ENTERING ENTROPICO
Entropico, the Sydney, Australia and Los Angeles-based studio that last year hatched Netflix’s “ONEFOUR: Against All Odds,” has appointed Sele Leota as senior creative producer. He joins the team after collaborating with Entropico for nearly a year.
Leota boasts a rich background in unscripted television and audio storytelling, including a five-year stint as storyteller and producer on E! Television’s “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.” Previous roles at Bunim-Murray Productions saw him contributing to series such as MTV’s “The Real World” and Lifetime Television Network’s “Project Runway.” He is also overseeing post-production of Netflix’s “Coming Out Colton” at 3/Ball Jeff Jenkins Productions.
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In the audio storytelling sector, he co-executive produced “Being Trans” and “Being Golden,” two of Lemonada Media‘s ground-breaking audio reality podcast series that won three Webby Awards in 2023.
Entropico recently produced YouTube’s “A Drag Adventure Story,” starring iconic performers and creatorsTrixie Mattel and Juno Birch; “Enter the Realm,” a celebration of YouTube’s tabletop roleplaying games community; and a suite of branding and video assets for Google Marketing Live.The company also won a Webby for its work on “YouTube Game On: An Interactive Livestream Experience,” and a gold Telly award for its work on the main titles of “The Clearing” for Disney+/Hulu.
FORMAT FRENZY
With the Jimmy Carr-hosted U.K. adaptation of Korean format “Battle in the Box” set to air on Tuesday and Wednesday on UKTV’s channel U & Dave, formats agency Something Special has won two annual funds and accepted both the Format Lab (5 years in a row) and the Pilot fund, from government-backed Korean Creative Content Agency (KOCCA). The organization allows for a maximum of two funds per yearfor any one company.
For the Format Lab, Something Special selected four teams of established Korean producers such as:Kang Sook-kyung, original creator of“Physical 100,” andJi Hyunsook, original creator of“Singles Inferno,”to work with Something Special’s own format producers.
Over the past four years, Something Special has launched formats such as spooky reality game show“Still Alive”andplay-along-able music gameshow“The Beatbox” in multiple markets. “Beatbox” was originally created by Nmedia andaired in South Korea on MBN.
ODEON OPULENCE
U.K. cinema chain Odeon is set to enhance its premium Luxe experience with new developments across the country. The company plans to open an eight-screen cinema in Peterborough and upgrade existing locations in Norwich and Uxbridge to Luxe status.
The expansion comes as the film industry rebounds, with “Inside Out 2” leading a strong slate for 2024. Odeon Luxe cinemas feature advanced technology, including 4K projection and immersive sound systems. New amenities include VIP Beds in select screens and a Luxe Suite concept in Norwich, offering private viewing pods. The Peterborough location, Odeon’s first in Cambridgeshire, is expected to create 40 local jobs.
ACCESSIBLE ADVERTISING
U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 has announced that all advertisements during its coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games will feature subtitles. This move expands on the broadcaster’s recent commitment to subtitle all live sporting action from the event. The initiative will cover linear Channel 4 television, including Channel 4, More 4 and 4Seven, as well as live streaming coverage. Channel 4 is collaborating with industry partners, including brands, agencies and technical providers, to ensure the accessibility of scheduled advertising.
The decision comes as Channel 4 reports that only 25% of advertising received by it is subtitle-enabled, while the Royal National Institute for Deaf People estimates that 18 million people in the U.K. experience varying degrees of hearing loss and deafness.
