SINGAPORE/CANNES – Creative startup, IO Creative (IOC), has received key international interest for its original series and formats on day one of MIPCOM 2016.
Formed in July, the Singapore and Switzerland based creative development, production and consulting agency, is attending the market for the first time with a slate of original factual entertainment content and tween/youth series.
Its Korean travel adventure series Going Koastal, co-developed with Seoul’s Mountain TV, has garnered interest from broadcasters including UK’s ITV. The format sees two hosts – an expat with a penchant for all things Korean and a former K-pop star – race each other along the east and west coastlines of South Korea, using their local knowledge (or lack of), entrepreneurial skills and help from passerby to gain an advantage to reach the southern most point of the peninsula.
New luxury food travel series Die Die Must Try!, starring Nikki Muller (The Food Detectives, Bicycle Diaries, Fox Sports Asia), has also whet appetites with broadcasters and co-producers in Asia and New Zealand.
Marc Checkley, IOC’s Creative Director, says the concept is the ultimate foodie road trip, “It’s the equivalent of the 100 things you must do before you die, but for gourmandes. A bucket list for the belly.”
He says discussions with brand partnerships have begun and the aim is to get a pilot made in Asia in Q2, 2017.
Checkley added that ahead of MIPCOM, IOC confirmed a number of new members to the collective’s team and strategic alliances with content makers and distributors across different territories.
Joining the team is UK-based writer, Gary Russell (Dr Who, Prisoner Zero, Torchwood), award-winning Producer/Director Nick Oh (Kids vs Film 2, Photo Face Off, Red Bull), accalimed Designer/Illustrator Darel Seow and DOP C.S Tay (CNN, Asia’s Next Top Model 3, Run Rachael Run). They join Checkley and co-founder Jacqueline Chan in developing and producing new content for varied platforms/clients.
Strategic alliances were also formed with New Zealand’s award-winning Top Shelf Productions (Reality Trip, Lion Queen, Loving in Limbo), Los Angeles-based branded/short-form producer Cat Eye Productions, global distributor TVF International (UK) and Mott Visuals in Vietnam.
Making content is all about collaboration and that’s the main focus of IO Creative. And technology is allowing us to do this across different territories and regions, enabling us to develop new ideas and also providing a platform for content makers and creatives to work together – be it in Singapore, Asia, Europe or elsewhere,” says Checkley. “By the response we’ve already received at MIPCOM, our combined strengths are already making exciting inroads.”
IO Creative is attending MIPCOM 2016 with the assistance and support of IMDA Singapore.
