13 September, 2005
Fireworks to launch Streetsmartz at MIPCOM 2005
LONDON, September 13th, 2005 – Fireworks International has announced they will launch the brand new kids drama series Streetsmartz at MIPCOM 2005. Produced by Paul Barron of Great Western Entertainment, Streetsmartz is an innovative kid’s drama based on the streets of Fremantle in Australia.
Streetsmartz is set against real street life in a ground-breaking production style that combines scripted drama with documentary and reality TV techniques. The result is a high-energy comedy/drama that brings to kids’ television the boisterous energy of ‘live’ performances, the immediacy of shoot-from-the-hip documentaries and the edgy visual style of music video clips – all to the beat of today’s top bands.
The series centres around Vinnie Martino – a brash, energetic, fast-talking would-be wheeler-dealer. A kid who has ‘streetsmartz’. Today he is the local tour guide and dog-walking business entrepreneur. Tomorrow he’ll be managing rock stars…or at least that’s the plan.
Streetsmartz follows Vinnie and his friends around every Saturday – the one day of the week that kids can call their own – in a day-in-the-life format that is unique in both story and production terms. The lines between the scripted drama and reality are deliberately blurred as the action takes place on the day surrounded by real people continuing about their daily routines in one of Australia’s most picturesque and historic port cities.
Streetsmartz is produced for Nine Network Australia by Great Western Entertainment with the assistance of ScreenWest and is financed with the assistance of Film Finance Corporation Australia.
Commenting on the acquisition of Streetsmartz, Greg Phillips, President, Fireworks International says: “We are continuing to commit to kids’ live action drama as there is an increasing demand for quality shows aimed at the younger audience. Streetsmartz has already proved a winner in Australia for Nine Network and we are confident it will be as successful internationally.”
Paul Barron, creator and producer of Streetsmartz said: “I am delighted to be working again with the team at Fireworks International. Streetsmartz is an unusual show. It is like ‘live television’ in terms of the spontaneity and energy of the performances but works to carefully developed scripts and a specific production manual in both stylistic and management terms. As such we have not only created a comic, entertaining kids’ TV series but also a format, a blueprint, for a unique kids’ drama that can be reproduced in other countries.”
About Fireworks International:
Fireworks International, a division of the UK’s ContentFilm plc, acquires and distributes an extensive slate of television programs and feature films throughout the world. Fireworks’ library of over 2000 hours of programming includes drama series Zoe Busiek: Wild Card, action/adventure series Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda, Mutant X, Relic Hunter, and The Collector; children’s programs Black Hole High, 100 Deeds for Eddie McDowd, Caitlin’s Way and Streetsmartz, plus over 200 US network miniseries and TV movies of the week including Blonde for CBS and A Wrinkle in Time for ABC, along with some 100 feature films.
About Great Western Entertainment:
Based in Western Australia, Great Western Entertainment is focused on the development and production of quality children’s/family entertainment with its immediate priority being the development and production of innovative live action TV drama series. Its major 2004 production, the comic sci-fi series “Parallax” was pre-sold to the Nine Network in Australia and CBBC and a second series is planned for production in 2006 along with two other series. GWE is concurrently developing internet and other media initiatives, which will be launched in early 2006.
For further information, please contact:
Clare Weatherill Fireworks International Tel: +44 (0) 20 78516500
E-mail: [email protected]
