'Beat Generation' Set To Go Online

A London and Dublin-based multi-platform producer, CR Entertainment, is about to launch what they claim is Northern Ireland/Ireland's first online TV-style magazine series, Beat Generation.

It will be produced by CR Entertainment's Belfast office and comes after success creating and producing Bebo's Sofia's Diary, the first UK internet drama to crossover to TV on Channel 5's FIVER.

CR has secured a significant investment from beActive Entertainment, a transmedia production company with operations in Europe, Canada and Latin America and Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government's business development agency.

Catriona Scott, CR Entertainment's Head of Development (pictured) will spearhead the search for new writing talent over the next few months for the award-winning production company.

She said the goal is to increase the number of projects in development and allow UK and Irish-based talent to work on international co-productions.

Sofia's Diary - for Sony Pictures and Television International and Bebo - is a series distributed simultaneously on the Internet, mobile phones, TV, magazines, radio and printed media.

Localised in over 10 territories around the world, the London series was fully financed and supported by advertisers and the first UK Internet drama to crossover to TV.

The new investment will be used to expand the producer's in-house writing and development team with the aim of expanding its production slate and activities internationally.

In addition to creating content for the web, CR Entertainment has also produced popular TV series such as Aisling's Diary, the Irish teen series on RTE, which recently won Best TV Special (Teen) at the KidScreen Awards, New York.

It has been licensed to SVT in Sweden, ABC in Australia and format rights have been sold to MIO.TV in the US. A book based on the series is also available from Penguin Publishing.

CR Entertainment not only develops branded entertainment concepts for clients such Internet portals Bebo, MySpace, and YouTube, but also works directly with brands such as Unilever, Pear Drops, Nair, Universal, Paramount Pictures and the UK Central Office of Information.

Commenting on the agreement, Triona Campbell Bernardo, founder of CR Entertainment, said: "We are delighted that beActive has agreed to become a shareholder in CR Entertainment and that Enterprise Ireland is supporting our expansion plans at this time.

"We have a number of projects in the pipeline and are keen to attract the best creative talent to enable us to expand our business both domestically and internationally."

Nuno Bernardo, Managing Director of beActive Entertainment, commented: "This partnership with CR Entertainment will allow both companies to enlarge the territories and regions where they operate and also provide a platform to develop and produce truly European co-productions."

"CR Entertainment represents an excellent example of the type of innovative, export-oriented company that Enterprise Ireland is keen to support," commented Greg Treston, Head of High Potential Start Ups at Enterprise Ireland.

"It shows what can be achieved when the ambitions and energy of a young company are harnessed and supported," he concluded.

(BMcC/GK)