08 Dec 2016 DAY 2
OFFICIAL SHOW DAILY 2016
WEE WATCHERS, BIG BUSINESS
26 Years On: “There is no secret to success…”
THE RISE OF CAN-DO Random Doesn’t Cut It No More
ANGELS & DEMONS
VC Truths: Can You Handle It?
WINNER
Snap It Post It Lim Jing Qi, Brand Executive who won the exclusive MasterChef apron signed by MasterChefs of Asia, Australia and the US.
Prizes sponsored by Endemol Shine Group
content s
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FROM THE MARKET
Y LUCK ! DRAW SNAP IT POST IT! Post a photo of yourself at ATF onsite by 5pm each day (Twitter and/or Facebook) and tag #AsiaTVForum, #masterchefxatf
Win an exclusive apron signed by all of the MasterChef’s winners 2013/2015.
08 DEC 2016, THURSDAY
DAY @ A GLANCE
Deals & spills, finds & fortunes
CONFERENCE (FORMATS@ATF)
MARKET & EVENTS
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10am—10.50am TRENDING ASIA: WINNING FORMATS
9am—6pm Level 5 SAFF FILM PROJECT MARKET
STRATEGY
Great minds share
11am—12pm HERE COMES THE SMASHING K-FORMATS! Sponsored by
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EXCLUSIVE
Kids are SuperAwesome
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10am—12pm Level 5, Creators’ Cube HOW POKÉMON GO CHANGED THE WORLD Pokémon Go Documentary: First Look, by Fuji TV/FCC 12pm—1pm NETWORKING RECEPTION
10am—6pm Level 4, Peony 4412 FILM SCREENING
Sponsored by
12pm Level 4, Peony 4511 SONAR ENTERTAINMENT SCREENING – THE SON*
EXCLUSIVE Kids Go Native
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GALLERY
1pm—2pm FINALS: ATF FORMATS PITCH LIVE JUDGING Global partner
EXCLUSIVE Value or Chain
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EXCLUSIVE Top 8 VC Realities
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EXCLUSIVE
Top 5 Truths from a VC
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PRODUCTS WE LOVE
2.10pm—2.40pm CROSS BORDER CONTENT DEVELOPMENT: A Good Idea Can Come From Anywhere 2.50pm—3.30pm FORMATTING FOR THE SMALL SCREEN: What Works & What Doesn’t 3.40pm—4.20pm MARKET FOCUS: Selling To Indochina (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar)
2pm—3pm Regions of Japan (Screen Authority Sapporo TV Wall) JAPANESE TEA BREAK 4pm Level 4, Peony 4511 SONAR ENTERTAINMENT SCREENING – THE SON* 4pm—5pm Singapore Pavilion E08/H08 SINGAPORE HOUR 4pm—4.45pm Level 5, Creators’ Cube THE CHARM OF TURKISH CONTENT (PANEL) Followed by a networking session (4.45pm—6pm)
4.30pm—5.10pm MARKET FOCUS: Navigating China 5.20pm—7pm (Closed Door – By RSVP Only) CHINESE COMMISSIONERS CO-DEVELOPMENT/ CO-PRODUCTION NETWORKING SESSION Meet and get to know China’s significant commissioners. Sponsored by
1pm—3pm Level 5, Creators’ Cube TRANSMEDIA, VR & WEBSERIES 2pm Level 4, Peony 4511 SONAR ENTERTAINMENT SCREENING –TABOO*
Snap & Chat: Through The Lens
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10am Level 4, Peony 4511 SONAR ENTERTAINMENT SCREENING - TABOO*
In partnership with
4.30pm—6pm TVFI French Pavilion – E10 CHEESE & WINE COCKTAIL 5pm—6pm Japan Pavilion (JBA) – A24 SUSHI & COCKTAIL PARTY 6.30pm—8.30pm The Official Residence CANADA @ ATF 2016 COCKTAIL RECEPTION (9 Swettenham Road, Singapore 248092)
A bite-size look at what to see and buy today
R.S.V.P. Required *By Invitation Only
SHOW DAILY TEAM EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lunita S V Mendoza EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Ben Keen, Craig Johnson, Ashish Pherwani, Edward Barton, Nick Burfitt, Raine Tan, Jonathan Nickell, Keri Lewis Brown, Adam Schoff, Anil Wanvari DESIGNER Zoey Lim LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER Eng Chun Pang PHOTOGRAPHER Allan Siew VIDEOGRAPHER Pol Divina Mediacorp celebrities, including top artiste Zoey Tay (pictured), added star power at the Opening Ceremony of the ATF/ScreenSingapore 2016.
ON SITE IC Suhaimi Sainy ON SITE COORDINATOR Evette Goh
PROJECT MANAGEMENT SENIOR PROJECT DIRECTOR Yeow Hui Leng
SENIOR PROJECT COORDINATOR Chrystia Liew CONFERENCE
SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER Joyce Chua
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Lunita S V Mendoza
MARKETING/ PUBLIC RELATIONS
PRODUCER ASSISTANT Mira Lee
MARKETING MANAGER Monika Au
OPERATIONS
SENIOR MARKETING EXECUTIVE Evette Goh
OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE Amelia Kho
BUYERS
OPERATIONS COORDINATOR Phelicia Ng
RELATIONSHIP MANAGER Ivy Chia PROJECT COORDINATOR Felicia Wong EXHIBITORS/ PARTICIPANTS ACCOUNT MANAGER Phua Meenyi
Published by REED EXHIBITIONS, a division of Reed Elsevier (Singapore) 2008 Pte Ltd
market news
BUYING & SELLING A quickie on what’s hot on the floor
FINNING INTO ASIA Wee watchers are big business and things just got bigger with CEOs Gigglebug Entertainment’s Anttu Harlin and POD Entertainment’s Håkan Sandberg, who will make their first appearance at ATF2016. From looking to build relationships and initiate new business, to the search for co-producers, broadcasters and distributors in Asia, this Finnish debut might mark the start of this country’s attempt to build on their success in games. Positive ideas, experience and 360° attitude will be the foundation Finnanimation promises. “Finnish original brands from Moom-
ins to Angry Birds are widely known in Asia. However, many Asian broadcasters and other players have asked us what’s coming next,” said executive director Liisa Vähäkylä from
Finnanimation, a network of Finnish animation producers that promotes Finnish animation globally. A huge potential to grow after the loss of Nokia and downscaling of
GROWING STRONG
Rovio, Liisa thinks that there is both originality and scalability, especially in these new brands, Gigglebug, Fleak of Anima studio and POD Entertainment’s Orkyns, to meet the special demands of the Asia market.
POPJAM-MING INTO ASIA explained Paul. “We have incredible tools and expertise in this area and can very quickly give them access to hugely increased engagement.”
Sliding into a wide open base unguarded by the likes of Snapchat and Facebook, PopJam has been strutting on easy street where under -13s hang. “For kids between 7—12, there are no major social environments built specifically for them, which is a problem both for kids and the brands who are trying to reach them,” said Paul Nunn, Chief Commercial Officer of SuperAwesomeTV.
“I cannot really judge on the percentage of each expansion yet, but most importantly, we are constructing the first international standards Theme Park in Lido (near Jakarta). Of course we are going into Gaming, M&L, Mobile and Online, as well as all platform distribution, among other things. But I can tell this Theme Park is one of the most important assets for our IP business. We are putting four of our own IPs into our theme park, which will be opening in 2020. And we will keep adding more IPs in there. We are already in the final stages of the design process, and we will start construction in 2017.”
And ATF is a crucial stepping stone into PopJam’s first foray into Asia. The team behind PopJam will be looking out for great content creators and kids brands. “We will be looking to aid partners who would love to engage in a social and interactive conversation with their audience in a safe, responsible way,”
– Seung-hyun Oh, on IP extensions for MNC Animation
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As many will eventually learn, PopJam is also part of the global SuperAwesome platform, whose technology powers the global kids’ digital media ecosystem, ensuring kid-safe advertising, safe-social, family authentication and COPPA compliance for hundreds of brands and agencies around the world. This means that this platform can also help brands and content creators to strengthen their business in a number of other areas, from adding revenue streams to their products, to preparing them for the new world of kids compliance and data protection. Now reaching a monthly audience of over 1 million kids in the UK alone, the introduction of the PopJam platform is set to increase this to closer to 5 million in Q1 2017. Given PopJam’s role as the social and content connective tissue for the kids 7—12 space, the opportunity for PopJam to scale indefinitely is only limited by the number of great kids sites, apps and games in the global media marketplace.
THROUGH CRITICAL & COMMERCIAL EYES: MUSTATTEND INAUGURAL SCREENINGS ScreenSingapore 2016 has seen its inaugural film screenings, chosen and accepted because of the quality of production in all genres, sales potential in Asia and beyond, as well as its unique voice that deserves an enhanced commercial berth, says Justin Deimen, Group Managing Partner, Aurora Media Holdings & Co-Founder of the Southeast Asian Film Financing Forum.
Catch these screenings on Dec 7—8 from 10am—6pm @ Peony 4412 on Level 4
The films were chosen and slotted in this year with both critical and commercial eyes. Established buyers and programmers themselves were privy to this year’s selection and these films had rights available in major territories, with strong marketing potential for TV, VOD, and theatrical windows. “Most of these films have made terrific footprints in festivals around the world and have major territory buys already. With ATF/ScreenSingapore hosting this marketing screening for the first time, it creates a value-add to its base of sellers and buyers to be able to immediately launch new products on-site and facilitate more efficient decision-making.” The sellers in this market screening also bring a substantial catalogue of current
“For the last 20 years, Workpoint has built a reputation for creating high quality production and creative, innovative content, ideas and formats. With over 27 years of experience, Workpoint continues to widen our reach, and broaden our creative possibilities with the aim of gaining recognition globally,”
Justin reiterates that content is still king and driving the industry forward. While some of the bigger deals and acquisition price points aren’t setting records, the quantity of deals and revenues have been on the rise with new platforms and brand alliances being achieved – especially in Asia and in territories where digital rights have suddenly taken a life of its own outside of all-in purchases. Distributors and buyers who are savvy have begun targeting niche and specialised content for new screens, as well as putting together robust ad revenue-sharing models that work for producers as well as platforms. Southeast Asian cinema will be the next big avenue for content monetisation with creative producers in ASEAN building a consolidated network within and outside the region. “Networks like SAAVA and content markets like ATF/ScreenSingapore are creating the launchpad for investment, knowledge sharing, and distribution,” Justin concluded.
Workpoint Entertainment Group will bring the best of the best to ATF 2016. Drop by their stand at G16 to have a peek at this brand-new star from Thailand!
TAKING NOTICE OF THAILAND THROUGH WORKPOINT From riveting, hilarious, brain teasing word puzzles such as the game show “Golden Clues”, to shake-in-yourboots spooky entertainment “Gang of Ghosts”, Workpoint is leveraging that notoriety with a series of successes throughout Asia, particularly Vietnam and Cambodia, and currently broadening its licensing rights to Burma, Peru, Sweden, France, and the UK.
and future projects that the profile of our buyers would be interested in.
said Dhanasak Hoonarak, Workpoint Chief Business Development Officer. This year alone saw the success of the program, “Mic On, Debt Off.” Already a phenomenon in Thailand, Workpoint believes this show can be culturally adapted to reap even greater success abroad. “Mic On, Debt Off” is the most ground-breaking talent show of the year; a unique singing competition, creating a fusion between entertainment and reality programming. The show has engaged viewers from its very first broadcast and the audience continues to grow, achieving a market-impressive rating of up to 6.64. As a result, Dhanasak has announced further international rollouts in the Asian market.
Workpoint’s Channel 23 is now the highest-rated digital TV channel in Thailand, proudly producing more than 150 programs, many of which have claimed national and interna-
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tional recognition from organisations, including the International Emmy Awards and the Asian Television Awards, achieving winner, runner-up and high commendations for its shows.
keynote
Keynote post report by Ben Keen, Chief Analyst & VP, IHS Technology & Lunita S V Mendoza, Editorial Director, ATF
SEUNG-HYUN OH Chief Creative Officer MNC Animation
“IT’S BEEN NOT EASY, BUT IT HAS BEEN A MEANINGFUL TWO YEARS SO FAR…” A strong call for Asian co-production cooperation was made by Shoh Hyun Oh in his keynote address to the ATF. Rather than partner with Western companies, he appealed for Asian companies to work together on animated stories that would appeal to Asian audiences. Serving as Chief Content Office of MNC Animation since 2015, Shoh already has a ratings hit on his hands with his first original series called Kiko. Indeed, the cartoon has been so successful that there are already advanced plans to make it a central inspiration for attractions at MNC’s – and Indonesia’s – first major amusement park, due to open in 2020. Expected to have 30 rides, the park will feature a range of other original IP that MNC Animation has in development. Indeed, this is a perfect illustration of the ‘360 degree’ approach to production strategy that Mr Oh is masterminding – with games and apps, licensing and merchandising, and printed media spin-offs all in the works. With an illustrious career in the Korean, Japanese and US animation sectors, Shoh was lured to MNC by the tremendous potential he perceived in the Indonesian market. With the fourth largest population in the world and a fast growing economy, the country is also particularly notable for its tremendously young demographic. With 28 per cent of
the population under the age of 14, it is the perfect market to grow a buoyant children’s animation business. He also enjoys the support of the wider MNC group, which has interests in almost every facet of the media industry – from radio and broadcasting, through to digital media, pay TV, broadband service provision, and even newspapers. Mr Oh’s ambition is to build the ‘Disney of Asia’ and with the assets he has at his disposal, it would be foolish to doubt that ambition will be achieved.
“There is no secret to success. One thing that I can say is, I’ve been in the animation industry for 26 years now, and with my experience, I’m trying to create an efficient pipeline here. The Indonesian animation industry is really small, so at the same time with production, I also need to focus on educating people on so many things, including work ethics and habits. It’s been not easy, but it has been a meaningful two years so far.”
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market news
BUYING & SELLING A quickie on what’s hot on the floor
IMPORTANCE OF ASIA FOR FOX Asia has been an important region in Fox’s long-term plans over a period of many years, primarily because of the vast array of countries at different stages of the progress spectrum. Asia continues to be a focal point for Fox, as they see positive business signs for many years to come. “It is an incredibly resilient region used to overcoming a diverse range of challenges,” says Brendan Zauner, Senior Vice President of Sales, Asia, Fox Studios. “Bird flu, SARS, currency crashes, the aftermath of the tsunami, and not to mention widespread poverty have all translated to building sensible, robust businesses designed
to counter unexpected events.” The two main countries considered to be significant drivers of growth for Fox are India and China. Projecting ahead, Vietnam, Myanmar and Pakistan represent good opportunities if open trade is allowed. This might make ATF’s Indochina panel a session of interest for Fox. And with regards to any aggressive plans for expansion within the region, Brendan expressed that with the business facing the challenges of linear versus non-linear delivery of content amidst rampant online piracy, the expansion is more likely to be steady as opposed to aggressive.
INESCAPABLE BIG PLANS FOR 2017 Natalie Lawley of Escapade Media has been attending ATF for the past 14 years and it remains the only market they attend in Asia. “It provides the platform where we can meet buyers from channels or territories that do not attend MIPCOM, and also allows us to view new projects in development from across the Asian region. “As Escapade Media buys and sells pro-
jects, both activities are essential for us in a market,” said Natalie. This year, Escapade is looking forward to closing the interest generated at MIPCOM 2016, bringing their new project based around a new Asian personality, Philippines’ own JC Tha Barber to screens in 2017. The New Year will also see Escapade looking to confirm an Asian co-production partner for their animation series
Artie! early next year to initiate pre-production. This series has received enormous interest from the market place and the company would like to get its first animation series up and running. “We will also be looking for more 4K projects that have a strong VR element. Escapade has just celebrated its third anniversary and the company has grown significantly since inception. 2017 will see four titles that have been in development deliver the first series, so we anticipate a significant growth of Escapade titles across the major regions.
strategy
GREAT MINDS SHARE
Photo Michael Ozaki
A peek into juicy discussions on stage
The Opening Ceremony of ATF/ScreenSingapore 2016: Minister of State Chee Hong Tat praised the media industry for embracing change while not forgetting that good storytelling is the foundation of success. He also announced three initiatives in Singapore to groom new talent and provide new pathways for writers to break into the games sub-sector.
From L-R DEBBIE EVANS, President Southeast Asia & Australia, Reed Exhibitions GABRIEL LIM, Chief Executive, IMDA CHEE HONG TAT, Minister of State, Ministry of Communications & Information PAUL BEH, President Asia Pacific, Reed Exhibitions MICHELLE LIM, Managing Director, Reed Exhibitions ROBERT GILBY, Chairman,Singapore Media Festival
Adam Schoff presented an Exclusive Report from Dubit into the changing media consumption habits of kids. Rather than focus on the data, Adam then provided an analysis of what the data means, how it could affect the industry and the opportunities presented to those willing to take up the challenge. Kids, more than ever, are driving content innovation and determining how and when they will consume content. The enormous growth in mobile, and proliferation of content platforms is revolutionising how content is produced and viewed. It’s a brave new world that is yet to be fully understood, making it all the more exciting. The key trends outlined by Adam were: • The saturation of mobile technology, making content so much more accessible. • The desire for localised content, driven by the ability to produce local content, and importantly share local content. • The growth of accessible brands. You need to be where the kids hang out. The more accessible, the better. • Kids want content and they want it now. Scheduled content is so yesterday! • Fragmentation. With so much content, how do kids find what they want. The platform is key, but brands must also understand how to make themselves visible in a very crowded market. ADAM SCHOFF, VP, Dubit
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strategy
GREAT MINDS SHARE A peek into juicy discussions on stage
From L-R YOICHIRO TAKAHASHI, Senior Program Director, NHK Japan; DR CHUNG HYUNSOOK, Snr Exec Producer, EBS Korea; PHILOMENA GNANAPRAGASAM, Snr Prog Manager, AIBD; ZENG WEIJING, Deputy GM, CCTV Animation Inc, CCTV
There was a lively panel discussion that took place yesterday covering the challenges and rewards of international co-production for kids content. Chairing the panel was Philomena from Malaysia. She was joined by Dr Hyunskook Chung, who is on her third season of a ground breaking series called Baby on the Way, a live action co-production between South Korea, Chile, Italy, Thailand and Vietnam among others. A factual series, told from the kids perspectives exploring the joys of new babies in families for the siblings and parents. The show expands cultural horizons for the audience, showing them what is different in the lives of kids from other cultures, but also how universal the experiences are for families everywhere with new babies. Also on the panel was Yoichiro Takahashi of NHK who has made a similarly innovative live action Asian drama for a kids spanning co-production partners from countries across the Asian world. He echoed Dr Chung’s thoughts about the importance of
SEUNG-HYUN OH, Chief Creative Officer, MNC Animation
drama series about kids, and for kids, that gave them a perspective on different cultures whilst telling universal stories. Finally, Vicky (Zen Weijing) of CCTV Animation Inc in China who produce over 1,000 minutes of animated content each year. Vicky expressed her interest in developing new IP with overseas partners that connected with kids audiences across the world. She pointed to her recent success with a show developed and produced with a partner from the Czech Republic and was keen to build on that with further international collaborations. Questions from the audience included thoughts about how to create content with cultural specificity and also universal interest and striking the right balance between those two objectives. It was one of the most beneficial panels at an industry event showing the importance of creating content for Asia with collaborations from multiple territories and the growing enthusiasm from Chinese studios to co-develop with foreign partners.
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A man with a vision and the spirit to see it through, Seung-hyun Oh, or Shoh, will be someone to watch as he takes MNC Animation to the next level.
A fascinating discussion was had between some of the kid’s industry leading contributors. Adam Schoff started by questioning the merit of the statement that kids want or need to be engaged by a brand across all platforms. It is certainly commercial nirvana, but is it really what kids want? Bryce Inouye was able to articulate how Mattel engage with kids on platforms they demand. That Mattel recognized the need to be audience led, having for many years relied on pushing content and product to kids. Don Anderson spoke passionately about how brands are leaning into YouTube content creators with surprisingly positive results. It’s a symbiotic relationship where the audience and brand both benefit. Alice Qiu was able to speak about how d-rights focuses on fan engagement to determine strategic direction. The market has evolved and the audience must be keenly followed. The creative amongst the team, Shoh, from MNC Animation, was very expressive about the need to only extend the brand when it benefits the narrative. Too often, extensions
are commercially driven and fail. To this the panel all agreed. The upshot was that kids do want brands to extend across platform, but only if it enhances their experience and appreciation for the brand. Content may be king, but kids are the king makers, forget that at your own peril!
From L-R DON ANDERSON, Head, Kids & Learning P’ships, YouTube APAC; BRYCE INOUYE, Business Head, Mattel Inc; ALICE QIU, Head of Asia, Brand Strategy, d-rights Inc.; SEUNG HYUN OH, Chief Creative Officer, MNC Animation; ADAM SCHOFF, VP, Dubit
strategy
GREAT MINDS SHARE
The Triangle In A State Of Flux: Having the right content to achieve the right audience is what the industry must focus on instead of the business model. The business model will remain in a state of flux just as the content triangle itself has been shifting back and forth between brands, producers and broadcasters. What remains constant is the audience that sits in the centre of it all.
A peek into juicy discussions on stage
Financing top quality content at the correct budget to reach the right audience in Southeast Asia will remain a challenge, in a market where there is scale in audience, but the revenues may not be similar to those in the UK, for example. It’s not impossible, so finding ways to creatively finance content will remain the biggest challenge yet.
From L-R FERA ROSIHAN, Director, GroupM Entertainment, Indonesia MIKAEL CHRISTENSON, Head of Content+, Mindshare Asia Pacific, Singapore; MARC HEAL, Sales Director, IFA Media, Singapore; GUILLAUME SACHET, Head, Strategic Planning, Mediacorp, Singapore; STEVEN MURPHY, Director of Programming, GroupM Entertainment APAC, Singapore
We are taking power away from the commissioners: The impact of VC funding on content is being felt across the industry. Justin Deimen believes that access to VC funding is taking away power from the commissioners, who work may with less money but expect same quality. In fact, there are even cases of commissioners approaching VCs to co-fund productions as the traditional funding sources are not willing to part with more. Deciding what to fund is not rocket science according to Bryan Pelz. It is more a judgement call as investors need to assess what may work. Investors are clearly looking at a way to make their money back thus a clear pathway to monetization is needed. Producers looking for funding need to show how the content can synergize with investors’ current portfolios and even platforms that they may be invested in. Investing in content can be a hit and miss affair partly because VCs in the region struggle with expertise in the content business as they may not know the content industry well in general notes William Budiharsono of Inspire ventures.
BRYAN PELZ, Chairman, Inspirato Media Group, Vietnam; JUSTIN DEIMEN, Executive Director, Aurora Capital Media; WILLIAM BUDIHARSONO, Snr Investment Manager, Inspire Ventures; JOSH BLACK, CEO, Group M Entertainment APAC
Vietnam, Indonesia and China are some of the hotspots for VCs as summarized by Josh Black. Rounding off the session by asking the panellists to gaze into their 5 year crystal ball, VR and enhancing user experience through some form of gamification was something everyone appeared to agree upon.
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TV vs DIGITAL FOR KIDS
FROM COMPETITORS TO COLLABORATORS TV IS STILL A CORE PART OF KIDS’ DAILY MEDIA ACTIVITY % of kids that use the devices below on a daily basis *
81%
Kids spend an average of 2hrs 30m watching TV every day
69% 46%
38%
29%
AS KIDS GET OLDER, THEY START TO USE SMARTPHONES MORE THAN WATCH TV % of kids who use these devices multiple times a day * 45%
6-8 YRS
57%
52%
9-11 YRS
53%
Devices:
KIDS GO NATIVE A Li’l Bit Fast
The changing media consumption habits of kids By Pete Robinson, Global Head of Research & Adam Woodgate, VP Media Insights, Dubit Limited
Global View 2016: 6 Key Trends 1. Saturation. In developed markets mobile and tablet access saturated, and they went from being policed / occasion based devices to on all the time 2. Localisation. In emerging markets, whilst there is an interest in English spoken entertainment, there is a growing desire for localised content 3. Accessibility. Whilst Disney and Lego remain strong, many other large brands / IP owners have lost share to new global content leaders such as Minecraft, Angry Birds and Lego - who are easily available to many 4. Video. 2013—2014 were the years of games, 2015-2016 were the year of VoD and SVoD 5. Fragmentation. Kids find it hard to find new content, so uberfied services that help kids get to content as quickly as possible work well e.g. YouTubers who post regular daily shows, multiple apps rather than one content app 6. VFM. Family conversations about money became more sophisticated. Kids and parents know how to juggle services to find content for free, or less
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Global View: The Rise of Can-Do Global entertainment genre trends: • Young audiences are moving away from random humour, gender divisive, horror (paranormal/romance) and dystopia towards more positive and inspiring content. That said humour and adventure remain the top entertainment genres global amongst boys and girls. • They are looking for brands / products that encourage sharing, collaboration and creativity. This has been seen in the dominance of Minecraft, Lego and YouTube. • They are less cynical and more optimistic about being able to make a difference on a small scale, with the right tools. As such they are looking for relevant, authentic and cultural thought leaders – people who make things and educate. • They are beginning to remove barriers and look for wider social networks on specialist interests, but also sibling and family play time.
Global View: 2015—2016 Brand Trends Distribution is key to launching new brands, with the world’s most-consumed brands either:
“YOUNG AUDIENCES ARE BEGINNING TO REMOVE BARRIERS AND LOOK FOR WIDER SOCIAL NETWORKS…”
• Heritage IP, delivered by trusted providers, with Disney leading the way • Or is available on-demand, e.g., mobile games such as Minecraft, Candy Crush, Temple Run, Clash of Clans and Angry Birds
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• Children are becoming increasingly adept at finding content at younger ages • Their ability to control and navigate digital devices is advanced • Gender divides in gaming and TV is beginning to reduce. However CPs still appear gender driven, even for the more neutral mobile brands
gallery
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SNAP & CHAT Through the Lens
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Vietnam: The largest Vietnamese buyer contingent at ATF to date, it reflects the effort of opening up the Indochina region. This is in line with the first ever Indochina Super Panel that will take place on Dec 8 at the ATF Conference Theatre @ 3.40pm. Don’t miss it! A moment of joy to see Turkey enter Asia with such fortitude: Israfil Kuralay, Cebrail Elmas, Mahmut Ozden, Faysal Coder, and Murat Gurbuz of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and Nebi Kilicarslan of Culture & Tourism Ministry.
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Michelle Lim, Managing Director, Reed Exhibitions (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia) with the VIP contingent at the Taiwan Pavilion Networking Reception.
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Transmedia: First movers of VR, a look into the future with a French Touch. Producers from France and Singapore take the lead in the next medium of storytelling.
Part of the Japanese contingent, the Screen Authority Sapporo TV Wall showcases the best of Japanese content from its different regions.
Taiwan goes big at ATF, announcing the latest slate of content for TV and cinema that carries on a long tradition of fans across the region.
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VALUE OR CHAIN Creating investment opportunities from your content
Kevin Balhetchet Chief Executive HUB MEDIA GROUP
Content valuation can be one of the least known and murkiest tools of the industry. But it’s also one of the cornerstones of the media business, living in the nexus of corporate finance, distribution, and investment. We speak to a few of Southeast Asia’s leading content valuation experts to get their thoughts on monetising content and how the regional markets can create opportunities for itself by paying attention to one of the fastest growing product spaces in Asia. Q: CAN YOU SPEAK ABOUT SOME OF THE THOUGHT PROCESSES THAT GO INTO VALUING CONTENT? Kevin Balhetchet: First thoughts in valuing content would be to understand the scenarios. You have to know what the producers’ objectives exactly are, and what sort of markets the intellectual property can viably be exposed to, into among many other qualifications. My job is to understand the context of the property and how it relates to consumer spending. Justin Deimen: We work backwards essentially. In order to know how much to invest and how much we’re willing to invest, we need to know
By Justin Deimen, Co-Founder, Southeast Asian Audio-Visual Association (SAAVA)
Justin Deimen
Chan Gin Kai
John Caldon
Group Managing Partner AURORA MEDIA HOLDINGS
Executive Producer SILVER MEDIA GROUP
Managing Director FLAME MEDIA
most important thing to note about content valuation is that it’s essentially IP valuation, which is ultimately used to create company valuations. And that’s the real deal.
“WE WORK BACKWARDS ESSENTIALLY. IN ORDER TO KNOW HOW MUCH TO INVEST AND HOW MUCH WE’RE WILLING TO INVEST, WE NEED TO KNOW ITS POTENTIAL.”
Chan Gin Kai: Figuring out the grand strategy of your content and IP is the most important first step. Why are you creating this IP or brand? Is the content production the end-game or is it an engagement tool? Having that value chain planned out early shows the life-cycle and true worth of your content’s potential. Look at Netflix as an example. It doesn’t produce content to scope the value of the product. They use their product to fill a need for their subscribers, and importantly, to create a larger eco-system and eventually a global brand. John Caldon: The valuation of TV and film rights is very different from the valuation of real estate for example. Two apartments of the same size on the same floor in a New York skyscraper will attract largely the same price irrespective of the interior finish. TV rights valuation is not only affected by the genre, but is also significantly affected by its final finish or “cut”. So the subject matter is complex.
its potential. And that comes from creating a matrix of qualified estimates to anticipate and assume the sales and exposure of the brand or IP and whether it creates knock-on value for other properties and products. The
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Q: WHY DO YOU THINK ASIA IS LAGGING BEHIND IN THIS PRACTICE? Kevin: Fragmented markets and the age of media industries here play a big part. China, India, Japan, and South Korea’s strong domestic markets don’t really have a need to move beyond their borders, while everyone else is not actively and aggressively crosspollinating and placing their contents in different territories to build the value of the idea. Justin: Too many producers in this part of the world look at their content in very limited terms. They look for investment or commission to make short-term production profits on inflated production budgets. This is a key consideration that investors look at when they assess projects – how can we ensure that the project is more than the sum of its parts. While this happens, we lose the ambition of building infrastructure, which is the scary thought. Gin Kai: Simple reason. We need more critical understanding of the media finance industry here. Co-producing between countries also strengthens the bridge of content flow and valuation as you’re opening up new
markets even before you produce, as well as de-risking yourself. Once we do this, we organically start matching standards with the rest of the world, and also create our standards that the rest of the world will try to match. After all, Asia will be the centre of content in the near future. Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF ASSESSMENT THAT CONTENT CREATORS NEED TO KNOW? Kevin: I would say the concept or script’s strength, the production quality, the budget, the package of cast or creative team, and importantly, the ability for the project to have 360 licensing potential. I look at each avenue of rights available to me, I estimate each avenue’s value through algorithms and current deal parameters, and then I consolidate the value to get an idea of how much I can monetise everything for in however long I possibly can. It’s important to have a project that can sell to major markets. Justin: I would assess the strength of the project through creative lens first, which would then add a certain amount of value to it. I’d look at the attached elements of the project – the cast, team, funding apparatus,
“I WOULD ASSESS THE STRENGTH OF THE PROJECT THROUGH CREATIVE LENS FIRST.” branding – and study it from a marketing perspective and whether we can expect exponential returns. If it can’t be marketed, it can’t be sold, which means it can’t be funded. Working with a large network within the vast value chain, we are able to get a sense of a project’s viability in the marketplace while running the sales estimates as well as the IP’s extensions into merchandising and other licensing avenues to create hard numbers that will inform our investment quantum. If it’s something that does not justify the budget, we will work with the producer in finding ways to adjust the project’s scope.
Gin Kai: Ideally, my guiding principle is to look at de-risking and protecting the investors and producers. We look at slate funding, where we’re able to cross-promote and cross-collaterise our investments through a series of shared resources. This creates real value and cuts the fat from budgets while ensuring that one great investment lifts everything else up. John: Here are some measures that producers and filmmakers can take.
First, pick a genre that is popular in most countries. Avoid what we might term passion projects. Secondly, pick a subject which is of international appeal and that is not peculiar to a local market. Thirdly, consider the accents and language. A lot of international buyers speak English as a first language. If they do not understand they will not buy. In essence, make your project easy to sell in the current landscape.
TOP 8VC REALITIES Into the digital content world
By their very nature, venture capital investments are risky. And when it comes to investing into a content startup, it gets really challenging. But despite being comparatively young and unpredictable, the content market is really attractive for venture investors, due to its rapid growth and high potential. The more people are prepared to face the reality of investing in the content industry, the more chances they have to succeed. Here are the realities venture investors face when dealing with content businesses.
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Assessing content startup founders is one of the hardest tasks an investor can undertake. Increasingly, I’d like to do psych profiles of early stage content founders (although very few people share my views on this).
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The final content audience is often not what you intended at beginning.
By Dylan Collins, Chairman, SuperAwesome Asia
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Often the distinction is actually between a content business model and an advertising business model.
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Content monetization continues to be a challenge across geographies and audiences. Preference for subscription and advertising oscillate. Is the changing behaviour based on the novelty of new feature or real long-term preference?
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Part of a content startup’s prerequisite for success is the ability to raise capital. The founding team must be capable of clearly communicating, positioning and engaging with investors; a very separate skill to product development.
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Growth capital for content startups is still limited. Although angel and seed venture finance for content startups is relatively healthy, growth capital ($10M+) for media is definitely a much scarcer asset class. This partial vacuum is being filled by media companies investing directly, which brings its own complications.
Dylan Collins (@MrDylanCollins) is the Chairman of SuperAwesome Asia, the largest safe and compliant under-13 kids advertising and digital content platform in APAC, and an active investor and advisor across both kids content, media and technology companies.
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“THE MORE PEOPLE ARE PREPARED TO FACE THE REALITY OF INVESTING IN THE CONTENT INDUSTRY, THE MORE CHANCES THEY HAVE TO SUCCEED.”
Content “niches” continue to get deeper and can truly become standalone businesses. Look at Twitter : )
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Content success is often a function of piggybacking the best platforms; which often means on-going pivots and changes during the life of a company, as those platforms rise/fall. I still see a lot of investors who don’t accept that fact.
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Many times, investing in content is best suited to private equity finance, rather than venture capital finance. Unfortunately, it’s hard to tell which is which at early stage.
See full article online after December7, 2016.
TOP 5 TRUTHS FROM AVC If you’re seeking an investor, this handy guide from our media investment specialist will put you on the right track to securing financing for your content and media business.
Pitch & Deliver
By Justin Deimen, Group Managing Partner, Aurora Media Holdings & Co-Founder, Southeast Asian Film Financing Forum
One of the most daunting aspects of the film business is finding the money to get the project made. Going to where the money congregates is always the first and best start. With ATF/ScreenSingapore now bringing together more financiers than ever before, content producers from all around the world are landing in Southeast Asia’s most relevant content marketplace to look for funding for their next big film or television idea.
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THE TEAM • If interested, investors will really drill down on knowing more about the producer and filmmakers pitching. It’s part of our responsibility and due diligence, so try to make it easier for us to know more about you. • Hard to find references of the work or background if the producer is new or fresh in the content industry? Project owners should create their profile and branding of who they are and what they want to achieve.
• VCs assess whether they are dealing with someone who speaks the same “language” as them. (Read: EXPECTATIONS and PROFESSIONALISM) • Looking to produce a piece of content for a targeted or limited market? You may not fare well going to a fund that focuses on global distribution and licensing. • Looking for an investor to help kick start your development funding? It won’t work if you approach those who may only concentrate on production financing.
“KNOWING WHAT YOU’RE PITCHING IS KEY. ” and filmmaker match the proposed treatment of the project? • Does the theme and messaging actually work for the marketplace? • Is it unique enough to stand on its own and what can we hang the marketing of this project on?
TIP? LOOK AT THE PROJECTS VCS HAVE INVESTED IN – AT WHICH STAGE AND WHAT SCOPE.
Conceive the marketing plan + Conceive the distribution scenario = First step to assessing a project’s creative viability Can’t see who the audience is + Can’t see how it can be marketed to them = A non-starter
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THE PROPERTY • VCs look out for is the project’s concept, story, characters, and overall creative integrity. • Does the vision of the producer
Read the full story online at www.asiatvforum.com/iNSiGHTS from December 7, 2016.
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• VCs tend to work with producers who can bring in intellectual properties (IPs) that already have a pre-existing audience base – because it’s a quicker route to success. • Look at how expansive the IP is or can be. • Is this an IP that can be monetised over and over again? • Can we bring this across cultures and generations? • Are there spin-offs potential and can it reach the holy grail of merchandising and other forms of consumer licensing? TIP? KNOWING WHAT YOU’RE PITCHING IS KEY. KNOW WHAT APPROACH YOU WANT TO TAKE BEFORE YOU EXPECT SOMEONE TO TRUST IN YOU.
Top 5 Truths continues tomorrow... Grab your copy!
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THE VALUE • One of the misconceptions about filmmaking is that it’s an extremely risky business. But the truth is that it is one of the most resilient businesses in the world and for generations. It only fails when it’s not treated like a business. • Many filmmakers have typically funded their projects through their own money, but very often through private financing from benefactors like friends and family. • They also look for non-repayable grants or government support, but this varies from nation to nation. • The more commercially minded
producers and directors look for sponsorship from brands, but as the industry in Southeast Asia formalises into more sophisticated methods of VC financing and structuring, filmmakers need to start thinking of their craft as a business and themselves as creative entrepreneurs. • That said, the same principle of running businesses apply – revenue minus expenditure equals profit. This means financiers are always looking for projects that can be made for as tight a budget as possible, while maintaining quality and fairness for all involved.
“MANY FILMMAKERS HAVE TYPICALLY FUNDED THEIR PROJECTS THROUGH THEIR OWN MONEY, BUT VERY OFTEN THROUGH PRIVATE FINANCING FROM BENEFACTORS LIKE FRIENDS AND FAMILY. “
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• Showing your plan in cutting out the fat and unnecessary costs is always a great way to show financiers that you care about getting the project made as efficiently as possible. TIP? EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS AND NEEDS TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR WHEN YOU’RE WORKING WITH INVESTORS, SO ALWAYS BE CLEAN AND HONEST ABOUT WHERE MONEY IS BEING SPENT IN A PROJECT. NOTE: MOST VCs CAN DISSECT A BUDGET AND TELL YOU WHAT YOUR TRUE COST SHOULD BE AND WHERE MARK-UPS ARE BEING PLACED.
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THE EXIT • Interestingly enough, many producers tend to forget or exclude how investors are expected to make their money back and when. This is a red alert for many financiers when looking at proposals and pitch documents. • Always do your homework on what strings or chains financial support from an external party always entails. In the case of VCs and
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THE RELATIONSHIP • Now, I consider this a crucial, if not the most important aspect of working with investors. It’s not built on hard numbers, but a foundation of respect, goodwill, learning, and compromise. • Being able to thread creative endeavours through business parameters have allowed me to get projects green lit quicker than others may have because I always try to land on compromise — which is not a bad word.
“LIST DOWN TIMETABLES FOR INVESTOR REPORTS AND PROJECT UPDATES. ” institutional funds, recoupment of their cash and profits on their investment is always a paramount consideration. • Show how you’re protecting VC money. • List down timetables for investor reports and project updates. TIP? THERE ARE MORE PROJECTS LOOKING FOR MONEY THAN MONEY LOOKING FOR PROJECTS. YOU HAVE TO STAND OUT BY ENSURING THAT YOU’RE A SAFE INVESTMENT.
Read the full story online at www.asiatvforum.com/iNSiGHTS from December 7, 2016.
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TIP? SPEAK TO INVESTORS NOT JUST TO LOOK FOR INVESTMENT, BUT EXCHANGE VIEWS AND INFORMATION ON WHAT TYPE OF CONTENT IS BEING SOLD AND HOW THE INDUSTRY IS CHANGING – BECOME PART OF A NETWORK.
product s WE LOVE A bite-sized look at what to see, buy and profit today
Ciragan Conspiracy (MISTCO)
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Ciragan Conspiracy
The operation named Ciragan Conspiracy in history is the act of Ali Suavi, backed by the English and the Freemasons, conspiring against Ciragan Castle. The aim was to release Murad V, in house arrest at the palace, and march down to Yildiz Palaca to dethrone Abdulhamit II. Exhibitor: MISTCO
Below the Surface (Studiocanal TV GmbH)
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Below the Surface
Copenhagen, 2017. 15 innocent people are held hostage underground in a subway train. From BAFTA awardwinners Søren Sveistrup (The Killing), Adam Price (Borgen), and Meta Louise Foldager Sørensen (A Royal Affair). Exhibitor: StudioCanal TV GmbH
Devi Mahathmyam (Berserk Media Pvt Ltd)
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Devi Mahathmyam
American Housewife (Disney)
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Chuck Chicken (Animasia Productions Sdn Bhd)
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American Housewife
Katie Otto, a confident, unapologetic wife and mother of three, raises her flawed family in the wealthy town of Westport, Connecticut, filled with “perfect” mommies and their “perfect” offsprings. Exhibitor: Disney
The serial attempts to cover the story of the different temples where the Goddess Devi is the major deity. How the evil forces are defeated and the truth survives forms the central theme. Innocent children and their ardent belief in the powers of Devi is also a source of story for the serial. Exhibitor: Berserk Media Pvt Ltd
Chuck Chicken
Never chicken out! From an ordinary chicken to a Kung Fu Master, Chuck has the power of the golden egg and his mission is to bring down evil! Exhibitor: Animasia Productions Sdn Bhd
Chef ~Three Star School Lunch~ (Fuji Television Network Inc)
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Chef ~Three Star School Lunch~
Angry Birds programmes (Cake Distribution Ltd)
Mitsuko is a head chef with numerous top awards and rock-star like status in the culinary world. In a turn of events, she gets fired and later stumbles upon a job for a TV show preparing school lunch for kids. Will the ex-celebrity chef succeed in redesigning school lunches to please young palates? Exhibitor: Fuji Television Network Inc
Date My Avatar (Televisa)
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Following the great success of the animated comedy series of Angry Birds Toons, Stella and Piggy Tales, CAKE will distribute Rovio Entertainment’s three brand new series, featuring characters as seen in the movie: Piggy Tales Third Act, Blues, and Piggy Street. Exhibitor: Cake Distribution Ltd
This is a hilarious dating reality show in which four human avatars are controlled remotely through an earpiece by the actual suitors trying to win the heart of their date. Will inner beauty trump outer beauty in the search for love? Exhibitor: Televisa
Angry Birds programmes
Date My Avatar
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Dizzy Drivers (Tcast Co., Ltd.)
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Dizzy Drivers
Within 6 weeks, can K-pop idols become the best drivers? Three skilled celebrity drivers will teach Eunjung & Hyo-min from T-ARA how to drive well and safely. Is it going to be as easy as it sounds? Exhibitor: Tcast Co., Ltd.
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Leo & Tig (Signal Media)
Inside Story (Beyond Distribution)
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Leo & Tig
Inside Story
Graves (Lionsgate Entertainment)
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Graves
This current affairs series investigates major crime stories and events in Australia and beyond, exposing the facts behind murders by family members and lovers, brutal slayings by teenage killers, tales of cheats, conartists and fraudsters, violent and fatal obsessions, and cases of outrageous negligence. Exhibitor: Beyond Distribution
Mako Mermaids (GoldBee)
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Mako Mermaids
Graves tells the story of President Richard Graves (Nick Nolte), a former US President, as he embarks on a Don Quixote-like quest to right the wrongs of his administration and reclaim his legacy 25 years after leaving the White House. Exhibitor: Lionsgate Entertainment
On real life mermaids living in the waters of Mako Island. On the night of a full moon, 16-year-old land-dweller Zac enters the Moon Pool and becomes a merman with magical powers. Forced to flee Mako, the pod leaves behind three girls, cast out. The only way to re-join the pod? Get legs, venture onto land and take back Zac’s powers. Exhibitor: GoldBee
In the whimsical nature of Siberia live two best friends: an Amur tiger cub, Tig, and a Far Eastern leopard cub, Leo. Tig is shy, but loyal. Leo is a vivacious and tireless explorer, and always ready to help Tig overcome their shared fears. They constantly discover something new in their surroundings, its beauties, dangers, and age-old legends. Exhibitor: Signal Media
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Paper Tales (Signal Media)
Paper Tales
Paper Tales shows the creative journeys of a paper cut-out duo — moose, Aristotle, and woodpecker, Knock-Knock — in a paper wonderland. The origami creatures captivate kids, while the DIY instructions help them develop motor skills, logic, and their imagination. The animation shares light philosophies and ways to deal with mishaps. Exhibitor: Signal Media
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Journey to the Kung Fu World (Mountain TV)
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Journey to the Kung Fu World
This documentary takes us on a journey as we enter China to discover Kung Fu in a completely different perspective – not just martial arts, but of mind, body, and history to form a nation under one singular identity. Exhibitor: Mountain TV
Be-Be-Bears (Signal Media)
Mic On Debt Of (Workpoi nt Entertainament Group)
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Martin Yan’s Asian Favorites (Scripps Networks Interactive (Asia) Pte Ltd)
Mic On Debt Off
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Martin Yan’s Asian Favorites With over 20 years of experience, Chef Martin Yan shares tricks of the trade and insider knowledge on how to achieve great tasting local food. With his signature cooking style and affable personality, Chef Yan invites viewers right into his kitchen showcasing dishes from Asia, influenced by the places he’s visited around the region. Exhibitor: Scripps Networks Interactive (Asia) Pte Ltd
This is a life-changing platform for less fortunate vocal talents. With each episode, two contestants share their emotional debt stories and then battle it out to win the live singing competition. Exhibitor: Workpoint Entertainament Group
Be-Be-Bears
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Be-Be-Bears is about Bucky and Bjorn’s amusing adventures, two protagonists: brown bear Bucky invents gadgets and polar bear Bjorn loves nature. They often get into sticky situations, but always triumph hardships with help of their friends. Young viewers learn about strategy and manners through the show’s games and sweet humour! Exhibitor: Signal Media
Wiggle Town (ABC)
Tokyo Twins Athletic Tournament (Crei Inc.)
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Tokyo Twins Athletic Tournament
P. King Duckling (UYoung Culture and Media. Co. Ltd) Mirette Investigates (Cyber Group Studios)
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This animation takes place in an athletic tournament, where only twins can enter. While two serious minded sports announcers comment on the event, challengers with great individuality take on the obstacle courses. Having cleared the preliminaries, 24 pairs of twins face gargantuan challenges on an enormous athletic field. Exhibitor: CREi Inc.
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P. King Duckling
Mirette Investigates
Discover the first travelling detective comedy with Mirette, a girl with a passion for investigation, and her “catssistant” Jean-Pat, a lazy but extremely efficient ginger tomcat. Feel the thrilling adventures travelling with the dynamic duo from London to Paris, via New York or Cairo. Exhibitor: Cyber Group Studios
This irreverent new series follows the adventures of P. King Duckling, an extremely intrepid “but slightly hapless“ young duck and his two best friends, Chumpkins and Wombat. This series encourages children to face life’s challenges with humour, friendship skills and creative thinking. Exhibitor: UYoung Culture and Media Co. Ltd
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Wiggle Town
The Wiggles continue their fun filled journey with an invitation to share in the wiggly fun and come on down to Wiggle Town! Wiggle Town is where Emma, Lachy, Simon and Anthony live with their many friends and if you like to sing and dance, then you’re already a citizen of Wiggle Town! Encourages children to dance. Exhibitor: ABC
WooRooRoo (Bomanbridge Media)
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WooRooRoo
Need To Compete (DW Transtel)
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Need to Compete
Take a rare glimpse at the spirit of competition celebrated in cultures around the world. From athletics to oddities, these exciting and unique games, contests and sports go beyond ordinary entertainment. Find out what makes these events so special and why so many have lasted generations. Exhibitor: DW Transtel
UnREAL (A+E Networks)
WooRooRoo is a new Korean animation based on Carl Gustav Jung’s Typological Theory (1921) of children’s social behaviour. Eight animal characters teach children how to care and help each other out through various situations. It enhances children’s physical, intellectual, and emotional development, enabling growth of imagination, courage, and friendship. Exhibitor: Bomanbridge Media
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UnREAL
The Girl Named Feriha (Calinos Entertainment)
UnREAL looks at the lives of people, who eat, breathe and sleep the Hollywood grind. What’s behind the scenes is stranger than what’s in front of the camera. This is about relationships and love while wrestling with the egos, ambition and manipulation that are the keys to succeeding in a “win or get cancelled” world. Exhibitor: A+E Networks
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The Girl Named Feriha
This heart wrenching drama tells the dreams and desires of a young girl who got stuck between two worlds. Exhibitor: Calinos Entertainment
World Pro-Wrestling (TV Asahi Corporation)
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World Pro-Wrestling
World Pro Wrestling brings you all the exciting action of New Japan Pro Wrestling! Over 80 one-hour episodes with English play-by-play. Exhibitor: TV Asahi Corporation
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