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Tag: Sony Pictures

  • Jaideep to lead Ignition’s A-Pac expansion

    Jaideep to lead Ignition’s A-Pac expansion

    MUMBAI: Ignition Creative – a leading, global integrated marketing agency headquartered in Los Angeles – has announced the development of its Asia Pacific operations, launching first in India and led by the newly appointed Ignition’s chairman APAC and Middle East Jaideep Singh.

    Ignition creates culturally relevant entertainment, offering: strategy, print, audiovisual, digital, social, motion design, music, post-production, sound, computer generated (CG) visual effects and physical production. Clients include: 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, TNT, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., Amazon, A&E, AT&T | U-verse, Cirque du Soleil, HBO, Paramount Pictures, Netflix, Nike, Mattel, Yahoo and many more.

    Ignition is bringing a new realm to creative integrated marketing campaigns for brands in India. In addition, it intends to partner with leading Indian film production houses leveraging its recognized experience in creating some of Hollywood’s best integrated film campaigns.

    Ignition is a one-of-a-kind, full service marketing agency. Founded in 2003, its vision was to build an offering that combined CEO Martin Kistler’s renowned entertainment expertise with the deep strategic rigor of brand advertising. Starting as a small trailer house, Ignition quickly saw the future development of the entertainment marketing space, adding an integrated department, physical production division and cutting-edge digital and social tools to respond to clients’ evolving needs. This foresight made Ignition Hollywood’s go-to shop for driving new kinds of audience engagement through innovative, viral campaigns.

    To date, it has delivered hundreds of award-winning campaigns – from Cannes Lions to Clios – for film studios, TV networks and blue chip brands. Notable work includes Netflix and Marvel’s Daredevil, Transformers, Nike’s NIKEID: LeBron’s Homecoming, The Hunger Games, ESPN / Land Rover, LA Dodgers, Game of Thrones and 2K Games’ awaited Civilization VI, to name a few.

    Jaideep Singh’s board consists of veteran, global creatives and business leaders who will be announced over the next two months. Singh will develop, launch and guide Ignition’s expansion in to the APAC and Middle Eastern markets opening its first office in Mumbai, followed by branches opening in Delhi and Bangalore.

    “We have experienced rapid growth thanks to Ignition’s proprietary creative process, Ignite360, which led us to become recognised globally for our ability to help clients unleash new revenue streams while also meeting their marketing needs. As we’ve gained organic momentum, we have seized the opportunity to expand our international footprint, bringing the agency’s diverse talent-pool and full-service offering to more markets,” said Ignition Creative founder, CEO and chief creative officer Martin Kistler.

    “We feel fortunate to have found a perfect partner in Jaideep Singh whose relevant experience of India and solid understanding of global media industries will help us grow our international operations. His extensive knowledge of international partnerships and expertise in cultural and social trends make him an invaluable addition to Ignition’s leadership team,” added Kistler.

    Earlier this year, Singh was appointed as the managing director of creative technology innovation group, Volocity Media, to launch its India and APAC operations. He continues to spearhead Volocity’s expansion plans alongside his new role at Ignition. Singh holds to his credit 20 years of diverse experience across marketing, media and entertainment. A decorated ex-army major who for the last 15 years has worked with notable companies, including, JK Tyres, Confederation Of India Industries and Radio Mirchi. His last stint was a stellar 10-year position at Viacom India, where — as Senior Vice President and Business Head of Integrated Network Solutions — he launched hosts of domestic and global impact’s (IP’s), secured strategic media partnerships with brands, government sectors and engaged with entertainment and media divisions across the globe.

    “There is high demand from businesses in the Middle East, India and across Asia to work with an agency that combines data-driven strategy, purposeful creative and cutting-edge technologies to deliver measurable campaign results. Ignition offers a unique, integrated package of services plus award-winning experience marketing global brands and Hollywood blockbusters. So it’s a thrilling venture applying its success to explore new markets and push new creative boundaries,” said Singh.

  • Jaideep to lead Ignition’s A-Pac expansion

    Jaideep to lead Ignition’s A-Pac expansion

    MUMBAI: Ignition Creative – a leading, global integrated marketing agency headquartered in Los Angeles – has announced the development of its Asia Pacific operations, launching first in India and led by the newly appointed Ignition’s chairman APAC and Middle East Jaideep Singh.

    Ignition creates culturally relevant entertainment, offering: strategy, print, audiovisual, digital, social, motion design, music, post-production, sound, computer generated (CG) visual effects and physical production. Clients include: 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, TNT, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., Amazon, A&E, AT&T | U-verse, Cirque du Soleil, HBO, Paramount Pictures, Netflix, Nike, Mattel, Yahoo and many more.

    Ignition is bringing a new realm to creative integrated marketing campaigns for brands in India. In addition, it intends to partner with leading Indian film production houses leveraging its recognized experience in creating some of Hollywood’s best integrated film campaigns.

    Ignition is a one-of-a-kind, full service marketing agency. Founded in 2003, its vision was to build an offering that combined CEO Martin Kistler’s renowned entertainment expertise with the deep strategic rigor of brand advertising. Starting as a small trailer house, Ignition quickly saw the future development of the entertainment marketing space, adding an integrated department, physical production division and cutting-edge digital and social tools to respond to clients’ evolving needs. This foresight made Ignition Hollywood’s go-to shop for driving new kinds of audience engagement through innovative, viral campaigns.

    To date, it has delivered hundreds of award-winning campaigns – from Cannes Lions to Clios – for film studios, TV networks and blue chip brands. Notable work includes Netflix and Marvel’s Daredevil, Transformers, Nike’s NIKEID: LeBron’s Homecoming, The Hunger Games, ESPN / Land Rover, LA Dodgers, Game of Thrones and 2K Games’ awaited Civilization VI, to name a few.

    Jaideep Singh’s board consists of veteran, global creatives and business leaders who will be announced over the next two months. Singh will develop, launch and guide Ignition’s expansion in to the APAC and Middle Eastern markets opening its first office in Mumbai, followed by branches opening in Delhi and Bangalore.

    “We have experienced rapid growth thanks to Ignition’s proprietary creative process, Ignite360, which led us to become recognised globally for our ability to help clients unleash new revenue streams while also meeting their marketing needs. As we’ve gained organic momentum, we have seized the opportunity to expand our international footprint, bringing the agency’s diverse talent-pool and full-service offering to more markets,” said Ignition Creative founder, CEO and chief creative officer Martin Kistler.

    “We feel fortunate to have found a perfect partner in Jaideep Singh whose relevant experience of India and solid understanding of global media industries will help us grow our international operations. His extensive knowledge of international partnerships and expertise in cultural and social trends make him an invaluable addition to Ignition’s leadership team,” added Kistler.

    Earlier this year, Singh was appointed as the managing director of creative technology innovation group, Volocity Media, to launch its India and APAC operations. He continues to spearhead Volocity’s expansion plans alongside his new role at Ignition. Singh holds to his credit 20 years of diverse experience across marketing, media and entertainment. A decorated ex-army major who for the last 15 years has worked with notable companies, including, JK Tyres, Confederation Of India Industries and Radio Mirchi. His last stint was a stellar 10-year position at Viacom India, where — as Senior Vice President and Business Head of Integrated Network Solutions — he launched hosts of domestic and global impact’s (IP’s), secured strategic media partnerships with brands, government sectors and engaged with entertainment and media divisions across the globe.

    “There is high demand from businesses in the Middle East, India and across Asia to work with an agency that combines data-driven strategy, purposeful creative and cutting-edge technologies to deliver measurable campaign results. Ignition offers a unique, integrated package of services plus award-winning experience marketing global brands and Hollywood blockbusters. So it’s a thrilling venture applying its success to explore new markets and push new creative boundaries,” said Singh.

  • Sony Pictures, Wazee Digital bolster post-production relationship

    Sony Pictures, Wazee Digital bolster post-production relationship

    MUMBAI: Wazee Digital, a leading provider of cloud-based video management and licensing services, yesterday announced that Sony Pictures Post Production Services has extended its long-standing relationship with Wazee Digital through December 2017.

    Wazee enables rights-holders to monetise and enrich their valuable content. Its scalable solutions provide complete control over content so that assets reach their rightful audience. It is the only asset management solution built from the ground up to run natively in the cloud, and the only one to make live moments available immediately for global publishing, syndication, advertising, and sponsorship.

    Under the extended contract, Sony Pictures will continue using Wazee Digital Core and its automated metadata-processing technology to store, view, and manage assets from Sony Pictures’ inventory of feature films, including stock footage, full-length features, and clip selects, with granular specificity.

    Wazee Digital Core is a cloud-native media asset management solution that powers all other Wazee Digital products and services, including Commerce, the licensing pillar of the business, as well as Live Event Services. For the past six years, Sony Pictures metadata analysts have used Core to create time-based metadata for the inventory of feature-film assets Sony Pictures uses to fulfill licensing requests. The analysts then use the solution to manage inventory, share content, and create custom clips for delivery.

    “Sony Pictures has been a loyal client of Wazee Digital’s for many years, and it’s an honor that a film studio of Sony Pictures’ stature has relied on our technology for so long to store, view, and edit content for metadata enhancement and distribution,” said Wazee Digital CEO Harris Morris. “Sony Pictures’ continued use of the tools within Wazee Digital Core to create, capture, and augment granular metadata makes its titles more easily discoverable, streamlines its licensing operations, simplifies its contractual compliance, and widens its market reach. It’s a valuable example of how Wazee Digital can help companies like Sony Pictures make the most of their high-value content.”

  • Sony Pictures, Wazee Digital bolster post-production relationship

    Sony Pictures, Wazee Digital bolster post-production relationship

    MUMBAI: Wazee Digital, a leading provider of cloud-based video management and licensing services, yesterday announced that Sony Pictures Post Production Services has extended its long-standing relationship with Wazee Digital through December 2017.

    Wazee enables rights-holders to monetise and enrich their valuable content. Its scalable solutions provide complete control over content so that assets reach their rightful audience. It is the only asset management solution built from the ground up to run natively in the cloud, and the only one to make live moments available immediately for global publishing, syndication, advertising, and sponsorship.

    Under the extended contract, Sony Pictures will continue using Wazee Digital Core and its automated metadata-processing technology to store, view, and manage assets from Sony Pictures’ inventory of feature films, including stock footage, full-length features, and clip selects, with granular specificity.

    Wazee Digital Core is a cloud-native media asset management solution that powers all other Wazee Digital products and services, including Commerce, the licensing pillar of the business, as well as Live Event Services. For the past six years, Sony Pictures metadata analysts have used Core to create time-based metadata for the inventory of feature-film assets Sony Pictures uses to fulfill licensing requests. The analysts then use the solution to manage inventory, share content, and create custom clips for delivery.

    “Sony Pictures has been a loyal client of Wazee Digital’s for many years, and it’s an honor that a film studio of Sony Pictures’ stature has relied on our technology for so long to store, view, and edit content for metadata enhancement and distribution,” said Wazee Digital CEO Harris Morris. “Sony Pictures’ continued use of the tools within Wazee Digital Core to create, capture, and augment granular metadata makes its titles more easily discoverable, streamlines its licensing operations, simplifies its contractual compliance, and widens its market reach. It’s a valuable example of how Wazee Digital can help companies like Sony Pictures make the most of their high-value content.”

  • Unfair biz plaint against Warner Bros., Walt Disney, Fox Star; probe denial an error: Tribunal

    Unfair biz plaint against Warner Bros., Walt Disney, Fox Star; probe denial an error: Tribunal

    MUMBAI: The Competition Appellate Tribunal, for the second time in a year, has rejected the Competition Commission’s decision to dismiss a complaint of alleged unfair business ways made against Walt Disney, Warner Bros, Fox Star Studios and four other entities.

    The COMPAT, in a strongly-worded order, said that the CCI had committed serious error by declining to order an investigation.

    The complaint filed by K Sera Sera against the seven entities was rejected by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) after concluding that there was no prima-facie violation of competition norms, PTI reported. The watchdog dismissed the allegations twice, in April 2015 and June this year.

    The seven entities are — US-based Digital Cinemas Initiatives LLC, a joint venture, and its six stakeholder partners — The Walt Disney Company India, Fox Star Studios, NBC Universal Media Distribution Services, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros and Paramount Films India (respondents).

    “Rationally speaking, it would have saved time and efforts of all those involved in this matter if the Commission had ordered an investigation by the director general instead of once again more or less reiterating its earlier views,” the Tribunal said in the order.

    COMPAT said the “impugned order is set aside and the director-general is ordained to conduct investigation into the allegations contained in the information filed by the appellant (K Sera Sera)”. The investigation shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions contained in the Competition Commission of India (General) Regulations, 2009, the Tribunal noted.

    It was alleged that these entities indulged in anti-competitive practices in the digital cinema exhibition market, the PTI report added. It was alleged that Digital Cinemas LLC was formed with the aim of dominating and monopolising the market of digital cinema exhibition in India and elsewhere.

    In April 2015, CCI had rejected the allegations, and K Sera Sera approached the Tribunal, which asked the regulator to reconsider the matter.

    COMPAT stated: “on one hand, the respondents claim that their technology is voluntary, on the other, they create potential entry barriers by releasing their films only to those who opt for digital technology,” noting that it was “prima-facie anti-competitive.”

  • Unfair biz plaint against Warner Bros., Walt Disney, Fox Star; probe denial an error: Tribunal

    Unfair biz plaint against Warner Bros., Walt Disney, Fox Star; probe denial an error: Tribunal

    MUMBAI: The Competition Appellate Tribunal, for the second time in a year, has rejected the Competition Commission’s decision to dismiss a complaint of alleged unfair business ways made against Walt Disney, Warner Bros, Fox Star Studios and four other entities.

    The COMPAT, in a strongly-worded order, said that the CCI had committed serious error by declining to order an investigation.

    The complaint filed by K Sera Sera against the seven entities was rejected by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) after concluding that there was no prima-facie violation of competition norms, PTI reported. The watchdog dismissed the allegations twice, in April 2015 and June this year.

    The seven entities are — US-based Digital Cinemas Initiatives LLC, a joint venture, and its six stakeholder partners — The Walt Disney Company India, Fox Star Studios, NBC Universal Media Distribution Services, Sony Pictures, Warner Bros and Paramount Films India (respondents).

    “Rationally speaking, it would have saved time and efforts of all those involved in this matter if the Commission had ordered an investigation by the director general instead of once again more or less reiterating its earlier views,” the Tribunal said in the order.

    COMPAT said the “impugned order is set aside and the director-general is ordained to conduct investigation into the allegations contained in the information filed by the appellant (K Sera Sera)”. The investigation shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions contained in the Competition Commission of India (General) Regulations, 2009, the Tribunal noted.

    It was alleged that these entities indulged in anti-competitive practices in the digital cinema exhibition market, the PTI report added. It was alleged that Digital Cinemas LLC was formed with the aim of dominating and monopolising the market of digital cinema exhibition in India and elsewhere.

    In April 2015, CCI had rejected the allegations, and K Sera Sera approached the Tribunal, which asked the regulator to reconsider the matter.

    COMPAT stated: “on one hand, the respondents claim that their technology is voluntary, on the other, they create potential entry barriers by releasing their films only to those who opt for digital technology,” noting that it was “prima-facie anti-competitive.”

  • Race to acquire IPL rights commences

    Race to acquire IPL rights commences

    MUMBAI: It’s the business of sports! The countdown to the media rights of what is arguably India’s most premium sports property, the Vivo IPL, has begun with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announcing the timeline of the bidding process. The BCCI has made the IPL rights an invitation tender process with the document being made available for purchase from today (19 September) at a purchase price of $10,000.

    Three bunches of media rights are being made available: domestic Indian subcontinent TV rights for all the 10 seasons (2018-2027), domestic digital telecast rights, and the rest of the world (RoW) rights — either as a whole package or as territory groupings – each for five seasons (2018-2022). Bidders have also been permitted to make their offers in any combination of the above three rights. The digital rights entail a five-minute delayed telecast.

    Non-news TV broadcasters will be in a position to bid for the TV rights. However, the field has been thrown open to broadcasters, mobile operators and internet operators for both the digital and RoW rights, with marketing agencies also being permitted to throw in the hat into the ring for the latter.

    The bids can be made singly or as a consortium, as long as the person doing is fit and proper, meets financial standing and BCCI suitability standards criteria, and has no litigation with the cricket body, the BCCI announced.

    At the press conference in Delhi, BCCI president Anurag Thakur said:
    “IPL is the fastest, most popular cricket league and also the sixth most popular sports league in the world. We want it to be a very transparent process. It is going to be bid- but a most historic. In the last nine years, what we have seen is that the world has recognized it has the top most league. BCCI has been proud to start the league which others have followed.”

    BCCI CEO Rahul Johri who made a presentation on the tender process said that it will be two tiered, based on eligibility and on the financial commitment. Bidders will have to make their submissions in two envelopes: Envelope A which will detail the eligibility and envelope B which will contain the financial bid and signed media rights agreement. Financial Bids of only compliant bids will be opened, Johri clarified. He added that the organization was under no obligation to accept the highest financial bid and that it could change the process at any time at its discretion.

    Johri pointed out that potential bidders will have an opportunity to seek clarifications till 4 October, with 18 October being the last date for purchasing the tender, and bid submissions will close at 9:30 am on 25 October. Financial bids of only compliant bids will be opened, Johri clarified. The BCCI is expected to announce the winners of the rights the same day.

    For the RoW, the BCCI has broken up the rights into territory groups, almost like the league it runs. Group A broadly consists of Asia, Australia, Canada, Caribbean, Central and south America, New Zealand, and Israel. Group B consists of middle east and north Africa while Group C covers the whole of South Africa. Group D includes sub-Saharan Africa, Group E covers the UK and Ireland and British territories and Group F, the whole of the US.

    Media observers expect a tough fight between current TV rights holder Sony Pictures Network (SPN) India – which recently acquired the Zee Network’s TEN Sports brand – and digital rights holder Star India for the rights.

    Other bidders who could be contenders include telcos like Reliance Jio and Airtel. The next 10 years rights of the IPL are expected to bring in anywhere between $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion for the BCCI.

  • Race to acquire IPL rights commences

    Race to acquire IPL rights commences

    MUMBAI: It’s the business of sports! The countdown to the media rights of what is arguably India’s most premium sports property, the Vivo IPL, has begun with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announcing the timeline of the bidding process. The BCCI has made the IPL rights an invitation tender process with the document being made available for purchase from today (19 September) at a purchase price of $10,000.

    Three bunches of media rights are being made available: domestic Indian subcontinent TV rights for all the 10 seasons (2018-2027), domestic digital telecast rights, and the rest of the world (RoW) rights — either as a whole package or as territory groupings – each for five seasons (2018-2022). Bidders have also been permitted to make their offers in any combination of the above three rights. The digital rights entail a five-minute delayed telecast.

    Non-news TV broadcasters will be in a position to bid for the TV rights. However, the field has been thrown open to broadcasters, mobile operators and internet operators for both the digital and RoW rights, with marketing agencies also being permitted to throw in the hat into the ring for the latter.

    The bids can be made singly or as a consortium, as long as the person doing is fit and proper, meets financial standing and BCCI suitability standards criteria, and has no litigation with the cricket body, the BCCI announced.

    At the press conference in Delhi, BCCI president Anurag Thakur said:
    “IPL is the fastest, most popular cricket league and also the sixth most popular sports league in the world. We want it to be a very transparent process. It is going to be bid- but a most historic. In the last nine years, what we have seen is that the world has recognized it has the top most league. BCCI has been proud to start the league which others have followed.”

    BCCI CEO Rahul Johri who made a presentation on the tender process said that it will be two tiered, based on eligibility and on the financial commitment. Bidders will have to make their submissions in two envelopes: Envelope A which will detail the eligibility and envelope B which will contain the financial bid and signed media rights agreement. Financial Bids of only compliant bids will be opened, Johri clarified. He added that the organization was under no obligation to accept the highest financial bid and that it could change the process at any time at its discretion.

    Johri pointed out that potential bidders will have an opportunity to seek clarifications till 4 October, with 18 October being the last date for purchasing the tender, and bid submissions will close at 9:30 am on 25 October. Financial bids of only compliant bids will be opened, Johri clarified. The BCCI is expected to announce the winners of the rights the same day.

    For the RoW, the BCCI has broken up the rights into territory groups, almost like the league it runs. Group A broadly consists of Asia, Australia, Canada, Caribbean, Central and south America, New Zealand, and Israel. Group B consists of middle east and north Africa while Group C covers the whole of South Africa. Group D includes sub-Saharan Africa, Group E covers the UK and Ireland and British territories and Group F, the whole of the US.

    Media observers expect a tough fight between current TV rights holder Sony Pictures Network (SPN) India – which recently acquired the Zee Network’s TEN Sports brand – and digital rights holder Star India for the rights.

    Other bidders who could be contenders include telcos like Reliance Jio and Airtel. The next 10 years rights of the IPL are expected to bring in anywhere between $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion for the BCCI.

  • The Angry Birds movie flies to the top of the box office with gross opening weekend of Rs. 12.8 crore

    The Angry Birds movie flies to the top of the box office with gross opening weekend of Rs. 12.8 crore

    MUMBAI: Rovio Entertainment and Sony Pictures’ The Angry Birds Movie was #1 at the Indian box office this weekend with a box office gross of approximately Rs. 12.8 crore (USD 1.91m) making it the highest opening weekend for a non-franchise animated film and the second biggest opening for an animated film on the whole. It also had the distinction for being the widest animated release in India with 696 locations in English, Hindi and Tamil and released in both 2D and 3D.

    The trans-created Hindi version of the film was also very popular and contributed a strong 27% to the total collection – the highest ever for an animated Hollywood film.

    Sony Pictures India managing director Vivek Krishnani commented on opening saying, “The movie had huge anticipation, particularly for one that is not a sequel. This can be attributed to the fact that the awareness of the franchise in India is 98% amongst the target audience and that we promoted it as an event film that could not be missed. Families are enjoying the film but the humour is connecting with youth as well. This positive reception amongst all ages, combined with the vacations continuing across the country, gives us confidence that the film will continue its strong run in the weeks to come.”

  • The Angry Birds movie flies to the top of the box office with gross opening weekend of Rs. 12.8 crore

    The Angry Birds movie flies to the top of the box office with gross opening weekend of Rs. 12.8 crore

    MUMBAI: Rovio Entertainment and Sony Pictures’ The Angry Birds Movie was #1 at the Indian box office this weekend with a box office gross of approximately Rs. 12.8 crore (USD 1.91m) making it the highest opening weekend for a non-franchise animated film and the second biggest opening for an animated film on the whole. It also had the distinction for being the widest animated release in India with 696 locations in English, Hindi and Tamil and released in both 2D and 3D.

    The trans-created Hindi version of the film was also very popular and contributed a strong 27% to the total collection – the highest ever for an animated Hollywood film.

    Sony Pictures India managing director Vivek Krishnani commented on opening saying, “The movie had huge anticipation, particularly for one that is not a sequel. This can be attributed to the fact that the awareness of the franchise in India is 98% amongst the target audience and that we promoted it as an event film that could not be missed. Families are enjoying the film but the humour is connecting with youth as well. This positive reception amongst all ages, combined with the vacations continuing across the country, gives us confidence that the film will continue its strong run in the weeks to come.”