SINGAPORE: Mediacorp has announced its first collaboration with ViuTV – a Cantonese language entertainment television channel in Hong Kong operated by HK Television Entertainment (HKTVE) – at the 2017 Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF).
The two media companies will be joining forces to co-produce Blue Tick, a 20 episode Toggle Originals suspense thriller, according to Wednesday’s (Nov 29) announcement.
The co-production marks several firsts, according to Anil Nihalani, Head of Connected Media at Mediacorp. Blue Tick will be the first Toggle Originals production supported by the Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA). It is also the first co-produced Toggle Originals programme.
The series will also boast a cast comprising popular and familiar Hong Kong and Singapore television personalities.
Mediacorp’s Chief Content Officer Doreen Neo told Channel NewsAsia that both teams are “very excited” to be coming together to collaborate on a story and co-produce for the very first time.
“Because of the scale of the production, we are confident that we’ll have a good product,”’ she said. “And both our teams will be working together, also on the distribution side, so we hope that the product will go beyond the shores of both our countries.”
She added that a collaboration as such means “we will be getting the best from ViuTV and Mediacorp’s line up (of stars)”.
Channel NewsAsia understands that Mediacorp artiste Desmond Tan has already been confirmed for the series.
Mediacorp artiste Desmond Tan
With each episode lasting 30 minutes, Blue Tick tells a story of 10 strangers who attend the funeral of a common friend. When one of them sends a Whatsapp message to the deceased friend, she receives the double “blue tick” which indicates that the message has been delivered and read.
The series will be filmed in Singapore, Hong Kong and various locations in China, with production scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2018.
Blue Tick will begin to air on streaming platform Toggle and ViuTV (a Hong Kong free-to-air channel) by the second half of 2018.
Joanne Fung, Vice President, International Distribution of PCCW (the parent company of HKTVE), told Channel NewsAsia that the ViuTV team is “very much looking forward” to working with Mediacorp and Toggle.
“We’ve come a long way in this collaboration between Hong Kong and Singapore, in terms of developing the script and leveraging our assets to bring the best drama series for both our audiences,” she said.
SOUND EFFECT DESIGN
In another announcement, Mediacorp revealed a deal to produce the sound effect design for China’s first 3D animation movie.
Mediacorp Audio Post signed a deal with Zhe Jiang ZHHY Studios to produce the sound effect design and 3D mixing for Lanling, The God of War.
Mediacorp Audio Post signs a deal with Zhe Jiang ZHHY Studios to produce the sound effect design for China’s first animation movie Lanling The God Of War. Pictured left to right: Jerry Huang, Barry See, Chen Kai, Doreen Neo, Mo Ju Li and Tan Chee Beng (Photo: Genevieve Loh)
Due for release in early 2019, Lanling, The God of War is helmed by Chinese director Chen Kai. The movie centers around the legend of Lanling, King of the Northern Qi Dynasty and his love story with Princess Yoo Tong of the Northern Zhou Dynasty. A first in China, the movie will be using virtual shooting and CG effects technology to create life-like characters in the movie.
Since 1979, Mediacorp Audio Post has been producing music and sound effects for local television, moving on to sound-mixing services for the local and regional film industries in the 1980s.
Said Mo Ju Li, Music & Sound Effect Director of Mediacorp Audio Post: “Chen Kai was looking for a partner in sound effect post production and 3D immersive sound for his movie. He chose Mediacorp Audio Post for our experience, expertise and advanced in-house facilities”.
With already six mixing studios under one roof, Mediacorp launched the first Auro3D and Auromax Movie-mixing studio in Southeast Asia earlier this May, making Mediacorp Audio Post a one stop-shop for audio post production services.
“Mediacorp Audio Post is well known in the region for its sound effect and mixing production services,” said director Chen Kai. “I was impressed by their audio post production for the Chinese movie The Room, which was nominated at the Shanghai International Film & Festival’s award show.”
He continued: “Sound effect design is a key element in movies, and with their new Auro3D mixing studio, I look forward to the final outcome of the 3D immersive sound they will create for Lanling The God of War.”
Added Neo: “Our partnership with Lanling, The God of War movie project is testimony that Mediacorp’s capability extends beyond producing quality content, but also in providing world class audio post production services. I strongly believe that this collaboration will put our Audio Post services on the world map and in the same league as world-class sound designers.”
Both Mediacorp announcements were made at this year’s ATF, an event of the Singapore Media Festival which runs till Dec 3.
