As the exclusive online media partner for the Screen Nation Digital-iS Media Awards we will be featuring each of the nominees in the lead up to the awards ceremony on 17th December. The event, which is in conjunction with Vox Africa (Sky218) and sponsored by Google and Afrinolly, will celebrate the best online content produced by black British and international digital media creatives across short film, web series, music promos, blogs, magazines, social networks and more. To grab one of the limited tickets to the event, click here.
BREACH has been nominated for the Favourite Web Series Ensemble Award. We caught up with the writer and director of the project Christine Rugurika and the producer Serena Nalty to see what inspired them to embark on a digital journey.
CR: "I had the script in my drawers and was not quite sure what to do with it. In the first instance it was a story board magazine, distributed in some London shops, hairdressers etc. to see if people would like it. I had really good reviews on it and some readers contacted me saying it should be a TV drama. After a while, I started thinking "should I, or not?" and finally got into it. I contacted Serena, as I remembered how serious she was in one of my previous projects and I explained the vision to her. She totally liked the idea and then we embarked on the project together to turn BREACH into a TV series. We shot the pilot in 2009 and as I was researching black series in UK and US, I realised that more productions were going online and we decided "let's post it online and see where it will take us"."
SN:" I had worked with Christine on another play she had written and had the opportunity to act, dance and choreograph for the show. Christine is a good writer and brings the stories to life with ease. I was able to see how we could work together to make the series a reality. I love organising and project management and the producer role goes hand in hand. I'm also fortunate to be working with someone who shares the same values as me, we get on well and can agree to disagree. We also value each other’s opinions and know each other’s strengths."
Sounds like a partnership made in heaven right? As we’ve come to see in the features on the nominees, there are always useful learnings to take away and pass on to others keen to produce and distribute their own content.
CR: "Keep going no matter what! DON’T PANIC!!! Working with zero budget, lol! And as a believer, I know that God will ALWAYS help you find a way out."
SN: "It's amazing what you can achieve if you put your mind to it. Be aware that people aren't always who they present themselves to be, so always follow your sixth sense!"
Both Christine and Serena agree that to see an idea come into fruition has got to be one of the most proud and lifting experiences in the whole process. It’s also clear that there are more proud moments to come as BREACH has plans to expand both nationally and internationally as well as head back to the stage.
CR: "We are taking BREACH back to the theatre. We already did it in 2010 and the play was really well received. Actually some people told us they prefer the live production and suggested we keep going that way. So we're building a Belgium team to do the play in Belgium in April 2014 and Paris (hopefully end 2014) but we still have a UK team with whom we'll tour with in London and other UK cities. WATCH THIS SPACE for more details."
Finally, why should people vote for BREACH?
CR: "I personally think that people should vote for their favourite web series; if BREACH is the one they really like, than vote for us, right!? It's just supporting and encouraging those who put in their soul and sacrifice financially to produce something they believe in. They want to entertain and transmit a message, which is exactly what I wanted to do with BREACH. This award will add an extra buzz to our energy and will push us to work even harder on future projects."
SN: "I agree that people should vote for their favourite web series, however, my vote is on BREACH because we try to represent the diaspora not just by covering social issues but with an insight to our heritage, cultures and traditional values – which helps other communities have a better understanding of our varied cultures."
To vote for BREACH to win the Favourite Web Series Ensemble Award, click here.
To find out more about BREACH and DSBC Productions, see the links below:
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