PRESS RELEASE

ScreenBox is pleased to announce that it has signed an MOU with Korean Broadcasting System N (KBS N) for a co-production of a youth documentary called ‘MY HIDDEN TWEETS’.

The MOU was signed on 7 April at MIPTV (Palais des Festivals – Cannes) between Mr. Lee Ki Weon, Executive Managing Director of KBS N and Mr. Sujimy Mohamad, Managing Director of ScreenBox Pte Ltd (Singapore).

This is the first time both parties are co-producing a TV program together. The MOU covers the possibility of co-investing and co-financing of the TV program of this international subject.

This 8 parter documentary (1 hour each) will be telecast in channels of KBS N and MediaCorp’s OTT Interactive Media Service. My Hidden Tweets is an original non-scripted documentary conceptualised by ScreenBox Pte Ltd.

“We are delighted that KBS N finds My Hidden Tweets appealing to the Korean audience and the international viewers as well. We hope this will be the beginning of many more co-productions to come.”, said Mr. Sujimy Mohamad.

ABOUT KBS N

KBS N is a subsidiary company of Korean Broadcasting System (KBS). It is a Multiple Program Provider operating four channels including KBS N sports, KBS drama, KBS joy and KBS prime.

For Testimoni, I want to thank all the celebrities namely Fiza O, Alyph (SleeQ), Elfaezah, Syarif (SleeQ), Hyrul Anuar, Nurul Aini, Norfasarie and Fauzie Laily for supporting the show with their testimonies.

Its great to be connected with all the celebrities as I have not met some of them for quite some time. And thanks to our clients Suria, Health Promotion Board and MDA too! For your information, we are now crunching the programme to have it screened on testimoni website. So if you missed some of the episodes, do login in future ya.

For Asian Peddlers, it was another enriching experience. It was not an easy task to manage all the case profiles and production in Asia but we did it again! Now we are packaging this programme for international distribution. Thanks to MDA, we now can let other viewers around the world enjoy this real-life documentary of undiscovered street chefs of Asia.

Stay tuned for more proggrammes from ScreenBox!

Testimoni (Testimony) is a positive docu-drama series about Malay/Muslim celebrities who are in support of healthy lifestyle cause among youths. 8 celebrities have willingly come out on their own accord and out of passion for this cause (especially on specific issue which is very close to their hearts), to tell their stories and principles on 3 core issues – namely smoking, premarital sex and drinking.

This true and powerful account from youths will raise awareness of the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle as the profiles will show impact of these vices on their lives, of which some are irreversible. In addition, this docu-drama series will provide insights and tips for youths on how to manage stress and how to cope with peer pressure positively thus avoiding making life-altering mistakes that they will surely regret later in life.

Parents will also get tips and takeaways from this show as these cool young role models reveal how parents and family support have made them change for the better.

In more ways than one, Testimoni portrays a true story of hope for teenagers and that its never too late to make a change in life.

Testimoni airs on Suria 7 February onwards, 8.30pm.

Stay tuned.

Below are 7 tips in TV research:

1. Do not comb everything. TV research is not a thesis. You need to pin-point your research to match the programme slant and target audience.

2. Get a new angle to an old story. Easier said than done. Drop the first angle that pops up in your mind. That’s what everybody else is thinking of.

3. Chart what you want to research on paper first. Don’t go crazy Googling the topic. There’s a kazillion things out there and you get lost in the net very quickly. Nothing beats pen and paper. Write down exactly what you are looking for. TV is a poor medium for details, so why search the big field when you can narrow your findings first.

4. Think how much can a 23 minute TV programme contain. Then you realise you don’t have much to air. So your research better be pow-wow enough to make it on TV. If you break down a half-hour show, this is what you will get: 5 minutes of presenters links, 18 minutes of content. How much research materials can you squeeze? Not much. So if you are in doubt, leave it out.

5. Don’t be afraid to change the slant of the TV programme. Sometimes researcher stumbles on a whole new angle that works better. Approach the producer and make your case.

6. Roll your sleeves and do your ground work. Nothing beats talking to people who are experts in the field you are researching. You can’t be shy to meet people face-to-face. Get it done.

7. Three words I live by when it comes to information I want to air on TV: Accuracy, Accuracy, Accuracy.

There are of course many other stuff too about TV research. I leave it you to find out when you get into it.

Message me if you keen to do freelance research. Happy Twenty Ten.

Looking back, we have actually done a lot and achieved more than what we asked for. All Praises to Allah for all this.

We started a 2-person company doing very small job. So small that no one knows what we can do.

But one TV programme changed everything for us – Kau Istimewa (You’re Special). This documentary featured extraordinary people with extraordinary challenges. The programme was developed for Islamic Council of Singapore, Muis, to help its effort to collect Zakat (tithe). It was aired on Mediacorp TV12 (Suria). The programme successfully branded the zakat campaign and won us 2 International Awards in the United States.

I still have fond memories conceptualising the TV programme. Not many people know that I got the idea in the wee hours – 2 o’clock in the morning – it’s the best time to format an idea you know! Once I got the title right, everything just flow. The docu-drama got viewers’ heart and support. Till today, I still have viewers requesting to be connected to some of the case profiles we featured in the show.

10 years later, ScreenBox grew to produce TV shows for numerous channels locally and internationally in numerous platforms and languages.

I’m looking forward to greater things in ScreenBox and very excited in our next journey.

I want to thank my team, all our supporters, fans, clients and broadcast partners for being there all these years. Without you, we won’t have the same great journey.

Have a great new year ahead!

In Singapore, you can watch POA in Biography Channel (Ch 95 on Starhub).

We are currently preparing for the next 8 episodes of Asian Peddlers. Our first stop will be Cambodia.

Hope to have another great production.

Malay Synopsis:

English Synopsis:

View UNCENSORED trailer here.

My company is releasing this based-on-true-story documentary on DVD in the 2nd week of April 2009. It has M-18 Ratings. Here’s the 1-minute trailer. The DVD comes with English Subtitles.

Below is the Media Release should you want to pick up the story:

For Immediate Release

Screenbox Pte Ltd releases a documentary about transsexuals on DVD.

 From the makers of the popular TV Series, Hanyut, Bongkar Sr 1 and Sr 2, Uncensored exposes a very taboo topic especially among our Malay community – too extreme and forbidden that these stories could not be shown on TV!

This one hour documentary zooms into the lives of what many will deemed as the black sheep of our society -Transsexuals. Uncensored delves into this dark culture and lifestyle, their explicit secrets, background and life stories.  

The filming, which was done in June 2008, was mostly carried out at Changi Village, the popular spot where many transsexuals prostitutes ‘haunt’ for their victims.

Screenbox’s Executive Producer, Mr. Sujimy Mohamad said, “Our team had to hide at the highest floor of a HDB block to record real footages of the happenings there. A hidden camera was clipped onto 2 transsexual prostitutes to record very raw footages of their intimate moments with their clients. This is by far our boldest and edgiest production.”

But Uncensored is beyond all that sizzles. This documentary also pull our heartstrings as we listen to the struggles of these transsexuals who crave for a sense of belonging, not just from our community, but also from their own flesh and blood.

This documentary also gets up close and personal with a popular transsexual figure, as she opens up about her sex operation procedure.

The painful experiences and struggles these transsexuals have to go through to become a woman and to earn a living are all documented in this gut and honest one hour documentary.

Uncensored DVD will be released island wide in the 2^nd week of April 2009.

Uncensored Facts

 -       Uncensored  was filmed almost a year ago but due to strict censorship, this documentary can only be released just recently.

-       The hidden camera was bought especially for this production.

-       From the recordings of the hidden camera, the crew found out that some of the prostitutes’ clients range from 18 year old teenage boys to married men.

 -       Most of the sexual acts carried out by the prostitutes happened in the client’s car.

-       The crew sensed a lot of rivalry between the transsexual prostitutes as competition is tough.

-       The reenactments were done rather explicitly to showcase the realism. There were kissing scenes between 2 male actors which had to be removed.

 -       Other scenes that had to be removed include an intimate scene in a hotel room and a making out scene in a van.

 -       Actual transsexual prostitutes were invited to attend the reenactment filming to ensure accuracy and realism.

 -       All of the main talents who acted as transsexuals are professional theatre male actors.

 -       One of the main talents who acted as transsexuals looked so real and different that his own wife could not recognize him on set.

 -        Unexpectedly, one of the transsexuals being interviewed happened to be one of the producer’s long lost friend.