TV Success for Manchester Media Company

A SMALL, start-up media company from Manchester, has wowed top BBC executives at an internationally-acclaimed TV event. Interactive media company Bellyfeel are celebrating clinching a prestigious pitching competition at MIPTV, the world-renowned global content market.

Bellyfeel showed the world how interactive media innovation is streets ahead in the Northwest, receiving the best New IPTV Concept Award in the Content 360 Cross Media competition for an idea based on their interactive drama serial, Crimeface, which utilises split screens to communicate both the story and further information on characters and events.

Bellyfeel owner Krishna Stott couldn’t have been happier with the outcome. He says: “Our experience at the event was amazing, we won our category in the Content 360 competition and generated loads of contacts.”

Northwest Vision and Media supported Bellyfeel and seven more of the region’s up and coming media companies to display their wares to international broadcasters at the week-long event in Cannes.

“Vision and Media were brilliant, massively helpful and encouraging,” says Krishna, of the experience. “As a result of this support, I’m really busy now, talking to lots of broadcasters and production companies about our work,” he adds.

Vision and Media championed four TV production companies, and for the first time, four digital media companies, to take their products to the event. MIPTV gathers together producers and distributors of media content, to buy, sell and develop exciting new projects on an international scale, also offering competitions for industry recognition.

“Most TV and digital media companies don’t get this much exposure to so many broadcasters and distributors on such a direct level, so we were delighted to support these companies,” says Lynsey Taylor, Funding Executive for Vision and Media, which works on behalf the region’s TV, film, radio and digital content industries.

Vision and Media’s support scheme enabled Greater Manchester-based TV production companies Channel K, Acrobat, Moonbeam, and Firestep to visit MIPTV, as well as digital media companies from across the Northwest: Connect 2 Play (Cheshire), Luxson (Manchester), Onteca (Liverpool) and Bellyfeel (Manchester).

“Before we took the companies to MIPTV, they were mentored by our consultant Caroline Beaton from Roadtrip Media, on how to approach the event, and given funding to maximise the marketing of their products,” explains Lynsey. “They all came fully prepared, and they all left with more than one new iron in the fire!”

Bellyfeel are hoping their irons will soon be red hot. On seeing their ideas at the MIPTV event, the BBC have offered Bellyfeel a development deal to explore using their innovative techniques for online programming. Their interactive drama serial Crimeface has also been nominated for a globally coveted Webby Award.

· To find out more about Bellyfeel, visit www.bellyfeel.co.uk