4 Dec 19 DAY 1

THE 2019 OFFICIAL

Brought to you by

A PEEK INTO CHINAâ€™S FUTURE

BANKING ON LOCAL GEMS

NEW HORIZONS FOR STORYTELLERS

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

CONTENTS

Great camaraderie beyond a session: The Finale Keynote Panel at the 2019 Leaders’ Summit has incredible insightful discussions, along with some very cool industry folk.

Behind the Scenes: Industry giants strike a pose at the 2019 Leaders’ Summit, adding a touch of swagger and dash. An insta moment: ATF celebrates its 20th edition

PARTY LIKE A GERMAN The Best of Germany

06 EXCLUSIVE

2020 KICK-STARTS A NEW ERA FOR OTT VIDEO By Tony Gunnarsson, Principal Analyst, OTT Video, Ovum

10 EXCLUSIVE

TIKTOK: THE GEN Z MAGNET? By James Conibear, Senior Researcher, K7 Media

EXCLUSIVE

IN DEVELOPMENT @ ATF • Media Man of the Moment • Hopping into Asia • TV & Film Incentives (Part I)

• 5G AND AI – A TWO-PRONGED APPROACH FOR THE FUTURE OF CHINA’S MEDIA • PRICING IT RIGHT

• WARNERMEDIA RAMPING UP LOCAL ORIGINAL CONTENT • LOCALISATION IS KEY IN MEDIA CONVERGENCE

• QUALITY CONTENT TRAVELS • GUNNING TO BE THE YOUTUBE OF CHINA

• SEEDING TO THE MARKETPLACE • SECRETS OF YOUTUBE REVEALED

• THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTION • UNLIKELY BEDFELLOWS IN THE OTT SPACE

• ORIGINAL CONTENT IS STILL KING ON OTT PLATFORMS • STAYING ON THE MONEY TRAIN

EXCLUSIVE

ARE KIDS’ EYEBALLS SHIFTING FROM YOUTUBE TO SVOD PLATFORMS? By Michelle Ching, Head of Sales (APAC), Totally Awesome

CONFERENCE 18

RELIANCE RECONNAISSANCE: AN EXCLUSIVE WITH SHIBASISH SARKAR

A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW

40 41

A NEW BOSS IN TOWN

• SONY: SO MUCH MORE THAN SPIDERMAN • What Do Buyers Want? Evrit Consulting: Looking for Horror, Action, Drama, Comedy

• THE MOST PROFOUND CONTENT ON THE PLANET • What Do Buyers Want? Gaia Inc: Looking for Asian Content, Docs & Shorts

• WINNING COMBO OF ACTION & COMEDY • BIG DREAMS FOR THE LITTLE ONES

• SM C&C: K-POP’S TRENDING ALLURE TO LAST • ABS CBN: UNIVERSAL HEARTSTRINGS

• INTELLECTA SRL: ROMANCING ASIA • What Do Buyers Want? Doki Entertainment: Looking for Good Films

• WHAT’S NEXT AFTER BABY SHARK (DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO) • What Do Buyers Want? 2x2 Television Channel: Looking for Adult Animation, Live Action Series & Mini Series

PRODUCT NEWS

FEATURES 34

THE ART OF VISUAL STORYTELLING: IT’S SIMPLY MAGIC

• •

OUT OF AFRICA What Do Buyers Want? M&V Co Ltd: Looking for Animation

• BANKING ON SURE BETS: MILKING THE STRENGTH OF CRIME & SCI-FI • GLOBAL SCREEN: GREAT STORIES, GENRE ARRAY

• KEEPING IT TRENDY; BEC’S UNPREDICTABLE PLOTS & NEW GEN CONTENT • BOLD STEPS FOR NAGOYATV

EDITORIAL & PRODUCTION TEAM EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Lulu Mendoza ONSITE EDITOR Priscilla Hendriks CONFERENCE WRITERS Marcus Goh, Serene Ong MARKET WRITERS Hilary Espinosa, Lim Wan Qi DESIGNERS Zoey Lim, Shellen Teh PHOTOGRAPHERS Milton Tan, Dalton Tan PROJECT MANAGEMENT SENIOR PROJECT DIRECTOR Yeow Hui Leng SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER Joyce Chua PROJECT EXECUTIVE Chrystia Liew BUYERS RELATIONSHIP MANAGER Lim Li Min EXHIBITORS & PARTICIPANTS ACCOUNT MANAGER Phua Meenyi PUBLIC RELATIONS Ninemer Public Relations ATF CONFERENCE EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Lulu Mendoza PRODUCER ASSISTANT Yuuka Ng MARKETING MARKETING MANAGER Hairol Salim MARKETING EXECUTIVE Priscilla Hendriks OPERATIONS OPERATION EXECUTIVE Felicia Wong SENIOR OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE Maeve Ong

t hank you

TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY

A s i a t V forum & market

would like to thank you, our partners, for your amazing support all these years. Itâ€™s been a great journey, and we look forward to the future with you.

Starting ATF 2019 with a prost to camaraderie.

The best of Germany in various ways: After all, you need beer to make that celebratory toast!

Threeâ€™s a company.

Wine makes the networking easier.

In thoughts and talks.

Represent! A triumphant moment, as the German sponsors kick-start one of the biggest markets yet @ATF, with a pre-market fest to highlight the best of German content.

No party goes without a selfie.

THE BEST OF GERMANY

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

EXCLUSIVE

2020 KICK-STARTS A NEW ERA FOR OTT VIDEO NEXT-GEN SERVICES TO TARGET A MASS-MARKET AUDIENCE

BY TONY GUNNARSSON, PRINCIPAL ANALYST, OTT VIDEO, OVUM

The coming of several high-profile nextgeneration US OTT video services will result in a major surge for global OTT video. The next few years will be characterized by intensive competition for OTT video subscribers at a national, regional and global level.

Next-generation services will also heap additional pressure on traditional broadcast and pay TV, which has already developed a siege mentality after years of fierce competition from Netflix, YouTube, social media and video gaming.

access to services and with heavy discounted subscription pricing. The key impact of new services will be to make for tougher times for medium-to-small streaming services that are already struggling to compete against major services.

At the outset, 2020 will be a milestone year for OTT video comparable to 2016—the year when global OTT video began its race towards a mass-market.

For traditional TV, 2020 is likely to be a year when even more time is removed from traditional TV to online streaming.

Internationally, the impact of next-gen services is likely to be negligible, at least to begin with. Out of the four US majors, Apple is the most aggressive, launching Apple TV+ simultaneously in 100 markets at the same time as the US launch.

In 2020, four major new services launch in the US, will push competition in what is already an oversaturated US streaming market into hyper-drive. The new US services will also expand internationally, but over a period likely to take years to complete. Even so, the anticipation of new US services will accelerate the drive towards consolidation across local and regional streaming markets. 06

In 2020, new services from Disney (Disney+), AT&T (HBO Max), Comcast (Peacock) and Apple (TV+) will combined add 14.6 million subscriptions to an already oversaturated US market, pushing OTT video household penetration to an all-time high of 82%. In 2020, the US market will be characterized by aggressive marketing campaigns and far-reaching promotions, including free

Disney’s international ambition for its forthcoming D2C streaming service Disney+ is well known: the company has committed to making the service global by the end of 2021. AT&T’s WarnerMedia’s next-gen service HBO Max will be a US exclusive at launch, but the service will likely be exported to Canada and

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

O T T V I D E O I N O C E A N I A 20 11— 2020 : T H E M A K I N G O F A M A S S - M A R K E T

SOURCE: © OVUM 2019

across Latin American markets within 12—16 months of its domestic launch. Further afield, AT&T already operates multiple HBO-branded D2C services across the world and the long-term aim is to upgrade existing services to the new HBO Max platform (and expand new markets), but this is likely to be a multi-year project. Comcast’s NBCUNiversal’s next-gen service Peacock is also a USexclusive, and so far, the company has only hinted at its international strategy, saying it’s a “longer-term ambition”. With time, Apple TV+ should grow into one of the global streaming majors, but from the outset Apple’s strategy is focused on driving scale at the cost of revenue, bundling 12-month promotional free access to the service to all new Apple hardware owners, and this will hinder its potential as a standalone premium service. Internationally, the expectation is that Apple TV+ will finish 2020 with “just” 4.1 million subscribers—and the US is the only market where the service will achieve more than 1 million subscriptions. In the first full calendar year of service, Disney+ will have hit nearly 10 million subscribers domestically, but the international outlook for Disney+ is more sobering. A key challenge for Disney internationally is whether the brand alone has enough power to compete with established generalists service like Netflix and Amazon—and in markets such as Asia, where Netflix and Amazon continue to struggle again strong local players, Disney’s potential is even less certain. Thanks to the hype driving Disney+ domestically, the D2C sector will, for the first time, be ahead of pay TV SLIN (at 45 million subscriptions against 44 million respectively)—

but the US market is the exception. On a global scale, most new OTT video subscribers will actually buy a pay TV SLIN subscription, not a D2C service in 2020. In Ovum’s latest forecasts, there will be 300 million pay TV SLIN subscriptions in 2020, compared to 65 million D2C SLIN subscriptions. The global pay TV sector is made up of hundreds of local and regional services that provide access to a mix of FTA and pay TV channels, often with live sports, and more often than not, with SVOD-like catalogue of movies and TV series that can be watched on-demand. Key markets are China and India, where strong local pay TV SLIN services dominate. While China’s regulator will hinder the entry of any foreign services, the Chinese streaming market is driven by very low pricing from services that provide access to a combination of offerings that typically includes free and premium content, across channels and on-

demand, making it very difficult for any D2C service focused on a single brand to takeoff. Disney has already tried to launch an early version of a D2C service in China and failed. While also driven by low pricing, access to local content in local languages is essential in India, making it a market particularly suited for cheap TV channel-based streaming services. Other key markets for pay TV SLIN are UK, Germany, Mexico and Turkey. Here, no such obstacles to D2C services exist, but consumer demand reveal a strong preference for what is essentially contract-less pay TV delivered over the internet. Outside of the US, market conditions make it unlikely that D2C services like Disney+ will approach the sheer size of either Netflix or pay TV SLIN in the foreseeable future. There is rightly a lot of attention on forthcoming next-generation D2C services such as Disney+, but for the greater part of the world, there is a strong continued appeal of what is essentially traditional pay TV only delivered as OTT video.

For further information, please contact Tony Gunnarsson at tony.gunnarsson@ovum.com 08

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04 Dec 19 DAY 1

EXCLUSIVE

TIKTOK: THE GEN Z MAGNET? BY JAMES CONIBEAR, SENIOR RESEARCHER, K7 MEDIA

So much has been written about the proliferation of new digital and social platforms in recent years that you can forgive producers and distributors for feeling a little punch drunk. No sooner had the industry started to get to grips with YouTube and Facebook than Snapchat was being trumpeted as the new prize. Now even more new platforms are being pushed as the next territory to be conquered, as the mercurial Generation Z flits from one app to another.

Right now, all eyes are on TikTok, which claims to have over a billion active users, a figure that would put it ahead of Twitter and Snapchat combined. Launched in 2017 by Chinese company ByteDance, TikTok is the international version of its Douyin app, and leapt into relevance following the billion-dollar acquisition and merger with the popular lipsync app Musical.ly in 2018. TikTok combines short videos similar to that of Twitter’s now-defunct Vine app (15-second clips rather than the latter’s six) with the authored music content of Musical.ly. In short, users can access a library of songs, filters and other effects to create their own bite-sized pop videos, sketches and skits. The looming question, of course, is how can the industry make inroads to this lucrative young audience? Treating TikTok as just another social video app is a sure-fire recipe for failure. While it has features, which resemble other platforms, it is very much its own beast and attempts to crudely transplant existing production and marketing techniques will be met with fierce resistance. One of the key misconceptions regarding TikTok is that its leading creators are making

their fortunes directly from the platform. Right now, that’s pretty much impossible. Instead, they depend on deals with brands and use the service to start conversations or contribute to trending hashtag meme chains, driving fans back to more easily monetised platforms where relevant. Another common misconception is that TikTok follows the same ad-hoc slice-of-life function as Instagram or Snapchat, with their spur of the moment “stories”. It’s here that TikTok represents the biggest shift away from the chat app norms. Videos on TikTok, even those created by kids and teens, are carefully curated and authored. They are almost always planned, choreographed, painstakingly assembled and edited. It is less about “here’s my life” and more about “check out what I made”, with the most popular material taking place in a string of memes and responses, part of a back-and-forth video conversation. It is this grassroots creativity that can make TikTok hard for established brands and media companies to penetrate organically. That’s why you’ll struggle to find TV brands making headway on TikTok right now. It is, primarily, a music-driven platform, but even here, record labels tend to find success through their tracks being picked up in

popular conversations than by pushing official accounts. The hit country rap crossover Old Town Road by Lil Nas X gained its pop culture momentum, in part, because it was a hugely popular choice on TikTok. This is the key that the TV and related industries need to grapple with in order to benefit from TikTok’s current ubiquity, through smart use of hashtags and low-key community engagement. The first sign of heavy-handed brand marketing, and users will flee like antelope that have sensed a lion. It’s a style of promotion that may soon become the norm, as Facebook is now testing its new Reels service on Instagram, directly copying most of TikTok’s features, just as it did with Snapchat. TikTok’s cadence may be bewildering to adults, but new audiences require new approaches, and through TikTok, the elusive Gen Z is showing us how they prefer to engage. We would do well to pay attention.

For more information, contact james.conibear@k7.media

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04 Dec 19 DAY 1

EXCLUSIVE

ARE KIDS’ EYEBALLS SHIFTING

After years of steady increase and dominance of YouTube in the kids’ space, we see the first decline in preference, usage and top of mind. At the same time, we see an increase of SVOD channel preference and usage. Why is this happening? New research from TotallyAwesome has indicated that kids in the APAC region are still adamant YouTube users. However, there has been a prevailing shift in the video platforms they are watching. YouTube, in 2019, has declined in its viewership, and we’re seeing the emergence of big named competitors like Netflix, Disney, Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon making their mark in garnering kids as viewers. Latest research into understanding the kids market in the APAC region has indicated that there is a change afoot in preferred channels, what content kids are watching on these channels and which devices they’re using to consume content.

DON’T MISS THE EXCLUSIVE SESSION WITH MORE INFORMATION!

Exclusive Research @ ATF

THE RISE & FALL OF YOUTUBE AMONG KIDS

December 5, 2019 | 3.10pm | ATF Theatre (Roselle Ballroom) | Level 4

This session will look at: • What content are kids watching? • Key channels to look out for • Kids favourite channel platforms • Prevalence and emergence of competitor viewing platforms

FROM YOUTUBE TO SVOD PLATFORMS?

For more information, contact michelle@totallyawesome.tv

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

IN DEVELOPMENT @ ATF

MEDIA MAN OF THE MOMENT talent pool and creating more opportunities for collaborations and partnerships in Singapore for the region. “There’s strong interests in Asia as a market, as well as a source of stories and storytellers. Singapore could create more opportunities for the media industry to co-create and innovate.” Presently, IMDA is committed to creating a vibrant and forwardlooking ecosystem in Singapore.

Howie Lau, Chief Industry Development Officer (CIDO) at Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), has not had much time to rest on his laurels, since taking on the role of CIDO. He has been running a mile a minute, adding unprecedented pluck to the Singapore and regional scene.

To this end, IMDA has announced a number of partnerships with various partners in the media value chain, from content owners to digital distribution platforms. These partnerships provide production companies and talent in Singapore a multitude of ways to engage with the international heavyweights in media and tech in areas of content development, production and distribution. For Howie, each partner brings with them unique and different benefits to the media ecosystem in Singapore, like ease of access to global talent and digital platforms.

“To this end, IMDA collaborates with major international players on various fronts, from talent development and access to talent in the region, to ideas curation from the region, and content development and financing of productions for the region.

“This raises the vibrancy of our media ecosystem and the stature of Singapore, as an Asia media, where global creative/production “We’ve been working across a few priorities companies and talent can easily operate from which have been called out as important by our and further expand their business network. industry partners,” noted Howie. Creative/production companies will also be able to ride on the growth of Southeast Asia, This includes building a signature industry event and seize the opportunities and investments (Singapore Media Festival), increasing the targeted at this region,” Howie explained.

As a man from the industry, Howie’s understanding of it at a deeper level has seen his leadership offer great assurance to many within the industry. In this light and looking forward to 2020 and beyond, Howie believes that while the industry is going through unprecedented changes, the innovators who capture the new opportunities will be crowned winners. “Innovation at speed towards sustainable monetisation would require clever connecting of dots across audiences, markets, technology, IP, talent and partners. “We invite media industry players to leverage Singapore’s combination of East+West and Media+Tech; as a petri dish for innovation as well as a gateway to Asia,” Howie concluded.

HOPPING INTO ASIA The sort of content UK-based app Hopster TV is actively looking for are those that must be able to tie into their Discovery Learning Framework, which is based around the international Early Years Curriculum. “We’re always on the lookout for beautiful, educational content from around the world that are gender neutral in tone, inclusive, showcase diversity and encourage children to grow up accepting. We currently license a few titles from the APAC region, like Wonderballs from South Korea, a fun creativity show that introduces kids to a variety of art techniques. We’re especially interested in new APAC content that represent kids from all sorts of backgrounds - including Asian families - and encourage them to be open-minded about different cultures and countries,” said Nick Walters, CEO of Hopster. The company is still in an early stage of growth in APAC - but looking at both the size 14

of the markets, the young population, and the tremendous appetite for learning, one can’t help but be excited. Across the region, Hopster has a number of successful partnerships in Malaysia, and is excited to be launching with Apple Channels in Singapore. Co-production is something that Nick says Hopster is keen to do. “In the last year, we’ve done co-productions we’re proud of with Dog Ears in Northern Ireland, Cloth Cat and the Consortium of Gentlemen in the UK, and Sprocket in Norway. We’re always looking for the right partnerships and the right content to add to our original production slate. Watch this space!” At Hopster Studios, we’re continuing to produce a whole range of innovative educational short form; it’d be great to see us get our first Asian co-pro done in the next 12 months. Nick Walters CEO, Hopster

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IN DEVELOPMENT @ ATF

TV & FILM INCENTIVES (PART I) Several countries around the world provide government aid for the development, pre-production, production, post-production and distribution of film, documentary, television series, and other audiovisual works. Such “soft money” sources include cash rebates and grants, film funds and co-production funding. In general, the purpose of these film incentives is to develop, maintain and promote a country’s film industry, improve the attractiveness of the country as a location for filmmaking, promote the country’s culture, history and beauty, and improve the quality, attractiveness and thus the exploitation of supported films. In turn, the country attracts foreign capital and gains from increased economic activity and spend, since qualifying projects have to be filmed, in whole or in part, in the country and make use of the country’s vendors, crew and talent. We look at some financing incentives in major Asian regions for film and TV content makers, for both national and foreign film productions. COUNTRY

FUNDING BODIES / FILM COMMISSIONS

STAGE

INCENTIVE

Cyprus

Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency

Pre-production, production

35% Tax Credit/Rebate of eligible expenditures incurred in Cyprus

CRITERIA

• Feature films should have a minimum spending of USD221,000

TEL

info@ filmcyprus.com

WEBSITE https://film.investcyprus.org.cy/

• Feature film should have a minimum run-time duration of 60 minutes Georgia

Georgian Film Commission

Production

20-25% Rebate of eligible expenditures incurred in Georgia

• International and local productions must be registered as legal entities in Georgia

tbidzinashvili@ enterprise. gov.ge

+995 599 04 62 62

www.filmingeorgia.ge

info@gnfc.ge

+995 322 999 200

http://www.gnfc. ge/eng/

ffo@nfdcindia. com

+91 11 24367338

https://ffo.gov.in/en

• At least 50% of the total production budget should be in place at the time of application Georgia

India (Jharkhand)

Georgian National Film Center (GNFC)

National Film Development Corp

Production, post-production

Subsidy of up to 60% of total production budget

Grant of up to 50% of the total production budget

• 30% of the creative crew must be Georgian citizens • At least 50% of the total production budget should be in place at the time of application • Projects must be in Jharkhandi languages • Minimum time duration of documentary and feature film should be 30 minutes and 1 hour respectively

ATF PRODUCTION DAY

Journey to the West: Asian IPs Take Flight

Keynote Panel 16

December 5, 2019

4.55pm

December 5, 2019 On Co-Production & Financing

Closing Keynote Panel

5.25pm

IN DEVELOPMENT @ ATF India (Kerala)

National Film Development Corp

Production, post-production

Subsidy of up to USD7,000 for film projects

• Films must be shot in the Chitranjali package scheme under Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC), Government of Kerala

ffo@nfdcindia. com

+91 11 24367338

https://ffo.gov.in/en

India (Assam)

National Film Development Corp

Production

Cash grant up of to 25% of the Qualified Production Expenditure or USD139,000, whichever is less

• A minimum of 25% of the entire project should be shot in Assam

ffo@nfdcindia. com

+91 11 24367338

https://ffo.gov.in/en

100% exemption from entertainment tax for Gujarati films

ffo@nfdcindia. com

+91 11 24367338

https://ffo.gov.in/en

• Projects must have ffo@nfdcindia. maximum of four children’s com films including those which have won the State Government’s best children’s film awards

+91 11 24367338

https://ffo.gov.in/en

ffo@nfdcindia. com

+91 11 24367338

https://ffo.gov.in/en

ffo@nfdcindia. com

+91 11 24367338

https://ffo.gov.in/en

• At least 25% of cast & crew should be from Assam

India (Gujarat)

National Film Development Corp

India (Karnataka)

National Film Development Corp

Production, post-production

Subsidy of USD34,000 of total production budget

India (Maharashtra)

National Film Development Corp

Production

Concession/Rebate on filming charges at various Government-owned sites/locations

India (Odisha)

National Film Development Corp

India (Puducherry)

National Film Development Corp

Production

Filming fees reduced from USD70 to USD50 per day

ffo@nfdcindia. com

+91 11 24367338

https://ffo.gov.in/en

India (Sikkim)

National Film Development Corp

Production, post-production

Subsidy of up to USD28,000 per project

ffo@nfdcindia. com

+91 11 24367338

https://ffo.gov.in/en

India (Uttar Pradesh)

National Film Development Corp

Production, post-production

Subsidy of up to 50% of the total production budget

• Applicable to projects Awadhi, Braj, Bundeli and Bhojpuri films

ffo@nfdcindia. com

+91 11 24367338

https://ffo.gov.in/en

India (Uttarakhand)

National Film Development Corp

Production, post-production

Subsidy of 30% or USD21,000, whichever is lesser, of total production budget

• 75% of the project must be filmed in Uttarakhand

ffo@nfdcindia. com

+91 11 24367338

https://ffo.gov.in/en

Exemption from entertainment tax

• Applicable to all feature films produced fully or partly in Odisha

• Post-production must be done in Uttarakhand

Look out for Part 2 @ ATF Show Daily 2 (Dec 5): Israel, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines & Qatar Look out for Part 3 @ ATF Show Daily 3 (Dec 6): Singapore, South Korea, Thailand Turkey, UAE, Vietnam

ATF PRODUCTION DAY

December 5, 2019 Co-Production Landscape in Asia

Keynote Fireside Chat

December 5, 2019 Speed Dating with Commissioners

11.50am

4.30pm

(By Invitation Only) 17

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

CONFERENCE 5G and AI – A Two-pronged Approach for the Future of China’s Media When iQIYI first started, their business model was similar to Hulu’s – but it has now evolved into a strategy much like Disney’s business model, with IP licensing and a multitude of offerings that go beyond video content, such as comics, light novels and games. They are now poised to enter the international market, with 180 million daily unique devices, a paid subscriber base of 105 million, and 350 million hours spent daily on iQIYI’s platforms in China alone. Just this June, they had a soft launch of their international app in Southeast Asian markets. The way ahead for China’s media lies in the strategic use of two crucial technologies – AI and 5G, said Dr Gong Yu, Founder & CEO of iQIYI. Their content library includes three major formats – traditional long form content, short form content (which is still new in China), as well as Internet celebrity videos, which garner revenue through virtual tipping. A third of their investments now lie in original content.

iQIYI’s Founder & CEO, Dr Gong Yu, sharing the growth of the video and entertainment platform.

For iQIYI, “original content is a must,” explained Dr Gong. He revealed that younger users do not like to watch traditional film or videos that have been moved to online platforms, and prefer to watch original content.

Being able to cater to the needs of the younger viewers will enable them to tap into this paid subscriber market. Netflix’s success has been the result of Hollywood culture permeating global audiences. Dr Gong thinks that Asian culture can be the next ‘global culture’, which will benefit their content.

Pricing It Right Asia is one of the world’s second largest market for premium online video streaming. In the current day and age, OTT video is truly a mainstream activity, enjoyed by all age groups. Up until recently, online video has been typically seen as an activity skewed towards younger demographics, while older demographics were more predisposed to pay TV services. Globally, a handful of markets are already dominated by OTT video, and that includes Singapore.

& Entertainment, shared that most consumers are of the mindset that the average monthly OTT video subscription charge was too expensive. He also shared that in Singapore, a majority of consumers have expressed that they would not spend on subscription charges for online video service containing their most desired content. Likewise, in Australia, consumers were unwilling to pay for the video services, whereas in India, a majority of consumers were willing to pay between RS201 and RS400, while consumers in Thailand were willing to pay between THB201 and THB300. In Philippines, most consumers would pay P151 and P300.

Subscription charges also vary in each country, with countries like Japan, Australia and South Korea offering the services at a higher rate, whereas countries like Singapore, Thailand and Kazakhstan charging a medium subscription charge. Tony Gunnarsson, Principal Analyst, OTT Video, Ovum, Media 18

Tony Gunnarsson of Ovum, Media & Entertainment, exploring how pay TV prices will dictate the pricing level for OTT services in the APAC region.

2020 will be a major milestone year marking the beginning of a period that will see intensive competition for OTT video subscribers at a national, regional and global level.

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

CONFERENCE

Giorgio Stock of WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks, Distribution and Advertising Sales, EMEA and APAC discusses the company’s focus for the APAC region.

WarnerMedia Ramping Up Local Original Content The APAC

region is particularly interested in local original content. If you look at HBO, clearly it is about original content as well. We’ve doubled the slate for original content for HBO in this region. – Giorgio Stock, President, WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks, Distribution and Advertising Sales, EMEA and APAC

WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks, Distribution and Advertising Sales, EMEA and APAC, has ‘doubled up’ its slate of local original content to cater to the Asian audience’s demands. “The APAC region is particularly interested in local original content,” said its President, Giorgio Stock. “If you look at HBO, clearly it is about original content as well. We’ve doubled the slate for original content for HBO in this region.” Giorgio noted that the region holds potential, as the brands under the company’s portfolio resonate with fans across various touchpoints. Strong brand presence here has

provided fertile grounds on which to build. “The dynamics of this marketplace is quite amazing. I’ve seen how fast things have moved and how different these markets are. We’re talking about different cultures, languages and business models,” said Giorgio. He also acknowledged that across the board, he sees a spirit of enterprise, along with youth in terms of demographics, a propensity to use technology, as well as an inspiration for a better tomorrow – all of which provides amazing opportunities to create content to cater to audience’s needs. While streaming is the new mode of consumption that will develop further

as more audiences are choosing to consume content via their devices, Giorgio cautioned against belittling linear media that still caters to millions of traditional audience members. “I always talk about the linear business as a ‘melting iceberg’ rather than a ‘melting ice cube’, and I see it as a very long process,” explained Giorgio. The company will continue with their approach to serve this audience. Giorgio shared that there are several shows in the pipeline, and discussed about ‘Invisible Stories’, a six-part Singaporean anthology series that will be aired on various HBO platforms come next year.

Localisation is Key in Media Convergence Audiences live in a new era of entertainment and media convergence, being able to consume content through a variety of different screens, said Yu Jie, Vice President of Oriental Pearl Group and General Manager of SMG Pictures & WingsMedia. She shared her observations on how the media landscape has evolved with diversified platforms and greater levels of interactivity. Yu Jie of Oriental Pearl Group and SMG Pictures & WingsMedia highlights her observations on the evolving media landscape. 20

One such example is ‘Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV’, a 3D-animated film that was released in conjunction with the

hit Playstation 4 role-playing game ‘Final Fantasy XV’, which combined both the film and game genres to create a richer experience for fans of the series. Localisation is an important strategy when it comes to international content, so buying the IP rights to films is no longer enough – story and series bibles are purchased as well. This allows for better localisation efforts, which will ensure that translated or adapted content stays true to the spirit of the original.

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

CONFERENCE Quality Content Travels Shibasish Sarkar, Group CEO of Reliance Entertainment, noted that maintaining collaborations with creative partners is key as the evolution of content is the most significant change in the market. Compared to traditional platforms, the OTT audience can ‘dip in and dip out’, coming in to consume whenever they want. Thus, there is a need to hold the audience’s attention, placing greater responsibility on storytellers to capture audiences. At the same time, storytellers have less limitations on OTT platforms in how they create stories. Data analysis is highly important as writers depend on data to gauge what stories to create, how to hold the audience and take them from one episode to the next. In particular – as India is incredibly diverse – data analysis helps in fleshing out what kind of stories audiences want. However, Indian content producers are not only focusing on the stories that Indian audiences want, but also what global audiences want as well. Language is not an obstacle if a story can cut across cultural barriers. There are reverse opportunities for India to capture global audiences as well.

Indian content is growing in regional markets, says Reliance Entertainment’s Shibasish Sarkar.

In this, foreign partners will help inform about global audiences, distribute such content and bring in fresh ideas. In India, the mobile screen is the ‘gateway platform’ as most Indian consumers use their mobile phones to view content, with 25-30% of content consumption happening during rush hours. Companies

thus aim to hook these consumers first and subsequently entice them to larger screens. Shibasish expects many opportunities in the future, with the need to bundle and re-bundle. New players in the market would also bring about new opportunities for Indian storytellers both locally and worldwide.

Gunning to be the YouTube of China As 1.1 billion Chinese users watch videos through the mobile internet, there is keen competition between companies in capturing this pole position, as China is both a numerically big and highly profitable market.

Video has a huge advantage, as part of the Baidu ecosystem. Though only two years old, Baidu Haokan Video has grown impressively, capturing 95% of China’s internet users. Seunghae Ahn, Vice General Manager of Baidu Haokan Video, explained that much like Youtube and Google, Baidu Haokan Video is able to draw on Baidu’s deep resources. Interestingly, popular content includes country and agricultural life, and learning videos.

China spent $70.82 billion on digital ads and $64.81 billion on mobile ads in 2019 alone; that is 24% and 28% of the global market respectively. While the internet video industry in China started with long-form videos, short- and micro-forms now dominate. While micro-form has the largest user database, most of the users across all platforms (66% for Baidu Haokan Video) watch videos over three minutes in length. Indeed, short-form videos are the future as it has surpassed long-form in 2018. There were over 200 shortform platforms in China but most have failed. However, Baidu Haokan 22

Baidu Haokan Video’s Seunghae Ahn is looking to expand the platform outside of China.

In addition to advertising, Baidu Haokan Video also plans to move into live service and fan economy. To prepare for global expansion, Baidu Haokan Video started by partnering with global players to distribute within China. Building on that, the company plans to prepare Chinese creators to expand outside China, for instance, on social media.

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

CONFERENCE Seeding to the Marketplace With the proliferation of OTT companies, how does one stand out? By seeding of one’s brand, and e-commerce. Jay Lin, Founder of Portico Media (GagaOOLala), also known as Taiwan’s OTT for the LGBT community, talked about creating their own businesses beyond relying on advertising: they have a website and recently launched a production arm (GOL Studios). They have a two-pronged approach: online and offline. Online, GagaOOLala look for key opinion leaders to seed on social media, driving traffic and subscription to their website. At the same time, they also attend LGBT film festivals and Pride parades to promote their platform through tie-ups with anchor events. Alexandre Michelin, Co-Founder and Partner of Spicee.com, talked about Spicers, their online community; it was about creating a space where people can express themselves. Spicee creates niche documentaries, and partnerships with TV stations is a profitable collaboration for both parties. Having a well-known information channel debating on their documentaries is

(L-R) Catering to niche markets, Spicee.com’s Alexandre Michelin and GagaOOLala’s Jay Lin relate their experiences.

excellent marketing for them, and they provide fresh content for these stations. Both speakers talked about the importance of curating their content, for instance, through data analytics, so subscribers are confident of the quality of content from their platforms. Spicee also packages their content, explaining why they chose what they chose. Jay

talked about the importance of social listening, to find out what their audience wants. For example, Asian audiences want to see Asian characters, locations, and languages, so GagaOOLala actively finds that content. Finally, part of their content comes from the long-tail – quality content that is niche but longlasting, and digital platforms are a way to remonetising that old gold.

He spoke at a panel that shared many insights about YouTube’s growth, moderated by Shalu Wasu, Country Manager of Storytel. Olga Chepel, Senior Media Manager of Animaccord, also observed that another strength of YouTube is that it offers derivative content, in relation to what the user has watched.

(L-R) Ajay Vidyasagar of YouTube APAC, Olga Chepel of Animaccord and Shalu Wasu of Storytel share their insightst on growth in the region.

Secrets of YouTube Revealed

“The world of content has exploded,” said Ajay Vidyasagar, Regional Director of YouTube APAC. “With 500 minutes of video being uploaded every minute.” The magic behind YouTube in so many different regions boils down to several factors, he shared. It offers a multitude of choices, it is a free service, and it provides content in that region’s language which is relevant to them.

The world of content has exploded, with 500 minutes of video being uploaded every minute.” – Ajay Vidyasagar, Regional Director of YouTube APAC

Ajay shared how Disney managed to quadruple their volume of viewership for the Star Wars franchise last year. After releasing new content on YouTube, Disney invited fans to co-create content. This not only stimulated interest, but also created an extraordinary community of fans by getting them involved. 6 of the top 10 markets in the world for YouTube are located in the region, said Ajay. But when it comes to the entertainment-to-GDP ratio, only 2 of the top 10 markets in the world are in the region. This illustrates that high demand may not always translate into paying for content.

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04 Dec 19 DAY 1

CONFERENCE The Emotional Connection What makes the food genre so enduring? Chris Knight, CEO of Gusto TV, said it was about finding hosts who are passionate about their cultures and about food. He said it is not so much the skills of the host that is important but rather the ability to make that emotional connection through the screen, that makes the audience say “Wow, I like that person!” Hwang Jin-Woo, Head, Global Content Development of CJ ENM, agreed, citing the unlikely appeal of mukbang (Korean eating shows). Jin described the importance of trust; people believe what they hear and see on screen, and producers have to provide responsible content. Chris added that good programming aims to reach you at the physiological level. Thus, successful genres focus on the viewer experience and real-time engagement to reach beyond the programming and tie the audience through e-commerce. For example, viewers would not just watch cooking shows but want to make the meals. Jin commented that their biggest

(L-R) CJ ENM’s Hwang Jin-woo, Bobby Chinn and Gusto TV’s Chris Knight cook up a storm on stage.

revenue driver is their meal kits. Their audience wants to enjoy the fine dining they see on screen, so there are also opportunities to expand into shopping.

example of their most popular show, Wednesday Gourmet: a food show where no cooking is done; rather, the hosts talk about the cultural history of various foods. Finally, finding intersections of different genres can work very well; travel and food is one such combination.

Chris said that it is crucial to find new ways to tell stories. Jin gave the

Unlikely Bedfellows in the OTT Space The battle for eyeballs is a fight for attention. With OTT and television viewership rates having topped out, it’s now about taking market share from somewhere else, shared Gourav Rakshit, COO/Head of Viacom 18/ Voot Digital Business. The OTT player has partnered Ola, a ride hailing and sharing service in India, in bringing content to passengers. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, Gojek has launched video-streaming platform Goplay under its Gojek Entertainment Group arm, with the similar aim of bringing content to users on the go. “We’ve got a population of 265 million, but only 1,600 movie screens in the country,” said Gojek Entertainment Group’s CCO Michael Lewis. “So we also hope to give Indonesian content creators a voice [through this].” Both of them shared their objectives for the new alliances between OTT players and transportation apps in a panel moderated by Rahul Arbol, Head of Strategy (APAC) of Uber.

While monetisation is the end goal for Gourav, it is currently too early for that. Instead, his reason for the partnership with Ola is to gather data on user behaviour, such as consumption habits on ride sharing apps, mobile apps and at home. He hopes to eventually be able to recommend content that fits the ride length of the user. Coming from the ridesharing end, Michael explained that they wanted

We’ve got a population of 265 million, but only 1,600 movie screens in the country. So we also hope to give Indonesian content creators a voice.” – Michael Lewis, CEO of Gojek Entertainment Group

to bundle Goplay with a variety of services from Gojek, in the hopes of giving them extra value on tasks they are already doing. This plays into Gojek’s larger goal of reducing friction in people’s everyday lives. But these are still early days, opined Gourav. What will ultimately determine success is one’s understanding of the consumer, which will differentiate players.

(L-R) Rahul Arbol of Uber, Gourav Rakshit of Viacom18/Voot Digital Business and Michael Lewis of Gojek Entertainment Group explore the dawn of a new OTT ridesharing age.

Booth No.D10

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

CONFERENCE Original Content is Still King on OTT Platforms “The tyranny of the programming grid is going away,” stated Ariya Banomyong. The President of Thailandbased BEC World spoke at a panel about the strategies of local OTT players moderated by Mitch Mallon, Founder & CEO of Stadium Media. Television screens are still an important segment of the market. Ariya highlighted mobile players Apple and Android’s efforts to get on the television screens. But while physical television screens will stay, the way content is consumed on them will change. Vishnu Mohta, Co-Founder of Bengali-language OTT player Hoichoi, concurred, sharing that older viewers tend to like consuming content on televisions rather than mobile devices. Indonesia-based Genflix’s MD, Jimmy Kim, also said that television screens are the most dominant way of consuming content. All three panelists agreed that it is imperative for OTT players to have their

(L-R) Jimmy Kim of Genflix, Ariya Banomyong of BEC World, Vishnu Mohta of Hoichoi and Mitch Mallon of Stadium Media share how they are gaining market share of local audiences.

own exclusive content. Jimmy shared that Genflix has invested in three production houses to get a variety of original content. Vishnu underscored the importance of unique content for Hoichoi, which focuses on Bengali content, even though the dominant language in

The tyranny of the programming grid is going away.” – Ariya Banomyong, President of BEC World

India is Hindi. Their original content accounts for 50-60% of content consumed on their platform. However, Ariya cautioned against the high cost of creating original content. One strategy to defray production costs is to do co-productions for original content, which also has the added benefit of opening doors to other countries.

Staying on the Money Train When the panel was asked about investing in content, Debbie Lee, Founder & CEO of TechStorm, noted that their company is venture-backed, so project financing is important. Parminder Singh, Chief Commercial & Digital Officer of Mediacorp, said that as a media network, Mediacorp has equal interests across TV, radio and digital, so they need content that is fluid and relevant, to retain audiences even when viewing habits changed. Justin Deimen, President, Production & Acquisition of 108 Media, talked about how they take the long-term view with partnerships and invest in the companies rather than content. Lofai Lo, Director & General Manager of ViuTV that was launched only three years ago, added that they looked beyond drama and scripted content. With changing monetisation avenues, Parminder described three models by which Medicorp approached monetisation: collaborate, aggregate, and distribute. Justin said that once 108 Media has defined their ‘true north’, they can be bold about acquiring 30

content that resonates. Lofai split their analysis of consumer behavior via both top-down and bottom-up approaches, and said that they have to be smart about using data. Parminder highlighted an important dimension in engaging with different formats; that it has be atomisable and discoverable, and not to delineate

strict boundaries between short- and long-forms. He also talked about Mediacorp’s partnership with YouTube, and how the partnership between online and offline platforms can be addictive and synergistic, and not necessarily cannabilitistic. Finally, Justin noted a bullish trend, with many local productions aiming to go global.

(L-R) Mediacorp’s Parminder Singh, TechStorm’s Debbie Lee, ViuTV’s Lofai Lo, 108 Media’s Justin Deimen, Picture Board Partners’ Unmish Parthasarathi exchange monetisation tips for the current age.

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

EXCLUSIVE

RELIANCE RECONNAISSANCE: AN EXCLUSIVE WITH SHIBASISH SARKAR duration of the film. A lot of effort is required pre-release to get them in the hall. Whereas content on the deck is exposed to many daily users, if they decide to click in, the content needs to hold them there, or else they will shift out ruthlessly. We need to put in a lot of thought to the narrative arc and character design. The duration of the episode or feature is an important consideration. A 9â€”11-minute episode will have a different structure compared to a 25-minute episode or a 45-minute feature. These are definite strategic approaches one should consider; however, a good & compelling story brought to life with strong characters that the audience can identify will be the most important consideration and no strategy I know that can replace this. WE ASK: How would you see changes in partnerships steer, as needs and requirements evolve with the times? Is Reliance Entertainment siphoning its investment and bets on different chips as 2020 comes around?

WE ASK: How is content changing in your opinion, based on industry evolution and consumer pattern change in consumption? While most would say that good storytelling is key, I imagine there must be more strategic approaches. SHIBASISH SARKAR ANSWERS: There are two significant behavioral changes that are now well established and firmly in place; one is this shift from appointment viewing to on demand consumption and second, is that while the format is still episodic, the access to the episodes is now provided all at once. Therefore, while good storytelling is key, good story selling is the master key. Our first strategic approach as far as being a content producer is to recognize the fact that we are a B2B player, the platform is our client and the buyers at the platform are our core target audience. The buying teams at the platform are tastemakers; they have a significant influence on emerging content trends. We measure what the audience want and help the buying teams at the platform to make informed decisions based on our understanding of the audience. 32

The second strategic consideration is elements that go into the show packaging; stories based on best-seller books, language adaptation of established formats or popular foreign language shows, plays, themes based on popular IP or biographies, genres based on real life events, character spin off from hit franchise are, generally speaking, safer. The third thing is to put together a core team of writers, directors, creative producers & show runners. A show runner will evangelize the story, and their presence in the project sets a benchmark for consumer expectation and helps in user acquisition.

SHIBASISH SARKAR ANSWERS: The size of opportunity for catering to content across various digital platforms is on an industrial scale. If one has the aspiration to make a significant presence, like we do, the obvious route is to multiply partnership on creative, production & sales. We at Reliance Entertainment are invested in setting up a hub & spoke structured content development lab; this lab is set up as a central hub with our creative JVs & international agency partnerships as spokes. The content development lab is involved in researching on content consumption and acquiring interesting stories & formats across the world. The lab also doubles up on talent management duties and is involved in optioning the services of show runners, writers etc. Through our network of creative partner JVs and international agency alliances, we work on deal closures with platforms.

Seasonality has visible impact on the content consumption; certain date and months are more important than the others, for content released in sync with these events, the spikes in daily active users brings momentum to the show viewership.

A similar creative development process is also followed at our animation studios, where we work on internal & acquired IPs for TV & streaming platforms. Currently, most of the animation is for kids, we expect to age up the target audience for animated content considering consumption trends on digital platforms.

How to hold the audienceâ€™s attention is very different for in theatre viewers and platform audience. In the case of cinema, the audience will mostly continue to sit through the entire

Our bets for 2020 are spread across multiple projects for streaming & TV platforms. This includes direct to digital feature films and animated content.

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

FEATURE

THE ART OF VISUAL STORYTELLING: IT’S SIMPLY MAGIC

ONE NIGHT ONLY! CATCH DYNAMO @ the ATF Official Party Dec 4, 2019 | 8.30pm | Zafferano (Singapore)

A magic show, you say? The last magic act most have seen have been traditional at best. But just before you make magic the next cheesy time-waster disappear from your playlist, keep your suspension of disbelief intact for finally, a magic worth its weight in the realities of today’s jaded living. While magic as a genre is undoubtedly niche, many of the recent blockbuster movies and TV shows contain strong magic themes, from Harry Potter to the Marvel movies to Game of Thrones. As well, in the Information Age, where we can get answers at the touch of a button, it is not altogether surprising to realise that perhaps audiences – like you and I – might enjoy the experience of something they can’t quite comprehend. Let’s admit it; we crave that childlike wonder still, present in fairytales and Children’s books, despite our millennial cynicism. But how has magic changed, especially in a world increasingly jaded and unstable? For Dynamo, the first magician in history to headline world famous arenas such as the O2 in London (3 nights), Manchester’s MEN arena and the Rod Laver arena in Sydney, magic has 34

had to adapt to the cultural changes of the 21st century and in many ways reinvent itself to be palatable for modern audiences. “For me magic is the art of visual storytelling and while the context has changed, the underlying principles have not. In the same way as a piece of music from the 1990s can seem very dated, magic will always have to modernise and adapt to its audience,” Dynamo mused. That said, how then will his new program, Project 7, be different? “Project 7 is in many ways a hybrid, merging elements of documentary, cinema and street magic to create something entirely new. The show has a strong narrative thread that drives the action and give the audience a completely new context to the magic.

“From a visual point of view, we are using a camera set up more commonly found in feature films so the show looks absolutely stunning and unlike anything else in the space. In terms of magic, I’ve spent the last 3 years training and developing some of the strongest most provocative material of my career, and the results are pretty astounding,” Dynamo weighed up. Since the days of David Copperfield and David Blaine, what dictates success today for Dynamov is relevance. “It’s harder than ever to stay current in such a fast-paced market, and a lot of performers get left behind. Staying relevant through persistent creativity allows performers to cut through a crowded space.”

• Dynamo’s first TV series, Dynamo: Magician Impossible reached a huge global audience of over 250 million people in over 180 countries. • In Asia, Dynamo: Magician Impossible S1 – 4 (18 x 60’), reached audiences in Thailand, India and Singapore. • 2019 Followers (Top Countries): India, Vietnam, Myanmar, Philippines, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia and Malaysia.

N:08

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

FEATURE

OUT OF AFRICA TAC Studio’s mission is to help create value and a demand for African-influenced content, even among smaller broadcasters in Africa. As a result, we have managed to produce content at a lower price point, while maintaining quality standards. This allows us to provide networks with bulk deals of our latest originals and our finished catalogue series at competitive rates. Brendan Gabriel Vice President, Production & Creative Director, The Africa Channel Inc.

W H AT D O B U Y E R S WA N T?

Looking for Animation Fresh data suggests that the largest emigration of people from Africa in recent years have been to Asia and Australia. For The Africa Channel Inc, ATF will thus afford them an opportunity to explore reaching this audience and others who may be interested in content of and about Africa. The Africa Channel Inc’s most successful content has been their lifestyle series, which is reflective of an aspirational narrative of Africa in the genres of cooking and travel. “Our content is both authentically representative of the African experience, but made to exacting global standards, designed for North American and global audiences,” explained Brendan Gabriel, Vice President of Production & Creative Director at The Africa Channel Inc.

A bulk of their catalogue is non-scripted lifestyle and factual content, as this was the primary focus of The Africa Channel over the past 12 years. However, more recently, TAC Studios, the production division of The Africa Channel, has been focusing on developing scripted originals designed for both local African broadcasters, as well as global streaming platforms. “We plan to focus on the distribution of our OTT streaming channel, Demand Africa*, as well as licensing our finished content to networks and distributors in Asia. Our mission for The Africa Channel and its subsidiary companies has always been to bridge the gap between Africa and the rest of the world with globally appealing, engaging, informative and relevant content and ATF provides us an efficient means to do that in the Asian territory,” Brendan emphasized.

M&V Co. Ltd will actively be looking for animation at ATF 2019, a market that is new to the company. TO date, the foreign content has had big successes so far for M&V Co. Ltd is Caillou, the Canadian television series from Wildbrain. Currently, M&V Co. Ltd’s biggest revenue source comes from the sale of DVDs in the Korean market. ATF will see M&V Co. Ltd looking for new animation ideas/ concepts for their 2020 strategy. Specifics: New animation is a focus

WHAT’S NEW • NaiNai Knows Best: Reality series where one of South Africa’s famous rappers travel to China to learn how to cook from China’s culinary savvy grannies • Finding Samuel Lowe: 2-part feature documentary that follows three successful black siblings from Harlem, as they discover their heritage, while searching for clues about their long lost Chinese Grandfather *Demand Africa will be available in 2020. It is a global, ad-supported, linear streaming digital channel, offered free to consumers worldwide 36

Park Hyunggun, CEO, M&V Co. Ltd

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

FEATURE

BANKING ON SURE BETS: MILKING THE STRENGTHS OF CRIME AND SCI-FI For Dynamic Television LLC, their genre strength of sci-fi and crime drama has so far been the perfect strategy, never running the risk of becoming passé genres; Killers have always fascinated people, with an entire industry based around the grim intrigue of a person who can create horror from nothing. And sci-fi? Done well, it never fails to keep feeding the imagination. Gilda Demirtas, VP, International Sales, Dynamic Television LLC, reiterated that based on their bestselling programs, premium quality, known-IPs and great storytelling are in high demand and always trending. This includes their long-running sci-fi series Van Helsing (currently in its 4th season) and their European crime series Trapped and The Day. Continuing the trend, Gilda noted that at ATF itself, Dynamic Television LLC will be bringing Greg Nicotero’s new hit series, Creepshow,

Gilda Demirtas VP, International Sales Dynamic Television LLC

DR’s #1 hit crime series, Deliver Us, their exciting and highly anticipated sci-fi series, Vagrant Queen, and CBBC’s #1 kids series, Almost Never. “Our lineup comprises high-end program from various genres – from horror, action-packed sci-fi, suspenseful drama, family-centered comedy series, kids’ series, to globally-known

factual shows. We have something for everyone,” Gilda highlighted. At ATF, Dynamic Television LLC has hopes to close deals, catch up with current partners and connect with new potential clients to learn more about their content needs. “We want to continue bringing the best shows to the market,” Gilda concluded.

GLOBAL SCREEN: GREAT STORIES, GENRE ARRAY From crime and drama series to family entertainment and TV movies, Global Screen’s aim is to offer high-quality content to audiences across the globe, with a mission to bridge cultures, spark emotions, and build creativity and diversity.

the tale of two flight pioneers laying ground for civil aviation. As well, there will also be sneak peeks of Dark Woods, a family crime drama based on a true story, as well as another crime offering known as FAST from Finland, which will start shooting at the beginning of 2020.

This means having a wide-ranging multigenre catalogue – including German and international programs with high production values – to respond to the needs of their evergrowing international audience.

“We are moving with the speed of the industry; besides our standard television deals, we are reinforcing our digital business on all multimedia platforms, where in addition to ready-made sales, we also offer remake rights for local adaptations,” Stephanie explained, looking at selling rights.

“Our growing international portfolio allows us to connect with buyers worldwide,” noted Stephanie Wang, International Sales Manager of Global Screen. Stephanie Wang International Sales Manager Global Screen 38

One of their upcoming programs include the high-end drama series Turbulent Skies that tell

ATF looks forward to also having a peek at Global Screen’s most popular content, their Finest Fairy Tales-selection, with universally loved fairy tales for every generation.

FEATURE

A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW Just when you least expect anything exciting to add perk to your life of formats, the likes of Queens of Love (Armoza Formats), in addition to RuPaul’s Drag Race (World of Wonder Productions) kick you in the gut, waking you from the slumber of a “different day, same format” syndrome. And the common denominator here? Different points-of-view. What you wouldn’t give for a way out of a rut, where you’re able to see common things in a bombastically new way. While some may consider such content more of an LGBTQ one, the real numbers tell a different story. Jay Lin, Founder of Portico Media’s GagaOOLala, the first queer film streaming platform in Asia, noted that a surprisingly large percentage of his audience are not from the LGBTQ community. “I think, more accurately and relevantly, there has been a rise of LGBTQ content not necessarily targeted to the LGBT community. We are seeing more and more LGBTQ representation in mainstream channels, from the big OTT players like Netflix, Amazon or HBO to studio films,” Jay explained. “In Asia, meanwhile, this trend can be observed in the rise of BL content being consumed mainly by straight women. The message is a positive one, of normalization of LGBTQ characters in popular culture, but there is still a long way to go, especially in this part of the world.” Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, CEO of JKN Global Media Public Company Limited, founder of the LIFT Foundation, recipient of the Asia Media Woman of The Year 2019 (Content Asia), and champion of the community, understands that it will take some time for LGBTQ content to be integrated into mainstream (FTA). “However, with the availability of OTT platforms, this could circumvent strict local censorships,” Anne noted. “I believe today there is a greater awareness of the social realities of the LGBTQ community, a growing acceptance and a proactive call for a more inclusive society. The current trend for LGBTQ content is a huge step towards an inclusive and enlightened society, where humanity and social ideals are not defined by the heterosexual majority, but by universal human values for the common good.” Forced Genrefication, for Now There are other OTTs out there focused on LGBTQ content, so being just another LGBTQ platform was not enough for Jay. Even within this niche market, he needed to find a

In Asia, meanwhile, this trend can be observed in the rise of BL content being consumed mainly by straight women. The message is a positive one, of normalization of LGBTQ characters in popular culture, but there is still a long way to go, especially in this part of the world. Jay Lin Founder, Portico Media (GagaOOLala)

new point of view; given their location and connections, they are now focusing on Asian LGBTQ content. This means that GagaOOLala is always on the lookout for new partnerships, albeit against misfortunes, as regulations in most of the countries they are currently available, prevents them from stepping into more traditional channels. However, 2020 will witness announcements of some of their first collaborations with other local platforms, bringing some of GagaOOLala’s most popular content into more mainstream channels. “What gives an edge to our genrefication strategy is that we do not have many competitors that want to acquire the same content in the region.

Anne noted that even though Thailand is perceived to be more open than other Asian societies generally, there are still social barriers, where it’s more an attitude of tolerance than genuine acceptance. In the end, however, for Jay, it is all just about people interested in good stories. “We really don’t know where our ceiling is. For example, last month after the release of our Singapore-Taiwan original production Handsome Stewardess, our number of subscribers doubled within 2 weeks, and it is still increasing. “We are really looking forward to 2020 when we will launch the platform globally and expect to greatly increase our audience base,” concluded Jay. 39

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

FEATURE

A NEW BOSS IN TOWN Just when you think it’s safe to go back in the waters of “business as usual” after all the major M&As, we are faced with a new mover in Indonesia and the region, as Genflix starts to flex its own muscles. In a nutshell, Genflix has recently invested in Tobali, a production house known for its local Indonesian drama production for FTAs, while being in the final stages of agreement with two other big brand production houses – one from Korea and the other from Indonesia.

We can build something extraordinary as long as we connect the dots properly. So Indonesian media can build a healthy ecosystem. As CEO of both Path (owned by Kakao M / Kakao Investment and Genflix) and Genflix, I will try to create synergy between Production Houses and Platforms with a strong, passionate team. Jimmy Kim MD of Genflix

The Indonesian 13 Entertainments, while having great production capabilities, has an extensive Indonesian library that exceeds any other in the country. As well, the Korean Path (the Indonesian arm of Kakao M from Korea) will be a new addition in Genflix’s investment portfolio for local production. With this new movement, Running Man will be in Indonesia with Genflix as the IP owner for the country; while Kakao M’s huge IP library of K-Pop music videos to original series will be under Genflix as well. “We see the future in owning IPs in the long term for the media ecosystem we are

building,” said Jimmy Kim, MD of Genflix, and now, CEO of Path as well. “With multiple PH affiliates both in Indonesia and overseas, we can lead/manage our content strategy to reflect market demands. We will produce various types and formats consumers love to watch.” As Tobali is the first strategic PH partner of Genflix and wields a good hand at producing Sinetron (Indonesian dramas) for FTAs, they will continue on this path. Meanwhile, Genflix

will bring new IPs and formats – like Running Man – for Tobali to produce on other platforms as well. With a triple threat strategy, one would wonder how this would be any different from the current offerings from the likes of HOOQ, Netflix etc. “Conventional OTTs either buy content from everywhere, or work with production houses. We bring in powerful killer content/IPs/formats from Asia, which are widely accepted and relevant for Asians,” explained Jimmy. Monetization elements are dealt with the sales (distribution) of theirs and their affiliates’ content in Indonesia and overseas. “We then also own IPs. You can imagine, we will have a licensing and merchandising business once Running Man (S1) proves to be a huge success. “Finally, Genflix still maintains the core subscription business with telco partners. Picture this; all original content from Kakao M can only be on Genflix, including music videos from all K-Pop entertainers who are part of Kakao M.”

Jimmy Kim of Genflix signs a deal memo for Running Man Indonesia last week. 40

For Jimmy, he has witnessed how there has been no boundaries and lack of imagination for the media business, which has been the case especially for the last two decades in Asia.

FEATURE

KEEPING IT TRENDY: BEC’S UNPREDICTABLE PLOTS & NEW GEN CONTENT

We are exploring new business models that can add on to the traditional content licensing model, such as artist showcases, events, sponsorships, merchandise and more. Ron Kamnuanthip, Chief Commercial Officer BEC World

Keeping things relevant, BEC World, known as Channel 3 Thailand, has been living it up, growing from strength to strength with their broad spectrum of content genres, from big production epic series, telenovela, fantasy, horror, action, suspense, and romantic comedy, among others. “We have also produced new content specifically targeted at the young generation, as well those targeted at the subculture such as LGBT and others,” said Ron Kamnuanthip, Chief Commercial Officer at BEC World. ATF 2019 will see BEC World aim to build awareness of their new content and build the BEC World and Channel 3, Thailand brand towards a well-regarded International Entertainment Content provider.

“We endeavor to connect and establish good business relationships with clients and media partners across the globe,” Ron continued. Their best-selling content has been drama, where most have unpredictable and/or twisted plots that captivate viewers from start to finish. “The script and the dialogue should be contemporary and well-communicated to the target audience. Our popular casts, such as Pope, Bella, Nadech, Yaya, Mario Maurer, James Jirayu, etc., also contribute a lot to the popularity of our series. “As for trends, we see it heading towards new stories catered to younger audiences that have shorter attention spans, thus looking at short-forms and miniseries. We are tapping on

”

these opportunities for this new generation,” Ron explained, also noting that BEC World does their best to cater to the needs of clients and markets, normally packaging content according to the preferences of their target viewers on the various platforms and territories.

WHAT’S NEW 2020 • Love Destiny • Roy Leh Manya (Deceitful Love) • Krong Karma (Repercussion) (distributor JKN)

FEATURING JAMES JIRAYU on Dec 4 @ the ATF Theatre (Roselle Ballroom)

BOLD STEPS FOR NAGOYATV A fresh take on the traditional TV content has seen Nagoya Broadcasting Network Co., Ltd. (NagoyaTV) continue in its partnerships with film directors for TV drama. “We entered the film industry in 2015, when our dramas were shot by well-known film directors,” said Ayako Ito, Sales Executive, Contents Business Division at Nagoya Broadcasting Network Co., Ltd. (NagoyaTV). “One of our new dramas, The Real Thing, was directed by Koji Fukada, who won in the Un Certain Regard Jury Prize section for his film Harmonium at the 69th Cannes Film Festival.” Staying trendy, NagoyaTV has also recently produced and sold dramas in the LGBTQ genre, as society slowly accepts diversity.

NagoyaTV is excited about one such drama titled “His”, with an up and coming film director, Rikiya Imaizumi This, along with its ever-popular, heartwarming family dramas, comes with a certain flexibility that only local stations allow, which, Ayako believes, makes NagoyaTV unique and distinguishable from major stations. Apart from meeting many new buyers from the Southeast Asian region, NagoyaTV, as well, hopes to understand the demand and trends of the SEA market, in addition to finding opportunities to do a joint project with another company from the region, highlighting cultural diversity with programs produced from various places.

Ayako Ito Sales Executive Contents Business Division Nagoya Broadcasting Network Co., Ltd. (NagoyaTV)

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

FEATURE

SONY: SO MUCH MORE THAN SPIDERMAN Great content will always be in demand and for industry veteran Julius Toh, Vice President - Sales, Networks & Distribution, Sony Pictures Entertainment, such appeal is not genre specific as audiences today have more discerning tastes and a wider appreciation of various forms of content. “Our bestsellers this year range from Spiderman: Far From Home, our first movie to break the US$1 billion box office mark to The Good Doctor, the number 1 drama worldwide, to Leverage, our very first Korean drama coproduction, which has received positive reviews throughout the region. “Shark Tank, our global reality entrepreneurial format that has been localised in Thailand and Vietnam has also had great success. “Amazing storytelling and engaging productions will always resonate with demanding audiences regardless of genre, and we pride ourselves at Sony for having the widest range of quality content to offer our partners,” Julius emphasised, noting that when they enter into partnerships with their clients, it is not based on price point alone. “Our focus is to ensure that our content works for the platforms and the audience they are reaching out to. We accomplish this by curating the best titles that will appeal to the viewers, and supporting our partners with the very best marketing campaigns and tools available. “We have proven time and time again that great content without the right marketing will never be optimised, which is why our marketing teams are constantly engaged and communicating with our partners to connect with their target audience,” Julius underscored.

Our partnerships are never built on price point, but on the ROI our content always delivers. As well, we are not pigeonholed into producing a particular type of content. We always have something for everyone. Julius Toh Vice President - Sales, Networks & Distribution Sony Pictures Entertainment

Specifics: New animation is a focus

W H AT D O B U Y E R S WA N T?

Looking for Horror, Action, Drama, Comedy The APAC region has become rather significant for Evrit Consulting Kft as Asian content experiences a hike in demand. The companies biggest revenue source comes mainly from the US, distributing animation. Yet, they hope to offer top-notch services to sellers, as they aim to build a strong relationship with sellers and all participants in this industry. 42

While they are open to all genres, Evrit Consulting Kft does note that animation and horror does especially well for them. With an open mind, Evrit Consulting Kft believes that what is truly constant is change, and is set to adapt accordingly and welcome all that comes with it.

Asian content is getting increasingly popular worldwide, hence, the increase in demand.

Eva Grubits Managing Director Evrit Consulting Kft.

FEATURE

THE MOST PROFOUND CONTENT ON THE PLANET For Planeta Junior of Spain, the focus on educational shows – some more pre-school and some aimed for older kids – of all sorts has been a fulfilling one. Their strongest shows are also comedy and adventure, which is always highly demanded in the market. “Overall, I believe what we are strong at is not only in a specific genre, but in offering

We already have successfully collaborated with some Asian broadcasters and brands. APAC is a very big region and the needs from one country to the other are very different, which suits our catalogue that is growing and is quite varied. We not only to ensure good results for the broadcasters, but also to ultimately reach the hearts of the kids and bring them something more. África Vázquez Rubí International Animation Sales Director Planeta Junior

characters that transmit learnings to the kids; either how to work in teams, be brave and empowered, value family and friends, learn different skills or jobs, or even teach about emotional intelligence,” said África Vázquez Rubí, International Animation Sales Director of Planeta Junior, whose top show internationally is Gormiti, which is an adventure comedy aimed for boys aged 4 to 8. “The heroes of the show are kids, and we have also introduced a girl who represents the female empowerment by leading the team. It is having great ratings in countries like

“As Head of Content Acquisitions here at Gaia, I have sourced and licensed quite a few short films, which have proven to be very popular with our viewers. The short films I license are uplifting, informative, encourage conversation and - just in general - are stories that will make you laugh, cry or feel inspired. “We find that shorter content on a digital platform/network is more popular and it has higher completion rates,” said Mai S. Arnold, who revealed that they are a SVoD platform, thus deriving its revenue through subscription fees.

“Apart from that, we have also seen an increase of interest in educational shows, as both broadcasters and parents are actively looking for edutainment that transmits positive values and learnings.” Planeta Junior will be presenting a new collaboration with 4th Wall studios, a preschool educational show called Milo, which is currently in production, based on a collection of books.

Specifics: Alternative Health & Wellness, Sacred Geometry, Alternative Science Trends

W H AT D O B U Y E R S WA N T?

Looking for Asian Content / Docs & Shorts

UK, Canada, Poland, Russia, Spain and Italy, among others.

In 2020, Gaia, Inc will be looking for films/ docs that are cutting edge, informative, and inspirational in nature. “I’m also looking for documentaries that delve into UFOs, government conspiracies, and unexplained phenomena, but are supported by science and fact-based.”

Gaia is new to the Asian market and it is important for us to start attending Asian content markets to develop a presence in the territory.

Mai S. Arnold Head of Content Acquisitions Gaia, Inc. 43

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

FEATURE

Dirk Hans Hampel CEO We Love Animation

WINNING COMBO OF ACTION & COMEDY

Dirk Hans Hampel, CEO of We Love Animation hopes to get to know the Asian market more, as he makes it a point to be at ATF 2019. “There seems to be new opportunities in APAC and it would be good to explore it,” noted Dirk, who said that his trending content is comedy, while his strong genres also include action. Dirk highlighted Cinder and Snow, an action comedy he will be presenting at ATF

BIG DREAMS FOR THE LITTLE ONES From the land that elevated Asia on the global stage, comes the Korean Dream Factory Studio. At ATF this year, the company will be is highlighting their new content for infants and toddlers that convey creative thinking to children with a new perspective on food and play. An animation both children and parents can enjoy, it will be available for the global market. “Our company has been planning, producing and distributing animation programs

independently,” said the company’s spokesperson. “However, now, through a closer relationship and organic cooperation with China’s Youku (Alibaba), we are seeking quantitative and qualitative developments.” Dream Factory currently rides on their very popular Zellygo content that had over 100 million views in just three days when it launched on Youku, with their funny blue men who are obsessed with jellybeans stealing hearts.

What’s more, Zellygo is a short format, trending massively as snack culture content, enjoyed anytime, anywhere. “With no dialogue, it eliminates the additional costs incurred for dubbing or subtitles, ATF is a historic market in Asia and one of the global minimizing the time it takes to remarkets that we have been steadily participating in. process the image for individual We attend every year because we can access various platforms.” genres of content in Asian regions. I also want to be inspired by trends and new ideas in the Asian market through informative forums and event programs. Hee Jung Im, Dream Factory Studio 44

FEATURE

SM C&C: K-POP’S TRENDING ALLURE TO LAST Launched for the first time in December 2019, SM C&C is excited about NCT LIFE – Gangwon Province, the ninth NCT LIFE series title from SM C&C. NCT127, one of the biggest K-POP boybands has been gaining popularity across the globe. This new title will have 6 episodes with a 45-minute RT per episode. This comes hot on the heels of what’s trending today. “Based on our bestselling content, we could say that K-POP is trending at the moment since we have been receiving number of offers for co-production,” said Minchul Choi of SM C&C. “In fact, we were able to work with YouTube this year to produce a YouTube Original, Analog Trip, starring TVXQ! and SUPER JUNIOR. We are also in the process of working on a major production of a worldwide K-POP content.”

Minchul Choi Associate SM C&C

SM C&C, affiliated to SM Entertainment Group, which is the biggest entertainment company in Korea, as well as a pioneer in the K-POP industry, is – with the support from KOCCA – in the process of developing and producing different formats.

“We believe ATF has the largest amount of participating companies among the content markets held in the Asian region, which grants the opportunity for production houses like us to meet as much companies as possible during the event.

“While we are pretty much sticking to the conventional selling rights at the moment, we hope to expand some of the selling rights to format sales,” Minchul explained.

“Also, since ATF is held towards the end of the year, most of the buyers would have estimated the budget for the next year, so hopefully, the buyers may have aggressive approach towards content acquisition,” ? Minchul concluded.

And so, ATF comes in handy as a market destination for SM C&C due to the location of the venue, as well as the timing of the event.

ABS CBN: UNIVERSAL HEARTSTRINGS The great Filipino romance and family dramas, by divine design, remains universal, and this is a fortune ABS CBN continues to rake in year after year. “Dramas are still a staple in program grids, but programmers are seeing real promise in stories that focus on a mother’s sacrifice for her child, for example. This is seen in A Mother’s Guilt, which is also the first Filipino drama to be adapted in Turkey, as well as our mystery drama, Mea Culpa ,” said Wincess Gonzalez, Sales Head, Asia, ABS CBN. ATF will see the Filipino media giant launch its newest romance drama, Make It with You, which was partially shot in Croatia, and stars one of the most gorgeous love teams in the Philippines. Wincess Gonzalez Sales Head, Asia ABS CBN

The take is set in the picturesque country of Croatia, where an equally beautiful 20-something Overseas Filipino Worker

named Billie juggles various jobs to support herself and her family. Getting into the culture of matchmaking, she goes on dates to get free meals and sells any gifts she receives – all to save her family’s bakery back in the Philippines. But then, she stumbles on someone unexpected: a clueless Filipino named Gabo. Along the way, Billie identifies an opportunity for extra income when a Croatian socialite starts to fancy Gabo and asks Billie to hook her up. “Our stories resonate with the world, but more so with our Asian neighbours,” noted Wincess. “We are also bringing our 2-in-1 talent show, Your Moment, to ATF, which is our first big splash into the non-scripted space,” Wincess highlighted, very excited for this show to be seen in many parts of Asia.

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

FEATURE

W H AT D O B U Y E R S WA N T?

Looking for Good Films

“It will be my first time attending ATF, where I will be looking for good films to distribute in Korea, as we are a film acquisition company,” said Woody Yim, Director, Doki Entertainment. “However, I expect more than just a good deal; I’m expecting a better experience.” Doki Entertainment has brought many Japanese content so far, says Woody, who feels that Japan is the closest country to Korea in terms of mutual interests and culture. Woody expressed his realization of how sellers and buyers are experiencing tough times. “I know that classic cinema culture has downsized, but I also think it will survive. I love the cinema. I grew up with it. I believe that there is a better way forward.”

The rights have always been there; we do see, however, increasing interest in digital rights and in scripted formats, which has to do of course with the heightened presence of the OTT platforms.

INTELLECTA SRL: ROMANCING ASIA For the last 8 years, Intellecta srl has been a syndication partner of Star India for Europe. This has given them first-hand knowledge of how content from Asia can fascinate European audiences. It also adds learning to how they see their own content library and how they sell it to the APAC region. This has become one of the main reasons ATF is one of the most important markets to attend annually for Intellecta srl, with intentions to bring the best of Russian content to Asia and build a media and cultural bridge between the two continents. With a genre strength in drama, costume drama, thrillers and strong women stories, 46

Christina Vlahova General Manager of Intellecta srl

Intellecta srl is a believer of setting price points in accordance with the performance potential of each title. “This depends on the volume, which is part of the discussion. The content is of very high quality, which attracts a lot of viewers, resulting in high ratings,” explained Christina Vlahova, General Manager of Intellecta srl. With a strong catalogue rich with great stories, Christina believes that there are always some new titles to showcase. This includes Detective Anna, which has been stirring up a lot of interest in Asia, as well as Mata Hari – a series entirely in English –, which is one of the highest quality productions Intellecta srl is offering.

Woody Yim, Director, Doki Entertainment

We always try to find what people want, but sometimes I feel it changes so quickly. However, we will find a ways to cater to demands; we always have.

FEATURE

WHAT’S NEXT AFTER BABY SHARK (DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO DOO) If you haven’t heard the Baby Shark tune at some point, you must have been living under a rock. The viral video, Pinkfong Baby Shark, ranked as the fifth most viewed video on YouTube to date. Moving forward, Hyemin Gemma Joo, Head of Content Distribution & Acquisition has highlighted Pinkfong & Baby Shark’s Space Adventure, a 65-min theatrical special that will be out December 12, 2019 in Cathay Cineplexes across Singapore. “TV broadcasting/VOD rights are still available for Asia territory. Plus, Baby Shark TV series – 11min x 12eps – will be out in Q2 2020,” Gemma noted. Pinkfong content targets preschool kids. “To hold kids’ short attention spans, Pinkfong concentrates on entertaining kids with a song and dance that’s’ a few minutes long. At the same time, our in-house education experts write the lyrics that foster children’s learning and development in order to satisfy the gatekeeper - parents. Last, but not least, Pinkfong content is always mobile-friendly, as the new generation consumes content via multiple devices,” Gemma explained. To date, SmartStudy has signed a global licensing deal – except Asia – with Nickelodeon on the new Baby Shark animated series. However, Pinkfong Wonderstar is still open for discussions worldwide.

My hope for ATF is to network more, and be at conferences to share next generation trends, and promote their content consumption behaviours to the industry. Hyemin Gemma Joo Head of Content Distribution & Acquisition SmartStudy

W H AT D O B U Y E R S WA N T?

Looking for Adult Animation, Live Action Series & Mini-Series 2x2 Television Channel – a classical Free-toair system – boasts a very unique audience, making them buyers of everything really; from animation to reality entertainment, from live action series to movies. The most important aspect for 2x2 Television Channel is to find high quality content with dark humour and action for their audience.

Specifics: Content for new SVOD service, 2x2tv.ru

“We are launching a SVoD service that would be open to content from the APAC region, as well as other countries, so ATF has become very important, noted 2x2 Television Channel, who revealed that their most successful foreign series are Simpsons, Rick and Morty and Sponge Bob, although they also have a lot of successful anime experiments, including Naruto and Tokyo Ghoul.

Polina Butenko, Head of Programming, 2x2 Television Channel 47

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

30 March â€“ 2 April Cannes, France

new connections new business new experience introducing the global content market for the future

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

PRODUCTS THINKISTAN

WHY WOMEN KILL

“Thinkistan” chronicles the journeys of two copywriters from different worlds in the realm of advertising in 1996 India. Hema, an English-speaking city slicker with a flair for words, finds success easily. Amit, a Hindi-speaking middle-class guy from a small town, has to fight for every inch of credit he can get, given the inherent bias towards English writers. “Thinkistan” captures the battle for supremacy between India’s big-city liberal values and small-town aspirations. PARTICIPANT: MX PLAYER

“Why Women Kill” details the lives of three women living in three different decades: a housewife in the ‘60s, a socialite in the ‘80s and a lawyer in 2018, each dealing with infidelity in their marriages. The series will examine how the roles of women have changed, but how their reaction to betrayal... has not. EXHIBITOR: CBS STUDIOS INTERNATIONAL

ANNE WITH AN E Welcome to Green Gables. 13-year-old Anne Shirley, a young, orphaned redhead is mistakenly sent to live with an aging brother and sister, Marilla and Matthew. Even though Anne is an outsider, she never shies away from fighting the odds and overcoming the many challenges she faces. Sure enough, Anne transforms the lives of the entire small town and the whole world around her. EXHIBITOR: BETA FILM GMBH

MARRIED AT FIRST SIGHT THE INVISIBLES This series reveals for the first time the rise of a new generation of drug lords who have come into power after Pablo Escobar, and learnt from his mistakes. Instead of the limelight, they seek the shadows. While Mexican gangsters battle it out publicly with US law enforcement, the Invisibles quietly control a drug business that stretches across the globe. With unprecedented access to the world’s foremost experts, the Invisibles tells the story of today’s shadowy cocaine lords.

DEPUTY Starring Stephen Dorff (True Detective) as Bill Hollister, “Deputy” blends the spirit of a classic Western with a modernday attitude and emotionally driven, visceral storytelling. When the elected Sheriff of the LA County Sheriff’s Department dies, an arcane rule suddenly thrusts Bill into the job. A 5th-gen lawman, Bill is only interested in justice. The bad guys don’t stand a chance, but neither do the politicos in the Hall of Justice.

In “Married at First Sight”, singles who have failed to find love put their hearts in the hands of a team of experts, who select their perfect partner. The couples then meet for the first time at the altar. This worldwide relationship format hit is now in over 29 countries. EXHIBITOR: RED ARROW STUDIOS INTERNATIONAL GMBH

THE LADIES’ PARADISE 1, 2, 3 “The Ladies’ Paradise” is a revolutionary store in Milan, where beauty and luxury are within everyone’s grasp. Thanks to the intuition of Pietro Mori, the store grows during the economic boom of the ‘50s. Teresa, a store assistant, has the courage to speak up and change her destiny. Day after day, she is challenged by her environment, which to her seems both fascinating and hostile. EXHIBITOR: RAI COM SPA

EXHIBITOR: ENTERTAINMENT ONE

EXHIBITOR: BEYOND DISTRIBUTION

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

PRODUCTS MY DESIGN RULES Three competing Design Duos battle it out in the name of great design. With less than 2 weeks to complete each room challenge, the pressure is on and tension is high. Will they complete the rooms in time? And what will the panel of industry-professional judges think? Ultimately, only one duo wins the judges’ choice grand cash prize and the accolade of being recognized as the next big name in South African interior design.

RELUCTANT HERO

A MIRACLE

Diagnosed with cancer, a loser tries to end his life, but is interrupted by a detective who comes up with an idea – to have the man participate in risky police operations: if he gets killed, at least it won’t be for nothing. The sick man accepts the offer, but then discovers that his tumour has shrunk because of the adrenaline rush. Now he literally has to be a hero to stay alive. EXHIBITOR: NTV BROADCASTING COMPANY

An elite paediatric unit turns upside down when a strange new resident joins the team. Ali has autism with savant syndrome, making it hard for him to communicate with other people, even though he is a phenomenal surgeon. The other doctors can’t stand him at first, but his sincerity and dedication win them over. In this hospital, Ali finds the family he has always craved for. EXHIBITOR: MA PRODUCTION FILMCILIK VE YAPIM ANONIM SIRKETI

EXHIBITOR: THE AFRICA CHANNEL

DETECTIVE CONAN Whether big or small, there is no crime that can’t be solved by the son of the renowned and world famous mystery writer, Shinichi Kudo. After being forced to drink some poison, he is transformed into a young schoolboy who assumes the alias of Conan. With the assistance of a specially designed gadget created by a scientist, Conan is able to demonstrate his uncanny ability to solve crimes while still concealing his true identity.

WILD CITY: SECRET WORLD

EXHIBITOR: TMS ENTERTAINMENT CO., LTD

WATTS ON THE GRILL “Watts On The Grill” is a mouthwatering series that celebrates all things grilled. High energy host Spencer Watts (Fish the Dish) shows us how to barbeque like a pro, from sizzling steaks to smoked chicken to steamy seafood – and even flavourful fruits, veggies, and breads. From his upscale urban rooftop, Spencer shows us how to master the art of the grill. EXHIBITOR: GUSTO TV

THE POMPOMS For children to learn creativity and mutual respect through play, we present the world of Food Town, where food becomes play. Swimming in an enormous watermelon, bouncing up and down the mushroom trampoline, kids learn and grow through fun. EXHIBITOR: DREAM FACTORY STUDIO

Almost 30,000 species of animals make their home in Singapore, but many of them remain largely invisible to us. From banded bullfrogs that do battle in rainsodden drains, to predatory mantises that hunt in suburban gardens, unseen drama unfold all around the city on a daily basis. Voiced by naturalist Nick Baker, this is another exhilarating documentation of Singapore’s surprising wildlife. EXHIBITOR: MEDIACORP PTE LTD

PRODUCTS SYMPHONY FOR THE WORLD: BEETHOVEN 9 Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9th Symphony is one of the most popular pieces of classical music in the world. What is it about this work that fascinates people across the globe? To mark the 250th birthday of Ludwig van Beethoven, we travel across continents to meet extraordinary musicians who interpret Beethoven’s 9th in new and different ways; sometimes forging ties to the musical tradition of their home countries. EXHIBITOR: DEUTSCHE WELLE (DW)

THE BOEING 737 MAX: WHAT WENT WRONG? The Boeing 737 MAX was billed the future of commercial air travel. But on Oct 29, 2018, the unthinkable happened. Thirteen minutes after take-off, Lion Air Flight 610 crashed into the Java Sea, killing all 189 onboard. Less than 5 months later, on Mar 10, 2018, an Ethiopian Airlines 737 MAX crashed. All 157 people died. This is the definitive story of how and why the 737 Max disasters occurred. EXHIBITOR: TVF INTERNATIONAL

THE OUTBREAK

MR. MERMAN Two scientists are trying to find evidence to prove that merpeople are real. The three male leads, who are all mermen, are trying to figure out who the two scientists are and why they want to prove that mer-people are real. So they investigate. EXHIBITOR: JKN GLOBAL MEDIA PLC

BLUE’S CLUES & YOU! In “Blue’s Clues & You”, beloved puppy Blue invites viewers to join her and the live-action host on a clue-led adventure to solve a daily puzzle. With each signature paw print, Blue identifies clues in her animated world that propel the story and inspires viewers to interact with the action. EXHIBITOR: VIACOM INTERNATIONAL STUDIOS

100% WOLF LEGEND OF THE MOONSTONE Freddy Lupin, heir to a proud family line of werewolves, was in shock when on his 13th birthday, his first “warfing” went awry, turning him into a ferocious… poodle. Enrolled in the mysterious Howlington Academy, Freddy hopes to prove that despite his appearance, he still has the heart of a werewolf! Hilarious and dramatic: about a boy trying to find his way in a difficult world, where he is an outsider.

Lives in a big city turns into a disaster when an unknown deadly virus breaks out. The familiar world has collapsed overnight. Money doesn’t mean anything, and the main resources are food and gasoline. Morality and law do not exist anymore. To escape from anarchy and fear, Anna will have to fight side by side with people she wouldn’t even talk to. Otherwise, no one will survive. EXHIBITOR: GPM ETV LLC

EXHIBITOR: STUDIO 100 MEDIA GMBH

04 Dec 19 DAY 1

PRODUCTS THE RECKLESS

SKIN

Two women, as different as chalk and cheese, have only two things in common – their lives are dull and boring and nobody wants them. However, events happen when least expected, which can bring about changes and complications. EXHIBITOR: INTELLECTA SRL

In this compelling new format, leading dermatologists aim to help people whose troublesome skin conditions affect their appearance, confidence and lives. The SKIN clinic welcomes patients who suffer from a variety of skin complaints. Each individual is helped through pioneering treatments and pharmaceutical interventions leaving them feeling more empowered and confident. EXHIBITOR: TWOFOUR

THE AGONY OF ECSTASY Brah and four soon-to-graduate high school friends start a music band called “The Agony of Ecstasy”. They are singlemindedly obsessed with the goal of participating in a music festival and leaving an impression to prove to everyone that they are not losers! In the process, they encounter difficulties and setbacks with family and schoolwork. They learn the life stories of different people and through them discover the purpose of their existence and value of their lives. EXHIBITOR: VIDEOLAND INC.

EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN

ARGO’S WORLD

Extraordinary Women “Extraordinary Women” focuses on the extraordinary professions women undertake. Three amazing stories of women in three different geographies will be covered respectively in each episode, and every episode will focus on a different job. What’s more special is that the entire filming crew behind this project, from the producer to the camera assistant, are all women.

Join Marie and Argo in this mixed media show as they venture through Cyberspace and make new discoveries about the world through historical figures and notable real-world personalities. This edutainment program is for kids aged 7 to 11 to learn STEM principles with lots of interesting characters and fun adventures in every episode. Special guests include the founding father of the Internet, a NASA astronaut, and folks from M.I.T!

EXHIBITOR: XM PRODUCTION

EXHIBITOR: OMENS STUDIOS

HOUSE OF CARDIN Millions know the iconic logo and ubiquitous signature, but few know the man behind the larger than life label. Ultimately, we seek to answer the question: Who is Pierre Cardin? What is the story behind this legendary icon? “House of Cardin” is a rare peek into the mind of a genius, an authorized feature documentary chronicling the life and design of Pierre Cardin. EXHIBITOR: DOC & FILM INTERNATIONAL

DEAD STILL

THE BETTER WOMAN Andrew’s fidelity is put to a test when he meets Juliet, an exotic dancer, who is the long lost identical twin of his wife, Jasmine. EXHIBITOR: GMA WORLDWIDE, INC.

Dublin, 1880. The practice of memorial portraiture is at the height of its popularity. That is, the portrait photography of the recently deceased. As renowned memorial photographer Brock Blennerhasset expands his business, someone more sinister is getting in on the death photography game. A serial killer is cashing in on the sordid developing taste for ‘snuff’ imagery, pictures of people in their death throes. EXHIBITOR: ZDF ENTERPRISES GMBH

the haunted _heart

Nini Ouyang

Bryan Chang

For sales enquiries, please contact Jay Jega jay.jega@turner.com or Bonnie Wiryani bonnie.wiryani@turner.com.

Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF)

Published on Dec 3, 2019

ATF 2019 - SHOW DAILY (DAY 1)

Published on Dec 3, 2019

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