Argonon builds Bridge to Korea

London-based indie group Argonon is backing a new media consultancy which aims to set up funding and coproduction opportunities between western prodcos and South Korea.

The Bridge, headed by former MD of Channel Health Amanda Groom, has launched with Argonon’s backing and will bring English-speaking producers, production companies and broadcasters together with their counterparts in South Korea.

Groom has already secured more than £400,000 (US$678,000) in investment for three coproductions with UK indies.

The RJ Thomas Story, a one-hour special from Welsh indie Awen Media for S4C has been backed along with The Forgotten War (2×60’), which Awen and Rondo Media are working on for the Welsh-language pubcaster.

Another Argonon company, BriteSpark Films, is also receiving South Korean money for a drama documentary series about ancient elite armies which has been picked up by an unnamed US cablenet.

The Bridge was formed in early 2014 with Groom at the helm. She was head of programming at Sky’s Channel Health from 2002 to 2003 and has since been running global television advisory Strand Media Consultancy.

Groom told C21: “South Korea is very interested in getting involved with English-speaking producers and money is available for these coproduction relationships. They’ve achieved great success with their drama across China and Japan, now they are concentrating on growing factual, factual ent, documentary series and an increasing number of animation projects.

“The Bridge is a conduit, so rather than having 100 disparate approaches from both sides we can link UK indies with the right programme idea, the right broadcaster and the right access to money. We’re looking at linking up some major animation projects from the UK and Canada with South Korean companies and money.”

Groom added that South Korea was just the starting point and the desire is to expand the company out into the rest of Asia in the future.

The Bridge will work with companies within Argonon, and across the indie sector in the UK, US, Canada and Australia.