Two years after she opened all3media’s Asia-Pacific regional office in Singapore, executive vice president Sabrina Duguet is looking at a formats business that doubled in size last year; managing roaring activity in India, including a new deal with Banijay India and the first scripted format deal with Indian streaming platform Voot; broken new ground in Japan; created a sports game format in Singapore; signed off on shows in China, Thailand and Vietnam; and made sure she’s put her hand up for every opportunity possible for Asia on all3media’s global radar.

When the Asian version of Endemol Shine scripted format,The Bridge, airs later this year, few will be more pleased than Rashmi Bajpai, Endemol Shine International’s executive director for Asia.

At the end of last year, the international cast and crew ofWhite Dragontook to the streets of Hong Kong, bringing to her territory and her watch large-scale drama for U.K. broadcaster ITV. The conspiracy thriller is from Two Brothers Pictures, which all3media acquired last year. About 80% ofWhite Dragonis shot in Hong Kong. Another drama will be partly shot in Asia in 2019, and active conversations are under way for non-scripted titles.

Duguet attributes growth in both profile and performance to presence on the ground in the region and much talking about the company and what it offers, including output from 27 production companies and a heavy investment in scripted and entertainment content.

None of all3media’s production companies are in Asia – yet – which is why alliances with key partners in the region are a critical goal. Hence the deal with Banijay’s new Asia venture, based out of India, for six formats. Five are non-scripted and one – The Missing – is scripted. “Localising, adapting and working in collaboration with local producers is key,” Duguet says.

The Voot deal involves two seasons of Liar, a contemporary drama that opens with a couple on a first date. They’re good looking, and the restaurant is chic. Cut to the morning after and she’s telling her sister she has been raped, paving the way for a he-says-she-says story by Harry and Jack Williams of Two Brothers Pictures.

Streaming platforms such as Voot are, clearly, making a big difference to all3media in Asia. Not only are the rise of new platforms a great business opportunity in themselves, but the competition forces other platforms to be more creative, Duguet says.

An important part of her job is to make sure Asia is around the table on development and creative conversations. “It’s all about having that conversation and saying ‘hey guys there are some amazing opportunities here’.”

Published in ContentAsia's Issue Five 2018, 4 October 2018