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Tag: Ramesh Sharma

  • Animation experts to look at India’s role in this field at Frames

    Animation experts to look at India’s role in this field at Frames

    MUMBAI: The convention for the business of entertainment Frames takes place in Mumbai from 22 to 24 March. One key session will see animation experts dwell on the role that India will play in this field.

    India is getting more recognition and attention from global players as the Animation Hub. India, the land of 5000 years old strong culture and heritage, has a great advantage in terms of content. With the skilled, English speaking talent pool, India is poised to do better. Can India outperform or came at par with advanced animation content creating countries?
    Seeking to provide an answer are Anirights Infomedia founder and executive producer Ashish Kulkarni, Crest Animations CEO A K Madhavan, DQ Entertainment MD Tapaas Chakravorti, Spiderman director Vincent Edwards and Toon Boom Animation Canada CEO and president Joan Vogelesang.

    Another session will offer A case study in animation co-production. More and more studios are graduating from purely services to co-production. What makes them go for this
    business model? Attendees will be presented with a live case study to understand the intricacies of co-production in animation.

    The session will be moderated by Maya Entertainment CEO Rajesh Thurakia, Quintus Group, UK’s Anthony Boucher, Anima Vitae CEO Petteri Pasanen, Stewart & Wall Entertainment’s Richard Stewart John Mc Kenna who works with the Berlin Film Compani, in Germany.

    Then there is the question of intellectual property. The session is called IP in Animation: The Indian Way. As the market is maturing, the Indian studios are moving up in the value chain and coming out with their own IP. How different or rather difficult is this model than co-production or services ? What benefits do studios derive besides owning a property? Are they able to generate enough revenue streams to cover their investments?

    The session will be moderated by Moving Picture Company chairman and MD Ramesh Sharma. The speakers are Silvertoons director V G Samant, Graphiti Multimedia director Munjal Shroff, Vaibhav Studios director Vaibhav Kumaresh and Green Gold Animation dierctor Rajiv Chilakalapudi.

    Aardman Animations CEO David Sproxton, will conduct a Master Class in Making of Animated Movie. He will reconstruct the entire movie from pre-production, production to post production. he will present a live case study to take
    attendees through the odyssey of successful filmmaking
    Another session will look at Building a Valuable Gaming Market in India. The gaming market is India is seeing healthy growth. What does it take to sustain that kind of growth? What new gaming avenues and genres are expected to emerge in coming years?

    Looking to answer these questions are Electronic Arts Asia director of mobile and third party content Mike McCabe, Alias Business Development Manager (Asia-Pacific) � games Kian Bee Ng, Paradox Studios executive VP Ninad Chayya, Sony Online Entertainment VP Cindy Armstrong and Spark Unlimited co-founder Sunil Takamoshi.

  • Moving Picture India makes doc for HBO US on the murder of journalist Daniel Pearl

    Moving Picture India makes doc for HBO US on the murder of journalist Daniel Pearl

    MUMBAI: HBO Documentary Films in the US has teamed up with India’s Moving Picture Company, First Take and Anant Singh’s Distant Horizon for the feature documentary The Journalist and the Jihadi: The Murder of Daniel Pearl.

    Narrated by CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour, the film is directed and produced by Ahmed A. Jamal, Ramesh Sharma and Anant Singh.

    Sharma says that the documentary took two years to make. “It took two years to make this 90 minute documentary film. It tracks the parallel lives of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl and jihadi Omar Sheikh. I was doing a research for a film Jihad The Sword of islam. I came across this fascinating story of Pearl and Sheikh. Both were highly educated individuals from privileged backgrounds, the two men saw the world differently. What was interesting was that they had seemingly similar passion and commitment.

    ” Pearl was a humanist, who spent most of his career reporting from the Islamic world on a quest to promote cross-cultural understanding. he wanted to give the US a better understanding of Islam. the other was a militant who ultimately chose a deeply violent path to express his views. After 9/11, their paths crossed in Pakistan, with tragic consequences,” said Sharma.

    The debut of the documentary later this year will coincide with Pearl’s birthday. In addition, the Daniel Pearl Foundation will coordinate worldwide events designed to foster cross-cultural understanding through music and journalism.

    The Journalist and the Jihadi: The Murder of Daniel Pearl will have its world premiere at The Tribeca Film Festival in New York in late April 2006, where it has been selected for special screening. It will also be screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May this year.

  • Sahara Samay Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh awarded as best news channel

    Sahara Samay Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh awarded as best news channel

    MUMBAI: Sahara Samay Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh has won the Madhav Jyoti Alankaran award for the best news channel for the second time in a row.

    The Madhav Jyoti Alankaran Sanstha, named after Late Madhavrao Scindia , gives out awards to notable contributors in the field of journalism every year.

    .Dignitaries present in the function were parliamentarian Jyotiraditya Scindia, BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla and Sahara Samay Bhopal bureau chief Ramesh Sharma. Secretary of the organising committee Mukesh Agnihotri applauded Sahara Samay MP-CG contribution through its electronic media, a release said.

    The channel’s Ujjain bureau correspondent Manoj Saini won the best reporter award. Madhav Jyoti Sanstha also honoured actor Ashutosh Rana, TV reporter Nalini Singh and Sumit Awasthi.

  • Cartoon Network acquires animated series ‘Jungle Tales’

    Cartoon Network acquires animated series ‘Jungle Tales’

    MUMBAI: Moving forward on its commitment to acquire locally relevant content for India, Cartoon Network has recently acquired Delhi based Moving Picture Company’s Panchatantra inspired animated series Jungle Tales.

    Strengthening its programming line up, the kiddies channel has lined up a slew of releases in the second half of 2004 which include shows called Boo, Rubbadubbers, Postman Pat, Little Red Tractor, Maisy, Duck Dodgers, Teen Titans, Xiaolin Showdown, Ozzie and Drix and Digimon Series. The channel has also lined up new series of the popular shows, He-Man And The Masters Of The Universe and X-Men Evolution apart from animated movies titles like Barbie Princess and Pauper and Cheburashka.

    Jungle Tales also happens to be the eighth locally produced animation series, acquired by the Network for its discerning Indian audiences.

    Jungle Tales is an adaptation of stories from Panchatantra, that are a well-known collection of animal fables, aimed at imparting wisdom, wit and morals through simple yet evergreen stories and incidents.

    An official release informs that the series has been adapted for a contemporary audience, with a universal crossover appeal that promises to enchant both children and adults. Importantly, though the series is rooted in Indian folklore, the values portrayed here transcend all traditions and cultures. In fact, this is the country’s first indigenous long-form 3D animation series for television.

    “Acquiring Jungle Tales is another leap forward for the Network, and we are delighted to provide a high-quality platform for content developed by Indian production houses. The Panchatantra stories have always been an integral part of a child’s formative years. We are happy that through Cartoon Network, the next generation of kids will continue to enjoy and learn from these timeless tales of wit and wisdom,” said Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, Inc senior vice president and general manager Ian Diamond.

    Diamond further added, “Providing content based on the Indian story-telling heritage is a critical mandate for Cartoon Network in its mission to provide a dynamic and healthy mix of local and international animated programming.”

    “Moving Picture is committed to creating original animation content from India for both the domestic and global market. It is befitting that the first long format 3D Animation TV series from India, also our first animated production – Jungle Tales – will have its world premiere on the foremost kids platform of the country Cartoon Network,” said Moving Picture Company India Limited chairman and managing director Ramesh Sharma.

  • Siti, Hathway, among slew of channel applicants awaiting I&B clearance

    Siti, Hathway, among slew of channel applicants awaiting I&B clearance

    NEW DELHI: It may be a bit surprising, but two big multi-system operators (MSOs), Siti Cable and Hathway Datacom, are among 32 applicants who have sought government clearance for starting TV channels beaming through a satellite.

    According to government data, Siti Cable Network Pvt. Ltd. has sought permission from the information and broadcasting ministry for a channel called Delhi TV. The Rajan Raheja-controlled Hathway, however, had not clarified to the government the name of the proposed channel, and after applying, a government paper states, “the company sought to keep its proposal pending for the time being.”

    Both the applications were made quite some time back. The ministry received Siti’s application in 2002 and the last clarification that the government had sought was in January 2003. As of March 2004, according to the government, no reply had been received from Siti Cable, the cable arm of Subhash Chandra’s Zee Telefilms.

    Still, it is pertinent to mention here that Hathway Datacom also runs cable networks in various cities under the brand name Win. The latter recently started a premier movie channel on its networks in Delhi, christened Win Movies, which is cable delivered and shows comparatively newer Hindi movies.

    The others who had applied for government clearance — and are yet to receive one — include Gemini Network Pvt. Ltd., which has expressed its intention to start a channel called Mantra. The government sought transponder lease agreement, project report and source of funding from the applicant that are yet to arrive.

    TVC Skyshop.com Ltd’s proposal to start a TVC channel, vide a letter sent in July 2003, is still under examination by the government. Ditto for Ramesh Sharma’s Dilli One channel and, may be, another shopping channel from Seven Star Shopping Network Pvt. Ltd.

    A proposal from AV Entertainment Ltd. for starting a channel called See News too has been pending government clearance since 2003. Reason: the company had proposed to uplink through its own teleport, which, according to government data, has not yet been operationalised.

    Several of the applications, which had been referred to the ministry of home affairs and department of space earlier this year, are yet to be sent back to the I&B ministry with comments. These include proposals from Lamhas Entertainment Ltd (for Lamhas Classic channel), Total Telefilms Pvt. Ltd (Total TV) and SGA News Ltd’s SGA News channel.

    There are, of course, some usual suspects too like Zee Sports Ltd that, according to the government, has sought clearance for Alpha News channels in March 2004. It is pertinent to note here that Zee hopes to launch its fifth regional language channel (recent acquisition etc Punjabi not included here) under the Alpha basket, in August. Media reports have said that Zee Telefilms CMD Subhash Chandra was in Hyderabad recently to oversee preparation work ahead of the launch of Alpha Telugu.

    Other little known companies evincing interest in starting TV channels, also include Winning Edge Communication Ltd for a channel called Satya, Tamil Entertainment Art Media Ltd for Tamil Thirai, Amrita Enterprises Ltd for Amma TV, On Shanti Channel Pvt. Ltd for On Shanti-the Peace Channel, Orion media Pvt. Ltd for ITN, Wisdom Broadcasting Network Ltd for Wisdom broadcasting Network, Omsons Entertainment TV Network for HTV (no connection with Hindustan Times, though) and Sanskriti Communication Pvt Ltd. for Sanskriti.

    All the aforementioned cases are pending government okay and are in various stages of clearances. A senior I&B ministry official said that because of the general elections, the ministry had not been able to concentrate on the proposals.

  • MPCL gears for “voice of people” infotainment channel

    MPCL gears for “voice of people” infotainment channel

    NEW DELHI: From documentaries, television shows, cross-over films, promotional advertising films and 3 D long-format television series, Moving Pictures Company Limited (MPCL) is moving on to an interactive infotainment city-centric channel. A channel, to based on the lines of voice of people, will have various forms of information and entertainment, says MPCL managing director Ramesh Sharma.

    MPCL is strategically planning to launch the channel during the latter half of the year, banking on the upswing in the consumer spending during the festive season. The channel will be initially launched in free-to-air mode.

    For MPCL, such initiative is a natural progression especially with various broadcasting technologies emerging as an attractive proposition in the near future. Moving Pictures is an integrated multimedia company. The idea is to synergise the strength of the company, said Sharma.

    The channel will have news, information and entertainment, which be useful for people. It will be similar to FM concept, except for the fact that it will be on television. Whether its shopping, highlighting needs or problem of people in residential areas or political news, the idea is to position it as a channel, which is the voice of the people and speaks for the people, he said.

    Citing examples on how the channel will associate itself with viewers, Sharma said, There will be political news. The idea is to make the channel as an interface between policy makers and people. There will be lots of phone-ins and other forms of interaction. Then there would be dos and donts from traffic or probably a daily segment on real estate. There will be various forms of entertainment whether its through entertainment news, game shows, countdown/music shows etc.

    MPCL is not only looking at local advertisers but also national spenders, who can strategise their communication programmes in a focused manner. Obviously, local advertisers would be part of the spenders list. Why a local cinema hall would spend on a national channel? So this platform can be used by local companies or retailers. But even the national advertisers would find this useful such as ones from FMCG sector, said Sharma.

  • DD Metro offer gets cold response

    DD Metro offer gets cold response

    Industry sources however, say a bid has been put in for the 11:00 PM to 12:30 PM slot by the Delhi-based Moving Pictures Company (India) Ltd promoted by Ramesh Sharma, its chairman and managing director. The time band covers two slots – 11 PM to 12 midnight and 12 midnight to 12:30 am. The advantage for Moving Pictures is that here there is no floor price, unlike the other time slots from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM This bit of information could not be confirmed at the time of posting the report.

    The pre-qualification bids, which were opened at 3:30 PM today, came up empty for the prime time band. This cold shouldering of the new DD tender offer has sent out a strong message that in these difficult times, with channels having enough hassles running their own operations, the headache of managing DD Metro and more so the mandarins behind it was just not worth the effort. It also makes virtually irrelevant tomorrow’s opening of financial bids which are scheduled for 3:30 PM at Doordarshan Bhavan in Delhi.

    The fact that HFCL Nine Broadcasting, which holds the rights for the prime time slot 7:00 to 10:00 PM on DD Metro till September did not put in a bid means that the HFCL-Kerry Packer promoted company has called DD’s bluff. But a statement put out by Ravina Raj Kohli, CEO, HFCL Nine Broadcasting, still holds out hope that, at the end of the day, it will be Nine Broadcasting that finally ends up renewing its deal for the prime time slot on DD Metro.

    And what of Zee Telefilms’ “interest” in the 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM slot? Partha Sinha, senior vice-president marketing, who had been quoted on 10 June saying: “We are positively disposed. I see no reason why Zee should not make an expression of interest in that channel,” was singing a a different tune today.

    Sinha says that a detailed study of the whole thing in the interim led Zee to conclude that bidding for the slot was not a viable proposition. “And not just in financial terms, but looking at the bigger picture too,” he adds.

    Star India CEO Peter Mukerjea brushed off the matter in a single line response “Star did not not bid, and that’s more than enough said on this issue,” he says.

    In a signed statement Nine Gold CEO Kohli had this to say:
    “We at HFCL Nine Broadcasting are not surprised at the outcome of Doordarshan’s call for fresh bids for time slots on DD Metro. Given the unrealistic terms and conditions proposed by DD, the bid for prime time on DD Metro looked commercially unviable.

    “As stated earlier, HFCL Nine Broadcasting India LTD will be happy to initiate fresh talks with DD on the terms and conditions proposed earlier by us. These terms and conditions have been drafted based on our experience with DD Metro, and offer the best financial terms to DD without diluting the brand image of the national broadcaster.

    “Having kept DD’s best interests in mind for the past 10 months, we at HFCL Nine Broadcasting continue to believe that we are the best partners for DD Metro and look forward to continuing and strengthening our existing relationship.”

    With industry saying nyet to Prasar Bharati, it’s now over to the pubcaster to make the next move.