MUMBAI: In felicitation of Ang Lee‘s Life of Pi that was partly shot in its locales winning four Oscars, the Puducherry Government has planned to honour Ang Lee and his team, according to their convenience, averred Puducherry Tourism Minister P Rajavelu.
Expressing his joy and jubilation over the film bagging Oscars at the 85th Academy Awards Sunday, the minister said that the film had brought to focus Puducherry (Pondicherry) abroad.
The film has met with good response in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and a few other countries, he said, "We hope that we would be able to attract a large number of foreign tourists and we would also develop the locations where the movie was filmed here into excellent tourist spots with the assistance from the Union Tourism Ministry," he added.
The locations where the film was shot include more than a century old botanical garden, the 12th century temple of Tirukameeswar at Villianoor near here and the 136-year-old Calve College Higher Secondary School.
Tourism Secretary W V R Moorthy, who was also present when the minister talked about the felicitation, said that a Life of Pi campaign would be held on a sustained basis in Puducherry and a hop-in tourist vehicle would also be pressed into service in the Union Territory through its Tourism Department.
Tag: China
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Puducherry to felicitate Ang Lee and team of Life of Pi to put it on Tourism map
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BBC World News commissions new series ‘Changing Fortunes’
MUMBAI: BBC World News has announced ‘Changing Fortunes‘, a new six-part series that will challenge assumptions about patterns of wealth in the early 21st century. Produced by Films of Record and Duke& Earl, the series will broadcast from 2 February 2013. The show is sponsored by Coutts.
‘Changing Fortunes‘ takes a contemporary look at the new generation of wealthy men and women that have emerged in the last two decades. The fall of the Soviet Union, the liberalization of India and the opening of China have brought vast new markets into the global economy. The resulting commodities boom has created an explosion of wealth from Brazil to Africa. And the internet and technology continue to generate new fortunes.
As a result, the rich are getting younger, more female and less Western.
From India, the US, to Brazil, Europe, Africa and China – the series meets some of the innovators, entrepreneurs and business success stories whose fortunes offer a window into our rapidly changing world.
From the Nigerian entrepreneur heading one of Africa‘s largest energy companies to the world-renowned beauty expert and CEO of a leading US cosmetics company, each episode in the series profiles individuals who will reveal their extraordinary journeys to success.
BBC World News head of commissioning Mary Wilkinson said, ” ‘Changing Fortunes‘ offers a fascinating insight into the economic history of the last twenty years and the accumulation of wealth. All of the individual stories we feature are remarkable and demonstrate that the newly rich are diverse and very global.”
Coutts head of products, services and marketing Ian Ewart said, “Insight and deep understanding have driven Coutts‘ commitment to serving clients‘ needs for over 300 years, and that commitment remains as true today as it ever was. These outstanding programmes show how emerging trends find their origin in enduring client needs and how wealth generation originates from enduring truths. We want to answer the questions that wealth poses, and what it means today and for tomorrow.”
Duke and Earl client services director Marc Heal said, “Duke and Earl are proud to be producing this exciting series for BBC World News. ‘Changing Fortunes‘ will challenge expectations and reveal how global patterns of wealth are shifting in the new economic paradigm. We are at a fascinating turning point for the world economy and it is a controversial time to be rich. Each programme in ‘Changing Fortunes‘ will challenge expectations and offer viewers a unique glimpse into the motivations and aspirations of the new wealthy.”
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Social media revitalising future of television: Initiative
MUMBAI: Social media is having a profoundly positive impact on TV viewing, as a new group of “highly-engaged” TV viewers is using social media to talk about TV programming and advertising and to influence the content and brand choices of their social peer group, according to Initiative’s latest global report, a research and analytics into social television.
Titled “The New Power of Television: How Social is Revitalising the Future of TV”, the report explores how television is enjoying a revival because of the new digital technology and the rise of social media.
Initiative, IPG‘s media agency, said over the past decade, experts across the advertising world have been proclaiming the demise of TV, and marketers and agencies have been searching out creative and media options beyond the 30 second spot. However, the research conducted by Initiative shows that the future for TV has never looked so healthy.
Using its online consumer panel The Connections Panels, Initiative spoke with consumers in Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, the Netherlands, the US and the UK to learn about how TV and social media are now working in combination to provide a hugely powerful advertising medium.
The digital technology has given TV more screens and devices on which to broadcast and given rise to a social media phenomenon that is actually amplifying both programming and creative messaging, the report said.
Television viewing working in tandem with social media has created a new group of highly influential consumers, the “TV Talker”. Making up more than half of TV viewers aged 16-54, they share ads they like and post frequently to their larger social network, sharing brand stories and driving ad messaging.
The report also revealed that television is driving online conversation which, in turn, is driving people to watch more TV. Initiative has identified a series of key pointers for marketers looking to tap into this resource: Create fully-orchestrated TV Talking experiences over time – before, after and, critically, during broadcast, create a multi-screen and multiple element experience to make your brand easy to share and easy to explore, Implement social governance strategies to maintain your relationship with the valuable TV Talkers, Invest in analytics to prove the value of TV Talk on brand equity and Test and learn new technologies to give your brand “first-mover” advantage.
Initiative director, EVP communication planning, worldwide Sarah Ivey said, “The synergistic effects between television and social are just the beginning of the possibilities. What is fascinating is that television is now a central navigation point in a brand experience where people can engage and create their own version of the brand story across many screens. Brands are being rewarded when they innovate in this space…it‘s a truly exciting opportunity.
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Hollywood films look to appease growing market in China
MUMBAI: A Hollywood studio Metro Goldwyn Mayer has digitally removed all Chinese villains from its action flick Red Dawn, which recently released in the United States, in order to avoid antagonising Beijing.
The plot of the film revolves around a Chinese invasion of America in which a hit squad of teenagers from a high school football team saves the day. When the authorities at MGM realised the storyline could offend Beijing – jeopardising the film’s chances of making it to the lucrative Chinese market – they digitally removed all references to China.
As a result the villains now belong to North Korean (in the movie) and all reference to the Chinese flag and symbols have been replaced with North Korean ones. The film is a remake of a 1984 Cold War film of the same name, which starred Patrick Swayze and Charlie Sheen where the Russians were shown as the invaders.
China is one of the fastest growing markets for Hollywood movies at nearly $1.5 billion. Moreover, the new Chinese president Xi Jinping is said to be a big fan of Hollywood war films.DMG Entertainment owner Dan Mintz was quoted in the LA Times as saying that if the movie had gone out in its original form “there would have been a real backlash. It’s like being invited to a dinner party and insulting the host all night long. There’s no way to look good … The film itself was not a smart move.” The company is a leading producer and distributor of movies in China.
In the past too, Beijing has stopped its business dealings with US studios which have criticised its government like the 1997 film Seven Years in Tibet starring Brad Pitt.
The latest James Bond movie Skyfall is currently not due for release in China either. The distributors of the movie are in negotiations with Beijing over the its release in the country owing to a part in the film that shows a former secret agent being tortured by the Chinese. -
NDS to deploy its advanced solutions for SCTV in China
MUMBAI: NDS, a subsidiary of Cisco, has collaborated with one of China‘s largest cable operator Sichuan Cable TV Network (SCTV) to deploy advanced functionality that will provide an enriched subscriber experience with greater flexibility for over 15 million subscribers.
SCTV will employ a number of solutions from NDS, including NDS MediaHighway set-top box middleware, XTV DVR technology, an electronic programme guide (EPG) and NDS Dynamic advanced EPG advertising. VideoGuard, the world‘s leading conditional access (CA) technology, secures SCTV‘s service to ensure revenues and provide anti-roaming protection between regional operations.
According to NDS, the deployment, which addresses 131 branches and 15 million subscribers, is one of the largest feature upgrades of its kind in China and will enable access to HD services across the entire province.
SCTV GM Guo Jianxin said, "We have been working with NDS for over a decade and are delighted with what we have achieved together – an advanced platform that truly utilises our network to get the best for the subscriber. NDS has shown strong technology and support capabilities in enabling such an exceptional user experience." He added "We look forward to NDS‘ continued support as we evolve our service."
NDS Asia Pacific VP and GM Sales said, "SCTV are taking great steps to provide their subscribers with the best possible experience across their entire network – a substantial task, and one that we are extremely proud to be working with them on in such close collaboration. With underpinning technologies from NDS, SCTV have the foundations to enable continued innovation and enhancement of their service and we are excited to support them in their next endeavour."
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Skyfall grosses $ 156 mn from 56 destinations
MUMBAI: Skyfall, the 23rd installment of the multi-billion-dollar James Bond franchise, expanded its offshore run by 56 markets and grossed an overwhelming $156 million.
Markets handled by distributors, of the film, Sony delivered $139 million of the total with licensees of co-distributor Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer raking in $17 million. IMAX reported that its weekend take at 132 locations in 36 territories was $4.3 million.
In just 10 days of its overseas release, Skyfall, the third Bond outing, has made a whopping $287 million. This propelled Sony International to its best year ever on the foreign circuit with total 2012 box office of $2.160 billion.
Skyfall‘s weekend, take this time, nearly doubled the $78.6 million opening foreign weekend gross last round from 6,354 locations in 25 markets, is the third highest of 2012 surpassed only by the offshore weekend revenues logged in late April and early May by Marvel/Disney‘s The Avengers.
A No. 1 German opening delivered $23.9 million, which Sony said was the market‘s biggest-grossing 2012 debut. The U.K.‘s second weekend take was $25.7 million, lifting the 10-day cume there to $85.8 million. France kicked in $14.3 million for a two-round market cume of $30 million.
Italy launched with $7.9 million, a market record for a Hollywood title this year. Russia came up with $5.2 million in Skyfall‘s second round there, pushing the market cume to $16.1 million. Openings in Switzerland, India, Holland and Mexico generated $5.3 million, $5.1 million, $4.4 million and $3.2 million, respectively.
An MGM/Eon/Danjaq co-production, directed by Sam Mendes and filmed in the UK, Turkey, China and France, Skyfall is well on track to become the biggest Bond grosser ever on the foreign circuit. -
Titanic director’s production firm files for bankruptcy
MUMBAI: Digital Domain Media Group Inc, the production outfit of Titanic director James Cameron has filed for bankruptcy protection and will be selling its operating business to a private investor for $15 million.
The company, which won Academy Awards for Titanic and has given special effects in films like Transformers and Pirates Of The Caribbean, filed for bankruptcy protection in the US bankruptcy court along with a Canadian court.
With operations in Florida, California, Canada, India, China and Abu Dhabi, the company has assets of $205 million and debt of $214 million in Chapter 11 papers filed by the company.
Private investment firm Searchlight Capital Partners has agreed to pay $15 million for Digital Domain Productions, the key operation outfit of Digital Domain Media Group. Currently there are three films in its pipeline that includes Ender‘s Game, The Giant Killer and G.I. Joe: Retaliation. -
Signs of Hollywood, China teaming showing results
MUMBAI: The first signs of cooperation between Hollywood filmmakers and their Chinese counterparts are showing up.
In August, DreamWorks Animation, known for making animated hits like Shrek and Kung Fu Panda, officially launched its joint-venture with three Chinese media companies. The firm is scheduled to make the next installment in the Kung Fu Panda series and open a theme park in Shanghai.
At the same time, James Cameron, who successfully directed Avatar and Titanic, also made his entry into China when he co-founded Cameron Pace Group with China Film Group Corp. and they agreed to cooperate on a 3D documentary about the history of Beijing.
The JV structure allows Hollywood to gain entry to a market it sees as fast-growing. It also allows Hollywood studios and their Chinese counterparts to circumvent government rules limiting the number of foreign films that can be shown each year in the country.
In February, the State Administration of Radio Film and Television, the country‘s media watchdog, had averred that it would allow the number of foreign-made films allowed into the country this year to rise from 20 to 34.
More significantly, in the same month, Beijing signed an agreement with Washington that means films made by the JVs will not be counted against the quota.
In the first half of 2012, four of the five films that attracted 10 million ticket buyers were made in the US, the remaining being those from China. -
SapientNitro appoints Sushobhan Mukherjee as VP- strategy APAC
MUMBAI: SapientNitro, an interactive marketing, creative design, and technology services agency, has appointed Sushobhan Mukherjee as vice president- strategy for Asia Pacific.
Based in Singapore, Mukherjee will report to SapientNitro senior vice president Christian Oversohl.
He will help expand the company‘s strategic capabilities and thought leadership across SapientNitro‘s offices in the Asia-Pacific region, including Australia, China, India and Singapore.
Oversohl said, “With his well rounded marketing experience across cultures, agencies and brands, Sushobhan was a great choice for this role. He will help clients create innovative brand experiences through insightful understanding of consumer behaviour and emotions, leveraging SapientNitro‘s connected capabilities across the communications and commerce continuum. This appointment represents a critical piece in our APAC growth strategy.”
Mukherjee added, “Consumers across Asia Pacific are embracing digital to change their lives fundamentally. Brands and consumers are now fellow travellers in a journey mediated by devices, interactions and platforms. SapientNitro is best positioned to help clients understand and navigate this fantastic journey, which is why I am excited to be here.”
Mukherjee has over 20 years of experience. He has worked across the marketing spectrum — from research to strategy to brand management. Prior to joining SapientNitro he had also worked with agencies like R/GA, JWT, and Publicis.
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James Cameron in JV in China for developing 3D
MUMBAI: Filmmaker James Cameron has entered into a joint venture in China for developing and expanding the technology in the country.
The filmmaker‘s Cameron/Pace Group (CPG), that specialises in 3D technology, has partnered with two Chinese firms from the city of Tianjin, Tianjin High-Tech Holding and Tianjin North Group, it is learnt.
“The future of entertainment is 3D and we believe that the future of 3D is right here in China,” said Cameron in a statement adding that he was in the Chinese capital not as a director but as a businessman.
The noted director, who is convinced that the transition of the film industry from 2D to 3D is inevitable, believes that “China is the most fertile soil to plant that seed”.
“We are here to make movies better by working with film-makers here in China,” said Cameron. “We are here to give them the tools and the techniques to make the transition from 2D to 3D,” he added.
Cameron hopes to take advantage of a box-office explosion in China, where the film industry is booming and the number of cinema halls is on the rise, potentially offering one of the most lucrative markets in the world.
Cameron‘s Titanic and Avatar, incidentally, broke all records in China.