When successful Indian filmmakers took the dais at Day 2 of FICCI Frames 2008, several questions were raised on what works the best in filmmaking. The only answer that came up from the overly-heated discussion was that the business of filmmaking is intricate, and that nobody knows what works the best at the Box Office.
‘Freedom is the lifeblood of entertainment and media, it is our breath, and we shall protect it from dying’: the ever-effervescent Mahesh Bhatt with his take on freedom of speech and expression. ‘Media and Entertainment guys must abjure social responsibilities and stick to what they know best, because the decisions that government officials take are often hypocritical’, thus spake Pritish Nandy. And the debate continues.
Licensing and merchandising of animated characters have become the norm today, and with the industry reaching a worth of a few billion dollars in a market like the US, possibilities have opened up, and everyone wants a piece of the pie. It has become important to ensure that revenue streams don’t dry up felt speakers at FICCI Frames 2008.
The Box Office has been the traditional barometer of a film’s success. However, with the advent of digital media, film distribution and marketing have newer mediums for expanding the audience base. Now is the time to look beyond the Box Office.
In a dog-eats-dog world, it is the survival of the fittest – or for that matter, the fastest – that matters. With the coming in of multiple New Age options and platforms, will traditional media lose out its sheen to online? The session on ‘Online Media Platforms: Creating an audience of one and a billion’ sought to explore this angle.
Some debates have a way of remaining a debate in perpetuity. Like, for instance, whether content is king or distribution is God. Going a little bit forward, the morning of Day 2 at FICCI Frames 2008 saw a lively debate on ‘What, Where and How: Media choices in the expanding Universe’.
Digital cinema in India is expected to change the face of ‘traditional’ cinema business, just as Internet and mobile have changed the face of communication. Besides growing the domestic market digital cinema can also play a pivotal role in curbing piracy.
Despite being one of the fastest growing in the world, the Indian media and entertainment industry is still plagued by lack of trained and skilled manpower and a good talent pool. Talent is not created but nurtured, and both industry and government must work together to resolve this problem, felt experts at FICCI Frames 2008.
The session on regional cinema had a list of industry veterans pondering over the issues and challenges facing the regional film industry in the country. The brainstorming session focused on how language is hampering growth of regional cinema inspite of the availability of quality talent and content in plenty.
Chinese international footwear company Aokang has forayed into India. The Aokang range of footwear would be available at the company’s exclusive showroom at MGF Metropolitan Mall (in Gurgaon) and also at Reliance Footprints and leading multi-brand outfits at Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
NDTV Convergence Ltd, the 100 per cent subsidiary of NDTV Networks Plc, has recently launched the website NDTVArabia.tv. The channel NDTV Arabia was launched in 2007 to cater to the large Indian Diaspora in the region. NDTVArabia.tv is the first Indian website specially catering to the region and its issues.
With temperatures increasing, people have already begun their hunt for ways and means to keep cool this summer. Hence the sale of ACs and refrigerators are on an upswing now. Consumer electronic companies like Videocon, LG, Haier and Electrolux are sprucing up their product offerings in refrigerators with new launches and product innovations. exchange4media takes stock of what is in the market this summer.
Ashish Kaul, Executive Vice President, Corporate Brand Development, Zee Group has quit the group after a decade-long stint. Confirming the development, Kaul said, “After a decade-long association with the Group I have decided to move on. I have already put in my papers and am currently serving a one-month notice period.”
Barely three weeks after ‘quitting’ as Executive Producer of Sahara Group’s national Hindi news channel Samay, along with channel head Punya Prasoon Bajpai and six other key editorial people, Sanjay Bragta is back with the channel. However, Bragta is now insisting that he had not resigned earlier, but was simply not coming to office.
Mudra Mumbai is now a full service agency again. In a significant structural change, media strategists are being brought back into the ‘creative agency’. This is an acknowledgement of the fact that in a fragmented media environment, brands will be better served if creative strategy and media thinking come together early in the campaign development process.
Gone are the days when a film went on to achieve Golden Jubilee or Silver Jubilee success. With multiple distribution channels, marketing tie-ups with print, radio, television, Internet, etc., available, a good opening weekend becomes critical for a movie’s success. How does one ensure that a film opens to a houseful?
Indian television is going through major changes in content, which is constantly redefining itself. Do we see TV channels falling into niche segments and breaking down into sub-genres in the coming year? What would be future trends for Indian television content? The session on ‘Redefining Television Content: shifting patterns’ sought to answer these questions and much more.
There is a special focus on the animation and gaming industry at FICCI Frames this year, given the upward growth curve and increasing investments in Indian animation. The Animation and Gaming track at FICCI Frames 2008 gave industry experts an opportunity to take stock of this growth and understand the workings of the developed markets through its three panel discussions.
The Indian entertainment sector has been registering a ‘blockbuster growth’, thanks to a buoyant economy. But steps need to be taken to sustain this growth. This formed the basis of discussion in the session on ‘Blockbuster growth - Indian entertainment, what will make the boom bigger?’ at FICCI Frames 2008.
FICCI Frames 2008 took off on a strong note in Mumbai on March 25. Yash Chopra and Kunal Dasgupta set the tone for the Forum by taking up several issues at the inaugural session. Topping every discussion was the rating system and the menace of piracy as well as the contentious issue of censorship.