SINGAPORE – Viddsee’s drama series, ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’, will premiere on Mediacorp’s broadcast and streaming platforms on 22 February 2022. The series is the first for Mediacorp in developing a short film into a drama series with Viddsee for its LIGHTS. CAMERA. SINGAPORE. initiative that seeks to celebrate local stories for Singaporeans by Singaporeans. The commissioning and release of ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’ also marks the next step in Mediacorp’s long-term collaboration with Viddsee, with content being showcased to a broader audience through Mediacorp’s multiple platforms.
Produced by Viddsee Studios together with the original filmmaker, Chang Kai Xiang, the new eight-episode drama series follows an ambitious pro-bono lawyer, Jane Liu played by Naomi Yeo, and an empathetic social worker, Arif Osman played by Fauzie Laily, whose personalities make unlikely partners in a law and social work programme. Each episode takes the duo through different cases, where they find themselves relying on each other to solve issues faced by individuals in need.
The original short film by Chang Kai Xiang tells the story of a seemingly kleptomaniac grandma whose reason for her serial thefts is more than meets the eye. The 15-minute film garnered over 350,000 views since it premiered on the platform as part of Viddsee’s Scene City Season 2. This is also the first Viddsee Originals short film selected for Viddsee Lab’s IP incubation programme to be developed into a drama series with a reach to wider local audience through a broadcast and streaming partner.
Sapna Angural, Head, English Audience, Mediacorp said, “We are glad to work with Viddsee and local filmmakers to create this series and extend Chang’s popular short film to a wider audience on our platforms. This reimagining of a compelling local story stays true to the spirit of LIGHTS. CAMERA. SINGAPORE., and is part of Mediacorp’s ongoing efforts to champion the many brilliant storytellers in Singapore’s creative ecosystem. We hope our viewers will join us in supporting local talent, and enjoy following the relatable characters on their riveting journey in this unique series.”
Viddsee began exploring long-form content in early 2021 with the release of a Viddsee Original series together with Zhao Wei Films titled ‘A.I. Love K-Drama’, followed by ‘Wedding Pig’ in August, together with J Team Productions. In November 2021, Viddsee launched the 5-episode long-form drama series, ‘The Lying Theory’ produced by Viddsee Studios through Viddsee Labs IP development programme, which was adapted from a short film by Lauren Teo of the same name. The series has since garnered over 1 million views on all of Viddsee’s network to date.
“As a platform for short films, we are exposed to a variety of storytelling techniques for us to discover potential titles that can be further developed into long-form series. It’s like a library of pilot films. We recognise through our insights that authentic stories which are able to resonate with audiences have great potential. With our talent pool of storytellers continuing to grow year after year, we see an evolution of storytelling styles, from both new and experienced filmmakers,” said Derek Tan, Co-Founder of Viddsee.
He adds, “This year, we are looking forward to seeing more short films and concepts being developed by Viddsee Labs with our Studios and partners, such as MNC Pictures and WarnerMedia, as well as, seeing more potential stories emerge in our upcoming slate of Viddsee Originals.”
‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’ will premiere on Mediacorp Channel 5, every Tuesday at 9.30pm, on 22 February 2022, with two episodes back-to-back. On meWATCH, viewers can catch Episodes 1 to 4 on 22 February 2022, and Episodes 5 to 8 on 8 March 2022. On Mediacorp Entertainment on YouTube, Episodes 1 to 4 will be available on 1 March 2022, with Episodes 4 to 8 available on 8 March 2022.
