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  • Concept Communication launches Avtr Meta Labs for genZ

    Concept Communication launches Avtr Meta Labs for genZ

    Mumbai: Concept Communication has announced the launch of India’s first content-driven meta influencer company Avtr Meta Labs.

    Avtr Meta Labs (AML) intends to launch on Instagram, YouTube, and other social media platforms to create digital/meta avatars aimed at generation Z, as well as to carve out a distinct place in content and influencer marketing.

    AML’s focus will be to create short-form, snackable content for audiences to experience episodic content specifically tailored for social media platforms.

    It launches Naina, a 20-year-old Digital Avatar hailing from Jhansi on Instagram and YouTube. “Like many other girls of my age group, I have come to Mumbai to fulfil my dreams of becoming a successful actor. I invite you all to follow me on Instagram and YouTube, become a part of my life journey and share my experiences. I have just come to Mumbai and I will need all the help I can get and I am counting on you all,” she commented.

    “With the launch of Avtr Meta Labs, we have once again delivered on our promise of investing in innovative and emerging technologies. Today, we have our investments and key people in artificial intelligence backed content creation, cloud storage, real-time tracking, consumer data and analytics, martech, etc. with companies like DigiBoxx, Concept BIU, 0101, and now, Avtr Meta Labs, all under the Concept umbrella, providing our clients with the best of creative tools and marketing technologies to empower sales,” said Concept Group chairman Vivek Suchanti.

    AML co-founder and CEO Abhishek Razdan added, “At AML, our focus will always be on creating quality content that our audiences can relate to and that adds great value to their lives. We also understand that today’s generation is stretched for time and, therefore, we are introducing two-three minutes of episodic content, giving storytelling an altogether new dimension. While, globally, the meta influencer space is well established, it’s still a whole new category in India and with the launch of our first digital avatar, Naina, we are giving marketers and advertisers an entirely new playfield.”

  • Nickelodeon to unleash immersive experience at Comic Con International San Diego

    Nickelodeon to unleash immersive experience at Comic Con International San Diego

    Mumbai: US kids broadcaster Nickelodeon will invite fans to dive into an immersive experience at Comic-Con International: San Diego 2022 from 22-24 July 2022. It will showcase the depths of Bikini Bottom, imaginations of babies, a new generation of Transformers robots, the hallways of Monster High, the elements of Avatar and more. 

    Headquartered at its 1,800 square-foot booth on the convention center floor, Nickelodeon will celebrate fan-favorite characters and shows with panels, talent signings, activations, exclusive products and interactive design elements featuring: SpongeBob Universe (SpongeBob SquarePants and its two original spinoff series, The Patrick Star Show and the Paramount+ Original series, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years), the Paramount+ Original series Rugrats and Transformers: EarthSpark, plus Monster High: The Movie, Avatar: The Last Airbender and more.

    Every day of the convention, Nickelodeon’s booth will feature: a 16-foot-tall Bumblebee of Transformers: EarthSpark photo opportunity and AR experience; an immersive “Monster High: The Movie” activation, where fans can compete against the clock to match objects to lockers; an eight-foot-long underwater television from The Patrick Star Show that fans can step inside; a Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years photo opportunity; a Rugrats photo opportunity; an Avatar: The Last Airbender-themed retail area featuring a custom t-shirt station and exclusive collectibles; costumed-character appearances; and autograph signings with the voice casts and producers from SpongeBob Universe, Rugrats, Transformers: EarthSpark and Avatar: Braving the Elements podcast.

    Nickelodeon will present four panels: Nickelodeon’s Rugrats: The Babies are Back!, an exclusive look at the all-new series; SpongeBob SquarePants: Dive into SpongeBob Universe!, a deep dive into the iconic franchise; Introducing Transformers: EarthSpark!, an insider event that celebrates a new take on the global franchise; and Avatar: Braving the Elements – LIVE!. This will offer a behind-the-scenes look at how the James Cameron directed movie was brought to life.

  • Ready Player Me partners with blockchain-based video streaming service Mzaalo

    Ready Player Me partners with blockchain-based video streaming service Mzaalo

    Mumbai: Leading avatar creation platform Ready Player Me has announced a collaboration with blockchain-based video streaming service Mzaalo.

    Following this partnership, Mzaalo will offer a special series of Ready Player Me avatars based on selected IP from iconic movies on the platform to all users across its iOS and Android apps.

    Launched by Xfinite, Mzaalo is a new video on-demand service which used Ready Player Me avatars earlier this year to promote the motion picture release of ‘Haathi Mere Saathi’. Rewarding users with Mzaalo coins which are exclusive to the platform, in return for watching movies, the company plans to give users access to an even wider range of customization assets that will become unlockable for avatars using the in-app currency.

    Talking about the partnership with Ready Play Me Xfinite COO Vikram Tanna commented, “Digital avatars are a stepping stone to the metaverse revolution. We constantly strive to deliver immersive experiences to Mzaalo users, and our partnership with Ready Player Me enables us to take our gamified entertainment ecosystem to the next level. Mzaalo and Ready Player Me are powered by cutting-edge technology, and we are confident that this innovative collaboration will enhance user experiences for both platforms.

    Speaking on this collaboration Ready Player Me CEO Timmu Toke said, “We are delighted to be bringing avatars from Ready Player Me to Mzaalo. With such a great blend of interactivity, gamification and entertainment, we feel this is the perfect partnership and will help our avatars reach a larger audience than ever before. This is our next step in connecting like-minded companies to the metaverse. We have more developments on the horizon and are excited to share what’s in the pipeline very soon.”

  • Disney+ crosses 10 mn subs within days of launch

    Disney+ crosses 10 mn subs within days of launch

    MUMBAI: Disney’s much-anticipated OTT platform Disney+ has signed up 10 million subscribers within days of its launch on 12 November, from just a few international markets of Canada, USA, and the Netherlands, and in spite of the technical glitches consumers endured on the day of its launch.

    Disney+ is yet to roll-out in many important markets.  The video-streaming service will be available in Australia and New Zealand from 19 November and more countries will join the list in the coming months. While Disney+ will not be launched in India, viewers will still be able to stream Disney+ content in India through Hotstar, even though there is no clarity on the time-frame yet.

    As Disney+ starts rolling out in newer markets, the media conglomerate will see its subscriber base soaring and as per the latest Digital TV Research report, it could have over 100 million subscribers by 2025. The company itself estimates its subscriber base to be between 60 and 90 million by 2024.

    Given Disney+’s unmatched content library strength, offering 500 films and 7,500 episodes of television, the OTT platform was bound to be an instant hit. However, 10 million subscribers from just a few international markets within days of its launch is a huge disruption in the OTT segment by any standard.

     To put this in perspective, video-streaming giant Netflix has only 150 million global subscribers after many years of existence. Hulu, another streaming service owned by Disney, has 28 million subscribers after its launch more than a decade ago.

    The huge response to the Disney+ launch was not dampened even by the technical glitches people faced on the day of its launch that made its services unavailable for a few hours. The company cited higher-than-expected demand as a factor.

    Disney+ subscribers will have access to over 500 movies, including three of the four highest-grossing films of all time – Avengers: Endgame, Avatar and Star Wars: The Force Awakens – as well as films from Marvel Studios including Captain America: Civil War, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Iron Man 2, Thor, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: The First Avenger and Ant-Man.

    In addition, Disney+ will offer content from National Geographic including the critically acclaimed and award-winning documentary Free Solo and the streaming debut of Science Fair.

    Also in the library are all six of the original classic Star Wars films released between 1977 and 1999, in addition to recent blockbusters Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. At the end of 2020, the entire Skywalker saga will be available on the service. Besides, it has 30 seasons of The Simpsons, 18 Pixar movies – including Wall-E, Up, Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Toy Story, Inside Out and Brave – plus thousands of episodes of Disney Channel and Disney Junior series. These include The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, Kim Possible, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, PJ Masks and Jake & the Never Land Pirates.

  • University of Southern California introduces three more chairs endowed by George Lucas

    University of Southern California introduces three more chairs endowed by George Lucas

    MUMBAI: On Thursday, 13 March, Lucas continued his philanthropy by endowing faculty chairs named for Sergei Eisenstein, George Méli?s and Williams Cameron Menzies. Eisenstein, Méli?s and Menzies are considered filmmaking pioneers. Their theories and practices are taught in film programs around the world.

     

    At a dedication event at the School of Cinematic Arts (SCA), professors Bruce A. Block, Michael L. Fink and Alex B. McDowell were installed as the first holders of the new endowed chairs. Block was named the Sergei Eisenstein Endowed Chair in Cinematic Design; Fink as the George Méli?s Endowed Chair in Visual Effects; and McDowell as the William Cameron Menzies Endowed Chair in Production Design. The total number of endowed positions at SCA is currently at twenty-four, more than any other cinematic arts program in the country.

     

    SCA Dean Elizabeth Daley said the chairs celebrate the importance of continued innovation. “In the mold of the filmmakers they are named after, these new chairs represent innovation in the cinematic arts,” she said in a press statement. Bruce Block, Michael Fink and Alex McDowell have each made singular contributions to their fields and are doing important work in the industry, while simultaneously preparing the next generation of innovative storytellers.

     

    At the dedication event Lucas said he was naming the chairs as a way to say “don’t forget the basics. Don’t get enamored with new technology…it doesn’t change anything. The art of what we do is exactly the same. The goal that we have is exactly the same as George Méli?s, Williams Cameron Menzies and  Sergei Eisenstein. It’s beyond technology. It’s the art of movies.”

     

    Bruce Block has been teaching Filmic Expression, a course that Eisenstein originated for more than 35 years. Block’s producing and consulting credits include What Women Want, Something’s Gotta Give, The Holiday, As Good As It Gets, Stuart Little and Father of the Bride I and II. Block directs documentaries and animated films for museums, commercials, the IMAX format, and NASA simulations. Additionally, he conducts seminars in visual structure for studios including Blizzard, Blue Sky, Disney, Dreamworks, ILM, Lucasfilm, and Pixar. His book, “The Visual Story” has been published in six languages and is used as a reference text by filmmakers around the world.

     

    “Eisenstein’s ideas influenced all of Hollywood’s filmmakers from the montages of Frank Capra’s films to the MGM dance extravaganzas of Busby Berkeley to Disney’s animation,” Block said during a speech at the dedication, noting that Eisenstein lectured at USC. “His teachings became part of our curriculum and were taught here by Slavko Vorkapich, Les Novros, Woody Omens and then by me.”

     

    Michael Fink, who has been pioneering visual effects for more than thirty-five years, began his career on The China Syndrome in 1977. His other credits include Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Blade Runner, Batman Returns, The Golden Compass, Avatar and Life of Pi. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Visual Effects for Batman Returns in 1993 and won the Oscar in that category in 2008 for The Golden Compass. Fink is on the Executive Committee of the Visual Effects Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and is a founding member, board member and current Vice-Chair of the Visual Effects Society.

     

    “I believe this Chair is the first endowed chair in Visual Effects at any university,” he told the crowd gathered in the Ray Stark Theatre. “Naming it after George Méli?s, truly the father of all that we do in visual effects today, is not only appropriate, but the least we can do to carry his name forward in our teaching.”

     

    Alex McDowell has more than thirty years’ experience as a narrative designer and is creative director of USC’s World Building Media Lab and the thought leadership network, USC 5D Institute. His credits as a production designer include Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Fight Club, Minority Report, Watchmen and Man of Steel. McDowell was a visiting scholar to MIT’s Media Lab from 2006 to 2011. He is a Getty Research Institute scholar and on the executive board of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Designers Branch. In 2006, he was awarded Royal Designer for Industry by the UK’s Royal Society of Arts, and in 2013 the Designers & Art Directors President’s Award. He remains a practicing designer, working in multiple media with the company he leads, 5D Global Studio.

  • Avatar actor arrested for punching photographer

    Avatar actor arrested for punching photographer

    MUMBAI: Sam Worthington, best known for his roles in Avatar, was arrested on Sunday, 23 February after getting into an altercation with a photographer, reports New York Police Department (NYPD).

     

    The 37-year old Australian actor was accused of punching photographer Sheng Li in the face after Li allegedly kicked Worthington’s 26-year-old female companion in the shins at 5:30 p.m. in Greenwich Village, according to NYPD Detective Kellyann Ort. The department refused to reveal any details in regards to the identity of Worthington’s female companion. However, no one succumbed to any injuries.

     

    In addition to Avatar, Worthington also starred in Terminator: Salvation, Clash of the Titans, Wrath of the Titans, Drift, Man on a Ledge, Rogue. He auditioned for the role of James Bond in Casino Royale, but lost to Daniel Craig.

  • Kochadaiiyaan to release globally on 11 April

    Kochadaiiyaan to release globally on 11 April

    MUMBAI: Eros International  Media Ltd (Eros International),  a   leading global company in the Indian film entertainment industry will release the eagerly awaited futuristic fantasy  event   of   the   year   ‘KOCHADAIIYAAN  – The   Legend,   a   Mediaone   Global Entertainment  Limited production, directed by Soundarya  Rajnikanth  Ashwin,   worldwide in cinemas on April 11, 2014.

    Kochadaiiyaan  features the unique visual mastery of Photorealistic Performance Capture technology for the very first time in the history of an Indian film. This technology has been previously seen in Hollywood masterpieces as Avatar, Tin Tin and Beowulf.

    Kochadaiiyaan  is an epic dramatization of good versus evil starring South Indian megastar Rajinikanth in a double role in a larger than life depiction. Also starring in the grand production is leading lady  Deepika Padukone  together with South India’s leading stars R. Sharath kumar, Nazar, Aadi, Shobana and Rukmini.

    Providing the musical score is Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman, whose list of credits includes a BAFTA, a Golden Globe and two Academy Awards for his outstanding musical contribution for the multi-Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionaire.

    Announcing the release of the film, Ms.Soundarya Rajnikanth Ashwin, the Director of the film said, “Following last year’s celebrations of India’s film making centenary we view the release of Kochadaiiyaan as part of the next steps of Indian cinema. For the first time a full length feature has been made using performance capture technology  in India and I truly hope this creates a whole alternate film making avenue apart from live action films in our country”.

     

    Mr. Sunil Lulla, Managing  Director, Eros International  Media Ltd added, “Eros is proud to present this magnum opus with Rajinikanth, which will take the Indian film industry to the next level. We are confident that this will be a landmark film in world cinema as a result of the ground breaking technology used. The film will be released in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Marathi, Bhojpuri, Bengali and Punjabi in India and overseas in more than 6,000 screens. We will be releasing an English version internationally as well”.
     

    In a major brand tie-up, Eros International and Mediaone have also tied up with Karbonn Mobile to launch 1 million Kochadaiiyaan branded mobile phones to celebrate the release of the film. The exclusive Karbonn ‘Kochadaiiyaan’ mobile phones will have screen savers and must-have images from the film along with the trailer and the signature tune of the film. These special Kochadaiiyaan mobile phones are intended to launch in February 2014, during the audio launch of the film.

    Kochadaiiyaan  was shot extensively at Pinewood Studios in the UK with a team of world-class technical experts including the London based Centroid Studios,  a state of the art facility for Full Body Motion Capture, which has worked on various Hollywood productions including the recent Brad Pitt starrer World War Z as we// as Pirates of the Caribbean,  lronman  2 and Harry Potter, and Counter  Punch  Studios from Los Angeles, who have been behind successes such as Beverly  Hills  Chihuahua.  They worked in collaboration with Faceware  Technologies, United Kingdom, who have worked on The Mummy 3 and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button for the Facial Capturing technology. A team of technical experts from South India and China have worked on this technology, with the best production facilities in London, for the overall completion of the project.

  • China Oscars to see Hollywood fraternity

    China Oscars to see Hollywood fraternity

    MUMBAI: China’s Huading awards are set to see some high profile Hollywood actors such as Quentin Tarantino, Nicole Kidman and Nicholas Cage. The award night is to be held at Macau on 7 October.

     

    The award show is based on voting for top athletics and entertainment talent and is a type of Chinese Oscars. Sam Worthington from Avatar, Jeremy Irons and Matthew Perry from F.R.I.E.N.D.S are the other stars that are to be seen at the event.

     

    Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar Wai and Jackie Chan will be the representatives of China.

     

    The awards event was set up in 2007 by Media Company Global Talents Media group in Beijing and is held many times a year to honour talents in various fields.

  • Well begun isn’t half done

    Well begun isn’t half done

    MUMBAI: Television channels may continue to bet big on newer and more interesting formats but how well (or otherwise) these programmes fare, at least in the long run, is something that ultimately depends on the audience.

    A case in point is the big fight between Star Plus’ Mahabharat and Colors’ Bigg Boss Season Seven. Battle lines were drawn between the rival channels as they had geared up for the launch of two of their biggest properties.

    Promotions (on-air, print OOH and on-ground) went on for months. Colors left no stone unturned, with the heaven Vs hell theme and all the suspense built around who would be the inmates of the Bigg Boss house this year. Star Plus too pulled out all stops, promising viewers the mythological battle between good and evil in a contemporary avatar.

    While both the channels were hoping to up their ante with these big-ticket shows, the results are now out for everyone to see.

    As per the TAM ratings, Mahabharat got off to an epic start with 8445 TVTs whereas Bigg Boss lagged behind a bit with 7711 TVTs on the day of its premiere.

    Subsequently, Mahabharat, aired from Monday to Friday, garnering 6356 TVTs and the daily Bigg Boss getting 5080 TVTs. So while media planners agree that both shows have done well, going by its opening ratings, there’s really no consensus as to its performance going forward.

    The big question facing the channels is whether its shows will be able to sustain ratings and do justice to the kind of moolah that has been spent on them. Opines Helios Media managing director Divya Radhakrishnan: “Mahabharat is a very strong story and since, we know there are a finite number of episodes, the show won’t be dragged. Hence, I believe that it will continue to do well in the coming weeks as well. But for Bigg Boss to sustain ratings, it will depend a lot on the controversies it gets into.”

    By contrast, a Delhi-based media planner feels that while Mahabharat started with a boom, it won’t be able to match up with the gossip and entertainment provided by Bigg Boss. He points out: “A lot of people want to see what is so different in the current shows but however sometimes get disappointed with the execution. I can only hope that the disappointment doesn’t turn into a blind eye for both the shows.”

    Another media planner adds that garnering great TVTs in the opening episodes is nothing new. “Most shows, especially reality shows, are able to generate enough enthusiasm among viewers. The real test is about holding their attention.”

    All we can say is while we can’t predict the future, for now, both shows have gotten off to a great start…

  • CNBC awaaz’s Peheredaar now in a changed avatar

    CNBC awaaz’s Peheredaar now in a changed avatar

    MUMBAI: In today’s world, consumerism is seasoned in every aspect of modern life. Corporate and brands have to adapt to this new reality where consumer is really the king. CNBC AWAAZ is changing the avatar of their very popular program ‘Pehredaar’, which has over the years given a new impetus to consumer activism.

    Pehredaar to start the new season and will be joined by 3 main regulators of the country who have been entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that consumers should not be taken for a ride. The show will be joined by Competition Commission of India’s Chairman Mr. Ashok Chawala, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s Chairman Mr. Rahul Khullar and Reserve Bank of India’s Deputy Governor Mr. K C Chakrabarty.

    The objective is to reach a conclusion about the consumer’s well-being and what more is needed to be done in the country, to ensure a fair play in the crowded marketplace. Pehredaar will set an Agenda for an empowered consumer.

    Commenting on the re-launch, Sanjay Pugalia, Editor-in-chief, CNBC AWAAZ said “A show like Pehredaar has gained widespread acceptance in its very successful existence till date. It is a unique offering in the consumer grievance space. It gives us a great sense of fulfillment and pride to re-launch it in a strong new avatar. Pehredaar now will see the show much sharper, to represent consumer rights better- which is what our country needs with consumer protection and representation going through an identity crisis of sorts.”

    Priyanka Sambhav, Anchor, Pehredaar said “We realized that companies operating here are taking the consumers for a ride. With Pehredaar, we set out to change this imbalance and ensured that consumers’ voice is heard and issues they face get resolved. With the new innings we intend to take Pehredaar to the next level with expanding the reach and making it more effective.”