ITV

Tag: sustain

  • Indian producers need to co-produce animation

    Indian producers need to co-produce animation

    MUMBAI: While future certainly seems to be looking up for the animation industry, it isn’t as a bright option unless the producers team up with animation companies abroad for co-production deals. That seemed to be the crux of the afternoon session on Animation: Co-production and production values and expectations from Indiaat the Ficci Frames 2004.
     

    “The rapid advancement of technology has made computer animation available to the masses and the animation industry is one of the fastest growing industries. But who are we looking at when we venture into animation? The real market lies in the US, not in India,” said Phase Space International development head Ajay Koshy.

    Indian producers to join hands in co-production if they’re interested in pursuing their business in the animation industry.

    Another dignitary who presided on the panel of speakers, DQ Entertainment Ltd, CEO,Tapaas Chakravarti, endorsed in a humorous way, “The content is the king is alright, but let us follow the British monarchy system where the Queen is the Boss, for the cash is the Queen.”

    Further ahead, great stress was laid on the fact that animation is all about owning the rights, but most of the Indian producers, who enter into co-production, get it all wrong. This is mainly due to the fact that their pacts and contracts run into hundreds of pages and certain important clauses are not read, which gives an opportunity for the experienced partner in the co-production to con the junior partner. “Please do take up co-productions in animation, they are required, exciting and tempting, but don’t rush into things and imagine that everything will fall in place on its own,” warned another speaker Animation Bridge CEO Biren Ghosh.

    Another speaker, Ink Animations’ managing director Bob Last, who last came to India ten years ago when produced a documentary film for Mrinal Sen, viewed that U K can be a potential partner in this regard because it encourages multi-cultural programming.

    The need for animation schools in India was also discussed; there is enough talent but that has to sustain, survive, and better still, grow.

    Jadoo Works COO Ashish Kulkarni was the host for the session.

  • Ad revenues to sustain despite of hike in excise rates

    Ad revenues to sustain despite of hike in excise rates

    The ad industry seems to have no qualms about the recent budget. Industry professionals believe that the recent excise hike that the budget imposed on several categories of goods, among which figure FMCGs, automotive and consumer durables, is unlikely to prove a dampener to advertising fortunes in the coming year.

    In the past a rapid rampup of prices courtesy government levies has led to slow offtake of goods which in turn has led to a reduction in ad spend by advertisers. Ad agencies have in the process seen their billings dry up. 

     

    Industry professionals however don’t think the scenario will be replicated this time around. Says Saatchi & Saatchi media head T.V. Shivkumar: “The hike in excise rates won’t in anyway have an effect on the ad spend of companies. There is no blanket increase in the price of commodities. The ad spend has got more to do with the bottomline of the company, whether it is able to keep its commitment with its shareholders.” 

    Euro RSCG’s Gautam echoed the same sentiments: “The ad budget of a company depends more on the state of the economy as a whole. Price rise is a common feature. I don’t think there should be any change in the ad spends.” 

    The excise rates, which have gone up to 16%, seem to have raised noalarms as far as the advertising and promotional expenditure of the companies is concerned. If at all, ad pros maintain that this may go up so as to cheer the slackening markets.

     

    What needs to be seen is whether consumers will react similarly to the situation. Will they cut back or postpone consumption like they did in the early nineties which led to reduced ad expenditures? If they do react negatively, the ad industry will be caught unawares like in the nineties when they overstaffed and overcommitted resources in the hope of good economic growth.