ITV

Category: Fiction

  • Digital reality shows will compete with TV in future: Payal Bhagat

    Digital reality shows will compete with TV in future: Payal Bhagat

    Greymatter Entertainment has been in the news for all the right reasons lately. The Mumbai-based production house is producing Amazon’s latest reality talent show, The Remix, which has been well received so far. After having travelled to several countries in the previous years such as Vietnam and Canada, the show finds home at home. It even got the acclaim of being Fresh TV’s top 25 MIP formats to watch out for.

    Greymatter Entertainment was founded by Chandradev Bhagat, Rahul Sarangi and Payal Mathur Bhagat in 2009.

    In an interview with Indiantelevision.com, Payal Bhagat said that television viewing in India is still largely driven by appointment viewing and talent shows are mainly to drive up viewership through nonfiction content. The youth is leading the change of consuming TV content via digital platforms.

    Greymatter has done a good amount of work in the non-fiction and brand solutions space. It has also worked on shows for niche channels like MTV, Discovery, Ten Sports, VH1 and brands like Pepsi, Vodafone, Reebok, Idea and Ray Ban among others.  

    Bhagat shared her insights with us on the company’s progress and the growth of the industry.

    Edited excerpts:

    How did you begin your journey? What were the challenges faced ?

    Prior to this, I had worked for Sony Entertainment TV during its launch phase and Ten Sports, Chandradev had been with IMG /TWI and Ten Sports and Rahul with MTV and Colors.

    Having spent over a decade on the broadcaster side of things, we were keen on moving to the other side and actually being hands on involved in producing the kind of content that really excited us. There was no better way to do this than set up our own little production house so that is how Greymatter came about.

    The biggest challenge that we faced was getting used to the fact that we were starting from ground zero even after having been in the industry for more than a decade. We had to unlearn a whole lot and start from scratch.

    It was like taking baby steps in a whole new world – every step came with its own set of challenges right from the procedural hassles of setting up a new entity to trying to get meetings with decision makers for pitching our concepts to managing cash flows to keep ourselves afloat!

    Tell us about your body of work across genres. 

    Our journey began with a good amount of work in the non-fiction and brand solutions space. We worked on shows for niche channels like MTV, Discovery, Ten Sports, VH1 and brands like Pepsi, Vodafone, Reebok, Idea, Ray Ban etc.

    Apart from this, due to Chandradev’s vast experience with live sports production, we started getting live sport production projects and that turned out to be a strong vertical for Greymatter. We have done productions like IPL funfeed, Sri Lanka Premier League, Afghanistan Premier League, Celebrity Cricket League, Pro Wrestling League and Premier Futsal to name a few.

    While we kept working on non-fiction / docu series like Mid-Wicket Tales with Naseeruddin Shah, Satyamev Jayate – Mumkin Hai and Umeed India with Virender Sehwag, we were looking forward to build our own IP and invested time and effort in building out bibles for some concepts that we felt strongly about. We now have a bank of formats like The Remix and Street Stars which are being distributed around the world.

    How do you see reality shows, made especially for digital, shaping up ?

    Reality shows made especially for digital is a fairly new phenomenon. While there have been a few in the cooking and travel space, a music reality show has not been attempted purely for digital on a larger than life scale.

    The Remix on Amazon is one of the first such shows and in some ways will set the benchmark as well as offer viewers a new experience on the digital platform.

    Reality shows lend themselves to conversations as viewers develop strong opinions and attachments with the contestants. On the digital platform, they get a ready medium to start and engage in social conversations instantly and that to me is one of the key aspects that would shape the consumption of reality shows on the digital medium.

    Does a show like The Remix directly compete with talent shows on TV ?

    The way things stand now, I don’t think shows like The Remix directly compete with talent shows on TV since popular TV talent shows have been around for multiple seasons and have their own loyal audience. 

    Television viewing in India is still largely driven by appointment viewing and talent shows on TV garner viewers who come to a particular channel for their weekly dose of non-fiction entertainment.

    However, this viewer habit is rapidly evolving. Audiences are beginning to enjoy the benefits of ‘content on demand’. More and more people are beginning to consume even television content on the digital platform at their own will and convenience. This is already a common phenomenon with the youth and is fast permeating into other audience segments too. Keeping in mind this trend, I feel in the near future, shows like The Remix will become direct competition to talent shows on TV.

    The focus these days is on regional content. Are you planning to come up with any regional content ? 

    We have always been excited about regional content and one of GreyMatter’s most interesting projects has been the live coverage of the Celebrity Cricket League which we produced with eight customised regional feeds.

    The Remix as a format very easily lends itself to regional adaptations and we are looking forward to explore this exciting possibility.

    Is the viewership on TV at the 10.30 pm slot low because of the lack of content ?

    There could be a variety of reasons for a dip in viewership for the 10:30 pm slot on TV and lack of good content could be one of them.

    A closer study of viewership and programming data or a sharply directed market research would be required to arrive at a conclusive reason for this observation.

    Also Read :

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    TLC to target Tamil, Telugu markets

    Living Foodz to add Tamil feed in FY 18-19

  • Siddharth Kumar Tewary features among Asian producers to watch at MIPTV

    Siddharth Kumar Tewary features among Asian producers to watch at MIPTV

    MUMBAI: Indian TV producers can take heart. One of their ilk will be taking centre stage come 10 April at arguably the world’s largest TV and digital content gathering – MIPTV  in Cannes.

    The chutzpah that One Life Studios founder & chief creative  Siddharth Kumar Tewary has displayed by keeping  IP ownership of his on-air Porus on Sony Entertainment, striking innovative distribution deals with productions he does for Indian broadcasters and the massive slate that he has developed in the 10 years since Swastik Productions existence has caught the attention of  the  Reed Midem team.

    And it has  featured him in a session that is entitled Asia: New Producers to watch. 

    And what’s special about Tewary being featured as a top producer is the fact that he is a creative professional who turned entrepreneur. The other folks featuring in the panel are working in networks:  SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System)  global productions producer InSoon Kim and Japan’s Nippon TV producer Hisashi Tsugiya.

    InSoon Kim is a producer in the company which has been behind  such shows as The Fantastic Duo, Running Man, Spooks love her,  I can see your voice,  among many others.  Tsugiya is the producer of a series called Mother, which has ben adapted in several countries.

    Tewary is excited to be able to  give his perspective on producing at MIPTV and to be on a panel which has highlighted him not just as an Indian producer but as an Asian one too. Says he: “We at One Life have been producing historical series for sometime. But what many don’t know is that we have a slew of affiliations with other producers who we are partnering under the One Life/Swastik umbrella. Finally, we have also turned distributor and have been representing a clutch of producers in India for international syndication sales. Hence, telling the story from both a creative and business growth perspective will be quite interesting.”
     

    The Asia: New Producers to watch  session is to take place at Auditorium A, in the Palais des Festivals on Level 3.

  • Keshet International acquires Greenbird Media

    Keshet International acquires Greenbird Media

    MUMBAI: After buying BBC Worldwide’s shareholding, Keshet International (Keshet) has made another acquisition. The company has acquired majority stake in London-based Greenbird Media (Greenbird), a production firm that owns stakes in various TV production companies founded by joint MDs Jamie Munro and Stuart Mullin

    Keshet acquired the 30 percent in Greenbird previously owned by BBC Worldwide and has increased its own stake in the firm.

    Keshet becomes the distribution partner for the independent production companies that are supported by Greenbird. Greenbird will continue to provide independent producers with access to innovative funding models and expertise in the commercial exploitation of IP and licensing deals to support their creative productions.

    Keshet CEO Alon Shtruzman said, “Greenbird Media, with its entrepreneurial and creative culture, is the perfect match for us. We share similar philosophies and values, and by combining Keshet’s global footprint with Greenbird Media’s stellar team, I see limitless possibilities and accelerated growth.”

    Keshet International U.K. and West Europe MD Sammy Nourmand said, “Jamie and Stuart have created a nurturing and supportive environment for the impressive stable of producers they work with. The quality content that the Indies produce speaks for itself and the opportunity to work with the team at Greenbird and those IPC’s was too good to turn down.”

    Also Read:

    Star Plus brings ‘Prisoners of War’ to India, renowned director to direct 

    Keshet International inks first-look deal with Woodcut Media

  • ‘Porus’ finds an audience in more countries

    ‘Porus’ finds an audience in more countries

    MUMBAI: In another shot in the arm for Indian television producers, the producers of mythological show Porus, Swastik Productions, have managed to bag content syndication deals in Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, Swastik Productions founder Rahul Kumar Tewari said that it has already launched in Thailand and other countries will see launches by July 2018. In Thailand, the show is being broadcast on weekdays at a primetime slot. The show will be dubbed in Malay, Thai, English, and Burmese for the new markets.

    Last month, a source close to the development revealed that the 260-episodic series had been sold to Maharaja Television (MTV).  Porus is renamed as Digvijaya in the Sinhala-dubbed version and has been launched on channel Sirasa TV, during the weekend at the 8pm slot combining two episodes thereby giving each episode a one-hour run.

    The show started off well in India with 3.6 million impressions in week 48 but then saw a dip in ratings. It has managed to hook viewers till week 5 with 3.3 million impressions according to Broadcast Audience Research Council data.

    In an earlier interaction, Swastik Productions founder Siddharth Kumar Tewary said, “Porus has been consistent in its ratings since its launch and this was our plan to be consistent in the beginning and then grow slowly. We have made Porus with a huge amount of conviction.”

    In its 10-year existence, Swastik Productions has produced over fifteen television shows which also include Mahabharat, Razia Sultan, Agle Janam Mohe Bitiya Hi Kijo, Mata Ki Chowki, Amber Dhara, and Begusarai among others. It recently launched a light-hearted emotional drama on Sony Sab, Shankar Jay Kishan.

    The production house is free to sub-licence the show to a digital or international player, to air the episodes after 3-hours of original airing on Sony. While talking about the IP rights with the production house, a media report said that these kinds of deals vary. Historically broadcasters have been bearing all the cost. If the producer is ready to bear the cost, it will work out fine for the channel also as it reduces the risk and budget.

    The 22-minute show aired at 8.30 pm from Monday to Friday on Sony, depicts the untold story of the greatest conqueror of the world, Alexander and the most spirited defender of India, Porus. Set in 350 BC, the story traces its roots to a time when India was at its glorious best and Porus resisted the first attack on Indian soil by the Macedonian legend. The chronological narrative will trace the journey from birth to the epic battle between these two warriors born on the same day but raised with completely different upbringings.

    Also Read :

    ‘Porus’ launched as ‘Digvijaya’ in Sri Lanka

    Thai broadcaster Workpoint acquires TV rights for Porus

  • Experience first-hand India’s historic Military Operation in a gripping new documentary

    Experience first-hand India’s historic Military Operation in a gripping new documentary

    MUMBAI: On 18 September 2016, four Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists attacked an Indian Army Garrison in the town of Uri, Jammu and Kashmir. 19 Indian soldiers were martyred in the Fidayeen attack. Eleven days later, the Indian Army carried out a series of deadly strikes across the Line of Control. This Counter Terrorist Operation is better known as the Surgical Strikes. HISTORY TV18’s ground-breaking documentary brings to life the planning and execution of the daring operation. The special programme tells the true story of the secret operation, with dramatic recreations and first-person accounts of key decision makers in the government, the military top brass and the Special Forces operatives who led the strikes. 

    Special Operations: India ‘Surgical Strikes’, premieres on Indian television, exclusively on HISTORY TV18 on 22 January, 2018 at 9 PM.

    The documentary follows two of the Indian Army’s elite Paratrooper Special Forces Strike Teams on their missions – to carry out precision strikes on Terrorist Launchpads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The story is re-lived by those who were directly involved in the military operation. They reveal what actually happened behind the scenes and on the ground. 

    The programme features some of the most respected names in India’s National Security Establishment. Mr. Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor to the Government of India, Mr. Manohar Parrikar, Former Defence Minister and General Dalbir Singh, Former Chief of Army Staff among others, shedding light on how the drama unfolded. Defence analyst and author, Nitin Gokhale also shares his views on the subject.

    Speaking about the programme Network18, Managing Director, A+E Networks| TV18 & President, Avinash Kaul said, “With Surgical Strikes, HISTORY TV18 embarks on the next stage of its content evolution which involves pushing the envelope on pioneering, differentiated content that reflects contemporary history and has had an impact on the nation’s collective consciousness”

    India’s military action was surgical – swift, effective and precise. Its heroes – India’s warriors, who stand ready to answer the call of duty anywhere, anytime to serve and protect the motherland. The special programme salutes the courage and capabilities of the Indian Army, while staying true to the facts of what transpired. 

  • Amala Thomas, who epitomised professionalism in the media, is no more

    MUMBAI: Creative Producer and senior television professional Amala Thomas, who was the very epitome of professionalism all her life, is no more.

    The creative genius passed away on 17 March 2017 of a brief illness quite suddenly as she was very active. Amala is survived by her mother, sisters and brother, and the large number of friends whose lives she impacted in different ways, and the teams at all the production houses that she worked with and led so ably.

    Amala was the Business Head for Television at NeelaTelefilms until her untimely demise.

    “I have had the privilege of knowing Amala for the past twenty years. A thorough professional, it was her core value as a wonderful human being that made her stand apart. As the Business Head for television at Neela Telefilms, she led the team by example. Amala was extremely committed to her work. Once she took over a responsibility, I could rest assured that it would be done to perfection – she was someone I could trust without a doubt. Amala has left an indelible mark on all those of us whose lives she touched.God Bless her soul. R.I.P”, said her colleague Asit Modi of Neela Telefilms.

    A post-graduate in Mass Communications from the University of Hyderabad, Amala had more than 20 years of experience in both the creative and technical aspects of broadcast television. She worked as a Senior Manager with broadcaster Sony Entertainment Television & subsequently as a Producer and Business Head with production companies such as Hats Off Productions, Show M and Shashi Sumeet Productions. She was known to adhere to exacting standards as a Producer and was a successful and popular team leader.

    “Amala represented everything good about our television industry. Great ethics, intense commitment and fair practice. She was a beacon of light in situations that needed clarity. Her gentle yet strong demeanour made her a much loved colleague and loyal friend. I miss her terribly,” said Ravina Raj Kohli.

    Amala was also a tremendous peoples’ person. She believed in the potential of her team members and helped them grow in their jobs even as she inculcated in them the high values that everyone aspires for.

    A few years ago, Amala was responsible for bringing a unique educational programme called ‘Genius Mind Technology’ to India and worked hard for it to be adopted across schools here, hoping that it would help transform the lives of all school going children. She was also a guest lecturer at the University of Bubhaneshwar, Odisha.

    A sample of her work abilities and relationships in the industry is available in the recommendations on her LinkedIn Profile.

    Some of which are reproduced here: “Amala is an extremely good communicator and coordinator, qualities particularly useful for TV and Movie production. She is time conscious and result oriented.Most importantly she is very trustworthy and sensitive.” – Kunal Dasgupta.

    “Amala Is an energetic television programmer and creative director. She has varied and unique ideas and works diligently at executing them. She brought calm, order and process to the business. She is an asset to any organisation she works for.” – Sunil Lulla.

    “Amala is a good problem shooter and has the knack to extract the best from the team. She inculcated good work ethics among teams and her ability to guide and lead teams in an organized manner is commendable. She had good working relationships with the people she interacted with that naturally got her the respect she deserved.” – J D Majethia.

    “For most of us, who have reported to her across the many responsible portfolios she has held, she was always the quintessential “GO-TO person” for just about everything. I have imbibed – a great deal of professionalism, commitment, punctuality and a ‘never say die’ attitude from her!” – Mohit Bakshi.

    As those who know her remember her at her memorial meeting, their thoughts go back to the wonderful person that she was. May Her Soul Rest in Peace.

  • NBC-Universal buys ‘paranormal’ series from Bomanbridge

    NBC-Universal buys ‘paranormal’ series from Bomanbridge

    MUMBAI/ SINGAPORE: Bomanbridge Media, a Singapore-based content distribution and production agency, announced a series of paranormal series programme sales to NBC-Universal’s Syfy and Celestial.

    NBC Universal’s Syfy acquired the iconic series A Haunting – a paranormal anthology television series that depicts eyewitness accounts of possession, exorcism, and ghostly encounters. They also acquired RIP Files a series that follows paranormal investigators, based in Washington DC, who use their psychic abilities and their deep knowledge of metaphysical techniques to interact with the entities they encounter at haunted locations. These investigators encourage the spirits to share their stories in their own words through amazing EVPs and other evidence that is bridging the gap between the worlds of science and spirituality.

    Celestial, Thrill channel, took another season of the long-running Most Haunted series. The multiple award-winning paranormal investigation series seeks the truth into whether ghosts really do exist. The team, led by Yvette Fielding, spends 24 hours investigating infamously haunted locations to uncover mysteries and bring an honest account of reported paranormal activity. Most Haunted has been shown in more than 80 countries, reached over 200 thrilling episodes and is one of the UK’s longest-running and most successful series.

    “Bomanbridge carries great paranormal content within the catalogue and with the expansion of paranormal genre and channels in Asia, we hope to maintain our edge in this entertaining genre,” said Bomanbridge Media CEO Sonia Fleck.

  • NBC-Universal buys ‘paranormal’ series from Bomanbridge

    NBC-Universal buys ‘paranormal’ series from Bomanbridge

    MUMBAI/ SINGAPORE: Bomanbridge Media, a Singapore-based content distribution and production agency, announced a series of paranormal series programme sales to NBC-Universal’s Syfy and Celestial.

    NBC Universal’s Syfy acquired the iconic series A Haunting – a paranormal anthology television series that depicts eyewitness accounts of possession, exorcism, and ghostly encounters. They also acquired RIP Files a series that follows paranormal investigators, based in Washington DC, who use their psychic abilities and their deep knowledge of metaphysical techniques to interact with the entities they encounter at haunted locations. These investigators encourage the spirits to share their stories in their own words through amazing EVPs and other evidence that is bridging the gap between the worlds of science and spirituality.

    Celestial, Thrill channel, took another season of the long-running Most Haunted series. The multiple award-winning paranormal investigation series seeks the truth into whether ghosts really do exist. The team, led by Yvette Fielding, spends 24 hours investigating infamously haunted locations to uncover mysteries and bring an honest account of reported paranormal activity. Most Haunted has been shown in more than 80 countries, reached over 200 thrilling episodes and is one of the UK’s longest-running and most successful series.

    “Bomanbridge carries great paranormal content within the catalogue and with the expansion of paranormal genre and channels in Asia, we hope to maintain our edge in this entertaining genre,” said Bomanbridge Media CEO Sonia Fleck.

  • Balaji Telefilms to restructure its motion picture business

    Balaji Telefilms to restructure its motion picture business

    MUMBAI: It’s restructuring time at Balaji Telefilms Ltd (BTL). The company has informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that it has got the board approval to rejig some of the businesses its subsidiary companies Balaji Motion Pictures Ltd (BMPL) and Bolt Media Ltd (BML).

    BMPL does both, film production and distribution. The film production part of BMPL is being carved out and demerged with BTL, with the former being left with film distribution on its plate on which it will focus. Additionally, BTL is also being merged into BTL. BML was set up help BTL have a presence in non-fiction, reality and digital content a few years ago.

    BMPL reported a revenue of Rs 22.82 crore and it had a negative net worth of Rs 47.58 crore in the year to 31 March 2016. In the past year, the company produced films such as Udta Punjab, Kya Kool Hain Hum 3, Azhar, Great Grand Mastii, and A Flying Jatt. The films that are slated to be released under its banner over the next year include: the Kamal Hassan-directed Vishwaroopam II, the Ken Ghosh-directed XXX, the Mohit Suri-directed Half Girlfriend, and the Sashanka Ghosh directed Veera Di Wedding.

    BMPL had once been placed among the top five film production companies in India. BML had revenues of Rs 65 lakh in the same period with its net worth getting wiped out to the tune of Rs 1.74 crore.

    The entire transaction – not involving any cash flow – will not impact BTL’s share capital. However, BMPL’s equity will see a reduction. Axis Capital is advising to BTL with Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas acting as the legal advisor.

    BTL says it is resorting to this so as help streamline the group’s structure as BTL is also into production. The amalgamation and demerger will result in economies of scale, improve capital allocation, cost and operational efficiency, cash flows, and utilization of resources.

    Says BTL joint managing director Ekta Kapoor: “This will help us to focus more efficiently on our content genres and formats.” Adds BTL group CEO Sameer Nair: “We are committed to improving margins and profitability and consolidation of our operations is a step in that direction leading to a better value creation for our shareholders. This will also ensure more efficient use of our senior management’s bandwidth, thereby allowing more time to focus on ALT Digital, our digital foray, which is set to redefine the entertainment viewing experience of Indians in India and across the globe.”

    The restructuring proposal, however, awaits shareholder and other legal approvals.

  • Balaji Telefilms to restructure its motion picture business

    Balaji Telefilms to restructure its motion picture business

    MUMBAI: It’s restructuring time at Balaji Telefilms Ltd (BTL). The company has informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that it has got the board approval to rejig some of the businesses its subsidiary companies Balaji Motion Pictures Ltd (BMPL) and Bolt Media Ltd (BML).

    BMPL does both, film production and distribution. The film production part of BMPL is being carved out and demerged with BTL, with the former being left with film distribution on its plate on which it will focus. Additionally, BTL is also being merged into BTL. BML was set up help BTL have a presence in non-fiction, reality and digital content a few years ago.

    BMPL reported a revenue of Rs 22.82 crore and it had a negative net worth of Rs 47.58 crore in the year to 31 March 2016. In the past year, the company produced films such as Udta Punjab, Kya Kool Hain Hum 3, Azhar, Great Grand Mastii, and A Flying Jatt. The films that are slated to be released under its banner over the next year include: the Kamal Hassan-directed Vishwaroopam II, the Ken Ghosh-directed XXX, the Mohit Suri-directed Half Girlfriend, and the Sashanka Ghosh directed Veera Di Wedding.

    BMPL had once been placed among the top five film production companies in India. BML had revenues of Rs 65 lakh in the same period with its net worth getting wiped out to the tune of Rs 1.74 crore.

    The entire transaction – not involving any cash flow – will not impact BTL’s share capital. However, BMPL’s equity will see a reduction. Axis Capital is advising to BTL with Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas acting as the legal advisor.

    BTL says it is resorting to this so as help streamline the group’s structure as BTL is also into production. The amalgamation and demerger will result in economies of scale, improve capital allocation, cost and operational efficiency, cash flows, and utilization of resources.

    Says BTL joint managing director Ekta Kapoor: “This will help us to focus more efficiently on our content genres and formats.” Adds BTL group CEO Sameer Nair: “We are committed to improving margins and profitability and consolidation of our operations is a step in that direction leading to a better value creation for our shareholders. This will also ensure more efficient use of our senior management’s bandwidth, thereby allowing more time to focus on ALT Digital, our digital foray, which is set to redefine the entertainment viewing experience of Indians in India and across the globe.”

    The restructuring proposal, however, awaits shareholder and other legal approvals.