ASOB Media Brings 'A Study on Beauty' to MIPCOM Buyers — SkimNews
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- ASOB Media is offering its seven-episode docuseries 'A Study on Beauty' to buyers at MIPCOM Cannes, framing it as combining the visual rigor of 'Chef's Table' with the cultural depth of Anthony Bourdain's 'Parts Unknown.'
- The series was created and written by two-time Creative Arts Emmy winner Gabbi Pascua and directed by Alan Dennis, whose credits include 'Morningside 5' and '30 for 30' episodes plus music videos for John Legend, Jennifer Lopez, and Diplo.
- Season 1 spans three global chapters: 'Through Smoke' filmed across France (including Grasse), Spain, Monaco, Switzerland, and Italy charting French perfumery; 'Onsen' exploring Japan's hot spring bathing rituals; and 'Homeland' examining the Philippines' matriarchal and indigenous heritage.
- The Philippines chapter features 109-year-old Kalinga tattoo artist Whang-Od, beauty pioneer Dr. Vicki Belo, 'the first Asian supermodel' Anna Bayle, and Miss Universe contestants, drawing on the country's colonial history and indigenous traditions.
- Alongside the docuseries, ASOB is debuting companion podcast 'A Student of Beauty' and digital short-form series 'A Beauty Journey,' which has already generated over one million organic cross-platform views.
- ASOB Media's executive team includes former Sony Pictures and Lionsgate corporate development exec Ka-Wai Ho, ex-Amazon finance and operations exec Shelby Barnes, business strategist Sal Benti, and advisory board member Todd Burns.
- The project was first reported in December 2024 under the working title 'A Study on Beauty: Through Smoke' before expanding into a broader seven-episode cross-cultural series.
Why it matters: ASOB Media is positioning 'A Study on Beauty' to capitalize on the global appetite for prestige docuseries that transcend single-nation storytelling — the three-chapter structure spanning French perfumery, Japanese onsen culture, and Filipino indigenous heritage gives international buyers three distinct licensable territories in one package. The track record of the creative team (Emmy-winning writer, director with major network credits) and the built-in audience signal from the companion short-form series' million-plus views lower the perceived risk for prospective distribution partners ahead of Cannes.
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