How does Canberra become the setting of a Singaporean television drama?
It's the question that was on everyone's lips since the announcement that Singaporean production company Mediacorp is heading to the capital later this month to film the 20-episode series, Shero.
And as it turns out, not only was Canberra chosen, but it won out over other Australian bids for the film shoot.
According to an ACT Government spokesperson, VisitCanberra pitched the capital as the filming location - and setting for the drama to play out in - and it was the city's existing trade relationship with Singapore that got it over the line.
"VisitCanberra pitched the destination as the backdrop to this drama series through leveraging our presence in the Singaporean market," the spokesperson said.
"In consultation with Screen Canberra and Tourism Australia, Canberra's compelling tourism offering, proximity of locations and spectacular filming conditions were presented to Mediacorp.
"This highlights the value of building connections with our trade missions, particularly to Singapore."
Shero follows the story of a young woman, who decides to join her late sister's bodyguard company to continue her legacy. In doing so, she discovers many things about her sister and a web of complications that has her running to save the company, her loved ones, and herself.
The cast is filled with Singaporean A-listers including former Miss Singapore Universe contestant Joanne Peh, Carrie Wong, Nick Teo, Tay Ying and Aileen Tan. It is understood that the actors' characters are drawn to Canberra following the death of the young woman's sister, to meet a man.
And the actor who is fictionally calling Canberra home in the show? Romeo Tan, an actor who came out of the 2010 Singapore TV reality competition Star Search.
The fast-paced, action-packed story will feature many of Canberra's locations as the backdrop for key parts of the story. Over 10 days, from February 22, the crew will film at a variety of tourist and scenic locations across Canberra, including hotels, attractions, the airport, cityscapes, café scenes, and outdoor vistas.
However, due to security reasons, the ACT Government spokesperson said they were not publicising the exact locations. But there is still a chance for Canberrans to get a glimpse of the production.
"Some Canberrans within the tourism industry have been cast in roles as cameos through the nature of their job, including taxi drivers and concierges," the spokesperson said.
"Parts of the production will be filmed in public places. We ask people to keep a sensible distance while filming takes place."
Behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with talent and additional tourism experiences in Canberra will also be captured by the accompanying online short-video crew JustSwipeLah, which will deliver trending, attention-grabbing content to a Singapore audience. JustSwipeLah is an online content series that features entertainment, lifestyle and food news in short videos.
"While we haven't done economic impact analysis of the production yet, with a crew of 27 eating, staying and playing in Canberra over 10 days, it is expected that there will be a positive economic contribution to Canberra," the ACT spokesperson said.
"Further economic benefits are anticipated when the show is released in Singapore later in 2023, generating awareness and interest in Canberra as a tourism destination, encouraging visitation."
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