Drama on the Subway

• MDA launches new subway drama
• In collaboration with Ufinity
• Plans to expand into feature film

Singapore - Singapore's Media Development Authority (MDA) has teamed up with Singapore media company Ufinity and Chinese company Prime Time Entertainment to produce a drama which will be broadcast simultaneously in trains and train stations in Singapore and China.

Singapore's Threesixzero Productions has been commissioned to undertake the creative process of the project and it is slated for debut in the second half of this year. Commuters in Singapore can enjoy the drama on television displays in the train stations along the North-South and East-West rail lines.

In China, DMG will screen the drama on television screens within the trains, as well as on train station and bus shelter displays they manage. In total, the subway drama is expected to be screened on at least 16,452 television displays, targeting a daily 1.4 million passenger trips in Singapore and a captive audience of 14 million commuters in seven Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Tianjing, Nanjing, Shenzhen and Hong Kong.

The Mandarin 50-parter, each two-and-a-half minutes long, centres on the love story of a Singaporean singer and a young man from Shanghai who has come to Singapore to chase his dreams.

Following its subway launch, the drama will be expanded into a feature film for theatrical release. Plans are in the pipeline to repurpose the content for a wide variety of platforms, such as online, mobile phone and outdoor media.

"Singapore's first subway drama, A Starry Night, will be traveling in more ways than one - it will be enjoyed by commuters on the go; and will also be the vehicle bringing the best of Singapore's production capability, musical talents and picturesque locations to viewers within and beyond Singapore," said Dr Christopher Chia, MDA's chief executive officer.

The project in Singapore will be supported by SMRT Media.