Worldwide growth in new media platforms including the Internet, 3G and mobile TV technologies, as well as IPTV and VOD services, has driven service providers to increasingly seek content to cater to consumption supplementary to ‘traditional’ media consumption – which has continued to grow year-on-year. To address the growing interest in cross-platform content, Asia Television Forum’s (ATF) Animation SuperPitch and Asian SuperPitch events were combined and re-engineered late 2007 as SuperPitch 2.0 to focus on creative content for multiple platforms including web, mobile, television, film, and interactive media. Organized by trade publications Television Asia Plus and Asia Image, SuperPitch 2.0 provided the stage for aspiring Asian programme-makers to pitch cross-platform concepts for original content to regional media players under realworld pitching conditions. Five finalists, selected from 52 participating companies, gave five-minute presentations before the seven-strong jury panel comprising executives from regional production firms, broadcasters and funding companies took charge in fiveminute Q&A sessions. Taiwan-based ODD Incredible came out tops in the pitching contest and won an advertising package in both organizing publications worth over US$10,000. ODD Incredible’s proposed 2D animation series for TV (26 X 22”) and the Internet (52 X 1”), Splash Nash, ousted the competition from the Philippines’ Palmagick Entertainment and Taiwan’s SOFA Studios which also proposed animation projects and Malaysia’s Noodle Box and Singapore’s Fly Entertainment proposed live-action properties. Splash Nash centres on Nash, a boy who tries to save the world from global warming and floods which are part of Poseidon’s plan to take over the world. He depends on his friends, and a special suit helps him survive underwater and to see others’ underlying intentions. “We’re using a story that originates from a real environmental concern for all humanity to make the show relevant to audiences worldwide,” explained ODD Incredible’s producer Connie Kuo. With character and concept design for the series already completed, the team plans to produce short episodes for mobile and the Internet before moving to TV. “Cross-platform content is especially important as it helps to diversify the income source for content providers given that it is no longer applicable to depend on a ‘single profit source’ model today, with revenues available beyond TV broadcast rights and box office takings,” said Kuo. Kuo believes the key to creating quality cross-platform content lies in understanding consumers’ behaviour when using each media platform, to effectively customize the content for audiences. “Our observation of consumers’ behavior when they use each media platform has helped us design the show with differences in programme lengths and levels of interactivity for the respective target audiences.” While Palmagick Entertainment’s sci-fi superhero animation series Taekwondoggs is also planned for TV in 13 episodes as well as online and mobile platforms in 65 parts, the proposed series will take on an integrated approach that takes the animated property beyond passive viewing. In its ‘Watch + Play’ concept, the animation series is designed to ‘intertwine’ with related casual games and a full length roleplaying game for mobile and online, as codes and clues will be offered in each episode to enable viewers to advance in the games and to win premiums, as well as drive mobile text messaging participation. Palmagick’s CEO and President Gil De Palma, creator of the Taekwondoggs noted, “The universal appeal of the concept is critical as it must link the creative, financing, and marketing aspects of a cross-platform project.” With the animated series being just one facet of the synergistic plan envisaged, De Palma hopes to collaborate with experts in each platform to deliver the best results. SOFA Studio’s proposed HD animated series Monster Coins revolves around a group of children who finds a bag of magical coins, with each coin yielding a different monster that grants a wish, but with unexpected and disastrous consequences. Focusing on the property’s visual impact, SOFA Studio’s International Sales Associate Sherry Lai said, “Film and TV are visualdominant media, modeling of the animated characters, styles and environments thus becomes key to attract audiences.” Based on the premise that a variety of monsters can be created and the consequences unpredictable, SOFA Studios’ team expects the series to adapt well to games and new media platforms, as well as merchandising – an aspect which featured prominently in all finalists’ animation proposals. Monster Coins is currently in the development phase and SOFA Studios is seeking partners to jointly finance, produce, market and distribute the property. While creating content for multiple platforms was all the rage at SuperPitch 2.0, all finalists agreed that the story remains essential to producing successful content for any platform. “The formula to successful content that still remains valid is a good story. And just as any good filmmaker will tell you ‘The story is everything’, a good story that is able reach the audiences’ hearts is really the key to successful shows,” concluded Kuo.