ITV

Tag: Content Production

  • “We are very bullish on the Indian market”: BlackCab founders

    “We are very bullish on the Indian market”: BlackCab founders

    Mumbai: Founded in 2017, BlackCab Agency Network is more than just a brand strategy, design, digital marketing, and production agency—it’s a dynamic network of creative agencies specializing in diverse facets of marketing and technology. Co-founded by Aayush Bansal and Siddhartha Singh, the agency embodies a multidisciplinary, eclectic, and 360° approach tailored to meet the unique needs of clients.

    Siddhartha Singh, drives the company forward with smart strategies and effective operations, drawing from his love for sports and deep understanding of athletics. Meanwhile, Aayush Bansal,who is also a TEDx speaker, brings a passion for diverse hiring and meaningful collaborations, advocating innovation and growth in business. Together, they drive BlackCab towards success, delivering value and innovation to both the diverse Indian consumer and fellow founders alike.

    Indiantelevision.com caught up with BlackCab Agency Network co-founder-director Aayush Bansal and founder-director Siddhartha Singh to gain insights on the agency incorporating technological innovations into its operations, the recent expansions inlcuidng content production and more…

    Edited Excerpts:

    On the company incorporating technological innovations into its operations, and the role these advancements play in shaping its trajectory

    We are often early adopters of new tech stacks that can aid our operations, including new social listening tools, workflow or collaboration tools such as Notion and Slack, as well as the most recent onset of generative AI. When the AI wave hit, Black Cab chose to adopt instead of avoid it. We brought in several experts to conduct workshops on the use of ChatGPT, Bard (now Gemini), Midjourney, and other such tools for our entire team. We truly believe that leveraging these technologies allows us to be more efficient and focus on what we’re truly good at. It also allows us to maintain a lean and sustainable organizational structure.

    On the most successful campaign that BlackCab has executed for a brand, its differentiating aspect, and its alignment with the brand’s objectives, contributing to its overall success

    We have executed several campaigns, but most recently, we executed a great campaign for the JW Marriott Hotel in Juhu, Mumbai. This was for the annual New Year’s Eve celebration. The campaign was called The Great Gatsby Affair and was a themed celebration with art-deco inspiration and a throwback to the great parties of the 1920s. The campaign saw us create a lot of visual storytelling content, including a CGI video asset to announce the party and several short format teasers and videos around key locations in the city (views: 42k, likes: 1028, total engagement: 1186). The campaign was a huge success as it helped position the party as one of the most sought-after ones in the city of Mumbai and saw great success in ticket sales.

    On the recent expansions of Binary Chai, Radar, and Secret Sauce Studios enhancing BlackCab’s ability to meet the diverse needs of clients in terms of web/app design, AR/VR, and content production, and its contribution to the company’s overall growth strategy

    We founded these network agencies keeping in mind the shifting trends in content, brand building, and marketing. In recent times, content consumption on the internet has skewed heavily towards short-form video content with formats such as Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok. Secret Sauce Studios has been designed with a mobile-first videography approach, promising specialized acumen in vertically optimised content. With a special focus on F&B, Alcobev, and hospitality, we have picked sectors that will continue to heavily rely on content for brand building. It has paid off, and we see it in the success of the agency, which is now working with the top luxury hospitality, homegrown alcohol, and F&B brands in the country. With the onset of mainstream AR and consumer products such as the Apple Vision Pro, we are confident that brands will begin to leverage this technology in meaningful ways over the next few years. Our network agency model will continue to rely on our innate understanding of market movements and trends and will help us stay at the cutting edge of brand consultancy, making us ideal partners for brands with diverse needs.

    On the specific types of content production that BlackCab specialises in through its expansions into Secret Sauce Studios

    As mentioned above, Secret Sauce Studios is a vertical content production agency with specialized acumen in food, beverage, and product content. Co-founded by Alok Verma, a five-time winner of FBAI’s Best Food Stylist Award, we have the capabilities to handhold brands in creating F&B content, including luxury five-star hotels, leading Alcove brands, D2C food, and consumer brands, amongst many others.

    On your aspirations for the future of Black Cab, both in terms of growth within the Indian market and potentially expanding internationally

    We are very bullish on the Indian market, both from an internal perspective and as a key country for Western markets to outsource to. Over the past two years, we have already started operations in the national capital of New Delhi and are looking at opening another regional office very soon. We truly believe that India has all the right ingredients to help famed national and international brands further their brand-building aspirations on digital platforms, and we will continue to explore markets nationally as well as in the Gulf countries, the UK, and the Americas.

  • Trailer Park Group names Tamagna Ghosh as managing director APAC

    Trailer Park Group names Tamagna Ghosh as managing director APAC

    Mumbai: Entertainment marketing and content production company Trailer Park Group has announced the appointment of Tamagna Ghosh as managing director for Asia Pacific and China (APAC) on Wednesday.

    It has rolled out the next stage in its APAC expansion strategy. It has also appointed Gina Grosso as SVP of global production as well as made a significant investment in state-of-the-art technology.

    In his new role, Ghosh is charged with driving the firm’s bold expansion strategy across the APAC entertainment and the gaming market landscape, including organic growth as well as M&A activities to scale Trailer Park Group’s on-the-ground presence and offering in the region.

    Ghosh joins Trailer Park Group from Amazon in Mumbai, India, where he spent six years as head of creative marketing for Prime Video, leading marketing and original music creation efforts for the most popular IN Original titles including The Family Man, Mirzapur, Paatal Lok, and Made in Heaven. A veteran in the media and entertainment sector, Ghosh has held previous creative leadership positions in Walt Disney Studios, where he introduced India localized theatrical marketing strategies for iconic franchises like such as Avengers and Star Wars, Jungle book.

    “We could not be more excited to announce this next phase in our growth plan for the APAC region, and to welcome Tamagna and Gina to the Trailer Park Group leadership team,” said Trailer Park Group CEO Rick Eiserman.

    He added, “APAC is one of the world’s largest growth markets and our investments in this region are crucial to meet our clients’ global demands. Both Tamagna and Gina’s impressive backgrounds and deep industry experience make them exceptionally well-qualified to help us grow our business throughout the region.”

    “I’m honored and energized to partner with Trailer Park Group during this exciting time of growth and innovation in APAC and lead the charge for its next level of growth in this region,” said Tamagna Ghosh on his appointment.

    “I have watched the creative economy boom in India and APAC for more than a decade, and yet its full potential is still untapped. I am excited to join forces with White Turtle Studios, bring in industry leading partners like Art Machine and Trailer Park, and can’t wait to build a world-class creative powerhouse to nurture and amplify the region’s creative talent and open up opportunities to be a part of the global creative workforce,” he added.

    In addition to Ghosh, Trailer Park Group has appointed Gina Grosso as SVP of Global Production, a newly created role that will see Grosso streamlining the production integration and workflow between all of Trailer Park Group’s global operations and connecting its network of studios globally for clients. Prior to this, she was with Publicis Groupe where she held the role of Head of Production and Operations for North America, Grosso is an experienced production and operations lead with a demonstrated history of leading five production studios simultaneously across North America, while connecting and aligning multiple studios across Latin America, and Europe.

    On her new role, Gina Grosso commented, “My goal in this role is ambitious, yet simple: create seamless and scalable workflows across offices and territories so our teams around the world can create, with flawless execution, more of the exceptional, award-winning content our clients expect. I look forward to partnering with Rick, Tamagna, and the rest of the Trailer Park Group leadership team as we transform the company into a 24/7 content, creative, and production network, and tap into the best talent globally.”

    Trailer Park Group, which works with many of the world’s largest media and technology companies, networks, studios, and streaming platforms such as Amazon, Disney, HBO, Netflix, and Xbox, has long been committed to providing an industry-leading security and technology infrastructure. As the company broadens its reach in locations around the globe, it has invested significantly in high-speed, global asset management technology and point-to-point workflow options—for even the most secure projects.

  • Sony launches sustainability guidelines for content production

    Sony launches sustainability guidelines for content production

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) has launched sustainability guidelines for content production in an industry-first initiative, with a commitment to lead the way for the industry by adopting green practices. These guidelines aim to have SPNI achieve a zero environmental footprint by 2050.

    To begin with, SPNI will implement these guidelines in a few of its shows before extending them to all ongoing productions. The guidelines outline a course of action that all SPNI associated production houses and partners must follow. They have been carefully curated based on extensive industry research conducted across content formats such as fiction, non-fiction, and digital.

    “The measures incorporated cover a wide range of operations and include actionable initiatives such as a complete ban on single-use plastic, thermocol for set design and flex for printing. It also includes using low-VOC paints, FSC certified timber, ethical and eco-friendly cosmetics, and implementing mandatory waste segregation and recycling policy. Furthermore, it recommends training and capacity-building initiatives to develop a workforce and infrastructure sensitised to the ongoing processes associated with the green shift,” said the statement.

    The initiatives emphasised in the sustainability guidelines are a step towards carbon accounting and carbon footprint mapping for all shows, further extending to other formats of operations. These guidelines will help to accelerate the transition to a fully green work model. An essential aspect of implementing green practices is the audit mechanism, which will benefit the organisation by tracking progress. SPNI is committed to making tangible progress toward reducing the ecological footprint by pursuing sustainable activities and partnerships to combat climate change and preserve natural resources, ensuring a healthy and sustainable planet.

    Sony Pictures Networks India’s Managing Director & CEO, N.P. Singh said, “Led by SPNI’s philosophy of taking greener steps, we have parked our investments in a portfolio of green funds focused on developing companies dedicated to environmental causes such as renewable energy, waste and water management, land use and energy-efficient construction, clean transportation, and climate change, among others”.

  • Havas partners with Wellcom Worldwide to launch Havas Studios

    Havas partners with Wellcom Worldwide to launch Havas Studios

    New Delhi: Leading advertising and communication group Havas has partnered with global creative production agency Wellcom Worldwide to launch Havas Studios – a new, integrated global production business.

    According to the group, Havas Studios’ capabilities will span film, audio, print, photographic and digital content production, encompassing content origination talent and a wide range of post-production facilities. It will also have dedicated teams supporting the integrated delivery of retail and e-Commerce platform-ready content.

    The partnership agreement will see employees from both businesses transferred into the new entity, which will be headquartered in London. It will be led by Havas UK chief operating officer Paul Ward, who takes on the new title of global CEO, Havas Studios. He will be supported by an executive committee comprising both Havas and Wellcom senior executives, the agency announced on Thursday. 

    “Building better brand experiences means rethinking how content is managed. Now that digital is fully integrated into everything we do, it is content’s turn to become an organic part of our approach. By partnering with Wellcom we are now able to provide our clients with the best production capabilities in the industry,” said Havas Group, CEO, Yannick Bolloré. 

    A micro-network of integrated content studios will be created, first in London, New York, Chicago, and Kuala Lumpur, followed by further studios across Europe, Australia, China, India, Latin America, and the West Coast of the US.

    According to Havas Creative, CEO, Chris Hirst, the new, global micro-network of studios, will offer clients an innovative, technology-first solution they genuinely can’t find anywhere else. “We know that it’s no longer enough to just make better ads – all clients, from the smallest to the biggest global brands now need smarter, more agile, more bespoke, and more cost-effective solutions,” he added.

    Wayne Sidwell, Global CEO at Wellcom Worldwide said, “It’s an incredibly enviable model and I’m very excited to see the business continue to develop over the next few years.”

  • Zee TV’s Aparna Bhosle on changing the content game in television

    Zee TV’s Aparna Bhosle on changing the content game in television

    MUMBAI: Traditional television broadcast has long been a staple of entertainment. But as the fast-growing internet and over-the-top (OTT) video platforms make inroads into the consumer market, more and more people are beginning to cut the cord and move to a digital viewing experience. The rules of the content game have changed. Digitisation has lifted barriers and offered a multitude of opportunities to tell stories that were once impossible to tell and it has become more important than ever for broadcasters to up their game in terms of content quality.

    Indiantelevision.com’s Shikha Singh spoke to Zee TV business head Aparna Bhosle on how this transformation has impacted the audiences’ demands, the use of newer technologies, shooting techniques to meet the ever-growing need of viewers for quality entertainment and more.

    Edited Excerpts:

    On what has led to the growth of TV shows.

    Technology has evolved over the years and has certainly contributed significantly to our shows looking much better visually. We have more sophisticated cameras and lenses today, much better visual effects, and cutting-edge post-production software. But, at the end of the day, it is more about a maker's intent. Our audiences are far more exposed to global content than they ever were. Hence we, as makers, have started putting in a lot more effort into every small detail which makes the content look more aesthetic and visually appealing. It is not only about monetary investment but also investment in terms of time and thought. A lot more thought goes into production design which overall results in shows looking much better.

    On changes they have introduced to improve the look and feel of the shows.

    Shooting on Sony F5 is a standard in today's time. We even shoot on more sophisticated cameras such as Arri Alexa, Sony FX9. These are some cameras that have given great results even in low lighting conditions and the picture quality is top-notch. And with the advent of specialty equipment such as drones, Go-Pros, one can bring alive the scale of production values.

    Apart from that, more and more technicians are now experimenting not only with cameras but also lighting techniques. The days of flat lighting are long gone. Today's storytelling requires different shows to have different lighting. It is not just about having the latest technology at your disposal, it is more about how one leverages it to narrate a story more effectively. Technicians today love to experiment and create new looks for the show. They play with camera angles, lighting techniques which overall helps in achieving a new contemporary look. Sound, too, plays a very important role in storytelling. Today, our shows come with a Dolby digital 5.1 output which gives our viewers a high-quality sound experience while watching TV.

    On advantages of shooting in 4K.

    Shooting in 4K means more resolution, deeper colours, more creative options to work with during post-production. But the 4K files are heavy, which means more time to grab, hence for daily shows, it becomes time-consuming and not viable as a process. Shooting in 4K is possible in the case of certain events or promos that provide sufficient timelines between the dates of the shoot and on-air telecast.  

    On what kind of discussion goes on with production houses before creating any property.

    Detailed discussions between the channel and the production house right from the concept of a show, the narrative and the pace at which the storytelling should unfold, the key drama spikes, the characterisation, casting, core communication pitch, the production design, and the overall look and feel of the show are an integral part of the show’s making. As one moves closer to the show going on the floor, aspects such as set design, art direction, costume styling, camera treatment, and edit patterns get discussed.  

    Today, with the audience being far more exposed and discerning,  it is imperative for every broadcaster to display their A-game to hold and sustain audience interest.

    On how shows are made and changes introduced in the script.

    Just a few years ago, a tape used to be delivered from the editing studio to a channel’s office for transmission. Today, the same is achieved by a simple file transferring process. Content production is a dynamic process, and we are always eager to introduce new technology into our ecosystem. The journey from envisioning to execution is always a challenging one. As far as scripting is concerned, technology has given far more creative freedom to content creators as a lot of sequences that were earlier unthinkable in terms of execution have now become possible and even cost-effective.

    On how digitalisation has changed content production on TV.

    It has certainly lifted a lot of barriers. The camera quality is far better. Cameras can now shoot much better in low light conditions; they are lighter in weight, there is sophisticated equipment to shoot underwater, action sequences, etc. Our requirement for lights has considerably reduced. Shooting in uncontrolled environments, outdoors has become far easier. Footage transfer has become faster. The advancement in visual effects has empowered us to bring our viewers stories that were once impossible to tell.

    The post-production process has gone through a mammoth leap. The process of DI (digital intermediate, or digitising filmed content and manipulating the colour and other image characteristics), colour grading, sound effects, and background music were all very time-consuming and today can be achieved in a decent timeline. From a viewer's point of view, they are experiencing content with never-seen-before visual and audio quality and further advances in digitisation will only help us to up our ante.

  • Bodhi Tree Multimedia’s debut on NSE Emerge to fuel expansion & growth

    Bodhi Tree Multimedia’s debut on NSE Emerge to fuel expansion & growth

    KOLKATA: It is not a common practice for production houses in India to venture into the capital market. But in quite a unique move, content production company Bodhi Tree Multimedia Ltd recently debuted on NSE Emerge. It has already raised Rs 3.71 crore from its SME initial public offering, which will go towards expansion activities and strategic growth, said Bodhi Tree Multimedia managing director Mautik Tolia.

    Started in 2013 by Tolia and Sukesh Motwani, the production house initially focused on general entertainment on TV, and later expanded into other genres and also into digital content. Along with working for major broadcasters, it has produced content for OTT platforms like Voot, Viu.

    Tolia said that they had been considering going public since last year, and the process would have been finished in the last financial year if the Covid2019-induced lockdown had not struck suddenly. Hence, they had to push it back by a couple of months.

    “You are at a point in entertainment industry where you are at an inflection point with digital content, TV content. Moreover, new avenues of content production are emerging. If you want to take advantage of that, this is the right time to focus on accessing the capital market because it is a long-term way for a company to grow. Eventually, if you want to develop your own IP, being listed opens lots of doors for you. It’s a strategic objective, more than anything else,” Tolia explained.

    The company posted Rs 27.45 crore consolidated revenue for FY20. For the first five months of FY21, it has reported Rs 4.86 crore revenue and profit of 0.32 crore. In a filing on the stock exchange, the company has also stated that it intends to utilize the issue proceeds towards working capital requirements, general corporate purpose and meeting the issue expenses.

    Elara Capital VP – research analyst (Media) Karan Taurani also endorsed the decision of getting listed. Noting that content making has, in fact, picked up during Covid period due to increased amount of time spent on TV and digital platforms, Taurani said this has led to greater demand for good content from major broadcasters and OTT players alike. According to him, Bodhi Tree Multimedia is a solid production house which has made quality TV shows and web-series. Hence, Taurani expressed confidence that it will get a good valuation.

    Taurani went on to mention that being platform-agnostic will also work in Bodhi Tree’s favour in a market where most listed content creators churn out shows either for their own channels or OTT platforms. Hence, it will provide multiple opportunities overall, he shared.