Post by Inside Australian Idol on May 8, 2005 2:46:14 GMT 10
Soaps slip into phones
May 7, 2005
Icon
Random scene: actors Dan O'Connor (Bo) and Nicole Sanderson (Jade).
Drama fans can now stay in touch on the bus, writes Darren Baguley.
The latest European entertainment phenomenon, the mobile soap opera, has hit the Australian market. Entitled Random Place, the series provides a fly-on-the-wall view of the lives of five twenty-somethings sharing a house near Bondi Beach.
The series generally follows the format pioneered by Dutch company, Media Republic, with Jong Zuid, (Young South), which has reportedly attracted more than 50,000 Dutch mobile and internet subscribers since its launch in October 2003.
Targeted at 18- to 25-year-olds, major-sponsor Vodafone will release two seven-minute episodes of Random Place per day, five days a week, at about 8am and 3.30pm (AEST). Consisting of text and four to six still images per acted scene, the soap will run for 26 weeks at a cost of $1.50 a week for Vodafone subscribers and $2.50 a week for Telstra and Optus subscribers who register online.
Produced locally by Iconmobile Entertainment, Random Place is a less raunchy production than its Dutch ancestor, with the equivalent of a PG rating although mobile content is not subject to classification. Nevertheless the show's scriptwriter, Boaz Stark, presents a mix of drama, comedy, romance and sex in typical soap opera fashion while tackling the realities of present-day life.
The publicity blurb describes the show, which started last week, as "edgy, cool and funny". The text and pictures are designed to scale to any screen size and it will be accessible to anyone with a WAP-enabled phone and a colour screen or via a website (vodafone.com.au) for those who don't have a sufficiently capable handset.
The executive producer, Bill Roberts, says the still-image format gives him extra flexibility in casting as he can look outside the pool of trained soap actors. "In some ways, that made the job of casting even harder as we had more choice," he says.
As a result, the soap's cast includes current and past sports stars such international volleyball representative Nicole Sanderson (Jade) and pole vaulter Tatiana Gregorieva (Eva); Australian Idol finalists Dan O'Connor (Bo) and Marty Worrall (Chad); Fox 8 presenter Amy Erbacher (Dakota); and the host of Channel 7 music show WILD, Mike Kerry (Dave), as well as experienced soapie stars such as Jessie Smith (Jessie), Emily Perry (Niki), Kylie Watson (Monique) and Chris Naismith (Alex).
Throughout the series other celebrities and sports stars will make cameo appearances such as Hot 30 Show host, Lowie, and Olympic swimmers Libby Lenton, Leisel Jones and Elka Graham.
While those over 30 who haven't quite reached Grumpy Old Men status, including your correspondent, might consider Random Place a strange way to watch a Neighbours-type serial, Roberts believes that mobile content is destined to be the fifth mass medium and that the time is right.
"When Jong Zuid came out in 2003, MMS-capable colour phones were restricted to the high-end and it was mainly business people who had them," says Roberts. "Despite that, it still attracted 50,000-plus viewers in a country with a similar-size population to Australia. Now that the phones are [priced] within the reach of our target market, 18- to 25-year-olds, we're hoping that this will really take off."
He believes the uptake will be driven initially, by a growing demand for commuter entertainment. "You see it every morning and afternoon. People on buses, trains and ferries intent on their mobile phones, smartphones, etc. More and more people want the opportunity to consume their entertainment in bite-sized chunks."
www.smh.com.au/news/Icon/Soaps-slip-into-phones/2005/05/06/1115092677786.html
May 7, 2005
Icon
Random scene: actors Dan O'Connor (Bo) and Nicole Sanderson (Jade).
Drama fans can now stay in touch on the bus, writes Darren Baguley.
The latest European entertainment phenomenon, the mobile soap opera, has hit the Australian market. Entitled Random Place, the series provides a fly-on-the-wall view of the lives of five twenty-somethings sharing a house near Bondi Beach.
The series generally follows the format pioneered by Dutch company, Media Republic, with Jong Zuid, (Young South), which has reportedly attracted more than 50,000 Dutch mobile and internet subscribers since its launch in October 2003.
Targeted at 18- to 25-year-olds, major-sponsor Vodafone will release two seven-minute episodes of Random Place per day, five days a week, at about 8am and 3.30pm (AEST). Consisting of text and four to six still images per acted scene, the soap will run for 26 weeks at a cost of $1.50 a week for Vodafone subscribers and $2.50 a week for Telstra and Optus subscribers who register online.
Produced locally by Iconmobile Entertainment, Random Place is a less raunchy production than its Dutch ancestor, with the equivalent of a PG rating although mobile content is not subject to classification. Nevertheless the show's scriptwriter, Boaz Stark, presents a mix of drama, comedy, romance and sex in typical soap opera fashion while tackling the realities of present-day life.
The publicity blurb describes the show, which started last week, as "edgy, cool and funny". The text and pictures are designed to scale to any screen size and it will be accessible to anyone with a WAP-enabled phone and a colour screen or via a website (vodafone.com.au) for those who don't have a sufficiently capable handset.
The executive producer, Bill Roberts, says the still-image format gives him extra flexibility in casting as he can look outside the pool of trained soap actors. "In some ways, that made the job of casting even harder as we had more choice," he says.
As a result, the soap's cast includes current and past sports stars such international volleyball representative Nicole Sanderson (Jade) and pole vaulter Tatiana Gregorieva (Eva); Australian Idol finalists Dan O'Connor (Bo) and Marty Worrall (Chad); Fox 8 presenter Amy Erbacher (Dakota); and the host of Channel 7 music show WILD, Mike Kerry (Dave), as well as experienced soapie stars such as Jessie Smith (Jessie), Emily Perry (Niki), Kylie Watson (Monique) and Chris Naismith (Alex).
Throughout the series other celebrities and sports stars will make cameo appearances such as Hot 30 Show host, Lowie, and Olympic swimmers Libby Lenton, Leisel Jones and Elka Graham.
While those over 30 who haven't quite reached Grumpy Old Men status, including your correspondent, might consider Random Place a strange way to watch a Neighbours-type serial, Roberts believes that mobile content is destined to be the fifth mass medium and that the time is right.
"When Jong Zuid came out in 2003, MMS-capable colour phones were restricted to the high-end and it was mainly business people who had them," says Roberts. "Despite that, it still attracted 50,000-plus viewers in a country with a similar-size population to Australia. Now that the phones are [priced] within the reach of our target market, 18- to 25-year-olds, we're hoping that this will really take off."
He believes the uptake will be driven initially, by a growing demand for commuter entertainment. "You see it every morning and afternoon. People on buses, trains and ferries intent on their mobile phones, smartphones, etc. More and more people want the opportunity to consume their entertainment in bite-sized chunks."
www.smh.com.au/news/Icon/Soaps-slip-into-phones/2005/05/06/1115092677786.html