Sofia’s Diary producer Campbell Ryan Entertainment (CRE) is set for expansion after securing investment from beActive Entertainment, the Portuguese company behind the original incarnation of the Bebo teen drama.

CRE, a cross-platform company with offices in Dublin, Belfast and London, plans to expand its inhouse writing and development team, and bring in developers specialising in areas such as iPhone applications.

As well as a significant sum from beActive, CRE has received funds from Enterprise Ireland, the Irish government’s business development agency.

CRE and beActive both specialise in cross-platform projects and work for brands as well as broadcasters. They will also pursue joint ventures and co-productions, and CRE is examining beActive properties to adapt for the UK and Ireland, while hoping to get an inroad into traditionally tough-to-crack markets such as Brazil.

The partnership will kick off with Beat Generation, a 30 x 5-minute online magazine show adapted from a beActive format.

The thrice-weekly show, to launch at the end of this month, will be aimed at 15 to 25 year-olds in Belfast. It will feature movie and concert reviews, and fashion and celebrity news, with an emphasis on new presenting talent and
unsigned bands, as well as uncovering hidden places to visit.

The series will be produced in partnership with the Belfast Telegraph, with funding from the Northern Ireland Arts Council.

CRE also plans to expand beyond the teen programming for which it best known. As well as Sofia’s Diary, CRE has made Aisling’s Diary, a more traditional teen TV drama for RTÉ that is about to enter its third series.

The show has been sold to Sweden and Australia, and Los Angelesbased MIO.TV is now adapting it for a Hispanic audience. CRE’s current development slate includes Wedding Diaries, a cross-platform project for a UK broadcaster, and My Best Friend Is A Ghost, which is set to be a UK/European co-production.

CRE founder and chief executive Triona Campbell Bernardo said: “This year is all about scaling up the company and our productions.

“Not everything will originate in-house now - we’re trying to make sure we can be the first port of call for the best people with the best projects that need marketing and distribution.”

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