October 2014 Funding Decisions

The Board of Directors of the Bell Fund has announced its decisions for the October 1, 2014 round of applications.

The following English language projects received Production Grants under the Bell Fund’s Production Program:

 

BROADCAST
DIGITAL MEDIA
Blood, Sweat & Tools
Proper Television
Executive Producers: Guy O’Sullivan, Jennifer Scott
Producer: Blair RichardDiscovery Channel, 9 x 60 mins
Blood, Sweat & Tools Interactive
Jam3 Inc.
Producer: Media Ridha, Graham Budd
A competition reality series that features some of the worst home renovating twosomes in the nation as they compete for a cash prize. Five duos from across Canada – each with their own cabin – battle it out in a number of home reno challenges. The audience will determine the winning couple in a live vote during the final episode.
A voter website that includes DIY-inspired activities that help users build points to vote for the “most improved twosome” on the TV show. The website features DIY activity related games and trivia games. Users play games to collect enough points to enable voting in the final episode.
MathPlosion!: The Math Behind the Scenes
GAPC Entertainment
Executive Producer: Ken Stewart
Producer: Hoda ElatawiTVOkids, 1 x 30 mins
MathPlosion!
GAPC Entertainment
Producer: Hoda Elatawi
A behind-the-scenes documentary for children and parents about the making of “MathPlosion!”. The director, producers, math expert, assistants, and the cast and crew reveal trade secrets while showing how often they really do use math in the real world to make a TV show.
A math focussed educational series for children. Each three-minute webisode focuses on a specific math problem, and will use visuals and original songs to help children’s working memory. The lessons concentrate on the Ontario school curriculum for math (grades 1 to 8) and cover a wide range of math skills.
Orphan Black, Season 3
Temple Street Productions
Executive Producers: David Fortier, Ivan Schneeberg, Graeme Manson, John Fawcett
Producer: Claire WellandBell Media – Space, 10 x 60 mins
Vice’s “Woolly Mammoth”
Vice Guide Productions Inc.
Producer: Tyler Levine
Just as Sarah brings the clone sisterhood together, they face a brand new threat in the male clones of Project Castor. Sarah must dive deeper into the mystery in order to free Helena; Cosima chases scientific answers and a new love; and Alison’s suburban world takes a dark turn into a life of crime.
A documentary about the real science behind cloning and the attempt to clone a Woolly Mammoth from remains found in Siberia. Featuring interviews with scientists and locals in Siberia, clone researchers in South Korea, and a Woolly Mammoth expert in Winnipeg.
Playdate
Sinking Ship Productions Inc.
Executive Producers: Blair Powers, JJ Johnson , Frank Meschkuleit
Producers: Blair Powers, JJ Johnson, Matt BishopDisney Jr./DHX Television, 13 x 30 mins
Playdate Interactive
Sinking Ship Interactive Inc.
Producer: Blair Powers
Playdate is a live-action/puppet TV series for kids aged 2-5. Mac and Hammy are the beloved stuffed animals of a young brother and sister duo. But as soon as the kids are out of the room, Mac and Hammy come to life and play with only their imaginations to guide them and the clock ticking towards the kids’ return.
Web and mobile games based on the stuffed animals who get into trouble when their kids and parents leave them alone. In “Make” mode, the child decorates an object. In “Play” mode, that object is inserted in the attached game.
Property Brothers Season 5
Cineflix Productions
Producer: Kim BondiCorus – W Network, 26 x 60 minutes
Property Brothers Digital Handbook
Cineflix Productions
Producer: Glen SalzmanDM Service Co.: Secret Location
The Property Brothers, Drew and Jonathan Scott, help couples find, buy, and transform extreme fixer-uppers into their dream home.
A digital guide that provides users with ideas, inspiration and expert advice to plan their own home renovation projects.
Winston Steinburger and Sir Dudley Ding Dong
Winston Productions (ON) Inc., Winston Productions (BC) Inc.
Executive Producers: Margaret O’Brien, Olivier Dumont, Laura Clunie, Donna Andrews, Stuart Connolly
Producers: Margaret O’Brien, Pamela Slavin, Tristan Homer, Donna Andrews, Rob SimmonsCorus – Teletoon, 26 x 30 mins
Winston Steinburger and Sir Dudley Ding Dong Interactive
Secret Location
Producers: CJ Hervey, James Milward
An animated series that follows 11-year-old wonder-kid Winston Steinburger, his hapless cat, Sir Dudley Ding Dong, and his pint-sized galaxy guardian, Hammy, as they explore every solar system, star and saber-toothed space monster in the universe.
A puzzle-based adventure game with five tiered levels representing locations within the show. In the game, the main character is distracted and needs to be navigated through each level by dragging and dropping elements to help them guide their way.

The following French language projects received Production Grants under the Bell Fund’s Production Program:

 

BROADCAST
DIGITAL MEDIA
Craqué-Craked
Productions Squeeze
Producteur: Denis DoréTélétoon, 52 x 1 min
Craqué-Craked
Productions Squeeze
Producteur: Denis Doré
Maison de services numériques: Cortex Média
Ed, un papa autruche monoparental et surprotecteur, veut protéger ses 8 œufs hyperactifs qui n’ont pour envie que de découvrir le monde. Au moindre moment d’inattention, c’est la course folle. À chaque fois qu’il croit ses petits hors de danger, la situation se corse. Jr, l’intrépide cadet, leader de la couvée, se lance à l’aventure. Faisant fi des embûches, il entraîne ses frères à sa suite, pour leur plus grand plaisir. En état de panique, papa Ed tente de sauvegarder leurs coquilles à tout prix… avec comme seul résultat de provoquer une véritable réaction en chaîne qui le mène au bord de la crise de nerfs ! Qui va craquer en premier?
L’univers de Craqué prend vie sur tablettes et appareils mobiles grâce à une application numérique regroupant deux BD animées originales et un jeu vidéo. L’application conserve le pouvoir d’attraction universel de la série mais invite tout particulièrement les garçons de 10 ans à découvrir un riche contenu animé en 3D sous un angle différent, celui de l’interactivité́. L’utilisateur est aux commandes!
Rires du monde
Quiet Motion
Producteurs: Jacques Bilodeau, Véronique LégaréTV5, 10 x 60 minutes
Rires du monde
Quiet Motion
Producteurs: Jacques Bilodeau, Véronique Légaré
Maison de services numériques: Les Affranchis
Quoiqu’universel, le rire, et surtout ce qui fait rire, est avant tout révélateur de la culture dont il est issu. Depuis le début de l’humanité, l’humour est l’un des indicateurs de santé d’une société. Partout on rit, mais pas toujours de la même chose. Ce sont à ces particularités que la série Rires du monde s’intéresse. Piloté à l’animation par un humoriste québécois différent à chaque épisode, la série Rires du monde propose une aventure hautement colorée à travers les méandres du rire planétaire.
Le site Rires du monde au Québec propose une exploration interactive déjantée de la culture de l’humour au Québec afin de tenter de décoder ce qui fait la spécificité de l’humour québécois, alors que l’application mobile Rires de poche se voudra un clin d’œil ludique à la thématique explorée à la fois par le volet télévisuel que numérique.

The following English language projects received grants under the Bell Fund’s Low Budget ProductionProgram:

 

BROADCAST
DIGITAL MEDIA
Bitten, Season 2
She-Wolf Season 2 Productions Inc.
Executive Producers: Margaret O’Brien, J.B. Sugar, John Morayniss, John Barbisan, Patrick Bannister, Daegan Fryklind, Tecca Crosby
Producers : Margaret O’Brien, J.B. SugarBell Media – Space, 10 x 60 mins
Bitten : Project Undoing
Secret Location
Producer: CJ Hervey
Bitten follows the adventures of 28-year-old Elena Michaels, the world’s only female werewolf. An orphan, Elena thought she finally found her “happily ever after” with her new love Clayton, until her life changed forever. With one small bite, the normal life she craved was taken away and she was left to survive life with the Pack.
A series of case files comprised of a series of short form video clips and interactive elements related to the work of one of the show’s characters (a scientist) that is the focus of Season 2.
Canadian Screen Awards 2015
Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television
Executive Producer: Helga StephensonCBC, 1 x 120 mins
Canadian Screen Awards FanZone 2015
Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television
Producer: Helga StephensonDM Service Co.: Smiley Guy Studios
The Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television’s Canadian Screen Awards is the annual awards show to celebrate the best in Canadian film, television and digital media. The CSAs are broadcast live on CBC.
Website to engage the audience before and after the broadcast, and serve as a second screen experience during the broadcast itself with fan voting, video content, photo gallery, and social media interactions.
Emergency Paramedics : Life + Death on the Streets
Lark Productions Inc
Executive Producers: Louise Clark, Erin Haskett, Andrew Williamson
Producer: David MosesKnowledge Network, 6 x 60 mins
Emergency Paramedics : Life + Death on the Streets?
Lark Productions Inc
Producer: Andrew WilliamsonDM Service Co.: Pound & Grain
A documentary series that follows the world of first responders in British Columbia as they respond to various emergencies, from the poverty and addiction of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside to the broken bones and spinal injuries of the slopes of Whistler.
A website to engage and educate the audience with surveys to get users involved in policy debates around healthcare in British Columbia with the option to discuss the topic in user forums, and video content including full episodes, character profiles and “True Stories” webisodes.
From the Four Corners of the Earth
Four Corners Productions Inc.
Executive Producer: Jeannette Loakman
Producers: Jenn Mason, Gabrielle ZilkhaZoomer Media – VisionTV, 1 X 60 mins
From Corner to Corner
Four Corners Production Inc.
Producers: Jennifer Mason, Gabrielle ZilkhaDM Service Co.: iThentic
A documentary that follows the Sefwis, a tribe living in a remote rural village, in Ghana, who have been practicing customs unlike any other around them for centuries. Twenty-five years ago they discovered that these customs were actually part of a major religion: Judaism.
An interactive website where users will be taken into a 360-degree virtual tour of the Jewish village in the Sefwi Wiaso disctrict. Users can take a virtual walking tour of the village and click on key locations like the synagogue and market to load additional images, video content and interactive 3D models of key objects.
Mystery Files
Apartment 11 Productions Inc.
Executive Producer: Allan Joli-Coeur
Producer: Jonathan FinkelsteinTVO, 13 x 30 mins
Mystery Files Interactive
Apartment 11 Productions Inc.
Producer: Allan Joli-CoeurDM Service Co.: Relish Interactive
Throughout the series, children will explore locations from 19th century forts and stores to the shores of ancient seas and the newest piece of land in Toronto. The series will focus on the shift in curriculum from memorizing to doing.
A web and mobile game where players solve mysteries, which are different than those explored on the television show.
The Pinkertons
Rosetta Media Inc., Buffalo Gal Pictures Inc.
Executive Producers: Suzanne Berger, Phyllis Laing
Producer: Rhonda BakerCHCH, 22 x 60 mins
Pinkertons Interactive
Rosetta Media Inc., Buffalo Gal Pictures Inc.
Suzanne Berger, Phyllis LaingDM Service Co.: Tactica Interactive
An action-adventure detective series about Allan and William Pinkerton, who founded the Pinkertons Detective Agency, and Kate Warne, the first woman detective in North America, as they solve crimes on the frontier in the 1860s.
A mobile responsive website where users can compete in contests, and “outlaw themselves” by creating customized vintage Wild West “wanted” poster to share across their social media platforms.

The following French language project received a grant under the Bell Fund’s Low Budget ProductionProgram:

 

BROADCAST
DIGITAL MEDIA
Alexandre et les conquérants
Trio Orange
Productrice: Julie LavalléeExplora, 8 x 60 mins
Alexandre et les conquérants
Trio Orange
Producteurs: Carlos Soldevila, Éric Hébert, Julie LavalléeMaison de services numériques: Les Affranchis
Alexandre et les conquérants, c’est une série documentaire animée par l’entrepreneur en série Alexandre Taillefer, qui plonge le téléspectateur au cœur de l’univers trépidant du monde des start-ups.
Au cœur de l’expérience : un « Incubateur », qui invitera le public à soumettre des projets technologiques prometteurs, ou encore à se mettre « dans la peau » d’Alexandre Taillefer, en évaluant chaque semaine les projets soumis par les utilisateurs afin de dénicher les start-up les plus prometteuses ! À cet incubateur se greffera le jeu de simulation « Start-up héros », permettant aux internautes de s’impliquer virtuellement dans le développement d’une entreprise, une série d’informations inspirantes et informatives « Les Tops » et, finalement, un webisode exclusif « Où sont-ils rendus? », prolongeant la diffusion du dernier épisode de la série.

The following projects received grants under the Bell Fund’s Development Program:

Into the Inferno
DEEP Inc.
Thomas Wallner
CBC

The following projects received grants under the Bell Fund’s Professional Development Program:

DOC Institute – Savvy Producer Series
Documentary Organization of Canada, Toronto ChapterEnglish Language Awards of Excellence 2015
Youth Media AlliancePrime Time in Ottawa 2015
CMPA

Carton Connection Canada
Rencontres cinématographiques de Québec

Rendez-vous d’affaires numériques du RPM
Regroupement producteurs multimédia

The following projects received grants under the Bell Fund’s TV Development Online Program:

Body Heat
DHX Media Ltd.
Tracey Jardine
CBC
The Collective
Secret Location Inc.
James Milward, Chris Harris, Noora Abu Eitah
CBC
Scène de crime
TVA Productions
Dominique Joly
Groupe TVA

The Bell Fund provides grants to Canadian independent producers who develop and produce television content complemented and enhanced by excellent digital content designed for various platforms. These digital media projects reflect state-of-the-art technology and are helping traditional television producers and broadcasters to discover the value added benefits of digital extensions. Since 1997, the Bell Fund has invested over $150M in over 1,500 Canadian digital media projects, television programs, development grants and support for research and professional development.

 

The Bell Fund receives annual contributions of approximately $14.5 M from Bell TV as part of its broadcast distribution undertaking (BDU) contributions to the industry. In addition, the Development Program is supported by the interest generated by a $10M endowment resulting from BCE-CTV benefits, and contributions from Aliant. The Bell Fund is incorporated as a not-for-profit organization, governed by an independent Board of Directors representing various sectors of the television and digital media industry. The Fund is administered by the Independent Production Fund.

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For further information:

416-977-8154
info@bellfund.ca
www.bellfund.ca

514-845-4418
info@fondsbell.ca
www.fondsbell.ca