Television Asia Plus | September-October 2022

Simon

Chua

Television Asia Plus!

On this issue’s cover is A+E Networks’ newest Korean drama, If You Wish Upon Me. A+E Networks’ General Manager for Korea & Regional Head of Digital Business Development Youngsun Soh talked to us about A+E’s Korean content slate. Speaking about the popularity of K-content, she said attributed its popularity due to its appeal and uniqueness, adding to this the synergy of everything Korean–cuisine, music, fashion, and beauty which makes K-content tick with the rest of the world.

For our C-Suite feature, we interviewed Locomotive Global Media’s Head of Business Affairs and Senior Producer, Kanupriya A. Iyer, who was appointed in July 2022 to grow LMG’s business into a leading content house.

For our features, we’ve talked to Brightcove’s Chief Marketing Officer, Jennifer Smith, who discussed Brightcove’s acquisition of audience insights company, Wicket Labs, which addresses the missing link in the online video value chain and the connection between video analytics and subscriber data sources.

Last but not least is our feature on Epic Games’ Women Creators Programme with interviews from Epic Games’ Shruti Verna, Business Lead, ASEAN and India and programme finalist, Jessica Tan, who talked about the importance of women’s representation in the male-dominated world of VFX.

Monina Eugenio Editor

K-variety show THE ZONE: Survival Mission premieres on Disney+

AXN Asia’s new original production, Millennium Cooking Philippines adds a twist to the classic cooking reality show

KC Global Media Asia premiered its newest cooking reality show, Millennium Cooking Philippines on September 9. Hosted by actor and celebrity restaurateur Matteo Guidicelli, the six-episode show pits four inexperienced millennials against each other in a series of cook-offs. Clueless contestants will be challenged to recreate dishes demonstrated by three professional chefs–who will explain the process in their native language.

Presented by IKEA, the show was filmed at a kitchen showroom at IKEA in Pasay City, Philippines. Vying for the title of “best cook” is kitchen newbies actor Raphael Robes, advertising and creative freelancer Michelle Yu, entrepreneur and moto vlogger Katrice Kierulf, and corporate executive Sonnie Guerrero.

Austrian Chef Norbert Gandler, CoFounder and Executive Director for Culinary Education at the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management, and Korean Chef Lily MIn, author of K-Drama Cookbook (2020) and the entrepreneur behind Lily Lab Authentic K Food, will cull the contestants in the elimination rounds. Swedish Chef Andy Andersson, the Food Manager at IKEA Pasay City, will be presiding over the final round of cook-offs.

THE ZONE: Survival Mission starring Yu Jaeseok, Lee Kwangsoo, and Kwon Yuri premiered on September 8 on Disney+

Spread across eight episodes, THE ZONE: Survival Mission establishes its three hosts as representatives of the human race before throwing them into eight unexpected situations where they will be challenged to survive for four hours and not give up, to complete each mission. Pitting the hosts against zombies, a puddle of sticky glue, puzzles and other situations, viewers will find themselves laughing out loud as Jaeseok, Kwangsoo, and Yuri struggle to work together and find solutions to the implausible situations they are faced with. Created by Studio Gaon, and directed by Cho Hyojin and Kim Dongjin, THE ZONE: Survival Mission is an all-new K-variety show format that requires the hosts to rely on each other with no external intervention or assistance.

Studio Dragon’s Flower of Evil gets an Indian remake

Flower of Evil, developed and produced by Studio Dragon in Korea, will be remade in India. It is the first-ever India’s Remake of a Korean Series.

Flower of Evil (directed by Kim Chul-Gyu, written by Yoo Junghee, and produced by Studio Dragon, Monster Union)” was released via tvN in 2020. The remake rights of the Flower of Evil were sold to ZEE5, India’s largest homegrown video streaming platform, and are set for release. With k-drama series gaining huge popularity in India recently, many local viewers in India are paying attention to remake news. The Indian remake of Flower of Evil will be titled Duranga (Produced by Rose Audio Visuals Pvt. Ltd)”. Directed by Pradeep Sarkar and Aijaz Khan, Duranga–Two shades of a lie is the official

Indian adaptation of the Korean show, Flower of Evil. Produced by Rose Audio Visuals, the nine-part series stars Gulshan Devaiah and Drashti Dhami in lead roles and premiered on ZEE5 on 19th August.

Netflix announces Korean series

Parasyte: The Grey

Netflix has confirmed the production of Parasyte: The Grey, a series by visionary director Yeon Sang-ho based on Hitoshi Iwaaki’s comic book published by KODANSHA Ltd. The story is about unidentified parasitic life forms that live off of human hosts and strive to grow their power. As they start to disrupt society, a group of humans wage war against the rising evil.

From the film Train to Busan and Peninsula which launched the K-zombie craze to the globally acclaimed Netflix series Hellbound, Yeon has created a universe of his own marked by his uninhibited and awe-inspiring imagination. Yeon adds yet another domain to this realm by directing and co-writing the screenplay for Parasyte: The Grey. Ryu Yongjae, the screenwriter of Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area, joins Yeon in knitting this compelling story.

The eye-catching cast lineup includes Jeon So-nee who plays Jeong Su-In, Koo Kyo-Hwan as Seol Kang-woo, and Lee Jung-Hyun as Choi Jun-Kyung. These three actors skillfully portray through their dynamic interplay of characters and events how parasitic life forms come to plague the world. Climax Studio, creative powerhouses that have delivered global hits such as Hellbound and D.P., and a global content production company WOW POINT are in charge of production.

Studio76 and IFA’s digital movie co-production ‘Love Punch’ slated for Q1 2023 release

Taipei-based original stories production and distribution company Studio76 wrapped up the production of Love Punch, the latest digital movie in the slate to be released in Q1 2023. The film is co-produced by Studio76 Taiwan and IFA Media Singapore, with support from Singapore’s IMDA and co-investments from TWR Entertainment Taiwan and Hong Kong’s Celestial Tiger Entertainment.

The digital movie is directed by Hung Tzu-Hsuan, who debuted with the feature film The Scoundrels which received 6 nominations and 2 awards at the 2019 Taiwan Golden Horse Film Festival, while the film also received 4 nominations and 2 awards at the 2019 Taipei International Film Festival.

Wen Chen-Ling, who delivered a stunning performance in the recent Taiwan PTS-produced period drama series Seqalu: Formosa 1867 takes the leading

role in Love Punch, started as a lost soul in her late 20s but finally regains her passion and stamina in female boxing rings. She unexpectedly met her long-disconnected boxing coach, played by veteran actress Ding Ning, and both join hands to thrust Wen to the final rounds of professional boxing matches. Hong Kong-based Celestial Tiger Entertainment, which runs KIX and THRILL premium pay TV channels across 11 Asian markets, is coinvesting while also pre-buys the exclusive pay TV broadcast license rights in the 11 Asian markets including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

BBC Studios announces content partnership with BookMyShow Stream

BookMyShow Stream, enhancing its bespoke and compelling portfolio with a dose of premium, bold, British drama.

The home of quality, original British dramas, BBC First features awardwinning talent in front of and behind the camera with these stellar content pieces making their way to Indian viewers.

BBC Studios announced a TVOD India exclusive content partnership with BookMyShow Stream, India’s largest home-grown TVOD streaming platform from the house of BookMyShow. This inaugural partnership will see the launch of a BBC First branded space on

As part of the launch, consumers on BookMyShow and BookMyShow Stream will be able to access the following premium, drama titles on the BBC First branded space on the platform. Coming to the platform are Sherwood, Ragdoll, and Unforgotten S1. BookMyShow Stream will feature other titles including Smother Series 1-2, Traces Series 1-2, The Chelsea Detective along with Series 1-2 of Happy Valley and Series 1-4 of Unforgotten on its platform.

(L-R) Jeon So-Nee, Koo Kyo-Hwan, Lee Jung-Hyun.

Swedish dramas Honour and Love Me to be adapted in South Korea

Eccho Rights has sold the rights to two Swedish drama scripts for remake in South Korea.

Production company HOW Pictures have picked up the format rights for legal thriller Honour and romantic drama-comedy Love Me

Honour is a Viaplay Original, produced by Bigster. Created by

Swedish actress Sofia Helin and starring co-creators Alexandra Rapaport, Julia Dufvenius and Anja Lundqvist, alongside Eva Röse, the series has become one of the biggest selling Swedish dramas of all time, sold as readymade in more than 60 countries, and with several remakes in development around the world. A highly anticipated third season debuts on Viaplay this September.

Love Me is a Viaplay Original, produced by Warner Bros. International Television Production Sverige Created, written and directed by Josephine Bornebusch who also stars, the series was a multi-award winner in Sweden where it won universal critical acclaim. A remake from WBITVP in Australia, starring Hugo Weaving and Bojana Novakovic, was nominated for seven Logie Awards in 2022.

Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation’s format The Rolling Kitchen S2 lands in Mongolia and Brazil

bench, making the plate of food where their partner left off. Couples need to read each other’s minds and estimate the cooking procedure to win. To make the show more exciting, there is a card system to support the players during the cooking process, such as the guest can talk to their partner by phone for one minute and so on. When to use is the key to winning the battle.

Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation (YTV) announced that Season 2 of The Rolling Kitchen, which was remade last year in Mongolia and Brazil, will be broadcast respectively.

In Mongolia, the show has already aired on NTV in March of this year. In Brazil, it aired on GNT in August 2022.

The reality show mixes humour and gastronomy as two couples compete to see which team can create the best dish to win a cash prize within one hour. The kitchens are separated and conversations about the cooking process are prohibited. Every fifteen minutes, the stage rotates 180 degrees, and one takes the other’s

The original format was broadcast in Japan in September 2018 and launched for international sales at MIPTV 2019. The format is currently represented by Global Agency for Europe, the Middle East (excluding Turkey) and Brazil, and by YTV for the rest of the world.

ZEE5 Global announces world digital premiere of Marathi franchise film Timepass 3

ZEE5 Global premiered Timepass

3 on the platform on September 16. Directed by Ravi Jadhav, the third film in the franchise stars Prathamesh Parab and Hruta Durgule in lead roles.

Filmmaker Ravi Jadhav came up with Timepass in 2014 and followed it up with a sequel in 2015. The first film told the love story of two adolescents, Dagdu and Prajakta, played by Prathamesh Parab and Ketaki Mategaonkar. Timepass 2 was set 15 years after the first one and starred Priyadarshan

Jadhav and Priya Bapat. In the third instalment of the franchise, the story returns with a younger Dagdu played by Prathmesh Parab again. All three movies of the franchise are available on ZEE5 Global.

With an IMDB rating of 7.3, Timepass 3 also stars Sanjay Narvelar, Bhau Kadam, and Vaibhav Mangle in pivotal roles. The movie is an out-and-out entertainer with lots of humour and romance and is produced by Athaansh Communication and Zee Studios.

Reesee Entertainment’s ‘Whee Wheels’ rolls out globally

China-based production company and IP developer Reesee Entertainment announced it is steering its preschool animation Whee Wheels towards global success.

The all-action comedy adventure of two siblings and a crew of super rescue vehicles are making tracks worldwide, with over 50 countries already having taken the series and more to be set in motion shortly.

Targeting kids aged 3 to 6, the 26 x 11-minute preschool series is currently available on more than 30 digital platforms in China, including the two leading media streaming

platforms Tencent and Youku. Proving hugely popular in the territory, Whee Wheels was No. 1 in the Most Popular Latest Kids Show for over three weeks during the summer break.

Partnering with Popcorn studio, beyond Mainland China, Whee Wheels has also ranked No.1 in Korea across all preschool shows following its spectacular launch on EBS. The series has also already been wheeled out in several other key regions including on YOYO in Taiwan province; VIU TV in Hong Kong SAR; Astro in Malaysia and Brunei; RTV in Indonesia; Slovenia TV in Slovenia; ANI TV, First HDTV and RT Vision in Russia; and Pixel

TV in Ukraine. Further inroads are due when it airs this fall on Channel One-Carousel in Russia and TV Puls in Poland, plus its launch on linear TV in Arabic regions from Q1, 2023.

Whee Wheels has also partnered with top Chinese toy company Jumpgo to develop toy designs for the property. The toy line will include vehicles, figures, and play sets featuring the show’s colourful characters, rescue vehicles and accessories and will highlight play values that help children’s development. Toys will be distributed gradually in the global market, starting from Q1 2023.

CJ ENM launches its branded zone, CJ ENM Picks on Peacock

CJ ENM announced the launch of its branded zone ‘CJ ENM Picks’ on NBCUniversal’s streaming service, Peacock. Peacock subscribers will have access to enjoy CJ ENM’s vast library of hit K-content including binge-worthy dramas, films, and unscripted entertainment content. In addition, CJ ENM is planning to expand the service by including a VOD business model that will further captivate users’ attention.

‘CJ ENM Picks’ will encompass a wide array of CJ ENM’s original contents from hit dramas Another Miss Oh and Reply 1994 to globally popular

films Finding Mr. Destiny and Sunn y. The branded zone will also have a selection of widely loved unscripted entertainment programs such as Youn’s Kitchen 2 starring Academy Award-winning actress Youn Yuhjung. Content for K-pop fans will also be serviced on the platform, with titles such as Kingdom: Legendary War, a reality series following the competition of famous male K-pop groups and M COUNTDOWN, the world’s No.1 K-pop chart show.

This news is another addition to CJ ENM’s strategy to deliver its premium entertainment to audiences

worldwide. Last December, CJ ENM announced the launch of ‘K-Contents by CJ ENM’ to be serviced on Paramount’s Pluto TV.

SES and Mola announce partnership to enable APAC’s demand for OTT content

Mola will engage SES 360 Unified Media Platform to bolster its overthe-top (OTT) content services across Indonesia and the wider Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, SES announced. The direct partnership agreement is set to augment Mola’s current content offerings to audiences on a regional scale.

Under the agreement, Mola will leverage the web-based SES 360 for an end-to-end fully customised orchestration of content management and distribution services which includes formatting, processing and delivering Videoon-Demand (VOD) content to a wide variety of platforms

with the required metadata. Additionally, as Mola shifts its focus to deliver a wider range of sporting content such as golf and mixed martial arts, alongside football, the use of SES 360 platform to manage, deliver, and monetise content for multiple linear and online platforms will enhance the content operator’s operational efficiency. As an end-to-end video solution, SES 360 will also reduce time and resource expenditure, especially as Mola scales its delivery of HighDefinition (HD) and Ultra HD content.

The announcement comes at a time when consumption of OTT content in the region has grown exponentially,

with the pandemic as a catalyst. Revenue from OTT TV has been projected to reach US$52 billion in 2027; up by 62% from the US$32 billion recorded in 2021.

The newly-signed agreement builds on a pre-existing relationship with Mola that was first established in 2017 to support the surging demand in Indonesia for high-quality and uninterrupted live football coverage. Since January 2020, SES has supported Mola in broadcasting nearly 6,000 events, totalling more than 17,350 hours of signal acquisition and close to 3,000 hours inserted live into Mola’s channels.

KC Global Media expands to Mongolia

KC Global Media announced a multi-year deal with Bomanbridge Media for Mobicom Corporation LLC & Mobinet LLC, the largest mobile phone operator and communication service provider in Mongolia. Subscribers of VOO, Mobinet’s pay-tv and OTT video streaming platform can now enjoy an endless stream of the best of English-language general entertainment and Japanese anime content on AXN Asia and Animax channels in HD formats. AXN Subscribers will get to enjoy the latest Pay TV exclusive movies including global box office hits such as Venom: Let There be Carnage, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Ghostbusters: Afterlife The channel also offers first and

Sony YAY! launches in Malaysia in Tamil

India’s popular kid’s entertainment channel Sony YAY! launches on Telekom Malaysia Berhad (unifi TV). With a lineup of fan-favourite shows, the channel entered the Malaysian market on 1st July 2022 to expand its presence further across the South Asian region. Opening a world of entertainment to young audiences, Sony YAY! launched in Tamil with a total of seven popular kid’s entertainment shows including Sab Jholmaal Hai (Honey Bunny), Guru Aur Bhole, Taarak Mehta Ka Chhota Chashma, Kicko & Super Speedo, Paap-O-Meter, Prince Jai aur Dumdaar Viru and HaGoLa.

Sony YAY! is expected to tap into the prominent Tamil-speaking

exclusive premiering hit series, such as FBI, FBI: Most Wanted, FBI: International, NCIS: Hawai’i and other top-rated drama series, reality programs and groundbreaking population of the region which comprises a total of 1.8 million people - the third highest in the world, after India and Sri Lanka. Considering the significant size of the Tamil-speaking audience in this region, the launch is a perfect opportunity for the channel to extend its content offerings to an expanded audience base across the South Asian market. With notable titles and the top two shows such as Sab Jholmaal Hai (Honey Bunny) and Paap-O-Meter, Sony YAY! will cater to the Tamil-speaking audience of Malaysia along with the Indian diaspora of the region which accounts for close to 6.8% of its population. The launch of the channel in Tamil on one of the largest platforms Telekom Malaysia Berhad (unifi TV)

Original Productions. Ongoing titles include the latest season of FBI: International, Alex Rider season 2, and Season 13 of NCIS: Los Angeles

is further set to aid the channel in terms of reach and access. Sony YAY! will be accessible to the subscribers of unifi TV under the Varnam Plus Pack and the Ultimate Pack.

With a growing audience base of around 43 million, Sony YAY! has grown exponentially since its inception in 2017 and the expansion into newer markets in South Asia strengthens the channel’s commitment to providing world-class entertainment to young audiences across the globe. This foray into Malaysia further accelerates the consistent drive to transform the global entertainment sector for Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN).

(L-R) ‘FBI’ on AXN and ‘Gintama’ on Animax.

MEASAT signs multiyear Managed Bandwidth Services contract with Reach Ten

MEASAT Global Berhad Malaysia’s premier satellite operator has signed a multiyear contract with Reach Ten Communication Sdn Bhd for Managed Bandwidth Services, supported by the high throughput satellite payload on MEASAT-3d.

With this contract, Reach Ten will become the largest enterprise satellite service provider in Malaysia in terms of capacity provisioned, serving both the private and government sectors across Malaysia. To date, Reach Ten has expanded its customer base exponentially supported by the country’s most advanced satellite

gateway infrastructure located in Kuching, Sarawak and Cyberjaya, Selangor providing broadband satellite services to more than 1,000 communities and villages throughout Malaysia. In Samajaya, Kuching the nine-metre (9m) antenna at the teleport enables access to approximately 13Gbps of satellite capacity on M3d.

GMA Network thrives in the new era with stronger, wider coverage in the Philippines

GMA Network stays committed to the Filipino people with stronger, wider television coverage across the country as it continues to deliver the Kapuso brand of credible news and quality entertainment. The TV giant remains relentless in expanding its reach and signal strength through building new operating stations and upgrades. The Network currently has a total

of 93 TV stations strategically placed in various areas nationwide. It is comprised of GMA’s analogue and digital TV as well as GTV’s analogue TV broadcast stations. Through the help of the said stations, Nielsen Phils. TV Audience Measurement data from January to August 2022 has shown that GMA – combined with its other channels GTV, I Heart Movies, Heart of Asia, Hallypop, and DepEd TV – reached 97.1 percent of all TV households nationwide or 18.4 million TV households in Total Philippines. The main GMA channel alone recorded a net reach of 96.6 percent or 18.3 million TV households while the Network’s second free-to-air channel, GTV, registered 78.9 percent net reach or 15 million viewers for the said period. Total TV households in the Philippines for 2022 are estimated at almost 19 million. GMA’s combined people net reach in Total Philippines, on the other hand, is at 94.3 percent, or about

76.6 million viewers out of the Total Phils. estimated TV viewer population of 81.3 million for 2022. In its pursuit of reaching every Filipino household, GMA is also set to unveil more digital TV stations that will further expand the Network’s digital TV coverage with an additional investment of over P1 billion. Likewise, GMA is poised to reach the entire population of TV households throughout the country with its digital TV signal with its future investments.

To date, the Network has spent almost P860 million on the upgrades of existing DTT stations with a total of more than P1.8 billion for all these efforts for digital broadcast. As the country also continues its shift from analogue to digital transmission, GMA similarly enables more Kapuso viewers to access a clearer and more vibrant TV viewing experience through its digital receivers GMA Affordabox and GMA Now.

JW Player launches a complete and scalable video platform solution for broadcasters

JW Player, the leading video platform for broadcasters, publishers, and video-driven brands, has announced it will be unveiling a brand new end-to-end solution at IBC. This solution makes it easy for broadcasters to deliver compelling digital video experiences, accelerate their streaming strategy, and grow their business.

The complete broadcaster solution integrates 24/7 Live Channels and Studio DRM into the JWP video platform to

enable broadcasters to stream videos (Live or VOD) with broadcastgrade performance. The addition of these new capabilities comes as a direct result of JWP’s acquisition of VUALTO, the leading live video streaming and DRM provider.

JWP’s innovative live broadcasting technology combined with advertising and subscriptionbased monetization capabilities,

allows broadcasters to benefit from reduced complexity and costs related to video management while enabling them to optimize revenue.

The platform also leverages JWP’s partnership with Applicaster to allow broadcasters to develop their own custom OTT apps. Together, these new capabilities provide broadcasters with the flexibility and extensibility to easily stream Live & VOD content to any device or platform.

Eclat Media Group selects Tata Communications to bring global sports to pan-Asian viewers

Thai public service broadcaster ETV has chosen a playout system from PlayBox Neo as the core of its highdefinition educational television channel. The project was coordinated by GBS Alliance (Thailand) Company Limited, a broadcast systems integration specialist based in Nonthaburi. The newly completed installation comprises two complete Channel-in-a-Box solutions in a main

and auxiliary configuration with an automatic protective switchover.

ETV approached GBS Alliance to advise on a replacement for thirdparty hardware that was nearing the end of its useful life. The proposed solution meets all its requirements in terms of reliability, operational versatility and workflow flexibility, as well as being highly space efficient.

PlayBox Neo’s Channel-in-a-Box system is centred on AirBox Neo20, a scalable playout/streaming engine available in 3U multichannel and 1U single-channel versions. AirBox Neo-20 allows media files of various kinds to be combined into a single transmission playlist. Playlists can be scheduled weeks in advance for automated transmission. Files can be trimmed, edited or repositioned at any time before being aired without losing the freedom to transmit live. Gaps and time overlaps are automatically corrected to ensure continuous operation even when events with conflicting times are present. Special protection is provided to ensure uninterrupted operation where content files or even entire schedules are missing or misplaced.

SonyLIV appoints Saugata Mukherjee as Head of Content

Sony Pictures Network India announces the appointment of Saugata Mukherjee as Head –Content, SonyLIV. In his new role, Saugata will lead the content division for Sony’s digital businesses. He will report to Danish Khan, Business Head – Sony LIV, Sony Entertainment Television (SET) and Studio Next.

A veteran in the media and entertainment industry with over two decades of experience, Saugata has previously led content teams for esteemed media organisations.

Saugata Mukherjee, Content Head – SonyLIV, said, “I have witnessed the platform’s growth and proud to be part of its growth story once again. SonyLIV has always pushed the boundaries of content by telling stories that have never been told, explored, or shown before, making my role, a challenging but exciting one.”

Saugata Mukherjee

Global satellite operator ABS appoints Amit Somani as new CEO

ABS, a global satellite operator, announced that Amit Somani has been appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and will assume duties on 10th October 2022.

Amit brings over 25 years of experience as an operational and strategic leader in the information and communications technology space, with valuable experience as a senior executive in the satellite communications sector.

Amit will join ABS after having served nearly 13 years at Yahsat where, as Chief Strategy Officer, he played a critical role in the group’s successful expansion into multiple new businesses and geographies, making it into one of the global leaders in the satellite industry today.

Prior to joining Yahsat in 2010, Amit worked as a consultant at Booz and Company, and other international consulting firms, advising clients in the information and communication technology sector across the globe. He has spent significant portions of his career in North America, South America, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

Amit holds a Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering with French from the University of Nottingham and an Executive MBA from the London Business School.

Amit Somani

Q&A with Locomotive Global Media’s Kanupriya A. Iyer

By Monina Eugenio

Aiming to become India’s leading content production company, Locomotive Global Media (LMG) has beefed up its film division with the announcement of Kanupriya A. Iyer’s appointment as Head of Business Affairs and Senior Producer in July 2022.

With a rapidly-growing roster of projects in the pipeline, Kanupriya’s decade-long experience in film develop ment, production, and marketing has given her insider insights that she’s applying in her new role. And with the rapidly-changing trends in the industry, Kanupriya hopes to use her experience to grow the business and turn LGM into a leading content house in the future.

What can you bring to the table as you help oversee LGM’s business operations?

I believe that collaborating with the right creative and business partners is key. The last few years have given me multiple opportunities to work with diverse talent in this space. I have worked with experienced as well as new creators and both have their own rewards and challenges. With my extensive sales and pitching experience, I am hopeful I can take LGM films to the right platforms, both domestic and global, and attract partners and creators who are like-minded in their approach and vision.

How are you scaling up LGM’s position as the leading content production company in India?

We are ambitious when it comes to the milestones we want to achieve and the time frame we have set for ourselves to achieve the goal. Our key focus will always be to tell good stories along with adhering to an

Kanupriya A Iyer, Head of Business Affairs and Senior Producer, Locomotive Global Media

internal code that prioritizes the written word, technical values, performance, cost effectiveness, relatability, and incentivization. We intend to apply this code to all our projects and greenlighting processes consistently. In time, our approach should yield favourable results in terms of scaling up the company and establishing LGM as a prestigious and respected content house.

long overdue and will eventually lend itself to a more democratic market for all participants. Thanks to digital analytics, it’s much easier to identify a fixed consumer base before producing content, this has all sorts of implications, both good and bad. Having said that wellproduced, well-made content telling good, relevant will always find love and appreciation from the consumer.

We have some interesting series and films lined up for next year. Rana Naidu with Netflix will be our first released series. We just announced a crime procedural series in collaboration with Applause Entertainment. We have teamed up with Simon Mirren and Benjamin Anderson to develop this crime pro-serial drama for us. We are also collaborating with Hansal Mehta who will be hemming a relationship drama for us in the coming year. In addition, we have several exciting film and series projects in development, and we should be announcing some of those soon.

India’s content landscape has gone through a drastic transformation post-pandemic. The lines are blurring between mainstream industries with audiences watching content in all languages including Korean.

Speaking of trends, technology is the biggest threat to theatres with on-demand content available to everyone in their palms at the click of a button. It is a wonderful time for creators since there is an audience for all kinds of content. The current climate is unnerving for the industry because the shifts in consumption are swift but a change was

What projects are currently lined up that the industry should watch out for?

What’s your take on India’s current content landscape and what are some of the trends you’ve noticed about content consumption?

Rana + Venky - Rana Naidu

Rana Naidu - Working Still

A+E Networks: Making significant strides as the leader of original K-content by Monina Eugenio

Korean content is enjoying massive popularity thanks to its interesting and relatable storylines, excellent acting, and overall production. And it comes as no surprise that Korean content is making waves not just in its home country but in the rest of the world as well.

As demand for content continues to grow, studios are addressing this need for content with video budgets in India, Korea and Southeast Asia climbing 21% in 2021 to reach US$10.4 billion, according to Media Partners Asia’s Asia Video Content Dynamics analysis published in August 2022. Video content budgets are also forecast to grow 15% to US$12.0 billion in 2022, with India and Korea driving the bulk of the increase.

One of the studios making investments in Korean content is A+E Networks. Their first investment in Korean premium drama, Backstreet Rookie, starring Ji Chang-Wook and Kim Joo-Young, aired on SBS Korea and the streaming platform iQiyi in June 2020. On SBS Korea where it aired on the Friday-Saturday primetime slot, it ranked number 1 in viewer ratings among all mini-series in Korea for its timeslot for cable viewing in multiple key demo targets each week.

Meanwhile, on iQiyi, which simultaneously aired the show globally excluding in Japan and China, the show rated consistently as the top TV series from its first to the tenth episode in the Asian market and was among the top 30 Korean TV series streaming on the platform in the first half of the year.

The strong synergy of Korean culture

Youngsun Soh, the General Manager for Korea & Regional Head of Digital Business Development at A+E Networks, attributed the popularity of Korean content due to its appeal and uniqueness. Of course, when it comes to Korean content, there’s

also the storytelling, acting, and production quality that travels globally. Add to this the popularity of K-pop K-beauty, K-fashion, and K-cuisine, all working together to create such a strong synergy.

“The highly competitive local media environment and savvy Korean viewers always demand higherquality and more creative content which drives us all in Korea to bring the best and most creative content which drives us to bring the best and most creative possible content to the market,” Youngsun said.

She also noted the recent global success of award-winning K-content such as the Parasite and Squid Game has led local producers to create content with a bigger goal.

Investing in Korean content

According to Youngsun, the popularity of Korean content has been consistent for a very long time. And A+E Networks grew its IP through original scripted content, investing in K-content has been an integral part of A+E Networks’ strategy. Youngsun said, “We started investing in Korean content in earnest when we established A+E Korea in 2017. And then in dramas three years ago. Since then, we have invested in and distributed six dramas.”

The latest in A+E Networks’ Korean content slate is If You Wish Upon Me which premiered in August 2022. Aired on KBS and Lifetime Korea, the drama was streamed on OTT platforms such as Viu, Viki, and U-Next. The drama, which stars Ji Chang-Wook, Sung Dong-Il, and Choi Soo-Young, bolsters A+E Networks’ position as a leading creator of original content that builds on the success of A+E Studios’ hit series like The Lincoln Lawyer and Big Sky. The drama also continues on the company’s successful scripted strategy following the success of Backstreet Rookie, Dramaworld, and Woori the Virgin.

Speaking about how A+E Networks will continue to develop and create high-quality K-dramas and monetizable IP, Youngsun said that being on the ground in Korea has been the key to sourcing, developing and launching premium K-dramas for A+E Networks. Youngsun said that their Korea office has been working with the best-in-class talents in the industry to establish a rich and diverse scripted pipeline that allows them to work closely with producers to ensure that they have a win-win strategy, both creatively and commercially. “We believe in the power of IP but also have an open IP policy where shared risk means shared rewards,” Youngsun said.

Broadcast and streaming partnerships for wider reach

Ensuring that the content reaches more viewers, A+E Networks uses various windowing strategies with different channels on its programming side. According to Youngsun, in terms of production, A+E Networks continues to collaborate with experienced production companies such as Group Eight, which produced Woori the Virgin, and Taewon Entertainment. As for airing, Korean public broadcaster SBS aired as a first window, and Lifetime aired it the next day, as a second window. By adhering to this strategy, A+E Networks ensures that more people could watch the content which helps with monetization as well.

Apart from broadcasting, A+E Networks also collaborates with OTT platforms as viewers demand a variety of content suitable for the growth of new media, Youngsun shared. While traditional linear viewing is still critical to A+E Networks’ business, they need to focus on the synergy between OTT platforms and traditional media instead of looking at them as a choice between one or the other. With this approach of differentiating the windowing strategy, A+E Networks expects to create synergy between OTT and linear channels.

Youngsun Soh, the General Manager for Korea & Regional Head of Digital Business Development at A+E Networks

What’s next for Korean content?

When Bong Joon-ho won the Palme d’Or at Cannes for Parasite, the director said, “If we overcome the barrier of subtitles that’s about 1-inch, we can enjoy a lot more movies.” Quoting the director, Youngun added, “We believe a movement to overcome that barrier has started. Korea has a lot of outstanding creators on and off the screen and infrastructure based on a vast talent pool and a sophisticated market.”

Youngsun added that the possibility of producing various and unique high-quality K-dramas is increasing due to large-scale investments from global media companies such as Netflix, Disney+, and local OTT players like Coupang, Tving, and Wavve. In terms of the content A+E Networks is planning, the company is currently in talks with several producers and they are expected to announce the next series of new projects very soon.

Youngsun said, “We are also well-positioned in A+E Korea, with the backing of A+E Networks around the world–with its creative auspices and far-reaching global distribution arm–to continue on our path to growth and success.”

MIPCOM returns to Cannes for its 38th edition

The 38th edition of MIPCOM returns to Cannes on October 17 to 20 and this year’s edition promises to be an exciting one with over 300 exhibitors confirmed to take the exhibition space for the annual International CoProduction and Entertainment Market.

MIPCOM, dubbed as the “mother of all content markets,” features MIPJUNIOR returning to its premarket schedule on October 15 and 16. Furthermore, MIPCOM will welcome over 10,000 delegates from 96 countries as the demand is strong for content sales and acquisition as in-person international meetings have resumed.

Also featured at this year’s MIPCOM is the new Co-Production and Funding Market that focuses on content development, co-production, and funding partnerships. Driven by a comprehensive programme, delegates will get to hear from key players in co-production such as Lars Blomgren (Banijay), Matt Brodlie (Constantin), Leona Connell (Newen Connect), Emanuelle Guilbart (APC), Mourad Koufane, (France Télévisions), Sharon Levi (YES Studios), Anke Stoll (Keshet International), Christian Vesper (Fremantle) and Elly Vervloet (VRT), in a series of curated panel sessions and in-depth case studies.

Other highlights include a special red carpet screening of the highlyanticipated western, The English which will be attended by leads Emily Blunt, Chaske Spencer, and writer/ director Hugo Blick. In addition, this year’s Asian World Premiere of Kansai TV’s Elpis will also premiere at MIPCOM which will be attended by cast member Toko Miura and award-winning producer Ayumi Sano. Also featured are keynote speeches to be delivered by leading global studios, producers, platforms, and distributors including Amazon Studios, BBC Studios, Banijay, Fox Entertainment and Fremantle.

How Brightcove is gearing up for a cookie-less world ahead

by Monina Eugenio

The ongoing pandemic has contributed to the rise of OTT video service platforms, and in Southeast Asia, consumer interest as indicated by search volume has already risen to 18 times according to a 2021 study from Google, Temasek and Bain & Company.

Consumer interest in OTT has driven markets to turn to video, but with Google’s 2023 plans to phase-out support for third-party cookies looming on the horizon, one way that marketers can ensure that they get crucial and quality audience data and insights are through first-party data.

One of the leading platforms for intelligent video streaming, monetization, and communications platform Brightcove Inc., announced in February 2022 its acquisition of audience insights company, Wicket Labs. The acquisition addresses the missing link in the online video value chain or the connection between video analytics and subscriber data sources. The acquisition of Wicket Labs, now Brightcove Audience Insights, helps customers make that connection, enabling media businesses to make data-driven decisions that improve subscriber acquisition, conversions, engagement, and retention.

Gearing up for a world without cookies

Brightcove’s Chief Marketing Officer, Jennifer Smith stressed the importance of media organizations investing in a first-party data strategy as we approach a cookieless world. According to Jennifer, strategizing ahead of time will allow the industry to tap into crucial audience data and insights from their video service. Meanwhile, for companies launching OTT platforms, Brightcove can help capture data and feed those insights back into content decisions, marketing campaigns, and promotional efforts.

Platforms such as Brightcove offers rich viewer insights by taking in real-time video data and content analysis. In turn, media organizations can identify their bestperforming content and discover actionable audience insights around viewer interests, which device they prefer watching on, and what time they like to watch.

“With Brightcove Audience Insights, clients gain a unified view across data sources for even deeper insights into their business,” Jennifer said. “What are the signals that someone might churn? When should we reach out to a disengaged subscriber? Which episodes tend to lead a viewer to watch the rest of the series, allowing us to promote the show? Using high-quality data in this way allows businesses to build even stronger relationships with their viewers.”

Technology that yields positive results

At the heart of what Brightcove does is the technology that helps media entities in delivering content to a wider audience. The company develops its video technology with goals such as scalability of the technology to ensure many thousands

Jennifer Smith, Chief Marketing Officer, Brightcove

or millions of people can watch without disruption; support for people viewing on all varieties of devices and formats; and enhancements that reach more viewers across multiple languages, regions, accessibility levels, and usage patterns.

Jennifer said, “For instance, the work we’ve done means that even across millions and millions of simultaneous views, the quality of the video stream is not compromised and can adapt to playback conditions such as limitations in bandwidth.”

One such example is the award-winning technology that Brightcove developed called Context-Aware Encoding. It takes into account constraints associated with the delivery network and device being used to view the content. Brightcove built the platform to effortlessly scale and give viewers a great experience so content reaches broader segments of an audience.

For instance, Brightcove worked with Australia’s Harness Racing Victoria on the streaming platform, TrotsVision

which was relaunched using Brightcove’s technology for all-new experiences like access to behind-the-scenes footage. The partnership also proved to be a fruitful one as the audience grew by 76% from August 2021 to January 2022, positioning TrotsVision as a revenue-driving hub that capitalises on sports wagering and other monetisation opportunities like advertising and sponsorships.

OTT in the year ahead

In terms of OTT outlook, Jennifer said that they are already seeing the trend of rising OTT revenue which could potentially double from 2020 level through 2024, according to projections published in May 2022 by Digital TV Research.

“Media entities will take a closer look at regional nuances when it cmes to how they choose to focus their OTT monetisation strategies,” Jennifer said. “What we’re seeing is companies who have a substantial content catalogue–or the investment committed to creating or syndicating new titles, have several options for revenue streams, even multiple strategies from the same content. This can mean combining SVOD, AVOD, premium content offers, and other approaches.”

Jennifer added that the trend in hybrid monetization models is already being seen in some streaming OTT platforms and is becoming more accessible to media companies–from regional broadcasters to direct-to-consumer niche channels.

Technology that yields positive results

Epic Games Women Creators Programme gives the spotlight on Asia’s female VFX artists

by Monina Eugenio

Visual effects play an important role when presenting a story, and in movies where it’s heavily used, it’s what keeps moviegoers engaged. But who are the people behind these jaw-dropping visual effects? According to a 2021 report called Invisible in Visual Effects, only 21.6% of women received VFX credits across 400 top-grossing films from 2016 to 2019, with a ratio of 3.6 men to every 1 woman working in VFX. With that being said, how can women stand out in this male-dominated industry?

According to Epic Games’ Shruti Verma, Business Lead, ASEAN and India, it’s imperative that more women need to be represented in the VFX industry. She has called on for more female representation in the industry and to put a spotlight on female role models and success stories who can inspire future generations of female VFX artists.

A once-in-a-lifetime experience for women creators

Understanding the need for women to be represented in the industry, Epic Games introduced its Women Creators Programme in 2021 which aims to inspire and empower the next generation of women creators.

For the first time, Epic Games expanded the second edition of the programme to Southeast Asia in partnership with Open Air Films, ASIFA India, and Perforce Software that provided Indian and Southeast Asian women producers with a paid six-week virtual in-depth training and mentoring programme that concluded in August 2022. Out of the over 180 applications received, 21 women were shortlisted who was mentored by former Unreal fellowship graduates.

Shruti said that the immersive programme isn’t just restricted to VFX supervisors but extends across fields such as creative storytellers, producers, and animators. The programme allowed finalists to participate in one-onone mentoring, virtual workshops, and in-depth sessions where they learned the latest VFX techniques in realtime world-building, lighting, sequencing, and virtual production using cloud-driven virtual machines. The programme culminated with finalists having the opportunity to showcase their short films using Unreal Engine.

Shruti commented, “With virtual production being the future of storytelling, we wanted the Women Creators Programme to help these amazing women learn the tools needed to stay on the leading edge.”

In-depth training for women creators

One of the participants selected as one of the finalists is Jessica Tan, who has two decades of experience in the

post-production industry. Currently working as a Creative Tech Director at Superunion in Singapore, Jessica said that she continually seeks to challenge herself creatively by pushing the boundaries of what she can do by constantly learning new skills and exploring new creative tools.

“For me, real-time 3D technology represents the next step in the evolution of my work–it presents fascinating possibilities and real impact on the future of how 3D animators will be working,” Jessica said. “I jumped at the chance to take part in the programme as I have always wanted to take a deep dive into learning Unreal, and this was exactly the opportunity I was looking for.”

Shruti Verma, Business Lead, ASEAN and India, Epic Games

Describing the programme as comprehensive, Jessica shared that Epic Games provided extensive training in the technical workings of the software. “There was a lot of support from the group of talented participants as well as the mentors,” Jessica said. “What I especially appreciated was the keen focus on storytelling–so that we weren’t just learning the software, but also suing Unreal to make a carefully considered short film.”

Jessica shared that she enjoyed the focus on directing, storyboarding, cinematography, and editing–and being able to tell a story that she cared about. “My key takeaways were getting a much deeper understanding of how Unreal works–realising how working in a real-time environment is greatly different from working in traditional 3D, and also how important a story is to any project,” she said.

A call for equal representation in the VFX industry

Jessica shared that she feels women may be underrepresented as there’s a perception that it’s a very technical field with long working hours, mostly populated by men. While mostly true, she noted that the industry is improving its practices. She also said that while it’s a technical field, it’s also unique in the sense that technical work is combined with art–and is an interesting way to be an artist. She added, “As with all industries, I feel that it is really important to have equal representation of women so that the stories of the world can be told from a much different perspective.”

Initiatives such as the Women Creators Programme gives those who are working in the industry a

way to support each other by forming a close-knit community that celebrates their creative works and achievements while sharing knowledge and experience.

Speaking about the programme’s run in Southeast Asia, Shruti said, “The second edition saw a range of diverse stories being told. It’s amazing to see so many beautiful short films created by our fantastic women creators, bringing their personal touch to this programme and their works.”

Shruti believes that a lot more needs to be done, and beyond training, it is also important to support creators in getting their projects off the ground. One such initiative that Epic Games has rolled out is its Epic MegaGrants, a US$1,000 funding programme which aims to support creators who are using Unreal Engine in new and innovative projects. To date, Epic Games has provided over 50 MegaGrants to studios across the region.

Jessica, who plans to leverage what she’s learnt in the programme in her professional work, gave sound advice to women who are thinking about pursuing a career in VFX. She pointed out that like in all design fields, the quality of your work is important, so you have to give everything you can to make sure that you are creating top-quality work that you are proud of because your work can lead to new opportunities. Jessica also said that you must be prepared to constantly learn, improve, upskill, and challenge yourself as software, trends, and creative standards are constantly changing.

“I have been in the industry for quite some time, I would say I have realised how important the other parts of the job are,” Jessica said. “As women, we tend not to want to stand out or speak up–but we need to speak about our work, make sure other people notice the work we are doing, step forward to do more and also cultivate good relationships. All these are soft skills that can help to keep opening doors and make sure that we get equal opportunities.”

Jessica Tan

Still from Jessica Tan’s short film, Uninhabitable