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  • Glimmers of hope for box office recovery

    Glimmers of hope for box office recovery

    Los Angeles: The global box office is accelerating. Revenues in 2021 could hit 21.6 billion, according to a revised forecast from the research firm Gower Street Analytics. The estimate has been revised from a previous estimate of $20.2 billion with a potential additional upside that could see the current year finish closer to $22 billion globally.

    “The $1.4 billion gain to the global prediction since our previous estimate, which was based on eight months of actuals and estimates for the final four months of the year, is primarily due to the blockbuster boost brought about by October,” said the firm.

    The reason for the shift is driven primarily by the strong performance of October titles including China’s ‘The Battle at Lake Changjin’ ($845 million through the past Sunday), MGM/Eon/Universal’s “No Time To Die” ($605.7 million) and Sony’s “Venom: Let there Be Carnage” ($395.8M). Warner Bros/Legendary’s “Dune” is also coming out of a strong, expanded release frame with a global total of $296.4 million.

    The $21.6 billion estimates would put 2021, 80 per cent ahead of 2020, but still 49 per cent behind 2019’s record global tally. This is the final estimate the firm plans to publish for 2021 before actuals are announced in early January.

    According to Gower Street, the market share of global box office represented by North America (aka the domestic US) held relatively unchanged, down from 21.8 per cent to 21.6 per cent. Likewise, Latin America held steady, down from 4.9 per cent to 4.6 per cent. These markets are expected to remain relatively unchanged between 2020 and 2021. The Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) dropped from 23.1% to 21.6 per cent.

    In contrast, the Asian-Pacific (APAC) market is expected to expand its share from just over 50 per cent in 2020 to 52.2 per cent in 2021. However, the APAC gain is entirely due to China, which has made its own further encroachment within the APAC region, with a reduced market share of the worldwide box office in the region’s other key markets: Japan, South Korea, and Australia. China is expected to represent nearly 34 per cent of the global box office in 2021, compared to just over 28 per cent in 2020. Japan, meanwhile, sees its market share halve from 12.2 per cent to just six per cent. Korea drops from 4.1 per cent to 2.4 per cent, and Australia from 2.7 per cent to 2.1 per cent.

    Hollywood, in general, is still feeling the fallout from the pandemic. Despite US theatres being mostly back in full operations, there has been hesitation on the part of audiences to return to filling seats to full capacity. However, Hollywood studios and theatre owners are beginning to entice a return to the big screen with persuasive marketing campaigns and exclusive in-theatre movie releases.

    Likewise, the Indian Box Office took a hard hit due to the coronavirus pandemic. Bollywood had a banner year in 2019 and heading into 2020, according to Statista, the box office revenue for the Indian film industry was valued at about Rs 139 billion. This figure was estimated to drop to only Rs 30 billion a year later due to the pandemic impact. However, hope remains high as theatres begin to reopen. Movie theatres in the entertainment capital of Mumbai reopened on 22 October after 18 months of closure due to Covid-19.

    Overall, the global estimate for October has risen nearly 30 per cent from an original estimate of $2.5 billion to $3.2 billion. This would put October business just 4 per cent behind the average of the three pre-pandemic years (2017-2019) for the month. No previous month in 2021 has performed better than 40 per cent behind the three-year average.

    “The Battle at Lake Changjin” tops the 2021 worldwide box office chart with more than $845 million in ticket sales to date. China’s blockbuster “Hi, Mom” which was released in February, follows at number two with $822 million. Universal carries the number three spot with “F9: The Fast Saga” with $721.1 million. China’s “Detective Chinatown 3” is number four worldwide ($686.3 million).

  • Nippon TV inks licensing deal with Netflix

    Nippon TV inks licensing deal with Netflix

    Mumbai: Nippon TV, Japan’s multiplatform entertainment company, has partnered with Netflix for the first time to make 30 of its biggest drama series and entertainment shows available outside Japan, all across Asia.

    The first 15 titles have just started to stream in October. Titles include its mega-hit 2011 drama series “I’m Mita,” “Your Housekeeper,” whose last episode broke records with a 40 per cent viewer rating in Japan and has also been successful as a scripted format and licensed to Korea; “Death Note,” which is a live-action drama based on its widely popular comic series, and “Tokyo Tarareba Girls,” which is also remade from the hit comic series that saw over 1.8 million copies printed throughout Japan.

    From December, another 15 titles will be added, including the 2019 award-winning drama series “Mr Hiiragi’s Homeroom,” “Your Turn to Kill,” and “Life’s Punchline,” which was broadcast this year with almost 14 million total views to date on TVer, a VOD streaming service in Japan. 

    Entertainment shows as part of this deal include the highly popular adventure variety show “The Quest,” and the contest show “Masquerade,” which is one of Nippon TV’s longest-running programs with its over 40 years history.

    “We are very pleased to announce that Netflix will be offering our content to its audience across Asia,” stated Nippon TV head of finished program sales, international business development Keisuke Miyata. “This region is a key part of our continued growth, and now coupled with Netflix’s strength as one of the world’s leading streaming platforms, we are confident that Nippon TV’s titles will be well received by viewers in this prominent new territory for us.”

  • This Diwali, Shemaroo MarathiBana to telecast ‘Baahubali’ in Marathi

    This Diwali, Shemaroo MarathiBana to telecast ‘Baahubali’ in Marathi

    Mumbai: Marathi movie TV channel Shemaroo MarathiBana is all set to bring the Marathi version of the action epic franchise “Baahubali”  for its viewers this Diwali. This festive special release will be aired on 4 November.

    Noted Marathi film and theatre personalities including Dr Amol Kolhe, Pravin Tarde, Sonalee Kulkarni, Gashmeer Mahajani, Uday Sabnis, Sanskruti Balgude, and other artists have lent their voices to the eponymous characters. Even the songs of the movie have been re-created in Marathi by music director, Kaushal Inamdar. The songs have been translated to Marathi by writer and lyricist Vaibhav Joshi, Milind Joshi & Asmita Pandey.

    “We have constantly strived to add value to our consumers and partners by setting new benchmarks in the industry by bringing exciting content to our audiences,” stated Shemaroo Entertainment COO- broadcasting business Sandeep Gupta. “Taking the scale higher, we will be adding more thrilling content to the list which is going to be a delight for both our audiences and advertisers alike.”

    The “Baahubali” films blurred the line between Bollywood and regional cinema and the Marathi version of the films will be another leap in the film’s journey in the hearts of fans.

  • Cinema is not going to be an easy sell: Inox’s Anand Vishal on advertisers returning

    Cinema is not going to be an easy sell: Inox’s Anand Vishal on advertisers returning

    Mumbai: After nearly 18 months of strict lockdowns and intermittent breathers, the opening of theatres in Maharashtra signals the much-awaited revival of the industry that was hit hardest among all entertainment media. With an estimated 146 million people returning to the theatres, advertiser interest in the medium is also witnessing healthy revival, albeit slowly.

    For the next three months starting Diwali, an impressive line-up of movies including ‘Sooryavanshi’, ‘Bunty aur Babli 2’, ‘Satyamev Jayate 2’, ‘83 The Film’, ‘Jersey’, ‘Tadap’, ‘Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui’, ‘No Means No’, ‘Annaatthe’, ‘777 Charlie’, ‘Pushpa : The Rise’, ‘Antim: The Final Truth’ and ‘Bhavai’ awaits the audiences in 2021 alone.

    Inox Leisure Ltd chief sales and revenue officer Anand Vishal tells us that the continuous flow of content from Diwali will ensure the return of advertisers to the cinema, however, it could take anywhere between three to six months for the volumes and rates to reach pre-covid levels.

    In-cinema advertising contributes around 11-12 per cent to the overall revenue pie for Inox. Vishal is expecting a 25-30 per cent drop in rates from what he was operating at earlier. As regards volumes, in a typical week like ‘Sooryavanshi’, there used to be nearly 100-125 advertisers on board, nationally. He anticipates 75-80 per cent of them to return for the big Diwali release on 5 November.

    Even as the situation plays out, Vishal says that numbers are not his primary concern at present. The focus is on bringing advertisers who have been away from the medium due to the lack of either content or a proper timing of the release, back to it.

    “The strength of Cinema as an advertising medium is that it offers a large and relevant audience for brands across categories. Unlike TV where there is a lot of refraction or variance happening, the definite and premium price-points at which we operate are what get brands interested in us. It’s just a matter of time until advertisers taste the success of this medium once again. In the meanwhile, though, Cinema is not going to be an easy sell,” he avers.

    Given the uncertainty that prevails around the number of footfalls in theatres, brands, even though enthusiastic about the reopening, are treading with caution. While all sorts of pricing negotiations continue to happen, Vishal informs that Inox is encouraging marketers to opt for the CPC or Cost Per Contact model wherein the advertiser pays for the number of admits at a fixed rate per person.

    “The numbers of the audience may have gone done, but the quality hasn’t, and therefore we believe this model is best suited and fair for both parties. The approach is working well with the premium, regular clients who are well-acquainted with the medium, but a lot of small and medium budget clients do not understand this model, and that’s where rate negotiations come into the picture. That being said, we are carefully judging where we need to stop. In the process of making informed decisions, we might have to let people go, but we are definitely not selling ourselves short,” he asserts.

    Among the brands that are proactively returning are the likes of Manyavar, Siyaram’s, Allen Solly, Lux, and OnePlus that share a long association with Cinemas, being present on all screens throughout the year. Others that advertise five-six times in a year are the ones that the multiplex brand is making an effort to reach out to for the volumes.

    For ‘No Time to Die’ Inox roped in two new luxury clients, namely, Tata CLiQ and NDC (Natural Diamond Council). The rise of new-age, online/tech advertisers that was fuelled by the pandemic has been media agnostic. Vishal shares that he is “looking forward to a good 15-20 per cent advertisers from this space, which includes e-commerce, edtech, and cryptocurrency brands, pushing revenues for Inox”. 

  • Pulling back the curtain on cell phone cinema

    Pulling back the curtain on cell phone cinema

    Los Angeles: Director, writer, and producer, Vineesha Arora-Sarin mixed together unusual but effective ingredients combining a family vacation, an epiphany, her iPhone, and adding a generous portion of talent to produce her debut feature “Between Mountains,” a visually whimsical but sobering thematic drama about loss, guilt, and mental health.

    Arora-Sarin grew up in New York balancing her western upbringing with her cultural Indian roots. She traveled to India post-college to reevaluate her life and reconnect with family and ended up enrolling in a drama class. It was there she was set up on a blind date with her future husband, a young, talented drama student and future Bollywood star, Amit Sarin. In 2003, Arora-Sarin made her acting debut in the film “Supari” just as Sarin began landing television roles. It turned out to be a pivotal year as she later traveled to New York where she met her idol, Al Pacino after his Broadway show. Her meeting with Pacino added clarity and inspired a shift in focus to pursue writing. Upon her return to India, Arora-Sarin began honing her skills in writing, as well as acting. In 2009, she started a production company along with her husband producing short films and media advertising, as well as organising Bollywood events.

    In 2018, after lining up projects in Los Angeles, Arora-Sarin and Sarin decided to make the leap from Bollywood to Hollywood. Early in 2020, just as their creative ventures were moving forward, the Covid-19 virus began its deadly march shutting down productions in Bollywood, Hollywood, and around the world.

    “My main mantra of life is to keep moving forward, keep creating, keep inspired. My mantra became my savior during this time. I kept an open mind and kept thinking about how do we turn this around into something positive,” Arora-Sarin stated.

    With the Covid-19 pandemic raging, their projects side-lined, and with their two children off from school, the couple decided to take a family road trip through the natural beauty and tranquility of national parks from California to Colorado and through Utah. A close family friend and Sarin’s onetime co-star Sushant Singh Rajput had committed suicide earlier that month and his sudden and tragic death was weighing heavy on them. Early one morning while on the trip, Arora-Sarin woke up with an epiphany, an idea about the effects experienced by people from a sudden loss and the mystic power of nature to heal.

    She brought out her iPhone and with no script in hand, started to shoot with her basic concept and the surrounding nature serving as her inspirations. With “Between Mountains,” Arora-Sarin became the first female director, writer, and producer to make a film entirely on an iPhone.

    “I had an iPhone in my pocket and I thought to myself, ‘What’s stopping me?’ That’s the beauty and convenience of cell phone cinema. You just need a little knowledge in terms of how to take your shot and you need a compelling story,” Arora-Sarin said.

    “Between Mountains” stars Arora-Sarin’s husband, Amit Sarin, and tells the story of a recently widowed father who reaches his breaking point after also losing his young son to an untimely sudden death. Overcome with sadness he sets out on the road with the intent of ending his life.

    His journey takes audiences on a progressive journey of self-discovery, enlightenment, and acceptance. The film features a haunting soundtrack, written and performed by Nashville musician Scott Turek, which helped create the mood of the film.

    Arora-Sarin’s advice to aspiring filmmakers: “If you have a burning desire and passion to tell a story, you don’t need to wait. Find a way to tell that story,” she stated.

    “Between Mountains” wooed the audience at its world premiere in Los Angeles in August with its raw story and visual beauty. In addition, attendees were later astounded to learn the film was shot entirely on an iPhone. It won Best Narrative Feature with Amit Sarin taking home the Best Actor prize at the AFI Karl Bardosh Cell Phone Cinema Humanitarian Awards which take place during the Cannes Film Festival. In addition, the song, World on Fire featured in the film was released in a separate music video and won the Best Music Video award.
    With her innovative work in “Between Mountains,” Arora-Sarin is inspiring a new way of thinking and approach to filmmaking. The use of cell phone technology expands possibilities to creative filmmakers for their stories to be told. She is set to start work on her second feature, Deathbed, to be shot on an iPhone, as well. In addition, Arora-Sarin is working on a crime drama web series “End of Karma” and along with her husband, Sarin is producing “Tiger Heart,” an anti-poaching feature on tigers.

  • Zee Ganga begins its new journey with superstar Nirahua in Varanasi

    Zee Ganga begins its new journey with superstar Nirahua in Varanasi

    Mumbai: Zee Ganga, a premium GEC channel by Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) – which is redefining Bhojpuri content, has announced its journey with a fresh array of never before seen original content for the audience. On Thursday, the channel initiated the launch in Varanasi with one of the biggest Bhojpuri superstars Dinesh Lal Yadav aka Nirahua.

    With this launch, Zee Ganga will be the only Bhojpuri GEC in the category that will showcase original fiction and non-fiction shows to the audience of the region.

    To establish its top-notch quality, the channel further enhanced the originality and premium quotient of its event by inviting Bhojpuri superstar Pradeep ‘Chintu’ Pandey as the host of this on-ground event that was also graced by the leading protagonists of its fiction shows and channel dignitaries including Zeel cluster head – East Samrat Ghosh, and senior VP – Bhojpuri cluster Amarpreet Singh Saini.

    The highly-anticipated launch event kick-started with the Ganga Maha-Arti that set the tone for the proceedings and was followed by a lamp-lighting ceremony by Nirahua, Chintu Pandey, Samrat Ghosh and Amarpreet Singh Saini. That wasn’t all as the highlight of the event witnessed a spectacular performance by superstar Nirahua on the Zee Ganga brand song.

    Staying true to their motto ‘Har Pal Aviral’ which is to keep moving forward through challenges and continuously reinvent themselves, the all revamped Zee Ganga is going vocal for local. Aimed at becoming the ultimate family entertainer, the channel is deeply rooted in original Bhojpuri content.  

    Celebrating the Bhojpuriya spirit with full gusto, the fresh slate of content comprises over 14 hours of originals that include 10 hours of four fictional shows and four hours of one non-fiction show, over 500 titles featuring blockbuster and latest Bhojpuri films, and an impressive lineup of some of the biggest events in the category.

    Zeel’s Samrat Ghosh spoke about how they are focused on tapping the growing demand for local content. He said, “There has been a growing demand for vernacular language content for its cultural relevance & its ability to engage with the audiences in their own mother tongue which further helps to build more connect & trust. So, the new mantra has clearly emerged out to be ‘local by local for the local’. So our idea to entertain and engage with our audiences has stem from our deep understanding of our consumers and our passion for telling relatable stories in the Bhojpuri language – ‘Aapan Kissa, Aapan Boli’. These stories are deeply rooted in Bhojpuri culture & ethos and will reflect the unstoppable Bhojpuriya spirit. We are excited to partner Nirahua as our brand ambassador whose ‘Aviral’ personality completely compliments our brand philosophy ‘Har Pal Aviral.’ We are quite excited & happy to see the overwhelming response we have received in Varanasi which will motivate us further to continue with our Aviral journey of telling more relatable stories to our audiences.” 

    Zee Ganga’s all-new fiction content slate boasts a variety of shows in different genres. There is musical family drama “Shyamtulsi” (7 p.m), the romantic drama, “Mitwa” (7.30 p.m), “Kanya Pradhan,” a socio-cultural family drama (8 p.m), and “Bandhan Tute Na,” a family drama with a supernatural twist (8.30 p.m). The channel also has an exciting reality show to offer titled “Memsaab No 1” (9 p.m). All these shows will be aired Monday to Friday on the channel.

    Talking about Zee Ganga and the successful launch event at Varanasi, actor Nirahua said, “There is more to Bhojpuri culture than many are probably aware of, so when Zee Ganga decided to highlight the same, I was more than happy and grateful to join the initiative that focuses on quality content The most important thing for me was the alignment of the brand philosophy with my life’s story- Har Pal Aviral. Unstoppable in spirit no matter what challenges come our way, this is what defines us Bhojpuriyas. The launch today in Varanasi has been a memorable one.  I feel a long-term association with the idea and the team who have been working relentlessly to make this a success. The concepts and stories are fresh, new and interesting. I am sure the audience would enjoy watching them.”

    On getting Nirahua on board and the idea behind the channel, Amarpreet Singh Saini shared, “We at Zee have always believed in highlighting local flavour and originality. We are thankful to the city of Varanasi for the warm welcome and support they extended. We couldn’t have found any other place ideal to announce the channel launch than the city that truly epitomises the river Ganga and its life-breathing philosophy that inspires every Bhojpuriya and every Indian. If you think of Bihar, Jharkhand and Poorvanchal, people there are strong-willed, have learned and trained themselves to survive amid difficulties, scarcity of resources and limited opportunities and embody the spirit of remaining Aviral, unstoppable just like Ganga. Here, family values are strong and are given importance to. So, to stay authentic, we wanted someone from the region to be a part of this new Zee Ganga journey. And, Nirahua was our first choice. Apart from his acting prowess, his knowledge and how he conducts himself is praiseworthy and inspirational to all in the region. With this partnership and culturally embedded journeys of our fiction shows we are more than confident to find a deep and long-lasting bond with our viewers.”

  • Netflix inks multi-year partnership with Excel Entertainment

    Netflix inks multi-year partnership with Excel Entertainment

    Mumbai: Netflix on Wednesday announced a strategic multi-year partnership with Excel Entertainment, the production company behind Bollywood blockbusters like “Dil Chahta Hai”, “Rock On”, “Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara”, “Lakshya”, “Toofaan” and the “Don” franchise. This creative pact dovetails Netflix’s diverse series slate in India, it said.

    As one of the pioneers in on-demand long-form storytelling, Excel Entertainment will produce a variety of stories under its series banner Excel Media & Entertainment for Netflix members in over 190 countries commencing with two projects tentatively titled “Dabba Cartel” and “Queen of the Hill”.

    Dabba Cartel is a story of five housewives who run a high-stakes secret cartel. Set in the backdrop of jazz-rich 1960s Mumbai, Queen of the Hill chronicles the dynamic relationship between two ambitious women that will change the city forever.

    Commenting on the partnership, Netflix India, vice-president- content, Monika Shergill said, “We are excited to join hands with Excel Entertainment, one of India’s path-breaking creative studios. They have continuously pushed the boundaries of entertainment and given us stories that have stood the test of time.”

    “Our partnership with Netflix marks a new global chapter for Excel Entertainment after 20 eventful years in storytelling. We are excited with the opportunity to create a variety of extraordinary stories to entertain people in India and around the world. We are thrilled to begin this next chapter with Netflix,” stated Excel Entertainment producers Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar.

  • Carnival Cinemas and MovieTime form strategic alliance

    Carnival Cinemas and MovieTime form strategic alliance

    Mumbai: Multiplex chain Carnival Cinemas on Monday announced a strategic partnership with MovieTime Cinemas.

    As part of this alliance, Carnival will offer business management services to MovieTime for operating their existing portfolio of 65 screens and also other upcoming screens as and when they start running.

    Carnival will bring in its expertise to tap the synergies between both the exhibitor brands for strengthening their market standing in the cinema exhibition space.

    Carnival Cinemas is accelerating towards its ‘Vision 1,000 screens’ in the next two years and this scaling up will further help it to carve a win-win for all partners involved, said the statement.

    Carnival Cinemas is currently present in 120 cities at 162 locations with 450+ screens. With this tie-up, Carnival will now be managing the operations of about 525+ screens across India, it added.

    “We are very happy to join hands with MovieTime and explore various ways of value addition for both the entities. We are also looking at synergy in other fields where we both can operate in spaces such as food business,” said Chairman Carnival Group, chairman, Shrikant Bhasi.

    “We are pretty confident that, this association will help both of us enhance each other’s operational efficiencies,” MovieTime Cinemas, chairman, Anil Kapoor.

    MovieTime Cinemas presently operates in Maharashtra, New Delhi, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, J&K, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Punjab, and Telangana under the owned and leased models.

  • The Hollywood Conflict: Streaming vs Theatrical

    The Hollywood Conflict: Streaming vs Theatrical

    Los Angeles: Any screenwriter in Hollywood will tell you that screenplays are all about conflict. Conflict should be in every scene, in every act, and on every page. The more layered, the better. So, when actor Scarlett Johansson, star of the Marvel superhero movie Black Widow sued the Walt Disney Company, alleging that the company breached her contract, she added yet another layer of conflict to the streaming vs. theatrical battle currently being waged in the movie industry due, in large part, to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Johansson argued that when Disney offered Black Widow on streaming at the same time it played in theatres, it breached her contract, and that this dual release reduced her compensation, which was based partly on box office receipts from what was supposed to be an exclusive run in theatres. While Disney argued that the release of the movie on its streaming platform had significantly enhanced Johansson’s ability to earn additional compensation. This case will surely be closely followed by industry insiders since it publicly begins a debate on how talent and filmmakers should be compensated as the industry business models shift between streaming and theatrical.

    In early 2020, as Covid-19 began its deadly march, movie theatres started getting shut and the box office plummeted 80 per cent. At the same time, over-the-top (OTT) media services grew by 37 per cent. The popularity of these platforms became attractive to subscribers because of instant and limitless access to high-quality content at a time many became insulated at home due to the pandemic.

    Popular OTT providers include Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max among many others. In addition, many studios began releasing films directly to consumers via premium video on demand (PVOD) or on their own streaming platforms.

    With the introduction of Covid-19 vaccines, the United States and countries worldwide are now looking to emerge from the grip of the coronavirus pandemic. Movie theatres are reopening with certain mask-wearing and social distancing mandates. Around 85 per cent of the US cinemas have reopened, according to Comscore, which is the highest percentage since March 2020. Yet, recent theatrical openings have fallen short of expectations.

    Only Black Widow ($80 million), F9: The Fast Saga ($70 million) and A Quiet Place Part II ($47 million) came close to the opening weekend hauls that would have been expected prior to the pandemic and still fell short of their expected blockbuster prospects in that they were all sequels in popular, pre-existing franchises.

    In addition, all three movies had disappointing second-weekend drops. Black Widow saw a 68 per cent tumble in its second weekend, the worst-ever for a Disney released Marvel title, F9: The Fast Saga had a 67 per cent decline while A Quiet Place Part II saw a 59 per cent drop.

    Hollywood has now been dealt a new headache with the spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant which may have played a role in recent disappointing box office takes. In a poll conducted 1 August by The Hollywood Reporter, where prospective viewers were asked if they were comfortable going to a movie theatre, across all demographics, percentages were down. In all movie-goers, the poll came in at 70 per cent down from 81 per cent on 11 July. This drop, in less than three weeks, reveals just how the Covid-19 pandemic is making it virtually impossible for studios and movie theatres to formulate a business plan.

    As far as the debate on which is more profitable, theatrical or streaming, the answer is complicated and fluid. Not only do production and marketing costs need to be considered but also the ever-changing landscape ushered in by the coronavirus pandemic and its potentially far-reaching effects. When this dark pandemic cloud has lifted, will the consumers be ready for dinner and popcorn movie nights out again, or has being comfy at homes streaming movies with the kids taken a hold? Maybe a bit of both but to what degree?

    In Screenrant, Stephen M. Colbert makes the case that movie ticket sales were drying up pre- pandemic while streaming is becoming more profitable, especially for studios with their own streaming service. In addition, studios share around half of their box office with theatres, whereas they get to keep the lion’s share of streaming revenue for their own content on their own platform.

    In Investopedia, Dina Zipin observes that major Hollywood studios can bring in $250 million in profits from a single film, while a respected cable network like HBO can make money off a huge hit like Game of Thrones, which costs millions to shoot. Since unsuccessful projects and financial flops are par for the course, there is no guarantee which shows or potential franchise will be the year’s great moneymaker.

    A case study of the hybrid streaming/theatrical model could be illustrated by A24’s release of the medieval fantasy, The Green Knight starring Dev Patel. A24 pumped up the social media buzz about the movie which also benefited from Patel as a huge draw as a leading man. A24 chose not to put it on PVOD but waited until the perfect time as restrictions eased to release the film in theatres. Then, in a new mixed release strategy, slated a one-day streaming event. The film opened No. 2 in theatres on 30 July 30, right behind Jungle Cruise, outperforming expectations with close to a $7 million weekend take. The data from the one-day streaming event on 18 August has not yet been released.

    With FDA granting full approval of the Pfizer vaccine and with increased calls for proof of vaccinations by employers, as well as by restaurants, gyms, bars, concerts, and sporting venues and movie theatres, it adds a new layer in our return to “normal.” The page on how talent, studios, streaming services, movie studios, and others in the industry will deal with this is yet to be written.

  • Content Hub 2021: Viacom18 Studios’ Ajit Andhare talks about creating cinematic experience on OTT

    Content Hub 2021: Viacom18 Studios’ Ajit Andhare talks about creating cinematic experience on OTT

    New Delhi: As theatres remain shut all through the pandemic, audiences were left with no option, but to turn to the OTT platforms for entertainment. The transition compelled major studios, and production companies to take a relook at their strategies and gear up for the big digital revolution that began transforming the world of content.

    For Viacom18 Studios, the transition to digital began much earlier, and it helped the film studio to brace the impact of the pandemic. “It was a conflicting and contrasting experience for us. As the big screen went dark and gloomy, things got exciting on the OTT front. Since, we had already set up our digital content brand – Tipping Point, we were well-poised to tackle this period,” says Viacom18 Studios, COO, Ajit Andhare at the fifth edition of The Content Hub 2021 on Thursday.

    The three-day mega event being organised by Indiantelevision.com began virtually on 28 July, bringing content makers from the world of television, films and OTT on one platform to delve upon the evolving media and entertainment industry. Film critic and radio presenter Stutee Ghosh got into an engaging fireside chat with Andhare about the process of creating cinematic experience for OTT.
    As theatres remained shut, the studio began enhancing its output through Tipping Point, which included ‘Ray’- a four-part anthology series based on stories of filmmaker Satyajit Ray for Netflix. Much before, the studio had worked on ‘Jamtara’- a story about a small district in Jharkhand – the phishing capital.

    According to Andhare, the selection of stories was never dictated by a set formula, but purely led by instincts – something that he adheres to even today. “As a studio, we have never been volume driven. It’s hard to get good storytelling that way. Stories that excite us have stayed with us for several years, before we began working on them,” says the studio’s top executive.

    As a strategy, Tipping Point began with its focus on originals, however, as the demand for content skyrocketed, it led the brand towards new territories and it started working on bringing adaptations on screen, from across the world.

    “But the approach has always been to look out for distinct ideas, and stories. We don’t want to get caught in a certain formula or method. All our films reflect that, and that’s what people are expecting on the digital front too. That’s the value we want to bring to our brand – to do something that has not been done before. Ray is a great example,” shares Andhare.

    Digital is the top choice of medium for different, and eclectic content, that may be too risky to be taken to the big screen for theatrical business, because of the huge runaway costs involved. The medium has also opened up vast opportunities to tell different stories.

    When asked about the lessons learnt over the last year, Andhare says optimistically, “One big learning is that, the basics of great series are absolutely the same. We were awed by US premium drama series, and wonder whether we have that capability. The last few years have showed, that we are not lacking in any way. Look at The Family Man. In terms of craft, we aren’t behind. We just did not have enough opportunities for distribution. We have that hurdle removed by digital now. The intensity and engagement that we are able to produce now is as good as anywhere in the world.”

    However, another factor that’s lacking, according to the leading content maker, is ‘scale’. India’s digital platforms are yet to see big output like the iconic series – Game of Thrones, or Outlander. “It’s an exciting area, and so many stories are to be told,” says Andhare emphatically, “The Indian OTT system is yet to wake up. That’s the next level for us. A spectacle is not only for theatres or big screens. If combined with dense storytelling, it can work in digital too. I’m really excited about that opportunity.”

    On the finance front, Andhare is quite content with the current business model adopted by the studio, which continues to create original content, and then licenses it out to different platforms.

    “For content makers, that is the only model. For years, the Indian content industry has been like a carpenter, called home to put nails whenever required. Unlike other countries, IPs have normally belonged to broadcasters in India. It doesn’t happen elsewhere. The content makers have their own ecosystem. In fact, in the UK, individual creators have their own IPs. We are much behind, but we have begun investing in good content and seeing better investment. This is the only business model which will work, the world over. It is a win-win situation for both studios and platforms,” he adds.

    When asked about the future of content, especially movies, the top executive is quick to answer. “Both (theatres and OTT) will continue. It is just a matter of time,” he quips in.

    “The question is about value,” he elaborates. “Does theatre have value? Any evidence of recent box office release will tell you that it does. People absolutely love to go to theatres. It’s an out-of-home experience that people will continue to want. It is not about a story, but an experience. So, this value will surge after the pandemic. But, OTT has brought in ease of distribution. Digital is great for driving content, and allowing content creators to experiment.”

    Centred on the theme – ‘The New Dynamic’, the three-day event will witness several such 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 fifth edition of Content Hub 2021 is co-presented by IN10 Media Network and ZEE5, and co-powered by Applause Entertainment and   the digital content unit of Viacom18 Studios. PTC Network is the supporting partner.

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