Digital Studio India Hot 100 - July 2018 Issue

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Total number of pages 72 Vol. 10 | Issue 07 JULY 2018 | ` 50

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HOT 2018 HERE IS OUR HAT TIP TO ALL THE SUPER ACHIEVERS IN VARIOUS FIELDS OF THE MEDIA, PRODUCTION AND BROADCASTING INDUSTRY PRESENTED BY

Published by ITP Media (India)

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JULY 2018 VOLUME 10 ISSUE 7

INTRODUCTION

DIRECTORS

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10

PRODUCTION HOUSES

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CINEMATOGRAPHERS

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FILM EDITORS

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SOUND ARTISTS

TV BROADCASTERS RADIO BROADCASTERS

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Meet the 100 most influential people in the industry

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66 ZEISS LAUNCH EVENT

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VFX

ANIMATION

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TECHNOCRATS SYSTEMS INTEGRATORS

THE POWER LIST

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VINITA BHATIA

ANISHA GAKHAR

Every year, when the Digital Studio team gets down to brainstorm about the candidates who can make it to the coveted Hot 100 list, the intense deliberation that takes place has to be seen to be believed. Across 10 categories, we have to judiciously select those people and companies who held their ground against all hardships and even had the nous to restructure their organisations when needed, to leverage opportunities – sometimes when none were evident to others. These were individuals who built companies and reputations that are now giving their competitors a hard run for their money.

Compiling this list is not an easy exercise, given the strict editorial parameters that have to be adhered to. We solicit plenty of information from each individual and company, and glean through it diligently to ensure that they deserve to be past of this compilation. Some, unfortunately, miss being in this august list just by the skin of their teeth, and this means fielding calls after the issue hits the stand, explaining the reasons why they were not considered.

Yes, like I said, it is not an easy exercise. However, every year, we persevere at this task, because we want to applaud the efforts of those enterprising technicians from the media industry who rarely get appreciated for their amazing work. We want to shine the spotlight on the channel partners who ensure that the broadcasting and media companies work on the latest technologies, without a hitch. And we want to celebrate the bold decisions of the business leaders who overcame myriad problems, which sometimes looked insurmountable, to gain an advantage for their company.

So here we are, tipping our hat at your efforts, with the Hot 100 issue. Take a bow.

Managing director S Saikumar Group publishing director Bibhor Srivastava EDITORIAL Editor Vinita Bhatia Assistant Editor Anisha Gakhar Contributors: Dinesh Raheja, Jitendra Kothar.

ADVERTISING India Commercial director Manoj Sawalani M +91 98201 76965 manoj.sawalani@itp.com South India Director Sanjay Bhan M +91 98457 22377 sanjay.bhan@itp.com

STUDIO Head of design Milind Patil Senior designer Vinod Shinde Contributor Saili Bandre

PRODUCTION Deputy production manager Ramesh Kumar

CIRCULATION Distribution manager James D’Souza T +91 22 6154 6006 james.dsouza@itp.com

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The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

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HOT 2018

Aamir Khan Rohit Shetty Meghna Gulzar

Anil Mehta

Monisha Baldawa

Shree Narayan Singh NP Singh Biswadeep Chatterjee

HERE COME THE CHAMPIONS After several lengthy deliberations over who should make it to the coveted list and spending numerous long days in the office, the month-long race to bring out the sixth edition of Digital Studio’s Hot 100 Power List issue is finally over. This time around, compiling this list was even tougher as the media and entertainment (M&E) sector, in the past fiscal, witnessed a flurry of activity with the entry of global giants, and big mergers and acquisitions, that changed 8 JULY 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

Ajit Mohan

Yamini Patel

the landscape. This was one industry that also, thankfully, remained impervious to the global economic downturn. A significant development last year was how OTT has managed to challenge television’s old business model, gaining more ground. This has reaffirmed our faith in India’s burgeoning middle class and that no dream is beyond its grasp.

To all those who have made it to the coveted list, congratulations! It’s time to take a bow.

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Advait Chandan SECRET SUPERSTAR

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dvait Chandan is one of the few directors who can claim to have made a major splash with his very first venture. Chandan’s is an amazing trajectory – from being Aamir Khan’s manager, he moved on to penning and then directing Secret Superstar, which the star not only produced but also made a cameo in. No wonder, Chandan’s film too is an inspirational story on the power of dreams to fuel personal growth. Adolescent Insiya (Zaira Wasim) dreams of becoming a singer but though her mother tacitly supports her, she faces grim paternal opposition. The film is informed with a strong feminist sensibility as the young girl learns to embrace her ambitions and stand up for herself.

Not only did Secret Superstar win several awards and do decent box office in India, but it was also a smash hit in China, attesting to the universality of themes such as the maternal bond and the struggle for self-expression.

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Ali Abbas Zafar TIGER ZINDA HAI

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hile it’s an immense advantage for a director to have a crowd puller like Salman Khan star in his film, the helmer is also burdened by the responsibility to come up with an all-guns-blazing thriller that satisfies the star’s legions of fans. With Tiger Zinda Hai, director Ali Abbas Zafar delivers ... in spades! This bravura masala actioner is purportedly about the rescuing of 25 Indian nurses held hostage in Iraq, but Zafar puts Salman in the epicentre and essentially showcases the superhero saving the day while battling feral wolves and villains galore while on foot and even on a horse. Zafar doesn’t allow you to dwell on logic as he propels the film forward at a frenzied pace, thereby engineering the right vehicle for his star’s special gifts.

Buoyed by the success of Sultan and Tiger Zinda Hai, Zafar and Khan are collaborating once again with the massively scaled Bharat. It’s one of the most eagerly awaited film of 2019.

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Amit Masurkar NEWTON

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n paper, the theme of Newton (2017), would probably not have investors making a beeline to fund the project. Newton is the story of a government clerk (Rajkumar Rao) fighting against odds, ignorance and the cynicism of his colleagues to ensure free and fair elections in a remote village of Chhatisgarh. It comes throbbing to life because of writer-director Amit Masurkar’s treatment. He imbues his unhurried narration with sardonic humour and scathing comments on the bureaucracy, the law and order and the difficulties of the democratic process.

Devoid of any commercial frills, this shot-in-the-jungles is enlivened by its conviction and a sense of purpose. The performances are first-rate. Rao is one of the finest actors we have and the director mines his sincerity and hunger ... and hits gold! With Newton, Masurkar has delivered not only the National Award winner for Best Feature Film (Hindi) but also the year’s sleeper commercial success.

Ashwini Iyer Tiwari BAREILLY KI BARFI

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ith Bareilly Ki Barfi, Ashwini Iyer Tiwari became only the third woman in over 60 years to bag Filmfare’s Best Director trophy. The honour is well deserved because Tiwari has concocted a refreshing comedy about an independent thinking young girl from a small town (played by Kriti Sanon) who exercises both her heart and her mind when it comes to choosing between her two suitors (Ayushmann Khurrana and Rajkummar Rao).

Iyer imbues the familiar mistaken-identity trope with biting subversive humour and draw effective performances from her talented ensemble cast, in particular from Rao who bagged the Best Supporting Actor award for his hilarious portrayal of a mild-mannered saree salesman posing as a street-smart toughie.

The director’s creative bedrock is in the advertising world and perhaps consequently there is great pacing and economy of scene length in this charming but satisfyingly complex love story.

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David Dhawan JUDWAA 2

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avid Dhawan belongs to that very exclusive clique of directors who remain successful even after a quarter century of making films. Dhawan started in the eighties, hit his stride in the nineties with an arm-long list of Govinda comedies, continued in the oughties in the same genre with Salman Khan, and now has already had two hits with son Varun Dhawan (Main Tera Hero and Judwaa 2) in the present decade!

Dhawan remains in step with the times by contemporarising the look and the styling of his films but at the same time he stays true to his tried-and-tested staples – the leading man spouts smart-alecky lines in tapori language (street patois) and has an anything-for-a-laugh attitude while the brighteyed heroine is largely decorative. This strategy works fine for Dhawan in Judwaa 2, which is essentially a retread and not a sequel of Dhawan’s 1997 hit of the same name. Today, a David Dhawan film is a genre by itself!

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Meghna Gul zar RAAZI

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ith Talvar (2015) Meghna Gulzar found her mettle and ended her eight-year hiatus from film direction, and with Raazi (2018), she has re-asserted her hard-won ability to fuse meaningful cinema with box-office material. Raazi is the story of a Kashmiri girl who gets married in Pakistan but spies for the Indian intelligence; and there is one tense event in the wake of the other. However, the film is more than a thriller – it provokes thought on the many human costs of war.

Besides extracting a tour de force performance from the always-dependable Alia Bhatt, Meghna works hand in glove with her crew to make a visually exciting and absorbing film.

The sequence in which Alia prepares to poison an umbrella tip, is intercut between two different times and spaces, and makes for compelling viewing. Meghna believes that violence alluded to, is far more impactful than violence amplified. And this holds true for her depiction of emotions too.

Meghna has now designed her own signature, distinct from that of her illustrious filmmaker father who shares her surname.

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Raj Kumar Gupta RAID

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aid marks the smashing return to form of Raj Kumar Gupta who began his directorial career with a bang (Aamir, No One Killed Jessica) but experienced a professional trough after Ghanchakkar, 2013. With his latest film, Gupta crafts a suspenseful thriller in which Ajay Devgn plays an honest officer in the Income Tax department who dares to conduct a raid on the sprawling mansion of an influential politician (Saurabh Shukla) in the 1980s. Though much of the film is set within the grey walls of the fortified mansion, Gupta doesn’t let his filmmaking feel airless or stodgy. Whether it is the rivetingly shot treasure hunt for unaccounted cash or the intriguing human conflicts that crop up among the politico’s extended family, Gupta keeps the plot machinations moving speedily, even while making a pithy socio-political comment.

R. Bal ki PAD MAN

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hether it’s the cross-generational love story of Cheeni Kam, the child trapped in an old man’s body in Paa or the topsy-turvy gender equations of Ki And Ka, Balki has been known to spotlight unusual stories in his films. His latest venture, Pad Man, is inspired by the true story of a man who withstands the castigation by society and chastisement by his wife in his determined quest to make better sanitary pads and to spread awareness of menstrual hygiene. Balki scores straight off the bat by finding the right actor in the ever-earnest and newly causesensitive Akshay Kumar.

The director does find it occasionally difficult to stand on two stools – spread the message and entertain the masses. He falters when he oversimplifies but then balances himself adroitly with a vein of humour coursing through the film. Most importantly, Balki dares once again to tell a new story ... and this one should have been told years ago.

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Rohit Shetty GOLMAAL AGAIN

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ranchise fatigue can negatively affect even the most famous sequels the world around. But the Golmaal series remains perennially popular as is evidenced by the thumping success of its fourth outing, Golmaal Returns. Series director Rohit Shetty adroitly manages the tightrope walk between the muscular direction of elaborate action sequences and a souffle-light handling of the comic sequences.

Arguably at the high noon of his career after a string of successes, Shetty keeps this franchise ticking with his constant innovation – not only in his chases-and-explosions forte but also in his themes. Golmaal Returns is an unusual hybrid – a horror comedy – and has Parineeti Chopra essaying the role of a spirit, Ajay Devgn playing a man who is frightened of ghosts and the rest of the familiar gang hopping along for the fun ride. It’s a strange melding of genres but Shetty pulls it off with practised ease.

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Sanjay Leel a Bhansal i PADMAAVAT

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ad Padmaavat been released in late 2017 as scheduled, it would have surely swept up multiple trophies at the myriad awards functions at the start of this calendar year.

Auteur Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s stylistic signature is splashed all over this skillfully mounted period drama with extravagantly opulent production values. But to Bhansali’s credit, he doesn’t let the glossy grandeur and gritty battle scenes overpower the human story at the film’s centre – a beleaguered queen who values her self respect above her own life. Bhansali flair for high drama and confrontation scenes is on full display here.

He also draws a fine performance from Ranveer Singh as the menacing monarch whose eyes are fixated on another king’s queen and kingdom.

Padmaavat completes Bhansali’s hattrick after Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela and Bajirao Mastani, and stands testament to the filmmaker’s talent behind the camera.

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handsome Rs 90 crore in India and a staggering Rs 800 plus crore in China! The box-office figures of Aamir Khan Productions’ Secret Superstar, are overwhelming considering the film is modestly budgeted, headlined by a teenaged actress Zaira Khan (though Aamir does have a cameo) and banks on first time director Advait Chandan.

But then, this is only the latest version success story for Aamir Khan Productions, which started 17 years ago with the Oscar nominated Lagaan, and has continued till the recent blockbuster Dangal (2016). Most of the films from this production house have a common thread – a social message melded with a heart-warming story. With the perceptive Aamir Khan at its head, this successful concern seems to have mastered the most difficult skill for producers - no flops know-how.

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Aditya Chopra YASH RAJ FILMS

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nitiated by the late great Yash Chopra in 1970, this banner continues to exercise tremendous clout today with scion Aditya Chopra at its helm. While it was known since long for its association with lucky mascot Shah Rukh Khan, YRF now produces blockbusters with several other stars too – even pulling off a hat-trick with Salman Khan, after Ek Tha Tiger, Sultan and 2017’s Tiger Zinda Hai that roared at the box office and grossed over Rs 500 crore!

Besides big-budget extravaganzas, YRF also backs modestly budgeted, creatively experimental fare. Over the last year, Qaidi Band didn’t work, but Hichki rode on Rani Mukherjee’s slim shoulders and was a modest success. While Aditya Chopra may be famously media shy, he is relentless in his drive – Yash Raj operates a film production house (Thugs of Hindostan with Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan is the next biggie), a studio, a distribution concern, a music company and several cinema-related businesses that make it a true entertainment conglomerate.

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Bhushan Kumar T-SERIES FILMS

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-Series is one of the most prolific filmmaking companies operating in the Hindi film industry today. Over the last year, it co-produced as many as three successful films – Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, Raid and the award-winning Tumhari Sullu.

Moreover, it has multiple projects currently on the anvil. The company’s roots lie in its spectacularly successful music distribution business, and its film production ventures benefit from the marketing and tactical expertise. Notably, its recent releases are extremely diverse in terms of content, indicating that this is one production house, which is willing to back any viable commercial project that looks healthy for its bottom line.

The late Gulshan Kumar set up the company and made it a formidable force with hits like Aashiqui (1990), and in the new millennium it is his son Bhushan Kumar who is propelling the organisation forward with his aggressive expansionist plans.

Farhan Akhtar EXCEL ENTERTAINMENT

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ver the years, Excel Entertainment has created inventively themed popular cinema with the creme de la crème of film stars – Aamir Khan (Dil Chahta Hai, Talaash), Shah Rukh Khan (Don, Raees) and Hrithik Roshan (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara).

The company’s slate of forthcoming films includes collaborations with Akshay Kumar (Gold) and Ranveer Singh (Gully Boy).

Hearteningly, however, it has also struck comic gold with an ensemble cast of relative newcomers in the modestly budgeted Fukrey. And last year it was able to pull off the difficult task of producing a sequel that pleased the original constituency ...

Fukrey 2 did even better business than the original! The company also released 3 Stories, a bold experiment in anthology films.

Farhan Akhtar and Ritesh Sidhwani are at the helm of affairs at this film production house that has earned not just commercial success but also a reputation for making cinema with modern sensibilities.

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DHARMA PRODUCTIONS

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otwithstanding the nepotism debate, there is no denying that Dharma Productions, which is headed by Karan Johar, has a gimlet eye for spotting talent. Johar has earlier directed a slew of hit films that dramatically turned the fortunes of Dharma Productions, which had been set up by his father, Yash Johar. But in recent years, Johar has entrusted the direction of most of Dharma films to a clutch of new directors – Karan Malhotra (Agneepath), Ayan Mukherji (Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani), Shakun Batra (Kapoor & Sons) and Shashank Khaitaan (Badrinath Ki Dulhania); and they have vindicated his faith in their abilities. A sure sign of a flourishing production house is when it can creatively collaborate with new stars and new directors with equal felicity.

This year, Dharma spun silver with the spy saga, Raazi.

Jointly produced with Vineet Jain, it has the rare distinction of being a crowd pleasing thriller from a director-actress (Meghna Gulzar-Alia Bhatt) combination. With interests in as many as eight major films currently in various stages of production, Dharma Productions is arguably the biggest production house today – it is both prolific and profitable.

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ROHIT SHETTY PICTUREZ

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ince time immemorial, successful film directors prefer to also turn producers so that they can exercise greater creative and commercial control over their passion projects.

Though many of them fall by the wayside while doing this double duty, Rohit Shetty has been astonishingly successful.

To employ a relevant analogy, he rides astride two horses as capably as his favourite actor Ajay Devgn plants each foot in two moving cars in his hit film, Golmaal Again.

After a decade of helming high grossers, Shetty started co-producing his directorial ventures with Singham 2 and Dilwale. In late 2017, he hit the jackpot with Golmaal Again, a poster of which proudly claims ‘Produced and Directed by Rohit Shetty’. He teamed up with Reliance Entertainment and Mangalmurti Films, and the producers ensured an ambitiously scaled and marketed product that stormed the box office and grossed over Rs 300 crore worldwide. Shetty’s production house now gears up for its next, the Ranveer Singh-starrer Simbba.

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Sanjay Leel a Bhansal i BHANSALI PRODUCTIONS

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hansali Productions came into existence early in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s professional career – it began with Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), which was only his second directorial venture and his first commercial success. Over the last two decades, Bhansali Productions has collaborated on several landmark films, which have been award magnets and box office bonanzas too. The failures of Sawariya and Guzaarish put a question mark on its prospects for a spell but Bhansali Productions bounced back by betting on outside directors helming films like Rowdy Rathore and Mary Kom. Of course, Bhansali has now got his directorial mojo back too; and with the Rs 500-plus crore blockbuster Padmaavat, the company has hit its financial high water mark. Bhansali Productions gives the maverick director the assurance of deciding the budgets, creatives and marketing of his mega projects; and this allows him to be the ambitious auteur that he is.

Sajid Nadiadwal a NADIADWALA GRANDSON ENTERTAINMENT

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ajid Nadiadwala, the driving force behind Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, is justifiably called the Franchise King by some people in the Hindi film industry. Over the last year, his production concern released two successful sequels –Judwaa 2 and Baaghi 2. And he reportedly has more franchise fare – Houseful 4 and Kick 2 – being readied for an expectant audience. This production house obviously knows how to cash in on a popular film; but to be fair, it has also been known to back experimental fare such as Highway, Tamasha and Rangoon.

Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment was established when Sajid, the grandson of golden era film producer AK Nadiadwala, turned independent in the early 1990s with Zulm Ki Hukumat and Andolan. It continues to chart a successful trajectory even after 25 long years.

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s the co-producers of Toilet Ek Prem Katha and Padmaavat, the production studio Viacom 18 has had twin reasons to celebrate of late. When the number crunching was completed, both the films were declared hits! It probably helped alleviate the disappointment caused by the performance of their other release, Lucknow Central. This film studio, with the involvement of an international media conglomerate like Viacom, was one of the first among the deep-pocketed new entrants into the post millennium scenario of the Hindi film industry. Since then, it has had an enviable strike rate. Most notable is its successful collaborations on films such as Kahaani, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Mary Kom, in which the emphasis is as much on the film’s content as it is on the star.

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FOX STAR STUDIOS

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n the wake of India’s economic boom, several big name international studios have forayed into the Hindi film industry since over a decade now. Fox Star Studios benefited from the early mover advantage initially, but it did hit a speed bump with some big budget disappointments. However, it has since managed a remarkable reversal of fortunes. There is an emphasis on content rather than budgets now and the need of the hour seems to be to adopt the art of the deal.

The studio continues to profit considerably through smart collaborations with indigenous film producers like Dharma and Nadiadwala Grandson, which results in a synergy of strengths. Over the last year, Fox Star Studio has scored two successes – it presented Judwaa 2 and co produced Baaghi 2 alongside Nadiadwala Grandson.

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hen a respected cinematographer like Anil Mehta compliments you on the stylishness of your approach (in Mom), you can consider yourself to have arrived!

Goswamy had done notable work earlier, but he is now shooting mega ventures like the Hrithik Roshan-starring Super 30 and Yash Raj’s Ranbir Kapoor film Shamshera.

Goswamy has used the Red Dragon camera with a set of Ultra Prime lenses to shoot Mom, not in an ultra-realistic raw manner, but through a considered “designed naturalism”.

The colour scheme and lighting changes during different chapters of the film. Director Ravi Udyawar and Goswami fearlessly aim high. The daughter’s breakdown and near suicide is wisely shot as a single three-and-a-half minute take with the handheld camera discomfortingly close to the main characters’ exposed emotions. Mom turned out to be Sridevi’s last film and Goswami feels they portrayed her in an unseen manner with mood lighting and contrast, and with underexposure and overexposure operating in extremes. The result is a fitting swan song.

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ational Award winning cinematographer Anil Mehta has to his credit a highly respected body of work (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Lagaan, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil); and the creative powerhouse has once again proved his mettle over the last year with his work in Advait Chandan’s crossover hit, Secret Superstar as well as Majid Majidi’s Beyond The Clouds. Secret Superstar is a straightforward film with a big heart, and the cinematographer wisely doesn’t let flamboyant experimentation get in the way of portraying the heart-warming story about the power of dreams. Mehta employs the Sony F65, a regular part of his arsenal, and a kit of Master Prime Lenses; and his realistic captures add immeasurably to the authentic feel of the locations – largely, a middle-class housing society – and bring a hypnotic texture and colourful palette to the film.

Always in demand, meticulous Mehta is now preoccupied with Yash Raj productions – he’s shooting Sui Dhaga and grading for Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar.

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Aseem Mishra CINEMATOGRAPHER

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veritable treat to look at, Aseem Mishra’s work in Tubelight deftly illustrates the film’s belief in the strength of conviction. Mishra has maintained a long-term collaboration with Kabir Khan, and has shot for all of the director’s recent films. After the thumping success of Bajrangi Bhaijaan, they once again choose the mountains as the location for their next, Tubelight. The cinematographer captures both the lush and the bleak aspects of the mountainous landscape in a series of captivating images.

Mishra’s compositions and lighting bring to life two different worlds – the village the leading man (Salman Khan) lives in and the war zone. Yet Mishra doesn’t ever allow the camera to call attention on itself. His visuals remain rooted in the story unfolding on-screen. Mishra has films as varied as Band Bajaa Baraat and Dabangg 2 to his credit, and his next release will be Raju Hirani’s Sanju.

Avik Mukhopadhyay CINEMATOGRAPHER

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vik Mukhopadhyay’s cinematography in October is proof positive that an austere, minimalistic mood can also appear poetic on-screen if shot with intelligence and perception. October is a meditative film and both director Shoojit Sircar and Mukhopadhyay have captured the story’s essence without resorting to excess. To achieve this, Mukhopadhyay uses almost one-point lighting and a very restricted colour palette.

He has shot with an Arri Alexa mini with Cooke S4 lenses.

One of the most affecting scenes in the film is a major character’s death, but here too the movie doesn’t tip into melodrama. Mukhopadhyay chooses a pale yellow light complemented with thin blue, and effectively communicates the melancholic atmosphere. Having won the National Award for cinematography an eye-widening three times, Mukhopadhyay is presently shooting Sujoy Ghosh’s Badla starring Amitabh Bachchan.

22 JULY 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

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Jay I Patel CINEMATOGRAPHER

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graduate of the Academy Of Art, San Francisco, 33-year-old Jay I Patel achieved his breakthrough success this year with his perceptive cinematography in Meghna Gulzar’s humanist spy drama, Raazi. The film’s camerawork actively aids Gulzar in keeping viewers on the very edge of their seats. In the scene where the character played by Alia Bhatt is almost caught with a top secret file, the blocking leads from the ground floor of the house, to the upstairs bathroom, back down and back up, and Patel deftly builds the tension with a Steadicam. In another key scene in which a character is eliminated in broad daylight, he effectively uses a spiral staircase to enhance the tension. Shooting with anamorphic lenses, Patel also daringly uses dark shadows around Alia at times to accentuate her apprehension.

Gulzar entrusted Patel with Raazi after she saw his work in a short film, which she had directed; and the calculated gamble has paid off.

www.digitalstudioindia.com

Marcin Laskawiec CINEMATOGRAPHER

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t is a challenge for most films today to rival the sheer scale of the action sequences in Ali Abbas Zafar’s Tiger Zinda Hai or the expertise with which Polish cinematographer Marcin Laskawiec has captured them for the big screen. This Yash Raj production headlines Salman Khan, and it plays up to the megastar’s action image to the hilt with imaginative combat scenes, explosions and even the shooting of a helicopter out of the sky. Laskawiec’s energetic shots and effective use of light and colour amidst vast desert vistas make this all appear visually impressive.

Laskawiec has bagged the IIFA trophy this year. Western cinematographers such as Jeffery Bierman (Kapoor and Sons), Carlos Catalan (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara) and Laskawiec’s compatriot Artur Zurawski (Yash Raj and Ali Abbas Zafar’s previous hit, Sultan) are regularly cracking the Bollywood code, indicating that Indian cinema is now remunerative enough to attract crossover talent.

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he visual sophistication of veteran cinematographer P C Sreeram’s work is on full display in Pad Man. Whether it is in the high gloss sequences shot in New York city or the gritty rustic scenes, he imbues each shot with a realism that makes it instantly appealing to the viewer. This long-time collaborator of Mani Ratnam is also Pad Man director Balki’s go-to cinematographer for all his films, right from his Cheeni Kam days. Pad Man is a biographical tale with a message and the camerawork follows the protagonist’s journey with a keen eye. Some vibrant long shots like that of the villagers gathered around a banyan tree give audiences a context to the protagonist’s milieu, while compelling close ups bring us close to the human story unfolding on-screen. The films many striking visuals – a mountain of cotton or a top angle shot of verdant fields – attest that this National Award winning cinematographer is still at the top of his game.

Ravi Varman CINEMATOGRAPHER

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mages from Barfi, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela and Tamasha are vividly etched into our collective consciousness.

The cinematographer of these films, Ravi Varman, once again crafts flamboyant visuals in Jagga Jasoos, breathing life into this daringly experimental film. Varman infuses many of his frames with a golden sun-drenched hue, aiming for a magical quality that reflects the zany spirit of this comic book adventure yarn.

His camera faithfully follows the protagonist (Ranbir Kapoor) on his breathless international adventures to find his father but takes the time to shoot breathtaking visuals at each stage of his quest.

There are scenes involving cars, mobikes, bicycles, biplanes and a train, which is beautifully reflected in a water body. Photogenic animals like ostriches, big cats and elephants pop up on the screen and there is a car chase shot from a meerkat’s perspective!

Filled with visual jokes, Varman’s work is in total tandem with director Anurag Basu’s joie de vivre.

26 JULY 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

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t the latest Filmfare awards, Sirsha Ray bagged the Best Cinematographer trophy for Konkona Sen’s directorial debut, A Death In The Gunj. The recognition was well deserved because Ray has made every scene of this period art house film work in terms of composition and lighting while matching it perfectly to the brooding, emotional mood.

This FTII graduate has shot some 50 Bengali films, and his expertise is evident in several scenes – the protagonist’s dream sequence as other cast members are dancing around a bonfire, the eerie planchette scene and the search for the young girl in the jungle at night. The receding road with pale red light from the car’s taillight falling on the jungle is a visual that stays etched in the mind of the viewer. Ray says he had a modest kit of an Alexa XR with a set of master primes and an Angenieux HR zoom freshly calibrated to shoot the film with, but that did not deter him from bringing 1979 McCluskiegunj back to vibrant life.

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hen Sudeep Chatterjee collaborated with Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Bajirao Mastani, it fetched him the National Award. Hardly surprising then that Chatterjee was called upon to film Bhansali’s next period film, Padmaavat too. It once again attests to this dream team’s ability to create a huge canvas and fill it with magnificent aesthetics.

Wide-angle shots of the rugged landscape and the frenziedly shot war sequences are impressive enough, but the film also encompasses myriad emotions. The visual poetry of the romantic story between Shahid Kapur and Deepika Padukone is contrasted with the raw energy of Ranveer Singh’s scenes.

Dramatic visuals and eloquent lighting that provides subliminal cues to the characters’ thoughts are Chatterjee’s forte. He uses low lighting for Singh and revels in the arcane mystery of the shadows. Chatterjee employs modern technique to recreate medieval times lit by flickering torches and delivers a totally immersive experience for the viewer.

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or Akiv Ali, editing is all about the ‘maximum impact’ he can achieve on-screen while putting together the vision that the director has for the film. Modern audiences are known for their limited attention spans, so director Luv Ranjan and he, judiciously keep Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety trotting at a rapid pace, thereby ensuring the film’s success. No scene is allowed to slacken the pace in Ali’s well-thought-out edits.

Essentially a comedy, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety balances the humour with drama but the editor manages an even transition. The film is also imaginative in the way it employs flash cuts to expository scenarios. Recently, Ali has also co-edited the audacious but indubitably artful Jagga Jasoos. Having built his reputation on hits such as Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Barfi, Agneepath, The Dirty Picture, Once Upon A Time In Mumbai and Gangster, Ali has now moved on to direction and is readying a film starring Ajay Devgn next.

28 JULY 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

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is award-winning editing in Pink opened up new avenues for Bodhaditya Bannerjee; and over the last year his resume expanded to include two major films – Raid and 102 Not Out. In Raid, Banerjee proved equal to the task of stitching together two very different spaces -- the antagonist’s mansion which is the site of an ongoing income tax raid and the world outside. This parallelism of the spaces called for constant intercuts between them, but the editor skilfully achieves this difficult rhythm. Thrillers are Bannerjee’s favourite genre and he enjoys the challenges it throws up. Notice how he cleverly uses fade in/fade outs with heartbeat sounds to create more intrigue in the scene in which a gunshot results in gold biscuits cascading down from a crack in the ceiling. Banerjee admires director Raj Kumar Gupta for his craftsmanship and his willingness to give space to his technicians. The two are teaming up once again for Most Wanted, starring Arjun Kapoor.

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olmaal Again has at least seven major characters but editor Bunty Negi skilfully juggles all their stories and reactions, ensuring that the narrative achieves a fluid flow. The song Hum nahi sudhrenge poses an obvious challenge with all major characters singing and dancing but Negi’s slick editing integrates it into a composite unit.

Negi also pulls off unusual editing choices. Negi started his career shooting and editing marriage videos,then achieved proficiency in cutting film trailers, an art in itself, before shifting organically to film editing 15 years ago.

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ne of the most experienced editors winning in films today, Chandan Arora won the Filmfare award for Best Editing for his much admired work on Ram Gopal Verna’s Company back in 2002 and has remained relevant with recent films like Krrish 3, Qarib Qarib Singlle and the forthcoming Abhishek Kapoor-directed Kedarnath. Arora works often with director R Balki and this year’s release Pad Man is their third film together after Cheeni Kum and Ki & Ka. They don’t hurry you through while they recount with detailed exposition the story of the protagonist’s struggles, but at the same time the team believes in keeping it crisp whether it is in the running time of the film, or the lengths of the shots.

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ome of the most sensitively handled films in recent years such as Dear Zindagi, English Vinglish, Airport, Parineeta and Peepli Live were edited by Hemanti Sarkar. She continues her successful streak with Secret Superstar. The film showcases a young girl determinedly pursuing a dream in the face of opposition; and the editor works in tandem with director Advait Chandan to stay focused on that theme. Sarkar’s forte is her perceptive grasp of the film’s essence and the straightforward style she adopts. The results are precise pacing and tight story telling which also allows for the emotions to resonate with the viewer. Held in high regard by her peers in the industry, Sarkar is of the most respected film editors working today.

www.digitalstudioindia.com

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Nationwide Distributor ARK INFOSOLUTIONS PVT. LTD.

Email : info@arkinfo.in Website : www.arkinfo.in

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Best Newcomer EMEA Channel Partner

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VAD Growth Award FY 16

Top VAD for Growth FY 15

Highest No of Growth in Sales of Fresh License Worldwide

Best SMB Partner 2017

Top VAD for Operational Excellence FY 15

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DS CHANNEL AWARDS’ 17 Best National Distributor (Production) Best Distributor (Broadcast)

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Nationwide Distributor ARK INFOSOLUTIONS PVT. LTD.

Email : info@arkinfo.in Website : www.arkinfo.in

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One Trimble Award

Best Regional Distributor Production

Best Newcomer EMEA Channel Partner

ANSYS 2017

DS CHANNEL AWARD’ 16

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Top VAD for Operational Excellence FY 17

Biz Camp

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Best Academic Partner 2017

VAD Growth Award FY 16

Top VAD for Growth FY 15

Highest No of Growth in Sales of Fresh License Worldwide

Best SMB Partner 2017

Top VAD for Operational Excellence FY 15

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resh off the Filmfare award for Best Editing that she won for Neerja, Monisha Baldawa once again accomplishes some stellar work with Mom. The film’s subject matter is grimly disturbing and Baldawa’s editing sustains the tension inherent in the story about a mother (played by Sridevi) avenging her step-daughter’s abduction and rape.

Subsequently, when Sridevi turns vigilante, and parries with the law (Akshaye Khanna), Baldawa exercises taut control over the tempo, inexorably propelling the film to its violent climax. Baldawa’s choices reflect a confidence in her craft.

She will next get to prove her mettle in Dharma Productions’ Dhadak.

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ditor Nitin Baid and director Meghna Gulzar’s shared passion for food and, more importantly, films, has fructified into an excellent creative collaboration with Raazi.

Inventive editing is evident in several scenes of this thriller in which Alia Bhatt plays a spy who is married across the border. A graduate in psychology, Baid feels editing helps him to better understand the working of a human mind.

His cerebral approach to his work permeated his work on the critically acclaimed Masaan and helped him win the Filmfare award for Trapped. After the success of Raazi, his work can be seen in the Karan Johar-directed segment of Lust Stories.

Shree Narayan Singh TOILET EK PREM KATHA

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ome of the best directors in Hindi film history like Raj Kapoor and Hrishikesh Mukherji would masterfully edit their own films. Editor Shree Narayan Singh, noted for films such as A Wednesday, Special 26, Rustom and M S Dhoni: The Untold Story, turned director with Toilet Ek Prem Katha, and he has competently edited it as well. It is to Singh’s credit that the film’s narrative is not jerky. He structures his tale well and also doesn’t let self-indulgence or flaccid moments come in the way of telling a taut tale. Fortunately, Singh’s trajectory from the technician’s table to the director’s chair has not affected his ability to look objectively at the material he has to edit ... even if it’s his own.

32 JULY 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

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Shweta Venkat Mathew NEWTON AND HICHKI

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s a child, Shweta Venkat Mathew would constantly point out mistakes in the continuity in the films she watched. She says she has stopped this practise after becoming a film editor herself, but her sharp eye for detail still stands her in good stead as evidenced by the seamless edits of her movies like Newton and Hichki. Matthew is particularly good at staying true to the director’s vision while layering meaning with every transition. Newton looks at the electoral process in a Chattisgarh village and she perfectly melds the ironical humour with the narrative.

Director Amit Masurkar was concerned about not going overboard with the humour and Matthew reveals that some really funny scenes were chopped off from the film. Fortunately, this has helped balance out the film’s multiple elements. Admired for her resourcefulness by her peers and also liked for her modesty, Matthew has edited films as diverse as Gangs of Wasseypur and Hasee Toh Phasee. Her talents are currently being harnessed on Dharma Productions’ multi-starrer Kalank and the Kangana Ranaut film, Mental Hai Kya.

Rameshwar S Bhagat PARMAANU, TUBELIGHT

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iverse films such as Tiger Zinda Hai, Baaghi 2, Tubelight and Parmaanu: The Story of Pokhran which were all released over the last year have one thing in common – editor Rameshwar S Bhagat. Prolific but low-key, this editor continues to enthusiastically aid in the creation of new cinematic high points even after he aced the National Award for Ventilator (2016).

Significantly, Bhagat has edited almost all of Salman Khan’s recent oeuvre including Ek Tha Tiger, Kick, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Sultan and the recent Tiger Zindagi Hai. The gifted editor maintains a fast-paced tempo in the frenzied cutting of the action sequences but at the same time knows when to control the pace and give a stay to characters in the film’s turning points. Bhagat’s talents engulf both the commercial and creative aspects of his art. Not surprising, his next major editing assignment is reportedly Salman Khan’s ambitious forthcoming project, Bharat.

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s a musical, Jagga Jasoos has songs interpersed with dialogues.

Sound designers, Abhishek Nair and Shijin Hutton, therefore used distinctive features, like time code and ‘frame-based’ editing to create, supply and edit sound elements based on each frame. They created individualistic aural aspects for each scene, so dialogues were different from the sound effects and set in a tempo. For example, the sound of picking a glass from a table and placing it on the other was created and synced with the music’s beat and tempo. “The challenging part was mapping everything together in sync – from the temp track provided by the music director to paying attention to the sound details, to incorporating the sound elements. Everything had to be synced according to the music’s beat,” Nair said. However, Nair and Hutton ensured that the music and dialogue design didn’t come across as two different facets, but came togeter as a melodious background.

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rainy night, twin murders, two suspects and a twist at every turn of the scene – this is literally every sound designer’s dream come true.

After all, there is some much one can do when it comes to drama and intrigue. And Baylon Fonseca manages to do it adroitly. Ittefaq is an adaptation of Yash Chopra’s 1969 suspense drama, but the new version has a lot more investigative excitement thrown in. There are frequent flashbacks, which required Fonseca to ensure that the viewer stayed with the plot of the whodunit. And when things get dreary, he added just the right amount of acoustix élan to uplift the otherwise dreary proceedings. The sound played a key role in ensurig that Ittefaq was taut thriller with just the right dose of sublime lure.

34 JULY 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

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iswadeep Chatterjee’s association with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali goes back a long way – as far as 1999, for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. For the magnum opus Padmaavat, he has once again proved that his sensibilities are very much in sync with the auteur’s directorial vision.Chatterjee has used rusticity as his aural ally to create dramatic approaches from scene to scene. Whether it is the fight to the finish between Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh) and Maharawal Ratan Singh (Shahid Kapoor), or the self-immolation scene with Rani Padmavati (Deepika Padukone) leading the Rajput ladies. By using Arabic acoustics for a balance of passion and menace, Chatterjee has hit the right spot.

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n just under three years, Bulganin Baruah has managed to make his mark in tinseltown. Starting as a Automated Dialog Replacement (ADR) engineer in 2015 with Umrika, he entered the big league the same year with Detective Byomkesh Bakshy! and Drishyam as sound editor. While both movies did not set the box offices on fire, Baruah bagged other big projects including Fitoor, the award-winning Ventilator and Jab Harry Met Sejal. Last year, as sound editor of Bareilly ki Barfi, he had to ensure that the local sounds of Bareilly melded well with the actors’ dialogues, which were laced with the authentic UP dialect.

Debajit Changmai SECRET SUPERSTAR

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ecret Superstar is a movie about giving a voice to a small-town teenager who aspires to become a primetime singer. As a re-recording mixer, Debajit Changmai has managed to give the film, which also delves into issues like domestic abuse, a well-rounded edge by keeping things simple. The usual sounds of domesticity with the TV turned on to an OTT know-it-all anchor, the silence that helps enunciate every pitch of Insiya’s (Zaira Wasim) voice in the recording studio, the softness to take forward the narrative of her teenage romance – Changmai has captured it all. Changmai’s ability to keep pace with the surprises that are part of the movie’s narrative is what makes him a winner all the way.

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wo decades since he started his career as a sound designer with Chalo America, Debashish Mishra has developed a keen sense of understanding for acoustics. He knows that to bring out the best in sound, it is imperative to understand the movie’s premise. In Pad Man, he immerses himself in the traditional and sometimes regressive world of the Arunachalam Muruganantham (Akshay Kumar), a self-taught inventor. He manages to find a place for Kumar’s small world with his wife, Gaayatri, (Radhika Apte) in the cacophony that accompanies the small town of Maheshwar on the banks of Narmada river. With this experiece, Mishra deftly guides R Balki’s story as the director tells Kumar’s inspiring story, who invented low cost sanitary napkins despite facing enormous criticism and humiliation.

Ganesh Gangadharan TIGER ZINDA HAI, HICHKI

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anesh Gangadharan’s association with YRF Studios can be traced to Dhoom 2 in 2006. Since then, he has worked on most of the production house’s creations – from Chak De! India to Dhoom 3 to Sultan. Last year, he worked on two of YRF’s big productions – Tiger Zinda Hai and Hichki.

Gangadharan brought out the best in both films acting as the aural catalyst between the actors and the director. So, on one hand, while he ensured that Tiger was alive and kicking, he also made sure that we do need some education, after all.

38 JULY 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

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om has a special place in the annals of Bollywood. being Sreedevi’s last movie, it also showed her prolific acting chops along with that of Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Nihar Ranjan Samal uses the sound adroitly to help the audience delve deep into the minds of the criminals and the main protogonist. Samal switches gears to employ soft muted tones to bring out the mental trauma experienced by the rape victim, Arya (Sajal Ali) and then fast-paced tenor to highlight Sreedevi’s valour. This subtlety is what holds the viewer’s attention throughout the tightly wound revenge drama.

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Niraj Gera he premise of Newton is quite unusual – at first glance, it looks like a docu-drama, but scratch the surface and what emerges is a social commentary about how the democratic process works in reality. While an actor of Rajkummar Rao’s caliber is enough to get the audience into the theatre, keeping their attention glued needs special skills, since the storyline can get slow. That is when a sound designer, like Niraj Gera, has to use his inventiveness. Rather than falling prey to the acoustics, he comes up with natural noises in the background and tones that shift with the narrative without bursting forth so as to disrupt the sublime dramedy. This makes the movie an easy-to-watch and enjoy movie without leaving a distaste about the way elections are held, and gives hope for a better future.

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n his two-decade long career, Shajith Koyeri has worked on many notable movies, and has won several awards.

Beyond The Clouds follows this long string of noteworthy films, the others being Omkara, Mangal Pandey: The Rising, Saawariya, Barfi! etc. Beyond The Clouds is the first Hindi movie by the award-winning Iranian director Majid Majidi, and while the movie did not set the box office on fire, Koyeri did his bit to capture the viewer’s attention. Right from the dramatic opening shot of Mumbai, to the jail scene where the siblings (Ishaan Khattar and Malavika Mohanan) reunite, he uses sound to weave poignant story about human triumph over hardships. In fact, the sound breathes life in some of the settings leaving a lasting impression, even when the storyline sometimes falters.

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n what could best be called the mother of all deals and has the potential to restructure the entertainment business globally, Walt Disney Co. agreed to buy Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox Inc. for about $52.4 billion in stock.

Closer home, in India, this meant that Murdoch-owned Star India’s businesses, including around 50 entertainment channels and 10 sports channels would be absorbed by Disney along with its digital streaming platform Hotstar. While this assimilation would take some months, Disney stands to gains substantially from this deal, gaining access to Star TV’s well-established audience and extensive content, while also getting a firm foothold into the sports domain, where Star TV has made its presence felt very strongly over the years. Disney would also acquire Star’s stake in direct-tohome platform Tata Sky in India.

40 JULY 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

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epublic TV’s launch in March 2017 was marred by controversies after Arnab Goswami, erstwhile editorin-chief of Times Now, left the broadcaster to start his own channel. It began with The Times Group seeking an injunction against the use of the ‘the nation wants to know’ tagline on the new channel. Later, the News Broadcasters Association asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to take action against Republic TV over alleged unethical distribution practices, which increased its rankings. Not all was downhill for the broadcaster – the high ratings was one bright spot, it launched on Hotstar, becoming the first news channel to stream news on an online portal. Goswami is now working on breaking some exciting news and getting his mojo back, which has lost some of its sheen in the past year.

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CHANNEL PARTNER AWARDS 2018 26th October 2018 | Hotel Sahara Star, Mumbai GOLD PARTNER

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Aroon Purie LIVING MEDIA GROUP

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hen it comes to news in regional languages, Aaj Tak has taken a lead over its competition, outpacing them in urban and rural markets. Part of this was because of Aroom Purie’s vision of presenting news with indepth investigation blended with technology, that makes it easier for viewers to take note of the latest happenings in the world around them. Last year, after almost four decades in the world of media, Purie decided to hand over the reins of active operations of the Living Media Group to his daughter, Kallie. He informed the company’s employees that he would now like to spend more time in strategic shaping of the group and explore new opportunities, though he did not share more details about his plan.

Karan Bajaj

DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

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ver the past couple of years, Discovery India has managed to register robust growth. With channels like Discovery, TLC, Discovery Kids, DSport and Jeet in its portfolio, the company decided to localise its offerings in India rather than refurbish international fare. This curation saw it create Discovery Jeet, which showcases niche content based on real-life stories. This is part of the innovation that the broadcasting company has outlined for India, which is dominated by other players. For its sports channel, DSport, Discovery again plans to go niche and create programmes that are not mass, but is more selective – for instance for audiences who are passionate about horse riding, golf and cycling, etc. Coming up soon is the launch of its OTT platform with content around food, auto, wildlife and other passionate communities.

42 JULY 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

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MK Anand 017 started on a challenging note for Times Network after its principal channel, Times Now, was devoid of an editor – Arnab Goswami quit to start his own network and a force to reckon with. Bennett and Coleman’s broadcast arm, then brought an editor from another channel, launched new brands and reengineered existing ones to take on the competition. These initiatives has helped the company earn back its audience and its clientele. And this has extended beyond its primetime. However, the network faced a big setup last year, when its Mumbai office caught fire and transmission was disrupted for three major channels – ET Now, Times Now and Mirror Now. This year, the broadcaster is working on the much-neglected Zoom and is working out a multi-forked strategy to rejuvenate it – changing its looks and styling.

Hopefully, these measures will pay off.

www.digitalstudioindia.com

OADC AST

NP Singh

TIMES NETWORK

2

2018

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TV

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SONY PICTURES NETWORKS INDIA

A

big win for Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) last year was the acquisition of TEN Sports Network from Zee Entertainment Enterprises. With this channel in its portfolio, the broadcaster will attempt to make its sports network stronger, since it is one of its key growth drivers. It is also provided coverage for FIFA World Cup at a specially designed 14-camera studio facility. The other two are entertainment and digital. While the company has been strong on coming out with content for GEC, it is focusing on its OTT platform, SonyLiv, and making it a profitable business. SPNI has made huge investments in SonyLIV, where it has over 80 plus original shows in four to five languages and close to 3000 movies.

And it has faith that these investments will pay off.

DIGITAL STUDIO | JULY 2018 43

BR

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Punit Goenka

ZEE ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES

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t was a momentous year for the Subhash Chandra led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), which celebrated 25 years in the business. And to top it off, the last fiscal was a good one, as the company reported a robust growth of 25.8% Y-o-Y increase in its domestic advertising revenue in Q3 2018.

After moving to top slot in non-sports entertainment television network with 18.3% viewership share, the broadcaster launched two HD channels – Zee Telugu HD and Zee Cinemalu HD – taking its total count to 13 HD channels. Last year, the company’s production division, Zee Studios, released three movies – Secret Superstar and Qarib Qarib Singlle as well as the Marathi language Faster Fene. While the Aamir Khan starrer did well at the box office, the others performed moderately.

Shashi Shekhar Vempati PRASAR BHARATI

A

mongst the first things that Shashi Shekhar Vempati had on his agenda on taking charge as CEO of Prasar Bharati, which runs Doordarshan and All India Radio, was to revamp the public broadcaster’s websites and make it more contemporary. He also wanted to upgrade the IT infrastructure across the board, so that it could play catch up with competition from private broadcasters. Given that Prasar Bharti had a huge content bank, he also wanted to devise better strategies to monetise this, especially on the digital platforms. While details of these initiatives have not been hammered down and put into implementation, people in the industry have faith in Vempati, given his lineage. An IIT-ian, he is the first non-Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer to head Prasar Bharti and was earlier the CEO of Niti Digital, a digital media company and has also worked at Infosys Ltd for 16 years.

44 JULY 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

www.digitalstudioindia.com

Sudanshu Vats iacom18 has been growing at a fast clip over the past few years, and it has been majorly due to the efforts of Sudanshu Vats, Group CEO, Viacom18, who has been ably steering the organisation over the past five years. While Hindi GEC remains the biggest contributor to the company’s revenues, the broadcaster trained its sights on regional channels, an area that Vats has been under-catered to. A proof of this movement is already evident in the fact that Hindi Colors standard definition channel’s ad sale contribution, which used to be 80% five years, is around 50% currently, as the other regional channels have started scaling up. Of course, this is possible because the company pays close attention to using data analytics and measurements to gauge what kind of content works with audiences. This approach has put it leagues ahead of its competition.

www.digitalstudioindia.com

OADC AST

Uday Shankar

VIACOM18

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2018

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TV

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STAR INDIA

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ast year, Walt Disney Co. agreed to buy Rupert Murdoch’s 21st Century Fox Inc, which meant that Murdoch-owned Star India’s businesses, including around 50 entertainment channels and 10 sports channels would be absorbed by Disney. Alongside, 21st Century Fox named Uday Shankar, chairman and chief executive of Star India, as president, 21st Century Fox for Asia. In another big win for the company, Star India won the TV, digital, Indian and global media rights to the India Premier League (IPL) for the next five seasons for INR 16,347.50 crore. Earlier this year, it retained BCCI media rights for all cricket played in India for INR 6,138.1 crore. While many feel that the broadcaster has paid a huge premium for cricket, pundits believe that this is a gamble that will pay off in the long run, since Star TV has multiple platforms to leverage it – TV and digital.

DIGITAL STUDIO | JULY 2018 45

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2018

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OADCA

Abraham Thomas

Prashant Panday

CEO, RADIO CITY

I

t has been an action packed year for Radio City, having launched 11 new stations, spreading the station’s network to 39 cities. Another highlight was the launch of Rag Rag Mein Daude City with a brand film, Taxi Driver, which garnered over 10 million views. Video City, India’s first video FM was named as the number one FM broadcaster by AZ Research Baseline Study 2018, amassing 6.7 crores listeners across 34 markets. The company demonstrated its prowess of being the an influential radio network, with an unprecedented tally of 64 awards including, 19 awards at Golden Mikes, 12 at ACEF, 8 wins at New York Festival International Radio Program Awards, and 20 wins at the India Radio Forum Awards.

MD & CEO, RADIO MIRCHI, TIMES GROUP

T

he most important milestone for the company this year was the launch of Mirchi in Chandigarh, Guwahati, Kochi, Jammu, Srinagar and Kozhikode. The success of Mirchi Love and Mirchi 95 contributed 25% to its overall revenues. The company claimed that Mirchi Love commands the second highest pricing in most markets, while Mirchi 95 is the number one priced brand. The profitability of its non-radio business grew from about 19% to about 24% during this year. The company has 21 online stations with nearly 400 million streams last year and over two million subscribers on YouTube. Mirchi also emerged as the leading Hindi channel in the UAE, thus adding another feather to the company’s hat.

Vineet Singh Hukmani MD & CEO, NEXT RADIO

9

4.3 Radio One re-broadcasted its international format FM stations online this year for an audience that chooses to access radio on-the-go. It was also the first to start an ‘audio business channel’ called ‘Business ONE’ for young professionals. Its topline revenues grew by 19% and 61% on EBIDTA in the fourth quarter, owing to innovative on-air initiatives. “We were also proud to be judged as ‘India’s most attractive media - Radio brand’ by TRA research,” said Vineet Singh Hukmani, MD and CEO, Radio One. The channel was awarded ‘India’s longest running travel show’ for its travel segment, Get Some Sun. The radio company has created breakthroughs in content across travel, food, sports, business, hollywood and music, and aims to follow suit in the coming years as well.

46 JULY 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

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HOT 2018

OT T

Ajit Mohan CEO, HOTSTAR

I

t has been a great year for Hotstar. Star India, the official broadcaster of the Indian Premier League (IPL), said that 202 million viewers logged on to the video streaming platform to watch the 11th edition of the T20 tournament — a 55.3% jump from 2017. Last year, 130 million users watched the sport on Hotstar, which has been streaming IPL matches over the last five years. What helped Hotstar clock these numbers is that in addition to watching the final match on 11 live feeds, they were also offered special features such as WatchN’Play to test their knowledge of the game, which increased their stickiness on the site. Additionally, the platform also employed virtual reality to provide them with immersive on-field action and special feed so that they could post emojis while watching the match. These user engagement measures helped Hotstar sell its inventory base well and consolidate its net-worthiness amongst its clientele.

www.digitalstudioindia.com

Gaurav Gandhi

DIRECTOR AND COUNTRY MANAGER – INDIA, AMAZON PRIME

W

hen news spread that Gaurav Gandhi, COO of Viacom18 Digital Ventures had quit the company after serving it for eight years there was a lot of speculation about his next move. That came to rest, when Amazon anounced that it had roped in Gaurav Gandhi as director and country manager - India for Prime Video. The position was last held

by Nitesh Kripalani, who quit the company in August 2017.

Amazon Prime Video was launched in December 2016 and within two years, the OTT has witnessed a rapid growth in subscriber numbers. It had invested in TV shows and standup comedy content, which included the cricket drama Inside Edge, music talent show The Remix and the thriller, Breathe.

It also also gained rights to stream exclusive Bollywood and regional Indian movies, as well as Hollywood films like Oscarwinner La La Land and Power Rangers acquired through an exclusive India deal with Lionsgate.

DIGITAL STUDIO | JULY 2018 47

HOT 2018

OT T

I

Netfl ix

n addition to being the most valued media company in the world, Netflix is also amongst the leading online platforms in India. In a relatively short time, it has managed to build a veritable and enviable content bank comprising webseries as well as movies, which has established its standing in the media world, which goes beyond the online streaming one. However, while the company is gaining viewers and traction, globally it is also losing money steadily and according to industry experts, it has yet to become profitable in India. This notwithstanding, there is no denying that Netflix has polarised the streaming business in India, with almost other players trying to come up with content that can match its standards.

Nachiket Pantvaidya CEO, ALT MEDIA

L

ast year, things took an interesting twist for Alt Media, the digital platform from Balaji Productions, akin to the sitcoms that the production house is famous for churning out. In July 2017, Reliance Industries acquired 25% stake, estimated to be around INR 413 crore, in the Ekta Kapoor-owned production company. Part of these funds will be ploughed into creation of unique content for Alt Media to help it establish a foothold in the competitive online space.

This announcement was followed by the appointment of Nachiket Pantvaidya as Balaji’s Group COO, and Alt Media’s CEO. In a bid to take on the well-established players in the OTT business, the company has adopted a monthly subscription model, charging users a nominal monthly fee of INR 25. This low fee has helped it rope in more viewers from rural cities, who currently comprise 80% of it subscription database.

48 JULY 2018 | DIGITAL STUDIO

www.digitalstudioindia.com

HOT 2018

OT T

Subin Subaiah

Uday Reddy

CEO, SPUUL

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he Singapore-based over-the-top (OTT) video streaming and video-on-demand (VOD) platform Spuul, has been consistently adding more regional content to its platform. In 2016, it entered into a content partnership with Shemaroo Entertainment for a 70-movie deal and last year, it signed another catalogue deal. As part of this, Spuul will offer an additional 100 movies from Shemaroo. Spuul has been expanding its regional content portfolio, since it enjoys good patronage from viewers from the rural areas. In 2017, the site saw steady demand for Punjabi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayali movies. Going further, the OTT network plans to invest in enhancing its Bhojpuri, Marathi and Bengali movies, which is getting more popular. Spuul, which is a site and app that features free, ad-supported videos, paid subscriptions, and pay-per-film titles for rent, currently has a catalogue of 1000 movies and over 10,000 hours of programming.

www.digitalstudioindia.com

CEO, YUPPTV

Y

uppTV is amongst the most prevalent OTT service provider for South Asian content, offering over 200 TV channels and 2000 movies in India. It is especially popular online Pay TV platform for Indians diaspora providing premium content from their homeland. It recently received funding from Emerald Media, a Pan-Asian platform established by leading global investment firm KKR for investing in the media and entertainment sector. Emerald Media acquired a significant minority stake in the company for $50 million. YuppTV had earlier raised its Series A round of funding from Poarch Creek Indian Tribe of Alabama. Last year, it partnered with ALTBalaji, the fully owned subsidiary and VOD platform by Balaji Telefilms Ltd, allowing users globally to access to company’s premium content on its platform.

DIGITAL STUDIO | JULY 2018 49

HOT 2018

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Uday Sodhi

EVP AND HEAD, DIGITAL BUSINESS, SONY PICTURES NETWORK INDIA

T

hough SonyLIV has been present on the OTT landscape for five years now, it has ceded ground to other players like Amazon, Netflix and even Hotstar. However, the company isn’t complaining, its ad revenue on a year-on-year (YoY) basis in 2018 was almost 300% as compared to last year, which is a significant jump. What has helped drive this growth is the strong sports content bouquet that the platform has, courtesy its parent company, which has rights to most of the sporting events broadcast in India. Additionally, viewers can use the platform to watch catch-up TV content from various Sony channels.

SonyLIV has also invested in a fair amount of original content and has over 80 original shows in four to five languages. It also has around to 3000 movies on its site besides content around fitness and food, which according to Sodhi, makes its a 360 degree platform.

Vishal Maheshwari COUNTRY HEAD - VIU INDIA

E

arlier this year, Viu, the video-on-demand service by Vuclip and PCCW took a bold step of getting into movie production. The company teamed up with Phantom Films to produce High Jack, to strength its position as a pioneer in original content. This was the company’s attempt to innovate and provide an enriched experience to its audience as it completes two years in the country. After launching seven original shows, including Kaushiki in the first quarter of 2018, it plans to invest in 20 more original shows this year. Additionally, the OTT service player plans to foray into the Tamil market, and offer fresh content for this region as well. Viu also debuted Korean dramas with English subtitles in the country, which has seen lot of interest amongst viewers.

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AFTER A SERIES OF DISRUPTION IN 2017, WHAT DOES 2018 HOLD IN STORE FOR THE TV, BROADCAST, PRODUCTION AND MEDIA INDUSTRY?

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HOT 2018

OT T

Viacom18 Digital

Ventures

In a surprising move earlier this year, Gaurav Gandhi, chief operating officer, Viacom18 Digital Ventures, which manages Voot, quit the company. He was associated with the organisation for eight years, and was part of Voot, since the online platform came into being three years ago and currently offers content in English, Hindi and regional languages. While a replacement for Gandhi has yet to announced, this year too, the platform will continue to bet on regional languages and offer content in languages such as Kannada, Marathi, Tamil, Bangla and Gujarati.

Additionally, the plans to create unique and original content that will resonate with viewers, like ‘It’s Not That Simple’.

Voot, owned by Viacom18, marries television with online engagement. It even leveraged its broadcasting arm to reap benefits, for instance, contestants of the Rising Star reality programme could stay in the game based on how viewers engaged with them on Voot.

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Zul fiqar Khan MD, HOOQ

W

hat makes Hooq different from other OTT services in India is that it is largely Hollywood-focused. However, this distinction has not really helped it in garnering a subscription base that is at par with Netflix, Amazon, Star India’s Hotstar or Voot. With the appointment of Zulfiqar Khan as the managing director for its Indian operations, the company hopes to turn the tide in its favour, especially since he was earlier the business head of Eros Now and understands the workings of the industry. Debuting in India in 2015, Hooq is a joint venture between Singtel, Sony Pictures Television, and Warner Bros and primarily focuses on the Southeast Asia market.. Recently, it announced a pilot programme called HOOQ Filmmakers Guild to develop its own original content. Under this intiative, it has shortlisted five original selected screenplays as pilot episodes on its platform, of which one show will be commissioned into a full series.

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Dinesh Singh CTO, NDTV

N

DTV, a forerunner in the news domain, has always anchored innovative implementations. Last year was no different, and the company implemented Mobile Journalism (MOJO), a work-flow to shoot and edit live using smart-phones. Usage of the DSNG OB van rose by 10%, with 80% of field contents being shot, edited and uploaded on-the-go. Streamlining of the MOJO workflow was a major milestone achieved by the organisation, according to Dinesh Singh, CTO, NDTV, as the company ensured that the operation ran in a cost-effective manner. It also developed a studio camera app for android to deliver clean on-air output using a smartphone, which is very competitive to a studio camera. The primary objective for the company last year was reducing capital expenditure.

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2018

TS

HOT

NOCRA

K Yegneshwara Iyer

HEAD, TECHNOLOGY, TECHNICAL AND BROADCAST, TIMES NETWORK

T

imes Network has always kept pace with technology and last year, it built an eco-system that consolidates resources with a special focus on process and cost efficiencies year. The industry saw it launch new HD channels and move operations of its flagship news channel, Times Now, from Mumbai to Delhi. Strategising the conversion of this flagship English news channel from standard definition to high definition with no downtime was a major project for the company. The seamless launch of two beams was the most challenging, according to Iyer. The company also recovered from a major fire incident in December 2017, with the news channels getting back on air within three hours. Iyer quoted Robert Frost to summarise his achievements of the year gone by, “Miles to go before I sleep.�

DIGITAL STUDIO | JULY 2018 53

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2018

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NOCRA

Kingshuk Bhattacharya HEAD, BROADCAST OPERATIONS AND NETWORK ENGINEERING, SONY PICTURES NETWORKS INDIA

F

or Sony Pictures Networks India, the main focus last year was setting up of its state-of-the-art sports studio facility.

It is an equipped post-production centre built over several thousands square feet of area, with multiple studios for VR and AR. Introducing VR and AR has enabled smooth integration of SonyLIV audiences to their linear services, thus creating an immersive content viewing experience across platforms. “The challenges we faced last year, were golden opportunities. They helped us showcase team spirit,” said Kingshuk Bhattacharya, head, broadcast operations and Network Engineering, SPNI.

Mohit Sardana

TECHNICAL HEAD, BLOOMBERG QUINT

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or Bloomberg Quint, the project on focus was the setup of its news channel and digital facility at Lower Parel, Mumbai. This involved having a global-standard look and feel, and also a common workflow for the broadcast and digital segment. Mohit Sardana, technical head, Bloomberg Quint, said, “The past year has been a learning experience for me, as I handled the project independently, executing activities like designing the budget, building the facility, selecting equipment, delivery and installation of the equipment, within the timelines.” The company is the first to broadcast its feed to various OTT platforms, and its VOD networks, according to the respective standards for the distribution of content.

Nivil Chacko

HEAD, TECHNOLOGY, DISNEY INDIA

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isney India, as an organisation, has always been synonymous with versatility and creativity.

The backbone, though, lies in the technological advances that back the initiatives taken by the its management team. One such key innovation, according to Nivil Chacko, head of technology, Disney India, is digital enhancement of its content development and distribution. The media company embraced Business Intelligence (BI) and cloud platforms and also launched their D2C application, Bindass. Their pivotal stratagem was to seek business-process efficiency; using technologies like Robotic process Automation (RPA). “It was a great time for us in context to technology, as we partnered with businesses, for product developments over various digital platforms,” he said.

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Rajneesh Mittal

HEAD, TECHNOLOGY, ZEE ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES LTD

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ee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has been continuing its relentless march towards digital transformation by taking constant cues from their business functions: what they want and how can technology truly and tangibly impact them. This approach has enabled their business to derive benefits in lockstep with the technology deployments. The main project for the company last year was automating its content supply chain. This involved deploying a comprehensive content management system, handling more than 2,00,000 hours of content with automated workflows, and catering to hundreds of users and transactions daily across various locations in the country. “In this VUCA world where uncertainty and complexity is the order of the day, we embrace newness with warmth, that’s some achievement!” said Rajneesh Mittal, head, technology, ZEEL. When one sees such a zest for technology, it propels a momentum that is inspiring.

Sayed Peerzade GROUP CIO, RELIANCE BIG ENTERTAINMENT

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ayed Peerzade, group CIO, Reliance Big Entertainment, undertook two projects this year, one of which was moving the company’s private cloud setup to open stack, and the other, moving SAP from its traditional setup to the cloud. Both of these tasks were pivotal for the organisation, owing to them being production setups, and carrying a huge volume of data. Their main focus was on operating efficiency, business agility, and cost savings. On the development front, the media house is coming up with marketplace, and has an e-commerce business in the pipeline. “I always carry the philosophy of maximum service, minimum cost. As an IT department, we are here to enable the business, just not to support it,” said Peerzade.

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Mal a Mathur

DIRECTOR, IDEAL BROADCASTING INDIA

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017-18 has been a significant year for Ideal Broadcasting. And rightfully so, owing to the innovations the company has offered to its customers by expanding its services portfolio to include the latest technologies for cloud, managed services, rental /studio interiors, systems integration and turnkey projects. Another key development has been the launch of IDEAL LIVE, its live broadcast and production division. From HD and 4K coverage of national football leagues, basketball and cycling; to 360 VR broadcasting and webcasting and apps, Ideal has carved a niche for itself. Some projects undertaken by Ideal last year, included the Asianet Broadcast facility, and the post and edit facility for Suvarna Networks. Ideal was conferred the Green Leaf Award, and secured the first place in designs for Tencent Studio and HNTV, by China’s State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.

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Rishi Khemka

CEO & DIRECTOR, ARK INFOSOLUTIONS

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ishi Khemka, CEO and director at ARK Infosolutions, has guided the company in establishing a leading position in India. It bagged various projects including the DDI setup in Hyderabad and providing technical solutions of Autodesk, Foundry, Shotgun and Chaos V-Ray to various media organisations. It also spearheaded the soundservice facility for more than 250 Cinepolis screens across 40 Indian sites. According to Khemka, the company has started working with Seagate for LaCie External HDDs and AJA for the Indian market. They have also provided total solutions like servers, amplifiers, processors and speakers, along with Dolby, for cinema chains like PVR and Cinepolis. Last year, the company marked a 40% growth in overall revenue and a 50% increase in team investments.

ARK also created an automated customer lifecycle process, which includes a software subscription, in order to cater to customers efficiently.

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Sanjay Sal il MD, MEDIAGURU

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n India, MediaGuru is managing the content for the Times Television Network and its radio channels. The previous year saw the systems integrator adopt and implement Artificial Intelligence (AI), analytics and facial recognition in some of its digitisation projects. MediaGuru is also expanding its scope beyond media and entertainment, as there is a growing need for content management solutions in the industry.

It has been working in the Middle East region in the past year with initiation of digitisation of photos, documents, negatives and slides for a government agency in the region. Simultaneously, they have digitised content stored in U-matic tapes, which are over 40 years old, helping preserve the footage for future.

Shiju George

DIRECTOR, RGB BROADCASTING EQUIPMENTS

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espite having a lot on its plate over the last couple of years, RGB clocked many achievements last year. Some of it was the completion of the HD upgrade for Kerala’s Manorama News, providing back-end technology to Asianet News, Asianet Suvarna News and two more projects in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh using Brightcove technologies. It implemented one of the largest OTT solution contracts with digital properties like Manorama Online, Manorama News, Mazhavil Manorama in the last fiscal.

Another highlight was providing the technological backing for ESPN for events like the Australian Open and India South Africa series. On the humane end, the company supported Times Now during a fire outbreak last year. Now completing its ninth year in the broadcast industry, RGB has marked its presence across the country with multiple projects across various segments like news, sports, FM and entertainment.

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Vinayak Deo & Shail esh Parab

FOUNDER-DIRECTORS, CINEOM BROADCASTING

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rom a humble start, all the way to a global broadcasting company, Cineom’s journey has been a hyperbolic one. The company undertook the supply and installation for SLRC, Sri Lanka’s government news channel. Technical designing and playout automation for Pen Audio TV’s CEC channels, technical services for BTVi, and design consultancy services provided for Bloomberg Quint, were a few of the feathers in their cap last year. On similar lines, Asianet Studios, Opera House at Muscat, RABAB music and Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd were a few other names who took leverage of Cineom’s technical expertise. The founder duo has also manoeuvred the establishment of their new facility in Dubai, primarily to cater to Middle East market across all business verticals. Cineom has assertively grown in terms of numbers, and has also expanded its boundaries by capturing new markets.

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Yamini Patel

COO, VISUAL TECHNOLOGIES INDIA

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nder the guidance of its COO, Yamini Patel, Visual Technologies India (VTI) undertook several prestigious projects over the past year. It set up SITC for three channels of Raj News, and a classroom for IIT Hyderabad. It also completed a full TV channel setup in the education segment for SRFTI, Kolkata. An audio-visual facility for the Ajmer Museum and a studio for EMMRC, Kashmir were few more mileposts in its journey so far.

VTI boast of providing SITC of PTZ cameras with outdoor housing units for Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. It also made a breakthrough in the security and surveillance business, supplying several key orders in this segment. The company ended the year on a high, receiving three pivotal orders from Doordarshan.

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HOT 2018

VFX

Avadhut Nerurkar MOM

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earing the mantle of working on the 300th movie of one Bollywood’s most accomplished actress’ movie can put immense pressure on any professional. Avadhut Nerurkar, however, managed to use his VFX skills adroitly to present the frames aesthetically without intruding in the powerful performances by Devaki (Sridevi), DK (Nawauddin Siddiqui) or Arya (Sajal Ali). The movie has many dark moments, especially

where Arya is dragged into a black SUV while leaving a party and molested in a car, and then thrown in a drain, where computer graphics have been used to highlight the sinister act.

During the climax scene, CG is again used brilliantly to juxtapose the dark grim acts against the pristine snow-clad mountains and trigger the imagination to picture that it is possible to find succor in agony.

Haresh Hingorani

Gaurav Baghel

PHILLAURI

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reating a translucent ghost who floats like a breeze, and springs surprises at unsuspecting humans, is always a challenge. More so, when that someone is an established actress like Anushka Sharma (playing Phillauri). But for an old hand at computer graphics like Haresh Hingorani, VFX supervisor at RedChillies.Vfx, this was much easier, since he had worked on many other challenging projects like Fan. What is commendable was that Hingorani was able to execute the VFX of this movie despite limited resources, impressed by the dedication that director Anshai Lal had for the film. One highlight was when Phillauri becomes invisible and shimmers back into sight, an imagery that is at par with international standards.

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SECRET SUPERSTAR

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aurav Baghel has an eye for detail, which is crucial in his job as a composite lead of NYFXWala. It is especially important when he has to work with professionals like Aamir Khan, who are known to be sticklers for perfection.

During the post-production of Secret Superstar, Baghel paid close attention to the pulling of every key, handling of every channel and plug-ins. Each of these had to be matched and synchronised so that he could ensure that the visual effects composition was precise. And this seamless precision ensured that the movie had a feel-good imagery despite its storyline sometimes slipping into melancholy and cynicism.

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HOT 2018

VFX

Sagar Mehta

Naveen Paul

INSIDE EDGE

GOLMAAL AGAIN

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outed as India’s first live-action web series, Inside Edge had a gripping storyline, a marketing blitzkrieg and an impressive star cast with Bollywood actors known for their stellar acting chops. It certainly got Amazon Prime the attention the OTT service provider wanted. What elevated the viewing experience was the slick imagery, which was courtesy Sagar Mehta, VFX supervisor, Fluiidmask. The entire series had over 1200 VFX shots, including those on the cricket field and a stadium packed with screaming fans, putting it in the same league as a full length feature film. Since many scenes in the web series had night shots, getting the lighting right was quite challenging. This is where the Fluiidmask team decided to put VFX to good effect and hit the ball straight out of the park!

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he fourth edition of the Golmaal franchisee is packed with visuals of picturesque locales, grand sets and a ghost with an agenda – all of which needed plenty of VFX. To make this happen, around 100 artists from various departments worked in tandem to deliver 4300 shots Naveen Paul overseeing the creative operations. This included putting together the scenic landscape outside the manor where Parineeti Chopra lived.

Another scene that called for plenty of VFX work is where Parineeti’s car is thrown off the cliff with thunder and lightening in the background. Part of this studio was built and the rest was digitally created, but a look at the end result and one would not even never be able to make the difference.

Sumit Ambhore RAAZI

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aazi is an engaging espionage thriller set in 1971, when relations between India and Pakistan were frosty as ever and almost at the brink of war. When the young Sehmat (Alia Bhatt), who signs up as a spy, gets married into a Pakistani household of high-ranking army officers, she has to deftly navigate unmapped territories to gather key information and pass it to the Indian government. As the VFX Roto at Prime Focus, which

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executed the VFX for this movie, Sumit Ambore, nimbly traced the live action frames where CG would overlap so that Sehmat’s vulnerability and innocence remained unmarred in the audience’s minds. For this period film, he created clear matte areas within various frames to allow the sepia hues that epitomise this period come through in a convincing fashion, for which he wins extra brownie points.

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A K Madhavan

ASSEMBLAGE ENTERTAINMENT

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K Madhavan, founder and CEO, Assemblage Entertainment, has established the company as a global player in the CGI animation domain, and over the past year, enabled it to deliver its third full-length 3D theatrical feature film. This year saw the organisation partner with names like Lionsgate, DreamWorks Animation, AMBI Pictures and Splash Entertainment.

Assemblage has also begun its journey of original productions, and is now co-developing, producing and creating differentiated IPs. As part of its efforts to make a difference, it supported the cause of Welsh Charity, with its CG animated feature Believe, to support the cause of organ donations. “It lies in our name; we brand ourselves as ‘MAD’ Assemblage, and being MAD, we believing in being able to ‘Make a Differ Difference’,” said Madhavan.

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CONSTRUCTIONWEEK

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COOLANTS & LUBRICANTS

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• TOP FAÇADE PROJECTS • EXCAVATORS & MOTOR GRADERS

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NEWS, ANALY SIS, PROJECT S & BUSINESS INT ELLIGENCE FOR T HE CONST RUCT ION INDUST RY

Inspiration and insight for architects and interior designers

Façades & fenestration

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Climate control for buildings

CABLES & CONNECTORS

Contemporary bathrooms Energy and water conservation

GAINING GROUND

TECHNOLOGY

SURESH KV, COUNTRY HEAD, ZF INDIA, BELIEVES IN TAKING

T-TIME

CAMERA ACCESSORIES

CHARGE. POST INTRODUCING A CULTURE OF IMPROVEMENTS AND INNOVATIONS, HIS COMPANY HAS SEIZED A SIZEABLE SHARE OF THE TRANSMISSIONS’ MARKET.

FROM A MUSIC CASSETTE COMPANY IN THE 1980S TO AN ENTERTAINMENT CONGLOMERATE, T-SERIES HAS COME A LONG WAY UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF ITS CMD, BHUSHAN KUMAR.

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Aligning business and healthcare in India

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Technological advances entry and fenestration systems; Latest in facade design; Decoding sustainability with industry experts

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The definitive guide to successful commercial spaces and facilities management

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INFRASTRUCTURE

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PET CT: CASE STUDIES

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CUT , Dell

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THE QUIET TURNAROUND

THE INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL GROUP WAS THE EARLIEST GLOBAL ENTRANT IN INDIA, BUT IT COULD NOT BECOME THE MARKET LEADER. IN ITS SECOND INNINGS, PREPARE TO SEE A MORE AGGRESSIVE ENTITY, AS IT AIMS TO HAVE 100 HOTELS WITHIN THREE YEARS

TECHNICAL, STRUCTURAL AND FACILITY EXPERTS OF THE INDUSTRY THROW LIGHT ON THE TRANSFORMING LANDSCAPE OF FACILITIES OWING TO EVER-EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY

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Ketan Mehta

P Jayakumar

COSMOS MAYA

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ell-known film-maker Ketan Mehta founded Maya, in 1997 with actress Deepa Sahi, which has since emerged as a leading animation studio. Last year, it signed a five-year production deal with Viacom18 for Motu Patlu and Shiva. Another project that became a massive success was Selfie with Bajrangi, which launched on Amazon in October and recently debuted on Disney Hungama, as a summer attraction. Mehta said, “The most important milestone for us was to create this sustainable and thriving studio. This led to an American private equity investor, Emerald Media, taking a controlling stake in the company.” Their digital division, WowKidz, has become one of the fastest-growing channels for kids’ content, with over seven million active YouTube subscribers, and over 6 billion cumulative views as in May 2018. Their next venture is another 3D animation international co-production, a series based on the movie Leo Da Vinci: Mission Mona Lisa.

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TOONZ MEDIA GOUP

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or Toonz Media Group, 2017-18 rolled out international projects like, Dino Girl Gauko with Netflix worldwide and Sherazade with Kika Germany. They also initiated Darwin & Newts for New Zealand on-air, Lucky Fred for Television Espanola and Smighties for YouTube Kids, worldwide. Amongst Indian projects, Gajubhai with Disney, Pakdam Pakdai series and Sab Jholmaal Hai with Nickelodeon were the key ones last year. “Our YouTube channel Chotoonz, received the Golden Play Button for having over hundred million subscribers, which is now nearing 3 million subscribers,” said P Jayakumar, CEO, Toonz Media group. Toonz Media is in the final stages of acquiring a reputed European creative production studio, which will place them strong on the global industry map. They also recently launched their licensing and merchandising company, ZamoZa, in Southeast Asia.

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OPINION

Broadcasters are under increasing pressure to monetise their valuable content and push it out to multiple platforms.

MAKING SENSE OF THE STORAGE TERMS SAN, NAS, LTO, Object – what do these storage terms mean? Nick Pearce-Tomenius, sales and marketing director of Object Matrix demystifies these technologies or traditional broadcasters in particular, providing instant access to video content has become a real challenge. That is mainly due to the fact that they have been using traditional storage methods, and have not modernised to meet demand. As their content catalogue grew and their needs changed, they had to add more storage and what they ended up with, is several silos of storage that did not connect and are not remotely easy to navigate.

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In an environment where technology progresses apace, one of the biggest challenges for broadcasters is simply understanding what the right storage technology is for them. Here is a quick look at some of these: In the beginning, Linear Tape Open (LTO) is where it all began for many broadcasters.

It is a tape-based storage solution, which was designed to be an open format technology so that any manufacturer could build solutions in this format. It has gone through many format changes and updates,

and the latest version uses a single-reel tape cartridge. The idea behind that is to maximise capacity as it certainly can store a lot more data than ever before.

Of course, when many broadcasters first needed storage, digital tehnology gave them a glint in the eye. Recently, the format underwent its own share of threat from a plethora of new technologies that are able to do so much more with content.

The problem for LTO is that media companies need instant access to content.

Broadcasters are under increasing pressure

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OPINION

to monetise their valuable content and push it out to multiple platforms. For instance, if content cannot be found instantly, it slows the creative process down, considerably. Broadcasters need superfast access to the entire catalogue and not just the low-resolution proxies, to realise new content streams.

With tape, it can be put on a shelf and left there until needed. But when required, it is very difficult to find the right piece of content. Once found, it needs to be extracted from the tape and moved into an active file system to be used. All of this is a very longwinded process.

Tapes also need to be maintained as the quality degrades over time. The other big challenge with this format is the fact that it is not futureproof. LTO drives can read data from a cartridge in its own generation and two prior generations. This means that when a tape version goes out of data, assets need to be migrated to a new format. Again, another long-winded process.

The main reason for using LTO is purely financial, with a low rupee per gigabyte cost.

Many studies already cite, that the cost gap is closing and in a few years, it will no longer be a factor. That said, if the content being stored will not be needed again but just needs to be kept for posterity, then it may currently be less expensive to use LTO. A move away from LTO is being witnessed where organisations have been using the technology in the wrong way. Wanting frequent access to their archives, they have encountered issues with speed of access and frequent retrieval errors.

NAS VS SAN Network-Attached Storage (NAS) devices are connected to your network, which means you can access them from any device on your network. They are often used for sharing files and data in an enterprise setting, although this is slowly being replaced by cloud services, such as dropbox.

NAS involves a device that is plugged directly into a network switch and therefore, it sits on the existing network within your organisation. Generally, they are easy to manage and on the whole will use a file

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Some users will have both SAN and NAS, so they can use this scalable unified storage to pull data from both of those storages, and bring them into one common space.

system, as opposed to block storage that is used by SANs. Storage Area Network (SAN) on the other hand is a dedicated network containing shared pools of storage. Being a dedicated network means that you can more easily control the performance, ensuring consistently high speed access to your assets.

SANs treat storage assets as a pool or resources that can be centrally managed and allocated as needed. Also, because it is a dedicated network, assets can be accessed from other locations if desired. They are scalable, with the ability to add storage whenever needed, but they tend to be expensive and complex.

NAS storage on the other hand tends to be simpler but can only be accessed at a single location. That said, some do allow for remote

internet access but it is not a simple and seamless process, so it doesn’t give remote users the same instant access.

Ultimately, NAS is great if you do not need to alter the files much once they go to storage, but SAN is better if you do. Neither are suitable for medium to long term protection of digital content.

SCALABLE FILE SYSTEMS In the media environment, where content libraries are continually growing, NAS users tend to use scale-out storage, which enables them to expand total amount of disk space by adding devices in connected arrays.

Another common method is that of Redundant Array of Independent Nodes (RAIN). This essentially ensures a level of content protection by enabling content to

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OPINION

be stored simultaneously across multiple storage servers.

Some users will have both SAN and NAS so then they use this scalable unified storage to pull data from both of those storages and bring them into one common space.

Scalable file systems do what they say on the tin and not a lot more. No built-in business rules, disaster recovery or metadata support, mean more products, people and support needed to fulfil strategic goals.

CONTENT GOVERNANCE IS KING Object storage exploded onto the scene 17 years ago, and has since then been disrupting the way in which content is stored and managed. Object storage is all about knowing where your data is, who has access, how they have access and how it is protected. That

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ultimately enables broadcasters and media companies to maximise value from that content. It means you no longer need those add-ons discussed above as it already does it all from one centrally managed system, and a whole lot more.

Object storage is much more scalable than any other storage solution. Whilst SANs can be scaled up much more than NAS, object storage takes that to another level altogether as new nodes can simply be added as and when needed, and be seamlessly integrated into the storage.

And that is the other crucial point, there are no silos of storage, no matter how many nodes you have, they will all be integrated and easy to access through one portal. So when you are searching for a file, you know that search will be across the entire library, and not one silo at a time. You can also give direct access to users in other locations.

The other thing that makes object storage different, is its use of metadata. These can be user-defined fields, with metadata being applied to every single asset. This makes content instantly discoverable based on those metadata attributes. Using AI, we can take that a step further by enabling semantic tagging. This means that users can then search based on specific content contained within the media files, making it much easier, and quicker, to find related footage.

Object storage keeps content protected throughout its lifetime, ensuring business rules are enforced; such as access rules and retention periods. It also provides automated and integrated business continuity functionality, ensuring work can continue despite any outages. Also, object storage provides functionality to ensure future-proof access to content with minimum manual intervention.

MIGRATING TO PUBLIC CLOUD The media industry is beginning to look to public cloud storage, to enable global collaboration workflows, implement geographically distributed backup strategies and for tapping into on-demand cloud based software services. However, with concerns about pushing high-profile content into the public cloud and high egress fees, we are

starting to see most companies take a hybrid cloud approach.

Many digital storage providers are launching integrations with cloud platforms.

That way, whilst tapping into the public cloud functionality, they still get the benefit of a premise ‘private cloud’, providing high speeds of access for users and for integrating into existing and future workflows.

The key to manifesting hybrid workflows for storage is the integration layer. Many organisations rely on third party orchestration layer to synchronise the content between private and public cloud platforms. A media focused hybrid cloud workflow is designed to meet the challenges faced by organisations such as creating, ingesting, logging, editing, sharing, distributing and archiving video content. This includes high speed onpremise workflows, coupled with seamless synchronisation of content and metadata.

Tight integrations and automated workflows ensure such organisations benefit from operational efficiencies and elastic scale of hybrid environments. Customers also benefit from integrated disaster recovery and business continuity provision.

IMPORTANCE OF GOOD STORAGE Storage is no longer just a place to put stuff, it is becoming an increasingly important, and strategic, investment for media companies, who are looking to maximise the value of content in their archive and improve operational efficiency.

Keeping content secure has always been, and will always be important; but now discoverability, business continuity, and implementing a future-proof archive are just as crucial. As consumer demand for instant access to any content, anytime, anywhere continues, this will only become more important and picking the right storage is key.

Nick Pearce-Tomenius, sales and marketing director of Object Matrix

DIGITAL STUDIO | JULY 2018 65

EVENTS

ZEISS PROPELS A MULTI-CITY LAUNCH, FOR ITS SUPREME PRIME LENSES Zeiss chooses to walk down to customers in each city, to launch their premium Supreme Prime Lenses family

BY ANISHA GAKHAR The market is evolving swiftly, and Zeiss has been gathering opinions from cinematographers, in order to cater to their specific needs. All of this passion, and years of experience and knowledge, have been put into something new, and the company is happy to introduce a brand new family of high-speed lenses, for high-end film production: ZEISS Supreme Prime Lenses family. It consists of 13 lenses with fixed focal lengths, between 15 and 200 mm, and majority with a maximum aperture of T1.5.

The lenses are designed for film productions of a high quality, covering cinematic large format camera sensors, and are compatible with all latest camera models.

Zeiss also showcased their Full Frame Cinema Zooms, which are an excellent match to the cameras. These lenses were formerly known as Compact Zooms: CZ.2 15- 30mm / T2.9, CZ.2 28-80mm / T 2.9 and CZ.2 70-200mm/ T2.9. The Cinema Zooms are becoming more popular now, as users seek Full Frame zooms to discover higher functionality.

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The Supreme Prime Lenses family comes with a host of features. Being able to cover large formats, the lenses are fast, lightweight and compact. They enable pleasing and versatile image characters.

Gentle sharpness‚ smooth focus fall-off, a shallow depth of field and beautiful bokeh effects, are some of the characteristics of an image produced by these lenses. Ergonomy, quality and reliability are the focal points for the Zeiss family. The lenses inherit the Zeiss competence in the field of cinema lenses.

Also, they support the Interchangeable Mount System and come with PL lens mounted initially. They are also meant to support ARRI’s new LPL mount and Canon EF mount.

Flexibility and innovation, integrated with the innovative eXtended Data technology, for streamlined digital production, helps the DOP keep control of the images and facilitate communication between production and post-production. Supreme Prime Lenses are the best match for films with a lot of visual effects, owing to the workflow - like shooting distortion charts, being redundant.

The data can be recorded in real time and can be passed to post-production team,

for compositing. Data provided to postproduction is more precise than grids. The technology used is scalable and Zeiss is working on implementing new data and features.

The company has put all their passion into crafting optics, to serve the artistic pursuit of cinematographers. India is a diverse country and there is so much happening across key cities, precisely our film industry which is expanding beyond Mumbai. Also, considering the schedules of their customers, the company thought of walking down to them where they were, and there lies the objective of the multi-city tour. The Zeiss team has been working hard to ensurwe that their customers get the chance to test the new family of first-hand and also obtain the information they need. The positive response received so far has multiplied Zeiss’ motivation to drive the approach and keep their best foot forward. Customer satisfaction has always been at the centre of their activities. The lenses are concepted, designed and produced in Germany, are used globally and professionally serviced locally.

This launch marks another success story for the acclaimed company.

EVENTS

SUPREME PRIME LENSES LAUNCH MUMBAI (26TH MAY 2018)

DIGITAL STUDIO | JULY 2018 67

EVENTS

SUPREME PRIME LENSES LAUNCH HYDERABAD (10TH JUNE 2018)

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EVENTS

SUPREME PRIME LENSES LAUNCH CHENNAI (13TH JUNE 2018)

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IN DEPTH

BACK OF THE NET

Moscow-based satellite broadcaster, Football Channel, has upgrades to HD with PlayBox Technology Neo

BY PRADEEP SUVARNA

hat is one of the key reasons why broadcasters want to upgrade their facilities to the latest highdefinition transmission solutions? Of course, user delight tops the list. But there is another important motive as well. And that is to invest in systems that will be future-proof and will therefore give them better return on their investment.

It was this thought that made Moscowbased satellite broadcaster Football Channel go for, and recently complete, a major upgrade of the graphics, scheduling and playout system at its studios on the city’s south-western perimeter. The project was performed in co-operation with PlayBox Technology distribution partner, Systems Video Graphics Animation LLC (SVGA), which is also located in the Russian capital.

Football Channel is Russia’s first roundthe-clock football-themed television channel that commenced transmissions in July 2007. The channel broadcasts matches from many countries around the world via ABS-2 satellite transponder 19, which covers almost the entire Russian Federation.

It has exclusive rights to broadcast the club channels of Real Madrid Chelsea and Bayern Munich, as well as the Portuguese championship. All programmes are adapted for the Russian-speaking audience. In production and broadcasting, Football

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Channel uses only modern digital technology and the most reliable equipment from the world’s leading companies.

WORKING WITH OLD HANDS While searching for the right company to partner with, for this project, the broadcaster decided to fall back on the brand that they were working with from the very beginning. And hence, it chose PlayBox Technology AirBox, given that it was associated with the brand right from the start of transmissions, in July 2007.

Temur Malishava, technical manager, Football Channel, said, “The system has proved very reliable and is popular with our operators, as well as our engineering team. We recently decided to upgrade to high-definition transmission which proved a logical time to invest in latest-generation hardware and software. The upgraded system includes two AirBox Neo servers in 1+1 main-and-backup configuration. Each server is populated with DataBox Neo, ListBox Neo and TitleBox Neo. It is enabling us to deliver very high quality television coverage of matches between clubs in the Russian Federation and around the world. We transmit in Ku-band via ABS-2 satellite across every time zone from Norway eastwards to the Pacific and online to viewers in every internet-connected country.”

AirBox Neo added UHD capabilities to the core PlayBox Technology content playout system which now supports UHD, HD and SD in single server. Designed for 24/7

unattended operation, AirBox Neo can also be operated manually, including the ability to handle live-to-air throughput.

DataBox Neo is an integrated SQLbased database for media and content management, allowing instant access to more than 20,000 records simultaneously.

Content is classified by many aspects such as type, category, genres, keywords, credits and media. All PlayBox Technology modules obtain information about visual content from DataBox Neo. This enables many tasks such as logo overlay, archiving/retrieving data and building/conforming on-air playlists, to be simplified or completely automated. Content can be easily searched through by dedicated multi-profile search, as well as by an intuitive multi-criteria filtering system.

TitleBox Neo provides total control during on-air sessions, including text selection, running speed and transitions. Among its additional creative facilities, are preconstructed graphic components, video resizing (from live source or file), windowstyle display and website content ingest.

ListBox Neo enables programme editors to create and edit schedules, days or weeks in advance of transmission. No special server or hardware is required, as ListBox Neo runs flawlessly even on a notebook, including software-based trimming and previewing.

One of the key elements of this upgrade is that it gives the broadcaster plenty of flexibility, and that is the key of being able to successfully manage live-to-air content.

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