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Tag: Content

  • News18 India unveils special festive programming with ‘Shri Ram Roop’

    News18 India unveils special festive programming with ‘Shri Ram Roop’

    NEW DELHI: As people gear up for the upcoming festive season in the midst of the global pandemic, News18 India has lined up special programming ‘Shri Ram Roop’ to usher in the festivities and spread cheer. The special series will keep the viewers positively engaged and entertained by narrating untold tales and mystic legends associated with Lord Ram.

    Anchored by News18 India managing editor Kishore Ajwani, the special line-up will take the viewers on an enthralling journey with each episode showcasing numerous sides of Shri Ram and many age-old tales for the first time on television. Shot in documentary style, the series will travel the length and breadth of the country to bring to life innumerable stories associated with Shri Ram. Special shows such as Ram Lalla and Ram ka Yodha Roop will capture Shri Ram’s childhood, his upbringing & education and his valiant encounters with rakshasas, respectively. The latter will also showcase locations in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh where such battles took place. The series will also follow his encounters with his most devout followers such as Hanuman, Sugriv’s Vanar Sena and Shabri amongst others in Bhakton ke Ram; and visiting historical sites such as Nasik and Rameshwaram where celebrated temples of Shiva were constructed by Shri Ram, in Shiv Bhakt Ram.

    The concluding episode of the series will take viewers to Orchha where it is believed Lord Ram’s coronation took place 500 years ago by a local king. It will further showcase his virtuous rule as a king, while prominently featuring the famous Raja Ram temple in the city. Remembering the stories associated with these places, the show promises to present a gripping narrative that will be both informative and engaging.

  • Chingari’s explosive short format video journey

    Chingari’s explosive short format video journey

    KOLKATA: Chingari is a Hindi word which means spark.  But Chingari is also a homegrown short format video and user-generated content app which Is firing ahead on all cylinders, attracting millions of users. That too in a short period of time ever since the Indian government placed a ban on TikTok, which had 200 million users in India. Of course, other Indian apps – like Mitron and Roposo – have also stepped into the vacuum created by the Chinese platform’s banishment. However, Chingari has been getting some plaudits as well as funding from investors which have been more than pleased with its performance. It recently raised 1.4 million dollars in funding, even as it was rated as the Best App in the social category in the recently-held #Atmanirbhar Bharat Challenge.

    “India is a land of myriad cultures and colours. Each has its own flavour. We have seen many through films and other media. Yet, there’s so much more to explore – The raw talent hidden in the remotest of alleys and quietest of villages,” says Chingari co-founder and COO Deepak Salvi.  “The sheer potential of the masses. This makes ours a land of possibilities. All we needed was the right platform. One that was proudly ours.”

    Media reports say that within 24 hours of TikTok’s ban, Chingari recorded 26 million video views, with three million videos swiped per hour and 10,000 users per minute. The app pays its users based on the virality of the video. For each video a user shares on the app, the content creator gets points per view, and these points can be redeemed for money.

    Salvi says Chingari has attracted over 28 million users on the platform majorly in the 14 to 38 age bracket. The users span across tier-1, 2 and  3 cities. The app has also lured some major social media influencers and content creators, and more and more of them are hopping onto it by the hour.

    Chingari is available in English, Hindi, Bangla, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu. The homegrown app recently partnered with Alt Balaji to further aid both the platforms in strengthening their reach and increase their audience base across ‘Bharat.’ The short format video platform will introduce a verified account/page of ALTBalaji through which Chingari users will be able to follow and receive the latest updates from the streaming platform.

    Read more news on short video format category

    “We are getting calls for brand integrations as Chingari gets more acknowledged over time. While it recently entered a partnership with ALTBalaji, the coming months will see many such strong partnerships with brands,” reveals Salvi.

    Chingari is not just limited to video-sharing but allows users to read local and international news, check the city-specific weather forecast, play games, participate in quizzes, and win prizes. Media reports say that it has plans to foray into social commerce in the next six to nine months but with the core focus being, making it the best short-form video app platform.

    “Believe it or not, but we haven’t spent a single penny on marketing or promotions yet. ‘word of mouth’ publicity has been our best way forward so far. However, as we expand, we have a lot of research-backed innovations and strategies in place which we are ready to roll out, in case the market dynamics require us to,” he added.

    Interestingly, the app has investments from some of the biggest names such as Tinder CPO Brian Norgard and OLX founder Fabrice Grinda.

    “Within a short span, we were able to raise $1.4  million, which only speaks of our head-strong growth plans and the investors’ faith in us. This list too is certain to see some big names in the months to come,” explains Salvi.

    He accepts that the user-generated content platform space is getting red hot competitive as each day passes with Roposo and Moj scaling up steadily and many more pawing on the sidelines to launch.  But his belief is that Chingari certainly holds an upper edge from a first and fast-mover perspective.

    Read more news on Chingari

    “Constant up-gradation of content and influencer data and maximum activities to keep them engaged on our platform will always hold top priority to us. Like mentioned earlier, this is just the beginning of a big revolution in entertainment. Soon you will see, not just the nation, but the entire world adopting short video formats of entertainment, at large,” he contends.

    Media observers however, aver that it’s early days in the homegrown UGC short format space. “TikTok had finetuned its service over years and with hundreds of millions of dollars being invested in technology, research, and innovation,” says an industry veteran. “The platform was also managing scale operations with hundreds of millions of concurrent users and generating revenue worldwide. Indian short-form video platforms have to climb that learning curve, they have to make mistakes and learn. It’s not an easy space to be in, if one is not careful, cash can burn up pretty fast. Investors will have to have tough as nails stomachs until the platforms scale up and prove their business models and start generating cash. Chingari will have to keep its spark burning bright for some time to come.”

  • Star leads TV network sweepstakes

    Star leads TV network sweepstakes

    MUMBAI: Which is the ruling television network in India? Which of them has  raced ahead in the viewership stake post the opening up of the lockdowns? Which network’s content is resonating better with viewer cooped up in homes?

    Well, the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) has released data for four weeks from week 32 to week 35 for All India 2+ audiences to give us its take. And the winner, according to that is the Star network with a share of 22 per cent. Clearly, Uday Shankar, K. Madhavan, and team are doing something right.

    And very close behind it is the Zee network with its 21 per cent slice. Clearly, CEO Punit Goenka is living up to his commitment that he is going to put his best foot forward and help the network regain its leadership position.

     Network18, it looks, like has a lot of catching up to do with a 11 per cent piece.

    The Sun network, which was once ruling is at fourth position with its share of 11 per cent while Sony brings up the rear with a nine per cent piece.

    BARC has clarified that the Star network includes Star, Disney, Asianet, and NGC. Zee, Zee Media ancd Zee Akash have been considered as part of the  Zee network . Network18 includes Viacom18, AETN18, TV18, IBMN Lokmat.

  • Elizabeth Raposo exits Paramount Pictures

    Elizabeth Raposo exits Paramount Pictures

    MUMBAI: Paramount Pictures president of production Elizabeth Raposo has exited the studio. This move comes after Emma Watts has taken the leadership of the motion picture group.

    Raposo had served in the top role for three years. Her departure from the company was announced in a note to staff authored by Emma Watts, the studio's newly installed motion picture group president under Paramount CEO Jim Gianopulos.

    Raposo played a pivotal role in movies like  Rocketman, A Quiet Place, Mission: Impossible—Fallout and Bumblebee. She has also been part of the latest Star Trek films and the upcoming Top Gun: Maverick. She took over as production president following the exit of Marc Evans.

    "With her great taste and incredible talent relationships, Liz has been instrumental in many of the company’s past and recent successes," Watts wrote in a note to staff that referenced the many films Raposo has been involved with. "We thank Liz wholeheartedly for her many years of service and countless contributions to the studio, and wish her the very best," Watts continued.

    Raposo has been part of the studio for 15 years. Prior to this, she worked at Darren Aronofsky's Protozoa Pictures as director of development.

  • Essence elevates T. Gangadhar as APAC CEO

    Essence elevates T. Gangadhar as APAC CEO

    NEW DELHI – Essence, a global data and measurement-driven media agency which is part of GroupM, has appointed T. Gangadhar aka Gangs as the company’s CEO for APAC. Succeeding Essence’s global CEO Kyoko Matsushita, who previously served as APAC CEO, Gangs will be responsible for driving continued client-centric innovation in data, analytics, and technology, as well as business growth and company culture across the agency’s fastest-growing region. Based out of Mumbai in India, Gangs will work closely with Essence’s global and APAC leadership teams and will continue to report to Matsushita.

    Gangs most recently served as president, growth and strategy, APAC for Essence, in charge of the agency’s business strategy, development, and growth. He first joined Essence in 2018 as chairman, India with more than two decades of experience in marketing, advertising, and media. He previously held the role of managing director, south Asia at MEC & senior vice president, head of marketing at Sony Entertainment Television in India, and began his career in creative agency account management and strategic planning.

    “Gangs’ extensive experience in the industry, his knowledge of Essence’s culture and our clients, and his vision for our business in the region make him the ideal person to lead us into our next phase of growth and innovation in APAC. As the most senior member of our regional leadership team, Gangs has done an outstanding job in partnering with me to navigate our business through the challenges of 2020 and I am truly excited about what we will be able to achieve with him at the helm in APAC going forward,” said Matsushita. 

    “I am honored to have the opportunity to lead this truly special agency in APAC. Essence is pioneering the use of data, analytics, and technology at a time when more and more companies are looking to take advantage of data-driven media and creativity. I am excited about leveraging our best-in-class capabilities to discover new ways to add value for our clients, consumers, and employees – in these current times and in the post-Covid2019 future ahead of us,” said Gangs.

    Since Essence’s entry into APAC in 2013, the agency has expanded rapidly across the region, opening offices in Beijing, Bengaluru, Delhi, Jakarta, Melbourne, Mumbai, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, and Tokyo. Essence’s diverse portfolio of clients in APAC now includes Airtel, Britannia, Coty, Faces Canada, the Financial Times, Flipkart, Games24x7, Google, Hermès, HMD (Nokia), Honda motorcycles and scooters, Livspace, Roborock, NBCUniversal, Nitori, Scoot, Toytron, Vedantu, Wakefit, War Horse, and Zee5.

  • BBC Studios’ Stanley Fernandes on his inspiration and future plans

    BBC Studios’ Stanley Fernandes on his inspiration and future plans

    MUMBAI: BBC Studios South Asia distribution VP Stanley Fernandes is currently working across affiliate sales, digital sales, and content sales, in an integrated and geographically focused approach to grow distribution business in these territories. Previously, Stanley led content sales for south and southeast Asia. He now oversees new revenue opportunities for the distribution business in a more holistic offering to the client in south Asia.

    Stanley who initially started off as a journalist has over 24 years of experience in the content business. He has produced content for UTV, he has also played an important role in Disney’s distribution team. In a candid conversation with indiantelevision.com Stanley Fernandes spoke at length about his interests, plans going forward for BBC studios and much more.

    Edited Excerpts:

    What are you reading or listening to right now?

    I am currently reading two books, ‘How Not to Diet,’ by Michael Greger, MD which is an evidence-based study on nutrition and ‘I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings,’ by Maya Angelou which is an autobiography (first in a series of seven books) illustrating her narrative in overcoming racism and trauma.

    When are you most inspired?

    There are moments when you suddenly become mindful of either the simplicity or the complexity of the mind and you learn to separate the cause and effect; new and inspiring thoughts can emerge during this time. It’s about allowing your mind to be at ease. It could happen when you're sipping your morning coffee, reading, driving or meditating.

    You have done a diploma in nutrition and dietetics, how are you utilising this expertise in your day to day life?

    During pandemic, the importance of building immunity and what we eat is of utmost importance. Understanding food and how it interacts with our body is something we know so little of. Everything we eat is a chemical and wrongly balanced food can lead to its ill effects, while a well-balanced nutritional plan can be curative. My understanding of this science aids me in making the right food choices, and eating right is all about balance and moderation. 

    You also have a great interest in painting and sketching, in today's busy world do you get time to follow your passion?

    It is important to always make time for hobbies and set your priorities right. Creative thinking comes many-a-times from not thinking about issues at hand, and hobbies provide you with that shift in mindset and perspective. We all need a break from our daily momentum and trying to make the best of being indoors.

    What is the best thing that has ever happened to you professionally?

    I have had great mentors in my career; ones who have been confident leaders and who were not afraid to be their own. A bigger part of growing is learning by example and I have been fortunate to be surrounded by professionals who have been magnanimous in encouraging me to constantly strive to be a better person and professional. Leaders and mentors have a bigger role than just the job at hand and it’s the things they don’t say and do that set an example.

    Have you taken your time to reflect what all you have accomplished in the past years and what goals you'll be setting for the coming years?

    We have had a great run over the years, from launching branded blocks such as BBC First, showcasing the best of our British drama on Zee Café, or the CBeebies block on Zee Q, to launching branded shows such as Doctor Who on StarFX, HotStar and Amazon. Top Gear and Great British Bake Off across the Sony and Viacom English GECs. Our presence can be seen on digital platforms from Netflix, Amazon, Disney+ Hotstar, Hungama, Tata Sky and soon to launch Discovery Plus.  Going forward, our emphasis is definitely going to be on employee welfare, adapting to the new work-from-home goals and being customer-focused, adapting to the dynamic changes in the market.

    Any exciting things lined up for BBC Studios in the next year?

    We are always looking for opportunities and ways to grow our brands. There is a lot happening in the pipeline and it’s a space to watch out for. We recently re-launched CBeebies – a channel dedicated to pre-schoolers with its emphasis on learning through play, which is currently present in over 30 million homes (and counting), in the country. Sony BBC Earth, our joint venture with Sony continues to showcase the best of our factual entertainment and natural history content, and of course our content can be seen across all leading digital SVOD platforms too.

    What is your number one priority for the business right now?

    Our focus is on supporting our customers right now. The pandemic has left companies and industries looking at creative ways to reinvent their businesses and we want to be there for them. We have relooked at our sales policies and adapted them to current market realities in alignment with our brands. We are in the creative business and we also want our approach to be creative with our partners and support them in the best way we can.

    Describe the BBC Studios culture? What makes it unique?

    It’s a creative place that respects individuality and puts its people first. Emotional intelligence and employee wellbeing is of utmost importance as we believe it drives productivity. BBC Studios is very much focused on promoting a diverse and varied workforce, and a workplace that empowers you to be creative in your approach towards work. It also focuses on being impartial and honest at all times, a key attribute that the BBC Group is well known for.

    What's the best and worst career advice you have been given?

    My best career advice would be, “Don’t be afraid to make a call. Nothing has ever been achieved by being paralysed with indecisiveness. Be honest to yourself and have integrity. People will always see you for who you are and who you are is also a representation of the company you work for.” The worst advice would be “fake it until you make it.”

    You can have a dinner party with any four people in the world. Who’s on your invite list?

    Vincent Van Gogh – to understand his art and life that’s shrouded by mystery.

    Steve Job – for his simplicity in coding.

    Michelle Obama – for being a role model and advocate to so many issues that matter.

    J. R. D Tata – for modernising India during its formative years and setting the standards till today.

    Can you tell me about a tough day you had at work and how you pushed through?

    It’s all a matter of perspective; the glass can be half full or half empty. It’s important to be decisive, fair and true to the moment. Create possibilities out of any given situation and the end will take care of itself. Learn to ‘believe!’.

  • BBC elevates Charlotte Moore as chief content officer

    BBC elevates Charlotte Moore as chief content officer

    In her new role, Moore will be the senior leader for BBC content and audiences across all genres and platforms, with the exception of news and nations and regions. Her responsibilities include television commissioning for all BBC network TV channels and BBC iPlayer, radio commissioning and production for all ten national radio networks and BBC Sounds, multiplatform commissioning and production for all children’s and education content, and BBC Proms and Orchestras.

    BBC chairman Sir David Clementi said: “It is a great pleasure to welcome Charlotte Moore to the BBC Board. Charlotte has made a huge success of bringing audiences to our television portfolio—resulting in record-breaking figures for iPlayer and ensuring the BBC can reach audiences beyond the critical linear channels. She will do a brilliant job as Chief Content Officer and be an important asset to the BBC Board.”

    Moore joined the BBC in 2006 as commissioning executive for documentaries. She has held such roles as acting controller of BBC Daytime Television, controller of BBC One and controller of TV channels and iPlayer. Since 2009, she was the commissioning editor for documentaries where she was responsible for strategy and commissioning for in-house and independents across all four channels. Charlotte transformed the genre to produce a huge breadth of original programming, seeking out the best talent to bring the most compelling and inspiring documentary content to a broad audience. From Bafta-winning titles Protecting Our Children, 7/7 One Day In London, Between Life and Death, The Great British Bake Off, Terry Pratchett’s Choosing To Die, The Choir and Welcome To Lagos to hit series like Inside Claridges, The Call Centre, Lambing Live and The Tube.

    In January 2016, she was appointed as controller of TV channels and iPlayer, where she was the creative, editorial and strategic lead for BBC One, BBC Two, BBC Four and BBC iPlayer, ensuring the channels work in a complementary way while enhancing their distinctive positioning. In July 2016, Moore was elevated as the director of BBC content and controller of BBC One. She was responsible for the creative vision across the portfolio of channels, BBC iPlayer and genres and took on oversight of BBC Sport.

    Prior to joining the BBC, Charlotte was director of contemporary factual at IWC Media focusing on high-profile contemporary narrative documentaries and series for all major UK channels, including BBC Two’s landmark series Stephen Fry: The Secret Life Of A Manic Depressive.  

  • Where Mike Hopkins is taking Amazon Prime Video

    Where Mike Hopkins is taking Amazon Prime Video

    Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Studios SVP Mike Hopkins is a 30-year vet old in streaming veteran, having overseen the developed of products such as  BTN2GO and Fox Now as head of Fox distribution and later led Hulu on a rapid growth path as its CEO. He spent a short stint at Sony Pictures Television Networks as its chairman before being lured away by Jeff Bezos to lead Prime Video just before the pandemic hit the world.

    Hopkins is quite charged up about the opportunity that lies ahead with Prime Video. Speaking at APOS he said that Amazon has 150 million plus Prime members globally and Prime Video is a key driver of the service.

    Hopkins expressed that growth for Prime Video lies primarily in international territories. “Before I arrived the company had made some really smart investments in serving customers around the world,” he said. “And we intend to double down on that investment over the next couple of years. We will continue to invest in local and global content and that is very critical,”

    Most of the investments are going towards creating originals in 15 of the 200 markets Prime Video is available outside the US. “People in many countries have an affinity to US content,” Hopkins added. “But increasingly customers also want to see stories about them their culture and issues written and produced by people in their countries and played out by actors who look like and speak like them. Our teams have been building a home for talent and attracting the top creators all over the world.”

    The content acquisition teams, Hopkins revealed are also  making smart bets and doubling down on investments in acquiring SVOD content and TVOD catalogues. This apart, Hopkins, stated that Amazon’ sports team has also been inventing and reinventing spots, taking bets in properties and that is going to increase going forward.

    Hopkins went on to add that the second big opportunity for Amazon Prime Video lies in improving customer experience. “We have probably the most complicated business model of the SVoD players, so that makes the customer experience more important for us,” he expressed.

    He revealed that members can look forward to improvements in how they can navigate and use the service over the next year or two. “Customers can rent and buy movies and TV shows and they can also subscribe to  TV channels in many markets,” he highlighted. “Making it easier for them to understand what’s what and how they can get to the content is important and we will prioritise this along with content investments.”

    He explained that he sees Prime Video offering a variety of content to its users, right from the SVOD content to TVOD to channels. “We want to offer them a one-stop-shop for their entertainment needs and (adding) channels is going to be a major focus for us.”

    Hopkins stated the pandemic has not impacted its pipeline of content going forward. “We have about 40 shows in various stages of production,” he said. “We have a very deep library, we have licensed content. We have a lot of originals. We are going to launch the second season of The Voice and several other shows. But what we will see is a slowdown in terms of premieres in the first half of next year. The thinning of these shows will be more than made up by the TVOD content in movies and the channels members can subscribe to.”

    He pointed out that Amazon Prime Video had gone in early into India as an SVOD service  and the way forward is becoming be super aggressive in the market from an originals. “We will have more than a dozen originals in each of the markets we are investing in by next year or so” he revealed. “And India is one of our priority markets.”

  • SonyLIV unveils teaser of Scam 1992 – The Harshad Mehta Story

    SonyLIV unveils teaser of Scam 1992 – The Harshad Mehta Story

    KOLKATA: ‘SonyLIV 2.0’ has significantly upped its game in original premium content space. After releasing successful shows like Avroadh, Undekhi, it has now released a teaser of its upcoming show Scam 1992. Directed by Hansal Mehta, Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story is about the real-life 1992 stock market scam involving the eponymous stockbroker, which led to major reforms, including the formation of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Mehta has adapted a book on the 1992 stock market scam. The teaser of ‘Scam 1992’ has been unveiled featuring Pratik Gandhi, Shreya Dhanwanthary, and Sharib Hashmi. The story is set in the 1980’s and 90’s Bomba. At the beginning of the teaser, Sharib tells Shreya, about a Rs 500-crore fraud which has taken place. “We wrapped a mammoth 85 days shoot spanning 6 months, 550 pages, 170+ characters, and 200+ locations. It was tough but eventually satisfying. A great team saw this (and is still seeing it) through all the limitations and adversities. #Scam1992 is THEIR show. Thank you team!,” Mehta tweeted.

  • Mukta A2 Cinemas enhances hygiene measures in preparation for lockdown end

    Mukta A2 Cinemas enhances hygiene measures in preparation for lockdown end

    MUMBAI: Mukta A2 Cinemas has announced its readiness to resume nationwide operations once the ongoing lockdown comes to an end. In order to guarantee the safety of its patrons, Mukta A2 has further enhanced its existing health & public safety measures across India and ensured that all of its locations are compliant with the enhanced safety and precautions plan for cinemas as per guidelines followed across the globe.

    Under this plan, a series of stringent SOP’s on sanitation for health and public safety norms will be implemented for the first few months of operations upon reopening. The newly implemented mandates include:

    ·   The prioritisation of new standards of hygiene and sanitisation. This will include the disinfection of all areas within a cinema’s premise, including the box office, security area, lobby, restrooms, and food and beverage stands. This measure will further be strengthened by daily deep cleaning and sanitisation of strategic locations within the cinema including auditorium seats.

    ·    The implementation of social distancing norms. This will be achieved through compulsory body temperature checks upon entry to the theatre for all guests, employees, and visitors, making masks mandatory, and the proper demarcation of all queues. Patrons will be encouraged to book tickets, food and beverages online and digital, contactless transactions to maintain social distancing.

    ·   Social distancing will be enforced in auditoriums with Matrix Seating, in line with global cinema standards as per the directives received from the government of India. All entry and exits will be done row-wise and monitored to maintain one metre space between guests during this time.

    ·   All cinema employees will be held to the highest standards of cleanliness, with only medically certified staff, permitted to work. The usage of masks, gloves and the Aarogya Setu app will be mandatory.

    Mukta A2 Cinemas managing director Rahul Puri said, “The spread of the COVID2019 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the world, confining millions of families to their homes. At Mukta A2 Cinemas, we understand the passion and love that people in our country have for cinema and remain confident that they will return to the big screen once operations resume,”

    Puri added, “In order to ensure our patrons a safe and stress-free cinematic experience, we have implemented the health and hygiene guidelines in accordance with Global Standards. With these measures in place, we stand ready to resume business and look forward to welcoming all our guests back at the earliest.”

    Mukta A2 Cinemas business head Sachidanand Shetty said, “We at Mukta A2 Cinemas have always believed that our guests' safety and well-being matter the most to us. Hence, when the current pandemic scenario drastically changed the way we look at the future, Mukta A2 Cinemas has during this downtime period geared up for the new normal hereafter.”

    He further added, “The new normal will consist of proactive measures taken to increase public health & safety by ensuring disinfection, increased pest control, and repetitive sanitation processes along with social distancing will be the action plan for us to move forward. We at Mukta A2 Cinemas pray that all our guests take care of themselves in these trying times and look forward to hosting them once we re-open."