ITV

Tag: Content

  • Dentsu’s content creation engine now leverages the power of GPT-3 model

    Dentsu’s content creation engine now leverages the power of GPT-3 model

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Asia Pacific’s Data Sciences division has unveiled a GPT-3 powered content generation engine. The engine is designed to produce several iterations of creative copy tied to historic and predictive performances of content and is embedded in dentsu Marketing Cloud (DMC) – the media-marketing giant’s proprietary consumer insight and intelligence platform for creative and performance marketers.

    Generative Pre-trained Transformer version 3 (GPT-3 or GPT 3) by OpenAI is, by far, the most powerful language model in history. By linking GPT-3 with performance data, this content generation engine puts the power of artificial intelligence-led copy-creation in the hands of every creative across dentsu.

    Dentsu Webchutney & dentsumcgarrybowen India chairman Sidharth Rao said, “While compelling storytelling is paramount to connecting brands with their audiences, data enables one to move beyond a single limiting thought to unlock the full potential of an idea. As a digital-first creative network, products such as the GPT-3 powered content engine will enable our teams to mitigate the pressure that content creation requires through the intelligent use of technology to drive efficient creative product and deliver better customer experiences.”

    Available in 15 languages and applicable globally, the product is extremely easy to use. The GPT-3 powered Creative Engine will be merged with dentsu international’s marquee data-driven marketing engine – the dentsu Marketing Cloud. Users simply feed the engine with a seed social media caption, theme or topic and the engine generates several iterations of the best predicted performing caption(s) or post copy within a few seconds. The underlying intelligence of the tool can apply quantitative analysis to both pre and post-live-testing cycles and uses AI & ML (machine learning) to predict how audiences will engage and react to any creative message in real-time.

    “AI & ML allow for the intelligent processing of information to deliver better efficiencies. With neuro-linguistic programming and deep learning coming to the forefront of data-driven creative messaging, enabled by GPT-3 and its applications, the link between effective creative messaging and content generation at scale is entering its golden era. The use of this new technology within our creative product is testament to intelligence augmentation at the driving seat of creative innovation and yielding better outcomes for clients and marketing practitioners the world over,” added dentsu Programmatic CEO & dentsu Asia Pacific chief data officer Gautam Mehra.

  • 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.

  • Appetite for quality content pushing the need for technological advancement

    Appetite for quality content pushing the need for technological advancement

    KOLKATA: With the appetite for quality content growing exponentially among consumers, the need for upgradation of technology has also risen simultaneously. Content studios and production houses have started looking at high quality hardware as well as cloud computing to keep up with the demand for better viewing experience. Moreover, the organisations are also looking at tools for easier remote work as the pandemic has changed the way the industry works. As part of the overall transformation, mobile workstations are gaining more prominence of late, panelists agreed during Indiantelevision.com's webinar themed ‘Accelerating the new age of content with technology’. 

    Moderated by founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari, the engaging session included Excel Entertainment CG supervisor Apul Mehta, Endemol Shine India chief operating officer Gaurav Gokhale, Hats Off Productions chairman and managing director JD Majethia, Contiloe Pictures CFO & Illusion Reality Studioz business head – animation & VFX Nitin Dadoo, Redchillies VFX technology head Rajiv Sharma, Epic On chief operating officer Sourjya Mohanty, and Dell Technologies Dell Precision Workstations marketing consultant & product evangelist Suhas Pingat.

    While India is witnessing the heyday of content consumption, accelerated by OTT platforms, certain challenges have emerged as well. Sharma said the size of content has actually become bigger now with the demand for better quality content. Hence, hardware supporting better graphic cards, faster NVMe (non-volatile memory express) storage, better display for viewing content is a must. If the hardware is not updated, it is tough to produce content which is up to the mark, he added. 

    On the other hand, Mehta mentioned that delivering content on time still remains a challenge due to the exploding uptake and quality requirement. And with the spread of the cheap and fast 4G data, the industry is competing with mobile phones as viewers are consuming more content on phones, observed Majethia. The industry has to go beyond – focus on a good story supported by greater technology. According to him, the storytelling team and executing team need to be in sync with the upgradation of technology.

    Gokhale shared that the one important aspect which the industry needs to address is how it can adjust to the remote working style. In his view, even production can be executed with a smaller crew supplemented with more technology. From a post production perspective, the work has to move from a wired system to cloud based operating, he added.

    “We have solutions which are one to one remote which means you dedicate one complete workstation to one single user. Remoting does not mean virtualisation. It can be one to one connectivity. Remoting can also be mobile workstations but stage four is definitely going to be virtualisation, because there you need to have practically low levels of latency,” Pingat explained.

    As part of a production house, Dadoo has seen on set post-production work evolve in real time – this includes Unreal Engine and rear projection (cinematic technique in film production that combines foreground performances with pre-filmed backgrounds) for an upcoming feature series. The studio works closely with DOP and production designers from the beginning itself where they work live on set to complete the composition and final VFX on the camera itself. That’s where our system is heading, he added.

    “We have a set where we have LED walls and a virtual cam. With that, we are shooting the data that technically comes in a hard drive. We want to visualise that onset whether the shot is properly done or not,” Sharma commented. He added that further mobile workstation is always needed for them, along with RTX cards, fastest NVMe RAM to allow them on set for visualising content. Epic On’s Mohanty also deliberated upon the need for mobile workstations for real-time computing.

    Pingat explained further why mobile workstations are becoming more popular. Most importantly, the flexibility of the platform for a user to use on-site or anywhere makes it stand out. Mobile workstations do not require main power as well. Technology has enabled mobile workstations to be more powerful, he added.

    “From a technology standpoint, as far as mobile precision is concerned, it (Dell’s mobile workstation) is very fast. Its entire ecosystem supports 4K as of now. It’s a mobile workstation, its processing capability from a graphics perspective is very fast,” he said.

    In order to adapt to new technologies, content studios and production houses are investing increasingly in technology. Epic On’s Mohanty said it hovers around five to eight per cent because the platform usually keeps upgrading its technology on a six-month basis.

    Echoing the sentiment, Dadoo said that Contiloe’s investment also stands at around five per cent as it deals with a lot of animation and VFX, which need constant upgradation. Redchillies and Excel Entertainment, too, are investing in the five-ten per cent range. Gokhale did not reveal an exact figure but stated the input differs from project to project.

    Clearly, technological advancements have transformed the process of content production and it has become apparent that the filmmaker with the most cutting-edge tools has the edge over others in terms of qualitative aspects that make the consumer's viewing experience better. No wonder then, that the industry is upping the stakes in the technological race.

  • Reliance Big Synergy CEO Rajiv Bakshi calls it quits, joins ZeeL

    Reliance Big Synergy CEO Rajiv Bakshi calls it quits, joins ZeeL

    KOLKATA: Reliance Big Synergy CEO Rajiv Bakshi has stepped down from his position. Bakshi has now joined Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZeeL) as its chief operations officer – revenue. According to sources close to the development, he will report to ZeeL South Asia business president Rahul Johri.

    The Harvard Business School alumnus has more than 20 years of diverse work experience in business transformation, P&L and commercial operations, corporate strategy, brand management, product development, digital strategy and market expansions across varied industries.

    According to the source mentioned above, he will work towards achieving ZeeL’s revenue objectives by identifying and leveraging internal synergies across all linear and digital platforms. In his new role at ZeeL, Bakshi will lead the sales strategy and operations function. In addition to that, he will also be responsible for leveraging technology to augment the revenue vertical. He will drive the marketing initiatives and focus on strengthening relations with key external stakeholders and partners.

    Bakshi joined Reliance Big Synergy back in 2018. During his stint at the company, he led it to branch out the content studio across all genres with high focus on fiction while it was earlier known as a non-fiction powerhouse. Along with that, he aggressively scaled its hold over regional language shows as well. The company has produced content for Star Maa, Zee Punjabi, Dangal, Zee5 and many more under his guidance. Enterr10 TV Network’s Bhojpuri channel launched a social mythology series produced by Reliance Big Synergy in January, a genre where the production house never worked earlier.

    Under his leadership, the studio produced some of the top rated TV shows across national and regional networks  in Hindi, Telugu, Punjabi, Bhojpuri and other languages. More importantly, he pushed the business in the booming OTT segment as well to produce web series for both international and homegrown platforms.

    He was conferred the ‘CEO Of the Year’ 2020 award by the jury of World Brand Congress, World Marketing Congress and CMO Global. The award was given in recognition of Bakshi’s differentiated strategy to establish Reliance Big Synergy as a leading content development and production powerhouse in India.

    Earlier in his career, Bakshi also turned around Discovery Networks’ India and South Asia business as the head of products and marketing, and is credited for building its 11-channel portfolio.

  • #Throwback2020: Programming across OTT & television

    #Throwback2020: Programming across OTT & television

    MUMBAI/KOLKATA: Life coach and motivational speaker Tony Robbins once remarked that “we aren’t in an information age, we are in an entertainment age.” The past year has shown that Robbins' observation wasn’t far off the mark. As people were bombarded with information from all sides, most of it unpleasant (what with a global pandemic, wildfires, erupting city blocks and violent racial protests, just to name a few), and with cinemas shuttered and live sports cancelled, they retreated to the only safe space left – their television and mobile screens. In fact, 2020 was also remarkable for another fact; TV and OTT saw unprecedented rise in viewership and time spent on the platforms compared to preceding years.

    One of the biggest trends that we saw on OTT and television in 2020 was the re-emergence of the golden era of family viewing. A classic example of this was the reruns of Mahabharat and Ramayan on Doordarshan during the lockdown. IndiaToday touted Mahabharat as the “baap of all masala entertainers” and no wonder, everyone in the family – from grandparents to kids – tuned in to the decades-old show. And as streamers were – for a large part of the year –   were the only ones where fresh content was in supply, audiences signed up for the services in big numbers.

    Programming on television

    With people confined to their homes, TV took them to places where they could find some respite, whether in the form of a supernatural show, a murder mystery, Mills & boons romance thriller, an endearing fish-out-of-water comedy, or a very old daily soap. Some shows nailed tricky tones; others offered unforgettable concepts.

    The pandemic forced general entertainment channels to go for reruns initially as there was no fresh content production for nearly three months. DD emerged the frontrunner, as, besides Mahabharat and Ramayan, it brought many other iconic shows such as Dekh Bhai Dekh and Shriman Shrimati, thereby raking in massive viewership. Private broadcasters took the same route to entertain audiences. Programmes that had been relegated to sister FTA channels, such as Saath Nibhana Saathiya, Kumkum Bhagya and Ye Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, made a comeback on the pay platform and attracted a lot of eyeballs.

    Daily soaps dominate

    A lot of shows focused on family bonding, women taking charge of the household, and the parent-child relationship. Most of these serials tend to have family drama as the core thread with a love story running through it.

    Naagin, Chotti Sardaarni, Barrister Babu and the recently launched Shubharambh delivered – and continue to –  the bounty for Colors. Zee TV’s Kundali Bhagya and Kumkum Bhagya (both produced by Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms) and Guddan Tumse Na Ho Paayega garnered significant eyeballs. Sony TV’s Mere Dad Ki Dulhan, which recently went off air, was centered on the theme of a second chance at love for middle-aged parents.

    Audiences across markets opted for a slice of life and family dramas. The overall Hindi GEC (U+R) and the Hindi GEC (U) audiences preferred to watch recently launched shows like Anupama, Imlie, Ghum Hai Kisi ke Pyaar Mein on Star Plus, and Zee TV’s most popular long-running shows Kundali Bhagya and Kumkum Bhagya.

    Several experimental shows such as 9 Months Wali Love Story, Kaatelal & Sons also found takers, but there wasn’t much in the way of breakthrough content outside of Anupama. The latter is a regular family drama showcasing the taboo subject of extramarital affairs on Indian television.

    Ormax Media partner Keerat Grewal said, "I think the challenge with the category is that experiments with new story ideas are there, but we have not seen any paradigm shift, something that we saw with KBC and Balika Vadhu. Over the last few years non-fiction has had an uptake on HGECs due to the fiction cynicism that’s set in gradually as audiences have been seeing 'more of the same'. This year however non-fiction has struggled as well, with both KBC and Bigg Boss not being able to deliver. Bigg Boss is generally shows an upward trend after a few weeks, once contestant familiarity sets-in."

    With production budgets slashed across channels by almost 20-25%, extending this year's Bigg Boss season even with lower than expected ratings, could be a matter commercial feasibility for the channel, she said

    Star Plus also managed to get its regional shows successfully remade into Hindi with Anupama and Ghum Hai Kisi Ke Pyaar Mein. This urge to adapt and remake has been picked up by other channels as well.

    Non-fiction shows struggled to top the charts

    Kaun Banega Crorepati, Bigg Boss, and The Kapil Sharma Show were produced under strict Covid2019 precautions. The drastically smaller production teams innovated on the sets to adhere to protocol and ensure safety of the participants. For instance, there is a restaurant, a shopping mall, a theatre, and a spa inside the Bigg Boss house. In KBC 12, besides the crew, even those who accompany the contestants on the show have socially distanced seating. There was no live audience and the audience poll lifeline was replaced by video-a-friend. The Kapil Sharma Show introduced recorded audience applause, and cut-outs in the background to make the set look lively. The IPL also did the same.

    Unlike other years, Bigg Boss – while generating a lot of buzz – has had a relatively subdued season and has not picked up in ratings. The non-fiction show has always been known to pick up from the mid-season where it brings older participants to pump up nostalgia and drama. This year, Colors has decided to extend Bigg Boss 14 till February 2021, with the grand finale scheduled around Valentine's Day. Traditionally, non-fiction shows have always given fiction shows a run for their money.

    And while the IPL was a huge production and advertising success, buoying industry sentiment,  the same cannot be said for other marquee non-fiction properties, which compete with it.

     “I think the challenge is that they keep experimenting with new story ideas but we have not seen any paradigm shift, something that we saw with KBC,” noted Grewal.

    The year of OTT

    2020 was the year of OTT, as people sampled and adopted them in droves. Likewise, the investment in content has also increased manifold. As more people turned to premium online content, the platforms also experimented with the formats of their new shows.

    A new genre on the streaming horizon is musical. Amazon Prime Video’s Bandish Bandits gathered buzz with its music-themed plot depicting the clash between two different worlds of music. Although some viewers found the format cliched, the catchy tunes by composers Shankar-Ehsan-Loy made it extremely appealing. MX Player’s music reality show Times of Music was loved for its unique format – it's a crossover between reality and chat show. Bringing the best composers in the Indian film industry together on one stage, the series included recreations of many celebrated songs. Times of Music charmed Indian music lovers at a time when live musical events had come to a halt.

    Experimentation and innovation

    More than simply offering a library of content, OTT platforms in India are trying to establish a stronger connection with consumers through interactive content. The trend has not picked up for premium originals yet but broadcaster-led streaming platforms are experimenting with the format for their catch-up content. Zee5 launched Zee5 Super Family League where participants could  create their own family by selecting their favourite characters from the network’s popular primetime shows. Voot and SonyLIV also created avenues for immersive experience around tentpole content like Bigg Boss and KBC.

    2020 was a series of unusual, new experiments to face the challenges posed by the pandemic. OTTs led the field when it came to producing new shows while sitting at home. Voot devised an innovative content format with locked room murder mystery The Gone Game, shot in cast members' residences. Eros Now also premiered a show made in lockdown – A Viral Wedding. Amazon Prime Video unveiled CU Soon, a film shot entirely during quarantine.

    Sequels spell success

    For many people, the saving grace of 2020 was their favourite shows returning with new seasons. The hugely popular Mirzapur series generated tons of excitement. Among other much-awaited shows, MX Player’s Aashram, Disney+Hotstar’s Hostages, Amazon Prime Video’s Breathe: Into the Shadows wooed the audience with returning seasons. Other than Indian originals, viewers enjoyed new seasons of international series like Money Heist, Dark and The Mandalorian.

    The rise of K-love

    Indian audience’s watch list is no longer defined by local content or few American dramas anymore. All things ‘K’ (as in South Korean, not Ekta Kapoor’s defining alphabet) had a major breakthrough in India amid the pandemic. Netflix India witnessed a whopping 370 per cent growth in the viewership of Korean dramas, with The King: Eternal Monarch, Kingdom (S2), It’s Okay to Not Be Okay and Crash Landing on You dominating the trending list for weeks. MX Player also reported considerable growth of Korean drama in its international segment. Interestingly, the K-drama fad is not limited to millennials and gen Z anymore. Other than romances, older audiences also watched other complex genres like Korean historical dramas and thrillers.

    OTTs have moved on from male, metro, millennial demographic to an increasing number of female content consumers. As a result, platforms focused on women-centric content representing strong female characters. The shows ranged from comedy to thrillers, romance, and social drama. Pushpavali, Four More Shots Please, Arya, Bulbbul, Masaba Masaba, Churails, Code M were some programmes that appealed to and were loved by women viewers.

  • Stride Ventures leads Rs 17 crore debt round in Pocket Aces

    Stride Ventures leads Rs 17 crore debt round in Pocket Aces

    KOLKATA: Stride Ventures has led a Rs 17 crore debt round in digital entertainment company Pocket Aces. Stride will be a strategic partner in Pocket Aces’ growth journey with their customised offerings and deep relationships across banks and corporates.

    This partnership with Pocket Aces is the twelfth investment from Stride Ventures’ maiden fund, marking its foray in the digital media and entertainment space as gaming and OTT has had a breakthrough year with industry revenues surging and subscriptions rising through the lockdown.

    Stride Ventures founder and managing partner Ishpreet Gandhi said, “Pocket Aces has truly pioneered digital content in India through its data driven approach to content creation. More importantly, the company creates highly relatable content, making it appealing especially for the younger demographic. At Stride, we strive to partner with indigenous companies which have the ability to scale up rapidly by leveraging technology and we see Pocket Aces as a great addition to our portfolio.”

    Pocket Aces co-founder Aditi Shrivastava added, “2020 was an unprecedented challenge for humanity and we were privileged to entertain the Indian audience during this difficult time. The lockdown accelerated adoption of digital media as the primary source of consumer entertainment , and so we innovated rapidly to ensure that we could continue to thrive and increase content output in this new normal. As a result, we saw growth in all our major business lines this year. As we go into 2021, we are more excited than ever about the size of the entertainment opportunity in India and are happy to partner with Stride Ventures on our growth journey. This debt instrument is one of the first of its kind for the sector and we think it underlines Pocket Aces’ leadership of the sector as well as the innovation focus of Stride Ventures.”

    Pocket Aces will utilise the capital raised to scale the current content output and invest further in new content formats and distribution channels. In 2020, Pocket Aces released multiple shows across its channels that kept audiences gripped with stories of love, life, and the new normal. The company has worked with over 100 brands across sectors including Tinder, Hindustan Unilever, PureMe, Bacardi, Unacademy, and Mondelez, among others. 

    On the other hand, its game streaming and e-sports platform Loco, has hosted some of the biggest mobile gaming tournaments India has ever seen. Loco also entered into strategic partnerships with Red Bull, Fnatic, NBA 2K League, and other leading brands. The year also saw Pocket Aces launch Clout, its talent management division, which exclusively represents over 60 of the digital industry’s finest and most popular faces.

  • Guest column: Lockdown learnings for TV land

    Guest column: Lockdown learnings for TV land

    MUMBAI: The Covid2019 pandemic has given us an opportunity to reflect on how we go about our daily lives, and has taught us to be leaner and greener both at work and at home. The lockdown has brought many together, a few apart, and brought out the best and the worst in us. Cocooned in our homes with the spectre of Covid2019 looming over us has led to radical changes in our consumption habits across categories. Television is no exception and the way we consume media and entertainment has changed as well. The absence of original content has seen broadcasters rummaging through their larder for content and this search has manifested itself in dusting off legacy shows, a renewed love for movies, an insatiable appetite for news, a grudging acceptance of dubbed content and the emergence of user-generated content amongst others.

    Whether these changes are transitory, quasi-permanent, or permanent, only time shall decide but a few crucial learnings during this period are highlighted below:

    Curation is as powerful as creation

    It has been an accepted norm that original content ratings are significantly higher than recycled content ratings. However, the careful curation of legacy shows, the introduction of dubbed shows and movies, and proactive FPC management have ensured that many truisms had to be revisited. There has been a blurring of prime time versus non-primetime ratings, original versus repeat ratings and discrete versus continuous content. So moving forward curation is at par with creation but both fundamentally require a deep understanding of viewers' sensibilities, need states, and cultural sensibilities and sensitivities.  

    Recycle, repeat and reuse is the new mantra

    Re-telecast of successful mythological shows delivered ratings in their original as well as dubbed avatar across markets. Channels across markets juggled their programming strategies over the past few months to give prominence to mythological shows such as Mahabharata, Ramayan, etc. The mythological shows bought in an element of hope and belonging during the time of unprecedented uncertainty. Gauging the audience’s response, reruns of erstwhile popular fiction shows also became a norm during the lockdown and were being aired alongside original shows.

    Language is no longer a barrier

    Thanks to the rising availability and popularity amongst viewers, regional language content has emerged as a key growth driver for TV viewership. Indian audiences are more than willing to consume content in their respective languages. In the past few years, rural electrification and smartphone penetration have also added to the popularity of regional language content.

    Movies have found their mojo

    Film-based content not only performed well in Hindi speaking markets but also in southern markets. According to BARC India data, the movie genre saw a 27 per cent growth in primetime viewership share in the south market as compared to the pre-Covid2019 period. Driven by the fact that movies, as a form of content, appeal to all age groups in a family and encourage co-viewing, the category emerged as the primary source of entertainment on GECs across markets.

    Families are the new TG

    Amidst the pandemic, during the time of lockdown, television cemented its role of bringing families together. Lockdown led channels to gradually move from ‘women-centric’ entertainment to ‘family-centric’ entertainment. Content consumption patterns have now changed from ‘me’ to ‘we’.

    Senior citizens can pack a powerful punch

    The population of senior citizens is projected to increase to 20 per cent by 2050. Pre-Covid2019, senior citizens were always underestimated as a target group. The lockdown phase defined them as a significant target group and led us to acknowledge them as an important audience while curating content.

    To conclude, as Socrates said, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” While this has been a tough year for everyone across markets, we have grown in a few and may have declined in a few others, but in either case, we have maintained our position for 2020. We are constantly learning from our viewers every day. As we move along, our lockdown learnings continue to provide us with an opportunity to become significant and far more meaningful.

    (The author is business head, Viacom18 regional entertainment – Kannada and Marathi clusters. Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to his thoughts.)

  • Myleeta Aga quits Netflix

    Myleeta Aga quits Netflix

    KOLKATA: Following an internal realignment of the southeast Asia and Australia content teams, Myleeta Aga has moved on from Netflix. Aga joined the streaming service in 2019 after a decade-long stint at BBC Studios.

    She was mandated to head content operations for southeast Asia and Australia. “It’s been an amazing year! I am proud of the work that our team has done, putting Southeast Asia and Australia on the map for Netflix, and showcasing the phenomenal potential of the creative community across these countries to audiences at home and around the world. I believe in the power of great stories, and I am confident in the success that lies ahead,” she said as quoted by Variety.

    According to the report, Seoul-based Kim Minyoung will oversee content planning in the region. Aga’s departure is a result of Netflix’s country-specific focus in the region, rather than having a centralised control. The platform has also thanked Aga for her contributions.

  • Ullu brings in a refreshing new change to its content with Slip

    Ullu brings in a refreshing new change to its content with Slip

    New Delhi: Ullu, a platform that streams 18+ content, is all set to launch a new show titled Slip that revolves around the life of three individuals, Johnny, Naina, and Anjuman. The story depicts how the lives of these characters slip and turn upside down in 24 hours due to the choices they make.

    A gripping tale, Slip is full of suspense, thrill and excitement. It portrays the realism and the downside of making wrong choices. The trailer for the show was released on 22 November and received strong reviews across social media platforms.

    Watch the trailer here:

    Directed by Rajeev Mendiratta, Slip features a stunning cast with well-known faces from the TV world featuring Anirudh Dave as Johnny, Pooja Bisht as Naina, Swati Sharma as Anjuman, Mayur Mehta as Prince, Vicky Ahuja as Inspector Ahuja and Dolphin Dubey as Saima. It is co-produced by Seventh Sense Productions.

    In a highly competitive world, Ullu has emerged to be one of the leading OTT platforms in the country and Slip is a unique addition to its list of premium shows. Ullu is highly focused on curating high-quality content and Slip is the first of the many shows to come.

    “Clean content started with Slip. While some people appreciated, some did not. But the overall response has been satisfactory. The audience needs time to change.” says Ullu CEO Vibhu Agarwal. He adds, “We will be bringing more of such content, our plan is to follow government guidelines and bring entertainment and good content for our audience”

    “When I heard the script, I loved the storyline and the screenplay. I put on weight for my character to look like an ordinary girl from UP and worked on my accent”, says Pooja Bisht. “The series is very realistic, life is all about the choices we make, that’s how people face different problems in their life and slip on the wrong path. Overall, it was a really amazing experience for me.”

    As Ullu evolves its content, season 1 of this exciting web-series is now streaming live on the OTT platform and has already received some very good reviews and comments from the viewers. Head over to the Ullu app and website, for a good binge-watch.

    The app was launched in December 2018 and has over 10 million downloads on Google's Play Store. It operates on a subscription model. On the content front, it follows a partnership model where the producers associate with the platform on a revenue-sharing model. 

  • MX Player’s super-app format offers advertisers a well-rounded opportunity: Karan Bedi

    MX Player’s super-app format offers advertisers a well-rounded opportunity: Karan Bedi

    KOLKATA: Indian audiences have acquired a taste for premium originals offered by the over-the-top (OTT) platforms in recent times, and their appetite has only grown stronger in the wake of the Covid 2019 crisis. Exploiting the huge opportunity, MX Player has witnessed 5X increase in engagement during this period, thanks to its library of originals. The user and engagement growth has translated into monetisation, with at least 150 new brands coming to the platform, MX Player CEO Karan Bedi said.

    Bedi is pleased with the platform’s performance this year across all metrics. But he mentioned that when Covid2019 swept the country initially, high anxiety was prevalent in the market. However, stakeholders soon saw the silver lining in terms of users and engagement, with the platform registering significant uptick on the revenue front within a few weeks, overcoming the concern of decline in ad-spend.

    “We have had a lot of retention of users. Along with high growth, users stuck with us because of the content we were putting out. We had a very large set of users returning to watch more and more content. Initial concern was users may come and go away but that has not played out with MX Player,” Bedi shared.

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    Bedi noted that the pandemic has brought about an unprecedented acceptance of OTT services. Viewers are now experimenting with previously unexplored genres and languages, especially with online content that has become the new mainstream. MX Player majorly caters to audiences in the 18–24 age bracket, followed by the 25-34 years group, with a sharp focus on tier-2 and tier-3 markets going beyond the metros.

    MX Player has added new features to the platform in recent times including music streaming and casual gaming. Bedi highlighted that they have always maintained MX player is not only a video OTT platform, but it also aims to address the different needs of users – more precisely, all entertainment needs. Hence, the experiment around new features has yielded positive results in terms of engagement and revenue, he claimed.

    It’s also worth pointing out that MX Player forayed into the short video space within a week after TikTok was banned. MX TakaTak was built entirely from scratch in the space of one week. While two-three smaller players tried to bridge the huge void, Bedi claimed that MX TakaTak had the highest growth owing to its scale, content, and technology.

    “Our super-app format promises all forms of entertainment to the user and allows us to offer our advertisers a well-rounded opportunity to suit their marketing goals – including impact, reach and engagement. We have been successfully catering to categories like FMCGs, F&B, mobile handsets, gaming, e-commerce, SMB, social media and service apps, auto and BFSI,” Bedi stated.

    “To give you an example, one of our most seamless branded content solutions was with Smule on our flagship music reality series – Times of Music. On the live streaming front, we’ve had associations with Blenders Pride Fashion Week, Oneplus TV + 8T launches. We’ve hosted content for brands like Skoda and Oppo, among others, and for gaming sponsorship, we had Duracell. We’re also looking at scaling monetisation for our recently launched short format video platform – MX TakaTak,” he added.

    MX Player has a unique positioning in the market, being the only platform with premium originals not locked behind a paywall, which could be lucrative to many brands. Bedi is quite pleased with the AVod business model that MX Player is based on as it has scaled up courtesy of its swelling user base; he has no intention to abandon it for the subscription. He pointed out that the key factors behind a successful AVoD service are scale and technology.

    Additionally, the platform is deepening its library in regional languages. It is now seeing a lot of action happening in other regional markets like Punjabi, Bhojpuri, Bengali along with the core ones like Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi and Marathi. It is also making its presence stronger on the international stage, with a higher focus on the Middle East market.