PROINTERVIEW
Jamal Al Sharif is Chairman of Dubai Film and TV Commission, and Managing Director of Dubai Studio City and Dubai Media City.
Ready for release
Jamal Al Sharif, Managing Director of Dubai Studio City, spoke to BroadcastPro ME about the entity’s current projects and future plans on the sidelines of the official launch of the region’s first sound stage in partnership with MBC
What’s on offer at the first completed sound stage? Dubai Studio City has partnered with MBC on the sound stage project, which entitles MBC to use the facility independently. While we provide the infrastructure, they bring in the knowhow and use the sound stage on a long-term lease of five years. MBC has introduced Stargate technology in the sound stage, which is being seen as a tremendous push for the local film and TV industry. The other aspect of our partnership entails local content generation, which will
be done by filming four TV dramas yearly i.e. twenty of them during the leasing period. In return, we offer soft incentives worth USD 272,257 (1 million AED) by way of fee waivers and subsidised offerings. The sound stage will be leased out by MBC to third parties when not in use. MBC has already completed the filming of one drama, which was fully shot in Dubai but the shoots were mainly done outdoors. Dubai-based crew and local production companies were hired to do this series. Now with the sound stage officially launched, MBC starts filming its second
drama from September 1. It is a very interesting drama and will recreate another country right here in the sound stage. That’s all I can disclose at the moment. What is special about this sound stage? This is the first of the three sound stages announced earlier this year and covers a sprawling 25,000 sqft. MBC has brought in Stargate technology in this sound stage for the first time in the region. Stargate has five locations around the world and we are indeed proud to say that Dubai is one of them.
24 | www.broadcastprome.com | August 2013