TV Asia MIPCOM 2016

ASIA_1016_COVER_KID_409_COVER 9/26/16 3:01 PM Page 2

TVASIA

WWW.TVASIA.WS

OCTOBER 2016

MIPCOM & CASBAA EDITION

Pay-TV Originals / Japanese Content / NHK’s Katsuto Momii

SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 9/26/16 10:03 AM Page 1

SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 9/26/16 10:03 AM Page 2

ASIA_1016_TOC_ASP_1206_MANSHA COLUMN 9/26/16 6:18 PM Page 1

4 TV ASIA

CONTENTS FEATURES

Facing Digital Disruption

16 ASIAN SCENE A look at what some of Asia’s leading pay-TV channel brands are doing in the original-programming space.

16

For every new dollar added to the media ecosystem in the Asia Pacific over the next five years, close to 60 cents will come from digital services.

Ricardo Seguin Guise Publisher Anna Carugati Group Editorial Director Mansha Daswani Editor Kristin Brzoznowski Executive Editor Joanna Padovano Managing Editor Sara Alessi Associate Editor Victor L. Cuevas Production & Design Director Phyllis Q. Busell Art Director Simon Weaver Online Director Dana Mattison Senior Sales & Marketing Manager Elizabeth Walsh Sales & Marketing Manager Andrea Moreno Business Affairs Manager

Ricardo Seguin Guise President Anna Carugati Executive VP Mansha Daswani Associate Publisher & VP of Strategic Development TV Asia © 2016 WSN INC. 1123 Broadway, #1207 New York, NY 10010 Phone: (212) 924-7620 Fax: (212) 924-6940 Website: www.tvasia.ws

That was one of the main headlines to emerge out of the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) in Bali earlier this year, where the most well-attended sessions were indeed those featuring the region’s leading digital players, among them Netflix, Stan, iflix and HOOQ. “Digital contribution is going to double over the next five years,” Vivek Couto, the executive director of Media Partners Asia, the organizer of APOS, told delegates. New revenue generation will be heavily skewed to digital in China, at about 80 percent, and Japan, at a 70-percent share. Contrast that with Korea, where pay TV is expected to add 68 percent of the $2 billion in incremental revenues over the next five years, with digital taking just 30 percent of the pie. Even India remains a vibrant pay-TV market, with 82 percent of new revenues in the period. It’s a totally different situation in Southeast Asia, where free TV will contribute 37 percent of added revenues, with pay TV at 45 percent and digital at 18 percent.

The other key defining trend in the AsiaPac media sector today is the rapidly widening role played by telcos, which are either aligning with OTT services or launching their own.

These telcos are leading the charge when it comes to delivering more customized packages for subscribers, including increasingly popular skinny bundles.

While platform operators are left trying to figure out how to deal with all this new competition, networks themselves are redefining their roles in the competitive landscape. Faced with hungry OTT upstarts aggressively snapping up high-end imports, the general-entertainment networks that have long been reliant on top U.S. fare are supplementing their offerings with more local and regional content. This edition of TV Asia takes a close look at some of the original programming being produced for pay TV across Asia, from pan-regional reality shows like The Amazing Race Asia on AXN to Chineselanguage drama for HBO Asia and SCM. This issue also spotlights the Japanese content sector, which is looking to ramp up its exports of anime, formats, drama and more. As Japan is celebrated as the MIPCOM Country of Honour, it will also be showcasing its 4K and 8K production techniques. At the forefront of broadcasting technology in Japan is pubcaster NHK, and this edition includes a Q&A with its president, Katsuto Momii. —Mansha Daswani

24 JAPAN RISING Spotlighting the strengths of the content-distribution sector in Japan, which is being celebrated this MIPCOM.

24

INTERVIEW

33 NHK’s Katsuto Momii

ASIA_1016__Layout 1 9/19/16 10:03 AM Page 1

ASIA_1016_UPFRONT_Layout 1 9/27/16 10:45 AM Page 1

6 TV ASIA

Asia TV Forum & Market December 6-9, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Over the four days of the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF), more than 5,000 Asian and international content buyers and sellers are expected to gather as they look to buy, sell, co-produce and distribute programming. “Just as the industry is dynamic, ATF also constantly evolves and adapts to stay current,” says Hui Leng Yeow, senior project director of Asia TV Forum & Market and ScreenSingapore at Reed Exhibitions. “A new highlight for this year is the Digital Showcase, which will present one of the latest evolutions of content, along with various technologies that support this growing appendage. This includes the opportunity for attendees to delve deep into VR with the VR fireside chats, coupled with an experiential zone, leading to ATF’s Digital Corridor, where technology players integral to the media and entertainment industry [will be] present for the first time.”

“ATF is the premier stage in Asia to engage the TV entertainment industry’s top players from around the world.”

—Hui Leng Yeow Asia TV Forum & Market

Astro Njoi / Astro on the Go / eGG Astro is now serving 5 million customers, which is 69 percent of Malaysian households, with growth primarily driven by its subscription-free TV service Njoi. According to Astro COO Henry Tan, viewership has increased with real-time secondscreen engagement via Astro on the Go, mobile content apps and through integrating social media into its content delivery platforms. Astro recently launched the region’s first 24/7 eSports channel, eGG (Every Good Game), which has reached more than 5.3 million viewers since its launch in June. “Astro’s original signature IPs are resonating among Malaysians by setting record-breaking viewership, reaffirming our belief that local content is the new premium,” says Tan. “Two of our shows, Maharaja Lawak Mega 2016 and Anugerah MeleTOP ERA, surpassed the 4-million-viewership mark.”

Maharaja Lawak Mega 2016

Deutsche Welle DW / DW (Deutsch) Deutsche Welle (DW) operates two channels in Asia: DW, the English-language flagship channel that is now being broadcast in HD, and the German-language channel DW (Deutsch). Both DW and DW (Deutsch) are available in all Asian countries via satellite and through regional broadcasting partners. “We always work on building valuable partnerships with broadcasters in countries across Asia, and this enables our content to reach more viewers in more regions,” says Petra Schneider, DW’s director of sales and distribution. The programming mix on the channels in Asia is primarily news and factual entertainment, focusing on politics, business, economics, science, sports and culture. “Delivering all of this in HD quality offers a better experience for DW viewers in every Asian market,” says Schneider.

“DW provides a gateway to Europe for viewers in Asia.”

—Petra Schneider Forever and a Day on DW 524 WORLD SCREEN 10/16

ASIA_1016__Layout 1 9/19/16 10:02 AM Page 1

ASIA_1016_UPFRONT_Layout 1 9/27/16 10:50 AM Page 2

8 TV ASIA

Fox Networks Group Asia Chinese-language originals / English-language originals Fox Networks Group (FNG) Asia has been ramping up its original content, both with Chinese- and English-language programming. FNG Asia recently announced a collaboration with Fox International Productions for Chinese-language content, including films, miniseries and TV shows. “We have an advantage over other international players in that we are very strong in the Chinese channels business,” says Cora Yim, the senior VP and head of Chinese entertainment at FNG Asia. “We have connections with the producers and production houses in the region, and that’s why it helps us to leverage our strengths to work with many different partners, in China, Korea and even Japan.” Keertan Adyanthaya, executive VP of content and communications at FNG Asia, adds that local productions are often the “tentpole shows that we put a lot of energy behind.”

Ah Boys to Men 3: Frogmen, co-produced by FNG Asia & mm2

FremantleMedia International Apple Tree Yard / Fashion Startup / Jamie’s Super Food Family Classics Adapted from a best-selling novel, Apple Tree Yard is a courtroom drama about a woman who goes on trial for murder after cheating on her husband. “We are confident that Apple Tree Yard, with its addictive story line and fantastic cast, will be a huge hit not just in the [AsiaPac] region but worldwide,” says Ganesh Rajaram, the general manager and executive VP of sales for Asia at FremantleMedia International. Other titles being highlighted by the company for the region include Fashion Startup, following aspiring fashion and beauty entrepreneurs; Jamie’s Super Food Family Classics, in which renowned chef Jamie Oliver freshens up family favorites; and Hairy Bikers: Chicken & Egg, which sees the titular duo on a mission to eat the world’s most popular chicken and egg dishes.

“Our business continues to grow with the introduction of new channels and platforms in the region.”

—Ganesh Rajaram Jamie’s Super Food Family Classics

HBO Asia HBO Asia originals / HBO original series In addition to having deals with a number of Hollywood and independent studios, HBO Asia offers original programming produced exclusively for HBO viewers. Halfworlds, for example, marks HBO Asia’s first returning original series, with a second season coming at the end of this year. HBO Asia also recently unveiled its first-ever original drama out of Taiwan, The Psychic, debuting in early 2017. There are also brand-new HBO originals debuting this month, including Westworld, inspired by the motion picture of the same name, and the Sarah Jessica Parker-led Divorce. Magdalene Ew, the head of marketing, creative and content at HBO Asia, says that to expand the reach of its originals and target new viewers, the channel offers sampling and free-viewing opportunities across digital, social and affiliate platforms.

“We selectively adopt a ‘social-first’ approach, meaning exclusive content is first released on our socialmedia platforms.”

—Magdalene Ew Westworld on HBO Asia 526 WORLD SCREEN 10/16

ASIA_1016__Layout 1 9/26/16 9:53 AM Page 1

ASIA_1016_UPFRONT_Layout 1 9/27/16 11:24 AM Page 3

10 TV ASIA

Infocomm Media Development Authority One Animation / Active TV / Sparky Animation Singapore’s Media Development Authority recently underwent a restructuring to become the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA). “It is a timely move as the world’s infocomm and media sectors and markets are increasingly converged,” says Angeline Poh, IMDA’s assistant CEO of the content and innovation group.

Among the companies that will be with the IMDA at MIPCOM is One Animation, which is distributing the original animated series OddBods. Active TV’s Celebrity Car Wars is an example of a new format that Singapore is debuting at the market. It is a factual-entertainment format that tests the driving skills of Asia’s top celebrities. Also heading to MIPCOM with the organization is Sparky Animation.

“With Asia as a hotbed for television talent and content amid the digital transformation, we see Singapore playing a key role in co-creating content with the region’s best talent.”

—Angeline Poh One Animation’s OddBods

Rewind Networks HITS The HITS channel, launched at the end of 2013, is now available in 8 million homes in seven different countries.

The service is dedicated to classic series, which it airs in HD. This year, HITS added the sitcoms The Nanny and Family Ties to its lineup, which already includes such iconic shows as The X-Files. In October, HITS will showcase That ’70s Show. The comedies The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Full House will join the schedule toward the end of the year. “These shows have been requested by viewers time and again, and we believe that they will add to our strong performance and ranking,” says Avi Himatsinghani, the founder and CEO of Rewind Networks. “Our audience is very happy to tell us what they want to watch and we will love bringing these incredible shows to them.”

“Our proposition for HITS has always been ‘The best TV all in one place.’”

—Avi Himatsinghani The X-Files on HITS

Silver Wolf International Curious / Inside Things / Salam Ramadan Korea Among Silver Wolf International’s highlights for the Asian region is the factual program Curious, which delves into the mysteries and wonders of science, technology, inventions and the rules of nature. Inside Things, meanwhile, explores the nuts and bolts of how things work, from the natural world to manmade inventions. Salam Ramadan Korea, another title for the Asian region, shines a light on the Muslim communities in Korea. “These programs are educational and the information is imparted in a way that’s very easy to understand, and we think that is something suitable to and appealing for the Asian region,” says Abdul Rashid Budin, the company’s CEO. He says that Silver Wolf is taking a targeted marketing approach in Asia, “talking directly to different broadcasters and platform owners and attending markets that most Asian buyers attend.”

“Silver Wolf is grateful for the business opportunities and success stories across Asia.”

—Abdul Rashid Budin Salam Ramadan Korea 528 WORLD SCREEN 10/16

ASIA_1016__Layout 1 9/23/16 10:22 AM Page 1

ASIA_1016_UPFRONT_Layout 1 9/27/16 10:56 AM Page 4

12 TV ASIA

Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia AXN / GEM The Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks, Asia bouquet includes the English general-entertainment services AXN and Sony Channel, and Asian nets Animax, GEM and ONE. AXN is home to a number of high-profile original productions, including The Amazing Race Asia. Other hits include Cash Cab Philippines, The Apprentice Asia and Asia’s Got Talent. “We’ve enjoyed a long track record of delivering the local versions of some of the world’s biggest and most popular international formats,” says Virginia Lim, the senior VP and head of content, production and marketing at SPT Networks, Asia. GEM recently made its foray into original production with the global premiere of We Are Asia: Dean Fujioka & Friends. “We’re fortunate that we always have a steady pipeline of marketing assets at our disposal to be able to amplify all these titles,” says Lim.

“Over the years, we have been the leader in series made in Asia for Asians.”

—Virginia Lim Cash Cab Philippines on AXN

Turner Asia Pacific Oh!K / Cartoon Network / Warner TV Among Turner’s bouquet is the pan-regional Korean channel Oh!K, which has coming up in its schedule the drama Saimdang, starring Lee Young-ae. Cartoon Network will see the return of Ben 10, while Warner TV has eight day-anddate titles in its lineup, among them the new Lethal Weapon series. “As consumer behavior and our industry evolve, Turner will have to continue to ensure its brands remain essential viewing,” says Phil Nelson, Turner’s senior VP and managing director of North Asia and Southeast Asia Pacific.

“That means we’ll continue to invest more in our original content and IP, as well as work together with our existing affiliates to offer consumers more exciting opportunities and greater convenience to consume and engage with our content and brands.”

“In markets where pay-TV penetration is lower, we’ve been launching a number of branded blocks to extend the reach of our franchises.”

—Phil Nelson Saimdang on Oh!K

TV5MONDE Asia-Pacific TV5MONDE Asie / TV5MONDE Pacifique / TV5MONDE Style HD TV5MONDE operates three channels in the AsiaPac region: TV5MONDE Asie and TV5MONDE Pacifique, which are multi-genre channels covering Asia and the Pacific markets, respectively, as well as TV5MONDE Style HD, a lifestyle channel. There’s also the OTT offering TV5MONDE+ Asie and TV5MONDE+ Pacifique. “Our main focus is currently on our lifestyle channel TV5MONDE Style HD, which we intend to distribute all over the region, with a focus on Greater China,” says Alexandre Muller, the managing director of TV5MONDE Asia-Pacific. Upcoming programming highlights on TV5MONDE Asie and Pacifique include the movie Le convoyeur, starring Jean Dujardin, and Le passage. All three TV5MONDE channels in the region will be airing programs related to Paris Fashion Week.

“All of our channels are available in full HD format.”

—Alexandre Muller Le convoyeur on TV5MONDE Asie 530 WORLD SCREEN 10/16

ASIA_1016__Layout 1 9/20/16 10:22 AM Page 1

SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 9/26/16 5:51 PM Page 1

SPREAD TEMPLATE_Layout 1 9/26/16 5:51 PM Page 2

AP_1016_PAYTV_AP_ 9/26/16 3:14 PM Page 2

16 TV ASIA

Asia’s Next Top Model on STAR World.

534 WORLD SCREEN 10/16

AP_1016_PAYTV_AP_ 9/26/16 3:14 PM Page 3

TV ASIA

Mansha Daswani surveys some of Asia’s leading pay-TV channel brands about what they’re doing in the original-programming space. he jury is still out on what impact Asia’s booming OTT sector will have on the traditional pay-TV landscape. Unlike the U.S., there’s no hard data on cord cutters or cord shavers. But one can’t help but notice that streaming platforms are getting very aggressive when it comes to exclusive, first-run rights to high-profile American shows. This development leaves the big pay-TV channel brands in an increasingly competitive—and expensive—rights-acquisition game. But that’s not the only factor compelling leading panregionals to up their local development slates. In a crowded landscape in which viewer engagement is paramount, channels have found that original programming made for Asia gives audiences more reasons to tune in.

After the U.S. import The Amazing Race was a strong performer, AXN commissioned its own version of the competition format a decade ago—making the Sony Pictures Television (SPT) Networks, Asia–owned channel a pioneer in local programming in the region. This year The Amazing Race Asia returns for a fifth season after a six-year hiatus.

For Virginia Lim, the senior VP and head of content, production and marketing at SPT Networks, Asia, the timing was right to reinvigorate the franchise with bigger and better challenges and, more importantly, a key social-media strategy.

“The show will be very focused on social conversations and multiscreen experiences,” Lim says. “Our viewers will be able to access exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and interact with

the contestants via Facebook and Twitter during the series.

There will be a lot more engagement, and viewers are going to feel much more involved in the show. They won’t just be watching on the screen; they will be part of the whole experience.”

MODEL BEHAVIOR Another international format that has turned into a significant Asian pay-TV franchise is Next Top Model. Fox Networks Group’s (FNG) female-skewing STAR World is gearing up for season five of Asia’s Next Top Model and has optioned the rights to do a regional version of The Voice.

“We produce pan-regional versions of these shows that are meant to be seen across various markets in Southeast Asia,” says Keertan Adyanthaya, executive VP of content and communications at FNG Asia. “What we look for in terms of new shows are the touchpoints: What are the things that audiences here would like? What kinds of international shows do they watch in the English language? And could that be something that cuts through to them if we create a version of it locally? That’s one of the key aspects we look for. And then we ask, Can this be expressed without language? Can people who don’t speak English fluently watch it?”

At NBCUniversal International Networks, the slate of English-language shows with a regional focus includes DIVA’s How Do I Look? Asia, which recently returned for a second outing. “We wanted to step it up in season two and take it to the next level,” says Scott Mackenzie, VP of channels for Asia.

10/16 WORLD SCREEN 535

17

AP_1016_PAYTV_AP_ 9/26/16 3:15 PM Page 4

18 TV ASIA

The Amazing Race Asia returns to AXN this October with a slate of new sponsors and an enhanced focus on social-media engagement.

“We’ve done something that probably no one has done before in having the original U.S. version’s host, Jeannie Mai, come to Asia for the local edition. We made eight episodes featuring women from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Taiwan, and then in each episode we paired Jeannie with a guest stylist from the region.”

How Do I Look? Asia is based on a show that first aired on the now-defunct Style Network in the U.S. Tapping into the resources of the broader NBCUniversal group is an important strategy for the Asian channels operation, Mackenzie says.

“We’re always looking for ways we can partner with the other divisions of NBCUniversal to create something greater than what we would be able to do on our own.”

A similar approach is being employed at A+E Networks Asia, where local originals are being produced for the HISTORY and Lifetime channels. These include shows that were developed locally, such as Photo Face-Off, which returned for season three on HISTORY this September, and format-based properties such as MasterChef Asia.

“The majority of our original productions have been original ideas, developed locally,” says Michele Schofield, the senior VP of programming and production at A+E Networks Asia.

“However, we have produced a few international formats: MasterChef Asia, My Ghost Story Asia and 10 Things You Don’t Know About. The advantage of working with our own or A+E Networks’ original formats is that we have more control over what we can do with the creative and how we can offer sponsorships or integrations to advertisers. The advantage of working with an international format is that it needs no explanation; it has an established credibility for both the audience and the advertisers.”

SCRIPTED STORIES One area that has started to expand is original drama for the pan-regional general-entertainment brands. And not surprisingly, given the history of its parent company, HBO Asia is setting itself up as a pioneer in the local drama space. One of the premium channel’s biggest successes so far is the thriller series Halfworlds, recently renewed for a second season.

“Halfworlds was developed with the scale to cross territories, so we were extremely pleased with the critical acclaim the first season received from the Asian media and the cult following it established among Southeast Asian fans, who devoured the series on air, online and on social media,” says Erika North, the head of programming and production at HBO Asia.

The series was conceptualized in-house, North says, with its themes rooted in Asia’s diverse cultures and mythologies.

Playing to such a broad region, however, comes with its own set of challenges.

“Our primary motivation is to tell local stories that resonate across Asian territories,” North explains. “While there’s no cookie-cutter approach to engaging the region, we have discovered that genres like action and the supernatural sit very well with our audiences.”

FNG is also looking at English-language scripted opportunities, but Adyanthaya concedes that it is a challenge. “Scripted requires a lot of writing talent, which is lacking here in Asia at the moment. There’s great writing talent in the local languages, but English writing talent is lagging behind just a little.”

MIND YOUR LANGUAGE Meanwhile, Adyanthaya’s colleague Cora Yim, as senior VP and head of Chinese entertainment at FNG Asia, is eager to tap into the writing talent in markets such as Hong Kong, Taiwan and China as she steps up the originals portfolio at STAR Chinese Movies (SCM). “We are developing and lining up around one to two miniseries every year,” Yim reveals. “The budget would be around $500,000 to $1 million per episode. We’re aiming for five to eight episodes per series. We have three in development, all in the Chinese language, either Cantonese or Mandarin.”

Chinese-language drama is also on the horizon for HBO Asia, which has entered into a pact with the China Movie Channel (CMC) to co-produce an anthology of martial-arts movies.

“CMC is China’s only TV network dedicated to movies and has been increasingly more focused on original productions,” says Beibei Fan, the senior VP of new business at HBO Asia.

“CMC has 2.8 million subscribers on its premium subscription channels, and its basic-cable channel reaches over 1 billion

536 WORLD SCREEN 10/16

ASIA_1016__Layout 1 9/26/16 9:57 AM Page 1

AP_1016_PAYTV_AP_ 9/26/16 3:15 PM Page 5

20 TV ASIA

Cartoon Network, meanwhile, is investing in a variety of originals, some focused on specific markets and others geared toward regional or even international rollout. Exchange Student Zero came out of Australia, rolled out across Asia and is making its way to Europe and Latin America. Roll No. 21 was produced for the Indian feed of Cartoon Network.

“We want our brand to be consistent in multiple markets, like any other major franchised brand,” says Mark Eyers, the chief content officer and senior VP for kids’ networks in the Asia Pacific at Turner and content head for Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Toonami. “So we want 80 percent of our content to work everywhere, and 20 percent is local.”

Eyers mentions the shorts series Lamput as a good example of a title that has international legs. “It was created by one of our partner creator-directors in India. We’re using that all over AsiaPac and sharing it with the rest of the world. It was made in India with a global outlook.”

In addition to the animated content it produces for Cartoon Network, Turner is investing in lifestyle fare like In Search of Local Ramen for its TABI Channel in Japan.

people. That is a potential increase of 1 billion viewers for us.

So when HBO Asia started looking at producing original content in China, CMC was a natural choice. In addition, a coproduction like this will truly benefit both sides and bring about cultural exchanges.”

Fan describes the expansion into Chinese-language content as a natural progression for HBO Asia. “China is a big market, and many [viewers] in our territories understand the language.

After all, good storytelling isn’t limited by language, especially when we work with partners to produce content from the development stage and ensure the storytelling, art direction and pace, as well as the marketing and promotion, are catered to international audiences’ viewing habits and tastes, especially our audience in Asia.”

DEEPER DIVES Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) Asia is also developing content in multiple languages, with a key focus on shows being “culturally relevant” to individual markets, says Paras Sharma, the senior VP for MTV, Comedy Central and digital media in the region.

“Our programming comes at three different levels,” Sharma explains. These include international content from the parent company in the U.S., regional content that will travel across different markets, and hyper-targeted local shows.

The Show from MTV Korea, for example, can air on the Southeast Asian feed, while Yogakuex Express is made solely with the MTV Japan audience in mind.

“One of the key things for MTV as a brand is that it’s not just about localization,” Sharma explains. “It’s also about culturalization. It’s not just translation or interpretation. It has to be culturally relevant for that particular market.”

Turner also employs a multipronged approach across its various Asian assets. Its Japanese business, for example, produces a wealth of local content for TABI Channel (about 100 hours a year) and MONDO TV (about 200 hours annually).

SELLING THE SHOW In addition to creating local engagement, Asian originals are allowing brands to be far more creative with their ad-sales opportunities. “These days more than ever, it’s important to work together with brands to find ways to incorporate them in an entertaining way,” says Mackenzie at NBCUniversal.

“Audiences are very savvy and they can understand if something is incongruous or not a good fit. We work very closely with the production companies to ensure that any integrations or brand placements in shows are sensible, fit with the DNA of a production and are done in a way that doesn’t take away from the creative integrity of the product.”

Brands on board for How Do I Look? Asia, for example, include Zalora, an online fashion retailer, and AirAsia. “We see continuing interest from brands to associate their products with celebrities and well-told stories,” Mackenzie adds.

“More than a ‘spots-and-sponsorship’ approach, advertisers see a lot of value in having the opportunity to integrate into original content,” agrees A+E Networks’ Schofield. “We take our original ideas to advertisers at the inception stage to allow them the opportunity to associate with the program. We also meet advertisers and agencies on a regular basis to understand their goals and objectives. We can then keep them in mind as we’re developing our editorial.”

SPT Networks’ Lim agrees that brand partners should be brought on early for integrations to work well. “Sponsors are looking to stretch their dollars further. We have to be highly creative in how we integrate their brands into our productions, while of course maintaining the very high quality and integrity of the programs that will appeal to our viewers. We work with our partners from the concept stage, so they are part of the show’s vision right from the beginning. We integrate them seamlessly. For season five of The Amazing Race Asia, we are very fortunate to have attracted some of the biggest sponsors: Indonesia’s tourism ministry, Garuda Indonesia, Grab [a transport app] and

538 WORLD SCREEN 10/16

ASIA_1016__Layout 1 9/7/16 2:58 PM Page 1

AP_1016_PAYTV_AP_ 9/27/16 11:25 AM Page 6

22 TV ASIA

Adyanthaya says that FNG Asia is eager to continue expanding its local content slate. “At the moment we’re doing one [English-language regional] every year.

We want to do many more. This year we have plans to do at least three different shows and hopefully more.”

TALENT SCOUTS

HBO Asia has a co-pro pact with CMC in China that includes the new film Master of The Shadowless Kick: Wong Kei-ying.

Great Eastern [an insurance company]. Our approach is to integrate their products and offer them a service that delivers their brand and the promises of their brand across platforms, reaching viewers wherever they are.”

TOTAL PACKAGE VIMN’s Sharma notes the importance of being able to deliver local, regional and international solutions for clients’ advertising needs. For MTV World Stage, a live concert held in Malaysia last year, VIMN partnered with local telco Celcom on a multiplatform campaign that was “built with local activation and local engagement in mind,” Sharma says. On the other hand, “The MTV Show, a pan-regional pop-culture show, has both regional and local sponsors. The program is built in a modular fashion in that there are branded segments or content-integration opportunities, as well as activations for a sponsor at a local level. At the same time, it can travel regionally for a regional sponsor. Then around MTV EMA [Europe Music Awards], we have Weibo as a sponsor for China. So we create programming around EMA that is targeted for the sponsor, keeping in mind their requirements in China.”

FNG’s Adyanthaya says that it’s essential for channel executives to meet with brands to identify the “communication problems that we can solve. And how do we go about solving them? We sit with their brand teams and with their marketing teams and brainstorm ideas for how we can seamlessly bring in the brands and exhibit their key traits to audiences, and then we execute. Brands like Subaru, Zalora and TRESemmé are repeat customers for us. They’ve supported [Asia’s Next Top Model] season after season, with increased outlays every year.”

To boost its development efforts, FNG held the first Fox Formats Lab this year in Singapore. “It was intended to fire up the local ecosystem of production. We had international producers from our group companies—National Geographic, FOX, etc.—come and do seminars with first-time producers and even experienced producers, telling them what we look for when we identify projects and how we go about constructing, pre-producing and finally producing those shows. There were four different seminars.

We ended up commissioning a few shows off the back of that.”

Talent development is also a mantra on the Chinese-language side at FNG. The company has co-produced 12 movies over the last three years through its Go Local! production scheme, working with producers in markets such as Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong.

“We would like to do more, especially with China, in the film-production area,” says Yim. “We may announce a new talent-production scheme at the end of this year to cultivate new talent. One of the projects we are considering is bringing a Hollywood scriptwriter to work with talent in China on new drama series. We want to raise the bar in the production level and quality.”

HBO Asia, meanwhile, has partnered with the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore on an initiative to train local drama talent “and provide a platform to showcase them beyond Singapore,” North says.

Turner’s Eyers mentions the importance of fostering aspiring talent at Cartoon Network. Via its “digital-first” strategy, whereby the platform can test concepts as shorts before committing to full series, Turner can work with a broader pool of talent. “[Producing] a half-hour or 11-minute pilot [takes] a lot of money and time,” Eyers explains. “It’s not so much about the money. It just takes a lot of time, and at the end you might say, That’s not right for us! With the digital-first strategy, we can do multiple little shorts and content with multiple creators, and we have the platforms to test them in real-world situations, not just a focus group in a fish bowl. We can take the shorts and stick them on the channel or our branded sites and platforms, as well as in front of the paywall on our new apps such as Cartoon Network Anything and Cartoon Network Watch and Play, and we can see how audiences react. We learn from that. That’s exciting to creators as well.”

At SPT Networks, Lim has her eye on more English-language regionals, additional market-specific commissions like Cash Cab Philippines and opportunities with its Asian entertainment channels. At GEM, for example, SPT worked with joint-venture partner Nippon TV on the original We Are Asia.

Lim says, “We’re going to do more wherever we can.”

540 WORLD SCREEN 10/16

ASIA_1016__Layout 1 9/12/16 9:54 AM Page 1

AP_1016_JAPAN_AP_ 9/26/16 3:19 PM Page 2

24 TV ASIA

NHK Enterprises’ Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit.

542 WORLD SCREEN 10/16

AP_1016_JAPAN_AP_ 9/26/16 3:26 PM Page 3

TV ASIA 25

Mansha Daswani explores the strengths of the content-distribution sector in Japan, which is being celebrated this MIPCOM. n the early 2000s, the phrase “Cool Japan” began entering the lexicon of journalists and academics as a way to describe the country’s increasingly popular cultural exports. Japan is, after all, the Asian economic giant that gave the world the Walkman, Nintendo, Pokémon, Hello Kitty and so much more.

Anime and gaming may indeed be the most visible of Japan’s content exports, but this year’s MIPCOM Country of Honour has an increasingly successful formats business and is finding a wealth of new opportunities for its drama series.

At the forefront of content production and export are the major free-to-air terrestrial broadcasters. The competition among them has helped set the bar high when it comes to innovation, according to Atsushi Hatayama, the president of international business development at the top-rated Nippon TV. “The minute-to-minute viewer rating system has nurtured our producers and directors to strive for even greater creativity and sustainability,” Hatayama says.

For Akira Ichikawa, the general manager of program sales, global business headquarters, at NHK Enterprises, “The strength of the Japanese content business is its high quality. Behind that high quality is a distinctly Japanese combination of a culture born of a long, unique history and cutting-edge technologies.”

“Japanese content is truly a cornucopia of stories,” states Mamiko Maekawa, the senior executive director of Fuji Television’s international department. “Our country’s content is an array of genres, stories and settings, [with] something to please and obsess everyone. Each [show] can be morphed into animation, comics, drama, motion picture, even games—all titles [have] the versatility to be adapted for single usage or multimedia development.”

I

Makito Sugiyama, the chief and VP of global business at Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS), stresses Japanese television’s “uniqueness and creativity. Japanese content is viewed as different, and sometimes as strange, from the rest of the world,” which is what makes it stand out, he says.

ANIMATION NATION Of all forms of content that have made it out of Japan, none have had as much of an impact as animation. Whether it’s the legion of animators who entered the craft after watching a Hayao Miyazaki movie or the millions and millions of people who were sucked into the Pokémon GO craze this summer, the widespread influence of anime in global pop culture is clear.

“Japanese content’s greatest strength is animation as it travels broadly all over the world from developed to developing countries,” notes Satoko Shimbori, the director of the international business department at TV Asahi.

The broadcasting giant has a strong record in animation distribution, with a portfolio that includes the megahits Doraemon, Shin Chan and Ninja Hattori.

One of Japan’s biggest anime production outfits is Toei Animation, which has been in business since the 1950s and boasts a catalog that includes the award-winning Saint Seiya and Sailor Moon. Among its newest highlights is Dragon Ball Super, a sequel to Dragon Ball Z. Ryuji Kochi, the president of Toei Animation Europe, is hopeful that the show will usher in a new period of dominance for Japanese animation in the region after having lost broadcast slots to content from other markets.

“I want Japanese animation to come back in the European market,” Kochi says. “We believe there is potential…. Japan has a huge comics market. We have a lot of the story writers, the

10/16 WORLD SCREEN 543

AP_1016_JAPAN_AP_ 9/26/16 3:26 PM Page 4

26 TV ASIA

The anime series Beyblade Burst headlines Sunrights’ MIPCOM slate.

[comics’] original authors. It’s competitive, so writers want to improve themselves. That’s why the stories are improving. The strength of Japanese animation is in the stories.”

Kochi also sees strength in the licensing business for Japanese anime. “Recently, games and apps have been growing the market. Also, anime fans like collector’s items, like action figures.”

Among the biggest of the Japanese anime properties that have been retail hits in the last few years is Beyblade from Sunrights, the U.S.-based rights-management company owned by Japanese ad agency Asatsu DK and conglomerate Mitsubishi Corp. The property has been a significant hit in North America and Europe, according to Daizo Suzuki, the president of Sunrights, which is bringing the newest in the franchise, Beyblade Burst, to MIPCOM. “Japan has a long history of producing an impressive range of manga and anime of different genres and themes with exceptional skill and expertise,” Suzuki says. “In terms of production, the format and form of expression of anime have become a lot freer, making room for the emergence of new players in the industry.”

However, Suzuki adds, “In terms of the market and distribution, the traditional model of anime strictly for TV or theaters is outdated.”

Nippon TV has had a string of anime hits over the last few years, largely targeted at the youngadult market rather than kid audiences, among them Hunter × Hunter, MY Love STORY!!, Parasyte: The Maxim and Death Note. “We recently released ENDRIDE and Flying Witch, which are now ranked as the top two animation titles from our catalog this year,” says Hatayama.

has also fared well with the game shows Pharoah!, Train of Thought and Ultimate Brain. Nippon TV is also working with Red Arrow International to create new formats.

“We have been teaming with foreign partners to add more of an international perspective to our choice of titles and their creativity,” Hatayama says.

“We also realize the growing market demand in the scripted-format realm and are working to accommodate the various types of new client requests.”

Fuji TV’s Maekawa believes that Japanese non-scripted shows are a “gold mine of ideas that can be transformed into creative formats.” Among the broadcaster’s hits have been Iron Chef and Hole in the Wall. It also partnered with FremantleMedia on Total Blackout.

“International co-production of non-scripted formats is an area where we expect further business opportunities,” Maekawa says.

At TV Asahi, its biggest formats hits have been 31 Legged Race, Ranking the Stars and Beat the Champions. “Japanese formats are highly unique and have strong concepts,” Shimbori says. “However, we recognize our format structure does not always fit well with the international market’s needs and thus we are seeking partners to co-develop and better adapt our formats to each territory. We are also coming out with a wider range of formats this year to diversify our catalog and meet our clients’ requests.”

TBS has been in the formats business since the 1980s with early successes like Fun TV with Kato-chan and Ken-chan, most famously adapted as America’s Funniest Home Videos

IDEAS THAT TRAVEL Nippon TV has of late also put more emphasis on its format business. “We regularly get approached by our international business partners asking for typical Japanese entertainment formats or [for us to create] original formats as co-productions,” Hatayama says.

The broadcaster developed the Dragons’ Den concept, which has been adapted in 29 countries, most recently in China and Mexico. It

The eponymous hero of TV Asahi’s megahit Doraemon was named the first-ever anime ambassador by the Japanese government.

544 WORLD SCREEN 10/16

ASIA_1016__Layout 1 9/21/16 10:18 AM Page 1

AP_1016_JAPAN_AP_ 9/27/16 11:37 AM Page 5

28 TV ASIA

Nippon TV’s scripted slate for MIPCOM includes Your Home is My Business!

on ABC. Other TBS formats adapted Stateside include Takeshi’s Castle and Sasuke, which is airing as American Ninja Warrior on NBC. “We are working on creating new formats for the global market,” Sugiyama says.

CREATIVE COLLABORATION Fuji TV’s Maekawa is of the opinion that a new generation of Japanese formats is emerging. “We feel that the novelty the Japanese physical game-show formats enjoyed has worn off in the global market. So instead, we’ve shifted to international co-production of formats, custom-made to suit the local culture and demands. We intend to further expand our format business by fully utilizing Fuji Television’s expertise to produce non-scripted programs, with help from all the favorable relationships we have built over the years with TV stations and production companies abroad.”

NHK Enterprises is also eyeing format opportunities, having launched 72 Hours at MIPTV. “We target the cameras to a single location and record for the duration of 72 hours,” says Ichikawa. “[There are] no preconceived scripts or artificial ‘re-creation’ of the stories. The purpose is to remain completely true to the reality of what the camera captures within the given time frame. We’ve received a string of inquiries from broadcasters in Asia and Europe.”

Mainly thanks to the output at NHK, Japan is also a significant force in the global documentary business, especially in regards to the development of 4K and 8K ultra high-definition programming.

“With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics coming up, Tokyo (and the rest of Japan) will attract global attention,” says Sayumi Horie, the head of global content development at NHK. “We’d like to explore how the city transforms, how its people’s values change and how advances in robotics and other areas of science and technology change society.

To do so, we are thinking to treat Tokyo as a giant laboratory, joining hands with producers and broadcasters around the world to seek out stories of transition that we can tell with dynamism and depth.”

NHK is also deploying 4K filming techniques in its drama series, among them Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit, which has been one of its biggest successes on the international market.

Several Asian territories have been significant customers of Japanese drama. Fuji TV’s Hero, for example, notched up sales in markets like Taiwan, Korea, China and Thailand.

TV Asahi has also had scripted hits, among them Doctor-X and AIBOU: Tokyo Detective Duo. Premium channel operator WOWOW has done well outside of Japan with Syokuzai (Penance), which was screened at the Venice Film Festival. The company occupies a unique space in a Japanese landscape that remains heavily dominated by the terrestrial broadcasters.

“Our viewers are a little different from network viewers, and our content reflects this,” says Kayo Washio, the head of WOWOW’s U.S. operations. “For example, many of WOWOW’s original TV series are based on famous Japanese novels. We are broadcasting Shizumanu Taiyo, which is based on a very famous Japanese novel written by Toyoko Yamasaki that sold more than 7 million copies. [Our content] ideology contrasts with many Japanese networks, which place more emphasis on the popularity of actors and appeasing sponsors.”

Washio adds, “The networks produce about four original TV series every three months and WOWOW produces about 15 original TV series/miniseries per year. We are in a good place because we have a ton of material and IP to sell remake and format rights for.”

NEW OUTLETS For many of the distributors surveyed for this piece, the Japanese content business is benefiting from the emergence of new OTT platforms.

“OTT increases the global audience reach of Japanese highquality content such as animation, and it is encouraging that our fans are able to access our content more easily and frequently,” says TV Asahi’s Shimbori. “Also, OTT can revive the interest in our past programs that have already been broadcast in different territories and countries, and we are seeing new generations and demographics being engaged with our content. We will continue to strengthen our presence on OTT platforms.”

“Distributing our programs to OTT platforms allows us to reach the younger group, whose main medium is the internet,” says Fuji TV’s Maekawa. “We are already in partnership with several East and Southeast Asian OTT platforms. We have high hopes for them to become our passage to deliver content

546 WORLD SCREEN 10/16

ASIA_1016__Layout 1 9/26/16 6:16 PM Page 1

AP_1016_JAPAN_AP_ 9/27/16 11:41 AM Page 6

30 TV ASIA

Toei Animation is rolling out Dragon Ball Super, a follow-up to the classic anime series Dragon Ball Z.

without the concern of various local restrictions (whenever applicable) and limited broadcast slots. There are still regions that are unenthusiastic for Japanese content due to restrictions or cultural background, but thanks to OTT platforms, our creations can be a part of the niche category and brought to light even in these reluctant areas. The interactive aspect of the OTT platforms, such as personalization and targeted recommendation, may enable us to reach to those oblivious of Japanese content. We are seeking all available possibilities.”

THE OTT EQUATION TBS’s Sugiyama notes that “OTT platforms can be both friends and foes to terrestrial broadcasters, depending on how you look at them. They also brought new domestic factors as well as the global factors, as many operate regionally and globally. As we get to choose whether to work with them and how to work with them on a case-by-case basis, we welcome them and see them as an additional outlet for our global distribution.”

For Nippon TV’s Hatayama, OTT providers are also helping in the battle against piracy. “The speedier we place our content on OTT platforms, the better it is for us to prevent pirated versions through the internet. Although we are confronted by difficult rights’ clearance issues unique to Japan, we are tenaciously working around such obstacles to expand in this area.”

NHK has developed a fruitful relationship with the documentary streaming service CuriosityStream. “We proactively co-produce documentaries about science and nature, a field in which we share an interest,” Horie says. “NHK’s collaboration with such new platforms will also have the benefit of encouraging viewers and users who don’t watch NHK to check out our broadcast services. We also think such new platforms will be beneficial for disseminating the PR material and related stories that are a prerequisite for attracting attention to our broadcast content. We hope to build a win-win relationship that enhances services for each other’s users. Our producers are also looking at OTT platforms as ways to deliver new experiences such as virtual reality and augmented reality.”

Horie says that NHK is also in the midst of a “trial-and-error” phase to best understand how to exploit OTT distribution models domestically, without taking away from its primary linear model. “Looking ahead, say, the next five years, we’d like to envisage what new services viewers would like to have, and create a strategy for realizing them.”

Embracing new technologies is indeed a top priority for all those invested in the Japanese content business as the country looks to keep itself ahead of the curve when it comes to new entertainment devices.

“Fuji Television recently made an equity participation [in] Niantic, the company who brought to life the games Ingress and Pokémon GO,” reports Maekawa. “We intend to do [more of that] to go beyond the existing content business environment and aggressively join hands with burgeoning enterprises that carry new visions and technologies as we set out to accomplish exponential growth.”

FUTURE WATCH International alliances are also a primary focus. TV Asahi, for example, plans to partner with a Singaporean outfit to coproduce an animated series “that embraces the local proclivities of characters and story lines while employing Japanese anime-style expressions,” Shimbori says. “We look forward to increasing our presence in co-producing content with global partners, getting involved from the development phase through the distribution stage.”

NHK’s Horie says that international co-production is “vital” for many of its major projects. “I think this trend will continue,” she says. “At the same time, I feel we need to look beyond partnerships that are aimed only at broadcast and secondary usage. We need to explore new approaches to building teams capable of working together on multifaceted productions that reach viewers in diverse ways. With bigger budgets, we can co-produce strong, compelling series for wider audiences.”

Sunrights is also eager to explore more co-pro opportunities for its anime titles, allowing for the creation of shows that will “surpass the specific cultural context from which [they are] born, to become classics that can be enjoyed by fans all over the world,” Suzuki says.

Ramping up international co-productions is on also WOWOW’s to-do list for 2017. “This would include documentary projects, TV series, feature films and made-forTV movies,” Washio says. “We’re in a good place where we have the financial capacity and bandwidth to expand into all areas at once…. We live in a boundary-free world and are open to collaborating with producers, showrunners, filmmakers, talent and creatives from any territory if the material and story are strong.”

548 WORLD SCREEN 10/16

ASIA_1016__Layout 1 9/27/16 10:09 AM Page 1

ASIA_1016__Layout 1 9/26/16 6:15 PM Page 1

AP_1016_MOMMII_DOC_0407_NIGHT 9/26/16 3:29 PM Page 2

TV ASIA 33

NHK’s important missions. When Kumamoto, the southwestern area of Japan, was struck by a series of major earthquakes this April, many people in the disaster-hit areas had taken refuge in emergency shelters and their cars and relied on smartphones rather than TV sets and radios to acquire information. NHK provided news on the earthquakes and details about vital services such as medical care, transport, water supplies and so on, on TV and radio, as well as online. The local radio broadcasts were also streamed online. We started providing a smartphone app for news and reporting relating to disaster preparedness. We are also starting to offer a range of other smartphone apps.

NHK provided live streams of the Rio Olympics this August, not only via television and radio but online as well. Also, viewers with 4K television sets with the NHK Hybridcast feature [enabling digital TV to be integrated with internet-based content] were able to enjoy live streaming of 4K footage.

We are providing all kinds of information online for smartphones and so on for the youngsters who are not watching any TV so that we can impress upon them the importance of NHK. TV ASIA: How has the local media landscape changed since the arrival of Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Video?

MOMII: A lot of subscription video-on-demand services have appeared since last year in the Japanese market. The service providers are producing original content in collaboration with TV stations and film distribution companies and are relying on low prices and original content to gain more users. An increasing number of providers are offering free videostreaming services for smartphones. Last year, for example,

By Mansha Daswani

For many observers, the best part of the closing ceremony for this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio was the high-tech video presentation from Tokyo, which will host the 2020 edition. Over the next four years, all eyes will be on Japan as it gears up for the world’s biggest sporting event. The country’s public broadcaster, NHK, has already begun preparing for that moment in the global spotlight, from pioneering 4K and 8K technologies to exporting programs that showcase the country’s spirit of innovation and its storied history and culture. As Japan gets ready to take center stage at MIPCOM as the Country of Honour, Katsuto Momii, NHK’s president, talks to TV Asia about meeting the needs of viewers in Japan and bringing high-quality content to screens across the globe.

TV ASIA: What trends are you seeing in how Japanese audiences engage with content today, and how is NHK meeting the demands of the digital media era?

MOMII: People are increasingly viewing content on mobile terminals, particularly the young. Youngsters are keenly using their smartphones to access social-networking sites and video-sharing sites. A growing number of young people are not watching any television at all.

In the midst of this, NHK is starting to provide content for the internet, and for smartphones in particular, with the idea of transforming itself from a public broadcaster into a public medium.

Japan is frequently prone to natural disasters, and providing news and information to protect lives and livelihoods is one of 10/16 WORLD SCREEN 551

the five major Japanese commercial broadcasters jointly launched a catch-up service called TVer. We feel that the video-streaming market in Japan has been livened up by the entry of all kinds of service providers, by the efforts being made to improve quality, and by the provision of mobile viewing environments.

Acquiring unique content will be essential as competition heats up among the video services. We believe that there will be more co-productions between service providers and broadcasters.

NHK commenced a subscriber on-demand service in December 2008 that lets people view broadcast programs online. At this stage, we do not feel a direct impact of other SVOD services. A major advantage of NHK on Demand is that it involves the content holder itself making the content available. We believe it is significant that viewers are getting returns on the programs that were produced with their receiving fees.

TV ASIA: How is the distribution of the NHK World channel progressing?

MOMII: NHK’s international broadcasting service, NHK World, broadcasts around the globe via television, radio and the internet. Our 24-hour English-language channel, NHK World TV, can be viewed via satellite broadcasting, cable TV and other means in approximately 150 countries and regions worldwide.

NHK World TV programs can also be viewed on our website.

AP_1016_MOMMII_DOC_0407_NIGHT 9/26/16 3:29 PM Page 3

34 TV ASIA

NHK World TV reaches some 150 markets, delivering news and analysis about Japan and the broader Asian region in shows like NHK Newsline.

A 30-minute news program begins every hour, on the hour, followed by a variety of 30-minute programs conveying the latest information on Japan and Asia. NHK World TV’s key news program, NHK Newsline, has this year introduced a new “Eyes on Asia” [segment], further enriching the information NHK is providing about Asia. NHK World TV is also strengthening broadcasts of detailed information about local culture in regions throughout Japan, technology and various other topics. Last year we introduced Newsroom Tokyo, presenting the day’s news from Japan and Asia.

NHK World TV broadcasts a diversity of programs covering more than 50 genres, including documentaries, travel/food, culture and pop culture. With a view to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, two new programs have been introduced with the aim of contributing to the provision of information to foreign visitors to Japan. J-Trip Plan is a practical tourist information program and Japan-easy is a Japanese language-learning program. Of course, NHK World TV also broadcasts large-scale programs produced domestically in Japan [such as] A Century on Film. Many of these programs can be viewed via NHK World’s VOD service. In the 2016 fiscal year, 27 programs are now available, which is more than twice [what was available] when the service launched last year.

TV ASIA: What gains are you seeing in your international distribution and co-production strategy?

MOMII: By making use of the latest technologies, the international co-productions have enabled us to broadcast higherquality content in higher picture quality both in Japan and abroad. Also, the international distribution of programs has helped people in other countries to gain a deeper knowledge of the Japanese people and culture and in that way contributed to the outward transmission of information from Japan.

The major 4K fantasy drama Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit, which had a screening at MIPTV, has been sold in Hong Kong and Taiwan and is also drawing strong interest from European and Southeast Asian countries. The production of the second season has commenced. There will be a screening of the final episode of the first season together with publicity for the second season at MIPCOM’s opening reception.

The Great Amazon, a co-production with a Brazilian production company, depicts the amazing life forms of the

remotest Amazon in 4K. It includes [the first] images of the discovery of a clear spring in the rainforest and the ecosystem of the electric eels and strange fish that dwell there. An English-language version is being produced through cooperation with Off the Fence, and we are planning to commence sales activities at MIPCOM. The co-production of the luminescent organism edition of NHK’s 4K Deep Ocean series has already been arranged with producers in Germany and the United States. Anticipation is also growing for the Antarctic edition, which will follow. The third series of Life Force, our co-production with NHNZ, will be produced in full 4K and preparations are under way to start shooting this autumn.

TV ASIA: Japan is being celebrated by MIPCOM this year.

What do you see as the greatest strengths of the Japanese content business?

MOMII: Co-producers in joint productions have said that NHK’s documentaries, even nature and science programs, present a distinctive cultural gaze and an approach that differs from Western ways of thinking. This may perhaps be related to people’s attitudes towards coexistence with nature in their daily lives and the sense of closeness to nature that has been built up through the experience of many natural disasters and so on through history, and these may present the content in a fresh light.

Also, Japan stands out for having such a large number of richly experienced content producers. In the case of anime, for example, the creators have long been honing their skills and developing their storytelling techniques and given birth to many works and characters that can now be seen around the world. Young creators, too, are carrying these traditions on and using the very latest technologies to produce attractive video content. We believe that new creators will continue to emerge from this full application of technology and tradition.

Lastly, we believe that Japanese content production may become a global testing ground in the buildup towards 2020, the year of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. Global attention will be focused on Tokyo and Japan and littleknown stories and histories will increasingly be brought out into the spotlight. Also, there is no doubt that the evolution will accelerate in the fields of high definition, digital, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and others.

552 WORLD SCREEN 10/16

ASIA_1016__Layout 1 9/22/16 2:36 PM Page 1

ASIA_1016__Layout 1 9/12/16 9:57 AM Page 1