MUMBAI: UTV Software Communications Ltd has entered into an agreement with Overbrook Entertainment Inc. to produce two full-length feature films.
While one will be a live action film in English, the second one will be a full length English animated film.
Further, UTV Software Communications Ltd’s subsidiary UTV Communications (USA) and Fox Searchlight Pictures Inc have entered into a distribution and exploitation agreement for the film titled I Think I Love My Wife.
MUMBAI: Starting 14 August, National Geographic Channel will present the changing face of India through its series ‘Emerging India’.
The five-part series will premiere on the eve of Independence Day at 10 pm and looks at today’s India coming to terms with its newfound place in the world – a confident and bold nation, a power to be reckoned with.
The series will cover topics as diverse as the new call centre generation to computer literacy amongst children to the development of the world’s largest planned city on the outskirts of Mumbai.
Speaking on the series, National Geographic Channel India Sr VP-Programming, Joy Bhattacharjya said, “Emerging India looks at India in a very realistic and objective manner, bringing forward the normal yet less explored aspects of modern India in a unique manner. We are particularly excited about an episode titled ‘Bombay Calling’ that showcases the undocumented lives of the youngsters working in the BPO sector. The series successfully manages to present the fast track life of an Indian today, a life which sees a complete eradication of earlier conceptions of India by those in the developed world.”
The week-long series will feature the following five episodes from Monday, 14 August will continue till Friday, 18 August at 10 pm:
The Hole in the Wall: ‘The Hole in the Wall’ explores Indian researcher Sugata Mitra’s experiments and attempts to answer the question “Can children really teach themselves the rudiments of computer literacy with no instruction?”
Bombay Calling: Life at the other end of the line profiles the lifestyles of young Indians who swipe their identity cards and enter a world where they leave their real names at the door and negotiate uncharted territory and live an unfamiliar life. Bombay Calling is a snapshot of their world in transition, a Nat Geo window into the growing BPO sector. This critically acclaimed film directed by Samir Mallal has won the Grand Jury Prize – Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles and the Colin Low Award for Most Innovative Documentary – DOXA Documentary Film and Video Festival, Canada. The film has also been shown at the Melbourne International Film Festival and will be a part of the Indo-American Arts Council Film Festival, New York this November. The filmmakers Ben Addelman and Samir Mallal dive into this bustling world of late nights, long hours and hard partying. The result is a compelling insider’s look at the growing number of young people who choose to follow the American dream…but in Indian ishtyle.
Stuntmen of Bollywood: This episode provides a gripping and in-depth account of the dangerous lives Indian stuntmen lead to make the leading actors appear as ‘heroes’ on the silver screen. This episode brings superstars, action directors and technicians on the same platform to reveal the heroic and often tragic tales behind well-known action sequences that have until now remained a well-kept secret.
Mumbai: Public transport is Mumbai’s lifeline. Trains were built for 1700 passengers, but in this mega-city they carry three times that number. Mumbai’s trains and buses keep this city in the fast lane, but by 2020 this city of 13 million could swell to an astounding 28 million people. This film takes a look at the futuristic transport arrangements being planned for the city along with the development of a new Mumbai-Navi Mumbai-the world’s largest planned city.
Hot Science – From India: This episode documents India’s attempts to establish itself as a fast developing nation with a unique brand of hot science and how the country is at the forefront of plans to push the developing world across the digital divide, with a hand-held, inexpensive alternative to the PC. Indian meteorologists are developing sophisticated computer models that harness the past to probe the monsoons of the future. Indian engineers have tapped the sun for an eco-friendly rite of passage – with a solar crematorium.
MUMBAI: K Sera Sera is putting its expansion plans in place. One among them: the launch of a music channel, for which it is in advanced negotiations with Jhankar TV to acquire a controlling stake.
The company is also working out output deals which will allow it to have a strong movie production pipeline. On the agenda is a presence in international distribution and an entry into the home video segment. “Lining up movie production contracts is a high priority area. Discussions are on with several parties in this area,” says a source close to the company.
K Sera Sera is in talks with Eros International Plc for a deal that in value terms could be around Rs 2 billion over a longer period, the source adds. Eros, which globally distributes Bollywood content, recently floated an initial public offering and is listed in the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
“While the deal with Sahara was for just satellite TV rights, the talks with Eros are much broader in scope. Eros has entered into music rights and has a wide international movie distribution network. K Sera Sera has produced many movies. If the deal sails through, it will help the company scale up its movie pipeline,” says the source.
K Sera Sera senior executives were not available for comment on both the music channel and the movie deal with Eros.
On the music channel front, K Sera Sera plans to run it through a subsidiary company. By being producers of Bollywood movies, the channel will have a synergistic relationship.
“We are in advanced talks with K Sera Sera for diluting majority stake. Since they have movie software, Jhankar TV stands to gain. But no conclusive agreement has been reached yet,” says Hamara Samay TV News Network Pvt Ltd president Zaheer Ahmad. Hamara Samay is the company that owns and operates Jhankar TV.
K Sera Sera is, however, weighing other options including the possibility of launching the music channel on its own. “The company, though, realises the distribution problems of a new channel,” says the source.
NEW DELHI: With the arrival of the second pay DTH player in the market, a buzz word would be interoperability, meaning whether consumers can switch from one service to another effortlessly.
Though Indian government norms specify that all DTH systems need to be interoperable for consumer’s convenience, in reality it may not be so.
Vikram Kaushik, MD and CEO of Tata Sky, which launched its commercial service on 8 August, hinted that interoperability may be limited.
“Interoperability may not support interactive and value added services,” Kaushik admitted to a specific query on the issue today in Delhi.
Tata Sky consumer marketing head Vikram Mehra explained that for seamless interoperability of all services, including interactive services, DTH service providers must have similar software.
“In the absence of some (proprietary) software, value added services of a DTH platform may not get supported when a consumer changes the service provider. Yes, the TV channels would be available and that’s what government rules specify,” Mehra elaborated.
What does this mean?
If an existing Dish TV consumer, wants to switch over to Tata Sky service and hopes just a replacement of the smart card in the set-top box would give him all the features of Tata Sky, then he would have to think again.
Features like interactive news and sports and some value added services like movie-on-demand of Tata Sky would not be available by just inserting a Tata Sky smart card in a set-top box bought/rented from Dish TV.
For the records, Siebel will manage customer relationship management of Tata Sky, while Kenan will support the billing system, SAP will be responsible for enterprise resource planning and Sun Microsystems will provide technology infrastructure.
The boxes would be sourced from Thomson and Korean company Humax.
Both the companies will be manufacturing the set-top boxes in India, Kaushik said, which would help in keeping the price line under control.
At present country’s first pay platform, Dish TV, boasts of 1.25 million subscribers, while pubcaster Doordarshan’s subscription-free DD Direct+ has a reported consumer base of 3.5 million.
MUMBAI: Turner International India Pvt. Ltd and Sesame Workshop will launch Galli Galli Sim Sim – the Indian version of Sesame Street – on 15 August. The preschool educational series will premiere on Cartoon Network at 1 pm.
In the first season, the series comprising 65 episodes of 30 minutes each will be aired in Hindi, with usage of some English words.
Galli Galli Sim Sim will address topics such as early literacy, creative thinking and reasoning, family and community life, healthy habits, and appreciating cultural plurality.
With the launch of Galli Galli Sim Sim, Turner aims to create a new dimension in the realm of young kids’ programming by introducing the concept of using mass media to promote joyful, fun-filled learning through the theory – “Seekhne ka Mastana Andaaz.”
Galli Galli Sim Sim aims to revolutionise kids’ programming in India with its well- researched content that will help in developing social, emotional and cognitive skills in children, and be the catalyst to encourage children to pursue educational goals.
Turner International India Pvt. Ltd managing director Anshuman Misra said, “Having shaped kids’ television in India, with the launch of the leading kids’ channel, Cartoon Network, and subsequently the successful launch of Pogo, we, once again, aim to set a new benchmark in the industry with Galli Galli Sim Sim. As the leading kids’ entertainment player, we have consciously decided to focus on educational development as we realise our social responsibility towards shaping the future of our next generations. The social and emotional development of children is largely influenced by television today, and there is no doubt, that this is the best medium to communicate effectively with children.”
“Harnessing the power of television, we aim to make Galli Galli Sim Sim an integral part of the lives of young children in India. Our aim is to reach out to almost every home, extending the reach of the series through the electronic medium and other multi-media initiatives. We are making a bold run at engaging millions of young children and we are confident that this unique series will change the face of kids’ education in India,” he added.
Sesame Workshop executive vice president Daniel Victor said, “Sesame Workshop’s mission is to create innovative engaging content that maximises the educational power of media to help children reach their highest potential. We at Sesame Workshop are very excited about the launch of the Indian series. The series celebrates the vibrant cultural heritage of India with its uniquely adapted content, muppet characters, and a diverse human cast representing the commonalities and diversities of Indian society. We are optimistic that the Indian version of Sesame Street, Galli Galli Sim Sim will make a meaningful difference to the lives of children in the country.”
Miditech president Niret Alva added, “We are delighted to have partnered with Turner and Sesame Workshop in producing this path breaking series that aims to create a new genre in TV programming for kids in India. It has been a very exciting and enriching experience for all of us at Miditech to produce this series that celebrates the cultural diversity of India. We have ensured that the portrayal of each of the characters and muppets is unique and meaningful as it is designed to create a long lasting impact on the lives of children.”
Galli Galli Sim Sim, set in an “Indian Galli,” represents the reality of daily life for the widest possible range of Indian children and families. The series is targeted towards children between the age group of two to six years, transcends socio-economic barriers and will feature animated segments and live-action films, with music, stories, and art drawn from various elements of Indian culture and regions of the country.
The Indian Muppet characters – Googly, Chamki, Aanchoo and Boombah have been specially created with Indian characteristics and elements. Along with them, a thought out human cast is also present.
Taking the cause of spreading education and empowering children beyond the realm of television, Turner along with Sesame Workshop plan to undertake on-ground initiatives to reinforce the educational messages of the series and extend the project’s reach and impact.
In keeping with this, Turner today flagged off a “Galli Galli Sim Sim Literacy Yatra” to reach out to more and more children in India. This Yatra from New Delhi, recreating the magic of the show, will travel to various cities such as Lucknow, Bhopal and Mumbai, distributing educational material to children. The yatra will finally culminate in Mumbai on 8 September, coinciding with World Literacy Day. Additional plans to continue outreach activities will be coordinated by Sesame Workshop India, NGO.
Funding for the development phase of Galli Galli Sim Sim was provided through the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and ICICI Bank. Moving forward, the producers of the series will look to combine the strengths and resources of the public and private sectors for local development initiatives.
MUMBAI: In a move that reflects MTV Networks International (MTVNI) expanded portfolio of businesses in Europe, Bhavneet Singh has been promoted to deputy general manager of the fast expanding emerging markets group.
In this role, Singh will manage almost 21 channels by the end of 2006, informs an official release.
Singh will be responsible for all aspects of the business across the music channel MTV and the kids’ channel Nickelodeon and Comedy brands in central eastern Europe and Middle East with a specific focus on development and establishing brands across the emerging markets as well as new platforms, such as broadband (overdrive), mobile and the youth community website Neopets.
Prior to his appointment, Singh previously served as international sales strategy director, for the corporate strategy group with in MTVNI working across all international markets.
The new role will be based in London and he will report to MTV Networks International GM and VP emerging markets group Dean Possenniskie.
Possenniskie commented; “Having, grown the EM business at a rapid rate, my energy, drive and focus continues with exciting plans for the emerging markets Group, with Bhavneet on board the further channel expansion in Eastern Europe, Middle East and Central Asia will be supported by him and his team. I’m confident that with his diverse business, commercial and strategy experience Bhavneet will be a huge success within emerging Markets”.
MTV Networks Europe COO Simon Guild adds; “Bhavneet is a very talented individual and I am delighted to see him appointed to this important position where he will be able to drive growth in one of our fastest expanding businesses”
Singh (32), whose promotion is effective immediately, has been with MTV Networks since 2004, has earlier worked for Manchester United PLC and has commercial experience working as director sales at IMG TWI in India, apart from being head of ad-sales at Discovery Channel in Asia. Bhavneet also holds an MBA from Manchester Business School.
MUMBAI: The stage is set for another interesting contest in the Hindi GEC battlefield. In a significant move, Star Plus has decided to wind up Kavyanjali and replace the soap with another Balaji Telefilms production Karam Apnaa Apnaa (KAA).
Slotted for 9:30 pm, Monday to Thursday, KAA will lock horns with Zee TV’s driver show Saat Phere.
Star Plus will launch KAA on 29 August. According to Star India senior creative director Shailja Kejriwal, the channel will use the soap, which will have as its principal characters Bengalis, to target Eastern India.
“We have lots of soaps targeting Gujarat and Punjab, but nothing for the East. We are filling this void with KAA. The story has a Kolkata backdrop and the look and feel is very much Bengali. Then, we have many Bengali artists, including Roopa Ganguly and Jaya Bhattacharya, featuring in the serial,” says Kejriwal.
Another strategy Star Plus is initiating with KAA is to reach out to the young audience during the launch phase itself. Accordingly, the marketing wing of Star India has devised various marketing activities and one of these is to hype up the lead character’s marriage.
“We understand that the youth audience plays a significant role in the success of a television programme in India. Hence, we are making our best attempts to woo them during the first phase of our launch itself. We are trying to reach the youth in the age group of 20-28 through various activities woven around Gauri’s (the protagonist) wedding,” says Satya Raghavan of Star India Marketing.
Explaining the strategies further, Raghavan adds, “Over the next three months, we will be constantly in touch with young people through various touch points. We will get in touch with them through various methods – all connected to the marriage process. These include wedding shopping, venue search and astrology. The activities will be conducted in a sustained manner, to make the most of the upcoming marriage season.”
KAA will also see Balaji offering another debutant to Indian television. The new face Pallavi Subhash will don the title role of Gauri. The star cast also includes Apra Mehta, Salil Ankola, Delnaz Paul and Geetanjali Tikekar.
KAA tells the story of Gauri who hails from a small hamlet of West Bengal. She is a very simple girl without any ambition, who has put the interests of her family before herself and has dedicated her life to make her father and her sister happy. The only dream she has is that after marriage, she should live a simple and happy life with her husband and her kids. Gauri is on the threshold of turning her dream into reality by getting married to her fiance, Shashank, but she could never have imagined that destiny has something different in store for her. And thereafter starts the journey of this simple girl, of the hardships she faces and how she strives to overcome them.
MUMBAI: Discovery Networks Asia -a division of real -world entertainment company Discovery Communications- coupled with the leading mobile communications company Nokia’s initiative giving consumers the opportunity to try their hand at mobile filmmaking for the Mobile FilmMakers 2006 Awards sees ten Indians in the list of short-listed applicants as semi finalists.
The 10 semi-finalists -J. Philip, Jeevan Konkar, Kayoom Mohd. Hanif Mistry, Koushik Choudhury, Kshitij Shankhdhar, Prasad Indap, Sajal Maiti, Samrat Sengupta, Sunil Babbar, and Tushar Joshi – have attended a special workshop on 5 August in New Delhi to learn the finer points of filmmaking and vie for a place in the finals.
Organized by Discovery Networks Asia and Nokia, local filmmaker Saumya Sen was present at the workshop to offer insights and invaluable tips on mobile filmmaking. Similar workshops will also be conducted in other countries for semi-finalists from across the region.
The workshops, conducted by experts in the industry, provide the semi-finalists with an opportunity to further hone their filmmaking skills. The semi-finalists will also learn about the many filmmaking functions and features of the Nokia N90, which they will be using to shoot a 30-second clip.
A panel of judges comprising representatives from Discovery and Nokia will select the best two clips, and the two finalists will represent India at the regional workshop in Singapore. Finalists from all participating countries will be announced at a later date. The grand prize winner will take home USD$10,000 cash and will also win a three-month stint at Discovery’s regional headquarters in Singapore.
The Mobile FilmMakers 2006 Awards is the second collaboration between Discovery Networks Asia and Nokia, following the success of last year’s initiative. This initiative empowers mobile phone users everywhere with the knowledge and technology of mobile filmmaking at their fingertips, and provides them with the opportunity to showcase their talent.
Discovery Networks Asia senior VP of programming and creative services James Gibbons said, “We were very impressed by the quality of entries this year. We hope to uncover more new talent from India and other countries throughout the region. The number of entries received also shows that interest in the genre of mobile filmmaking is growing, and an increasing number of people are taking an interest not only in snapping photos with their mobile phones, but also in shooting their own mobifilms and expressing their creativity in a different medium. The Mobile FilmMakers initiative has clearly helped change the traditional concept of mobile phones, and has taken filmmaking in an exciting new direction.”
Nokia business manager, imaging solutions, Shyam Sundar said, “The training that the semi-finalists and finalists of the Mobile FilmMakers 2006 Awards will receive during the workshops are invaluable. We hope the workshop participants will not only put their new-found skills to good use, but also teach others in their community to build the mobile filmmaking genre. With devices like the Nokia 90, and the soon to be released Nokia N93, both armed with Carl Zeiss optics, we hope to make mobile filmmaking a common and enjoyable activity amongst camera phone users.”
To enter the contest, applicants were required to submit a brief written description of not more than 300 words with the theme:”My Discovery”. This was a chance for participants to explore the documentary filmmaker within themselves – share unique, insights, knowledge and experiences and bring to life a ‘discovery moment’ as it is imagined on screen. The semi-finalists were selected based on the strength of their idea relating to the theme.
Re-inventing the way people view filmmaking, the contest had kicked off on May 8 and more information is available at www.mobifilms.net, according to an official release.
MUMBAI: ABC has begun production in Hawaii for the third season of the action adventure show Lost. In the US, the third season kicks off in October.
Lost airs in India on Star Movies.
For the uninitiated, Lost deals with the survivors of a plane crash. After Oceanic Air flight 815 tore apart in mid-air and crashed on a Pacific island, its survivors were forced to find inner strength they never knew they had in order to survive. But they discovered that the island holds many secrets, including a mysterious smoke monster, polar bears, a strange French woman and another group of island residents known as The Others.
The survivors have also found signs of those who came to the island before them, including a 19th century sailing ship called The Black Rock, the remains of an ancient statue and bunkers belonging to the Dharma Initiative, a group of scientific researchers.
Jack, Kate and Sawyer open the season in captivity as prisoners of The Others. Just who these Others are and what they want are primary questions Season Three will explore. Michael Emerson joins the regular cast in his ongoing role as Henry Gale, leader of The Others.
The band of friends, family, enemies and strangers must continue to work together against the cruel weather and harsh terrain if they want to stay alive. But as they have discovered during their 60-plus days on the island, danger and mystery loom behind every corner, and those they thought could be trusted may turn against them.
MUMBAI: Media company Google has inked a deal with US media conglomerate Viacom.
The online search behemoth will distribute clips of MTV’s shows that contain advertising to other web sites.
Media reports state that sites that are part of Google’s AdSense Network will get MTV’s content. Google, Viacom and the AdSense partners will split revenues derived from the tie-in of advertising and content.
The content will include SpongeBob SquarePants and Laguna Beach. The move will give Viacom a much broader reach than traffic to its own Web Sites. Google now uses the AdSense network to place paid-search ads for advertisers.