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Tag: Content

  • ZEE Biskope announces winners of Talent Camera Action Season 2

    ZEE Biskope announces winners of Talent Camera Action Season 2

    New Delhi: ZEE Biskope has announced the winners of Season 2 of the Talent Camera Action that started off as a category-first virtual talent hunt on the occasion of Camera Day last year.

    Over 22,000 entries were received from across the region and beyond, where viewers shared their talent videos in the run to make their way to the Bhojpuri movie industry. According to the channel, each of the participants exuberated abundance of talent and the jury had a tough time selecting the best among the best. “Because of the humongous response, we decided to gratify more participants and showcased selected videos on ZEE Biskope on two consecutive weekends – 18 July & 25 July between 12 noon- 6 pm,” it said in a statement.  

    Action Star Yash Kumar & Nidhi Jha announced the names of the Winners who won a ticket to Bhojiwood on Sunday, 25 July.

    ·         Ranjeet Kumar: A trained classical singer from Katihar, Bihar, Ranjeet aspires to be a professional singer who could mesmerize the world with his melodious voice. He impressed the jury with his rendition of Pawan Singh’s ‘Basanti Bahar Bahal Sarso Phulail’.

    ·         Pragalbh Ojha: An actor at heart residing in Gaya, Bihar, Pragalbh has pruned his acting skills from Institute of Creative Excellence by Balaji Telifilms Ltd in Mumbai. His monologue on an emotional outburst of a gangster to his mother expressed his appreciable skills in acting.

    ·         Aakashdeep Sharma: A dancer from Mangolpuri, Delhi, Aakashdeepis a trained dancer, choreographer and an instructor in a dance academy in Delhi. He rendered his groovy moves on Matargashti from the film Tamasha.

    ·         Binita Singh: Hailing from Bhojpur, Bihar, Binita is an aspiring actor who found Talent Camera Action Season 2 as the platform to reach out her acting skills to the Bhojpuri audience. She performed a monologue on a commoner’s outrage on the powerful political section. 

    ·         Pragya Mishra: A singer from Ghazipur, UP, Pragya is trained in Indian Classical music and has many accolades to her credit in competitions like Akhil Bharatiya Sangeet Pratiyogeeta& Uttar Pradesh Sangeet NaatakAcaademy. She has performed on ‘Koel bin bagiyanasobhe Raja’ – a melodious number of Sharda Sinha.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL), Cluster head, East, Samrat Ghosh said, “The objective of the engagement drives like Talent Camera Action is to offer viewers with an avenue to connect with the brand thereby making the brand accessible where viewers feel the ‘apnapan’ or affinity with the brand. The closer we get to the viewers, the better we understand them and hence the better we cater to their content preferences. Given the scale and response that the campaign enjoyed, it clearly shows the worth that ZEE Biskope recons in the Bhojpuri category.”

    According to the channel, the aim was to facilitate the aspirations of its talented young viewers and thereby bring the brand closer to them.

    Bhojpuri Cluster, senior vice president, Amarpreet Singh Saini said, “While the overwhelming response from viewers across the corners of the region was motivating, the emotion and effort behind the talent videos defined the success of the campaign. Many videos were shot in kuchha houses, on the fields, in a crowded room, on the terrace and so on. Limitation in resources was never a roadblock for the audience who had the sole intent of showcasing their talent to the world at large. This proves the readiness of the viewers to embrace and appreciate such opportunities. We promise to bring more such initiatives for our viewers in the months ahead.”

     

  • Content evolves, but the heart of storytelling remains the same: Boman Irani

    Content evolves, but the heart of storytelling remains the same: Boman Irani

    New Delhi: Almost two decades after making his debut in the Hindi film industry, renowned actor Boman Irani is now all set to don the writer’s cap for his first movie as writer-director. “Writing is the way to go,” says Irani emphatically, as he begins to share his vision of filmmaking on the first day of the Content Hub 2021.

    The three-day mega event being organised by Indiantelevision.com began on Wednesday, with a series of insightful sessions with producers, writers and directors, and brand representatives, who shared their thoughts on the evolving media and entertainment industry.

    In a fireside chat with Indiantelevision Group founder and CEO, Anil Wanvari, Irani shared his thoughts on the new-age of content, and how it has influenced the craft of film-making. “We are on the threshold of a big bang of OTT. There has been an evolution. However, the storytelling, the heart of it, kind of remains the same, with a certain amount of originality,” says the noted actor, who won the audiences’ hearts with his portrayal of Viru Sahastrbuddhe in 3 Idiots.

    According to Irani, the content may evolve, but it will continue to be created by the same age-old principles of writing. “It will always boil down to good writing,” he smiles.

    Irani forayed into films in 2003 after spending years doing theatre – from where he drew most of his knowledge as an actor. Unlike movies, where actors are mostly focussed on their scenes, a theatre teaches one to look at the entire visual piece. “You can only make an impact as an actor, if you know the piece that you are working on. What is it saying? If you don’t empathise with the entire piece, then by the time your scene comes, you realise nobody is really paying attention. That’s what theatre does. It teaches you to be there for all the scenes,” he adds.

    After delivering some of the finest performances in movies like Munnabhai MBBS, 3 Idiots, Main Hoon Na, the noted actor is now also devoting a lot of his time to honing his skills as a writer, and helping other budding writers. He is also gearing up to debut as a writer-director with his first script that has been in the making for the last eight years.

    “It looked beautiful in the first 24 hours, but then I realised something was missing. I had met a playwright in New York, who made me realise that I had got a whole bunch of lovely scenes together, but needed a structure. I needed to weave all those scenes together in the form of a necklace and present it to the audience. I made him my guru,” shares Irani. The playwright he was referring to was Alexander Dinelaris, one of the four screenwriters who won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for the 2014 film Birdman.

    The lockdown provided an opportunity to share his learnings gained over the years, with budding writers through virtual sessions, and that led to his special initiative- Spiral Bound. A series of virtual webinars and workshops, where he engages with budding writers and together, they dissect scenes and movies to understand the art of writing a perfect script.

    The initiative that started with four members is now running into its second year, and the team of 400-500 has already completed as many as 375 sessions. Apart from budding writers, there are cinematographers, and production designers who have also expressed keen interest and joined the sessions.

    According to Irani, it takes a robust technique to be a good writer. “It has taken me eight years to understand the power of technique and science. We write with the heart. But everybody has a heart, and a mind, and many people can come up with concepts. But how can you take that concept to a producer and narrate it for two hours. That requires technique. It frees you to think better,” he shares.

    The new age of content has already made content creators realise the tremendous need to evolve. But that transformation hinges on the most crucial element – a well-written script!

    “Now, the scripts will have to be written with a certain amount of momentum, and the entire onus is on the writer. So, if you really want to create content, you need to have writers who have technique in their DNA, who are writing from their heart. Writing is the way to go!” the actor signs off.

    The Content Hub 2021 is co-presented by IN10 Media Network and ZEE5, and co-powered by Applause Entertainment and Tipping Point, the digital content unit of Viacom18 Studios. PTC Network is the supporting partner.

    Centred on the theme – ‘The New Dynamic’, the three-day event will witness insightful sessions with industry stakeholders deliberating on how the new forces are transforming the way content is created and stories are told. It will also delve upon the impact of these changes on the business models for the world of films, TV and OTT.

    For more details, visit: https://www.thecontenthub.in/

  • Fifth edition of Content Hub 2021 all set to get underway on 28 July

    Fifth edition of Content Hub 2021 all set to get underway on 28 July

    New Delhi: Change is the force of nature. More so, when it’s catalysed by digital technology, that not only transforms the way we live, but alters the way we envision the world. The last few years have done exactly that, disrupting the world of media and entertainment and heralding a new era where content is the king.

    Streaming has taken its rightful place as the go-to option for the new-age audiences worldwide. The voracious appetite for visual content has led to a fierce competition among media businesses – both traditional and digital to look for ways to deliver the best quality content in the least possible time.

    This content revolution will take centre-stage at the much-awaited fifth edition of The Content Hub 2021- ‘TV, Film, Digital Video, and Beyond’ being organised by Indiantelevision.com from 28-30 July, 2021. The mega annual event which brings together some of the biggest names from the world of media and entertainment industry together will go virtual this year.

    The three-day summit is co-presented by IN10 Media Network and ZEE5, and co-powered by Applause Entertainment and Tipping Point, the digital content unit of Viacom18 Studios. PTC Network is the supporting partner.

    Centred on the theme – ‘The New Dynamic’, The Content Hub 20201 will witness insightful sessions with industry stakeholders deliberating on how the new forces are transforming the way content is created and stories are told. It will also delve upon the impact of these changes on the business models for the world of films, TV and OTT.

    The three-day event will provide an opportunity to people from across the media industry to know and understand the new trends. So, whether they are content creators, broadcast/OTT professionals, advertising and marketing professionals, technology content providers, writers, directors, producers, content studios, and production houses, the event line-up promises engaging sessions for all.

    There will be over 25 virtual sessions, key notes, fire-side chats, and master classes from the best in the content ecosystem spread over three days, starting Wednesday. It will also give an opportunity to the participants to listen to successful content stories in both TV and digital format from the makers themselves!

    There will be a master-class with director Amit Masurkar and writer Aastha Tiku on ‘What went into the making of Sherni’. The movie featuring Vidya Balan in the lead role debuted on Amazon Prime in June. The event will also host a special masterclass with creators of the popular web-series Scam, with director, writer, producer Hansal Mehta, co-director Jai Mehta,  filmmaker Sumit Purohit, writers Karan Vyas, Saurav Dey and Vaibhav Vishal.

     

     

    Day One will begin with invigorating discussions on the challenges and opportunities before India’s content creators, the growth of OTT, the growing relevance of language personalisation in OTT advertising and the surge of real-life programming. There will also be a session on Factual Entertainment- The rising surge with Discovery Inc, South Asia, managing director, Megha Tata.

    Day Two will begin with presentations on content and consumption trends. There will be an interesting session on building a writer’s room, and creating engaging audio content. It will also witness conversations between industry stakeholders on the new creative regime, and how remote working has altered the way production takes place now.

    Some of the key speakers include : 

    Join us on 28 July for one of the biggest annual get-togethers of content creators from across the industry.

    To register visit: https://thecontenthub.in/index.html

  • Here are the winners of the second edition of Ann Awards

    Here are the winners of the second edition of Ann Awards

    Mumbai: On 17 July, Animation Xpress concluded the second edition of KAM Kids Animation & More summit that successfully brought together all the stakeholders of the animation space from all across the globe. The summit was followed by a grand award ceremony titled the ANN Awards 2021 where the best talents in the world of animation were honoured and recognised for their artistry and creativity.

    KAM Summit and ANN awards were presented by Nick and co-powered by Cosmos-Maya, Unreal-Engine and Discovery Kids. YOTTA served as the workstation partner and OTT service partner whereas Green Gold Animation was the summit partner. ABAI promoting Centre of Excellence (COE) were the associate partners and the event was supported by in10 Media – GUBBARE and HUION. Tokyo-based TBS’ Digicon6 Asia was the festival partner and ASIFA India was the community partner.

    Animators, studios, and individuals from institutes participated across 66 categories, setting a benchmark in the animation space. Over 300 artists were judged by a well-qualified 10-member jury through an online mechanism. The jurors were Vidit Kundra, Shilpa Ranade, Yoshiya Ayugai, Sekhar Mukherjee, Joan Vogelesang, Indrajit Nattoji, Anil Wanvari, Vivek Ram, Jack Liang, Dhimant Vyas.

    The winners will receive the Ann Awards trophy along with digital certificates.

    This year to honour the creative genius and champion of Indian animation industry, the late Arnab Chaudhuri, AnimationXpress introduced a new recognition, ‘The Arnab Chaudhuri Director’s Award’. To select the winners, an Awards Committee was put in place that consisted of people who have been associated with Arnab and understood his philosophies- Vaibhav Kumaresh, Ashish Kulkarni, Pete Bishop, Orion Ross, P Jayakumar, Prakash Moorthy, Hari Varma, Anil Wanvari and Ashima Avasthi.

    The winning student director under ‘The Arnab Chaudhuri Young Ace Award – Short Form content’ will be awarded with a cash prize of Rs 15,001 and the winner of ‘The Arnab Chaudhuri Young Ace Award – Long fort Form content’ will be awarded with Rs 33,001. The cash prize is a joint contribution from Ashima Avasthi, Vaibhav Kumaresh and AnimationXpress. The winners will also receive a digital tablet from our support partner HUION. 

    Here’s the list of Ann Awards nominations and winners:

    PROGRAMMING

    Best Preschool Show

    ·  Mighty Little Bheem episode – A Royal Festival of Colors (Green Gold Animation)

    Best Channel Packaging

    ·  Warner Media India – Pogo Festive Packaging

    Best Promo

    ·  Kaal ka badla (Discovery Kids India)

    ·  Kris Live Action Sport (Warner Media India – Pogo)

    ·  Kris Live Action Stationary (Warner Media India – Pogo)

    ·  Toons ki barish (Warner Media India – Cartoon Network)

    ·  What’s Your Summer Plan (Sony Pictures Networks India)

    Best 2D Animated Series

    ·  Abhimanyu (Toonz Media Group)

    ·  Ting Tong as Inventor (Viacom18 – Nickelodeon)

    ·  Chhota Bheem Episode – Shrunken Kids (Green Gold Animation)

    ·  Fukrey Boyzzz: Vanaar Sena (Discovery Kids India)

    ·  Titoo (Cosmos-Maya)

    Best 3D animated series

    ·  Bhoot Bandhus Family Tree & Bhoot Bandhus Magic Show (Viacom18 – Nickelodeon)

    ·  Rudra – Race to the mountain (Viacom18 – Nickelodeon)

    ·  Bablu Dablu: Monster Plan (One Take Media)

    ·  Motu Patlu (Cosmos-Maya)

    ·  KickO and Super Speedo (Sony Pictures Networks India)

    Best Animated Film

    ·  Fatak Patak – Sheru Ban Gaya Champion (Nihodo Media)

    ·  Rudra – The Land of Nowhere (Viacom18 – Nickelodeon)

    ·  Bheem In The City (Green Gold Animation)

    ·  Little Singham : Kaal ki Shatir Chaal (Discovery Kids India)

    ·  Little Singham: Future mein Satakli (Discovery Kids India)

    Best Animated Short Film

    ·  Ting Tong as Kungfu Dancer (Viacom18 – Nickelodeon)

    ·  Jungle Mangal (Saggitive TechnoCreative Solutions)

    ·  Lamput – Transfer Gun (Warner Media India)

    Best Music Composer

    ·  Har Task with a Mask (Warner Media India)

    ·  Move it Like the Animals (YoBoHo Digital Content)

    ·  Kicko and Super Speedo vs Benaam Who (Sony Pictures Networks India)

    Best Remotely Produced Content

    ·  Bheega Diya na (Warner Media India)

    ·  We for the World (Warner Media India – Pogo)

    ·  Momo and Tulus (YoBoHo Digital Content)

     

    DIGITAL/ OTT AWARDS

    Best Animated Film

    ·  Bombay Rose (Paperboat Design Studios)

    ·  Titoo Ambulance (Warner Media India – Pogo)

    ·  Christmas Ident (Warner Media India – Pogo)

    ·  Simmba Biker Gang (Warner Media India – Pogo)

    Best Animated Digital Series

    ·  Gummy Bear & Friends (Toonz Media Group)

    ·  Mighty Little Bheem Episode – Come Out and Play (Green Gold Animation)

    Best Animated Music Video

    ·  The Fortune & Julia Nem – Lost (Kiran Venugopalan)

    ·  Titoo aisa kyun hain? (Warner Media India)

    ·  Har task with a mask (Warner Media India – Pogo)

    Best Remotely Produced content

    ·  Toons ki barish (Warner Media India – Cartoon Network)

    Best Animated Social Media Brand

    ·  Cosmos-Maya WowKidz

    Best Reels

    ·  Pixoury Media

     

    TECHNICAL AWARDS

    Best Title Design

    ·  Fukrey Boyzzz: Vaanar Sena (Discovery Kids India)

    Best Title Song

    ·  Keymon Ache (Viacom18 – Nickelodeon)

    ·  Hope Song – Phhir Dil Bolega YAY! (Sony Pictures Networks India)

    ·  Honey Bunny ka Jholmaal title song (Sony Pictures Networks India)

    Best Editing in an Animated TV Series

    ·  Motu Patlu (Cosmos-Maya)

    Best Editing in an Animated Film

    ·  Fatak Patak – Sheru Ka World Tour (Nihodo Media)

    ·  Fatak Patak – Sheru Aur Masti Ki Pathshala (Nihodo Media)

    ·  Honey Bunny in Ghost Palace (Sony Pictures Networks India)

    Best Editing in an Animated Digital Series

    ·  Momo and Tulus (YoBoHo Digital Content)

    ·  Ace2Three Rummy (Skill Tool Studio)

    Best Director of an Animated TV series

    ·  Toonz Media Group
    Chacha Chaudhary

    ·  Cosmos-Maya
    Selfie With Bajrangi

    ·  Cosmos-Maya
    Motu Patlu

     

    Technical Awards

    Best Director of an Animated Film

    ·  A THEOREM (AK RAPOLU THEOREM)
    DHIRA

    Best Director of a Digital Series

    ·  Skill Tool Studio
    Ace2Three Rummy

    Best Screenplay

    ·  Fatak Patak – Sheru Ka World Tour (Nihodo Media)

    ·  Fatak Patak – Sheru Ban Gaya Champion (Nihodo Media)

    ·  Honey Bunny and Super Car Race (Sony Pictures Networks India)

    Best Character Design

    ·  Tiger in Jungle Mangal (Saggitive TechnoCreative Solutions)

    ·  Gadget Guru Ganesha (Cosmos-Maya)

    ·  Bapu (Cosmos-Maya)

    Best Character Animation

    ·  One Take Media Bablu
    Dablu: Monster Plan

    Best Voice Over Artist for a TV series – Male

    ·  Sony Pictures Networks India
    Honey Bunny Ka Jholmaal

    Best Voice Over Artist for a Digital series – Female

    ·  YoBoHo Digital Content Build
    A Childrens Playground

    Best Technical Innovation

    ·  A THEOREM (AK RAPOLU THEOREM)

    DHIRA

    L&M (Licensing & Merchandising) Awards

    Best Animated Character Merchandise

    ·  Chhota Bheem Saregama Carvaan Mini (Green Gold Animation)

    Best Animated Series Merchandise

    ·  Fatak Patak (Nihodo Media)

    Best Licensed Animated Character Programme

    ·  Chhota Bheem (Green Gold Animation)

    Best Licensed Animated Series Programme

    ·  Bablu Dablu: Snow Daze (One Take Media)

    Best use of Leveraging a Character for Brand Marketing

    ·  Chhota Bheem Jelimal Candies (Green Gold Animation)

     

    MAM (Media, Advertising and Marketing) Awards

    Best Animated Brand Film

    ·  Air India Animated Brand Films (ARTHA Animation)

    ·  Ace2Three Rummy (Skill Tool Studio)

    ·  TRAQ by Titan (Paperboat Design Studio)

    Best Digital Campaign for an Animated Series

    ·  Fukreyy Boyzzz Launch (Discovery Kids India)

    ·  Kaal ki Shatir Chaal (Discovery Kids India)

    ·  Ace2Three Rummy (Skill Tool Studio)

    Best use of Animated Character in a Brand TVC

    ·  Air India Animated Brand Advertisements (ARTHA Animation)

    Best Experiential Marketing

    ·  School Contact Programme (Discovery Kids India)

    Best Brand Collaboration

    ·  Fukrey Boyzzz x Britannia Krunch (Discovery Kids India)

    Best Innovative Campaign

    ·  SuperHero Academy (Discovery Kids India)

     

    Student Awards

    Best Student 3D Film

    ·  Deep Trouble (MAAC Andheri – Mumbai)

    ·  Let’s Go (MAAC South Extension – New Delhi)

    ·  BOOND (MAAC Malad – Mumbai)

    Best Student 2D film

    ·  Story of a Beginning
    Balaram J (National Institute of Design)

    ·  Water Pollution
    Vishnu Balal (UNESCO H2Ooooh! – Waterwise Program 2021 by Toonz Media Group)

    ·  Blinding Lights Music Video
    Dhruv Dhindale, Sakshi Singh & Aman Singh (DICE VFS)

     

    SPECIAL AWARDS

    Best Animator – Female

    ·  Meera Latkar (Warner Media India – POGO)
    Bheega diya naa

    Best Animator – Male

    ·  Mukund Bhaleghare (Skill Tool Studio)
    ACE2THREE Rummy

    Best Indie Studio

    ·  Paperboat Design Studios

    Young Animator of the Year

    ·  Balaram J (National Institute of Design)
    Story of a Beginning

    Best Animated Music Video

    ·  Jazyl Homavazir & Amandeep Singh
    Homeless Homeboy Animated Opening

    ·  YoBoHo Digital Content
    Move it Like the Animals

    ·  Discovery Kids India
    Little Singham: Kaal ki shatir Chaal

    ·  Kiran Venugopalan & Aishwarya Manoj Mankar
    The Fortune & Julia Nem – Lost

    Best Bollywood inspired animated IP

    ·  Fukrey Boyzzz (Discovery Kids India)

    Best use of animation in a public service message nominee

    ·  Pollution Control Day 2020 (Digitalclay Studios)

    ·  Mumbai Police Parivaar (ARTHA Animation)

    ·  Fukrey Boyzzz: Swag wali Diwali (Discovery Kids India)

    Best Syndicated Content  

    ·  Bablu Dablu: Sunsational Summer (One Take Media)

     

    EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARDS

    Best 3D Series Overall- TV and OTT

    ·  Mondo Yan (Toonz Media Group)

    ·  Mighty Little Bheem Episode – A Flower For Mom (Green Gold Animation)

     

    Most Expansive Studio of the Year
    Cosmos-Maya

    The Arnab Chaudhuri Director’s Award

    The Arnab Chaudhuri Young ACE Award – Short Form

    ·  Notun Fasal (New Harvest)
    Sovan Dutta (SRFTI)

    The Arnab Chaudhuri Young ACE Award – Long Form

    ·  Story of a Beginning
    Balaram J (National Institute of Design)

    The Arnab Chaudhuri Animation ACE Award

    ·  Chandra’s Cafe
    Krishna Chandran A. Nair

  • upGrad names Shreyas Shevade as Head of Creative & Content Marketing for India

    Mumbai: Higher ed-tech start-up upGrad on Thursday announced the appointment of Shreyas Shevade as the head of creative and content marketing. Shreyas’s role will be to integrate upGrad’s brand messaging across traditional and new media.

    An award-winning creative professional, Shevade brings with him over 11 years of experience in integrated advertising, digital marketing, PR, and relationship marketing. He has previously worked with leading and multi-national agencies such as MRM//McCann, Edelman, Contract Advertising, Rediffusion Y&R, and Grey Worldwide.

    Through the course of his career, Shevade has crafted clutter-breaking campaigns for brands like Volkswagen, Durex, Surf Excel, Dove, Bajaj Allianz, and IndiaFirst Life Insurance, which have won several national and international awards.

    On welcoming Shreyas to his new role, upGrad, CEO-India, Arjun Mohan said, “Smartly-crafted branded content and storytelling skills have the potential to connect with audiences at an emotional level. Shreyas’s rich marketing experience and cultural inclination will help us strengthen our brand presence across the country. We are thrilled to welcome Shreyas to the upGrad family.”

    Talking about his new role, Shevade, said, “Edtech is at an interesting juncture of revolutionising education, changing the norms of how, where, when, and who it is made accessible to, and upGrad is at the helm of this revolution. The fact that upGrad’s philosophy of Lifelong Learning matches my own, and that I get to work closely with entrepreneurs I’ve admired from afar, is what I’m pumped about the most.”

    Inclined to the tradition of imparting knowledge and education even outside of work, Shreyas gives guest lectures at Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad. He also works with home-grown businesses within his networks, to guide and mentor them in their marketing initiatives, said the company in a statement.

  • YuppTV re-launches Zee channels in US

    New Delhi: Streaming platform for South-Asian content, YuppTV has re-launched Zee Network channels in the US and Canada.

    YuppTV viewers will now be able to catch a wide mix of relatable fiction, high voltage non-fiction, marquee events, and blockbuster movies in Hindi & regional languages from Zee channels, announced the platform on Wednesday.

    ‘’We are delighted to once again join hands with Zee Entertainment, to bring back its premium entertainment channels to the US and Canada markets,” said Yupp TV founder, and CEO, Uday Reddy. “The US market has been at the forefront of digitization, not only in access but also in Ad Sales. With our platform now, Zee can offer its advertisers not only the incremental HHs but also structure deals based on delivery (impressions) both at a national or local level, an advantage that no other platform offers to its programmers. Every Ad on Yupp can be measured to the last dot and that is a game-changer for the South Asian Advertisers in the US”. 

    Be it captivating family dramas such as Kumkum Bhagya, the family comedy BhabhiJi Ghar Par Hai, or the reality show ‘Indian Pro Music League’, YuppTV users can access the Zee channels offerings through its platform. The users will also get access to channels such as Zee TV, & TV and Zee Cinema as well as various regional channels such as Zee Telugu, Zee Tamil, Zee Kannada, Zee Keralam, Zee Punjabi, Zee Marathi, and Zee Bangla

  • Content spending to top $250 billion by year-end, amid soaring demand

    New Delhi: Despite a year of uncertainty and production hiatuses due to the global pandemic, streaming platforms have set the global film and TV industry on a trajectory of accelerated growth with no imminent ceiling in sight. According to a latest assessment by London-based fin-tech platform, Purely Streamonomics, audience demand, production spending, and TV budgets reached all-time highs during the pandemic.

    While the actual number of films that went into production dropped last year, and TV series experienced shooting delays, more cash than ever was committed to content, reflecting continually rising production budgets and greater rights-buying activity.

    Production spending to top $250 billion by year-end

    Based on current trend lines, Purely expects production spending to top $250 billion by year-end, and then keep rising beyond that, especially as media mergers: Warner Bros Discovery, Amazon-MGM and Televisa-Univision start to flex their combined muscles around the planet.

    “What is remarkable about these record numbers is that the industry’s spending has yet to bump up against any natural ceiling. Every year there is talk of the industry being on the cusp of ‘peak television’ and yet it is clear from our own business dealings that the streaming of films and TV shows is only now starting to reach escape velocity,” said Purely, founder and CEO, Wayne Marc Godfrey, “Streaming is not just displacing traditional sources of entertainment revenue such as pay-TV and linear broadcasting, it is actually expanding the global marketplace for video.”

    The research shows that gross cash amount spent producing and licensing new entertainment content (excluding sports) soared by 16.4 per cent in 2020 to reach $220.2 billion, setting yet another milestone that is on track to be surpassed again this year. “But this is only the start of what’s to come. Even more spending growth is on the short-term horizon as a new wave of ad-supported platforms start gaining a stronger foothold around the world, alongside the subscription-funded services that have been driving the streaming marketplace until now,” says the report by the London-based fin-tech platform.

    Four emerging trends:

    Deluge of new streaming platforms:

    Since 2019, the number of global customers subscribing to streaming video platforms (has grown from 642 million to more than 1.1 billion, a 71 per cent leap that has been turbo-charged by months of enforced lockdowns at home. The pandemic not only drove rampant growth on existing platforms, it also accelerated the acceptance of powerful new global competitors including Disney Plus, Apple TV Plus, HBO Max, Peacock, Discovery Plus, Paramount Plus and Star. Joining these global platforms in the hunt for monthly customers are several regional Champions. Total number of subscribers is expected to reach at least 1.6 billion by 2025—representing about a fifth of the planet’s total projected population by then.

    Content Spending Reaches a New High

    As more platforms entered the streaming market and audience demand reached all-time highs in 2020, overall Film & TV production spending increased worldwide.

    According to the research, The Walt Disney Co remains the biggest single spender on content, with a grossed-up total of $28.6 billion for 2020 – which is more than spend across the whole of Asia ($27.7 billion) last year, followed by recently formed Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix. Once Amazon completes its own acquisition of MGM, that combined entity would rank as the fourth largest North American production. On that basis these top four companies alone, with combined spending of $75.3 billion, almost equates to the entire worldwide spending outside of North America ($77.3)

    Spending On Indie Content Surges

    As much as Netflix and the five major Hollywood studios spend producing their own content, independently made and acquired content accounts for twice as much money globally. According to Purely Streamonomics’ global research, indie content spending jumped by 25.3 per cent year-on-year in 2020 and now accounts for 65.5 per cent of the world’s film and TV production activity.

    Budgets Are Soaring for TV shows

    As audiences continue to grow, and more competition enters the market, the stakes keep getting higher. In order to stay competitive, producers face pressure to up their production spending. As a result, budgets have risen in recent years, especially for TV shows. According to the research, average budgets across all new series in the US– scripted, unscripted, daytime and kids – was on the rise, up 16.5 per cent in 2020. The cost of introducing and monitoring COVID protocols in 2020 also added 20-30 per cent to production budgets.

    The findings of the research were presented in the form of infographics by Purely Streamonomics and created by digital publisher Visual Capitalist. The data is based on SEC filings by U.S. media conglomerates and tech giants, as well as reports published by national film and TV data-gathering organisations around the world.

  • IN10 Media’s Ishara resumes shooting, set to bring fresh content

    Mumbai: The IN10 Media Network’s general entertainment channel, Ishara, has resumed the shooting of its original shows, which remained suspended for weeks due to the second wave of the pandemic.

    The shows Agni-Vayu, a romantic thriller, Paapnaashini Ganga, a mythological show, and family drama, Janani have begun shooting for new episodes while adhering to all the government rules to protect its cast and crew, the channel announced on Friday.

    “The pandemic hit us hard, and like many other industries, the media and entertainment sector was no exception. With shoots getting cancelled, the broadcasters had to make do with reruns of existing shows or bring back older popular shows to the small screen,” said the channel in a statement.

    Launched on 1 March, Ishara, is known for its version 2.0 of Indian soap operas. The shows cater to the changing mindset of the audiences while keeping the Indian culture and traditions intact.

    Ever since the restrictions were announced on 14 April, television producers and broadcasters in Maharashtra had been struggling to run daily shows and bring fresh content. One of the worst-affected states, Maharashtra has now shown a consistent slowdown in the number of new infections in June, following which the state government began easing its strict rules in stages.

    “With the situation improving and the government easing the restrictions, the GEC is ready to once again entertain the audiences with new plots & twists,” it announced on Friday.
     

  • Amazon Studios launches inclusion policy & playbook

    Mumbai: This is one production studio which is putting its money where its mouth is. And it should even get a nod of appreciation from the Indian ministries of information and broadcasting, electronics and information technology, and even education. Even as many companies are talking about inclusion and diversity, the Culver City (California, US)- based Amazon Studios released on 16 June a comprehensive inclusion policy that extends its commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity for its content and productions, as well as a playbook with guidelines for its collaborators in the creative community.

    These guides offer detailed and actionable recommendations as Amazon Studios continues to seek out stories and storytelling that amplify voices across race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation, age, religion, disability (including mental health), body size, gender, gender identity, and gender expression for the global Prime Video audience.

    “Amazon Studios has long prioritised telling innovative and inclusive stories from a diverse range of creative talent, delighting our global audiences. We wanted to move beyond good intentions to creating mechanisms that hold us accountable to a high bar. This inclusion policy and inclusion playbook adds important, additional depth and guidance for our internal teams and external partners to ensure we continue to advance our shared mission of amplifying the best creatives and content around the world,” said Amazon Studios executive head of diversity, equity & inclusion Latasha Gillespie in a press release.  

    “With the establishment of our inclusion policy and inclusion playbook, Amazon Studios has committed itself to being a thought and action leader in the transformation of our industry,” said Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke. “We know how much work there is to be done to improve representation both on-camera and behind the scenes, and it starts at home, with us. With clear directives and a commitment to accountability, these guides provide a path toward a more equitable future, both on- and off-camera.”

    Amazon Studios shared the policy and playbook with creators, including Gloria Calderón Kellett, creator and executive producer of the upcoming Amazon Original series With Love. Said Kellett, “I am so proud to be a part of a creative community at Amazon that understands the importance of what I’ve been doing my whole career. Inclusive hiring is what makes a change. Opportunity and an eye towards changing things through action is what makes a change. Thrilled that Amazon has put together this playbook to start important conversations with their other creatives. This is real action and commitment and I’m thrilled to see it!”

    Upload’s creator and executive producer, Greg Daniels said: “Having worked with Amazon Studios for several years, I can confirm their commitment to inclusiveness is deep, sincere, sensitive, and practical. These new guidelines should encourage talented people from historically underrepresented groups to feel more confident about making a career in Hollywood.”

    Establishing expectations for Amazon Studios and its creative partners, the inclusion policy covers four primary areas: developing stories and characters, hiring and production, reporting and documentation, and meeting goals. The policy ensures meaningful visibility in Amazon Studios’ content and throughout all aspects of the production process — both in the stories being told and the people hired to tell them. The policy includes specific goals for Amazon Studios productions, including:

    • Each film or series with a creative team of three or more people in above-the-line roles (directors, writers, producers) should ideally include a minimum 30 per cent women and 30 per cent members of an underrepresented racial/ethnic group. This aspirational goal will increase to 50 per cent by 2024.
    • Casting actors whose identity (gender, gender identity, nationality, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability) aligns with the character they will be playing.
    • Aiming to include one character from each of the following categories in speaking roles, with a minimum 50 per cent of these to be women: LGBTQIA+, a person with a disability, and three regionally underrepresented race/ethnic/cultural groups. A single character can fulfill one or more of these identities.
    • Seeking at least three bids from vendors or suppliers on productions, one of which must be from a woman-owned business and one from a minority-owned business.
    • Pay equity across casting, behind the camera staff and crew, and vendors and suppliers.

    Amazon Studios will provide a report template for each production to indicate whether these expectations were met, which will be submitted within one month of the completion of principal photography. This reporting exceeds the minimum standards set by the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences but ensures Amazon is poised to report on the diversity of their films for Academy Award contention.

    Through the setting of goals and tracking of adherence to these policies, Amazon Studios, says “it is expanding its commitment to increasing representation on camera and behind the scenes, contributing to efforts to move the industry forward to a more inclusive future.”

    The inclusion playbook puts in place intentional practices to minimize and disrupt biases, providing specific guidance that will help everyone within and working with Amazon Studios to meet the expectations set in the inclusion policy. The playbook provides direction on how to make inclusive decisions while telling authentic stories and hiring the best people for the job; knowledge of where to go for help, including tools to make inclusive decisions; tools to identify criteria for making creative choices, leading to balanced, consistent and informed decisions; and ways to foster curiosity and ask questions to disrupt the status quo about “how things are done.”

    Amazon Studios worked closely with Dr. Stacy Smith and Dr. Katherine Pieper of USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, and with Brenda Robinson of the International Documentary Association and Gamechanger Films on the creation of the policy and playbook. The studio also consulted with leading organizations devoted to advancing the visibility and responsible depictions of underrepresented or marginalized people, including GLAAD, Illuminative, Think Tank for Inclusion & Equity, and the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund.

    “Frankly, the outcomes of DEI work within the entertainment industry have not been swift or sweeping. In part, that can be attributed to disingenuous approaches to address the systemic barriers to entry that have long plagued Hollywood,” said Smith. “But now, Amazon Studios has created a comprehensive new blueprint that will change Hollywood by elevating those who have historically lacked access. I’m immensely proud of this new policy and I know it will be a gamechanger throughout an industry often resistant to real change.”

    One will have to wait and watch whether Amazon’s new inclusion policy will be applicable to its Indian productions as well. The diversity, equity, and inclusion team within it which was instrumental in drawing up the changes has “telling inclusive narratives to globally diverse audiences” as one of its main focuses.

  • We are working towards a diverse content offering: Zee5’s Nimisha Pandey

    KOLKATA: Zee5 has announced a partnership with TVF (The Viral Fever) as the platform looks at diversifying its library. In the last few months, ZEE’s digital arm has stepped up its content game by acquiring blockbuster Radhe and buying rights for Friends: The Reunion to stream in India.

    “We have been aggressively going after a vast range of consumers, pan-India audience base, and catering to an audience of all kinds of backgrounds. That is why from Radhe to Friends, and now Sunflower, we are working towards a diverse content offering. It is the continuation of that ambition that we bring TVF onboard,” Zee5 India Hindi originals head Nimisha Pandey said.

    She also added that Zee5 does not only want diverse content but wants to be the home to the country’s best storytellers. The platform is focusing on getting good content creators of the platform and the TVF partnership is one of the many to come in the future.

    The latest partnership includes the launch of originals and new seasons of iconic TVF shows on its SVOD platform, along with popular cult favourites that will be accessible to all, on its AVOD platform. Thus Zee5 will have some of the key IPs on the platform which will also be available on another platform but it will have the subsequent seasons of those IPs exclusively. In addition to these subsequent seasons, Zee5 is also creating some exclusive new IPs.

    “People often say that we are targeting youth with this content, I am a firm believer that it’s more about the content you like irrespective of the age group you are in. TVF content resonates with the spirit of youth. That’s the DNA we are going after,” Pandey noted.

    Hence, the audience that Zee5 is targeting through the deal is not tied to not a segment per se, but to a taste cluster itself. Moreover, a huge chunk of the new audience has come on the platform thanks to a new slate of content. The platform hopes to continue to engage them with content from TVF, she added.

    Zee5 has an exclusive line-up of new seasons of acclaimed TVF shows such as Pitchers Season 2, Tripling Season 3, Humorously Yours Season 3 for its subscribers. Iconic titles like Permanent Roommates, Tech Conversations with Dad, Awkward Conversations, PA-Gals, Inmates, Weekends, The Insiders, Zeroes will be accessible to all users.

    “We don’t want to miss an opportunity to have a piece of content that will be loved by the audience. Even if we talk about the TVF deal, we will shoot new seasons. The partnership has not happened because we have not been able to create content. It happened because we wanted to have TVF content,” Pandey answered when asked if Zee5 is going big after the acquisition because of difficulties in shooting in the current time.