Jungleboys to create long form development team
Cast of Jungleboys’ A Moody Christmas
Australian production company Jungleboys will establish a full-time development and research team to work across both broadcast projects and on its online comedy channel Jungleboys.tv.
The move marks the latest step by Jungleboys to move beyond its advertising roots. The production company is also behind sitcom A Moody Christmas, currently airing ABC1.
Jungleboys is is one of four production companies and four feature film producers to receive a government grant from Screen Australia as part of the agency’s 2012 Enterprise Program, which will help implement the team.
Jason Burrows, founder and executive producer of Jungleboys told Mumbrella: “While we have a business model for advertising, in the past we’ve developed long form ideas ad-hoc. This will give us the chance to create a long form business model. We’ve also talked about having a full-time developer on Jungleboys.tv and we’re constantly looking for new talent.
“Jungleboys.tv gives us the ability to experiment with new ideas and develop characters online that if working, we might make a series out of. That’s something I think has attracted Screen Australia to us, as well as the success of A Moody Christmas.”
Screen Australia’s entire Enterprise investment is $2.7m with The Jungleboys set to receive $700,000 over three years.
Also receiving the Enterprise program were companies Bearcage and Joined Up Films, both with a focus on seeking new business and factually programming with the Asian market; and WTFN Holdings which will use the funding to accelerate the expansion of its sale arm Fred Media, launched in early October.
Also receiving funding are four feature film producers through the Feature Enterprise fund. The funding will assist Wish You Were Here’s Angie Fielder, Sleeping Beauty’s Jessica Brentnall, Griff the Invisible’s Nicole O’Donohue and Red Dog’s Nelson Woss with development support, building relationships in international markets and expanding feature film slates.
Burrows’ partners in Jungleboys, Trent O’Donnell and Phil Lloyd, last week signed to American talent agency The Gersh Agency.
