TVNZ’s New Blood Innovation Initiative Goes Live
TVNZ’s New Blood initiative goes LIVE with over 20 pieces of short-form content
TVNZ has teamed up with a range of local storytellers to launch more than 20 original short-form pieces of content via TVNZ.co.nz, YouTube and Facebook today, all produced under TVNZ’s New Blood innovation initiative.
Collaborating with local talent – producers, directors, writers, filmmakers, comedians, and actors – New Blood aims to create content specifically designed to live online and reach viewers with less traditional media habits.
“New Blood is TVNZ’s way of reaching viewers who might not be engaging with our content like they used to,” says TVNZ’s digital commissioner, Amie Mills.
“We wanted to work with new and emerging talent to create content that is different, provocative and champions diversity – voices, ethnicities, gender, sexuality, beliefs – as well as authenticity.”
“There's one-off comedy sketches, documentaries, 2-part stories, stand-up specials and comedy web series. What makes this work exciting is that content formats are defined by the story being told, rather than having to stick to a particular format. We’re looking forward to seeing how our viewers react and engage with the work as it will inform what we create in the next phase of production.”
Since its inception in late 2016, New Blood has launched: Re:, an alternative socially-driven news brand, a TVNZ and NZ On Air funded competition for Kiwis to vote for their favourite pilot to be funded into a full web-series, and a project to create experimental scripted and factual short-form content.
TVNZ is currently working on the second phase of New Blood content-creation and welcomes conversations with local content creators who have unique stories to tell.
NEW BLOOD TITLES INCLUDE:
30 Days – A one-off sketch
where an office worker has an existential crisis trying to
remember the date.
Creator: Simon Ward
(writer, actor)
Chatty Chatty Bang Bang – Hairstylist Guy
Roberts gets up close and personal with a number of famous
faces whilst cutting their hair, talking life and
music.
Creator: Guy Roberts (Vada
Hair)
Deconstructed Café – A
one-off comedy sketch about a cafe where DIY dining is taken
a little too seriously...
Creator:
Hayley Sproull (writer, actor)
Girl Interrupted - The Masty
– A sketch series about women dealing with
first-world problems.
Creators: Jessica
Joy Wood (writer) and Kura Forrester (writer,
actor)
Hayley's Kitchen – An online
comedy cooking series hosted by an extremely amateur cook,
Hayley.
Creator: Hayley Sproull (writer,
actor)
Interns – A character sketch
series about the exploits of interns working within a media
organisation.
Creators: TVNZ’s Adam
King (co-writer, director) & Thomas Sainsbury
(co-writer)
Smash It With Ash – Ash
Smith, a rural Bogan, has created a vlog where he smashes
various household items and explains how they
work.
Creator: Thomas Sainsbury (writer,
actor)
So This Happened – An
animation series of real people telling stories of everyday
sexism, micro-aggressions and just plain weird shit that
happens every day but tends to get swept under the rug and
not talked about.
Creators: TVNZ’s
Maha Albadrawi (producer) & TVNZ’s Lucy Zee
(producer)
Stand Up – (coming soon) Comics David Correos, Eli Matthewson, Fan Brigade, James Nokise and Paul Douglas each perform stand-up at Auckland’s Backbeat Bar.
Tag a Mate – A comedy sketch
making fun of online
meme-culture.
Creators: Paul Douglas
(writer, actor) and David Correos (writer,
actor)
The Han Chronicles – A 2-part
true story of an Asian man assimilating into life in New
Zealand in the 1970s.
Creator: Chye-Ling
Huang (writer)
The World's Fastest Māori –
Shot across New Zealand's wild Far North, this story isn't
about a record – it's about how you choose to live
life.
Creators: TVNZ’s Jamie Gallant
and Vern
Cummins
ENDS