ITV

Category: Movie Channels

  • ETC engages audience to spread anti-piracy measures through short films

    ETC engages audience to spread anti-piracy measures through short films

    MUMBAI: ETC the most credible Bollywood trade channel in association with India’s leading creative crowd sourcing company Talenthouse India, have jointly undertaken the initiative to say ‘Thank You’ along with the Bollywood industry to loyal cinema goers for choosing theatres over other pirated medium to bring about awareness and thereby an end to piracy.

     

    The initiative, ‘Bollywood Thanks You’ has developed from a simple thought to appreciate people who consume films the way they are supposed to be – in theaters. The objective of the initiative was to represent the entertainment industry for a cause in a country like India where the film and TV industry lose money and livelihood due to piracy. ETC extended this idea to the audience to directly involve them in the initiative by inviting budding filmmakers who are all a part of the entertainment industry to bring forth a strong message.

     

    Talenthouse India, hosted this exciting opportunity on their platform www.talenthouse.co.in. The participants were required to create an ad film of maximum 30 seconds duration based on the theme ‘anti-piracy’. The crowd sourcing route to this campaign not only resulted in 50 creative thoughts on the theme from across India, but also generated engagement and a challenge to young filmmakers to convey the message in 30 seconds.

     

    The entries were monitored by the ETC team. 10 winners have been selected by the channel for a career defining opportunities. The films created by these young budding filmmakers will now be showcased at leading multiplexes and aired on ETC for the next one year.

     

    Zee Entertainment’s Anurag Bedi, said, “We, at ETC, represent the entertainment industry where the audience is the stakeholder and if they stop supporting the industry then the industry can’t make more products for them. Through ‘Bollywood Thanks You’ initiative, we hope to educate and encourage audience to watch films in theaters. Talenthouse India who had the access to the right kind of talent to generate the films gave us an opportunity to be relevant to the younger audience and enabled us to connect to and inspire young film professionals to bring out a strong message through the crowd sourcing activity.”

     

    From a marketing point of view, ETC has taken anti-piracy to a whole new level. Focusing on a positive and educative route, the aim for them is to develop user generated content that resonate with their brand identity and the initiative undertaken to shape future industry leaders.

     

    The winning films created by film students and enthusiast would be showcased soon.

     

    To view the films Log on to http://www.talenthouse.com/zee-2013

  • Mauritius launches 30 per cent film rebate scheme to attract film industry

    Mauritius launches 30 per cent film rebate scheme to attract film industry

    NEW DELHI: Mauritius has launched a new Film Rebate Scheme allowing for a 30 per cent refund on all the Qualifying Production Expenditures (QPE) incurred by film producers in respect of their projects in Mauritius.

     

    The scheme was officially launched at a gala event by the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance & Economic Development Xavier-Luc Duval in the presence of Minister of Arts and Culture Mookhesswur Choonee and Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff.

     

    Some 250 professionals including directors, producers, filmmakers, artists and representatives of production houses, modelling agencies and training schools attended the launch.

     

    In his address, Duval, the architect of the Rebate Scheme, highlighted the size and importance of the film industry and its business potential for Mauritius. He said the industry is expected to generate some MUR 500 million in 2014 while it is estimated that it will bring about MUR 1 billion annually in foreign exchange.

     

    In its endeavour to develop new sectors of activity within the creative arts industry, the Mauritian Government through the Board of Investment elaborated a framework to attract film shooting and post-production activities in Mauritius. This was implemented in the wake of an announcement in the 2012 National Budget.

     

    The Industry is seen as a serious and viable addition to the economy. This scheme puts Mauritius at-par with other destinations like Malaysia and Abu-Dhabi which offer a 30 per cent rebate.

     

    Duval stated that the Government will intensify the marketing of the scheme through the Board of Investment. The industry is expected to generate employment for SMEs, designers, artists, hoteliers, with significant beneficial spillover effects on other sectors like tourism, trade, travel, transport and retail.

     

    Furthermore, the industry will provide great exposure and visibility to the Mauritian tourism industry in various source markets such as India, China and Europe. The Board of Investment has recorded an increasing number of potential interests from local producers as well as production houses from China, South Africa and India. So far, expressions of interest have been received mostly by Indian producers.

     

    Choonee emphasized the strong relationship and special sense of belonging and brotherhood between India and Mauritius. The country has nurtured this special bond over decades. Minister Choonee stressed the government’s vision to develop the film industry as another pillar of the economy.

     

    Special guest Jackie Shroff firmly believes that Mauritius should start producing movies. The actor underlined the importance of having a specialised school offering courses on script-writing and editing as well as crash courses on film-making.

     

    He praised Mauritius and said he was overwhelmed by the hospitality of Mauritians. He commended VPM Duval’s initiative for the development and promotion of the new film industry.

  • 24 has attracted youngsters to TV: Anil Kapoor

    24 has attracted youngsters to TV: Anil Kapoor

    KOLKATA: Whether it’s on the social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, or applauds from the Hollywood counterparts, Anil Kapoor’s Hindi adaptation of the international TV series, 24 has been received quite well.

     

    Basking in the glory of his debut television production, the actor on Wednesday said that the biggest achievement of the thriller is that it has managed to hook youngsters. “The best thing is that youngsters who never used to watch TV are hooked to it. They have something to watch now. Even men have something to watch on TV besides the family soaps. I have heard that women and kids also like it,” said Anil while addressing reporters.

     

    “Usually my family is divided in opinion when it comes to my ventures. There is groupism in my family, but everybody loves 24,” added the 56-year-old, who was last seen in films like Shootout At Wadala and Race 2.

     

    Directed by Abhinay Deo, 24 airs on Colors on Friday and Saturday. In the show, Anil plays the lead role of Jai Singh Rathod, the chief of an anti-terrorist unit. The show captures 24-hours of Rathod’s life where he struggles to prevent the assassination of a prime ministerial candidate and also save his daughter and wife who have been kidnapped by terrorists.

     

    Anil cleared the air about the show being adapted to the big screen saying he had only the rights to the TV format.

     

    When he was quizzed about not foraying on television earlier, Anil said, “I had been offered to judge reality shows, but I didn’t feel good enough. However, with 24, it felt like my calling. I have never been scared of failure and I thought the maximum that could happen was the show wouldn’t work,” he said.

     

    On a lighter note, he expressed how he wanted the master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who recently announced his retirement plans from Test cricket, to continue playing cricket for the rest of his life. “I wish he could go on and on for life, but Test cricket is a physical sport, and gradually youngsters have to take over. The demands are tough on the body,” he said.

  • Zoom in on the Bollywood 100 Crore club

    Zoom in on the Bollywood 100 Crore club

    MUMBAI: Love it or hate it, you can’t ignore it. We are talking about the popular 100-crore club which since last few years has taken away the Bollywood fraternity by storm. Whether they say it or not, almost every filmmaker aims to reach the mark. And looking at the popularity of the club, channel Zoom has come up with a new show, 100 Crore Club that will expose the trade secrets that goes behind making a film a part of the coveted club.

     

    With this show, the channel is taking its viewers closer to Bollywood. The show will go on air from 30 October, every Wednesday at 8 pm.

     

    The half an hour show will feature the great minds behind the Blockbusters’ raging glory in the year 2012. So, how is the show going to benefit the channel? A source from the channel reveals: “The channel’s programming explores every aspect of Bollywood – be it the films, the music, the stars, the film-makers or any other aspect. Films that have crossed the magical Rs 100 crore mark at the c are obviously the ones that have got massive popular appeal and Zoom is going to take its viewers inside the coveted 100 Crore Club to find out what the secret of their success is.”

     

    “The show will not only be an interesting and entertaining treat for young Bollywood fans but also an insightful analysis for anyone who is professionally associated with the film industry,” adds the source.

     

    The first episode of the show will feature the 2012 blockbuster Barfi that not just broke the Box Office records but also came out of the typical masala movie mold and made a space in the 100 crore club. Other blockbuster movies that would feature in the series include Ek Tha Tiger, Dabangg 2, Rowdy Rathore, Agneepath, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Housefull 2, Son of Sardaar and Bol Bachchan.

     

    The channel has already produced nine episodes for the first season of 100 Crore Club where each episode will focus on one of the above films in detail. It is an in-house production by the channel.

     

    Over the past weeks, the channel has launched and refreshed a number of shows to enhance the weekday prime-time experience for its viewers. The 100 Crore Club is Zoom’s latest launch in this line-up and will strengthen the weeknight’s 8 pm slot. “The weekday prime-time slot has always been a strong slot for Zoom and we have a loyal base of viewers that comes to the channel on weeknights for their daily dose of Bollywood entertainment,” says the source.
    So, Bollywood buffs buckle up and get ready for a masaledaar infotainment and learn the tricks of the film trade from the industry insiders including the director, producer, choreographer, singer and star cast to the PR professionals and marketing geniuses.

  • Sony Six woos early morning audience with NBA treat

    Sony Six woos early morning audience with NBA treat

    MUMBAI: Indian viewers are set to see more basketball on their screens with NBA and Sony Six concretising their plans. ‘NBA Mornings on Six’ will televise up to 14 matches per week back to back every day. Flagging off on 30 October, the first match will be current champions Miami Heat facing off against the Chicago Bulls at 5:30 am IST followed by the LA Clippers against the LA Lakers at 8:00 am. A total of 300 live regular season games will be shown along with NBA All Star, Playoffs and the finals.

    The channel also plans to create basketball-centric programs including a lifestyle one that will show the game off the court along with added local content. The show will be aired once a week at primetime. Digital and social media are also being tapped through apps, games and contests.

    “This enhanced offering will give the fans a chance to watch their favorite team and stars consistently throughout the season. We are confident that our approach will open up an enormous opportunity in the ‘Breakfast’ time space for capturing viewership,” says Sony Six business head Prasana Krishnan.

    An NBA Slam Dunk app on Facebook will reward people for answering questions. A trivia contest will run across TV, digital and social media, the winner of which will get a trip to the 2014 NBA All Star as well as get featured on a show.

    NBA and Sony Six tied up earlier this year in a multi- year deal to promote the game in India. “This new, expanded programming will increase fan access to NBA basketball on multiple platforms,” says NBA India managing director Yannick Colaco.

  • Get ready for an online adventure as ‘Life of Pi’ premieres on Star Movies

    Get ready for an online adventure as ‘Life of Pi’ premieres on Star Movies

    MUMBAI: It was one of the highest grossing Hollywood films in India in 2012. Now, as Life of Pi is slated for a TV premiere soon on Star Movies, the channel has come up with an innovative experiment to involve the viewers. Having acquired the telecast rights of the Oscar-winning film directed by Ang Lee, Star Movies will premiere the film on Sunday, 27 October at 1:00 pm and 9:00 pm. The channel is leaving no stone unturned to create the right buzz around the movie that will be broadcast as part of their most distinguished slot – “Hollywood Premiere”.

    To engage the audience well, the channel is using the interactive power of the digital medium to reach out to its audience by launching an experiential online journey based on the movie. “Most of the film has been shot in India and has Indian stars. Since we really believe that the premiere will fetch good results in the Indian market, we are planning a strategy that can pull more audience,” says Star Network (English channels) general manager Kevin Vaz, informing about an online game, “Life of I” that they are launching before the premiere of the film.

    The game invites viewers to experience the journey of a lifetime through the lens of Pi. The participants can log in to the game via Facebook where they have the chance to map out their own journey based on the events that transpire in the movie. The game has eight milestones. A player who crosses all the milestones becomes eligible for a trip to landmark locations where Life of Pi was shot – including Puducherry, Munnar and Taiwan, in addition to other prizes. A person who plays the entire game will also get a personalised video of their journey that will comprise a part of their Facebook journey. The video acts as a memoir of their journey as they live in real life their own version of the movie.

     

    Kevin says that the channel has taken the entire initiative to plan the trip for the winners. “We haven’t roped in travelling partners. We will be doing it on our own,” he adds.

    “Not just this, to create enough buzz, we have also created special videos shot with the stars of the movie that will give the audience an insight into the film’s making, with anecdotes that happened during the shooting of the film,” says Kevin, who thinks that an extra effort has to be made in order to get more audience and survive in the world of cut-throat competition. “Whenever we have made an extra effort to promote a show or a film, it has reaped good results. Case in point, the Academy Awards, which we promoted across mediums with new initiatives, gave us many viewers,” says Kevin, who thinks that very soon such efforts will be made with all big movie premieres.

  • Single window service for film shooting to become operational shortly: Tewari

    Single window service for film shooting to become operational shortly: Tewari

    NEW DELHI: A single window service for promoting cinema tourism is all set to become operational shortly.

     

    Speaking at the Cinemascape 2013 conclave in Mumbai today, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari observed that India with its rich heritage and diverse geography has great potential as a destination for film shooting but the current system of multiple clearances at various levels made it an unattractive destination for filming.

     

     “Increasingly therefore, most Indian filmmakers have gravitated towards foreign destinations for outdoor shoots. Any lost opportunity is a revenue loss for the country,” he remarked.

     

    Tewari said the government has now decided to address the issue by establishing a single window service for granting clearances for film shootings in India. He informed that a Committee on Promotion and Facilitation of Film Production in India has been set up. It is chaired by the secretary in the ministry, with senior representatives from the Ministries of External Affairs, Home Affairs; Tourism; Culture; Railways; Civil Aviation; Defence and Department of Revenue etc.

     

     The state governments have been asked to nominate the nodal officers for film clearance. The minister said Standard Operating Procedures are being developed to accord clearances for film shooting by domestic and foreign producers in India.

     

    Tewari stressed on the need for a sound legal architecture for promoting cinema as a form of creative expression. While conceding that law and order is a state subject, he said film certification falls in the central domain. He said, “There is an urgent need to update laws relating to film certification and exhibition and I am happy to inform that the committee headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal has submitted its recommendation along with a model bill to replace the existing Cinematograph Act 1952.”

     

     He said the recommendations of the committee as well as the model bill will be published on the website of the ministry to seek wider public consultation. The minister assured the film fraternity that by the middle of 2014, India would have a contemporary law to deal with cinema.

     

     Dwelling on the issue of taxation and fiscal incentives for the film and entertainment sector, the minister called upon the industry representatives to set up a committee of experts to draw a comprehensive strategy, which could then be submitted to the Finance Minister on behalf of his ministry.

     

    Participating in a panel discussion, noted film maker Mukesh Bhatt said 76 different permissions have to be obtained for film shooting in India, while Indian producers are given a red carpet welcome in some of the cine-tourism nations like Switzerland, New Zealand, South Africa, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. Bhatt acknowledged that the Ministry’s effort is a welcome first step.

     

  • Oops! &pictures forgets Ghanchakkar or does it?

    Oops! &pictures forgets Ghanchakkar or does it?

    MUMBAI: Right from the very first phase of the channel’s launch, &pictures has pulled out all stops and taken the offbeat and innovative communication route while interacting with its target audience.

     

    For the upcoming movie premiere of Ghanchakkar at 9:00 pm on the channel’s primetime property, ‘Saturday First Show’; the channel plans on taking the storyline of the film to promote the World Television Premiere of Ghanchakkar.

     

    While initial plans and promotions a few weeks back had Ghanchakkar slated to air on 5 October, &pictures now plans to air the film on 12 October instead. In keeping with the essence of Emraan Hashmi’s character who forgets everything, the pitch being used for the world premiere of Ghanchakkar too, is that “We forgot that we were to air the film on 5 October!”

     

    Promos for the premiere of the film went on air on Saturday, 5 October, and feature a montage of Emraan Hashmi’s character from the film Sanjay Atre spouting his now familiar line “Mujhe kuch yaad nahi aa raha hai.”

     

     “As a channel that engages with new India, we always seek to take the unconventional route which appeals to and grabs the attention of our audience,” says Zeel marketing head – national channels Akash Chawla.

     

     “The initial censor certification for the film during its theatrical release was ‘U/A’. However keeping in mind the fact that TV audiences watch films in their homes, we have further edited the film to make it suitable for viewers of all ages,” says Zeel cluster programming head (Hindi movie channels) Ruchir Tiwari, about the special considerations that have been taken into consideration while premiering the film.

  • Wift in conversation with Anupama Chopra and Zoya Akhtar

    Wift in conversation with Anupama Chopra and Zoya Akhtar

    MUMBAI: The name is Chopra, Anupama Chopra. Yes, if you are a movie buff then you know whom we are talking about.

     

    The author, journalist and film critic has written several books on Indian cinema and the latest addition to this long list is ‘100 Films To See Before You Die’. With Indian cinema completing hundred years in 2013, it is a perfect guide for cinema enthusiasts.

     

    Wift Mumbai Chapter, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing a dynamic platform to facilitate the exchange of ideas, accelerate the professional development and recognise the achievement of women in film, television and other screen based media, is giving an opportunity to such enthusiasts to have conversation with the author herself.

     

    The event is a networking evening for women who get to interact with other professionals from the industry. “They get an opportunity to meet Anupama Chopra who has written the book and director Zoya Akhtar. The biggest challenge is to meet the right people. Wift gives them the opportunity through workshops like these with leading industry professionals,” says founder Petrina M D’Rozario.

     

    The organisation aims to have one such event every month. It also has an initiative called SNF (Saturday Night Fever) which is a relaxed evening one Saturday of the month with a theme over vino and cheese!

     

    Unlike some of the other events held by the organsiation which are only for the members, today’s event is open for all but will come with a charge of Rs 300 per head. “Only to be fair to our members who pay for the events and to pay for the F&B served at the event do we charge people,” clarifies Petrina.
    So, on a Friday evening head out to Le Sutra (Khar) to mingle with the industry professionals as well as to get an insight on the biggest churner of entertainment – Bollywood – from 6.30 pm onwards.

  • Krrish 3 launches Facebook Stickers

    Krrish 3 launches Facebook Stickers

    MUMBAI: India’s homegrown superhero Krrish is making leaps and bounds and attaining a cult status across the board with his exciting and engaging promotions for the forthcoming film Krrish 3. The latest is the collection of Facebook Stickers, a special set of emoticons which will make chatting with friends on Facebook even more fun. This is part of the digital marketing campaign for Krrish 3 spearheaded by Hungama Digital Media Entertainment. The Krrish characters join a league of international favorites including the ‘Minions’ from Despicable Me 2 and ‘Snoopy’ from Peanuts.

     

    The Krrish 3 stickers include common expressions and activities people use every day like happy, sad, drinking coffee, working late or partying with friends. Each emotion has been created with one of the three central characters – Krrish (HrithikRoshan), Kaya (KanganaRanaut) and Kaal (Vivek Oberoi). The emoticons also include special phrases like ‘I Love You’, ‘Call Me’ and very special ‘Krrish- The Protector’ sticker. These sticker packs will be made available for free in all regions, on the Messenger and Facebook
    apps for both web and mobile.

     

    Hungama Digital Media Entertainment MD and CEO Neeraj Roy said, “The promotions for Krrish 3 have a massive digital footprint right from the word go, with the worldwide first look and poster launch via a Facebook chat. With the world constantly connected via mobile internet and a social media becoming integral mode of communication, our endeavor is to make Krrish an integral part of your daily interactions.”

     

    Some of the iconic stickers on Facebook include the Minions from Despicable Me 2 and Snoopy- the famous Peanuts character. Hungama Digital Media entertainment is the digital partner for Krrish 3. In the coming weeks, Hungama a digital blitzkrieg around Krrish 3 with the launch of a game, a karaoke app and an augmented reality campaign that can be experienced around high footfall locations in India.

     

    Speaking on the launch of the Krrish 3 Facebook stickers, superstar Hrithik Roshan said, “Here’s presenting yet another digital innovation from the team of Krrish 3. To add more life and fun to your conversation, we’ve come up with these exciting new Krrish 3 stickers. You can now tease your friends, fight with them or challenge them in your chats.”