MIPTV 2015: Canadian digital innovation takes viewer experience to new levels
Toronto, April 9, 2015—Four Canadian digital media companies will be among those in the spotlight at MIPTV. Secret Location, Félix & Paul Studios, MiiScan and Zandel Media will showcase their latest innovations in immersive storytelling at the world’s largest TV and digital content market, which runs from April 13 to 16 in Cannes, France.
Canada’s expertise and success in coproduction will also be discussed by invited guests at the International Drama Coproduction Summit where Temple Street Production’s X Company will be featured by the Canada Media Fund and Telefilm Canada.
According to a study published by the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) in March 2015, Canadian content creators are now producing innovative digital media to increase discoverability of content, and therefore reach new audiences that consume content on various platforms. Canadian productions are also garnering critical acclaim. On the international digital media stage, most notably, Canadian productions have earned seven International Digital Emmy Award nominations, including three wins.
“Canadian companies are at the forefront of digital innovation,” said Carolle Brabant, Executive Director of Telefilm Canada, “developing technologies that are transforming the way we interact with stories. Embedded digital codes, immersive second-screen platforms, virtual reality interaction, social media integration—these bold, groundbreaking approaches to content engage viewers in ways that would not have been possible only a few years ago. The competition for any given person’s decision to watch and pay attention to a particular production, is fierce. We live in an attention economy. The Canadian industry must also be creative in how it connects with audiences.”
Valerie Creighton, President and CEO of the Canada Media Fund, added: “For the past five years, a Canadian production has been nominated every year for a prestigious International Digital Emmy Award. This attests to Canada’s leadership on an international scale in regards to creative storytelling and is a reflection of the environment in which the Canadian audiovisual production industry is thriving. Canada’s digital media success stems from the entrepreneurial skills of our content producers, the creativity of our artists, and the financial resources and supportive public policies that encourage Canadians to create and share content to be enjoyed by Canadian and international audiences.”
The following Canadian companies and projects are among those featured at MIPTV this year:
Are You on the Blacklist? — Secret Location
http://www.thesecretlocation.com/projects/are-you-on-the-blacklist
Nominated for a 2015 International Digital Emmy Award in the Digital Program: Fiction category, Are You on the Blacklist? was developed by Toronto and LA-based Secret Location in partnership with Sony Pictures Television and NBC Entertainment Digital, to generate audience buzz for the series premiere of the drama The Blacklist, starring James Spader. In Canada, The Blacklist airs on Global TV.
Missing: An Interactive Thriller — Zandel Media
http://www.zandelmedia.com/games/
Missing: An Interactive Thriller, offers a unique entertainment experience by bringing video game and crime television together. Missing is a 45-minute, single player, interactive live-action thriller accessible on several mobile devices (Android, iOS and Amazon).
SmartTones — SmartTones.tv, Toronto, Ontario
http://smarttones.tv
SmartTones uses inaudible sound codes embedded in broadcast or theatrical video as triggers to a mobile device, delivering rich interactive media content directly to the viewer.
Introduction to VR and Strangers with Patrick Watson — Félix & Paul Studios, Montreal, Quebec
http://www.felixandpaul.com
Félix Lajeunesse and Paul Raphaël joined forces to develop 3D 360° recording technology. Commissioned by Samsung and Oculus VR, Introduction to VR is a two-minute cinematic experience created for the launch of Samsung’s Gear VR head-mounted display.
Canada and the International Drama Coproduction Summit
http://www.cbc.ca/xcompany/
X Company, a new Canada/Hungary coproduction, will be featured as a case study during the International Drama Coproduction Summit. Produced by Temple Street Productions (Canada) and Pioneer Diamond KFT (Hungary), X Company follows five young recruits training as spies who take their new skills behind enemy lines during the Second World War.
For more information on these productions, please click here.
For more information on the entire Canadian presence at MIPTV 2015, please visit http://www.canada-miptv2015.ca.
