company (young woman). This format had a format that was a combination of TV drama and Interactive game on Internet. It is about a boy that got locked in top his room by some spirits, the room changes to another world and the zombies are awaking…

The jury asked how many from the audience that actually went to internet also. And the women doing the pitch could answer well. She could also asked who was the rights holder – the Company or the producer (guess and send me your answer, you might be rewarded…)

Next pitch was “Wag the Tail” (young women and middle age man) about youngsters trying to make their non-disciplined dogs in to well-behaved ones. They had actually brought a dog to demonstrate, which the jury praised. The problem was that the dog was extremely well behaved and also the young girl. The jury questioned if the idea was that it should be very chaotic and fun to watch? The answer was yes, sort of the opposite of the pitch (and then I think this pith sank)

Then it was this company from New Zeeland (pitch by an older man). The format was called the “Peace Makers” It supposes to be a relationship drama about household in conflict. They would bring in one psychologist; one medium and one Feng Shui specialist, to solve the house hold conflict in their separate ways.  The jury asked for example for what one problem to solve could be. The example he gave was the messy placement of a vase! (and then I think he was sank, dead and out).

The last pitch was “Date my sister” by a Singapore Company. The young male pitcher described a hot super sexy young sister with her own mind. She had a bunch of real MUCHO MALES as brothers, interfering and scaring the shit out of the dates (that could be like top models?!) If the “princess” would like somebody the brothers would touch their shoulder with a baseball tree (like in old times when you dubbed brave man with swords) here it would baseball trees!? The losers would get thrown in to a pool and they could walk home wet, no limo for them. The jury asked – Do you think this content is fashionable today? The answer was yes (and then he sank like a stone).

The Japanese pitch won and got 30.000 Singapore dollars.

The TV format market IS BIG if you make it. Here is my best advice if you would like to be rich one day;
1.      Come up with an astonish bright but simple idea AND IT HAS TO BE MADE FOR BOTH TV AND INTERNET (best if the consumer use both platforms at the same time).
2.      Make a pilot AND IT HAS TO BE FOCUSED, CLEAR and VISUAL and of course ENTERTAINING.
3.      Let the jury or the one you’re trying to sell your format ACTUALLY BE THE AUDIENCE, LET THEM TRY THE CONCEPT THEM SELVES.
4.      Be your message
5.      Win and have a good life.

Now the time is 02.04. Tomorrow we will visit MDA, The Media Development Authority in Singapore. Anne met them one year ago in Singapore and then Kenneth Than was visiting our Master Class in March and after that Anne and MDA has kept a good contact and tomorrow it is time for Hannu, Nina and Steve to represent our companies and the Film Arc project, together with me and Anne. Check out this address; www.mda.gov.sg. You might be with us here next year…

Maybe some beauty sleep would be the right thing now…/Stina

IS THIS THE TRUMAN SHOW?

Film Arc in Singapore – Blog Entry No 3 by Stina Almqvist, Project Leader, Film Arc.

Today the conference “The Country Show Case” started and Film Arc was one of the speakers. And I have to say that all of us were a bit amazed afterwards.

Nina was addressed by participants from China that was wondering if she could be interest in the Chinese Market for her animation for kids (can you guess how big this market is?).

Steve had companies from India, situated in Singapore wondering about co-producing food series.

Hannu and the Singapore Company announced that they will co produce a feature together (nothing signed yet, but still said in a public forum).

I had questions from a Singapore company that is looking for collaboration with a 3D company up north. They did co-produce a film with Danish a couple of years ago and thought it would be great to find someone in our region to start a new dialog with.

Anne talked with at least 5 companies, but we haven’t had the time to update each other yet, so I have to get back on that…

Most of the speakers pointed out that it is so important to start a dialogue early – You have to start dating before you get married, like someone said.

This is such a big city but everybody feels really honest and interested to find new alliance. A man said to me that he actually prefer to work with smaller and new companies instead of with old foxes,

- It is more exciting, he said, it is more a dialog, more about cheering and building together. You may not know where you are going from the beginning, but it is really exciting, he thought.

And then it was Ian Wee from Widescreen Media in Singapore that talked about Stereoscopic 3D production and gave examples from production that had been shot in 3D (and at the same you can take out a 2D version). The interesting thing was that they earned so much more money on the 3D version. So now we have to build that knowledge into our project also… or…

And then we went to the opening ceremony for the conference and I managed to swing my handbag so one glass fell in to the floor… and in 5 seconds they had put out an orange sign saying “- warning wet floor”, and it was 2 guys brushing the floor, one wiping and one carefully make sure that no one was stepping in to the glass, before it was gone. And that is Singapore, it is so efficient. In the Taxi line there is signs that it is forbidden for taxi drivers by law, to use the horn or overcharge customers. On the sign there is also a number you can call if you have any complains. There is also death penalty for posses or using drugs, and we haven’t seen a police and everybody is so friendly.

And the Taxi driver that took us home laughed and said – I been all over the world, but there is no place like Singapore. – The Christmas decoration has never been so beautiful as this year and you can celebrate 5 different Christmas Evening/year, one in the Indian quarter, one in the Chinese, one with the Malaysian population, one with the Thai population and then some more that I have forgot… is this the “Truman show”?/Stina

A TOWNS SOUL CAN ALWAYS BE FOUND THROUGH A TAXI DRIVER

Film Arc in Singapore – Blog Entry No 2 by Stina Almqvist, Project Leader, Film Arc.

Martin Scorsese did it in “Taxi driver”, he showed New York and the life from the perspective of a taxi driver.
I wake up 4.15 like a clock. Went to breakfast 06.30 (never happened before in my whole life). Had a morning meeting with my delegation friends at 8 and then we had the morning free before afternoons meeting.
So we thought we would start with a little research walk for Hannus feature. After 3 minutes in + 35 degrees and many construction/ building places we took a taxi and asked the taxi driver to take us to some interesting places.

- Ok he said, would you like to go to the shopping malls or would you like to see how people actually live?

We chose the people suggestion. Then he drove us a around and taught us that there are 5 million people living in Singapore

- It´s the same amount as WHOLE Finland population, Nina said

- Oh it must be hard, said the taxi driver to make friends in such an unpopulated place, and laughed.

He said he belongs to the low working class and his brother to the middle class and 30 minutes later we were sitting first at his brother’s place and then at his place, eating Malaysian cookies and drinking milk, talking about how time has changed, discussing both political and personal issues.

He showed us great hospitality and was a true source of fun and knowledge. 3 hours later he drove us back to the hotel. Then me, Anne and Charlotte went to discuss Asian/ European possibilities to network and change information on the way to more co productions, great and constructive meeting. Steve and Hannu were discussing treatments and Nina tried to go on a Duck tour, but she didn´t succeed and we still haven´t found what that tour actually was.

Then we all meet to practise tomorrows big presentation at The Asian Television forum. After that we had a simple but delicious dinner at a place, where we were the only tourists. And then we had a walk and now it is 1.07 and time to hit the sack again.

Today  I could feel the spirit of Singapore thanks to a taxi driver, what would we be without them? /Stina

SINGAPORE – Good Evening, finish your breakfast

Film Arc in Singapore – Blog Entry No 1 by Stina Almqvist, Project Leader, Film Arc.

The airplane staff wakes us up after 12 hours in a flight chair. They serve breakfast and they say Good Evening and let us off the airplane. The time is 18.25 in Singapore.

Now it is 00.57 in Singapore and 17.58 at home. I feel a bit strange in this timecapsel…

Our delegation is me and Anne Laurila, POEM, Hannu Kahakorpi from Rainbow Production, Niina Veittikoski, from Alpakka Media, Steve Miell from Levain Film and Charlotte Appelgren from Cinereggio. Hannu has a feature co production with Singapore, about youngsters and extreme sports, Steve will present both feature projects and also his food series. Nina will present her Animation for children and investigate if there is a distribution interest for it in Asia.

We will all be presenting the Film Arc project in a conference at Asia Media Festival and also listen to other countries in the world that has started to make connections to Asia; Australia, United Kingdom and Ireland. We will meet Kenneth Than and Jason Lie (that we started a relationship with in Kuusamo, March -10) to follow up different threads. We will also listen to keynotes speeches about Pitching, New Formats, Marketing and so on.

In the hotel bar I had a “Shark Attack” (it´s a drink) and then I watched 3 minutes like you can see from “Sex & the city). Now I will dive in to my bed at the 27 floor high hotel. The town looks like “Blade Runner” but with a shiny suit. Tomorrow morning it´s breakfast at 08.00 and then we will all go out on town with our individual schedules. The Singapore Adventure has just started…./ Stina