New drama series set to hit TV screens

Caption:   Cast member of the Central Giants

Caption:   Guests viewing a teaser of the drama



By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, March 2, 2014 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)




IT was something new and glamorous for an industry that has been non-existent in the country for a long while now, when the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) International, in partnership with NBC (National Broadcasting Corporation), launched the teaser to a new drama series that is poised for production in Port Moresby, last week at the Grand Papua Hotel.  
Apart from giving invited guests a sneak peek at the drama series- the event was also an opportunity to attract a line of interested investor to help fund what is aimed to be PNGs very own Home and Away drama.

The drama series is aimed at building a fresh generation of screen and broadcast storytellers, to create television by and for Papua New Guineans.

It is centred around entertaining, while exploring some of the most relevant and important issues facing Papua New Guinea today like drugs, HIV, violence, and also love, friendship, and most of all, rugby league.

The show tells the story of the Central Giants, an ethnically diverse Port Moresby based rugby league team fighting their way through the competition season, in spite of health scares, internal rivalries and love affairs that all threaten to derail the team’s effort.

With rugby league held in high regard as nation’s sport, it is sure to be a show that captures the imagination of the nation.

Produced through a partnership between local and Australian film crews, the show aims to create a vehicle to tell the stories that matter to Papua New Guinean audiences, while building local production skills and grow a sustainable screen industry for the country.

It is also set to be a launching pad for many aspiring actors and actresses in the country- providing an avenue also for the country’s performing arts graduates from tertiary institutions.

Speaker at the teaser launch, the head of ABC International’s Pacific and Mekong branch, Domenic Friguglietti referred to the role the media has in facilitating a changing mindset, which he said the drama was aimed at doing.

“ABC needed to play a big role in PNG, so we started to look at content that we could work with the NBC that have impacted the daily lives on issues that affect every day Papua New Guineans,” he said.

“Media has a role to potentially shift some attitude to some key issues and maybe shift some behaviours as well.”

“We had to understand the markets that we are trying to relate to and we ran a study in 2011 and 2012, which presented some key information on what PNG citizens wanted in terms of the media and information.”

“In terms of what kind of information they were seeking, sports came up higher than news and current affairs which came in second, and in terms of programme formats, drama stood out in the responses we received.”

“Drama is a great way to deliver entertaining content, while offering an opportunity to focus on some of the key issues challenging Papua New Guinea today.”

“We are committed to working in partnership with the media sector in PNG to deliver informative and entertaining content that is tailored to suit local audiences.”

Over a dozen local film talents honed their craft as actors and crew through the making of the teaser.

One of those being Druell Avosa, who only completed grade 10 selling informally on his street, who summed up the whole concept as a big time experience for him from where he was a month ago.

“It is something that can bear a lot of fruit in addressing a lot of issue in society that affect us all,” he said.

“Before this I was on the street selling stuff, and through a friend of mine I went for the auditions and got the part.”

Producer of the show, Muffy Potte, praised the efforts of the young actors involved in the teaser production and called on business houses to get on board for a show that had the potential to be huge in the country.

“The actors were all wonderful, and they all performed with truth and honestly- it is about putting on a mask and taking it off when you’re done.”

“And this is something that is for the next generation of the country and companies here that have social corporate responsibilities to reinvest into the community,” she said.

“This is a great way as it is a medium that will enable many people around the country to be reached to give the messages we are hoping to convey.”

With further funding the show aims to provide continued mentoring opportunities for local filmmakers, to build their skills while working on an ongoing series.