I N D I A N E N T E R TA I N M E N T B I Z G U I D E
DE C E M BE R 2014
AT F 2014 SIN G A PO R E
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ETERNAL SUPERSTAR Rajinikanth is not just an actor, but a phenomenon. With his Lingaa getting ready to hit the screens on his 63rd birthday on December 12 amid huge expectations, the demigod, who was honoured for his lifetime achievement at the IFFI 2014, remains cool and casual. A proďŹ le by Pickle
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I N D I A N E N T E R TA I N M E N T B I Z G U I D E
DE C E M BE R 2014
AT F 2014 SIN G A PO R E
www.picklemag.com
ETERNAL SUPERSTAR Rajinikanth is not just an actor, but a phenomenon. With his Lingaa getting ready to hit the screens on his 63rd birthday on December 12 amid huge expectations, the demigod, who was honoured for his lifetime achievement at the IFFI 2014, remains cool and casual. A proďŹ le by Pickle
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS BEFORE YOU MISS
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13-16 APRIL 2015 CANNES, FRANCE
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OCTOBER 16-17, 2015
INDIA @ ATF
Indian Companies to Strike at ATF India’s emergence as a major market has captured international attention. Over 50 M&E companies from India are in full strength to buy, sell, service, engage and collaborate for business expansion at ATF
ATF market file photo
ZEE ENTERTAINMENT STAND: F 27 Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited is one of India’s leading television, media and entertainment companies. It is amongst the largest producers and aggregators of Hindi programming in the world, with an extensive library housing over 1.2 lac+ hours of television content. With rights to more than 3,500 movie titles from foremost studios and of iconic film stars, ZEEL houses the world’s largest Hindi film library.
EROS INTERNATIONAL STAND: J 22 Eros International Media operates on a vertically integrated studio model managing content as well as distribution and exploitation across all formats globally, including cinema, digital, home entertainment
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and television syndication. It has over 1900 films in its library and is at ATF with brand new Bollywood films.
RAJSHRI ENTERTAINMENT RAJJAT@RAJSHRI.COM Rajshri Entertainment Private Limited is India’s leading digital entertainment studio. It is part of the 67-year-old Rajshri group. Rajshri’s objective at ATF is to showcase its vast library of Bollywood feature films and short form digital programming to VOD and other digital platforms.
GREEN GOLD STAND: G 24 Hyderabad-based Green Gold is India’s leading animation studio and a leader in domestic TV content production. With more then 10,000 minutes of animated content, 6 IP, Green Gold is the creator of the
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Maya Entertainment’s Motu Patlu is a major hit in Nick India most loved and Iconic character of India Chhota Bheem which has a following of 40 million kids in India. Led by CEO Rajiv Chilakalapudi, Green Gold is a classic example of successfully exploiting Chhota Bheem in the licensing and merchandising space.
COSMOS ENTERTAINMENT PTE. LTD STAND: H 30 With over 6000 minutes of original animated content created in the last 2 years, (comprising of over 250 half hour episodes) ready/currently on air; and 5 animation series under production, the company is the market leader in original Indian animation content production & is focusing on creating animated content for the global markets. Cosmos-Maya is presently working with all the leading kids’ content broadcasters including Nickelodeon, Disney & Discovery Kids in India.
NAAGAA ENTERTAINMENT NEMDIA@VSNL.NET Naagaa Entertainment Media Pvt Ltd is a firm based in Chennai and is one of the
leading media syndication businesses in India catering to the content requirement needs of international television channels. “We are currently looking to acquire Children Programmes, animated series, animated feature films drama series, feature films, reality shows and finished game shows from various exhibitors from ATF market. We always find this market as one of the globally recognized content market and could see the growth year by year and always get high quality content from many exhibitors from this market,” says market veteran V. Naagarajan well-known in international markets as Naagaa.
INOX LEISURE INOX Leisure Limited is the diversification venture of the INOX Group into entertainment. INOX Leisure’s mission is to be the leader in the cinema exhibition industry, in every aspect right from the quality and choice of cinema to the varied services offered and eventually the highest market share. INOX has traversed its own path by bringing in a professional and service oriented approach to the cinema exhibition sector.
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All Eyes on ATF The explosion of Asian middle class population from 500 million in 2010 to 1.95 billion in 2020 will create big demand for mobile products and services, and quality entertainment content, says Hui Leng Yeow, project director, Asia Television Forum, while revealing plans for this year’s ATF Asian Television Forum has emerged as a meeting point for international buyers and content creators in this region. How has this year’s edition shaped? The registrations to-date look positive, we are tracking well ahead of last year in terms of numbers. We are confident to deliver a bigger and busier market this year. We will be featuring big names at the four-day conference this year including two Asian keynotes -Mr. Wang Zhonglei, President, Huayi Brothers, and Mr. Ma Dong, Chief Content Officer, IQIYI. We will also be presenting tailor-made content for Asian producers through the ATF Animation Lab and MIPACADEMY. This year, ATF will be part of the Singapore Media Festival (SMF). It brings together four complementary events – ATF, Screen Singapore, Asian Television Awards and Singapore International Film Festival under a single umbrella. The events are expected to bring in more TV and Film professionals from around the world to Singapore this December. The bigger attendance will definitely facilitate more business possibilities and new relationships. For the third consecutive year Reed Exhibitions Singapore has added
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Screen Singapore with ATF? How has this synergy worked? The growing synergies between TV and Film, as evident by the frequent crossover of talent and content between the silver screen and small screen, presents a compelling reason for the co-location with ScreenSingapore, and from this year onwards, with the Singapore International Film Festival. Last year, when Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore co-located for the second year running, it out-performed the previous two editions with more than 4,300 film and TV trade participants from 60 countries, achieving business deals worth US$220.33 million, achieving a 10% increase in attendance from 2012 with a corresponding increase of 8.2% in content sales. The growth also further bolsters the trade markets’ role as Asia’s key platform for international and regional media companies to come together to network and trade. With the media industry operating in an increasingly-converged environment, the TV and Film events provide a seamless platform that allows more opportunities for cross-over collaborations by bringing together players from the film and TV industries. How do you see developments on the LIKE PICKLE IN FACEBOOK
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ATF: MARKET LEADER IN ASIA SHABNAM
Hui Leng Yeow Project Director, Reed Exhibitions Asia Television Forum
The strong support from the various associations and government agencies validates ATF’s effectiveness as a business platform for Asia’s audiovisual industry 11
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Digital Players
Delegate Tip
Twitter, Dailymotion, YoukuTudou, SingtelmioTV, SK Broadband, SK Planet,Xiaomi TV, Sohu, are at ATF
Some Southeast Asian buyers may not answer emails, do follow up with phone calls to reach out to them
digital front? Is the multi screen platform reflected at ATF? There is a lot of development on the digital front, and more players are entering the Asian market. Digital players attending ATF this year include Twitter, Dailymotion, YoukuTudou, SingtelmioTV, SK Broadband, SK Planet,Xiaomi TV, Sohu, IQIYI etc. We have also programmed panels discussing digital trends in Asia. Like Netflix, Asia’s online platforms are also investing on original programming. Take China as example, broadcasters spend big budgets on production to produce high quality content to fight for viewership and sponsorships. Last year, our keynote speaker Sunny Zhu, Chief Content Officer from YoukuTudou, announced an investment of US$49.2 million on partner-generated and in-house content production. This year, IQIYI, China’s internet platform, received an investment of US$300m from Xiaomi, and has announced aggressive content acquisition and production plans. IQIYI’s Chief Content Officer, Ma Dong, will be sharing more at the ATF conference on 9 December. What is the attraction for mobile and Internet players at ATF? Mobile is emerging as a mass platform for content consumption? The explosion of the Asian middle class population from 500 million in 2010 to 1.95 billion in 2020 will create big demand for mobile products and services, and quality entertainment content. Content sellers are keen to reach out to mobile and internet players at ATF, especially those from big emerging markets such as Indonesia, which has a relatively young population who will be receptive to mobile technol-
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ogy and content. What is the most significant trend that you have observed in your engagement with ATF exhibitors and delegates as the event kicks off ? Attendees are demanding for knowledge and new inspirations, thus we have been investing a lot of resources to better our conferences and market intelligence, and curate more business matching activities at the show this year, such as 1-on-1 with format experts. What are the two or three innovations at ATF this year? The change in location is something that our attendees can look forward to this year. We will still be at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, but we will be moving the market and majors’ hospitality suites from level 1 & 3 to level 5 of the convention centre. The layout on level 5 allows us to put everything on one floor, and makes business networking more efficient. This new space also offers an exclusive immaculate view of the Singapore skyline, and will definitely provide a more pleasurable business experience for all attendees. We will also be organizing an inaugural Media Leaders’ Lunch which is a highlevel closed door networking lunch, by invitation only. The introduction of MIP Academy last year was welcomed by the regional producers, and it is back with more punchy content this year. New at MIPACADEMY this year is the 1-on-1 Format Sessions. It is a series of 30-minute pre-arranged closed door consultations with Alexis De Gemini or Tim Crescenti. Building on the success from last year, ATF Animation Lab returns bigger this LIKE PICKLE IN FACEBOOK
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Biz at ATF
Mobile First
2013 saw participation from 60 countries, achieving business deals worth US$220.33 million
Content sellers are keen to reach out to mobile and internet players at ATF
year. A total of 10 commissioners (7 commissioners in 2013) will be reviewing submissions from the regional producers. New this year, ATF will introduce “Up Close with Commissioners”, which will allow producers to get a glimpse into each commissioner’s programming plans for 2016 – 2017. One of the biggest strengths of ATF is country pavilions? What value they get from ATF? ATF is well supported by industry associations. This year, we are expecting 13 delegations. The strong support from the various associations and government agencies validates ATF’s effectiveness as a business platform for Asia’s audiovisual industry. Our partners, especially the Asian pavilions, appreciate to meet the right people at a singular platform, in a venue closer to home. What are the conference themes this year? Every year, ATF celebrates the best of Asia’s talents by featuring successful Asian personalities as our keynotes. This year, we will be throwing our spotlight on two extremely talented profes-
sionals from China – Mr. Ma Dong from IQIYI and Mr. Wang Zhonglei from Huayi Brothers. In addition, we will be presenting a stellar line-up of C-level speakers who will be addressing topics including ‘Emerging Trends in Asia’s Content Market’, ‘Focus on Asia’s Growing Content Business – Market Leaders’ Panel’, ‘Asia’s Growing OTT Market’, ‘The Acquisition Panel – What do Buyers Want?’, ‘Focus on China’s Original Format’, ‘The Power of Alliance – Exporting Asia’s Format Globally’, ‘Approach on Korea’s Format’ and ‘The Rise of Factual Entertainment in Asia’. What are your tips for delegates at ATF? Delegates are strongly encouraged to prepare for the market by studying the database of attendees via our ATF Connect, and contact the buyers prior to the market for appointments. Many of our buyers are new to the market, so you will need to do some research on the companies to decide they are the right audience for your content. Some Southeast Asian buyers may not answer emails, do follow up with phone calls to reach out to them.
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EROS @ ATF
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CONTENT BUYS
Eros International Media operates on a vertically integrated studio model managing content as well as distribution and exploitation across all formats globally, including cinema, digital, home entertainment and television syndication. It has over 1900 films in its library and is at ATF with brand new Bollywood films
TEVAR Commercial entertainer. Release Date Jan 9, 2015 EMAIL: kumar.ahuja@erosintl.com WEBSITE: www.erospic.com / www.erosnow.com BOOTH NUMBER: J 22
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Boney Kapoor’s Tevar produced by Sanjay Kapoor Entertainment, Eros International, Sunil Manchanda and Naresh Agarwal is a commercial entertainer. Starring Arjun Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha and Manoj Bajpayee in lead roles, the film’s trailer is buzzing in the social media. Sonakshi Sinha’s dance in Radha Nachegi from Tevar is already a big hit.
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ACTION JACKSON Action comedy Starring Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha The Gordhan P Tanwani and Sunil Lulla production has Ajay Devgn teaming up with director Prabhudheva. The action comedy features Sonakshi Sinha, Yami Gautam and debutante Manasvi Mamgai, Miss India World 2010. The highlight of the film is Ajay’s action sequences -- martial arts and Ninja Sword fighting. Action Jackson, produced by Eros International and Baba Arts Ltd, was released on December 5.
LINGAA The movie, directed by K.S.Ravikumar, has Superstar Rajinikanth a dual role. It is the Tamil film debut for Bollywood actor Sonakshi Sinha, while Anuskha Shetty plays the second female lead. Oscar winning composer A.R.Rahman has scored the music and Rockline Entertainment has produced the movie. Lingaa will be released world-wide in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi on December 12. The global rights of Lingaa have been bagged by Eros International. The producer is Rockline Venkatesh.
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MARY COM Production Company: Bhansali Productions, Viacom18 Motion Pictures International Sales: Eros International Glamorous Indian star Priyanka Chopra completely transforms herself to play Mary Kom, world champion in women’s boxing. From traditional village life in remote Manipur state to high-stakes bouts in India and around the world, this is a remarkable story of triumph. Principal Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Darshan Kumaar, Sunil Thappa, Kenny Basumatary.
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ZEE ENTERTAINMENT @ ATF
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CONTENT BUYS Zee presents a true meeting of the East and West, all under one roof. Zee Bollywood brings you the best of Indian emotions, with newly launched Maharakshak Aryan, along with Jodha Akbar, Buddha, Qubool Hai and Kum Kum Bhagya. While Z Living, with Good Food America, Nirmala’s Spice World, BollyBlast, Rock Your Yoga, Yogi Cameron: A Model Guru, Myth Defying with Dr. Holly, introduces you to the finest original HD English content from the west.
DOLI ARMAANO KI Scripts available / Family – 200 episodes of 30 mins
EMAIL: sunita.uchil@zee.esselgroup.com WEBSITE: www.zeebollyworld.com / www.zeetelevision.com BOOTH NUMBER: F27
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For every young woman, her wedding is, undoubtedly, the most eagerly awaited day of her life. She has a million little hopes and dreams about her marriage, a vision of what her husband should be like, her own thoughts on the kind of life after marriage. ‘Doli Armaanon Ki’ is the story of one such starry-eyed, small-town bride Urmi who embarks on the quest for marital bliss, her eyes brimming with hope.
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KUMKUM BHAGYA Available in HD / Romance – 105 episodes of 30 mins
GOOD FOOD AMERICA English / Travel – 39 Episodes of 30 mins This Emmy Nominated Show takes the viewers on culinary adventure in search of the best healthy places to eat in America. From Vegan Cafes to Locavore Bistros, to truck stops & cantinas, our host Nathan Lyon & Danny Boome, serve up the ultimate guide while bringing to life the benefits of healthy eating.
The story follows the life of a mother who runs a marriage hall and lives with the hope of seeing her two daughters - poles apart in bearing, outlook and disposition, happily married someday. The plot centers on Pragya and Bulbul, two sisters, their dreams, aspirations and their inter-twined destinies as seen from the eyes of a mother. The pivotal characters of the show are a bunch of strong, feisty women, living together in an all-female, matriarchal family.
THE LISA OZ SHOW English / Talk Show– 39 episodes of 60 mins The Lisa Oz show features fascinating experts and celebrity guest-from Deepak Chopra To Donna Karan & Dr. Oz-For No hold bared Exploration of every conceivable facet of health & wellness.
JODHA AKBAR Available in Foreign Languages & Seasons / Historic Romance 350 episodes of 30 mins Jodha Akbar is a saga of love, which began when the vanquisher of foes, conqueror of nations, met Jodha. Jodha a beautiful Rajput princess, she a was symphony of beauty, extremely benovolent. After their initial tussle, together they build an empire where love defeated hatred.
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ROCK YOUR YOGA English / Fitness – 65 Episodes of 30 mins In Rock Your Yoga, Sadie Nardini brings her cool, accessible teaching style, down-to-earth yoga tips and centered-living tools to a yoga series like no other. The daily morning show combines everyday yoga practice, alignment tips, and solutions for common ailments, nutrition tips and action steps to bring the yoga lifestyle to everyday living.
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ZEE ENTERTAINMENT @ ATF
ZEEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FOCUS ON ASIA PACIFIC
Sushruta Samanta Business Head, Asia Pacific, International Channels, ZEEL Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has identified Asia Pacific as a key growth area for its business. This is due to two key reasons, firstly the fact that Asia Pacific countries are demonstrating very fast growth as compared to the other continents, and secondly and more importantly, because of the cultural similarities and values within the region, which makes the mainstream audience across different countries easily accept the Indian content and connect to it. ZEEL is looking at quantum growth in this market and in the last 12 months launched its operations in two new markets, Thailand & Indonesia with setting up of local offices and local teams. What factors have contributed to the growth and success of Zee TV channels in Asia Pacific region? India is one of the most advanced and open media markets in the World and that gives a great competitive advantage for us to expand in other markets internationally. Indian Film
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Online & IPTV viewing will play a major role in the coming years in the Asia Pacific region, says Sushruta Samanta, Business Head, Asia Pacific, International Channels, ZEEL & TV Industry can be termed as one of the biggest in world in terms of volume and now with great production qualities. Simultaneously, the Indian culture and values connect very well with different communities in the Asia Pacific region. This is because of the strong religious, cultural and trade connect that it had in the historic past. When we conducted our Focus Group Researches across seven key countries in the Asia Pacific region last year, we were pleasantly surprised on how well the local population in these countries connected to the Indian content when it is localized well through sub titling and dubbing. Zee holds the largest Indian content library and this gives us a strong advantage to enter various Asian markets with localized contents. Zee TV Asia Pacific, our dedicated Hindi Entertainment channel for the region is one of the first Indian Channel to have launched in the Asia Pacific Region. This has helped us get a profound market and audience understanding by country and forge a great relationship with key Distributor platforms in the region.
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What has been some of the major milestones of Zee Asia Pacific? What are your immediate priorities? While we have been focusing on connecting with the Indian community in the region till now, our current focus have now moved to localizing our products for the mainstream audiences in key markets. We have Zee Variasi, our Malay sub titled General Entertainment channel in Malaysia, Zee Nung our Thai Bollywood product for Thailand audience and Zee Bioskop our Indonesia Bhasha channel for the Indonesia audience. More are in the pipeline for launches in the coming months. Zee TVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision is to touch 1 billion viewers by 2020 and currently it reaches to 700 million? What will be the growth pattern from the Asia Pac region in this vision? Asia Pacific will play the most crucial role in fulfilling our corporate objective. Given the fact that this region is the largest market in terms of audience size and fastest growing, a large part of our incremental audience is expected from here. Markets like China, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines among others will play a crucial role for our future growth.
I would term this as very crucial, as the long term success of the venture depends majorly on these factors. The third part is to convince the platforms for bandwidth and at the right price. We believe that creation of good content needs strong investments and in most markets we operate as a pay channel. Where do you see high growth in the Asia Pacific region? Well the Asia Pacific region is expected to hold 56% of the Global Multichannel Home by 2015 and the Pay TV market size, including both Pay Advertising & Subscription revenue put together, at an overall level is expected to grow at 10% in average between 2014 & 2015. However this includes already developed markets like Japan, Korea among others. If we look at the emerging countries, we see a far higher growth levels in the Pay Subscription business, eg. Indonesia is expected to grow at 21% Vietnam 13%, 21%, Ph Philippines 14% and so on.
We are looking at launching another six localized channels in the coming years across the key markets in the region
Asia is the diversified and multi-cultural market in the world? From Korea to Malaysia and Macau to Cambodia and Singapore to Sri Lankaâ&#x20AC;Ś What are the challenges in making inroads into these markets? Well there are three levels of challenges that we face in most of the markets while entering. First is of course the regulatory challenges, the landing right rules and company holding structure grossly changes by markets and that needs a lot of studying and discussion for the formation of the local entity. Some of the markets have strict landing right policies and a proper application and dialogue is required with the regulatory authorities and Govt. officials for us to acquire necessary permissions. Second level of challenge is to get the right people and vendor support from these markets.
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Wh What trends do yo see in online you vie viewing among vie viewers? How ha has been digital con consumption of con content in this reg region? On Online & IPTV vie viewing will play m a major role in the com coming years in the As Pacific region. Asia Wh the broadband While exp experience is lower as compared to the other Western markets, it is improving and growing very fast. Finally, What are your big picture goals for your channels in Asia in the next year? Well we have a very ambitious goal for the APAC region. While we have already doubled our channels from two to four in the last one year, we are looking at launching another six localized channels in the coming years across the key markets in the region. Apart from that we will be getting into local production of content for our priority markets followed by launch of locally produced channels. By 2020, the Asia Pacific Region will play a key & significant role in driving our corporate objectives of global audience reach.
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INNOVATION FROM ZEEL SHABNAM Ditto TV of Zee New Media, ZEEL’s digital business arm, has witnessed a remarkable growth garnering over 5 lakh paid subscribers, over 5 million registered users and half a million downloads till date.
Ditto TV on several platforms Ditto TV is the first operator-agnostic service of its kind and it is present across all Operating Systems such as Android, iOS, Symbian, Windows, Windows PC, Windows phone, Windows MAC as well as on Connected TVs. Each platform is unique in its features and capabilities and hence the challenge here was to develop the best crossformatted app, rather than for just couple of platforms. In fact, Ditto TV was ranked #1 on the AppleApp Store within a week of its launch, and listed in ‘Featured Apps’ on the BlackBerry App World & Windows Store ‘Spotlight’. Further to that, Ditto TV was ranked as the top trending app on Google Play Store and the number 1 Top Grossing app on the iOS App Store in the Entertainment category.
Ditto TV’s growth in recent months Since its inception, Ditto TV has witnessed a remarkable growth garnering over 5 lakh paid subscribers, 5 million users and over half a million downloads till date. Ditto TV has a huge network spanning across 176 countries including UK, UAE, New Zealand, Australia and the US. It has also strengthened its position in the APAC region with viewers from 17 countries, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, Thailand, New Zealand and Taiwan, have access to Live ZEE content using the Ditto TV app. One strategic development in the recent months was the tie–up with Fortumo to introduce a new payment option for consumers wherein they can pay through their mobile operator. In addition, we have also partnered with ‘Payment Solution Providers’ like Oxigen, itzcash, Payworld and Pay1 which offers Ditto TV users the convenience to make payments at these solution provider kiosks or even at the nearest retail outlets.
Seamless user experience “We at Ditto TV are committed to making the user experience as seamless, convenient and memorable as possible. We want to offer viewers the largest collection of premium content, spread across diverse genres and also offer the convenience of paying subscriptions through variety of payment options in order to enhance their viewing experience. We are confident that our efforts to offer a seamless video viewing experience will allow consumers to enjoy our varied content on Ditto TV” Manoj Padmanabhan, Business Head, Ditto TV
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Ditto TV Watch LIVE TV, anytime, anywhere An insight into this entertainment revolution for delegates at Asia Television Forum, Singapore
New payment option
Engaging content owners Platforms such as Ditto TV present good value to aggregators of content like production houses and movie companies that own blockbusters and other critically acclaimed works since they are able to tap a wider viewership and cover a greater section of audience, all through one medium. According to market statistics, close to 42 per cent of the movie trailers were consumed through mobile devices and with a number of applications and websites now coming up, mobile television has become an independent medium in itself, with a very loyal audience base
One strategic development at Ditto TV in recent times is the tie up with mobile payment provider Fortumo to introduce a new mobile payment option to further simplify the overall consumer experience. With this partnership, Ditto TV users can now subscribe to their favourite content on Ditto TV and make payments directly through their mobile operator, and without the need of a credit card, cash on delivery (COD), or net banking options. This payment model is available for both postpaid and pre- paid mobile users
Website & Platform revamp
New way for content consumption “The changing consumer lifestyle and preferences has led to emergence of new avenues for content consumption. With the growing adoption of smartphones and tablets, Television and mobile screens are converging to offer a new way for content consumption while on the go. We now are seeing content developers trying to tailor make content for mobiles consumption which is testimonial to the immense potential that this category holds for the media and entertainment industry ahead”
In addition, content can now also be consumed online on the newly launched website – www.dittotv.com. The website is specially designed with complete ease-of-use to give viewers the best streaming and surfing experience and it includes added features. The app across OSs has also been revamped to provide our subscribers with an enjoyable viewing experience
Debashish Gosh, Chief Knowledge Officer, Essel Group
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05-12-2014 13:36:24
RAJSHRI @ ATF
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CONTENT BUYS Indian digital leader Rajshri Entertainment is at ATF to showcase their vast library and short form digital programming to VOD and digital platforms. A quick chat with Rajjat A Barjatya, MD & CEO, Rajshri Entertainment FIRST VISIT
25,000 HOURS LIBRARY
This is my first visit to ATF. I am coming with an open mind to meet new friends and learn more about the Asian content industry. I also want to showcase our vast library of Bollywood feature films and short form digital programming to VOD and other digital platforms. We have billions of video views on YouTube, DailyMotion and other major digital platforms. I am sure our content catalog can add significant value to new distribution platforms and delight viewers across the world, an audience we are unable to tap from India.
We are a content powerhouse. Our total library is close to 25,000 hours across genres and languages. We have aggregated a lot of premium, long form content. We produce about 150 minutes of content inhouse for digital platforms - everyday. This number is increasing very rapidly. We see ourselves producing and owning premium IPR and popular content brands, backed by solid distribution on digital platforms.
NEW SEGMENTS
VARIETY IS WIDE
A global audience is a click away and our content has to be relevant for that audience. Hence, along with our traditional Bollywood content, which is lapped up by an Indian audience worldwide, we have also been able to successfully tap a large non Indian audience with our foray into kids content, food, lifestyle and e-news. We have over 3 billion views across multiple content verticals, genres and languges on the world’s leading digital platforms including YouTube, DailyMotion, Hulu, Amazon, iTunes, MSN, Yahoo, Rediff, VuClip etc.
We have a lot of traditional Indian entertainment content like films/songs in multiple languages, Bollywood news and gossip, TV celebs news and gossip, devotional aartis, chants, bhajans etc. This kind of content is consumed by an Indian audience, domestic and NRI. But we also produce kids, food, yoga and lifestyle content that is consumed by a much larger global audience. Now, we are working on international language content specifically for major international markets. Our Japanese language food channel Indono Daidokoro is a step in that direction.
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Rajshri Entertainment is at ATF with a premium library of 1,000+ Bollywood feature films. They also have a vast library of short form digital programming in multiple genres and languages: ■ Food shows in English, Japanese, Arabic and Spanish. Mandarin, Thai, Bhasa and Malay food shows in development ■ Kids animation videos ■ Bollywood, Hollywood and Indian TV celebs news and gossip ■ Devotional chants and songs
Rajjat A Barjatya MD & CEO, Rajshri Entertainment
EMAIL: rajjat@rajshri.com WEBSITE: www.rajshri.com www.youtube.com/rajshri www.facebook.com/rajshri
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PEEKABOO Peekaboo is a lot of fun. Sing and dance to your favorite rhymes and songs with your new friends, The Dubby Dubs. Check out www.youtube.com/peekaboo.
BOLLYWOOD NOW Bollywood Now is the #1 digital destination to get up, close and personal with your favorite Bollywood stars. Get your daily Bollywood buzz at www.youtube.com/bollywoodnow.
RAJSHRI FOOD Easy tasty Vegetarian recipes are now a click away. Check out www.youtube. com/rajshrifood.
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GEARING UP FOR CHANGE The Indian Media and Entertainment industry is excited to have the country’s Finance Minister Arun Jaitely also double up as Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting. All these year, the M&E sector representatives have been struggling to reach out to the Finance Ministry to impress upon the growth prospects of the sector. Indian M&E industry leaders believe that there is a huge potential for a multiplier effect on employment generation with a vibrant and growing media and entertainment industry. “Media should not be looked at from the narrow point of view of glamour which needs to be taxed regressively but as a growth engine that needs nurturing. It drives the creative and information economy and is India’s soft power.” India’s new I&B Minister Arun Jaitely spoke eloquently on the export potential of Indian films sector at the Services Conclave 2014. That was music to everyone in Indian media sector as they have not heard this from any Finance Minister -- all these years. Later at IFFI 2014, Arun Jaitley, Union Minister of Finance, Corporate Affairs, and Information & Broadcasting said that the Indian Film industry had come of age in view of the diversity it offered as regards the number of films produced in different languages and themes. He also said that the Cinema as medium in India has matured, there was corporatization of the industry making it more professional and vibrant. Olympian shooter-turned-politician Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore is the new the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.
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Arun Jaitely Union Minister of Finance, Corporate Affairs, and Information & Broadcasting
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Aerial View of the proposed DEZ Chennai
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ENTERTAINMENT DEZTINATION OF CHENNAI A media cluster in 400,000 Sq ft, envisaged keeping the growth prospects of the Indian Media and Entertainment Sector, is coming up near Chennai
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PixelKraft has conceptualised DEZ Chennai to cater to the infrastructure needs of the Entertainment & Media industry. This Integrated Media Services campus has significant potential for segments like TV broadcasting, Film/ TV studios, VFX/Animation/Gaming and a media school/college
A
new integrated digital entertainment zone (DEZ) is proposed to be built on the outskirts of Chennai, cultural capital of India. The blueprint to built a media cluster in 400,000 Sq ft is envisaged keeping the growth prospects of the Indian Media and Entertainment Sector. The DEZ Chennai is set to be housed at the Inno GeoCity Campus in Oragadam -- the fastest developing business corridor in India. DEZ Chennai is promoted by PixelKraft and Inno Group as equal partners through their SPV Reallify Properties Private Limited. PixelKraft has a JV with UK-based Centroid Motion Capture Studio. Centroid, world renowned for Motion Capture services, will run their India operations out of DEZ Chennai. With an average CAGR of about 15% Indian M&E industry is estimated to double and grow to INR 2,27,000 Cr by 2018 according to the latest CII-PwC Indian Entertainment & Media Outlook 2014 report. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has set a target towards $100 billion Indian M&E Sector by the end of this decade from the current $20 billion. South Indian M&E Industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14% to INR 36,500 Cr by fiscal 2015-16 from the present size of INR 21,190 Cr (KPMG) Tamil Nadu has the largest share with around INR 7,620 Cr (36% of the market). PixelKraft has conceptualised DEZ Chennai to cater to the infrastructure needs of the Entertainment & Media industry. This Integrated Media Services campus has significant potential for segments like TV broadcasting, Film/TV studios, VFX/Animation/Gaming and a media school/college. â&#x20AC;&#x153;DEZ was conceptualised with a view
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DEZ Benefits l
Shared IT infrastructure like high speed bandwidth for Data Transfers, Internet Connectivity, Data Storage, Render farms etc., supported by social & civic infrastructure
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Synergy benefit â&#x20AC;&#x201C; effective collaboration and data sharing across the entire value chain of the media industry (local, national and international players)
l
There is an evident demand and supply gap for modern film studios which can be met by DEZ in the short term
l
TV and broadcasting companies will benefit from the synergies attained such as quicker production time and shared infrastructure
l
Presence of international players like Centroid in the park will set a benchmark for the capabilities on offer
The promoters are scouting for domestic and multinational production houses to be part of this venture LIKE PICKLE IN FACEBOOK
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dez CHENNAI ZONE 1
ZONE 3
ZONE 2
Studio Floors
Broadcast Zone
Film & TV Sound Stages – 6 state-of-the-art sound stages varying from 7,000 sq ft to 24,000 sq ft with support spaces – dressing rooms, makeup rooms, discussion rooms, wardrobe areas etc.,
A Build to Suit space for Broadcasting Companies
ZONE 4 Media School
18,000 sq ft Media School with built to suit option
2 S+4 Blocks with a BUA of 90,000 sq ft of varied sizes suitable for companies involved in new media, tech and production services
ZONE 5
ZONE 6
Recreation & Theatres
Warehouses
40,000 sq ft recreation space with fitness center, spa, restaurants, coffee shops, boutique retail stores and theatres
to provide the most conducive environment where creativity and technology can come together to produce visual splendour, and create almost anything that one imagines,’’ says Christie Fernandez, Director, Reallify Properties Private Limited. “The underlying objective is to create an eco-system, offer a cost advantage, increase business opportunities for everyone, and to make DEZ a hub for global media projects.” The promoters are scouting for domestic and multinational production houses
Technology & Post Production
20,000 sq. ft. of Workshops & Warehouses space to support the production services.
to be part of this venture. “They have the option to buy or lease studio space and we will build it according to their needs,’’ says Christie Fernandez. He believes that shared infrastructure -- high speed bandwidth for Data Transfers, Internet Connectivity, Data Storage, Render farms -- will be the major advantage for media companies inside the DEZ. DEZ Chennai promoters believe that there is a huge potential for the city to become an outsourcing hub to the global industry, which sub contracts works to Indian firms
For More Details Sankar , AVP | +91-99406 39445 | sankar@dezchennai.com Christie, Director | +91-98402 81815 | christie@dezchennai.com
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Courtyard View, DEZ Chennai
The promoters maintained that international consulting firm KPMG which was engaged to do a feasibility study for this project, reported that “interactions with industry players yielded high interest from players across the value chain to be a part of an independent world-class infrastructure as they realize the synergies to be gained from such an operation”. A media park that provides cost/operational benefits to players can become a successful venture if targeted at the right customer segments. Similar facilities have been developed in other regions of the world and have attracted a large number of producers and artists. Critical success factors for these parks are – connectivity from existing hubs, support infrastructure such as residential units, shops, restaurants, residential complexes, among others. DEZ Chennai is being positioned as an Integrated Entertainment Services Park catering to the need of modern digital content production. DEZ Chennai will offer six state-of-the-art sound stages which are fully air-conditioned and sound proofed of varying sizes – from very large 25,000 square feet stages to 5,600 square feet stages. The sound stages provide easy access to discussion rooms, dressing rooms & makeup rooms. This integrated environment provides a wide range of support services from pre-production to post-production. With a unique cluster model, this integration will bring about collaboration and data sharing across the entire value chain resulting in a host of additional business opportunities for all companies within the DEZ. “The Inno Group is really excited about this revolutionary project that is poised to change the landscape of media production in India. The DEZ aims to be an
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ecosystem for the media industry bringing together actors, technicians and producers who are looking for a world class facility to make the next big blockbuster,’’ says Rajamannar Ramaswamy, Co-founder & Group Managing Director, Inno Group Holdings. Inno is a global investment group focused on real estate and has funded six projects in India with a total GDV (Gross Development Value) of Rs. 3.84 billion (US$ 573 million) involving a total development of over 15.3 million sq. ft. Inno Real Estate is focused on developing real estate projects in India and is currently developing ‘Inno GeoCity’, a self-contained residential township that redefines suburban living in India. “Centroid is excited to be part of an ecosystem like DEZ, which offers a veryconducive work environment, and we are betting on the opportunities that the fast growing Indian media & entertainment industry has to offer” says Philip Stilgoe, CEO, Producer, Centroid Motion Capture. DEZ Chennai has a location advantage of being situated in one of the fastest developing business districts of India, Chennai – Oragadam. It is situated within a 131 acre township - Inno GeoCity, away from the hustle and bustle of city life, but with excellent multi-modal connectivity. Oragadam is a hot spot for automobile and electronic manufacturing, world-renowned electronic manufacturing and automobile giants such as Dell, Flextronics, Motorola, Samsung, TVS, Renault-Nissan, Benz, have set up their operations here. DEZ Chennai will strive to bring international players into the park to set a benchmark for the capabilities on offer and position DEZ as a global hub for high-quality content production.
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EUROPEAN FILM MARKET IT ALL STARTS HERE.
513 Feb 2015
Registration until Jan 6. Film Entry until Dec 23. WWW.EFM-BERLINALE.DE
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The world’s top market for the animation film industry 2,450 delegates ■ 513 exhibitors ■ 334 buyers ■ 60 countries
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EXHIBITS-ONLY PASS CODE DZ13
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When you have a real passion for storytelling, you feel an insatiable craving for creating immersive, innovative entertainment experiences leveraging the latest techniques and technologies. Embracing new development opportunities for studio, independent and collaborative projects from concept to completion become your guilty pleasures. NAB Show® is the place to fuel your desire to bring your story to life. Perfect your craft with insights presented by creative masters. Explore ways to expand your business within film and television. Network with the leaders in Hollywood and the motion picture industry.
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IFFI 2014: ALL THAT HAPPENED 32
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The 11-day festival screened 178 films from 79 countries across different categories which include World Cinema (61 films), Master-strokes (11 films), Festival Kaleidoscope (20 films), Soul of Asia (7 films), Documentaries (6 films), Animated Films (6 films). Besides, Indian Panorama section included 26 Feature and 15 Non-Feature Films. North-East being the focus region of the festival, IFFI 2014 showcased 7 films from North Eastern part of India. Regional cinema was also an integral part of the festival. Retrospective sections on Gulzar and JahnuBaruah, Special Homage films on Richard Attenborough, Robin Williams, Zohra Sehgal, Suchitra Sen, and special tribute to Farooq Sheikh were other attractions this year. A special section of films that focus on dance, personality based retrospectives, and Masterclasses/workshop also formed a part of IFFI 2014. China was the country in focus at the 45th International Film Festival in Goa. The films screened in this section were American Dreams in China, Beijing Blues, Caught In The Web, Christmas Rose, Feng Shui, Finding Mr. Right, The Great Hypnotist, Out Of Inferno and Silent Witness.
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IFFI 2014: RUSSIAN FILM LEVIATHAN WINS GOLDEN PEACOCK Marathi language film ‘Ek Hazarachi Note’ won the Special Jury and Silver Peacock Award. Dulal Sarkar, the lead actor, in the Bengali film ‘A Short Story’ - won the best actor (male) award
The winners of the Golden Peacock and Silver Peacock in a group photograph, at the closing ceremony of the 45th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2014), in Panaji, Goa
T
he Russian Film ‘Leviathan’ has been awarded the Golden Peacock. The award was given to Director Andrey Zvyagintsev as well as producers Alexander Rodnyansky and Sergey Melkumov. The best director award was given to Nadav Lapid for the Israeli film ‘The Kindergarten Teacher’ for an impressive portrayal of a prodigy poet and enigmatic teacher. The best actor (Female) award was shared by two actors, both for their roles as teachers in two different films. Alina Rodriguez was awarded with Best Actor (Female) for her portrayal of a teacher in a Cuban film ‘Behaviour’. Sarit Larry also got the best actor (Female) award for her outstanding performance as a teacher in the film ‘The Kindergarten Teacher’. The Best Actor (Male) award was also shared by two actors. Alexey Serebryakov, who won the best actor award for his role in the film ‘Leviathan’ and Dular Sarkar, a dwarf actor won the best actor award for his lead role in the Bengali film, Chhotober Chhobi. His acting depicts the struggle for survival of a community in a socially hos-
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tile environment. The Marathi film, Ek Hajarachi Note had the distinction of getting two awards. It was given the Special Jury Award and the Centenary Award for best film. The director of the film, Shrihari Sathe received the awards. Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting said that the focus of the film festival was on China, which shows that films connect hearts across nations and cultures. The Minister said that the government will make efforts to create film market abroad for Indian films. This will be done by screening of Indian Films abroad and entering into agreements which will facilitate foreign film makers to come to India and vice versa, as well as promote co-productions. Rathore appreciated the effort by the social-media team of Information and Broadcasting Ministry which created a special programme ’Talkathon’ which served as a platform for interaction between the audience and film experts/personalities on social media at IFFI . LIKE PICKLE IN FACEBOOK
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Your Gateway To Indian Entertainment Biz INDIA AT NAB S HO W, L A S V EG A S , A P RI L 2014
INDIAN ENTERTAINMENT BIZ GUIDE
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FILM BUYS FROM INDIA @ AMERICAN FILM MARKET NOVEMBER 2010
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HERALDING A NEW INDIA 35
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ETERNAL SUPERSTAR
A36 still from Lingaa pickle entertainment
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An UNMATCHED
Phenomenon Ahead of the release of his much awaited Lingaa, Rajinikanth, who is ruling the Indian cinema for the past four decades, was named the recipient of the ‘Centenary Award’ for the ‘Indian Film Personality of the Year’ at the 45th International Film Festival of India in Goa. By Saibal Chatterjee
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The amazing Rajinikanth story is no less fascinating than a movie script. There are multiple strands to the narrative, and each one of them can yield enough by way of drama to sustain a full-length feature. What sets Rajinikanth apart is the fact that he is more than just another movie star idolized in a populous nation that loves its filmed entertainment. He is a true-blue phenomenon whose clout transcends boundaries of both land and language like few things can in contemporary Indian pop culture. One of the strands of the Rajinikanth saga pertains to the rags-to-riches tale of a Bangalore bus conductor who went on to become one of the greatest luminaries that Indian cinema has ever produced, a transformation that borders on the fantastical. The other thread of the story relates to the emergence of the larger-than-life myth of a towering showbiz personality who commands unquestioning loyalty from a fan base that keeps growing steadily and spawning ever-new crops of Rajini-isms on the social media and elsewhere. Rajini does not have Greek God good looks, nor does he have the height or physique to tower over everything else in a movie frame. Yet his screen presence is extraordinary. His flashy mannerisms, his flamboyant swagger, and his punchy one-liners add up to a totality that is beyond analysis. It is next to impossible to put a finger on the exact reasons that make him such a peerless icon. Part of the difficulty stems from the fact that Rajini himself has never made calculated career moves. He has merely gone along with the flow and ended up in a place where very few ever have. For a man who has achieved the kind of sustained success that he has, he has his feet firmly planted to the ground – an attribute that immeasurably enhances his stature. Unlike other Indian movie stars, Rajinikanth keeps his on-screen persona well
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removed from his real-life identity as a husband, father and grandfather. He rarely appears at public events, but exercises great influence on Dravidian culture and politics. But his appeal is certainly not limited to the confines of Tamil Nadu and its cinema. His is a recognizable face across the country and in parts of the world where Tamil cinema has made inroads in recent years. Who else but Rajinikanth could be at the receiving end of a musical tribute of the kind that Bollywood megastar Shahrukh Khan paid him in Chennai Express. The song, Lungi Dance, aimed at “all the Rajini fans”, became a chart-topper and continues to be a favourite with DJs around the country. So confident is he of his fan following that when Rajinikanth appears in public, he does nothing at all to hide the tell-tale signs of age that a 63-year-old grandfather must necessarily live with. At an event organized to launch the music of the science fiction epic Enthiran/Robot a couple of years ago, he got up on the podium and narrated how he was mistaken for just another man in the crowd by onlookers in a Rajasthan village, where the film was being shot. He was hard pressed, he admitted in public, to convince fans who were milling around lead actress Aishwarya Rai that he was the hero of the film. Nothing says more about Rajinikanth the man and the movie star than the kind of unassuming candour that he resorts to when talking about himself and his achievements. At times it is difficult to believe that a superstar who, with the fee that he got for Sivaji (2007), became the highest paid Asian movie actor after Jackie Chan has no starry airs whatever. Is he for real? Awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2000, Rajinikanth was named the recipient of the ‘Centenary Award’ for the ‘Indian Film Personality of the Year’ at the just-concluded 45th International Film Festival of India in Goa. The well deserved honour was bestowed on the megastar at the opening ceremony of the film festival on November 20. Rajinikanth’s acting career began nearly 40 years ago, with K Balachander’s National Award-winning but controversial film Apoorva Raagangal (1975), in which the budding star played a small role as the abusive and long lost husband of the film’s heroine. Kamal Haasan was the lead actor of Apoorva Raagangal. Rajini’s next film was the Kannada-language Katha Sangama (1976), an offbeat omnibus film directed by Puttanna Kanagal. It was not until his mentor Balachander made Anthuleni Katha in Telugu that Rajini landed a pivotal role in a film. An even more prominent character came his way in Balachander’s Moondru Mudichu (1976). LIKE PICKLE IN FACEBOOK
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Amitabh Bachchan and the Union Minister for Finance, Corporate Affairs and Information & Broadcasting, Arun Jaitley presents the centenary award to Actor Rajnikanth, at the inauguration of the 45th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2014), in Panaji, Goa In the early years of his career, Rajini played largely negative roles, especially as a womanizer or a perfidious friend, in several Tamil and Telugu films. He graduated to essaying lead roles and appearing in a large number of films in the late 1970s, but his screen image as a dashing leading man began to crystallize only in the 1980s. Who could have ever imagined that an actor who early in his career played, among other things, a village ruffian who rapes a blind girl, a man who nonchalantly lets his friend drowns so that he can marry the former’s girlfriend, and a pornographer who secretly films his wife in the act without her knowledge would turn into a screen superhero endowed with bionic powers? Rajinikanth had 15 releases in 1977 and 20 in 1978. These films were made in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. He not only starred in many remakes of Mumbai hits of the 1970s and 1980s on the way to becoming the pivot of the Tamil cinema business, he also acted in several Hindi films without quite replicating his southern success.
This was a crazily frenetic period for the star. MGR had just bowed out of the movie industry to concentrate on politics. Rajini and his contemporary Kamal Haasan (he had 33 releases in 1978-79) moved into the breach. Rajinikanth, generous to a fault, has always praised Kamal Haasan for inspiring him with his professionalism. His characteristic humility notwithstanding, there can be no denying that the box office clout that Rajini wields is unparalleled. While Kamal Haasan sought to experiment with his screen roles, taking on a wide array of characters in the 1980s and 1990s and earning the reputation of a thinking man’s movie star, Rajini focused on developing a screen persona with wide mass appeal. Both succeeded in their chosen endeavours. In the 1990s, Rajini became such a commercial force that nobody in the Tamil movie industry could do without him. In 1991, Mani Ratnam cast him in Thalapathi, who co-starred Malayalam superstar Mammootty.
Everything you need as a film professional is here, re-introduce yourself to cinando.com Powered by the Festival de Cannes with the support of:
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A still from Lingaa
WORDS OF WISDOM If you want to do a good thing, make an open announcement. Because, you can change your mind, but not the words you uttered 40
Donate your eyes. They can see even after you die
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Your family, friends, society and country should be your focus areas
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F
I m
p
M
In the wake of the success of Thalapathi, films such as Annamalai, Mannan, Valli (for which the actor wrote his first screenplay), Muthu, Yejaman, Veera and Baasha, hit the screens in quick succession, catapulting Rajinikanth to a zone that nobody in Indian cinema history had ever penetrated. His career experienced somewhat of a slump at the turn of the millennium when Baba, scripted by him, failed to deliver the goods at the box office. The distributors were left in the red as a result and, in an unprecedented move, Rajini decided to make good the losses. After a brief hiatus, Rajini bounced back with Chandramukhi in 2005 and Sivaji in 2007. The first time that Rajinikanth was labelled a ‘Superstar’ was in mid-1978, the year of Bairavi. Distributor S Dhanu put up a 40-foot cutout of Rajini at Plaza theatre in Madras. The civic authorities ordered the cutout to be pulled down on the grounds it could pose a safety hazard on the road. Dhanu reinforced the cutout and so it stood right there, staring down on one of the city’s busiest thoroughfares. The man in the cutout quickly seared himself into the collective consciousness of Tamil movie fans. And that is where he continues to be to this day. As film lovers await the release of Lingaa on the superstar’s 64th birthday – December 12, 2014 – the countdown to another massive blockbuster has begun. Hitting the theatres a week before the much anticipated Aamir Khan starrer, PK, Lingaa will be up on as many 5,500 screen across the country and the world. If the Rajini film, co-starring Sonakshi Sinha and Anushka Shetty, puts the Aamir starrer in the shade, we will not be the least bit surprised. As any fan of the southern supertsar will vouch, with Rajinikanth nothing is ever impossible.
FROM SUPERSTAR I say this from my personal experience, please quit smoking
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Good people will sure win, but it will take some time. So do good, stay patient
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The more you reduce your desires, the more will be your happiness
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WONG KAR-WAI
W
ong Kar-wai’s films are an exquisite synthesis of style and substance, each complementing the other to near-perfection. The frames that he creates are lush, kinetic and awash in sensual colour; the moments that he captures are redolent with meaning; and the sense of time and place that imbues his evocative stories is affectingly immersive. Wong Kar-wai is an undisputed master of deep moods and fleeting moments that together deliver a cinematic experience unlike any. He is a storyteller for whom the telling is as crucial as the story. It isn’t without reason that the Shanghaiborn, Hong Kong-based director enjoys a cult following across the world, and not the least in India. His widely acclaimed masterpiece, In the Mood for Love, completed in the year 2000, figures high on the list of most-loved contemporary world cinema titles in this part of the globe. Cineastes in India also have a special place in their hearts for 1997’s Happy Together, which fetched Wong Kar-wai the Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and Chungking Express (1994). Wong Kar-wai’s latest feature film, The Grandmaster, an enactment the life and times of kung-fu legend Bruce Lee’s master Ip Man, brought the curtains down on
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the 45th International Film Festival of India. The festival also conferred a Lifetime Achievement Award on the celebrated 56-year-old screenwriter-director, making him the youngest director to bag the honour. The award to Wong Kar-wai was a befitting culmination to IFFI’s Focus on Chinese cinema, which was represented at the 11-day event in Panjim, Goa by a bunch of well-received titles. Such prizes recognizing a cinematic career are usually reserved for filmmakers in their 70s and 80s. Wong Kar-wai is still in his prime – a meticulous craftsman and cinematic poet capable of springing surprises with every burst of creativity. Owing to the fragmentary nature of his storytelling, some critics feel that Wong Kar-wai tends to invest far more in technique than in narrative essence. To subscribe to that view would be to completely miss the elaborate and painstaking nature of his films, which are composed of finely etched details and emotionally resonant moments aimed at delivering an experience rather than mere plot details. After a period of apprenticeship under actor-producer Alan Tang, Wong Kar-wai started out as a director in 1988 with As Tears Go By, a crime drama influenced by
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MASTER OF MOODS AND MOMENTS The 45th International Film Festival of India conferred a Lifetime Achievement Award on the celebrated 56-year-old screenwriter-director Wong Kar-wai, making him the youngest director to bag the honour. By Saibal Chatterjee Martin Scorsese’s Mean Streets. As Tears Go By, with its stunning visuals, highly stylized and elliptical pacing and dense atmospherics, provided a full foretaste of the unique aesthetic approach that was to become Wong Kar-wai’s signature. The film, which is to this day the only certified box office hit of his career, immediately marked him out as a director with a strikingly individualistic vision. The contemplative and sombre As Tears Go By eschewed the frantic violence and non-stop action of the Hong Kong thrillers of the time. Wong Kar-wai’s second film, Days of Being Wild (1991), his first collaboration with cinematographer Christopher Doyle, strengthened his reputation as a director with a keen eye for detail and an unwavering feel for individuals thwarted by unrequited longing. This elegantly crafted drama about young people struggling and failing to make lasting connections was marked by a profound air of melancholy accentuated by an urban backdrop that bred alienation. By no stretch of the imagination is Wong Kar-wai a prolific filmmaker. Every directorial venture of his is a complex process that he plunges headlong into and, as his actors have often pointed out, he lingers over the minutest of moments in a film
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The Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award to Chinese filmmaker Mr. Wong Kar Wai, at the closing ceremony of the 45th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2014), in Panaji, Goa
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“I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of my peers in China to thank the festival and the wonderful audience here for their hospitality and support towards Chinese cinema. It is great to be here in India to celebrate cinema with all of you.” Wong Kar-wai as long as it takes to achieve perfection. Hollywood actor Jude Law, who featured in Wong Kar-wai’s only English-language film, My Blueberry Nights (2007), told an American newspaper: “I’ve never worked with someone who’s put so much emphasis on a single moment.” Law was describing an entire night of shooting that the director had devoted to setting up different angles for a kiss that would be only a fleeting second in the final cut. It is not surprising therefore that Wong Kar-wai has, in a career spanning a quarter of a century, directed less than ten full-length films. Yet, in terms of impact, his cinema is second to none. He operates outside the Hong Kong mainstream, but every film that he makes is an event that the world waits for with bated breath. In the company of director of photography Doyle, with whom he worked on seven films in all, Wong Kar-wai has over the years conjured up some of the most luminous scenes in contemporary cinema, going all the way back to Chungking Express, which tells two superficially linked stories about Hong Kong beat cops and the mysterious women that they get
entangled with, and his first wuxia (Chinese martial arts swordplay) epic, Ashes of Time (1994). In 1995, Wong Kar-wai came up with Fallen Angels, which was originally meant to be a part of Chungking Express and which, like the previous film, told two separate stories. It had the same luxuriant stylistics that Doyle brought to bear upon Chungking Express, but Fallen Angels was far more fatalistic in its ruminations on life and death. Wong Kar-wai’s first major international triumph was Happy Together (1997), the story of two gay lovers who arrive in Buenos Aires from Hong Kong in search of a better life. But, as in all his films, the protagonists struggle to achieve the emotional equilibrium that they seek. In the 17 years since Happy Together, Wong Kar-wai has made only four fulllength films – In the Mood for Love, 2046 (2004), My Blueberry Nights and The Grandmaster. While the critical response to these films has varied, his aura as a director blessed with unfailing grasp of the medium has not waned.
Saibal Chatterjee is an independent New Delhi-based film critic and writer who has worked on the staff of several leading publications, served on the editorial board of Encyclopaedia Britannica’s volume on Hindi cinema and authored a biography of poet-filmmaker Gulzar.
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TODDLE PAD SHABNAM
Learn While you Play
To d d l e Pa d
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he newly formed Chennai-based Ajax Media Tech has its eyes set to create gamification of educational content to make learning enjoyable, fun and stimulating. With this vision Ajax Media Tech which has recently acquired the business assets of Boston Mediatech has positioned itself to pioneer in the concept of Gamification and content creation. “We will focus on both products and services. Our strengths are multimedia technology services and computer animation content development,” says S. Muralidharan, CTO, Ajax Media Tech. “We are working on two of our products called Toddle Pad and K12 Simulator . Our service bouquet includes mobile apps, VFX, and 3D CGI animation.” Toddle Pad: Toddle Pad is a state-of-theart Touch based Play and Pre-school product which covers the entire pre and play school curriculum available for Apple IOS, Windows and Android Platforms. In a playful and fun way, Toddle Pad accelerates children’s learning and retention and at the same time triggers improved
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Our strengths are multimedia technology services and computer animation content development, says S Muralidharan, CTO, Ajax Media Tech
thinking and analytical capacity. Toddle Pad is not a replacement for the teaching staff and it enhances class room learning and standardizes proven method of learning. Toddle Pad brings consistency to the curriculum and aligns to the common core state standards. Toddle Pad enables children to get conversant with the latest technologies right from an early stage and enhances individual self-paced learning. With quizzes, exercises, brain teasers and other latest techniques of learning, Toddle Pad brings kids on par to the international standards. “We believe Toddle Pad will bring the kids world close enough by removing the Rural and Urbun children by providing the world class exposure on their hands,” says Aishwarya M, Chief Creative of Ajax Media Tech. The demand for Animation and VFX Services in India are growing rapidly. Ajax Media Tech will focus on outsourced projects from Hollywood also open for Co Production of 3D animated Feature Films and Television series.
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TOONPET: NOVEL IDEA, NEW CONCEPT SHABNAM
A Revolutioary Approach for 3D Animation Production Imagine a TV channel, where the entire presenters, news readers, anchors all of them in 3D Cartoon format, that too interacting with each other, with guests, audience, all happening live, real time. That’s what we are aiming to do, says M. Arul Moorthy, creator of ToonPET
T
oonPET is a real time – interactive 3D Animation system that works with/without motion capture, Automatic voice synchronisation, Facial Expression, Secondary Animations, Camera movements, Camera Switching, Mixing with a live person / footage, and rendering of all these happening live which can go to HD/SD broadcast. Sounds fun…Yes it is possible. Explaining how ToonPET works, Arul Moorthy says, ‘after understanding the requirement of the clients, we develop the character or the client can supply the character, which is customised to work inside ToonPET. It is a complete solution for TV Channels who have to focus on their creative side of the program such as program concept, actors etc.,, whereas ToonPET will supply the rest of the hardware, character preparation and give the HD/SD output that can go out for broadcast.’ ToonPET is a platform on which many different type of programs can be developed. Some examples are: Live Tele-call Show: A customised / Popular cartoon character can talk to the audience in a call-in program. The character will replace an anchor, thus giving a new element of fun to the program. The background can be live or virtual. TV Host: A cartoon character can be interactive with a live person in the set. This can be a live set or virtual set. A cartoon character has more liberty to ask funny questions, which could be a limitation for a live TV host. A cartoon News Reader: Cartoons are only used for entertainment. With ToonPET, a 3D cartoon character can be reading news, especially for the kids news. Animated Political Satire: One or more cartoon characters of celebrities can be used for a talk show with humorous dialogues. Educational TV show in which a cartoon character can be a school teacher. A Games Show that has a virtual Character as anchor interacting with the participants. Other applications of ToonPET include live event show for a product launch in which a cartoon character can be the host of the show, pre-Viz for movies and advertisements, animation production, cheering Girls/Boys in a Games Program etc. With so many applications possible, ToonPET can be the backbone for the new genre of animation production. Email: arul@toonpet.com visit www.toonpet.com to check out the demo of ToonPET.
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FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK
W
e are delighted to present the latest issue of Pickle on the special occasion of Asia TV Forum (ATF) and Market in Singapore. Reed Exhibition’s ATF is undoubtedly a serious networking and market place for territories within this region. Our interview with Hui Leng Yeow, project director, Asia Television Forum, clearly spells out the agenda at ATF. From an Indian perspective, Asia is important market as there is a huge potential for collaboration within this region. Asia tops the agenda of leading Indian companies like Eros International Media, Yash Raj Films and Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd who are foraying deep into this market. ZEE TV which has four local channels in Asia Pacific will launch another six channels in this region according to Sushruta Samanta, Business Head, International Channels, Asia Pacific, ZEEL (interview page no:18). Over fifty Indian companies are present at ATF with a clear focus on buying and selling. The Indian media ecosystem is changing fast. There are few markets in the world where you could see both traditional and new media flourishing. There are 800 TV channels, 500,000 hours of TV content output, 250 million Internet users (set to cross 500 million in next 18 to 24 months), 900 million mobile
phone (of which 100 million top-end smart phone users), 80,000 newspapers published daily, 1,200 feature films. And, Hollywood studios are making movies for domestic consumption. And, Indian start-up ecosystem is beginning to mature specially in the digital media and e-commerce space. The digital media is growing at over 50 per cent. Indian government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the new ‘Make in India’ initiative to promote India as a global manufacturing and services hub nationally and abroad to boost the country’s economic prospect. Media & Entertainment is one of the sectors in the `Make in India’ campaign. We request every ATF delegate to engage and look at engaging with an Indian counterpart and do at least one project out of India. Be it service or creative output, only you have to imagine what you want, and you can get that done in India. Also block your date (April 2325, 2015) to participate at the Global Exhibition on Services (GES) in New Delhi. Do write to us if you have any questions or information that you may look for on the Indian M&E market. We wish a happy New Year to all media and entertainment industry colleagues across the world. Feel free to email your thoughts and suggestions.
n vidyasagar pickle media nvidyasagar@picklemag.in, www.picklemag.com Pickle Volume VIII 5th edition Published by Pickle Media Private Limited Email: natvid@gmail.com ● Mumbai ● Chennai No.2, Habib Complex Dr Durgabhai Deshmukh Road RA Puram CHENNAI 600 028
Printed by Bon Graphics New #7, Arumugam Nagar, Dayalan Garden, Chinna Porur, Chennai – 600 116 Mobile: +91 9884816263 Email: bon_graphics@yahoo.co.in
Editorial Coordinators : M Sai Email: natvid@gmail.com
For advertising: natvid@gmail.com
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Pickle Handbook 2014 Copyright 2014 by Pickle Media Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Pickle is an ad supported business guide tracking the filmed entertainment business in India. This is a curtain raiser issue for CII Big Picture Summit 2013.
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Layout Design: M Agnes Julie Consulting Photo Editor: K K Laskar
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