In an Industry First, A/V Series Specific Online Channel Launch: SikkimRising.TV

NEW DELHI, India, September 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

As Sikkim got rocked by an earthquake of 4.1 MW on the Richter scale with its epicentre at Dikchu at 5.55 pm on September 18, 2012 - which is the first anniversary of the 6.9 MW earthquake that rocked Sikkim on September 18, 2011 at 6.10 pm, Mediakraft announced the launch of its Online Channel SikkimRising.TV. It has been made exclusively for the Travelogue Documentary Series "6.9 Sikkim Rising", in which the filmmaker travelled around the hill state of Sikkim, India in October 2011, only three weeks after a devastating earthquake to document the massive destruction that took place there. Though it's a travelogue, which documents the natural disaster that took place on 18 September 2011, it is actually a story of hope and inspiration to billions worldwide. It's a story about how the people of Sikkim, the small Himalayan state in India, is returning to its feet after being devastated by the 6.9 MW earthquake last year on that unfortunate day. The series was shot within 22 days of the earthquake hitting Sikkim and carries exclusive footage and stories from the remotest parts of the state, stories and areas that were not covered by the National and International Media.

After the official launch of the site yesterday evening the Travelogue Documentary Series will be made available worldwide on 28 September 2012 via VOD (Video On Demand) at http://www.SikkimRising.TV.

The series launch will take place via a Press Conference in New Delhi and a formal inauguration by the Chief Guest, whose name will be announced on 26thSeptember. The series launch event and press conference will be streamed live on SikkimRising.TV, along with a live playout of the first 25 minutes of the series to an international audience, which is a first of its kind series launch in India.

6.9 Sikkim Rising is an independent production initiative undertaken by Mediakraft to help the earthquake victims of Sikkim, a disaster affected state in India. Shot within 22 days of the earthquake hitting Sikkim, it has spent over 9 months on the edit table. A team of over 30 professionals from New Delhi, Mumbai, Gangtok, Bangalore, Kolkata and Ahmedabad have collaborated together to make this venture possible. Help in making the series has come from some caring nationals from Sweden and Germany as well.

September 28 will also see the launch of a memorabilia series in the form of notebooks, coasters, T-shirts, handbags, etc., bearing the 6.9 Sikkim Rising logo and slogans.

Primarily made for distribution by Video on Demand (VOD) on Internet, the pilot of the 6-hour plus long Travelogue Documentary Series will be made available live for the general public and national and international press and media executives.

"I am delighted that we have already received over 8000 likes on Facebook and have around 200 plus followers on Twitter, a number that includes international journalists. I am immensely grateful to the team, which has come together from all across India to make this venture possible. At a time when corporates did not back us as it's a philanthropic initiative, without the team's understanding and their time and effort this series would have never seen the light of the day," said Aditya Basu, Managing Director, Mediakraft Pvt. Ltd. "I did approach few Corporates and TV Channels to fund this series but was totally aghast at their 'what's in it for me' attitude. Overall, I found a basic apathy in these organisations towards the humanitarian cause that we are trying to highlight in this series. But when we have undertaken a long and arduous journey with so many people to bring the story forward, it's a beautiful moment when you finally launch the series after a year's hard work and struggle to make it happen." added Aditya.

This launch of an online channel by an independent media house also marks the beginning of a new era in Indian Television Industry where visionary media entrepreneurs can create their own projects without waiting for any approval from any specific TV channel and reach out to viewers directly. via the VOD platforms of Internet, DTH and IPTV.

"Imagine a world of good informative content that we all producers and publishers can bring forward, which is normally disregarded by the mainstream channels as these stories are too niche in nature. Courtesy the new media revolution, now it's possible for us to cater directly to the niche audience that we are targeting, as it happens in the case of book publishing... SikkimRising.TV is a trendsetter that way." said Aditya. "We are calling it an Online Channel as we will keep doing Live Interviews, Studio Discussions, Live Press Conferences on various earthquake and humanitarian issues via our Live Video Section," added Aditya.

Mediakraft Pvt. Ltd. undertook this noble venture to make a travelogue documentary mini-series on the effects of the 6.9 MW earthquake that hit Sikkim on 18 September 2011 evening. The tremors of the quake were felt across the Indian subcontinent. In the course of the series the plight of the people of Sikkim will be highlighted along with in-depth coverage of the socio-economic problems being faced by Sikkim post the earthquake.

"The thing is, people tend to forget natural and manmade disasters in a year or two, but for the people who have been affected by the Bhopal gas tragedy, the Mumbai shootout, people who died in Bhuj and Uttarkashi, quakes that are happening across South East Asia and recently in Iran, their lives are changed forever... Media and humans, by the law of nature, tend to forget these incidents but the struggle goes on to survive, to get their lives back on track. The same is happening in Sikkim. There the struggle is still on... NGOs and government officials are still working, people are still fighting and it's their story that we are bringing forward. We have not forgotten and we are still with the people of Sikkim trying to highlight their struggles and their stories," added Aditya.

6.9  Sikkim Rising was initially planned as a 40-minute documentary due for release in February/March in 2012 but while at the edit table the Producer/Director decided to make it into a 6.5 hrs mini-series divided into 4 parts. So effectively, 6.9 Sikkim Rising's initial launch target of March was shifted to September, the earthquake's anniversary month.

"While making the screenplay for the series I realised it would be a gross injustice if we do a commercial format 40-minute documentary. What I felt while shooting in Sikkim was that the journey we were going through, the experiences we were having, they could be understood only in the first person. You can't experience it in a 40-minute informative documentary. When was the last time my viewer crossed a landslide by foot? When was the last time when my viewer travelled on a road where huge rocks are hanging overhead? When was the last time my viewer crossed a road where 14 days ago a bus was stuck under rocks and debris and all roads were washed out? That's when it hit me... I need to make it into a travelogue so that people sitting in their homes can have a first person experience of whatever we faced. It's all there. All our journeys, all the incidents, all the wonderful and brave people we met. It's all there in the series. It was a journey of a lifetime for us, and I am sure that I have been able to bring it out exactly in the series so that our viewers can experience it too..." added Aditya who is also the Editor and Director of 6.9 Sikkim Rising.

The series intends to create international awareness as regard to what has happened in Sikkim and will highlight how Sikkim needs additional funding and an increase in tourism related revenues.

Sikkim is in Zone IV of India's Earthquake Zonal map and was rocked by a series of aftershocks after the 6.9 MW earthquake that shook Sikkim on September 18, 2011. The 4.1 MW quake that took place on the anniversary of the 2011 earthquake and other similar quakes keep disrupting normal life in Sikkim. This highlights the cause we and scores of others are working for. The fight has not ended in Sikkim and people's support is still required.

6.9 Sikkim Rising Official Project Pages:

Online Channel:

http://www.SikkimRising.TV

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/SikkimRising

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/SikkimRising

YouTube Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/MediakraftGlobal

Mediakraft:

http://www.mediakraft.in/sikkim/

http://www.mediakraft.in/sikkim/sikkimrising/

Editors Note:

Multimedia PR Available

http://www.mediakraft.in/sikkim/sikkimrising/pr/sep192012/index.html

About the Director and Producer:

Project is Produced and Directed by Aditya Basu who has over 16 years' experience in working within various fields of the Media Industry like National and Regional Non-Fiction TV Productions, National and Regional TV News and International A/V & Text News Publishing over the Internet catering to International Markets. He is considered to be a pioneer in the New Media Industry having launched 2 news and information portals back in 2003 which streams video as part of its news content offering.

Aditya Basu has been involved in production of 3 TV Documentary Series prior to this series (Consisting of 24 Independent Documentary Episodes) and in over 16 Independent Documentary Films financed by various Govt. and Private, Non-Fiction TV Channels and TV News Companies in India.

Aditya Basu has also been, for the last three consecutive years, a part of the Jury for the International Digital Emmy Awards (2009-2011) in the Non-Fiction Category, which is held every year in conjunction with the MIPTV Awards in Cannes, France.

6.9 Sikkim Rising Project Partners:

Legal Partner: Legal Orbit

Legal Orbit (the "Firm") is a young, dynamic and progressive full service Indian law firm rendering legal services with a client focused and solution oriented approach. The Firm provides with a "one stop shop" seamless service for all the legal requirements of its clients.

http://www.legalorbit.co.in

Animation Partner: Virtualinfocom

We at Virtual Information and Communications (virtualinfocom) believe in the perfect mix of imaginative and innovative efficiency, coupled with ground breaking technology provides our customers with the state of the art products and services.

http://www.virtualinfocom.com/

PR Distribution Partner: PR Newswire

PR Newswire is the global leader in innovative communications and marketing services, enabling organisations to connect and engage with their target audiences worldwide. Providing multimedia news targeting, distribution and monitoring products PR Newswire helps you promote your brand, generate awareness, drive sales and increase revenue.

http://www.prnewswire.com/

About Mediakraft:

Mediakraft Pvt. Ltd. is a digital content production, publishing and distribution company based in New Delhi, India. We create and distribute A/V and Textual/GFX content internationally via both the new and the old media platforms. We specialise in non fiction content production, publishing and distribution of Documentary Films, Documentary Series, Corporate Films, Promotional Films, Podcasts, Vodcasts etc.

http://www.mediakraft.in

Contact:
Aditya Basu
Managing Director,
Mediakraft Pvt. Ltd.

Email: 6.9 @ mediakraft.in
Mobile: +91-9971483182
URL: http://www.mediakraft.in

Address:
Mediakraft Pvt. Ltd.,
D12, G/F, Kailash Colony
New Delhi 110048,
India