Dated: 13 April 2009
Made-by-Singapore content is going international on a new platform. The Media Development Authority (MDA), Singapore media company Ufinity and Chinese company Prime Time Entertainment, are collaborating to produce the first Singapore-China subway drama –A Starry Night 星光依旧灿烂 –to be broadcast simultaneously in trains and train stations in Singapore and China, reaching out to over 15 million daily commuters. The project is supported by media platform owners, namely SMRT Media in Singapore and Digital Media Group (DMG) in China. Singapore’s Threesixzero Productions has been commissioned to undertake the creative process of this project.
Slated for debut in the second half of this year, commuters in Singapore can enjoy their first subway drama on television displays in the train stations along the North-South and East-West rail lines. In China, DMG will screen the drama on television screens within the trains, as well as on train station and bus shelter displays they manage. In total, the subway drama is expected to be screened on at least 16,452 television displays, targeting a daily 1.4 million passenger trips in Singapore and a captive audience of 14 million commuters in seven Chinese cities, namely Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Tianjing, Nanjing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
The Mandarin 50-parter, each two-and-a-half minutes in duration, centres on the love story of a Singaporean singer (Singapore’s Project Superstar alumna Kelly Poon 潘嘉丽), and a young man from Shanghai (Taiwanese actor Robert Fan 范植伟) who comes to Singapore to pursue his studies and music aspirations. Through the young man, the Singaporean sees her hometown with a fresh pair of eyes. The subway drama is filmed mainly in Singapore and presents a vibrant tableau of the country’s iconic locations and heritage.
The other cast are Mei Xin 美心 (Singapore), Nathan Lee 李承铉 (Korea), Ivan Huang黄阅 (China), Lawrence Wong王冠逸 (Singapore), Johnny Jiang 姜育恆 (Taiwan) and Sky Wu 伍思凯 (Taiwan). It is directed by Lisa Chen 陈秀玉 from Taiwan. The soundtrack will feature songs contributed by Singapore song-writers.
Following its subway launch, the drama will be expanded into a feature film for theatrical release. Plans are in the pipeline to repurpose the content for a wide variety of platforms, such as online, mobile phone and outdoor media.
Said Dr Christopher Chia, MDA’s Chief Executive Officer, “Singapore’s first subway drama, A Starry Night, will be traveling in more ways than one –it will be enjoyed by commuters on the go;and will also be the vehicle bringing the best of Singapore’s production capability, musical talents and picturesque locations to viewers within and beyond Singapore. We are proud to support Ufinity in this groundbreaking collaboration, which will take Made-by-Singapore content across borders and onto an exciting array of platforms.“
Ms Teo Chew Hoon, Managing Director, SMRT Investments Pte Ltd, said, “SMRT Media is proud to partner MDA to promote this first cross-national subway drama series. With 1.4 million passenger trips served in our island wide rail network daily, SMRT Media will launch the series with impact. We are constantly introducing refreshing ideas to our media spaces and we believe our passengers will be delighted by the subway drama series. We hope this will enhance their travel experience with us.”
Please see:
Annex A for the synopsis, cast, director and broadcast details
Annex B for the production stills
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Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA)
Formed in 2003, the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) plays a vital role in transforming Singapore into a Global Media City and positioning it at the forefront of the digital media age. MDA spearheads initiatives that promote developments in film, video, television, radio, publishing, music, games, animation, media services and Interactive Digital Media. At the same time, in ensuring clear and consistent regulatory policies and guidelines, MDA helps to foster a pro-business environment for industry players and increase media choices for consumers. For more information, visit www.mda.gov.sg and www.smf.sg
Ufinity
With origins dating back to 1996, Ufinity is a leading solution provider in interactive media and convergence services with innovative solutions spanning across the Telecommunications/ISP, Finance, Government and Media industries. Recent projects include Singapore’s first Web TV Portal "The Straits Times Razor TV” (www.razor.tv) and ST iPhone application;which became 'Top Free Applications' in Singapore AppStore. With offices in Singapore and China, Ufinity has customers from across Asia in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and the Philippines. For more information, please visit www.ufinity.com
Prime Time Entertainment
Prime Time Entertainment Co., Ltd, the leading company that encompasses creativity, culture, fashion, entertainment and other resources was founded in 2007 with a niche focus on the Chinese market. Past projects spanned across movie production, new media production, concerts, PR and events, Artistes Management, Media and Publicity Planning, etc. To-date, we have successfully managed many high-profile projects. These projects include the subway operas, “A Sunny Day” in 2007 and “Dancing Without You” in 2008. “Dancing Without You” was also developed into a movie later with the same title.
SMRT Media
SMRT Media is a subsidiary of SMRT Corporation Ltd, Singapore's premier multi-modal transport service provider offering integrated island-wide transport services. A leading transit advertising operator and consultancy provider, SMRT Media offers a wide range of media platforms at our stations, bus interchanges and on board our trains, buses and taxis. Working closely with our clients, SMRT Media delivers innovative and attention-grabbing campaigns that reinforce its appeal as a preferred outdoor advertising partner.
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