Belinda Dean launches unko; a production studio for digital entertainment aimed at youth market

Producer Belinda Dean (pictured) has launched unko, a production studio creating original series, films and branded entertainment for online audiences. Having spent the last six years producing for Tom Noakes and other talented Scoundrel and Photoplay directors, Dean has launched unko at a time when digital platforms and demand for content are exploding globally.

Says Dean: “There’s a huge future creating engaging entertainment for these new platforms as audiences gravitate towards on-demand and time-shifted viewing. We work with broadcasters and advertisers alike to create unique content that engages audiences in new ways, on their terms.”

unko has a network of AACTA, ADG and international award winning filmmakers working across projects as diverse as branded entertainment, web series, one hour dramas, and comedy half hours. Among them are filmmakers Warwick Young, Lucy Gaffy, Julietta Boscolo, Laura Kurataya and comedic duo and YouTube stars, The Royal Stampede.

Says Dean: “Every one of our collaborators is a celebrated storyteller who brings a unique perspective to the screen. There are enormous benefits to working with such talented filmmakers when you’re looking to find a new audience for your brand or extend the reach of your production.”

Dean says that unko is short for ‘unkonventional’, representing an unconventional approach to accessing audiences and telling brand stories: “The attention of audiences has shifted, but not their desire for engaging stories. And rather than creating traditional advertising campaigns, we conceive and collaborate on story-driven content that will catch the attention of viewers in a fun, relevant and gratifying way.”

unko has just wrapped production on the next wave of Bondi Hipsters and Trent From Punchy sketches for the Princess Pictures series The Slot, destined for Foxtel later this year; and is currently in production on The Funny Ones, a documentary that will screen on ABC in October for International Day of the Girl. The film introduces four tween girls with a passion for making people laugh, and connects them with young stars of Australian comedy (Veronica Milsom and the Skit Box troupe) for performances and behind-the-scenes conversations around being young, female and funny.

For more information go to – www.studiounko.com.