ITV

Category: Production House

  • Rupert Murdoch sells Fox’s TV stake in China

    Rupert Murdoch sells Fox’s TV stake in China

    MUMBAI: After divorcing his third wife, Wendi Deng, Rupert Murdoch has ended all ties with China by selling off 21st Century Fox’s minority stake in the broadcaster Star China TV to a private equity.

     

    Star China’s majority shareholder since 2010, China Media Capital, has agreed to buy Murdoch’s remaining 47 per cent stake for an undisclosed sum, estimated to be roughly $150 million.

     

     

    The existing Chinese management team will remain in place, broadcasting three Mandarin channels and producing China’s Got Talent.

     

    The move means that it is the final stage of a retreat from China, which Rupert Murdoch has tried to crack since 1993.

     

    However, as part of 21st Century Fox, Star TV, will now continue to focus its ambitions on India.

     

    James Murdoch oversees 21st Century Fox’s international businesses.

  • Center Fresh’s new ad film created by Soda Films

    Center Fresh’s new ad film created by Soda Films

    MUMBAI: Center Fresh will now be available in a different flavour. The refreshing chewing gum as an natural extension to the brand has launched the Paan flavour. The flagship brand of Perfetti Van Melle India roped in Ogilvy & Mather for the new campaign.

    The Center Fresh Paan campaign devised by Soda Films reaffirms the base brand positioning, while announcing the arrival of the new flavour. Directed by Rajesh Krishnan and produced by Ameya Dahibavkar, the TVC translates into its tagline Zubaan Pe Rakhe Lagaam (Keeps your mouth shut).

    Commenting on the launch, group product manager Chaitanya Shekar said, “Center Fresh and Paan have significant synergies, given their mouth-freshening properties and it was only a matter of time in getting this logical extension on the brand. We are extremely excited about this new launch and we believe this format will open up new avenues for consumption of Paan in a quick and fun way.”

    Giving an insight into the TVC, Ogilvy & Mather national creative director Abhijit Avasthi said, “We have all come across the not-so-pretty sight of people stuffing Paan into their mouth and talking. Half of the time it’s not even clear what they are saying. But they go on, without caring whether the spit is staining their clothes or flying off from their mouth and landing on the other person’s face. We took this insight and crafted a funny ad that showed the consequences a dhobi’s son has to face due to his talking while chewing Paan.”

  • Red Ice Films launches new TVC for Streax Hair Colour

    Red Ice Films launches new TVC for Streax Hair Colour

    MUMBAI: The ad film production house Red Ice Films has launched the latest campaign for Streax hair colour featuring actress Sonakshi Sinha for the first time.

    The campaign conceptualised by Situations Advertising. The ad highlights walnut’s essence in the brand that enhances the natural shine of the hair.

    The TV ad showcases Sinha talking about the product and emphasising how much she trusts on the natural elements for her hair and later on, the actress introduce the brand in the ad.

    Speaking on the campaign, Red Ice Productions creative producer Robby Grewal said, “Being a youth icon, Sonakshi’s presence in the campaign ensures a distinct brand identity and consumer connect to the Streax as a brand. Apart from working with Sonakshi, collaborating with Marco Pinesi an international director, on this project was the icing on the cake. He understood the local nuances well and also gave a global look and feel to the commercial. We were able to work together to give a new dimension to the brand through the TVC. Overall, the whole experience was extremely enriching and hopefully this has reflected itself in a truly memorable commercial for Streax.”

    Situations advertising creative director Samrat Dasgupta said, “With the number of hair colour products increasing with each passing day, the consumer is extremely confused. The need of the hour was a campaign that clears misconceptions and guides the audiences to choose the right hair colour. It was integral that the brand message is communicated by a trusted source, hence we chose Sonakshi Sinha as the youth trusts her.

    Red Ice Films was initiated on 15 August 1999. Red Ice has worked with several brands like Britannia, Coca Cola, Dell, Dabur, Pepsi, Saffola, Slice, Titan, Visa, and Vaseline.

  • Ad film maker Film Farm to foray into feature films post TV success

    Ad film maker Film Farm to foray into feature films post TV success

    Film Farm India, a leading ad-cum-entertainment film production house, is planning to foray into the feature film business after a successful foray into the television production. The firm is already working with top ad agencies including Lowe, JWT, O&M amongst others. The feature film will be an out and out commercial film.
     

    The Economic Times Brand Equity dated 4 June 2003 featured two of the ad film firm’s commercials in a compilation of “three best commercials of the week”. The two commercials that were featured in Brand Equity include “Rasna Juc- Up” directed by Pushpendra Mishra; and “Kissan Mr. Fruit” directed by Navdeep Singh, both a part of the Film Farm team of directors and both produced by Film Farm.
     

    In a double whammy, the company also celebrated the success of the television division’s successful foray into the TV production business at a party held in Mumbai on 6 June 2003. The serial Dil…Na Jaane Kyon on Zee TV – as part of it’s new initiative Chausat Panne – has reached the No. 2 slot in Zee’s Top 10 list just below Astitva Ek Prem Kahani.
     

    While speaking to the indiantelevision.com team, Film Farm India’s managing partner Harsh Dave says: “We are amongst two or three top companies that have adopted a different model – talent kitty within an ad film. We have a panel of young directors who have developed a core competency area of expertise and domain knowledge. The ad film industry is constantly evolving and clients/ad agencies prefer to rope in the younger generation in an attempt to get fresh ideas. The senior team within our group merely nurtures talent and guides them. Our films look much more contemporary and original.”
     

    Film Farm has a team comprising of 32 professionals. Different directors specialize in conceptualizing films related to different themes – be it fashion or food or people. “The younger lot has a lot of fire in their belly, more enthusiasm and have a broader perspective. Also, there is no one-upmanship within the team and everybody contributes in the brainstorm sessions,” Dave adds.
     

    Dave is also not in favour of creatively-oriented people running an ad production house. “We believe that production houses need managers who work out economies of scale and keep the focus on costs and schedules. There has to be a balance – since the business involves both Saraswati and Laxmi. There must be teams that focus purely on business development, others that nurture relationships and the rest who focus on creative aspects.”
     

    In less than five years since its conception Film Farm has done advertising work for companies such as Hindustan Levers, Dabur, Hero Honda, Revlon, MTV, J & J, Marico, Nerolac Paints, Jyoti Laboratories, MRF, Bombay Dyeing, Rasna, V.I.P. to name a few.
     

    “Clients and ad agencies want value and seek a comfort level while working with any ad film maker. The focus is not on cutting costs. After all, at any point of time, an ad film maker makes a Rs 3 million film that will be part of a Rs 30-million media campaign which in turn will decide the fate of a Rs 300-million brand,” adds Dave.
     

    Along with two more in-house and some more freelance directors from advertising fraternity, Film Farm has also produced TV commercials with directors of feature film background like John Mathew Mathan (Denim soap commercial), Mansoor Khan (Nerolac commercial), Pankaj Parasher (Hercules cycles with Akshay Kumar), Kundan Shah , Govind Nihalani and Rituparno Ghosh (Ponds). “We use different directors based on their styles or personality or expertise or even areas of interest,” says Dave.
     

    Besides India, Film Farm has done work for companies in Thailand, U.A.E.,Malaysia, Australia and South Africa working with directors from the same regions. Film Farm has also collaborated in production with U.K. based Academy Films for the prestigious music videos for bands like UB 40, Basement Jaxx.
     

    “We believe in two-way traffic. We have also done line productions and provided value added services to Europe/US firms that want to shoot in India. Through our international affiliations, we have also sourced good directors from a talent pool; got them down to India to shoot some of our campaigns.”
     

    Currently, the production house has an 80:20 mix as far as the ad business and television business is concerned. However, the mix will vary after we foray into the feature film production arena and increase our presence on TV channels,” adds Dave.
     

    Film Farm India is definitely planning to give it’s close competitors Big Brother and MAD a complex!

  • Network18 to spin off Cell18 as a separate company

    Network18 to spin off Cell18 as a separate company

    MUMBAI: Cell18, Network18 group’s creative division, is planning to establish itself as a separate company, providing services to clients only outside the network group.
     

    The Cell, Network18’s specialist promo and packaging unit, will continue making ad films and promos apart from packaging design for outfits within the Network18 group.
     

    “Cell18 was already working for clients outside the company. However, now with our capabilities growing day by day, we want to establish Cell18 as a separate revenue generating body for ourselves. Hence Cell18 is migrating to become a company,” said an official source.
     

    The company will be establishing itself as a creative production house, also specialising in brand design and documentary making.
     

    “For the past few months we have been producing work for the clients of many top line agencies like Lowe, JWT and Mudra.To understand the revenue generating capacity of the creative division, Cell18 underwent an experimental phase during January, February and March during which it clocked Rs 25 million, making a profit of Rs 14 million. Now that we have expanded across the industry, we want to create Cell18 as a creative production company also specialising in brand design and documentary making,” added the source.
     

    Cell 18 hopes to excel in competitive pricing. Hence it has installed in-house equipments. It has brought in 12 FCPs, 40 graphic work stations and two online machines-two smokes and one flint. Thus, starting from the pre-production process till the post-production stage, nothing will have to be outsourced, thereby lowering the entire cost of production.
     

    Cell 18 is also venturing into making mobisodes, audio visuals for mobile phones. It will be launching its first mobisode sometime next month.

    “Web and mobiles are the new interactive media that need to be exploited immensely to reach out to today’s audience. We have already made 20 webisodes (web films) for Pepsi and our latest is the one on IPL’s Kolkata Night Riders. Now we will be venturing into making mobisodes and the first one will be launching next month,” stated Network18 Group Network creative director Zubin Driver.
     

    Cell 18 has recently finished making a documentary on Gulbarg Museum in Gujrat for social activist Teesta Setalvad.
  • Aaj Tak’s Documentary bags award at MIFF 2002

    Aaj Tak’s Documentary bags award at MIFF 2002

    A two-part documentary aired on Aaj Tak in October 2001 has bagged the best film/video award in the national category at the recently concluded Mumbai International Film Festival.
     

    Two Assassinations and An Accident was part of 25 Incredible Years – a 10 part TV mini series in Hindi and English, each of 25 minutes, commissioned by the India Today group to commemorate 25 years of its existence. The films were made by Moving Picture Company, the production house of documentarist-auteur Ramesh Sharma. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000.
     

    The Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films is a biennial competitive event in film and video format organised by the Films Division, an I& B department, in co-operation with the Maharashtra government. Outstanding films in various categories are selected by an International Jury, with cash prizes aggregating to 2.7 million Indian rupees (approx. US$ 60,000). The festival serves as a platform where the filmmakers of the world can meet, exchange ideas, explore the possibility of co-production and market their films. 
     

    Two Assassinations and An Accident is a collage of interviews and reconstructions through the days of the Emergency till the end of the Rajiv Gandhi era, focussing of the careers of the Gandhi family members and the Indian polity through the decades. The first two episodes go behind what really happened during the Emergency-and why it happened in the first place. Among those interviewed for these segments were former prime minster Chandra Shekhar, photographer Raghu Rai, journalist Khushwant Singh, union home minister L K Advani, former BBC India bureau chief Mark Tully and Nehru family member Arun Nehru.

  • Miditech goes global for NGC

    Miditech goes global for NGC

    MUMBAI: Production house Miditech is getting more ambitious in its vision to rise to the top. It will make three documentaries for National Geographic.
     

    What is unique however is that unlike their previous show Leopards Of Bollywood the three upcoming projects will be shot across the globe.
     

    Speaking to Indiantekevision.com, Miditech CEO Nikhil Alva said, “This is a part of the documentary production fund programme that National Geographic has with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). The aim is to fund documentary filmmakers from across the Asian region. 330 entries were received. Out of this 28 were short listed. 12 ideas were then chosen.”

    “We were the only company that is doing more than one film. We will be shooting the films in US, Australia, South Africa. Another film will be shot in China. With this we are looking to take the next leap in terms of production values and scale. This competition is in its third year. The first year we had done Operation Hot Pursuit,” he added.
     

    Alva added that what gave Miditech the edge over the competition was the fact that their international ideas were unique. “In our presentation we also lucidly explained how the programmes would appeal to National Geographic’s global audience.
     

    “These shows will have an Indian element but the bulk of the work will be done outside. They will air on the channel across the world next year. So while we are an Indian company we want to send out the message that we are equally capable of making high quality products for the global market.”
     

    Alva said that one programme for National Geographic Witchcraft has just been completed. This will air in the December-January period. The other companies that have been selected by National Geographic and the EDB include APV Media (Singapore), India’s Asoka Raina Productions and Southern Star Entertainment (Singapore).
     

    The closing date for the contest was 30 August 2004. 16 Asian countries had sent in entries. The chosen entries will have a potential viewership of 220 million homes.

    NGC Intl executive VP production Bryan Smith, said, “This is the third year that National Geographic Channels International is working with local producers. The quality of entries has improved over the years. We are very pleased with the high standard of these documentary proposals received for the third season. 
     

    “We will continue to groom and raise the bar of the Asian filmmaking community to produce exceptional documentary programs for the global audience. Great stories told by Asian documentary producers will present new angles to our understanding of the world. “
     

    Similar to the first two seasons, a National Geographic documentary workshop will be organised for the winners to learn first-hand experience and insights about the makings of National Geographic programmes.
  • NGC to celebrate events that happen only in India

    NGC to celebrate events that happen only in India

    MUMBAI: One way that the National Geographic Channel (NGC) has been building the brand in India has been through showcasing Indian themed documentaries and specials made by local production houses.

    Last year it had showcased specials like Leopards Of Bollywood and Skeleton Lake. Later this year it will unveil a major initiative It Happens Only In India.

    Speaking to Indiantelevision.com on the initiative, NGC senior VP content and communication Dilshad Master says, “NGC has brought a variety of quality programming produced by Indian production houses to its viewers.Leopards of Bollywood and Skeleton Lake received an overwhelming response from audiences. Bringing alive the frightening story of leopard killings in the heart of modern day Mumbai, Leopards of Bollywood was both relevant and relatable. Directed by Chandramouli Basu and written by Niret and Nikhil Alva, Skeletons Lake was aired on the channel as a part of the F.I.R series and was very well received by viewers.
     

    “Vultures: Death Watch was another documentary aired earlier this year that was very topical. Coming up very soon is a special series called It Happens Only In India. This is a combination of very interesting and diverse topics that will be explored in each episode.”
     

    Last year one of NGC’s major on-ground endeavous was Nokia Innovations. However Master says that there are no plans as of now on the Innovation series for this year. “However National Geographic Channel will continue to innovate and excite our viewers with properties that are compelling and original.”
     

    On the marketing front Master notes that NGC has always used and will continue to use innovative initiatives involving on ground and new media to reach its viewers. Programmes such as Mission Everest, Mission Mars,Nokia Innovation, Nat Geo Investigates among others have in the past been used to engage viewers in an interesting manner and our new programmes coming up later this year will also have a huge interactive angle.
     

    “For It Happens Only in India we have innovative on ground and online ideas lined up. As a channel affiliated to the Star Network we plan to use Star’s 7827 in house short code to connect with viewers. Interactivity is key in broadcasting today and we are definitely planning to reach out to our viewers with exciting and innovative contests and promotions through the mobile media.”
  • Carlton, Towers Productions alliance for TV docs

    Carlton, Towers Productions alliance for TV docs

    CHICAGO: Carlton Productions and Towers Productions have entered into a three-year strategic alliance agreement. The two parties plan to collaborate in developing documentary programmes for both the US and international markets.

    Carlton recently produced the special Watergate Plus for PBS. According to an official release, the operations of the companies complement each other very well. Pooling resources to develop, pitch and produce specific projects means maximisation of the impact both companies make across cable, PBS and in international co-productions.
     

    Documentary production house Towers Productions chief executive officer CEO Jonathan Towers said, “We are thrilled to be entering this venture with Carlton. As a production company that has built its reputation in the US cable market with series such as American Justice, True Crime Authors and Storm Stories , we are looking to extend our reach into the international market.” Its client roster includes CNN.
     

    Carlton Productions is a part of the UK media company Carlton Communications. Carlton has businesses in free-to-air television broadcasting and advertising sales, content production, library ownership, distribution and cinema advertising. Carlton Productions produces programming for all the main broadcasters in the UK, including BBC, Channel 4 and Channel Five and major cable/satellite channels such as Sky.
  • Broadchurch named Best TV Program of 2013

    Broadchurch named Best TV Program of 2013

    MUMBAI: British crime drama Broadchurch has been named the best TV show of 2013 by RadioTimes critics. 
    Starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman as the lead actors of an ensemble cast, the drama follows the story of a police investigation into the murder of a schoolboy in a small Dorset coastal town. 

    Broadchurch aired on ITV early this year, the series creator Chris Chibnall described the show to the channel as “a labor of love”. The beautifully crafted whodunit captured the imagination of the nation as almost every character became a suspect across eight rollercoaster weeks.

    Both a critical and popular hit, the show attracted around nine million viewers an episode on ITV and is now being remade for the US audience by FOX under the title Gracepoint.  

    RadioTimes editor Tim Glanfield said, “Broadchurch drew the nation into a collective hysteria every Monday night for eight weeks, as who killed Danny Latimer became the talking point in the press, pubs, front rooms and factories up and down the country. A brilliant piece of homegrown drama with an exquisite cast of actors, Broadchurch is a fantastic example of British TV at its very best.”

    Last year the critics’ choice was won by Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman crime drama Sherlock, which returns to Indian television on 3 January on AXN. 

    A second series of Broadchurch is expected to air on ITV sometime in 2014.