Initiatives

Project PDA

Project PDA (“Pitching & Development with Ashok”) is a competition to discover up-and-coming director talent in Singapore where one winner will have an opportunity to work at Hyde Park Entertainment on a 3-month attachment programme, supported by MDA’s META Programme, to develop his/her winning project. Hyde Park Entertainment is one of the top movie production and distribution companies in the world with its headquarters in Hollywood.

Project PDA, which will be filmed in Singapore in August, will consist of qualifying and final rounds where contestants will pitch their film concepts to a panel of judges including the CEO of Hyde Park Entertainment Mr Ashok Amritraj, and compete with each other on assigned tasks.

Applications are open from 1 to 31 July 2010. For more information on Project PDA download the Guidelines and Application Form.

MEDIA-IN-LEARNING

In yet another effort by the Media Development Authority (MDA) to champion the use of media in work, learn and play, the authority is pushing for the innovative and extensive use of media for effective learning, not only in traditional school-based education, but also in other domains such as the military or even the hospitals. Hence, through casual games like Tetris, students may reinforce their knowledge of the Periodic Table or other chemistry principles. Similarly, the simulation capabilities provided within immersive 3D virtual environments may be exploited by organisations for training of military or health-care personnel.

The Media-in-Learning, initiative is aimed at catalysing the creation and exploitation of pedagogically sound media extensively in the learning and education sector. The initial focus will be on Interactive Digital Media, which is a natural fit for this application space. Leveraging on Singapore’s good education branding and the pervasiveness in the use of media and technologies in schools, the eventual target is to re-skin these products for wider appeal to the global market, after successfully test-bedding them in the Singapore context.

This initiative will close identified gaps and provide guidance and expertise in the development of pedagogically sound serious games , amalgamating platforms for use by the game/application development community, provide marketing know how and distribution avenues as well as make available resource centers, pooling resources for benefit of the community.

The traditional model for development of learning games is a work-for-hire model, whereby the contents are highly customised to a specific client, for whom it is solely developed. To achieve a quantum leap, MDA hopes to catalyse a change from the traditional work-for-hire model of content development, to a large-scale distribution model, which will enable us to reach a global audience in the most effective way. MDA will engage leading companies, including content owners, publishers, service providers and research institutes to work together to develop and re-package content for the global market and targets to have at least twelve titles being published. As an incentive, MDA would collaborate with publishers to co-fund in qualified projects which are deemed to have global appeal, thus exportable. These projects would be “re-skinned” and re-developed into generic commercial off-the-shelves titles of a similar nature for different clients and purposes.

The Media-in-Learning initiative seeks to build a sustainable ecosystem across the Future of Media pillars. Periodically MDA will leverage on mechanisms such as Calls for Proposals to invite industry participation. The first call for proposal, implemented through FutureGames, will focus on Games-in-Learning as part of the longer term strategy to develop serious games capability in Singapore for the long term. Click here for more information.

For more information on the MEDIA-IN-LEARNING

MDA’s Assistance Programs

Using a Call-Match-Go strategy, MDA’s Assistance Programmes are closely linked to specific stages in the development of a product:

In Call For Projects (CFP), MDA regularly calls for proposals based on various themes. In this recently-revamped scheme to manage proposals, all proposals will receive a response within 6 weeks.

Dubbed Open SESAME (Schemes Application, Monitoring and Execution), this process to call for proposals mirrors the pre-production and conceptualisation stage in the development of media products. Calls for proposals will take place every January, April, July and October. For more information and applications forms go to Funding.

In Match – which is linked to the production and post-production stage in development – MDA provides business matching services to media talents, businesses, venture capitalists, services and facilities.

In Go, MDA helps media companies distribute their products internationally.

FutureGame Call for Proposals for Game Development

This Call for Proposals initiative for game development is a strategic partnership between MDA and 4 publishing partners, with the aim of serving the following key objectives:

   (a) Ensure a throughput of project flow from conceptualization to deployment and commercialization;
   (b) Enable game developers to gain direct access to publishing and distribution channels to commercialize their game products on various digital platforms;
   (c) Groom local developers and publishers in developing core competencies in development, publishing and distribution respectively;
   (d) Promote collaboration between industry players to share resources, experiment and innovate together to build a collective strength and maximize contributions to the industry.

For more information on FutureGame – Call for Proposals for Game Development

Official Co-production Agreements

Singapore has entered into Official Co-production Agreements with Australia, Canada, Korea and New Zealand. Under these Official Co-production Agreements, Singapore media companies who co-produce with media companies from these countries can apply for Official International Co- production Status for the proposed co-production.

With the Official International Co-production Status, a media co-production such as a film or TV programme can be considered a national production in each of the co- production countries. Co-producers can apply for benefits or programs of assistance available in their country for Official Co-productions.

Such co-production agreements allow media companies to pool resources and create a larger distribution network for the content created, both in each other’s domestic markets as well as internationally, It also would encourage and facilitate more cultural and creative exchanges between Singapore and the co-producing countries and increase the number of high-quality productions.

For more information on Official Co-production Status

IFF (“International Film Fund”)

The fund aims to encourage Singapore production and post-production companies to assume executive producer or co-producer roles with international partners in films with maximum international marketability and commercial value. Under this scheme, the Media Development Authority will co-invest, together with local production and/or post-production companies, and other international partners and investors, in feature films that present opportunities for global reach, and returns, under a co-sharing of rights and revenues arrangement. The MDA’s level of participation will be dependent on the scale, scope and merits of the project.

For more information on the International Film Fund and to download the Application Form

INSPIRE

INSPIRE (Internationalisation of Singaporean Production Initiatives, Representation and Enterprise; the “Initiative”) aims to equip Singapore film, animation and publishing projects with financial support for exposure, representation, and business-matching opportunities to boost international marketability outside of industry trade and market platforms. It is geared towards the potential distribution and sales of such projects.

Successful applicants will receive up to $5,000 for representation activities, and $5,000 for the engagement of a sales or literary agent.

For more information on the INSPIRE Initiative

Short Film Grant

The Singapore Film Commission’s Short Film Grant creates opportunities for budding filmmakers to work on a short film project, thus allowing them to experiment with the film genre. The short film should last 30 minutes or less.

Successful applicants will receive grants up to $5,000, or $10,000 if the film is in High-Definition or Film-format.

For more information on the Short Film Grant

i.JAM

The Interactive and Digital Media (IDM) Jump-start And Mentor (i.JAM) initiative supports individuals and start-ups with breakthrough ideas that can be developed into innovative products and services.

Under the i.JAM initiative, individuals will be encouraged to share, debate and experiment with innovative ideas through an online platform where promising ideas will be matched with appropriate mentor support and funding, to bring about their realisation.

The i.JAM initiative marshals support from industry players, business mentors and technology suppliers to provide bottom-up support to the transforming of innovative ideas into useful applications and breakthroughs.

For more information on the i.JAM initiative

i.ROCK

Periodic calls will be made for research proposals to address IDM-related gaps that the IDM Programme Office has identified. The funding will then be offered to Singapore-based Institutes of Higher Learning and Research Institutes through a competitive bidding process.
For more information on the i.ROCK initiative

Futurescape

The Futurescape programme seeks to mobilise the industry, targeting 3 groups in particular – major international companies, local flagship companies and Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) – to engage in IDM R&D in Singapore. Recognizing that IDM is a disruptive enabler that could provide the competitive edge of sectors across the economy, we also endeavor to stimulate demand in various sectors and seed IDM R&D in them.

For more information on the FutureScape initiative

International Media Manpower Programme

Under the International Media Manpower Programme (IMMP), MDA seeks to attract top international media talents and anchor their presence in Singapore to boost the capability of local media talent, local institutes of higher learning (IHLs) and media enterprises and Singapore’s reputation as a global media city.

Specifically, the IMMP is aimed at enabling:

- Local media enterprises to engage such talents to work in Singapore and achieve a quantum leap in their quality of production capability and expertise in the short-term with a view of attaining substantial growth in the capability of local enterprises and talent in the long-run.

- IHLs to upgrade IHL staff and students' capabilities, through exposure and transfer of skills from international experts to Singapore students and lecturers; encourage IHLs to plan for the injection of industry and international expertise in a coordinated and integrated manner, for instance, during the course planning, design and review stages and enhance the quality of their media courses, both in planning and delivery.

For more information on the International Media Manpower Programme

Media Education Scheme

The Media Education Scheme is an initiative to build and nurture manpower capabilities as well as the talent pool in the media industry (for TV, radio, film, publishing, animation, and games sectors). It targets Singapore citizens and permanent residents who wish to pursue full-time tertiary education in media-related courses both locally and overseas at undergraduate and postgraduate media-related courses levels at reputable institutions.

Media Education Scheme (Overseas)
The Scheme covers tuition fees of up to S$40,000 per year, or subject to a maximum of S$100,000. The scheme carries a two-year service commitment to Singapore. Upon returning from their studies, recipients will have to fulfill the service commitment and are required to work in media-related companies. As international exposure and experience is desirable and encouraged, students need not start their service commitment immediately upon graduation, but can choose to do so over a five-year period.

Media Education Scheme (Local)
The Scheme covers tuition fees of up to S$10,000 per year, subject to a maximum of S$20,000. There will be no service commitment attached to the scheme.

For more information on the Media Education Scheme

Media Training and Attachment (META) Programme

The Media Training and Attachment (META) Programme aims to attach local talents to media experts working on significant projects or establish media institutions. The attachment, which may be local or overseas and for a period of up to one year, would provide opportunities for local talents to develop a strong understanding of the trade skills and practical hands-on experience in making world-class content for the international market.

Media companies/institutions offering attachment opportunities will get to select from a pool of candidates who have been short-listed for their suitability, knowledge and readiness to join their teams without incurring additional costs.

For more information on the META Programme

For attachment opportunities available under the META Programme

MDA-ScreenWest Call for Proposals - Cross-Media Development Initiative

The MDA- ScreenWest Cross-Media Development Initiative is an initiative to encourage Singapore and Western Australian production companies to co-develop concepts with cross-media elements, in any of the following genres:
•    Children’s Series (including Animation)
•    Documentary Series
•    Factual or Factual Entertainment Series

MDA and ScreenWest will jointly provide development funding of up to US$30,000 for each of the three selected projects. The US$30,000 for each selected project, will be shared equally between the Singaporean and Western Australian co-production partner.

For more information on “MDA-ScreenWest Call for Proposals - Cross-Media Development Initiative”