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Discovery Channel’s Eye on Malaysia is a unique opportunity for five creatives in the local filmmaking community to bring to life ideas they have been dreaming about.
Theme for Eye on Malaysia :
- Half a century of life’s experiences makes a storyteller out of us. A nation, in this sense, is not unlike a person.
- As Malaysia enters another phase in its journey of achievement, there is much to share, celebrate and reflect on. This is a country where ethnic, cultural and ecological differences proudly continue to thrive. Timeless traditions have blended into the modern, overcoming conflict and contradictions. Yet the twenty first century began here before the twentieth was over.
- These are all priceless themes when it comes to conjuring real-life tales – told through the eyes of strong, inspiring and engaging characters, groups, organizations, places, buildings and even events. These are journeys into the heart and soul of Malaysia - Eye on Malaysia.
Interested applicants for Discovery Channel’s ‘Eye on Malaysia’ should take note of the following requirements:
- Applicants need to submit a story outline or treatment for a half hour documentary programme that explores issues or events relating to the series theme described above. There is no particular format for the treatments. Any written layout, whether essay or description of sequences (treatment) that conveys a sense of the “documentary” is acceptable. Your pitch document has to convince us that your story will entertain the audience - a story with strong characters in situations of drama, tension or a conflict which needs resolution.
NB: Although we use terms like “story”, they are to be strictly interpreted within the context of real life or fact-based situations, featuring real people. - The treatment/outline should not be longer than three A4 pages. It can, however, be shorter. Proposals have to be in English or Bahasa Malaysia, but proposals in Bahasa Malaysia must be accompanied by a summary of the proposal in English. Applications should be sent to the following address:
Discovery Channel ‘Eye on Malaysia’
c/o Compass Communications
47-10, The Boulevard,
Mid Valley City,
Lingkaran Syed Putra,
Kuala Lumpur 59200, Malaysia
Deadline is 5:00 pm, Monday October 13, 2008 . Applications arriving after this time may not be considered. - Applicants must also submit a topline summary production budget, which should realistically reflect the idea they are pitching. Appropriate budget limits will be set for the films at the time of selecting the five winners.
- The selection process will favour stories and situations that can be filmed without too much travel and can be feasibly recorded within a maximum of 10-12 shooting days. The event, characters and the situation to be filmed must fall within the broad shooting period of December 2008 to June 2009.
- Applicants may apply as a single individual who plans, writes, directs and produces the programme, or a writer/director who will employ a producer or vice versa.
- Applicants are encouraged to demonstrate some previous filmmaking experience by submitting a VHS tape/VCD/DVD of either their own or a key partner's previous film/video making efforts, however basic. For example, either a film/video made with a tiny budget, a short film made for festival exhibition, a whole programme or a short segment produced/directed for a local television broadcaster/cable operator.
- At least 12 short-listed applicants will be chosen. They will attend a two-day final selection workshop in Kuala Lumpur in early November 2008, where five filmmakers will go onto to make, direct and produce their Projects.
- The project will be held from November 2008 when the five winners are chosen through until July 2009 when the films/videos are delivered on a roll on basis to Discovery’s head office in Singapore. The available budgets will not support normal commercial fees for the director and/or producer during this project. The ‘Eye on Malaysia’ international documentary scheme is devised as a professional development exercise for consolidating expertise in the local film and television industry. It is not a commercial commission and is budgeted accordingly.
- The programmes need to be shot and delivered on Digital Betacam.
- The production unit will need someone who is capable of taking full responsibility for maintaining administrative matters (appearance, music and location clearances forms etc) and accounting records (including budgets and periodic cost reports).
