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  • Prime Focus Q1-2015 revenue up 78%, loss widens to Rs 22 crore because of global integration process

    Prime Focus Q1-2015 revenue up 78%, loss widens to Rs 22 crore because of global integration process

    BENGALURU: Prime Focus Limited (PFL) reported 78.3 per cent growth in Income from Operations (TIO) in the quarter ended 30 September 2015 (Q1-2015, current quarter) to Rs 350.17 crore from Rs 196.38 crore (quarter ended 30 September 2013, or Q2-2014) and 76.6 per cent more than the Rs 199.5 crore in Q5-2014 (q-o-q).

    Notes: (1) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million =1 crore

    (2) The company had filed results for a15 month period ended 30 June 2014, hence comparison is being done between Q1-2015 and Q2-2014 as well as Q5-2014 (quarter ended 30 June 2014).

    The company’s loss widened to Rs 22.02 crore in Q1-2015 from the Rs 8.78 crore in Q5-2015. The company had reported a profit of Rs 21.34 crore (10.9 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2014. PFL, in its earnings release, says that loss for the quarter has risen to Rs 22.02 crore because margins have been impacted primarily due to seasonal effects and due to significant duplication of costs in the creative services business in the first quarter post-merger. The company has initiated a global Integration process at its London, Vancouver and Indian facilities across both these entities. Consequently, the effects of the first phase of one time integration costs are also reflected in the financials claims PFL.

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by PFL in Q1-2015

    The company’s total expenditure (TE) in Q1-2015 at Rs 385.6 crore (110.1 per cent of TIO), which was more than double (2.15 times) the Rs 179.42 crore (91.4 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2014 and 80 per cent more than the Rs 214.52 crore (107.5 per cent of TIO) in Q5-2014.

    Figures A and B below show PFL’s major expense heads. As is obvious, a major expense head for the company is employee benefit expense or EBE.

    PFL’s EBE in Q1-2015 at Rs 232.77 crore (60.4 per cent of TIO) was almost triple (2.91 times) the Rs 79.84 crore (40.7 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2014 and more than double (2.1times) the Rs 111.50 crore (55.9 per cent of TIO) in Q5-2015. Fig B indicates that EBE also shows a linear upward trend in terms of percentage of TIO over the seven quarters starting Q4-2013 until the current quarter Q1-2015.  EBE has been the highest in Q1-2015, both in terms of absolute rupees and in terms of percentage of TIO during the period under consideration.

     Finance and Interest cost in Q1-2015 at Rs 15.84 crore (4.25 per cent of TIO) was 42.8 per cent more than the Rs 11.09 crore (5.6 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2014 and 9.5 per cent less than the Rs 17.5 crore (8.8 per cent of TIO) in Q5-2015.

    PFL executive chairman and group CEO Namit Malhotra said, “It has been an eventful quarter for us as a Group, where PFW (Prime Focus World) completed the merger with Double Negative (D-Neg) which we all are very excited about. At the same time, we initiated a significant integration and consolidation exercise across our global footprint.”

    “These extra ordinary onetime costs juxtaposed with seasonally the slowest quarter in the Industry has had

    a major impact on our bottomline. The integration process with D-Neg has started well with the strategic assumptions playing out as expected. Post D-Neg integration, we are proud to announce that we have now become a fully integrated Tier I provider of creative services solutions globally. Our focus on cost stays high – we have shut down our London and Vancouver VFX operations in PFW. The RMW’s FMS business merger is awaiting regulatory

    accelerated growth path we are extremely positive approval post which we expect to complete the transaction expeditiously. PFT is witnessing increasing traction for its products in the International markets and we are very excited about the growth opportunities there in addition to the continued momentum in India. With all our businesses on an accelerated growth path, we are very excited about the future, as you look beyond the one time integration costs, there are significant post-merger revenue and margin enhancement opportunities ahead,” added Malhotra.

     

    Click here to read full unaudited results

  • DQE strengthens digital media strategy to monetise content

    DQE strengthens digital media strategy to monetise content

    MUMBAI: As part of its digital media strategy, entertainment production and distribution company DQ Entertainment have launched two YouTube channels- Power Kids and Tiny Toonz in association with leading multi channel network Whacked Out! Media (WOM).

    Power Kids will showcase animated content for children aged five and above while Tiny Toonz will be aimed at younger children. It will also launch its content and games on other platforms such as Google Play store, Amazon and iTunes.

    The reason for the new digital initiative is to make full use of its rich animated library and target all platforms including apps, smartphones, tablets, social media etc. DQ is banking on this to substantially add to grow revenue. WOM will be a strategic digital media partner for YouTube, allowing DQ to monetise its animated properties and mobile games.

    DQ Entertainment chairman and CEO Tapaas Chakravarti said, “The majority of our audience today are constantly online consuming large amounts of animated content through mobiles, tablets and smart TVs from YouTube and other digital media platforms. Having established our footprint globally, DQE is perfectly positioned to leverage our extensive resources and content library for this high growth sector of the entertainment industry. We hope this will help us to reach wider global audiences. We are excited to work with WOM who are a leading MNC with vast experience in the digital ecosystem. We are confident that WOM will help us expand our global digital presence and reach new markets.”

    Whacked Out! Media MD Ramkrishna Veerapaneni said, “We are delighted to be working with DQ Entertainment to create a new online platform for children. We hope that DQE Digital World will become the ultimate destination for catrtoons, games and lots of fun content for kids all over the world.”


    DQE content includes The Jungle Book, Peter Pan, Lassie, Iron Man, Robin Hood, Casper etc. It will also show exclusive online educational entertainment content.

     

  • DQ Entertainment reports profit for Q2-2015 versus loss in Q2-2014: Animation segment back in black

    DQ Entertainment reports profit for Q2-2015 versus loss in Q2-2014: Animation segment back in black

    BENGALURU: The Tapas Chakravarti led DQ Entertainment (International) Limited (DQEIL) reported a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 14.43 crore (27.4 per cent of Total Income from Operations or TIO) in Q2-2015 (quarter ended 30 September 2014, current quarter) versus a loss of Rs 12.06 crore in Q1-2015. PAT for the current quarter, however was down 36.5 per cent as compared to the Rs 22.72 crore (40.27 per cent of TIO). PAT in HY-2015 at Rs 2.38 crore (3.3 per cent of TIO) was less than a twelfth (1/12.4 times) the Rs 29.35 crore (33.7 per cent of TIO) in HY-2014.

     

    Note: 100,00,000 = 100 Lakhs = 10 million = 1 crore

     

    Two segments contribute to DQEIL revenues – animation and distribution.  The company’s animation segment which had reported operating loss of Rs 1.07 crore on segment revenue of Rs 9.93 crore in the previous quarter, reported an operating profit of Rs 23.62 crore on segment revenue of Rs 39.94 crore in Q2-2015. For Q2-2014, animation segment had reported operating profit of Rs 22.7 crore on higher operating revenue of Rs 41.57 crore. For HY-2015, this segment reported revenue of Rs 49.86 crore and an operating profit of Rs 16.47 crore versus higher revenue of Rs 69.14 crore and higher operating profit of Rs 29.43 crore in HY-2015.

     

    The company’s distribution segment reported the following numbers: Q2-2015 – Revenue Rs 12.71 crore, operating profit Rs 12.02 crore; Q1-2015 – Revenue Rs 10.71 crore, operating loss Rs 1.19 crore; Q2-2014 – Revenue Rs 15 crore, operating profit Rs 9.44 crore; HY-2015 – Revenue Rs 23.41 crore, operating profit Rs 10.83 crore; HY-2014 – Revenue Rs 17.86 crore, operating profit Rs 7.58 crore.

     

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by DQEIL for Q2-2015

     

    DQEIL TIO in Q2-2015 at Rs 52.64 crore was more than double (2.5 times) the Rs 20.64 crore in the immediate trailing quarter, but 7 per cent lower than the Rs 56.58 crore in Q2-2014. TIO in HY-2015 at Rs 72.38 crore was 16.8 per cent lower than the Rs 87 crore in HY-2014.

     

    The company’s total expenditure (TE) in Q2-2015 at Rs 25.24 crore (47.9 per cent of TIO) was 9 per cent less than the Rs 27.72 crore (134.3 per cent of TIO) in the previous quarter and 36.5 per cent lower than the Rs 41.77 crore (73.8 per cent of TIO). In HY-2015, TE at Rs 52.56 crore (72.6 per cent of TIO) was 33.5 per cent lower than the Rs 79.07 crore (90.9 per cent of TIO) in HY-2014.

     

    DQEIL’s employee expense (EBE) in Q2-2015 at Rs 15.34 crore (29.1 per cent of TIO) was 7.8 per cent lower than the Rs 16.64 crore (80.6 per cent of TIO) and 22.3 per cent lower than the Rs 19.74 crore (34.9 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2014. HY-2015 EBE at Rs 31.98 crore (44.2 per cent of TIO) was 20 per cent lower than the Rs 39.97 crore (45.9 per cent of TIO) in HY-2014.

     

    The company’s depreciation, amortization and impairment expense (depreciation) in Q2-2015 went up 4.6 per cent to Rs 7.98 crore (15.2 per cent of TIO) from Rs 7.63 crore (36.9 per cent of TIO) in Q1-2015 and was 18.9 per cent lower than the Rs 9.84 crore (17.4 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2014. HY-2015 depreciation at Rs 15.6 crore (21.6 per cent of TIO) was 17.5 per cent less than the Rs 18.92 crore (21.7 per cent of TIO) in HY-2014.

     

    DQEIL’s production expense in Q2-2015 at Rs 1.78 crore (3.4 per cent of TIO) was 17.4 per cent lower than the Rs 2.15 crore (10.4 per cent of TIO) and almost 5 times the Rs 0.36 crore (0.6 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2014.  Production expense in HY-2015 at Rs 3.93 crore (5.4 per cent of TIO) was almost double (1.95 times) the Rs 2.01 crore (2.3 per cent of TIO) in HY-2014.

     

    Click here to read the full financial

  • CEOs from north India to vie for ‘CEO’s Got Talent’ trophy

    CEOs from north India to vie for ‘CEO’s Got Talent’ trophy

    NEW DELHI: After the popular show comes another that seeks to judge the best chief executive officers (CEOs) in the country; CEOs Got Talent. FremantleMedia has announced the second edition of the event to be held in New Delhi on 15 November featuring CEOs from India Inc. who will pit their unique talents against each other.

    The first-of-its-kind event was created by FremantleMedia within its ‘Got Talent’ franchise to recognise the creativity and talent of CEOs and providing them with a platform to showcase a side to them that generally doesn’t come into view in their day-to-day business lives. And judging the CEOs will be Colors CEO Raj Nayak and Bollywood personalities Mahesh Bhatt and Neha Dhupia.

    Produced by FremantleMedia, ‘CEOs Got Talent’ is an initiative powered by Karmyog Foundation and lifestyle partner Victorinox and its beneficiary Genesis Foundation. This initiative will see top CEOs from north India competing on a common stage for the coveted CEOs Got Talent trophy.

    Proceeds from CEO’s Got Talent will go to Genesis Foundation, which provides financial support for life-saving and life-changing medical intervention for critically ill under-privileged children in the areas of cancer, cardiac disorder, post organ failure, thalassemia and extreme deformities.

    To encourage and support this cause, the event will be attended by over 400 industry players comprising of CEO’s and other partners.

    Speaking about the show Colors CEO Raj Nayak said, “I’m sure CEOs are bored of their board room presentations. This is a great platform for corporate head honchos to de-stress and show off the cool quotient in their personalities.”

    Acclaimed filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt commented, “Spotting talent is a heart-warming adventure for me. It’s even more exciting if you have to spot talent amongst CEOs – the head honchos of our corporate society. It was a hell of an experience judging the first event held in Mumbai and I look forward to an even better experience in Delhi.”

    Actor Neha Dhupia added “It’s not every day that one gets an opportunity to see corporate czars and czarinas step into my world (read entertainment) as they unleash their hidden passions. And who knows – my next co-star or playback singer could be discovered right here, right now.”

    FremantleMedia India MD Anupama Mandloi, “CNBC-TV18 returns as our broadcast partner, assisting us in showcasing the unique talent these corporate stalwarts have. We look forward to this year’s event receiving Delhi this time and continue to generously support Genesis Foundation.”

     
    Prema Sagar, Founding Trustee, Genesis Foundation, said, “CEO’s Got Talent’ is a platform for chief executives to come out of the closet, to do what they love, show their hidden talent – be it music, dance or any other performance, while raising funds to save lives of critically ill children.”

    Sourabh Sarkar, Founder Karmyog Foundation, said “CEO’s Got Talent is a unique concept that aims at bringing together some of the most successful people in the country together. It not only gives them a platform to enthrall the audiences by unveiling their ‘other side’ but also lets them contribute toward a larger cause. We are glad to be associated with CEO’s Got Talent.”

     

  • Burka Avenger bags Best TV Show at the Asian Media Awards

    Burka Avenger bags Best TV Show at the Asian Media Awards

    MUMBAI: Burka Avenger, Pakistan’s pioneer 3D Animated TV Series won Best TV Show at the Second Asian Media Awards Tuesday October 28, 2014. The winners were announced at the Award Ceremony in Manchester, UK, attended by journalists, actors, presenters and marketing professionals from across the world.

     

    Established in 2013, the Asian Media Awards showcases the very best talent working in the Asian media and those working in the mainstream media. As well as rewarding new and emerging talent, the awards recognised the achievements of the pioneers within the media industry.

     

    The Burka Avenger series is the brainchild of Pakistani rock star and social activist Haroon who conceived of it as a way to emphasize women empowerment, the importance of girls’ education and teach children other lessons such as equality and non-discrimination. He said that the success of the entirely produced in Pakistan series is a testament to the level of Pakistani talent.

     

    The Burka Avenger is an amazing action-comedy animated TV show that follows the adventures of Burka Avenger and three young kids in the imaginary city of Halwapur as they fight the evil Baba Bandook and his henchmen. The multi-award winning animated series features Jiya as the inspirational school teacher and her alter ego, the super-heroine Burka Avenger. Her use of books and pens as projectile weapons is symbolic on many levels. The Burka Avenger fights for Justice, Peace and Education for all.

     

    A brand new episode of the series focusing on polio was recently released by the company specially for World Polio Day on October 24, 2014. The episode highlights the importance of polio vaccinations to prevent the spread of polio and tackles the issues of polio in Pakistan head on in a brave and informative manner. The episode was aired on eight different mainstream TV channels in Pakistan and can be viewed online at:

     

    YouTube:

     

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHwHayZZFiw

     

    Vimeo:

     

    https://vimeo.com/109829343

     

     

    Other Awards and Accolades received by the Show include:

     

    • International Emmy Award Nominee – Winner TBA

     

    • Winner of the Peabody Award

     

    • Winner of the Gender Equity Prize at the Prix Jeunesse International Film Festival

     

    • Named by Time Magazine as one of the most influential fictional characters of 2013

     

    • Rising Star Award (Category: Animation) at Canada International Film Festival

     

    The Unicorn Black production team is based in Islamabad, Pakistan and comprises of artists, animators, musicians, writers and producers. After the amazing success of season one the company is currently working on Burka Avenger Season 2. 

     

    Burka Avenger Website: http://BurkaAvenger.com/

     

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BurkaAvenger

     

    Production Company Website: http://UnicornBlack.com/

  • Toonz Entertainment acquires Imira entertainment

    Toonz Entertainment acquires Imira entertainment

    CANNES: Toonz Entertainment, a preeminent content and animation company which incorporates flagship division Toonz Animation in India, has entered into an agreement to acquire 100 per cent of Imira Entertainment, one of Spain’s leading production and distribution company specialising in youth programming.

     

    At the on-going global market for entertainment content across all platforms held in Cannes, MIPCOM 2014, Toonz Animation CEO P Jayakumar and Imira Entertainment CEO Sergi Reitg today announced the development. The transaction is set to be finalised on completion of due diligence.

    The far-reaching agreement will see Imira continue to operate as a separate production and distribution entity with its existing management structure, but the companies will jointly exploit the opportunities and synergies created by the acquisition to offer combined content creation strength and global distribution.

     

    Imira will handle television and licensing rights for Toonz Animation-produced content in regions where is has an established foothold including Europe, US, Latin America and Africa with Toonz utlilsing its relationships in Asia and Pacific territories on behalf of Imira.  Imira will also benefit from investment and production partnership potential from its parent company.
     

    Jayakumar said: “Adding Imira Entertainment to the Toonz Group brings significant complementary services and areas of expertise to our offering. Sergi and his team have a tremendous track record and we look forward to working with them to leverage our combined strengths.”

     

    Reitg adds: “Toonz Animation has a world-class pedigree in television and film. It is an exciting home for Imira Entertainment and a natural fit, and we are looking forward to working with our new colleagues to maximise the potential of our partnership.”

     

  • Kratt Brothers and 9 Story Entertainment Announce Production Of Fourth Season Wild Kratts

    Kratt Brothers and 9 Story Entertainment Announce Production Of Fourth Season Wild Kratts

    MUMBAI: Kratt Brothers Company and 9 Story Entertainment are pleased to announce production of a fourth season of the hit animated wildlife adventure series Wild Kratts for PBS KIDS. The series was created and developed by real life brothers and zoologists, Martin and Chris Kratt who star in the show as animated versions of themselves. Wild Kratts continues to grow in popularity and is currently ranked as the #2 show across all children’s networks, for kids 2-5, 2-8, 4-8 and 2-11.* The fourth season will include 26 episodes, which will begin rolling out in the U.S. on PBS KIDS in late 2015.

     
    The series was recently sold to France Télévisions (France), E Junior (UAE) and Canal Panda (Portugal). Wild Kratts has previously been licensed to Discovery Kids (Latin America and Asia), Super RTL (Germany), Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (Middle East), Noga (Israel), TV3 (Spain), SIC (Portugal), Dublin Films (Ireland), VRT (Belgium), Chello Media (Eastern Europe), MediaCorp PTD Ltd. (Singapore), TV3 Catalunya (Spain), Minika (Turkey) and Primetime (Colombia).

     

    Wild Kratts premiered on PBS KIDS in the U.S. in 2011 and on TVO, Knowledge Network and Télé-Quebec in Canada.  A co-production between The Kratt Brothers Company and 9 Story Entertainment, Wild Kratts is distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Kratt Brothers Company and internationally by 9 Story Entertainment.

     

    The Kratt brothers leap into animated action in Wild Kratts, an adventure comedy from the creators of the hit shows Kratt’s Creatures and Zoboomafoo. In each episode, Chris and Martin Kratt travel to a different corner of the world to meet amazing new animals. Join the Wild Kratts for a laugh-out-loud comedy adventure, as Martin and Chris activate their Creature Power Suits to rescue their animal friends!

     

    9 Story Entertainment is one of the industry’s leading creators, producers and distributors of award-winning animated and live-action content for young audiences around the world.  With one of North America’s largest animation studios based in Toronto, 9 Story has over 220 creative and production staff, and has produced over 900 half hours of quality children’s and family programming, seen on some of the most respected children’s channels around the world across multiple platforms.  The company’s distribution affiliate represents a growing catalogue which includes several beloved brands such as Arthur, Wibbly Pig, Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars, Wild Kratts and Almost Naked Animals in addition to exciting new series such as Numb Chucks, Camp Lakebottom, Cache Craze, Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood and Nerds and Monsters. Last year the company acquired CCI Kids, the family content division of CCI Entertainment, increasing 9 Story’s portfolio to over 1600 half hours of content with popular shows such as Guess How Much I Love You, Joe & Jack, Artzooka! and Extreme Babysitting.   www.9story.com

     

    Kratt Brothers Company, founded in 1993, has created and produced over 200 episodes of television, including award-winning series: Kratts’Creatures, Zoboomafoo and Kratt Brothers: Be The Creature and Wild Kratts.  Through its full service animation studio, Kratt Brothers Company is currently in production on its third season of the Emmy-nominated hit, Wild Kratts. The Kratt Brothers’ national tours draw tens of thousands of creature-crazy kids and their families and the not-for-profit Kratt Brothers Creature Hero Society, together with kids, has successfully protected critical wildlife habitats through the creation of nature reserves.  www.krattbrothers.com  

    MUMBAI: Kratt Brothers Company and 9 Story Entertainment are pleased to announce production of a fourth season of the hit animated wildlife adventure series Wild Kratts for PBS KIDS. The series was created and developed by real life brothers and zoologists, Martin and Chris Kratt who star in the show as animated versions of themselves. Wild Kratts continues to grow in popularity and is currently ranked as the #2 show across all children’s networks, for kids 2-5, 2-8, 4-8 and 2-11.* The fourth season will include 26 episodes, which will begin rolling out in the U.S. on PBS KIDS in late 2015.

     

    The series was recently sold to France Télévisions (France), E Junior (UAE) and Canal Panda (Portugal). Wild Kratts has previously been licensed to Discovery Kids (Latin America and Asia), Super RTL (Germany), Al Jazeera Children’s Channel (Middle East), Noga (Israel), TV3 (Spain), SIC (Portugal), Dublin Films (Ireland), VRT (Belgium), Chello Media (Eastern Europe), MediaCorp PTD Ltd. (Singapore), TV3 Catalunya (Spain), Minika (Turkey) and Primetime (Colombia).

     

    Wild Kratts premiered on PBS KIDS in the U.S. in 2011 and on TVO, Knowledge Network and Télé-Quebec in Canada.  A co-production between The Kratt Brothers Company and 9 Story Entertainment, Wild Kratts is distributed in the U.S. and Canada by Kratt Brothers Company and internationally by 9 Story Entertainment.

     

    The Kratt brothers leap into animated action in Wild Kratts, an adventure comedy from the creators of the hit shows Kratt’s Creatures and Zoboomafoo. In each episode, Chris and Martin Kratt travel to a different corner of the world to meet amazing new animals. Join the Wild Kratts for a laugh-out-loud comedy adventure, as Martin and Chris activate their Creature Power Suits to rescue their animal friends!

     

    9 Story Entertainment is one of the industry’s leading creators, producers and distributors of award-winning animated and live-action content for young audiences around the world.  With one of North America’s largest animation studios based in Toronto, 9 Story has over 220 creative and production staff, and has produced over 900 half hours of quality children’s and family programming, seen on some of the most respected children’s channels around the world across multiple platforms.  The company’s distribution affiliate represents a growing catalogue which includes several beloved brands such as Arthur, Wibbly Pig, Harriet the Spy: Blog Wars, Wild Kratts and Almost Naked Animals in addition to exciting new series such as Numb Chucks, Camp Lakebottom, Cache Craze, Daniel Tiger’s Neighbourhood and Nerds and Monsters. Last year the company acquired CCI Kids, the family content division of CCI Entertainment, increasing 9 Story’s portfolio to over 1600 half hours of content with popular shows such as Guess How Much I Love You, Joe & Jack, Artzooka! and Extreme Babysitting.   www.9story.com

     

    Kratt Brothers Company, founded in 1993, has created and produced over 200 episodes of television, including award-winning series: Kratts’Creatures, Zoboomafoo and Kratt Brothers: Be The Creature and Wild Kratts.  Through its full service animation studio, Kratt Brothers Company is currently in production on its third season of the Emmy-nominated hit, Wild Kratts. The Kratt Brothers’ national tours draw tens of thousands of creature-crazy kids and their families and the not-for-profit Kratt Brothers Creature Hero Society, together with kids, has successfully protected critical wildlife habitats through the creation of nature reserves.  www.krattbrothers.com 

     

            

    *Ratings Source: Nielsen NPower. 07/28/2014 – 08/31/2014. Live+7 AA Program ratings for PBS and select competitive cable network on-going series with at least 4 telecasts/month and a 15 minute duration.

             
    *Ratings Source: Nielsen NPower. 07/28/2014 – 08/31/2014. Live+7 AA Program ratings for PBS and select competitive cable network on-going series with at least 4 telecasts/month and a 15 minute duration.

     

  • Hyderabad to host annual Comic Con from next month

    Hyderabad to host annual Comic Con from next month

    NEW DELHI: Comic Con India, which has been held successfully in Delhi and other cities, is now moving to the city of pearls, Hyderabad.

     

    The Hyderabad Comic Con will be held from 10 to 12 October at Hitex Exhibition Centre to mark the beginning of an annual Comics Convention for Hyderabad.

     

    The Comic Con express Hyderabad, the travelling version of Comic Con India in September last year, saw a turnout of over 25,000 and sales worth over Rs 75 lakh in just two days.

     

    Comic Con founder Jatin Varma said, “With the tremendous response at Comic Con Express Hyderabad last September, we felt that a permanent event was required for the city. Hyderabad fans were simply awesome and this year we are ensuring that we bring everything down to the city, and the best of Indian and International content will be on display.”

     

    Comic Con India (CCI) has taken a big leap as they recently announced a joint venture with Reed Exhibitions – part of the FTSE listed Reed Elsevier Group – to grow the pop culture space in India and bring world class events to Indian fans. The Comic Con India team will now work closely with the ‘ReedPOP’ division of Reed Exhibitions, the largest producer of pop culture events in the world.

     

    With this joint venture in place, CCI enters the burgeoning ReedPOP portfolio of pop culture events which includes New York Comic Con, PAX, the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, Oz Comic-Con, Singapore Toy, Gaming & Comics Convention and Star Wars Celebration among many others.

     

    Over the past three years, Comic Con India has created a first class pop culture experience, acting as a stage for local and international talent to showcase creativity and interact with enthusiasts. With this joint venture, Indian fans should now expect new events and better experiences in the coming years.

     

    Hyderabad Comic Con 2014 will be hosting interactive 40 hours of programming through panels, launches, sessions, gaming and more. Famous international personalities like Ron Marz, an American comic book writer who is well known for his writings for Silver Surfer, Green Lantern; Nathan Edmondson, an American writer best known for Image Comic’s espionage comic series Who Is Jake Ellis?; Vivek Tiwary, a New York Times Best Selling and Eisner Award Winning Author and a Tony Award winning producer; will be attending and taking special sessions here.

     

    Hyderabad Comic Con will be a ticketed event to further expand the scope and size of the event. Only a limited number of VIP tickets will be issued. The tickets would be priced at Rs 250 per day – online and Rs 300 per day – at the venue and Rs 650 for the Super Fan VIP Ticket for all three days. Super Fan ticket offer is available in limited numbers and can be booked online only, these will not be available at the venue.

     

    Cosplay (Costume Contest), one of the major attractions at Comic Con India, will continue to give assured prizes to everyone in costume. Comic Con India has created five categories to increase one’s chances of winning gifts. Each day, one winner will be chosen from each of the five categories:

     

    1. Comic book/graphic novel

     

    2. Animated Series/Movie

     

    3. Manga/Anime

     

    4. Sci-Fi/Fantasy

     

    5. Gaming

     

    All three days, one lucky winner out of the chosen five will get an awesome chance to win a ticket to Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo 2015. 

     

    Fans will find a “Pop Culture Village” at the Hyderabad Comic Con. It is a zone, exclusively dedicated for hosting the trend-setting creative brands that are making the waves in the design & crafts field. Quirky merchandise, funky designs, collectible toys, pop art & technology and the very best of Indian pop culture industry, everything will be under the same roof.

     

    For the sheer love for Comics, more than five new titles will get launched at the convention.

     

    There will be international exhibitors like Oni Press, an American independent comic book publisher based in Portland, Oregon & Toynk.com, a company carrying collectible toys, action figures, replicas/props, statues/busts and other collectible items, bringing international content from all across the globe, especially for Hyderabad.

     

    There will be some anime & manga merch from Japanese merchandiser IINE Toys, along with the best and most exclusive International merchandise at the convention from across the globe. Exclusive Indian merchandisers including Kook N Keech by Myntra, Wacom, Collectors Heritage, Hysteria, Chumbak, Chimp, Planet Superheroes, Lazy Ninja among others will also be present.

     

    The main participants for the Hyderabad Comic Con 2014 are Amar Chitra Katha, Orange Radius, Pop Culture Publishing, Random House, Campfire Graphic Novel, Holy Cow Entertainment, HarperCollins Publishers, Raj Comics, Scholastic India, Mario Gallery, Westland Publishers and Pan MacMillan.

  • Path-breaking VFX for ‘Singham Returns’ by Reliance MediaWorks

    Path-breaking VFX for ‘Singham Returns’ by Reliance MediaWorks

    MUMBAI: Reliance MediaWorks, the techno-creative provider and part of the Reliance group delivered breathtaking VFX for Rohit Shetty’s Singham Return starring Ajay Devgan and Kareena Kapoor.

     

    Crossing the 100 crore mark in just five days after its release, Singham Returns is the story of  D.C.P. Bajirao Singham(Devgan) and his quest to track a black marketer with tremendous influence within the political system.

     

    Talking about the use of VFX in large scale director Rohit Shetty said, “Singham Returns required shooting grand scale action scenes which required intensive VFX. The team at Reliance MediaWorks has done a splendid job, the outcome of which is realistic action packed scenes.”

     

    While the work ranged from elaborate sequences to set extensions, the highlight of the work done by the company is evident in the action scene shot on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, some of which was live while most of it was created using computer graphics and VFX. The scene also involved missiles and high on speed vehicles which were created solely with special effects.

     

    In total Reliance MediaWorks has worked on 2500 VFX shots for the film, which constitutes almost 90 minutes of the run time. It took the company about three months to create, wherein Reliance MediaWorks creative head for VFX Naveen Paul was personally present on the sets to ensure the scenes were shot in sync with the VFX required.

     

    Commenting on the efforts, Paul said, “Rohit Shetty was clear about the requirements from day one, that of bringing to life an entertaining action packed film. 2500 VFX shots required intensive work by the entire team. We are all proud of the results.”

     

    Excited and happy with the results, Reliance MediaWorks CEO Venkatesh Roddam said, “We are glad to have partnered with Rohit Shetty for Singham Returns. The team headed by Naveen Paul and Nishit Shetty put in three months of work involving extensive detailing and we are glad the efforts have shown result.”

     

    Paul credits the team for being able to deliver detailed VFX shots within such a short time frame. This team comprises VFX supervisors Ranadheer Reddy and Pankaj Kalbende, production head (VFX) Vinoth Ganesh, VFX producer Abrez Mohd, concept and mattepaint head Chandrakanth Shenoy, CG supervisor Guru Prasad and matchmove head Sohel Shaikh.

  • Prime Focus disappoints for quarter ended 30 June, 2014

    Prime Focus disappoints for quarter ended 30 June, 2014

    BENGALURU: Prime Focus Limited (PFL) has posted disappointing results for the quarter (Q5-2014). The company also posted results for the extended 15 month period ended 30 June, 2014 (15M-2014). The company reported a PAT of Rs 24.26 crore or about 2.3 per cent of Total Income from operations (TIO)  for 15M-2014 as compared to the extrapolated loss of Rs 20.31 crore against TOI of Rs 762.16 crore during the equivalent period of 15 months ended 30 June, 2013(15M-2013). The reported TIO for 15M-2014 is Rs 1032.72 crore, an increase of 35.5 per cent as compared 15M-2013.

     

    Earlier, for the four quarter period ended 31 March, 2014 (FY-2014), the company had posted a PAT of Rs 33.04 crore (4 per cent of TIO) against a TIO of Rs 834.89 crore. For FY-2013, the company had reported loss of Rs 16.85 crore. During FY-2014, PFL had reported a net forex gain of Rs 29.21 crore and for FY-2013 an exchange gain of Rs 6.75 crore. During 15M-2014 the company has reported forex gain of Rs 38.07 crore, 5.6 times the Rs 6.75 crore in 15M-2013.

     

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