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SINGAPORE: Singapore's media industry is fast becoming a leading hub for the sector around the world.
At this year's Asia Media Festival, it was announced that more than S$10 million worth of deals were signed between local media firms and international partners in 2009.
The Media Development Authority (MDA) of Singapore said this represents a major vote of confidence in the Singapore media industry.
Partnerships between Singapore and international media companies produced more than 10 official projects in 2009, and more are set to take place between Singapore firms and partners in the UK, Australia and China.
Singapore, China and the UK will co-produce a documentary called "Monumental Challenge".
The project sees Singapore's Oak3 Films, UK's MediaLab and the History Channel and China Intercontinental Communication Centre from China working together. It will consist of six one-hour episodes produced in High Definition and will show viewers how six of the world's greatest monuments are being restored.
Xinya Media and StarHub announced that they will work towards providing China-made media content and productions to the local market. This will include shows from the various genres like music shows, performances from top Mandarin artistes and teen idol dramas.
Viewers will be able to enjoy programmes that cater to first generation Chinese immigrants as well as local Singaporeans in the areas of general entertainment, children's education, travel, lifestyle and elderly programming.
An agreement between Singapore's MyChinaChannel and Shanghai Media Group's distribution arm Wings Media will see both sides co-producing two infotainment television series.
In addition, three new proposals have been selected for development under the MDA-ScreenWest Cross-Media Development Initiative.
The proposals are "Potted Histories" by Australia's Great Western Entertainment and Singapore's Infinite Frameworks, "Are You Smarter than Nature" by Australia's Sea Dog Films and Singapore's Very Productions, and "Global Sound Hunters" by Australia's Circling Shark Productions and Singapore's Xtreme Production.
Also, Singapore media companies can now seek closer collaboration with Japanese counterparts with the signing of an MOU between Technology Seed Incubation and Singapore's Thymos Capital.
The two companies will identify and pair up promising media companies from both countries to co-develop and distribute mobile games and applications, new media technologies and animation productions for the global market.
The MDA has also launched a new initiative - jointly-funded by South West Screen, its counterpart in the South West of England. This will see more than S$100,000 invested towards multi-platform and cross-media projects.
Two projects will receive the funding - with each project receiving about S$45,000 - to be shared equally between a Singaporean and British co-production partner.
Mark Leaver, director of development, South West Screen said: "We have come up with some very interesting applications that work on mobile or applications that help you have a sense of where you are in the world, like the GPS.
"They present some very new interesting dynamics and business models and new services, and so we wanted to keep pushing the edges of where media is at the moment."
The MDA said such collaborations signal the rise of the industry in Asia, and reflect growing demand for original media content with an Asian perspective.
The MDA is also putting focus on cornering the three-dimensional media market.
Christopher Chia, CEO, MDA said: "The first two-three years will be experimental. There will be some countries and some companies that will try first, just to test the market and test the opportunity.
"So we hope to be one of the earliest ones, to see what it could mean for the television viewing public - first in Singapore, and then for the rest of the world."
This year's Singapore Pavilion at the Asian Television Forum will showcase Singapore's end-to-end production of 3D content.
The announcements were made at the Asian Television Forum - the anchor event of the annual Asia Media Festival, a premier trade event hosted by the MDA.
- CNA/sc
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