The team behind the original cross media series ‘Sofia’s Diary’ and ‘Aisling’s Diary’ have announced the launch of a new company, Be Entertainment, to be based in Belfast.
Be Entertainment, founded by Triona Campbell and Nuno Bernardo, has been offered support from Invest Northern Ireland and from Northern Ireland Screen as part of a quarter of a million pounds investment in developing active digital media in Belfast.
The company aims to deliver innovative story driven content for current new media and emerging platforms aimed at the international marketplace
Richard Williams, CEO of Northern Ireland Screen said: “We are delighted that Be Entertainment has been set up in Northern Ireland by Triona Campbell and Nuno Bernardo. This is an indication of their commitment and belief that Northern Ireland is a great place to build their business and we look forward to working with them in years to come.” While Donal Durkan, Director of Life Sciences and Creative at Invest NI believes that “cross media and trans media formats are becoming more and more commercially successful at an international level. We see companies such as Be Entertainment locating in Belfast as proof that we are building strong creative clusters and a healthy digital media industry.”
In 2001 Producer Triona Campbell established Campbell Ryan Productions Ltd and CR Entertainment, the production company behind RTÉ’s cross platform series ‘Aisling’s Diary’. The daily three minute TV series is currently airing on RTÉ Two, at 6.30pm as well as online. Created by Nuno Bernardo and directed by Ronan and Rob Burke, ‘Aisling’s Diary’ is the perfect example of ‘Snack TV’ – a format that is becoming more popular with teenagers that prefer to watch short form content.
The cross platform format has already proven successful for CR Entertainment. Their online drama series ‘Sofia’s Diary’ marked the on set of the first ever internet based drama to make the transition to UK television and attracted over 26 million views in the UK, prompting English broadcaster FIVER to air the series.
Series producer Campbell says: “An entertainment product can no longer be created for only one platform. It has to be created and distributed across a landscape of media that includes the internet, social networking web sites, on-line games, virtual worlds, television and print.”
Campbell and her team are now in development in a new cross media series ‘Flatmates’ while also preparing the 3rd season of Sofia’s Diary for Sony Pictures and the online series ‘Doyoubelieveme.com’.
