Mumbai: OTT platform Netflix is in the production of a documentary series about global football star David Beckham. The multi-part series will go beyond the shine of stardom to explore Beckham’s humble working-class beginnings in East London, and the drive & determination that led him to become one of the most recognisable and scrutinised athletes of all time.
It will feature a mixture of never-before-seen personal archive footage from the last 40 years and interviews with David Beckham, his family and friends, and key figures who have been part of his journey both on and off the pitch.
The project is helmed by Academy Award-winner Fisher Stevens (PALMER, And We Go Green, The Cove) who serves as director and executive producer, along with Academy Award and Emmy Award-winning producer John Battsek (One Day in September, Searching for Sugar Man, Winter on Fire).
The production companies are Studio 99 in association with Ventureland.
Tag: Netflix
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David Beckham’s documentary series coming soon, and Netflix to produce it
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Netflix signs exclusive deal with Microsoft to launch its ad-supported plan
Mumbai: Netflix on Wednesday announced a deal with Microsoft as its global advertising technology & sales partner. The streaming service revealed its plans to introduce a new ad-supported subscription plan for consumers, in addition to their ad-free basic, standard and premium plans in April.
This means that all ads served on Netflix will be exclusively available through the Microsoft platform.
“Microsoft has the proven ability to support all our advertising needs as we work together to build a new ad-supported offering. More importantly, Microsoft offered the flexibility to innovate over time on both the technology and sales side, as well as strong privacy protections for our members,” said Netflix’s chief operating officer & chief product officer Greg Peters.
Netflix’s long-term goal is to offer more choices to consumers and a premium better than linear TV brand experience for advertisers.
“At launch, consumers will have more options to access Netflix’s award-winning content. Marketers looking to Microsoft for their advertising needs will have access to the Netflix audience and premium connected TV inventory. All ads served on Netflix will be exclusively available through the Microsoft platform. Today’s announcement also endorses Microsoft’s approach to privacy, which is built on protecting customers’ information,” said Microsoft president of web experiences Mikhail Parakhin.
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Netflix, The Duffer Brothers announce a new production company Upside Down Pictures
Mumbai: The Duffer Brothers announced its new production company Upside Down Pictures for film and television projects. This is a part of their overall deal with OTT platform Netflix.
Overseeing this operation is Hilary Leavitt, an executive who has helped develop such hit shows as Orphan Black and Ozark in the past.
According to a statement, The Duffer Brothers said, “The Upside Down Pictures will aim to create the kind of stories that inspired the Duffers growing up – stories that take place at that beautiful crossroads where the ordinary meets the extraordinary, where big spectacle co-exists with intimate character work, where heart wins out over cynicism.”
The Duffer Brothers and Netflix also announced their growing slate of projects in active development including a new live-action television adaptation of the Japanese manga and anime series Death Note, a series from creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews (Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance), a series adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub‘s The Talisman alongside Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment and Paramount Television to be created by Curtis Gwinn, a new stage play set within the world and mythology of Stranger Things, produced by prolific and multi award-winning producers Sonia Friedman, Stephen Daldry (The Crown, Billy Elliot, The Reader), and Netflix. Daldry will direct the series and 21 Laps will be the associate producer and lastly, a live-action Stranger Things spin-off series based on an original idea by The Duffer Brothers, with Upside Down and 21 Laps as producers.
The Duffer Brothers most recently released the fourth season of their hit Netflix series Stranger Things, which is now the number one on Netflix’s (all time) most popular English TV list with 1.15 billion hours viewed in its first 28 days – only the second series to cross the billion hour viewing mark, with the final tally expected to be higher as volume 2 reaches the 28-day viewing period.
The third season released in 2019 still holds at number three.
Speaking on the occasion, Matt and Ross Duffer said, “It didn’t take long into our first meeting with Hilary, where we bonded over films like Jaws, Home Alone, and Speed, to know we had found a kindred spirit. Hilary’s passion for storytelling is perhaps matched only by her passion for the storytellers themselves, for whom she is fiercely protective. No wonder so many writers and directors are drawn to working with her. She is a rare talent indeed, and we feel extremely grateful to have her at our side as we build Upside Down Pictures.”
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said, “Matt and Ross are an exceptionally unique talent with a vision so crisp and clear. They are all about the details — it’s no accident that Stranger Things has pierced the zeitgeist to become the epic pop culture phenomenon it is today. We’re excited to continue telling new stories with them as they grow Upside Down Pictures and to welcome Hilary as creative partner.”
Leavitt added, “I remember the first movie I saw in the theatre, the first VHS tape I got for Christmas, the first international one-sheet I bid for on ebay because it was cooler than the domestic. And the first time I met Matt and Ross. All of these seminal moments have led to this ridiculously cool opportunity to build a company with the Duffer Brothers where we produce movies and television because we love movies and television. This love is at the core of Upside Down Pictures, where we’re able to collaborate with other artists on projects across the full spectrum of genre. We all love what we do and are excited to do more and more.”
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Netflix’s brand & content marketing lead Dipashree Das moves on
Mumbai: Netflix brand and content marketing lead Dipashree Das has moved on after a six-year association. Based out of Mumbai, she was a manager in Netflix’s marketing team focusing on film launches across India and Southeast Asia (SEA).
“I recently made the decision to wrap up an almost 6-year stint at a place I have had the highest honour of calling my professional home, Netflix. Oh, and what a wild ride it has been! Netflix is a place like no other, it changes you, redefines you, bends you out of shape, makes you believe you in yourself in a measure you didn’t think possible. I learnt much more than I was ever able to contribute,” she said in a LinkedIn post.
She also hinted that she has joined another entertainment company at an Asia Pacific and China (APAC) level role.
Das was responsible for launching some of Netflix’ biggest successes in India including “Haseen Dilruba”, “Ludo” and Sacred Games season two.
With over 18 years of experience, Das has been responsible for launching and architecting brands across India and SEA. Prior to Netflix, she was associated with Singtel. She has had stints at Channel NewsAsia, Oak3 Films, NDTV and Unilever.
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Over 200 exhibitors to participate at Mipcom Cannes 2022
Mumbai: Over 200 exhibitors from 30 countries have already booked stand space for the world’s entertainment content market Mipcom Cannes 2022. The majority of returning exhibitors are back to their pre-pandemic booth sizes or larger, bolstered by the re-opening of major outdoor stands on the Croisette beach and surrounding the Palais des Festivals. The demand for exhibit space affirms a strong content sales and acquisitions climate supported by buyers and sellers to return to in-person international business meetings.
RX France (formerly Reed Midem) has also announced plans to launch a new International co-production market alongside the exhibition in the Palais des Festivals dedicated to accelerating international co-production and development business in Cannes. Billed as ‘the mother of all entertainment content markets’, the 38th edition takes place from 17-20 October 2022 in the Palais des Festivals. MipJunior returns to its pre-market weekend schedule from 15-16 October at the JW Marriott Cannes.
Also new for 2022 is ‘The Seaview Producers Hub’, an inaugural 1000 SQM (10,673 SQFT) networking lounge and event space, set against the backdrop of Cannes’ iconic sea view and introduced to reflect the increased focus at the market for exploring early-stage development and co-production partnerships.
Created to be the base of the new co-production market at MIPCOM, the supersized Seaview Producers Hub will feature a lounge with indoor and outdoor seating to accommodate hundreds of daily meetings prioritised for creators, producers, commissioners, and development executives. The Seaview stage and curated areas will support the co-production programme and daily events. The Mipcom Seaview Producers Hub aims to become the annual business hive and fresh hang out point in Cannes for producers and everyone involved in co-productions worldwide, serving as a catalyst for international deal-making in the heart of the Palais des Festivals.
RX France Entertainment Division director Lucy Smith said, “2022 is undoubtedly the comeback year for Mipcom Cannes. A healthy set of confirmations four months out from the market, with more being added daily, demonstrates the huge appetite for the return of a full strength Mipcom. And, unhampered by last year’s travel restrictions, to meet increased demand we have a supersized edition planned for this October in Cannes. More to come over the coming months. Watch this space!”
Companies confirmed to exhibit to date include Zee Entertainment, All3Media International, AMC Studios, Keshet International, Lionsgate, Mattel, NBCUniversal International, Netflix, Warner Bros. International Television Distribution, WildBrain and ZDF Studios.
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Crime drama series SHE S2 features in Netflix’s Global Top 10
Mumbai: The new season of crime drama SHE is trending in Netflix’s Global Top 10. One of the most-watched non-English titles this week. Written and created by renowned filmmaker Imtiaz Ali, the series has turned out to be a big audience favourite featuring in the Top 10 of 11 countries within two weeks of its release. The series has been watched for more than 9.5 million hours. The series has also been trending at #1 on Netflix India’s Top TV list for the week.
SHE S2 is directed by Arif Ali and produced by Viacom 18 Studios’ Tipping Point and Window Seat Films.
The layered story and nuanced portrayal of a mild-mannered woman who discovers her confidence and sexuality has found popularity and admiration with audiences across countries and cultures. SHE S2 features a talented ensemble cast such as Aaditi Pohankar, Kishore Kumar G, Vishwas Kini, Shivani Rangole, Sam Mohan, Suhita Thatte, amongst others.
The second season shows Bhumi in a dynamic new avatar. Embracing a double life, the protagonist Bhumi constantly battles between duty and desire, juggling responsibilities, strenuous relationships and suppressed secrets. SHE: Season 2 sees Bhumi continue to discover herself, exploring themes of sexual awakening and duality. She is absolutely magnetic in the way she plays the double risk of being the hunter and the hunted, finding herself falling deeper into the complex web of Nayak’s plans whilst smoothly thwarting Fernandez’s suspicions.
Imtiaz Ali says, “I am elated at the response because I feel that the basic conflict of ‘She’ is very subtle and internal. It’s about a woman who feels she has no sexual prowess and when she has to put on an act of being a sex-worker as part of her call of duty, she discovers that the very thing that used to be her biggest disadvantage becomes her biggest weapon. Something that’s so internal and subtle has found traction with the global audience and that is a matter of great happiness and hope for me. It encourages me to come up with more interesting although subtle story ideas in the future.”
Over the past six months, Netflix’s Indian series have been consistently popular with global audiences starting from Aranyak, Yeh Kaali Kaali Aankhen, The Fame Game, and most recently, Mai.
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Netflix appoints Rohit Suri as head of talent – India
Mumbai: Netflix has appointed Rohit Suri as head of talent – India. Suri will report into chief human resource officer Sergio Ezama and will lead the talent team in India, based in Mumbai.
“Netflix is deeply committed to India and Rohit will lead the talent function in the country to build a strong and diverse team and enable all employees to do the best work of their lives,” said the company statement.
He was previously associated with dentsu international as chief human resources officer for South Asia since September 2021. Prior to that, Suri was associated with GroupM as chief HR and talent officer for the South Asia region. He was with the company for over five years.
A professional with over 24 years of experience, Suri has experience across consumer internet, technology and media industries in India, Europe and Asia Pacific with the last 16 years spent in leadership roles leading change, business transformation, restructuring, HR project management, business partnership and cultural integration.
Suri has been associated with organisations such as The Indian Express, Star India, Turner, One97 Communications (Paytm) and People Interactive (Shaadi.com).
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Anish Mehta moves on as CEO of animation studio Cosmos-Maya
Mumbai: Anish Mehta has decided to move on from his role as CEO of animation studio Cosmos-Maya after a ten-year stint. He built the studio from a 30-member team to a 1200+ powerhouse.
He will be soon announcing his new venture sometime this year.
Under Anish’s leadership, the studio has grown multifold owing to his strong ability to maintain a fine balance between business and creativity. He is credited with achieving quite a few milestones not only for the studio but also for the industry at large. Anish had been the CEO and minority shareholder of Cosmos-Maya since 2012.
He led the studio’s foray into original Indian animation IP creation with the launch of Motu Patlu, India’s most successful animation series. Post that, the studio created over 10,000 half hours of kids’ animation content across 20+ shows; maintaining a 50 per cent+ market share of the original Indian kids and family content space for a decade. The studio’s key clients include – Nickelodeon, Disney, Cartoon Network, Sony, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Netflix, Discovery Kids, Facebook and YouTube.
During his tenure, the company grew with four different business streams globally and revenue and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) growth of 25x+ from 2012 to 2022. Globally he spearheaded efforts towards co-productions with European and other international players, which were able to sell in 100+ countries the world over.
His most notable achievement was to steadily attract organized investment into the business and consistently give investors a profitable exit through a higher valuation of the company. He played an instrumental role in getting private equity investors into the Indian animation business, first with KKR backed Emerald Media and later with TPG affiliate NewQuest Capital Partners.
Commenting on his exit, Anish Mehta said “I would like to thank Ketan and Deepa, the promoters of Cosmos-Maya for trusting me with the opportunity of growing the company. I would also like to extend gratitude to our previous investors KKR backed Emerald Media, Rajesh Kamat and angel investor Tilak Sarkar for providing the right guidance and support on this journey. It has been a great pleasure working with the current investor, TPG affiliate NewQuest Capital Partners and I wish them and the team of Cosmos-Maya all the very best for future growth and to carry the legacy forward.”
He also led the initiative of building the company’s YouTube network, WowKidz with 35 channels, which achieved 80 million+ subscribers, and 41 billion+ views worldwide across 10+ languages in a short span of 5 years. “I feel very passionately about content creators and believe that digital media has offered a rather egalitarian and equalizing platform to all creators. I find the best way to express my appreciation is to be able to support and mentor the new generation of digital content creators as they set out to create path-breaking content that will have a positive impact on countless lives of kids & family audiences. The intention is to partner with global investors and pioneers to achieve this vision”, said Mehta.
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Netflix drops ‘Ranveer vs Wild with Bear Grylls’ trailer
Mumbai: OTT platform Netflix has dropped a new trailer for Ranveer vs Wild with Bear Grylls. This shows the actor facing some tough choices. Should he rappel down a craggy cliff or traverse a mountain line across a nail-biting drop to descend from high ground? What should he do when he meets bears — play dead or dance for them?
Except that Ranveer Singh is not the one making the decisions in India’s first interactive reality special; the viewers are. Produced by Banijay Asia and The Natural Studios, the special will air on 8 July 2022.
At an event today to launch the trailer with fans and media, the indefatigable powerhouse reminded his fans that his fate is literally in their hands, button dabao aur Ranveer ko bachao! Zip-lining from the sky in true blue Ranveer style, the superstar made his way to the main stage to unveil the trailer and deliver a very special message. “Dil Darega Nahi, Karega”, said Ranveer as he urged his fans to embrace their fears and pursue their ultimate passion.
Embed Link: https://youtu.be/joH3je2HrxA
Trading the comforts and fashion of cosmopolitan Mumbai to plunge headlong into the unforgiving forests of Serbia, Ranveer is risking his life all for one thing — a rare flower for the love of his life. From rappelling rocky terrains to facing ravenous wolves, he keeps on forging ahead with adventurer Bear Grylls.
Long a fan of the man he calls ‘king of the wild’, the actor is over the moon to team up with Bear for this adventure of a lifetime.
Actor Ranveer Singh said, “This is a fresh offering in the adventure reality genre. Embarking on this great, big challenge was a thrill for me and we feel that the audience will also experience the same adrenaline rush! It’s packed with action, humour, emotion, suspense – just about all the ingredients of a wholesome watch! And the best part is that the audience gets to engage in a truly interactive format, which in many ways is the USP of the show. I am excited to be working with Netflix to bring to you a project that we believe is both novel and thoroughly entertaining!”
Out in the jungle, Singh does his own stunts for the first time ever, while picking up new survival skills from Grylls the intrepid explorer, who at one point helpfully informs the actor that he’s smeared wolf scat on his forehead.
British adventurer, writer, television presenter and businessman Bear Grylls said, “I am excited to be working with Ranveer. He is a supremely talented actor and a fireball of energy. The best part about him is his insatiable thirst for growth and adventure. Together with Netflix, Ranveer and I are thrilled to bring the ultimate adventure to audiences across the world.”
“At Netflix, we are constantly pushing our boundaries of storytelling to create truly immersive experiences for our members. Ranveer vs Wild with Bear Grylls puts interactivity at the heart of telling this story with viewers in the driver’s seat and participating in his thrilling adventure from start to finish” said Netflix India VP content Monika Shergill.
By placing Ranveer in an environment that is totally out of his comfort zone, viewers will get to see and connect with another side of the city boy. After all, love ke liye kuch bhi karega!
On the association with Netflix India, Banijay Asia founder and CEO Deepak Dhar commented, “We have always been committed to creating diverse and varied content. Ranveer Vs Wild with Bear Grylls has given us the opportunity to bring to Indian audiences something that has never been done before. We are delighted to take forward our association with Netflix India and hope to bring more varied content to the country.”
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GUEST COLUMN: OTT platforms are revamping the art of storytelling
Mumbai: The OTT space in India is exploding. There are a plethora of options available for people to watch online. Be it any genre, one will find something interesting to watch and enjoy. There are new titles dropping every week, all trying to catch the eye of viewers. The number of users that are warming up to the OTT bandwagon too is increasing. With the internet penetration getting better and smartphone adoption improving, more people now have access to OTT services.
OTT players are also looking to expand their market share and vying to get the maximum time spent and visibility. All this is ensuring that viewers have a lot of options to binge. While that might be the case, the space is still getting warmed up to the idea of storytelling.
OTT and the art of storytelling
Storytelling is akin to painting a picture albeit with videos. It is an art that requires a lot of extensive observation and weaving into an etched story that viewers can connect and resonate with. The current explosion in the OTT space has enabled many to tap into this world and create beautiful, well-thought stories that are entertaining, educating and enlightening the audiences. However, the process is still at a very nascent stage. A very few OTT players have been able to crack this space and use storytelling to its full potential.
As the competition in the space continues to heat up, storytelling will become even more important. Platforms that are able to master this art will be the ones that will be able to leave a lasting impression on the minds of the viewers.
Growing popularity of regional content
In the last couple of years, regional content has started gaining popularity amongst the masses. Earlier the regional content was only limited to the audience of that geographic area. However, with the advent of OTT platforms, this content is now widely available. Moreover, most OTT platforms are offering dubbed versions of the content that is enabling users to enjoy the same in the language of their preference. The recent success of titles such as Dark, Money Heist, Lupin, Squid Games, Crash Landing on You, “Pushpa”, “Beast”, and “KGF” are glowing examples of how content from any language and geography is able to connect with the audience.
The content viewing behaviour has become more personalised and everyone wants to watch what they like best. Television was more about watching it with family and OTT has changed that drastically. To cater to the evolving tastes and preferences, OTT players are revamping their strategy and getting regional and local flavours to reach out to a wider audience base. Content is truly the king and if they can come up with an interesting story then they will find suitable takers for the same.
Data-backed decisions
OTT platforms heavily rely on the data of consumers. There are two sides to data, the good and bad. On a positive note, the platforms have a complete picture of what content is getting consumed and the demographics of their users. They even get to know details such as which device the content is being consumed, how much time the viewers are spending on their app, at what hour of the day they are getting maximum traffic, and the drop-out point. It also provides information on what type of content keeps the users engrossed and what they are searching for. This is the bad side of the data as it impacts their social behaviour and how their personality is getting moulded. A lot of companies use this data to push their products and services.
While data is helping OTT players in finding the most engaging content but it is also typecasting them into making the same things. Serving similar content over time may result in fatigue and viewers switching over to other platforms. Therefore, one needs to be mindful of how they are using the data and make intelligent decisions.
Emergence of short video app
The attention span of people is reducing. OTT players now have a very short time to hook the audience to the content. There is also increased competition that OTT content is facing from the new age short video format apps. Tik-Tok, Instagram Reels, Moj and Chingari have managed to create a space for themselves. These short video apps deliver a variety of content and have become immensely popular. These apps are now forcing the OTT players to rethink and rejig their strategy. Some OTT players are now thinking of reducing the time per episode to 25 mins from 45 minutes. Netflix is also planning to come out with a short video format to take on these apps head-on.
In nutshell, there is no dearth of content available online. From different genres to platforms to video lengths, there is space for everyone. Viewers are also exposed to quality content from across the globe. While there are global titles and K-Dramas that are ruling the roost, even the regional content is making a big impact. In the end, it is powerful stories and engaging content that is gaining the maximum attention. There is also a wider segmentation. Not everyone will be open to consuming content about spirituality and religion. The older audiences are more likely to connect with bhakti and pravanchans but to connect with the younger lot, the platforms will need to have a fresh approach. In the past, mythology shows that are well presented and made keeping in mind the sensibilities of today’s audience have worked wonders for the OTT platform. Legend of Hanuman on Hotstar was one such show.
Presentation is an important aspect in today’s time. Great presentation and storytelling can go a long way in winning over the audiences and garnering viewership from across age groups.
The author is OMTV (India’s first sanatan storytelling platform) founder and MD Nitin Jai Shukla.