The interactive drama, which played out online in weekly episodes last year on TVNZ Ondemand, won the Digital Emmy for programmes aimed at children or young people. It was up against shows from Hong Kong, Canada, Finland and the UK.The award was handed ou
The interactive drama, which played out online in weekly episodes last year on TVNZ Ondemand, won the Digital Emmy for programmes aimed at children or young people. It was up against shows from Hong Kong, Canada, Finland and the UK.
The award was handed out at an International Academy of Television, Arts and Sciences bash in Cannes this morning NZ time (Monday night in France), and marks New Zealand's first-ever International Emmy win.
Reservoir Hill told the story of Beth Connolly (Beth Chote, pictured) who was uprooted from her home life in rural Ruakowhai, and forced to move to a strange new suburb when her parents separate.
The online drama (watch episodes here) was a New Zealand first from David Stubbs and Thomas Robins from local production house KHF Media (backed by NZ on Air), giving viewers the chance to interact with their lead character.
The weekly episodes posed the question of what Beth should do in certain situations and viewers could then text in their suggestions. The producers then took those suggestions on board for the following episode.
Weekly video blogs from Beth were also posted and viewers could interact with her through her Bebo page [Bebo? Whoops. Editor.]
Reservoir Hill beat fellow nominees The Space Trainees from Finland, The BBC's The Well, Hong Kong's HK File.X and Canada's Inside Hana's Suitcase.
Other online winners
The UK won the Digital Program: Fiction and Digital Program: Non-Fiction International Emmy awards. Primeval Evolved (geo-blocked to users outside the UK), an online project that extends the stories, world and characters of the television show primeval, won for Fiction.
Virtual Revolution an open source documentary, inviting users to collaborate in the making of a series about how the Internet has transformed society, won for Non-Fiction. Complete information on the winners follows this release.
The Pioneer Prize was presented to Heroes Creator and Executive Producer Tim Kring, for his innovative contributions to the field of digital entertainment with Heroes Evolutions.
"This year's winners have masterfully demonstrated how to enhance the viewers' multiplatform experience," said Bruce L. Paisner, President & CEO of The International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. "We congratulate them on their achievements."
The awards ceremony was attended by over 200 international executives from the television, broadband and mobile industries.
