ContentAsia December 2022

DECEMBER 2022

C

NTENT

The Big Hope: Industry leaders on 2023

New Year trends & influences

Plus: Nini Yusof, Virginia Lim, Anthony Buncio & many others

contents...

What’s your story?

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NTENT

Asia’s industry obsession of the moment (in addition to when Disney’s shake-up is coming to the region & what’s next for Warner Bros Discovery) is about making a “global show”, which too often, sadly, means how to copy Squid Game. It’s the great how-to of our times, now that Covid-mania has largely passed and anyone who dreamed of sourdough cultures either has done it or has given up.

My new year resolution is, the minute Squid Game is mentioned, to stop making polite noises about there being no harm aiming high to mask what I really want to ask: Squid Game is Hwang Dong-hyuk’s story; what’s yours? How much, exactly, are you prepared to put into making your vision a reality? How hard are you prepared to think? What boundaries are you prepared to push? If you aren’t or can’t, go home. Go fishing. Do something else less risky and where the wins are more certain. But definitely do not tell me how you want to be the creator of the next Squid Game, or Squid Game meets [whatever]. Please. Thank you.

Hwang famously went broke writing the original Squid Game script. It took 10+ years before Netflix said yes, hoping for the best, but, by their own admission, they also couldn’t have known for sure. The history of hits is littered with rejection: Sony didn’t think Leonard Cohen’s Various Positions, which included Hallelujah, was good enough to release in the U.S. Van Gogh sold few paintings in his life; most were traded for food or art supplies.

At this time every year we ask the industry what their #bighope is. Here’s mine: May Asian storytellers stop wanting to be who they are not.

May they tell the stories they really, truly, deeply believe in. And may they get the support they need to give them life.

what’s inside... watch list 2023

KinnPorsche The Series La Forte, iQiyi

Editorial Director Janine Stein janine@contentasia.tv Assistant Editor Malena Amzah malena@contentasia.tv Events Manager CJ Yong cj@contentasia.tv ContentAsia Marketing & Awards Heather Berger heather@contentasia.tv Design Rae Yong Research Rhealyn Rigodon iyah@contentasia.tv Associate Publisher (Americas, Europe) and VP, International Business Development Leah Gordon leah@contentasia.tv Sales and Marketing (Asia) Masliana Masron mas@contentasia.tv

What’s topping our Watch List for the New Year, from upgraded story telling and censors’

What is ContentAsia?

challenges in Asia to how much an episode of drama costs.

6

Acceleration of our transformation into a content company with successful content launches from our newly formed BEC Studio, new movie production, establishment of artist management, music, and transformation of our OTT platform 3+.”

Surin Krittayaphongphun, President, TV Business, BEC World (Thailand)

page 10

contentasia december 2022

#Onehope 2023 Media execs with Asian businesses share their biggest business hopes for 2023.

ContentAsia is an Asia-based multi-platform information resource that refines today’s infodeluge into usable, digestible and reliable intelligence about video content creation, funding, financing, licensing, & distribution across the Asia-Pacific region.

To receive your regular free copy of ContentAsia, please email i_want@contentasia.tv Copyright 2022 Pencil Media Pte Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

10 3

contents...

what’s inside... (con’t) #Onehopekids 2023

We asked people leading content direction for young audiences in Asia about their biggest hope for kids programming in the region in 2023.

16

The hope is that kids’ content will help instill good moral values and life lessons so that kids grow up happy and hopeful. Good values and exposure will help influence how kids navigate life as they will learn about their surroundings, issues and how to manage their emotions.”

It’s an extremely creative space, and we hope to see more new content/ IPs being introduced and breaking into the market.”

Khairul Anwar Salleh, CEO, Media Prima TV Networks and Primeworks Studios, Malaysia

Sharmin Parameswaran, VP, VOD/ PPV & International, Astro Malaysia

page 16

Up cycle

30-year Itch

Master in the House Malaysia

India’s Zee Entertainment celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, facing what some say is its biggest challenge yet – merging with Sony Pictures Networks.

At the same time, the company is pushing the boundaries on content creation, global co-productions & streaming.

Malaysian free-TV giant Media Prima enters 2023 on its best foot in years. Nini Yusof, TV Networks’ deputy CEO, talks about recordbreaking shows, content sales, partnerships and alliances.

26

TCCF 2022

is heading into the new year with

Way of the Dragon

a record- breaking achievement.

Korea’s Studio Dragon leads the

Taiwan Creative Content Fest

K-drama boom. EP/IP strategy

(TCCF) drew its largest audience

GM, Lee Ki-hyuk, talks about

ever! A total of 60,000 visits –

growth and expansion every

more than double the footfall

which way.

Taiwan’s entertainment industry

38

in 2021 – at nearly 100 events.

Brought to you by TAICCA

Story beats Thai executive producer, Mayker-Y’s Yossinee Na Nakorn, has given the market reinterpretations of well-loved romances like The Frenemy and My Secret Bride. Between those and 2023’s To the Moon and Back, she has honed her taste for character-driven stories, more complex motivations and universal themes.

56 4

page 16

40

Doctor in the house Philippines’ director, Connie Macatuno, and Thai EP, Teddy Sutthikulphanich, talk about their challenges and choices in adapting U.K. scripted series, Doctor Foster, for their markets.

60

30 The Big 4

Flower of Evil

Children’s rights Playing

Kids rights holders and distribu-

tors talk about monetising content in Asia, the changes they’re seeing in buying patterns in the region and, among other top of mind issues as the year draws to a close, their favourite strategies

64

for putting their shows in the right places at the right times.

catch-up Turns out an awkward lawyer with Asperger’s syndrome has more staying power around the world than zombies running amok in a high school. But, depending on how you look at it, it may be the zombies that won. A comparison of some of Netflix’s mostviewed K-dramas...

68

contentasia december 2022

That the creative community and content providers stay focused on the audience. More than any other content genres, the influential nature of children’s programming brings with it a heavy responsibility – nurturing and shaping the minds of next generations.”

Junaidah Khan, Head of Operations, Qalbox

page 16

Broad strokes Singapore’s Mediacorp has long moved past its former singular identity as a freeTV broadcaster. In her first broad-ranging interview since she became Mediacorp’s chief content officer, Virginia Lim talks about content and co-production direction, and the advantages and challenges of a broad remit that has to satisfy everything from streaming entertainment and digital content services to niche audiences and mass market public service broadcasting.

22

Soul heir

Dhoop Ki Deewar

“You cannot escape the past,” Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz told Sara Merican in a conversation about When the Waves Are Gone, his three-hour 2022 film about a cop and a man he helped put in prison.

Boom bosses Sing out loud Indonesian production house

Screenplay Films is at the forefront of the streaming boom.

SVP streaming, Anthony Buncio, talks about production priorities, demands and realities.

Photo: Netflix

44

Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva

34

Ayan’s Astraverse Indian cinema has long struggled to create franchises and to use Indian mythology to create big cinema. Vanita KohliKhandekar spoke to Brahmastra

director, Ayan Mukerji, about

72

forging new paths.

Sonia Fleck’s Asia-based distribution and production house, Bomanbridge Media, is upsizing its slate with original production, development and investment in global properties, taking bigger and more ambitious Asian stories to audiences everywhere and bringing international stories home. Brought to you by Bomanbridge Media

36

True story

One Cent Thief

True CJ Creations has ambitious creative goals that have brought the market Thai versions of hit Korean dramas, including Voice, Tunnel, Unlucky Ploy & the upcoming Start-Up and Good Doctor. Co-CEO, Ari Arijitsatien, talks about re-imagining Korean stories, building a studio system in Thailand based on Korea’s Studio Dragon model, and what’s next.

Malaysia’s Astro has a welldocumented transformation plan that stretches from becoming the home of 3rdparty streaming apps to commissioning a broader range of originals. Content director, Agnes Rozario, talks about a new era of storytelling and other priorities.

48

Big Pictures

Family ties

Taiwanese family series, Papa & Daddy, is part of the next wave of LGBTQ-themed stories, with, among other elements, grownup characters, kids, ex-wives, blended families, career conflicts, elderly parents, expanded storylines... Zhu Zijiao talks to

74

writer/director Nancy Chen.

52

76 Programme Picks In the run up to this year’s ATF, here’s what’s at the top of our watch lists.

82 Sweet spot The original Malaysian story of a man promised a life of luxury as a sugar baby has put Chinese streamer iQiyi in a sweet spot.

5

watchlist2023 Ongoing surprises from the subscrip-

Squid Game S1, Netflix

tion on-demand/SVOD environment as distribution shape-shifts, alliances between programmers and platforms evolve, directto-consumer remains more difficult than many realised, and the industry figures out that, sometimes, what consumers say they want and what they will do given the Upgraded story-telling, especially out of Indonesia and Thailand and, of course,

right offer/price are entirely different. In Singapore, for instance, people value discounts more than they do content, which

out of India, which has taken to the

comes third on the priority list, according

premium series space as if born to it, even

to Media Partners Asia/AMPD research.

if some predictions from the best in the

Who would have thought?

industry are that it will take another five years at least before Indian TV dramas are magnificent enough to travel widely around the world. Taiwan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore are giving their all to push quality, focusing on domestic audiences, hoping for the best from whatever regional/international partnerships they can forge, and furiously selling rights to

Korea is already on a roll…now determined,

streamers who need lots of local IP while

more than ever, to be “international”; what Lake Pyarthose Season 1

they ramp up their own production.

stories look like remains to be seen, but the result they’re after? Squid Game-type performance, of course. 2 billion+ hours viewed make The Squid ulLGBTQ+ stories aren’t going back into the closet in Asia. The absolute opposite is happening, and streamers are standing their ground on censorship. Most recently

that will topple the Netflix original will also have its roots in Korea, although, with all the new production alliances being forged and strengthened, the

territory, choosing to remove titles like Thai

next Asia-focused hit may well have as much outside

original, Kinnporshe The Series La Forte,

involvement as it does Asian. Meanwhile, even Net-

from Singapore rather than chop bits

flix has come nowhere close to Squid Game’s record

out. If that was even possible. Star Hunter

global viewing hours. From Asia, All of Us Are Dead

Entertainment’s BL series, Big Dragon,

is close to 660 million and Extraordinary Attorney

recently dropped on iQiyi; same, same on

Woo, which was still on the top 10 as we went to

the Singapore release. iQiyi says the titles

press, is around 657 million (See page 68/69). What

will go back up after the platform has fin-

we definitely don’t think will happen across the rest

lows users to activate access controls one title at a time. So let’s see. Our bet is that Prime Video, Disney+, Paramount+, Apple TV+ and others will stand their ground too.

6

Squid Game 2, which is on its way) the Asian show

iQiyi followed Netflix into “take-down”

ished installing censorship software that al-

KinnPorsche The Series La Forte, iQiyi

tra-tough to beat though. Our bet is that (other than

of the industry is Netflix-style transparency on consumption. But here’s the thing: if anyone was hitting those kinds of streaming numbers, we are pretty sure we would be hearing about it. So...

Given global demands for diversity and inclusion, imagine if they didn’t.

contentasia december 2022

productioninterview

“FASCINATING RICH-TO-EVEN-MORE RICHES STORY” - DAILY MAIL

Janine: [00:26:00] Women’s issues are quite close to your heart. So you paid a lot of attention to women surviving that and being subject to that you didn’t sugarcoat.

It was something important to you, not to sugarcoat.

Connie: [00:26:24] Yeah. It wasn’t a march to the many women who had domestic violence. And going through domestic violence and I wanted them to identify and see themselves and vindicate themselves as the story goes along, you know, like once you’ve connected to the character of Dr. Jill, you ride along with what goes on in her life. And you want to see her be empowered, you know, go beyond what this scenario is about. Her triumph is the audience’s triumph, her heartaches, her trials that she’s going through are the same troubles that the audience go through, and I actually received some messages talking about how they got affected by that scene in an intense way. Some, even though they are not in a violent domestic situation, are also connected to it because you want to protect another woman from being treated in this way if you can.

Janine: [00:27:32] How did you deal with it? I don’t disclose too much. I know you’re still way early in this process. But how did you deal with that scene where she first kind of and there’s a director as well that I just I’ll point out you produce this but how do you deal with that first realisation where she’s not actually sure she’s going crazy or not. She kind of knows there’s something weird going on, but it could be her, it could be real, it could be.

Teddy: [00:28:01] As you mentioned, we actually haven’t shot that scene yet.

Janine: [00:28:08] Yeah. And it could turn out really different so maybe don’t commit to anything. But how are you thinking?

Teddy: [00:28:13] I think because all the writers and the directors as well, watched the original version of Dr. Foster. So what we envisage would be something quite similar because, you know, we found that that scene is actually quite universal. So that’s what we thought but, unlike the Philippines, we are still in a really early stage of shooting. So we just finished, like, I think five or six shootings up till now. I haven’t actually mentioned the script. Some of the script is still work in process, it hasn’t been actually approved by BBC yet.

Janine: [00:29:10] Some of it is very much a work in progress so I could share everything that you’re sharing. And if I could take a chance to just step back a bit from Dr. Foster, this is the first U.K. adaptation you’ve made, but you’re not, you’re no stranger to adaptations. But you’ve chosen Japanese before. Tell us a little bit about what you’ve chosen before and why you chose those.

Teddy: [00:29:37] So yeah, we did the Nippon format before. I think twice already. One of them is called Mother. The other one is actually Abandoned.

Janine: [00:29:51] So both from Nippon TV. Really dramatic as well.

Teddy: [00:29:53] Yes, we made those for the OTT platform in Thailand called Line TV. So why we chose it is because we found that the theme of the story is quite universal. So, similar to why we chose Dr. Foster. Mother is all about motherhood. You know, the key message is that, you know, anyone can be a mother, it doesn’t have to be the one who actually, you know, gives birth to, I think that is something that is easy to understand for the audiences. For Abandoned it’s talking about children who don’t have a mother or father. So it’s also a family drama and the theme is universal and it’s something that hasn’t actually been told in Thailand before compared to other Lakhon so I think those are the main reasons why we chose those.

Janine: [00:30:56] I think you’re part of the generation that is totally changing the face of Thai drama. Because the whole rom-com light fluffy stuff, this is not in your DNA so far.

66

See us at ATF / fremantlescreenings.com

contentasia december 2022

watchlist2023 Formats in Asia fared a whole lot better in 2022 than they did in 2021, with a 30% rise in the number of formats on air or commissioned in the first six months of this year compared to 1H 2021 (source: ContentAsia’s Formats Outlook). Full year 2022 numbers won’t be in until early 2023, but there is reason for optimism driven by higher-value drama projects such as Korea’s Flower of Producers – led by Korea – will be bolder about rights negotiations. It’s already happening, forcing global streamers to stand down (or at least back off) from their all-rights-or-none stand. Of course it’s a good idea for production

Evil adaptation in India – a first for the market – and All3Media’s Liar by Min Lim’s Double Vision for Astro in Malaysia. Do we think there will be a 2022 or 2023 return to highs of 285 recorded in first half 2017? In a word? No. Liar Malaysia

houses to share in the spoils of success.

It’s also way too easy to judge creators for not being more balsy up front; if you had been trying to make Squid Game for 10 years, and everyone had said no until Netflix came along, what would you have done? Lesson learned. Moving on... the blurring of what’s a true original and

Streaming has driven budgets to record highs in

what’s a licensing deal with a dollop of

Asia, but it’s magical thinking to imagine the fairy dust Lake Pyar Season 1

landed on everyone equally in 2022. Or will in 2023. We

ego and an executive producer credit in exchange for some level of exclusive window will continue. Does anyone care?

The notion of ‘original’ is all so murky and devalued by now, so maybe not. Or not

think production budgets will be up, down and every The mergers (and the fallout) we’re

which way depending on the platform. On the top end,

watching... Zee/Sony in India, scheduled

there’s much energy going into upsizing co-production

to close in early 2023. So many questions

and co-funding relationships to make bigger, bet-

and issues swirling around that one, not

ter shows. And then there are the lo-lo-lower budget

least of which is what streaming platform

productions, with newbie writers and social media stars

anymore. What’s already happening is a

– the domestic SonyLiv or Zee5 with its

loving what they think is the glamour of TV on a budget

patchwork of rights where platforms take

global footprint – will be left standing. And

of like US$10,000 an hour or something. Imagine that.

then there’s Jio and Viacom, which have

Right now, spending on premium drama in Indonesia

been cleared by India’s fair trade regu-

is topping out at about US$270,000 per episode for

lators to combine OTT forces. In Korea,

very nice drama. At pretty much its lowest, Korea is

domestic streamers TVing (CJ ENM) and

double that (Extraordinary Attorney Woo cost about

Seezn (KT) have also been given the regu-

US$600,000 per episode; Squid Game cost US$2.5 mil-

latory green light to join up; the upsized

lion per episode). Average Taiwan drama budgets are

TVing is supposed to be kicking off in De-

about US$300,000 an hour. In Southeast Asia, drama

cember 2022 with a combined paid subs

still gets made in Malaysia for RM100,000/US$22,000

market share of about 18% (13% TVing/5%

an hour or less; Singapore doesn’t bat an eyelid at

Seezn), which the country’s fair trade

S$75,000/US$55,000 an hour, rising to S$200,000/

bosses say is just fine (Netflix’s Korea share

US$146,000 an hour; and the Philippines delivers at

is over 38%, Disney+ has less than 6%).

between US$40,000 and US$80,000 an hour. Whether

what will earn them the most loyalty/paying subs and let others have the rest.

or not that’s enough depends on who you talk to. And that’s one thing we don’t think will change in 2023.

8

contentasia december 2022

productioninterview

BRIAN COX (SUCCESSION) EXPLORES THE EXTREMES OF WEALTH AND POVERTY IN THE US AND UK, SHINING A LIGHT ON INEQUALITY

Janine: [00:26:00] Women’s issues are quite close to your heart. So you paid a lot of attention to women surviving that and being subject to that you didn’t sugarcoat.

It was something important to you, not to sugarcoat.

Connie: [00:26:24] Yeah. It wasn’t a march to the many women who had domestic violence. And going through domestic violence and I wanted them to identify and see themselves and vindicate themselves as the story goes along, you know, like once you’ve connected to the character of Dr. Jill, you ride along with what goes on in her life. And you want to see her be empowered, you know, go beyond what this scenario is about. Her triumph is the audience’s triumph, her heartaches, her trials that she’s going through are the same troubles that the audience go through, and I actually received some messages talking about how they got affected by that scene in an intense way. Some, even though they are not in a violent domestic situation, are also connected to it because you want to protect another woman from being treated in this way if you can.

Janine: [00:27:32] How did you deal with it? I don’t disclose too much. I know you’re still way early in this process. But how did you deal with that scene where she first kind of and there’s a director as well that I just I’ll point out you produce this but how do you deal with that first realisation where she’s not actually sure she’s going crazy or not. She kind of knows there’s something weird going on, but it could be her, it could be real, it could be.

Teddy: [00:28:01] As you mentioned, we actually haven’t shot that scene yet.

Janine: [00:28:08] Yeah. And it could turn out really different so maybe don’t commit to anything. But how are you thinking?

Teddy: [00:28:13] I think because all the writers and the directors as well, watched the original version of Dr. Foster. So what we envisage would be something quite similar because, you know, we found that that scene is actually quite universal. So that’s what we thought but, unlike the Philippines, we are still in a really early stage of shooting. So we just finished, like, I think five or six shootings up till now. I haven’t actually mentioned the script. Some of the script is still work in process, it hasn’t been actually approved by BBC yet.

Janine: [00:29:10] Some of it is very much a work in progress so I could share everything that you’re sharing. And if I could take a chance to just step back a bit from Dr. Foster, this is the first U.K. adaptation you’ve made, but you’re not, you’re no stranger to adaptations. But you’ve chosen Japanese before. Tell us a little bit about what you’ve chosen before and why you chose those.

Teddy: [00:29:37] So yeah, we did the Nippon format before. I think twice already. One of them is called Mother. The other one is actually Abandoned.

Janine: [00:29:51] So both from Nippon TV. Really dramatic as well.

Teddy: [00:29:53] Yes, we made those for the OTT platform in Thailand called Line TV. So why we chose it is because we found that the theme of the story is quite universal. So, similar to why we chose Dr. Foster. Mother is all about motherhood. You know, the key message is that, you know, anyone can be a mother, it doesn’t have to be the one who actually, you know, gives birth to, I think that is something that is easy to understand for the audiences. For Abandoned it’s talking about children who don’t have a mother or father. So it’s also a family drama and the theme is universal and it’s something that hasn’t actually been told in Thailand before compared to other Lakhon so I think those are the main reasons why we chose those.

Janine: [00:30:56] I think you’re part of the generation that is totally changing the face of Thai drama. Because the whole rom-com light fluffy stuff, this is not in your DNA so far.

66

See us at ATF / fremantlescreenings.com

contentasia december 2022

Acceleration of our transformation into a content company with successful content launches from our newly formed BEC Studio, new movie production, establishment of artist management, music, and transformation of our OTT platform 3+.”

Garner Asia’s resources to co-develop for global markets and beat economic slowdowns with reboots, Japanese manga, and sought-after Asian talent.”

Surin Krittayaphongphun, President, TV Business, BEC World (Thailand)

Mikiko Nishiyama, Executive Vice President of International Business Development, Nippon TV (Japan)

#Onehope 2023 Media execs with Asian businesses share their biggest business hope for 2023.

I’d like to see streaming platforms widely adopt unscripted entertainment formats, giving online audiences access to quality content from that genre.”

All talents and professionals from Taiwan are ready to explore possibilities and opportunities with the world. Let Taiwan be your best partner in Asia.”

Ayesha Surty, SVP Licensing Asia & India, Global Entertainment, ITV Studios

Izero Lee, CEO of Taiwan Creative Content Agency (Taicca)

That India becomes a creative export hub. We hope to create original formats that travel internationally and leave an impact.”

Deepak Dhar, CEO & Founder, Banijay Asia

Following this year’s scripted format successes, we are looking forward to discovering new homes for this incredible slate of stories and building partnerships with emerging international streaming services.”

Kit Yow, VP APAC, All3Media International

As we are developing projects in adequation with the Asian markets, our goal for 2023 is to find more co-production partners.”

Indonesian premium streaming content gains a better appreciation from audiences locally and the region.”

Sarah Zarka, 10 Head of International Sales, Federation Studios

Anthony Buncio, SVP Streaming, contentasia december 2022 Screenplay Films (Indonesia)

productioninterview

“THE MURDOCHS – EMPIRE OF INFLUENCE IS REAL-LIFE ‘SUCCESSION’ — AND NO LESS DRAMATIC” - WASHINGTON POST

Janine: [00:26:00] Women’s issues are quite close to your heart. So you paid a lot of attention to women surviving that and being subject to that you didn’t sugarcoat.

It was something important to you, not to sugarcoat.

Connie: [00:26:24] Yeah. It wasn’t a march to the many women who had domestic violence. And going through domestic violence and I wanted them to identify and see themselves and vindicate themselves as the story goes along, you know, like once you’ve connected to the character of Dr. Jill, you ride along with what goes on in her life. And you want to see her be empowered, you know, go beyond what this scenario is about. Her triumph is the audience’s triumph, her heartaches, her trials that she’s going through are the same troubles that the audience go through, and I actually received some messages talking about how they got affected by that scene in an intense way. Some, even though they are not in a violent domestic situation, are also connected to it because you want to protect another woman from being treated in this way if you can.

Janine: [00:27:32] How did you deal with it? I don’t disclose too much. I know you’re still way early in this process. But how did you deal with that scene where she first kind of and there’s a director as well that I just I’ll point out you produce this but how do you deal with that first realisation where she’s not actually sure she’s going crazy or not. She kind of knows there’s something weird going on, but it could be her, it could be real, it could be.

Teddy: [00:28:01] As you mentioned, we actually haven’t shot that scene yet.

Janine: [00:28:08] Yeah. And it could turn out really different so maybe don’t commit to anything. But how are you thinking?

Teddy: [00:28:13] I think because all the writers and the directors as well, watched the original version of Dr. Foster. So what we envisage would be something quite similar because, you know, we found that that scene is actually quite universal. So that’s what we thought but, unlike the Philippines, we are still in a really early stage of shooting. So we just finished, like, I think five or six shootings up till now. I haven’t actually mentioned the script. Some of the script is still work in process, it hasn’t been actually approved by BBC yet.

Janine: [00:29:10] Some of it is very much a work in progress so I could share everything that you’re sharing. And if I could take a chance to just step back a bit from Dr. Foster, this is the first U.K. adaptation you’ve made, but you’re not, you’re no stranger to adaptations. But you’ve chosen Japanese before. Tell us a little bit about what you’ve chosen before and why you chose those.

Teddy: [00:29:37] So yeah, we did the Nippon format before. I think twice already. One of them is called Mother. The other one is actually Abandoned.

Janine: [00:29:51] So both from Nippon TV. Really dramatic as well.

Teddy: [00:29:53] Yes, we made those for the OTT platform in Thailand called Line TV. So why we chose it is because we found that the theme of the story is quite universal. So, similar to why we chose Dr. Foster. Mother is all about motherhood. You know, the key message is that, you know, anyone can be a mother, it doesn’t have to be the one who actually, you know, gives birth to, I think that is something that is easy to understand for the audiences. For Abandoned it’s talking about children who don’t have a mother or father. So it’s also a family drama and the theme is universal and it’s something that hasn’t actually been told in Thailand before compared to other Lakhon so I think those are the main reasons why we chose those.

Janine: [00:30:56] I think you’re part of the generation that is totally changing the face of Thai drama. Because the whole rom-com light fluffy stuff, this is not in your DNA so far.

66

See us at ATF / fremantlescreenings.com

contentasia december 2022

We hope to see more partnerships and co-production deals happening among key players in Asia.”

More variety of Asian content reflecting the diversity of Asian talents distributed globally, as soft power to promote Asian cultures and tourism industry.”

Roxanne J. Barcelona, Vice President/Consultant, GMA Network, Worldwide Division (Philippines)

Sataporn Panichraksapong, CEO of GMM TV (Thailand)

Let’s hope our variety of thematic channels & content will continue to have a deeper positive impact on platforms’ differentiating offer.”

Alexandre Bac, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Thema

As the global center for youth, my hope for the Asia region is to see it unlock its full local language and scale potential in 2023.”

Rohit Jain, Managing Director, South Asia and Networks – Emerging Markets Asia, Lionsgate

Let 2023 be ‘Work Later Drink Now’ with ‘Our Blooming Youth’.

Wish you all the best with happy Korean drama!”

Collaborating with partners to deliver joyful and exciting content worldwide.”

Sebastian Kim, Director for International Content Sales & Acquisition, CJ ENM (Korea)

Mayu Sunaga, Director, Global Business Department, Tokyo Broadcasting System Television (TBS Japan)

One of my biggest hopes is to create more awareness of MNC’s content thus exploring opportunities beyond buying and selling.”

Redo Doron, 12 Head of Sales of MNC Content & Licensing, MNC Digital Entertainment (Indonesia)

To inspire and entertain international audiences through the creation of extraordinary stories and the power of collaboration.”

Attending more events and meeting more people to look for loopholes and opportunities to produce and create better and more competitive programmes.”

Sirirat Kositanonda, AVP, Head of Rights Management, Mono Streaming (Thailand)

Gunawan Goony, Senior Manager, Acquisition & Distribution, ANTV (Indonesia)

We hope to forge partnerships that can help localise Indian content for viewers in APAC markets.”

Ashok Namboodiri, Chief Business Officer – International Business, Zee contentasia december 2022

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We hope that the green shoots of post-Covid recovery continue to bloom in Asia and markets open up to more production activity.”

Ganesh Rajaram, General Manager, EVP Sales Asia, Fremantle

That the analogue free-TV switch off in Indonesia is seen as an opportunity for broadcasters and content creators.”

Yeni Anshar, Programming Director, Net TV (Indonesia)

To connect with all the distributors and broadcasters in Asia via our e-commerce system to boost Japanese IP.”

Find the coexistence of content, commerce and consumer offering across platforms.”

Yasuyuki Azuma, Chief of Global Business, Fuji Television Network (Japan)

Krissada Trishnananda, Content and Programming Director, Bangkok Media and Broadcasting Company (PPTV Thailand)

To step up production quality and storytelling of Thai content with elements of soft power that can connect with global audience.”

Deliver awe-inspiring consumer experiences.”

Ashim Mathur, Senior Regional Director, Japan and Emerging Markets, Dolby Laboratories

Apicha Honghirunruang, President, BEC Studio (Thailand)

Both active and lasting increase of the demand for Korean content, as it has been for the last 10 years.”

I hope to see more original IP originating out of Asia (particularly Singapore) and adapted for the international market.”

Young-Ho Lee, Head of Global Business, MBC (Korea)

TJ Lee, Managing Director, Weiyu Films (Singapore)

Reach out, stay in touch and deepen our connections.”

Joe Suteestarpon, CEO, Mediaplex International (Thailand)

14

To grow our business footprint in Asia.”

Yuliya Fischer, Director Drama, ZDF Studios

contentasia december 2022

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The hope is that kids’ content will help instill good moral values and life lessons so that kids grow up happy and hopeful. Good values and exposure will help influence how kids navigate life as they will learn about their surroundings, issues and how to manage their emotions.”

It’s an extremely creative space, and we hope to see more new content/IPs being introduced and breaking into the market.”

Khairul Anwar Salleh, CEO, Media Prima TV Networks and Primeworks Studios, Malaysia

Sharmin Parameswaran, VP, VOD/ PPV & International, Astro Malaysia

#Onehopekids 2023 We asked people leading content direction for young audiences in Asia about their biggest hope for kids programming in the region in 2023.

More creative, diverse and innovative stories from great storytellers for the next generation.”

Christopher Ho, Head of Kids – S.E. Asia & Korea, Warner Bros Discovery

That the creative community and content providers stay focused on the audience. More than any other content genres, the influential nature of children’s programming brings with it a heavy responsibility – nurturing and shaping the minds of next generations.”

Junaidah Khan, Head of Operations, Qalbox

That more platforms start to understand the power of having a great kids offering.”

I hope to see more locally produced kids content make its mark on the international stage.”

Lauren Marriott, SVP, Content Partnerships & Brand Strategy, Paramount Global Content Distribution

Barry Toa, Assistant Lead, Strategic Partnerships, Mediacorp Singapore

16

Continue partnering with Asian platforms to bring the best in preschool and kids’ content to the APAC region and beyond.”

Jason Soh, Global Sales & Channels Director, APAC, WildBrain

To discover and deliver diverse content that gives children hopes for the future.”

Takako Hayashi, Senior Producer, Content Value Development Center, NHK Japan

contentasia december 2022

Content creators to develop more kidsfriendly content; engaging ideas for more educational and entertainment; and to keep enthusiasm as creators for more fascinating and awesome stories.”

That we might see more content that addresses the current challenges of our common society and the planet in a positive, hopeful and clever way, by focusing on stories that highlight all the amazing things people do every day to bring about a better world.”

Mariani Abdullah, Head of Acquisitions, DM Don Square Entertainment

Luca Fiore, Director of Content, Macademia

To establish more long-term partnerships with channels and/or platforms where families can count on returning to the same characters and entertaining stories their kids love, plus the same educational standards the parents have grown to trust. These partnerships are win-win for content providers and buyers as they develop loyal audiences together.”

I hope that all platforms become accessible destinations for inspiring programmes that encourage kids to realise their full potential no matter who they are or where they’re from.”

Kerry Novick, VP Global Distribution, The Jim Henson Company

Joe Barrett, Vice President of Sales, PBS International

Buyers to be more open to acquiring content from other parts of the world as it will definitely bring more diversity and offerings to their viewers.”

For AVOD services to invest in original IPs so that more unique, story-driven, character-driven, diverse shows are brought to the pre-school and kids audience. In an ideal world, we need the media services providers to participate in the financing of new shows, that will help them differentiate their service in a busy market.”

Samantha Wong, Head of Global Division, Zoland Distribution

Sophie ‘Kido’ Prigent, Global Head of Sales, Jetpack Distribution

Seeing less broadcasters and streamers mirror each other’s content selection so closely, and programme more of the unexpected, the weird and the not before seen.”

Miguel Mestre, Senior Sales Manager, Aardman

Kids deserve and should expect quality programming made with exceptional standards, as great content is a vital part of childhood.”

Marie-Laure Roche, Head of International Sales, Magic Light Pictures

To work with great broadcast & co-production partners in Asia, and push the creative envelope to build exciting new animated IP together.”

To find more opportunities to partner with local producers on interesting and relevant kids’ content that can travel the world.”

Corey Caplan, Senior Director of 18 Sales, Guru Studio International

Julien Farçat, Director of Sales, Cake contentasia december 2022

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productioninterview

Broad strokes Singapore’s Mediacorp registered 120% growth in monthly video views on its YouTube drama channel for full-year 2021. Online video views have soared for three years straight, and the national media platform has long moved past its former singular identity as a free-TV broadcaster. In her first broad-ranging interview since she became Mediacorp’s chief content officer, Virginia Lim talks about content and co-production direction, and the advantages and challenges of a broad remit that has to satisfy everything from streaming entertainment and digital content services to niche audiences and mass market public service broadcasting.

National media network and Singapore’s largest content creator, Mediacorp, has led an expansion of the country’s broader creative ecosystem, including a new approach to cross-border partnerships and relationships with domestic indies as well as expanding its story-telling range, skills and formats.

A little more than a year after she joined Mediacorp as chief content officer, Virginia Lim speaks about the content direction being set,

Content is content.

You have to be on the right platforms so that your viewers don’t have to go around searching for you.”

the advantages and challenges of a broad remit that has to satisfy everything from streaming entertainment and digital content services to

Virginia Lim, Chief Content Officer, Mediacorp

niche audiences and mass market public service broadcasting.

Lim emphasises annual growth of 26% in monthly online video views

different. Mediacorp is not what it used to be 25 years ago when I was first

over the past three years, 120% growth in monthly video views on

there as a producer. Today we are no longer just a free-TV broadcaster.

Mediacorp’s YouTube drama channel in 2021, and the advantages of

We have evolved into a multi-platform national media network. We are

being “present at every relevant touch point of our consumers’ lives…

Singapore’s largest content provider. We produce programmes in four

we engage them anytime, anywhere through… Mediacorp-owned

national languages – English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil – and operate six

and third-party platforms,” she says, adding: “Content is content. You

free-TV channels and our own video streaming platform, meWatch. We

have to be on the right platforms so that your viewers don’t have to go

broadcast 1,000 hours of news and entertainment content a week and

around searching for you.”

engage 95% of people in Singapore on a weekly basis across TV, radio and

Mediacorp is also in high-gear on pursuing next-level content

digital platforms, including YouTube.”

partnerships. “We believe strongly in partnerships,” Lim says; “We

“Digital platforms are key drivers of our businesses. Some data: We

want to be working with the best in the industry in telling the most

upload an average of 400 hours of new content a week on meWatch

appealing stories”.

and have recorded annual growth of 26% in monthly video views over the past three years. On top of that, we stream over 2,000 hours

You started your career at Mediacorp, spent more than 10 years at Sony,

of audio programming a week across our 12 radio stations on [digital

then at streaming platform Viu, and now you’ve come circle, back to

audio platform] meListen.”

Mediacorp. What’s it like coming back to a free-TV environment? “When I first returned a year ago, it felt like coming home, but it also felt very

22

“We aren’t focused on producing for free-to-air linear channels anymore. We are producing shows for non-linear platforms first,

contentasia december 2022

productioninterview

Your World in Mine

before they go to linear. We also have several channels on YouTube.

produce a show will have regulations. So we have to strike a balance

Mediacorp’s YouTube drama channel recorded a healthy 120% year-

between being creative and compliance.”

on-year growth in average monthly video views for full year 2021. We are extremely customer centric. We are present at every relevant touchpoint

Singapore has always been diverse and you’ve always catered to a

in our consumers’ lives. This is the basis of our transformation success.”

diverse community, but you’re pushing the barriers in different ways.

Your World in Mine, about a family with a special needs son, is one of

Where does Mediacorp fit in the production ecosystem in Singapore

the latest examples. Why is this series special? “This is a story very, very

and around the region? “We believe strongly in partnerships. We want

close to my heart and it clearly resonates with a lot of our audience in

to be working with the best in the industry in telling the most appealing

Singapore. It is a simple drama that shines a light on families with special

stories and producing content that is fresh, intriguing and engaging.”

needs children and their day-to-day challenges. Many of these are

“We work with a variety of partners, with established production

challenges that we don’t see or recognise... we may be quick to judge

houses, with independent content creators, and we also work with

when we see a kid behaving differently, what we think is misbehaving.

higher learning institutes because we want to keep a constant pipeline

I’m a mother. I have that too. I’m particular about how kids behave...

of new talent as well as, of course, growing existing talent in the

but sometimes we are not aware that they are special needs kids. The

industry, growing the ecosystem.”

series received rave reviews and response from every platform – linear,

“We have, for instance, worked with Wattpad to develop Slow Dancing, which was a success with more than 60% of views from

digital, social... we are humbled and grateful for the overwhelming response... for a content creator, this is the kind of response we want.”

overseas. Our collaborations include The Cutting Edge and After Dark.

Both shows were written by Singapore Wattpad writers.”

“Most recently, we have a co-production with Screenworks Asia in

It looks like an extraordinary amount of work went into Your World in Mine... “We did a lot of research. We worked with organisations that

Taiwan for drama series, Twisted Strings. These allow us to leverage each

helped us to portray the characters... the story was pitched before

other’s strengths. We also work with independent content creators,

my time, so it really was the production team that made it happen.

including those from our multi-channel network, Bloomr.SG.”

Everyone felt very strongly about the show.”

Is Mediacorp equipped to be an international co-production partner

Is Mediacorp able to participate in projects that have funding from other

or is the mandate to be a primary producer or commissioner? “We are

government agencies? “Production funding, including grants, can be

open to all sorts of co-production. Ultimately, the end goal is content

complicated. We are always willing to have that conversation though.”

that appeals to viewers, content that can travel. Of course it has to make business sense, but ultimately it’s about the content that we are

Mediacorp produces in multiple languages, including English. How

producing.”

has the streaming environment, which has opened up unprecedented opportunities for non-English-language content, impacted what you

Is there a balance you have to maintain when producing in Singapore

make? “Language is no longer an issue. In today’s world, content goes

in terms of ethnicity and/or language? “As national media network,

beyond language. We are also moving away from producing in a

there will always be a balance that we have to maintain. With digital

particular language... There are ways we can produce with anyone in

platforms, we are able to experiment more... everywhere you go to

any language as long as it’s the right story for us.”

24

contentasia december 2022

productioninterview

Up cycle Malaysian free-TV giant Media Prima enters 2023 on its best foot in years. Records are being broken with shows such as Melur Untuk Firdaus, content sales are soaring and alliances with neighbouring broadcasters and producers are expanding. And still, linear is key and mass market audiences remain vital, says Nini Yusof, deputy CEO of Media Prima TV Networks.

Malaysia’s powerful free-TV network, Media Prima, has a lot going for it

800 million views... it’s simply because we focused on a target audi-

these days, not least of which is home-grown superhero Ejen Ali; soaring

ence and Gen Z-ers came to TV and they started to produce content

content/IP sales as streamers jostle for local shows; upsized and mon-

to share on TikTok. My daughter found out about Melur Untuk Firdaus

etisable content solutions; co-production successes; hopes for a TVOD

when it was trending on TikTok...”

business; and the expansion – once again in a long history of ups and

Has Melur Untuk Firdaus’ success changed the way you commission

downs – of online/streaming platform tonton, which is among Asia’s

or produce? “Yes and no. For example, for the free-to-air audience, we

earliest digital video businesses.

are targeting the mass market. The content they watch will be quite

And then there’s Zamri Zakaria’s prime-time drama, Melur Untuk

different from Gen Z. So, for example, we focus on dramas, we also

Firdaus, about a young man whose parents give him 48 hours to per-

produce documentaries, news is very, very important for us, and we

suade his girlfriend to marry him. If he fails, he has to marry the girl they

are gaining in sports. When we talk about providing content for our TV

have chosen. Clips from the series, which ran on free-TV network TV3 from

audience & also for streamers... we try to meet halfway, to match our

May to July this year, attracted more than 2.9 billion views on TikTok.

requirements with theirs in terms of, for instance, cast and plot. The story

It’s all part of a reversal of fortune for the privately owned media platform, which operates free-TV networks TV3, 8TV, ntv7 and TV9; a vibrant audio business; production house Primeworks Studios; and a publishing business. In

will be slightly different, maybe not so edgy… It will still attract a mass audience but with more diversified storytelling.”

Is linear free-TV still as important to you as it used to be? “Free TV

2021, the company posted its first full-year profit since 2018 (2015 if you don’t

gives accessibility. Our job as a free-to-air channel operator is to make

count a property sale), including trebling content sales over 2021.

good investments to create and produce shows that inspire and enter-

It’s also part of adapting to an evolving video and media environment. Audiences in Malaysia across TV and online are not judging a show based on whether it’s on TV or online, says Media Prima TV Networks’

tain. Every country needs a very strong free-to-air channel and Media Prima’s TV3 is the one in Malaysia.”

Let’s talk about reality show Master in the House, where you blended

deputy chief executive, Nini Yusof. “There’s no discrimination. They don’t

Korea and Malaysia talent. What led to that? “Master in the House

go, ‘oh, is it on tonton or is it on TV?’,” she says, adding: “It’s a matter of

involves team members spending one or two days with a popular per-

telling a story and making sure that… there’s incremental viewership.”

sonality trying to gain knowledge and wisdom. The show is something

Media Prima looks like it has seen the back of a few horrible years.

TV3 has never done before; it’s our first real co-production with Korean

What are your content priorities now? “Providing content targeted to

broadcaster, SBS. The idea came about as an advertising solution for a

mass-market audiences, millennials and also Gen Z. And creating ad-

Korean client who wanted a Korean series that could be on air for at

vertising solutions is key for a free-to-air service like ours.”

least eight weeks. We obviously needed a show that would resonate

Although it competes for audience time and attention, TikTok has

with our audience and allow the sponsor to tell their story. We were very

been a vibrant viewer acquisition platform for you... “We never thought

lucky to have two masters – BamBam, the Korea-based Thai rapper/

Melur Untuk Firdaus would gain something like 2.9 billion views on TikTok.

singer from boy band Got7, and Son Sung Deuk, the choreographer for

It was amazing. Normally our dramas range between 200 million and

BTS. We had two episodes featuring Korean masters and the remain-

26

contentasia december 2022

There’s no discrimination.

Viewers don’t go, ‘oh, is it on tonton or is it on TV?’.... It’s a matter of telling a story and making sure that there’s incremental viewership.”

JULIA

VICTOR

GÉRALDINE

HIPPOLYTE

YVAN

ANNE

OSCAR

NOHAM JULES

DE NUNEZ BELMONDO PAILHAS GIRARDOT ATTAL LE NY LESAGE EDJE BENCHETRIT

Freedom at all costs CREATED AND DIRECTED BY

DANIÈLE THOMPSON & CHRISTOPHER THOMPSON

Nini Yusof, Deputy CEO, Media Prima TV Networks

ing six episodes featuring popular stars and personalities from Malaysia, including Siti Nurhaliza, Yusof Haslam, and the director from Ejen Ali, Usamah Zaid.”

Is it a challenge to tie up with talent like BamBam or Son Sung Deuk if your show is sponsor-funded? “No, because we have another group of local talent for the product integration and execution. That’s very, very important.”

Have you done anything similar with other broadcasters in Asia? “We’ve worked with Nippon TV and Fuji TV in Japan in the past. One of the shows was Welcome To The Railworld Japan hosted by Henry Golding.”

How do you prevent your sponsor-funded shows from becoming one long commercial? “You have to pick the right show. Media Prime is freeto-air. The majority of our income is from advertising. If advertisers want to integrate their brands into a story, it has to be integrated well. The product placement has to be natural or the audience will be turned off.”

That’s probably easier to say than to do... “We were lucky because we picked the right product that could be blended naturally into the show. So, for example, we have ginseng, which can be consumed naturally throughout the show. Secondly, we had Samsung as a sponsor. Taking pictures, videos is natural. Number three, we had Lifebuoy sanitiser. This was during Covid. What is more natural than sanitiser? It’s expected. It looks natural. What I wouldn’t be able to do, for example, is accommodate a client with a product that needs to be switched on is all about pre-planning, about really looking at the product, the cast and the setting of the show.”

Let’s talk about online platform, tonton, which has had its ups and downs over the past 10 years or so. What’s the current plan? “Tonton is in a very good place. Thanks to all the streaming platforms, people are more open to paying for content. For the moment, tonton is an AVOD

6X52’

service to support our offerings across Media Prima networks, including TV, digital publishing and also outdoor. As you know, advertisers

contentasia december 2022

27

© SYLVIE CASTIONI / FEDERATION STUDIOS

and off, like an air-conditioner because it wouldn’t fit. Brand integration

productioninterview

Master in the House Malaysia

keep saying, ‘okay, TV audiences are getting lower’, which is true.

But audiences are watching our content online, they’re watching on tonton, they’re watching our content on our OTT partners. So it’s just a matter of telling a story and making sure that the audience from TV is going to tonton, and there’s incremental viewership.

“During Ramadan Raya, we aired a big movie on tonton. Viewership was big, and page views increased. When we aired it on TV, the ratings were still two million. Why? Because there are two sets of audiences – the ones watching on tonton, the digital natives... they are so used to watching on a tablet or on a mobile phone, and our audience on TV, because they appreciate the content. They don’t care that it was released earlier. They’re like, ‘okay, now I’m watching in the comfort of my home, watching on TV and the show is great’. There is no discrimination. They don’t judge by whether it’s on tonton or on TV. “The business model for tonton is AVOD. We experimented with TVOD with the tonton cinema service [Ed’s note: tonton cinema closed temporarily in Oct 2022 after 18 months for tech upgrades; no resumption date was available at presstime]. We might eventually, in 12 months or so, offer TVOD in a bigger way, but right now it’s all about AVOD.” [tonton cinema went live in 2021 with promo rates as low as RM1/US$0.21 with no subscription lock ins. Movies such as CJ ENM’s Parasite, Peninsula and The Battle along with local titles such as Dendam and Sirah Junjungan Tahajud Cinta, were available for 48 hours on up to five devices simultaneously].

In Q1 2022, Media Prima’s content sales revenue more than doubled because of demand from streaming services. In 2021, content sales trebled compared to the previous year. Has this massive Melur Untuk Firdaus

28

contentasia december 2022

pick up by regional and global streamers changed the nature of what you produce and the way you produce it? “Yes and no. The reason regional and global streamers acquire our content is because it works.

It provides the eyeballs and the traffic. When we produce dramas, we know what our audience wants. Years of research, years of understanding what works, how certain stars work for a certain plot, where we introduce the newbies... You know, like Melur Untuk Firdaus, the two leads were unknown. Before the drama aired, they had 150,000 IG followers. In 10 days, they had around one million. We know what

COTTONWOOD MEDIA

works, whether it’s 7pm, 9pm or 10pm. For streamers, we need to

PRESENTS

change in terms of timelines and deadlines. They need time to promote the shows. And we still have to be sensitive to local regulations, so we’re never going to be as edgy as some of the streaming series.”

Will tonton affect Media Prima’s relationship with OTT platforms in terms of content sales? “There’s nothing to worry about. We have enough.”

What’s your relationship with neighbouring markets, such as Indonesia, like? “We did our first direct acquisition from MNC/RCTI – Ikatan Cinta – in 2022. It’s a really a big hit in Indonesia and we thought the story would resonate with our audience. For the past 38 years, we have been airing content from our neighbours, like Mediacorp in Singapore.

This relationship with neighbouring broadcasters will continue, whether we buy directly or we buy through a third party. We have always estab-

SEASON 2 COMING SOON

lished relationships directly with broadcasters in the region.”

What’s the next step? “I’m really looking forward to doing co-production with our partners in the region.”

contentasia december 2022

52 X 30’

29

anniversaryzee

The 30-year Itch India’s Zee Entertainment celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, facing what some say is its biggest challenge yet – merging with Sony Pictures Networks. At the same time, the company is pushing the boundaries on content creation, global co-productions & streaming service Zee5.

Vanita Kohli-Khandekar & Janine Stein capture a birthday moment.

Punit Goenka is walking a tightrope. Zee Entertainment Enterprises,

Entertainment), Rocket Boys (Roy-Kapur Films) and Maharani

the company he heads, is in the process of merging with Sony Pictures

(Kangra Talkies), SonyLIV is now India’s second largest SVOD

Entertainment Inc’s India subsidiary, Sony Pictures Networks.

brand after Disney+ Hotstar.

By April 2023 when all regulatory clearances are through, Goenka will

Zee’s global steaming platform, Zee5, is beginning to draw

lead the US$1.8-billion venture – India’s second largest media company

attention thanks to the buzz around shows such as The Broken News,

after Meta. Currently, Zee has US$999 million in revenue and Sony has

an adaptation of BBC Studios’ scripted drama, Press, about the rivalry

US$837 million in India.

between two news organisations, and three seasons of TVF Tripling

How Goenka, a minority shareholder and son of Zee founder, the legendary Subhash Chandra, handles the people-shedding, the culture wars and the decisions he makes on brands to keep or kill, will be among the toughest things he has done.

Zee has just under a fifth of TV viewership in India with 49 local

(TVF), the story of three siblings on a hilarious journey to find themselves and their relations.

These followed the nine-episode Duranga – Two Shades of a Lie (August 2022), the Indian adaptation of 2020 Korean drama, Flower of Evil, directed by Pradeeep Sarkar and Aijaz Khan, and produced by

channels. According to Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc)

Rose Audio Visuals. The series is about Sammit Patel (played by Gulshan

data for full-year 2021, the merged company will have a 27% market

Devaiah) who appears to be the perfect father and husband. When his

share, putting it firmly ahead of current leader, Disney-Star.

detective wife, Drashti Dhami, investigates a series of gory murders, the

Unlike Sony, Zee has a strong presence across Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and other Indian languages. It also has a global footprint with 35

findings threaten to destroy her family.

Zee5, which launched in the U.S. in June 2021 with more than

channels in 170 countries. It lacks sports and kids programming, which

130,000 hours of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi entertainment in

Sony and its 27 channels have, along with a strong urban connect. Both

18 languages, has proved to be remarkably brave about the topics

companies have strong film businesses and their own streaming/OTT

it tackles in the shows it backs, pushing boundaries on, among other

platforms.

issues, women, safe sex and political conflict.

On the back of premium drama series such as Scam 1992 (Applause

30

In June last year, Zee5 premiered Pakistani original, Dhoop Ki Deewar,

contentasia december 2022

The Broken News (opposite) Dhoop Ki Deewar (above); Punit Goenka, Zee Entertainment Enterprises (left)

from Motion Content Group/Hamdan Films.

The18-episode series, presented under Zee’s Zindagi Original label, was billed as a story of “heart over hate” set against a backdrop of the Indo-Pakistan conflict.

Director Haseeb Hasan described the show as “a reflection of positivity beyond borders, religion and societal biases… and has an underlying message of peace, harmony and joy of life”.

Dhoop Ki Deewar followed writer, creator and director Asim Abbasi’s Churails (Witches), a thriller about four women in Pakistan who form a detective agency to find cheating husbands and find themselves embroiled in a conspiracy. The series is bold, the women are fierce and fearless, and the whole series entertains as well as raises a fist against toxic masculinity.

In July this year, director Jai Basantu Singh’s comedy feature, Janhit Mein Jaari, added a layer of social commentary about safe sex to the burgeoning slate.

In presenting Zee5’s slate, Archana Anand, Zee5 Global’s chief business officer, has talked about using humour and sensitivity to address taboo subjects, and about stories that “have the power to engage deeply and go well beyond the South Asian audience”.

The latest original, Aanand L. Rai’s Raksha Bandhan, continues rapidfire content rollouts as the platform woos international audiences, particularly in the U.S. Produced by Zee Studios, Cape of Good Films and Colour Yellow Productions, Raksha Bandhan is about an oldest son and only brother of four sisters who promises his mother on her deathbed that he will marry off his sisters before getting married himself.

In the first quarter of 2022, Zee5 released 64 new TV shows and movies (including 13 originals). In May, the company said it would end the year

31

anniversaryzee

with 40 original shows plus 40 movies for a total of 80 new titles across Hindi and regional languages and multiple genres.

Zee has also stepped up global content creation via international co-production and development arm, Zee Plus, under veteran Zee exec, Zee Plus chief business officer, Sunita Uchil. The most recent copro, announced during the Mipcom market in Cannes in October this year, is The Lion’s Last Roar, with U.K.-based natural history/science docs producer, Talesmith. The 2x60-mins 4K conservation series releases globally in March 2023. Zee Plus and Talesmith previously partnered on Life of Earth: From Space and Life of Earth: The Age of Humans, an ambitious series for Zee Entertainment and Smithsonian Networks.

Zee’s burgeoning global credits also include lifestyle/culinary travelogue, The Spice Trails: Latin America, which has pre-sold to

ash Subh

Australia’s SBS Food for the channel’s 2023 schedule. The 12-episode

ndra

Cha

half-hour 4K UHD show – the first co-production between India (Zee) and Mexico (TelevisaUnivision) – features Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina. Other versions covering Asia, the Middle East and Africa are in the works.

There is poetic symmetry to Zee’s latest ambitions. Launched 30 years ago, Zee was one of the progenitors of private broadcasting in India.

Goenka’s father, Subhash Chandra, set up the firm against all odds.

Zee’s merger with Sony in many ways reflects the same reality that Fox’s sale to Disney in 2017 did – a way of safeguarding the brand and ensuring its survival in a future that will be dominated by large-scale tech competitors such as Meta, Google, Amazon Prime Video or Netflix.

“As Zee and the industry move towards the next 30 years, we

In the beginning...

In 1991, like many Indians, serial entrepreneur Subhash Chandra saw CNN, the first satellite channel to broadcast into India. What he saw was not just the Gulf War that CNN was broadcasting, but the potential for satellite TV. He began a conversation with David Manion, president of the

will continue to take pioneering steps to create a robust version of

newly launched Star TV to lease a transponder on AsiaSat-1 –

the company, while also redefining the future of the media and

the only satellite at the time with a footprint across 38 countries,

entertainment landscape in India,” Goenka said in an emailed

including India. AsiaSat-1 was owned by a consortium that

comment. The regulatory processes around the merger mean he is not

included Hong Kong-based billionaire, Li Ka Shing. Li’s son

currently free to talk directly to the press.

Richard had launched Star TV from AsiaSat-1.

“Zee’s journey over the years can be defined by its sharp growth, its risk-taking ability to constantly tap into newer avenues and its consistent vision to generate higher value for all stakeholders,” Goenka says.

True that. “Zee was among the first broadcasters to attempt multiple languages,” points out Shailesh Kapoor, CEO, Ormax Media, a Mumbaibased consulting and research firm. Its Marathi-language channels have dominated the genre for decades.

“In general entertainment channels, IP creation is difficult. But Zee

The trickle of channels – CNN, Star Plus and others – would become a flood, given how under-penetrated the Indian media market was at the time.

Chandra wanted to get in before anybody else. He and Zee co-founder, Ashok Kurien, worked out a business plan for a 50:50 joint venture and assumed a transponder lease cost of US$1.2 million a year, a figure Star’s Manion had quoted.

In December 1991, they flew to Hong Kong. The meeting with Richard Li was a disaster. Li did not believe there was any money

has done well with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa and Dance India Dance,” Kapoor

to be made in India and refused to do a joint venture. Li, who

adds. Both are original Indian non-fiction formats created in-house. Sa

has never discussed the Zee deal in any interview, also refused

Re Ga Ma Pa, a music reality show, has completed 33 seasons while

to lease the transponder for less than US$5 million a year – more

Dance Indian Dance has aired for seven seasons so far.

than four times the previously agreed price. A furious Chandra

Zee has also just taken another stab at sports with a strategic licensing agreement with Disney Star in August this year. Disney Star will license the television broadcasting rights of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Men’s and Under 19 global events from 2024 to 2027 to Zee. These are the building blocks for any regular broadcasting company.

Among the many questions that will be answered in 2023 is: Will SonyLIV stay or will Zee5? Will Zee TV remain or Sony flagship general entertainment channel, Sony Entertainment Television (SET)? What about headcount?

Those are the tough questions Goenka will be grappling as Zee navigates its 31st year. That may not be such a party.

32

threw caution to the wind and agreed to pay US$5 million.

Li did not give in. It took him a trip to India and a refusal from every media baron he met – Vineet Jain, Sanjay Dalmia and Nusli Wadia, among others – to realise that only Chandra had the gumption and cussedness to pay that kind of money. Only Chandra believed that satellite broadcasting had a future that would enable him to recover that sum.

In May 1992, Chandra signed a letter of intent with Li. In October the same year, he launched Zee TV. (Excerpted with permission from “The Making of Star India”, Vanita Kohli-Khandekar, Penguin-Random House)

contentasia december 2022

When the Waves Are Gone

Photo: en.unifrance.org, Jean-Christophe Simon (co-producer)

Soul heir

“You cannot escape the past,” Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz told Sara Merican in a conversation about When the Waves Are Gone, his three-hour 2022 film about a cop and a man he helped put in prison. for me. It gives me more soul, the ancient and primal feeling that I’m doing cinema right. It’s very dangerous because when you shoot with 16mm, it’s cranky and you don’t know if you got the image. We found a laboratory in Romania, had to send the films in a bag and it passed through all these X-rays. We waited for months, hoping there would be Lav Diaz returned to this year’s Venice Film Festival with When the Waves

an image.”

Are Gone, a co-production between the Philippines, France, Germany

When the Waves Are Gone seems to comment on the photographic

and Denmark. The prolific Filipino filmmaker’s latest work tells the story of

medium and what it means to capture or bear witness to such horrific

Lieutenant Hermes Papauran, an investigator who witnesses the country’s

events. Are you also reflecting on the purpose of filmmaking in general?

murderous anti-drug campaign and finds himself in an overwhelming

“Yes, it’s always a big dilemma. How do you deal with the truth? Are you

moral and physical crisis.

really doing it in a way that the message gets across? Every time I make

How is When the Waves Are Gone commenting on the social and

cinema, I create characters and a narrative. Sometimes you get lost

political situation in the Philippines? “As a young journalist before – my

because you are trying to turn a caricature into a very real thing. Are you

first job was the police beat – you are assigned to a precinct. You

getting your vision right? It gets complicated because there are so many

do all the dirty work, reporting on robberies and murders. I’ve seen a

factors going on when you are doing a film. Maybe the budget is just this

lot and became friends with investigators. It’s a very dangerous and

and you can only do this, or the actors you want are busy, or there’s a

corrupt system. Most of them have to compromise, which is magnified

pandemic. These things add up and then a cataclysmic event happens

everywhere when Duterte ordered the killings of drug addicts and

in Ukraine and suddenly, your work gets dated and cinema becomes too

abusers. So this film is very real and based on the reality of the first two

late. You talk about cinema as the ‘now’ but at the same time, we are

years under Duterte. I also used a real character, Raffy Lerma, who is a

just chronicling the past.”

photojournalist and has witnessed these events.”

Given the length of your films throughout your career, some people

You use 16mm for this film, which gives it a patina of history and the

have referred to When the Waves Are Gone or Genus Pan, as ‘short

past, while also referring to very recent issues. Why did you decide to

films’. Why did you feel that two to three hours of runtime were

use 16mm film? “I believe in the words of André Bazin that anything

appropriate for these particular stories? “Some works just demand those

that happens in cinema – all the technological advancements – goes

hours. This film was actually supposed to be nine hours. I took off the

back to the nature of cinema. You cannot escape the past. We love the

prologue and epilogue – it’s for the next film. When I was cutting it, the

mobility, flexibility and ease of digital filmmaking but you always want to

middle part was so autonomous that it became the whole film. The

return to the nature of cinema – the celluloid – which is the 16mm film

nine-hour thing is still beautiful.”

34

contentasia december 2022

52 x 7’

An immersive investigation series

FORMAT

1 x 60’

1 x 90’

MEET US AT ATF! Singapore Pavilion (H08, F06)

sales@bomanbridge.tv

www.bomanbridge.tv

Brought to you by Bomanbridge Media productioninterview

Big Pictures

The Great Wall with Ash Dykes (6x60 mins)

Sonia Fleck’s Asia-based distribution and production house, Bomanbridge Media, is upsizing its slate with original production, development and investment in global properties, taking bigger and more ambitious Asian stories to audiences everywhere and bringing international stories home.

Bomanbridge Media has delved into a variety of new activities in the content space as part of its ongoing global growth. Distribution activities have reached far beyond our home market in Asia and now involves meaningful sales across Europe, Middle East, Lat Am and North America.

Licensing deals such as Paul Goes to Hollywood to Food Network in the U.S., Bafta award-winning My Childhood My Country to ITV in the U.K., China Through the Seasons to RTL Germany and Earth Emergency to Disney+ Lat Am, are “all great signs that our distinctive content travels well, offering an upside in revenue opportunities for both our rights owners as well as ourselves,” says Bomanbridge Media CEO, Sonia Fleck.

“We are making a concerted effort to further cement our company’s brand as a quality Singapore indie shop with a curated slate of global programming,” she adds.

“In addition to our distribution, we are committed to scaling our pipeline offering by increasing our IP development slate, co-productions and pre-sale capacity. The intention is to supercharge our collaborative production efforts with other talented and experienced partners,” Fleck says.

Original IP highlights include the US$2-million factual entertainment series, The Great Wall with Ash Dykes (6x60 mins), co-produced with CICC (China), Zig Zag Productions (U.K.) and Netherlands-based global programmer, Insight TV. The accompanying VR experience is produced by China’s VR giant, Pico.

In addition to distribution, we are committed to scaling our pipeline offering by increasing our IP development slate, co-productions and pre-sale capacity.”

Sonia Fleck, CEO, Bomanbridge Media

36

contentasia december 2022

headline here Ric Freeing Flipper (1x60 mins)

“This has been an incredibly difficult production to pull together due

habilitation, Release and Retirement Center in Banyuwedang Bay, West

to the complexities of Covid and the hard-to-access locations of the

Bali, Indonesia (Umah Lumba means “dolphins” in Balinese). The centre

Great Wall,” Fleck says.

is the first and only permanent dolphin rehabilitation, release and retire-

The epic six-part historical expedition follows Ash Dykes, an accom-

ment facility for former performing dolphins.

plished world traveller and adventurer, on an authentic discovery of

Most of the footage is in, including film of “the incredibly emotional

hidden parts of the Great Wall of China. Production is scheduled to

release of the first three dolphins into open sea after three years of reha-

wrap on 20 December 2022 with delivery in Q1 2023.

bilitation,” Fleck says, adding: “We are now looking for further pre-sales

Fleck says the decision to up the ante with a VR experience was

on this premium docufeature, to finance the post-production work”.

driven “by the realisation of how rare the access was on the Great Wall.

The third new premium project on Bomanbridge’s current agenda is

Many of our locations have never been captured in this way for a larger

new doc, Reuniting Bonnie & Clyde (1×60 mins), which revisits this notori-

global audience”.

ous couple. Bomanbridge Media has signed the life rights to Bonnie

“We wanted to share the experiences of kung fu training at the temple, surrounded by Shao Lin Monks at dawn, or better, diving

Parker’s story through a first look deal with veteran factual producer, Phil Fairclough, of Two Wise Monkeys.

underwater where entire sections of the Wall still stand with statues. It

The legendary outlaws and lovers were buried in separate graves

feels other-worldly. We also wanted to share the energy of this show –

because Bonnie’s angry mother said: “He had her in life but he won’t

imagine riding on the mountain bike with Ash as he goes at top speeds

have her in death.” Now Bonnie Parker’s niece and Clyde Barrow’s

down very steep and totally inaccessible areas with breathtaking views.

nephew are going to exhume the body of Bonnie and re-bury her next

VR was our solution to share this.”

to her sweetheart, so they can be together again. The production will

“Pico is the leading innovator in VR, and their R&D has created a

follow Bonnie and Clyde’s closest relatives and the past story through

pioneering all-in-one VR headset PICO 4, which is poised to become

this emotional process of moving her grave to be next to his, reveal-

market leader. It’s very exciting considering the magnitude of this pro-

ing astounding new details about the intimate lives of the world’s most

duction; the VR product, Ash Dykes’ Journey to the Great Wall, will give

famous outlaw lovers.

incredible access to a mind-blowing visual experience in a personal way,” she says.

Another upcoming highlight is Ric Freeing Flipper (1x60 mins), featuring adventurer, animal activist and unlikely celebrity, Ric O’Barry, who

Bomanbridge and Two Wise Monkeys are also in development on a scripted series, Bonnie, about the life of Bonnie Parker, told from Bonnie’s first-person perspective, starting before she met Clyde.

“For the first time, we bring to life the story of the real Bonnie, a driven,

was originally the trainer of the famous dolphin, Flipper, and the person

very intelligent and sensitive woman, clear on where she was heading

behind Oscar-winning documentary The Cove. The partnership with

with Clyde, even when she knew she wouldn’t likely return. Her story

Bomanbridge is led by Ric’s son Lincoln (Bayrock Entertainment) and

could be understood differently today, with much deeper emotions,

Canadian production house, Two Wise Monkeys.

desires and a yearning for freedoms which women weren’t necessarily

Ric Freeing Flipper is about the rehabilitation and release of dolphins through O’Barry’s Dolphin Project working through the Umah Lumba Re-

able to appropriately express,” Fleck says. Co-production discussions are underway. “This is,” Fleck says, “one of our passion projects for 2023”.

37

Brought to you by TAICCA

Taiwanese indie rock band, Sorry Youth, collaborated with ANH Design to create an otherworldly experience on stage during TCCF 2022

Co-producer and director of JUDOKA, Y.C. Tom Lee

TCCF 2022 Taiwan’s entertainment industry is heading into the new year with a recordbreaking achievement. Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF) drew its largest audience ever! A total of 60,000 visits – more than double the footfall in 2021 – at nearly 100 events.

TCCF’s third edition in Taipei, which ran from November 3 to 13, drove an estimated US$32 million worth of content industry growth. It was a celebration of Taiwan’s creative freedom, along with its increasingly important seat around the international production and programming table.

Technological innovations were at the forefront of the festival. 11 days of public exhibitions sought to inspire crowds with the future of content creation. Technologies – including VR, XR, interactive projections, and NFT – took centre stage.

Performers explored the future of music with a combination of lighting technology, modern dance, contemporary circus performance, film

Taiwan is very accustomed to international cooperation. We have good content, good technology, and good talent. That makes us worthy of cooperation in various fields.”

Izero Lee, CEO, TAICCA

projection, live podcasts, and other performing arts. Taiwanese indie rock band, Sorry Youth, performed on a four-sided stage, for example, offering their audience a myriad of experiential perspectives.

CEO of Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA), Izero Lee,

Professional events at TCCF 2022 – the Market, Forum and Pitching – were held over just three days. The Market gathered 133 exhibitors with 812 titles, and over 100 international online and offline buyers. Senior

believes that Taiwan can play a leading role in the future of content

Planner from Screenworks Asia, Echo Ku, said she discovered valuable,

creation. Taiwan’s strength in technology is one of the key reasons why

cross-domain opportunities in music and gaming, and that she received

directors or producers from elsewhere around the world should want to

practical feedback from international and domestic collaborators.

partner with Taiwan.

Executive Producer of Chinese Drama Productions at Singapore’s

The Innovations Salon expanded on this theme of technology in the

Mediacorp, Loh Woon Woon, was inspired by the like-minded film and

future of content creation. Speakers included Doede Holtkamp, director

television practitioners whom she met at TCCF. She praised Taiwan for

of operations from Brazilian VR production company, Arvore Immersive,

creating an environment that nurtures domestic talent.

who analysed the market and business opportunities of narrative and

The forum had an international lineup of 45 speakers. Video content

game VR. In another Salon talk, Director of Digital Content at the CNC

producer at Japan’s Rakuten TV, Kim Kyoung-eun, joined a Spotlight

(French National Center for Film and Animation), Olivier Fontenay,

event about BL (Boy’s Love) drama, saying that audiences of Taiwan-

discussed public funding for new media content with Grace Lee, Director

ese BL dramas in Japan have increased 25-fold since 2018. She believes

of TAICCA’s Content and Culture Technology Department.

this trend can continue, so long as the production quality remains high.

38

contentasia december 2022

interviewkids

The TCCF 2022 Market gathered 133 exhibitors with 812 titles, and over 100 international online and offline buyers

JUDOKA

which is a great arena to show on screen.”

Collaborating directors, Y.C. Tom Lee and Jae Yang, say their project already has co-production backing from South Korea’s Hanmac Culture Group, and they’re currently in discussions with another producer based in Serbia. TAICCA has supported their project from the beginning, and the duo are continuing to search for more co-producers who believe in their story.

Not only does TAICCA help Taiwanese Co-producer and director of JUDOKA, Jae Yang

directors to find international co-producers, but on the flip-side, TAICCA also provides support for international producers who want to collaborate with Taiwanese tal-

Singapore’s Angie Chai, Star Ritz International Entertainment CEO, also made

ent. Producer and partner at Cinéma

an appearance at the Forum, speaking

Defacto, Sophie Erbs, was among the Series Mania delegation at TCCF. During

about emerging investment opportuni-

the Forum, she spoke about the creative

ties in the content Industry. She believes

freedom she experienced while making a

that the biggest emerging investment

co-production in Taiwan, and the unique mod-

opportunity is in content for global OTT audiences, as opposed to regional TV audiences.

Europe’s largest event dedicated to series, Series Mania, sent a delegation to participate in both

The co-producers and directors of JUDOKA stand alongside the Series Mania delegation

the Forum and Pitching sessions, following an agreement with

el of co-funding that TAICCA has put in place.

“I discovered this new programme that I think is unique, and that TAICCA has put in place, that is the TICP, and that is now allowing us to benefit from the talent of

TAICCA to help facilitate co-production between Europe and Taiwan.

the Taiwanese people, not only in the shooting part, but also in the post-

The Series Mania delegation selected a series titled JUDOKA to be

production,” Erbs said. “I think it’s unique in Asia. I don’t think there are

presented in the Taiwan Pitching Session at Series Mania 2023. JUDOKA

many other countries in the world that have, what we call in Europe, a

is based on the true story of a washed-up judo athlete from Taiwan who

bilateral co-production scheme, that is basically financing and support

falls in love with a gold-medal judo athlete from North Korea.

for me to come with directors, to bring them here, at the benefit of the

“JUDOKA impressed us by the political background,” says Laurence Herszberg, founder and General Director of Series Mania Festival. “This

talent and Taiwanese industry.”

You can learn more about why TAICCA is your best partner in Asia,

story takes place between a lot of countries, and also between North

how to join TCCF 2023, the CCDP (Creative Content Development

Korea. All of us in the world know about North Korea. It’s a very intense

Program), TICP (Taiwan’s International Co-funding Program) and more

love story between two strong characters and it’s also about judo,

at the official website [www.taicca.tw].

39

q&akorea

Flower of Evil

Way of the Dragon Korean production house, Studio Dragon, leads the K-drama boom with the biggest budgets and access to the best talent pool among its advantages. Executive producer/IP strategy general manager, Lee Ki-hyuk, talks about growth and expansion every which way; diversifying platforms, partners and genres; filtering out the noise to focus on the story; and other things at the top of the US$1.5- billion, seven-year-old listed studio’s agenda as 2022 draws to a close.

Studio Dragon productions increased to 13 titles in Q2 this year – +7

and increasing demand for K-dramas) and internal environmental fac-

from Q2 the previous year. Is there anything in particular that needs to

tors (such as securing creators, domestic competition and rising produc-

happen for you to maintain this level of growth? “In 2022, Studio Dragon

tion costs). Recently, the most influential factor has been the diversifica-

focused on expanding its cooperation with not only linear channels, but

tion of viewers’ needs, varying across platforms. In order to meet these

with global OTT platforms (Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+,

needs, we are putting effort into our planning and developing stages as

etc.), including those of Korea (TVing, Coupang Play). Therefore, we are

well as discovering original IP.”

planning and developing diverse genres suitable for diverse platforms, and strengthening our capability to develop new items.”

The studio has said it would like to diversify its genres – what would you say you are best at to date and what kind of diversification might you

What (or who) has the greatest influence on what dramas you produce?

be exploring? “Studio Dragon presents stories of diverse genres such as

“There are many factors that influence drama production. There may

romance, action, mystery, human, fantasy, creature, etc. Rather than

be external environmental factors (such as expansion of OTT platforms

focusing on the genre we are confident in, we are consistently seeking

40

contentasia december 2022

q&akorea

new stories that will fascinate the world. We would like to grow as a premium storyteller group, and we believe that every good starting point begins with a good story.”

What impact – if any – will CJ ENM’s focus on TVing have on Studio Dragon’s productions in terms of volume and the type of programming you produce? “TVing is the Korean OTT platform with the most subscribers in Korea. Studio Dragon and TVing continue to cooperate in content production, and this allows us to introduce subject matters and formats, which were difficult to introduce through TV.” Are you seeing any increase in interest in scripted formats/remakes of Studio Dragon drama

Rather than focusing on genre.. we are consistently seeking new stories that will fascinate the world.

We would like to grow as a premium storyteller group, and we believe that every good starting point begins with a good story.”

IP? “Global interest in IP owned by Studio Dragon is increasing.

To provide a recent example, Flower of Evil, which was popular even in Korea, was successfully sold as a remake in India. It is meaningful be-

Lee Ki-hyuk, Executive Producer/IP Strategy General Manager, Studio Dragon

cause it is the first K-drama to be remade in India. As various countries are requesting for remakes, we notice the power of Studio Dragon’s originals.”

How do you view co-productions and where are possible partner-

Generally, drama production budgets across Asia have increased as a

ships with other production houses (in Korea or elsewhere) on your list

result of streaming, with Korea at the top of the range in Asia, and talent

of priorities? “Currently, Studio Dragon is co-producing the American

costs soaring. But Hollywood budgets are still way higher. Do you see

TV series The Big Door Prize with Skydance Media in the U.S. We are

Korean production budgets continuing to rise to eventually reach those

considering co-productions of other IP as well. Co-production with

of the U.S.? “The markets of Korea and the U.S. are different in nature,

other countries (such as the U.S., Japan, etc) provide the opportunity to

so even if production costs of Korea have risen significantly, they are

experience foreign production systems (such as the Hollywood produc-

not expected to reach those of the U.S. Production costs in the Korean

tion system) and to approach local viewers through works of Studio

drama market are rising due to efforts to scale up and improve quality,

Dragon.”

rising labour costs, etc.”

Other than Squid Game, what would you say is having the greatest

Studio Dragon has said it would like to be a global major studio: what

impact on Korean drama perception in the rest of the world? “It would

does this look like? Will your HQ shift to the U.S.? Will your budgets/

be storytelling. Works like Squid Game have fascinated viewers across

output be level with U.S. studios? Where does your “Korean soul/DNA”

the world with their dystopian themes. However, K-dramas, regardless

fit into this global operation? “We would continue to secure successful

of genre, embrace a storytelling that immerses audiences in each and

IP and deliver diverse genres and hits. We aim to achieve high-growth

every episode... our storytelling fascinates viewers all around the world.”

and production stability by expanding our cooperation with global OTTs and top creators. With the rising popularity of K-dramas around the

What would you say has been the biggest change in Studio Dragon’s

world, we have been asked this question several times, and we have

approach to content development and production in the past few

seen countless times that works enjoyed by Korean viewers are also

years? “It would be the diversification of distribution. Previously, distribu-

enjoyed by the rest of the world.”

tion was limited to domestic TV channels and overseas local sales, but with the appearance of global OTTs, works could be distributed across

What is at the top of your wish list for Studio Dragon in 2023? “Our influ-

the world. Studio Dragon has worked consistently, without differentiat-

ence on the global stage is still inadequate. We wish to expand our

ing between domestic and overseas content, and we have seen that

influence and advance as a global major studio, by increasing our own

both can appeal to the world.”

successful content cases.”

42

contentasia december 2022

productioninterview

Boom bosses Indonesian production house Screenplay Films is at the forefront of the streaming boom, with a dozen titles for 2022 and on track to scale further by 2023 for, among others, Vidio and Netflix.

SVP streaming, Anthony Buncio, talks about production priorities and realities, surfacing stories that will engage a potential audience of 290+ million people, developing a superhero universe, and the move into international format adaptations.

Screenplay Films is already among

resonance with Indonesians... the

the Indonesian production houses at

critical consideration for us is that

the forefront of the streaming boom.

the format rights holder should

What are your priorities now? “Our

have a fly-in producer or a

top priorities are to grow more IP

showrunner who really knows how

bank. Sources can be in-house IP or

to navigate the intricacies of an

third parties. And also definitely more

emerging market. So, for instance,

partnerships with IP owners outside and

we produced Mendua (Doctor Fos-

inside Indonesia, and with creatives; how

ter). BBC was great, they knew

we can adapt their series and films that fasttracks our ability to provide volume. Regenera-

how to navigate the complexities Sri Asih

tion is a key objective for us. With the content boom, especially in OTT, we can experiment a lot. We can find and identify new writers, producers, directors and really guide them to find their voice in this new mode of entertainment.”

In March 2020 you had one steaming commission. This year you will launch 10 or 12 series, including season two of Serigala Terakhir...

“And then next year, that’s expected to grow to about 14 to 16 series for all the major platforms operating in Indonesia.”

of our writers, who are still learning.

So, when we were developing, we found for instance, that the core of the character is not actually about a scorned woman bent on revenge over a cheating husband, it’s actually about a woman having to accept her fate of being alone, and that took several discussions. Without access to the bible, to the creator, that would have not been possible.”

There’s a big gap between Doctor Foster and your young-adult (YA) series, like Married With Senior... “We purposely orchestrate it that way

What’s most important to you in choosing stories? “We rely on ana-

so that Screenplay doesn’t become homogeneous. Screenplay has

lytics, especially if we have to acquire something. But as our creative

been around for 12 years. We did a lot of YA romance initially, but in

team and our CEO always emphasise, we don’t care if no one knows

the last five to six years, we ventured out to other genres, like action

about the story as long as it’s good, cutting edge and something dif-

thrillers... we knew we needed to go a little bit older as well.”

ferent. Right now there’s a lot of low hanging fruit in Indonesia because we’re in our infancy in terms of ideation.”

How do you approach formats? “Definitely Korean and Japanese.

You’re racing to keep up with demand for premium TV production.

What have your biggest challenges been? “Our biggest challenges are what we were facing before the demand – a shortage of man-

It’s what’s working in the region. We’ve adapted Turkish formats.... [we

power. It’s just escalated. We are now competing with movie produc-

will consider anything] as long as we feel that it will have an emotional

tion in Indonesia, and some of the crew we had the luxury of working

44

contentasia december 2022

ENTER A WIDE AND PREMIUM PORTFOLIO

CLASSICAL FOR EVERYONE

Meet us at ATF, Singapore, 7-9 December 2022 – BOOTH L22 Alexandre BAC - alexandre@thematv.com

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productioninterview

The Big 4

Photo: Netflix

with on OTT series are moving back to movie production. We are also still

Where does Screenplay Bumilangit fit? “Screenplay Bumilangit is

implementing efficiencies in production processes, along with infrastruc-

our superhero vertical. It is a partnership between Screenplay Films,

ture that’s conducive for filming; in Indonesia we are lucky if we can

Bumilangit and Joko Anwar. Bumilangit is an IP-based company with

shoot in two locations a day... for the most part, we don’t have studios.”

perhaps the largest comic-book hero IP in Asia; 1,200 to be exact. So,

One of the things that we’ve spoken about over the years is your

out of this library, we’re creating movies, such as Sri Asih, and series for

mission to attract top filmmakers. How are you thinking about continuing to develop this kind of creator and production ecosystem? “We

OTT such as Tira for Disney+ Hotstar.

Indonesia has 290 million people and you’re reaching maybe 10 mil-

knew that with the explosion of content, we needed to have diverse

lion with your shows. Is there a plan to increase that? “Our number one

voices and those voices can only come from the filmmakers. We

movie hit about nine million sales, so that’s 4% of the population. We

signed a deal about four years ago with [Indonesian director] Timo

constantly talk about how to tap into the rest of the country... I think it’s

Tjahjanto’ Frontier Pictures... fast forward to now and we have super-

about experimenting a lot and taking big risks, and we can do that now

sized that with about eight subsidiaries within Screenplay, and a lot of

with OTT... we can also put a spin on conventional series to attract view-

them are filmmaker-led. They have their own operations, their own of-

ers in tier-two cities, or the rest of the country. Married with Senior, for

fices... Screenplay is the umbrella, we just provide them infrastructure

instance, was set in Bandung. Normally, everything is shot in Jakarta...

so that these creators just create. That’s their main focus.

but we still have a long way to go [in reaching the other 280 million].”

“We are constantly on the lookout for co-production and develop-

Budgets for drama series in Asia have increased, led by Korea which

ment with entities in Indonesia and outside of Indonesia, much like

is spending anything from US$600,000 to US$2.5 million per episode

Joko Anwar’s Pengabdi Setan 2 (Satan Slaves 2).We also have an

for premium drama. Are Indonesia budgets where they need to be?

exclusive tie-up with Wattpad, and Screenplay Infinite Films, which pro-

“Maybe I would use our movies because a lot of the bigger platforms

duced Timo Tjahjanto’s The Night Comes for Us – the first original ever

especially are requesting that we do OTT series of similar quality to our

to come out of Indonesia. Frontier Pictures has also produced com-

movies. Well, currently, our movies in Indonesia range from US$700,000

edy/crime/action feature, The Big 4 (releases 15 Dec 2022 on Netflix).

to US$1 million. So that equates to about US$6,000 per minute, so 45

We also invest in writers’ rooms, like Katatinut, led by one of Indone-

minutes per episode that’s US$270,000. We are getting there with some

sia’s foremost writers, Titien Watimena.

of the platforms.”

“Even though these filmmakers have partnerships with us, they have

What’s the biggest lesson from this major growth spurt? “To be able

the freedom to work with other studios in Indonesia or outside. They have

to know when to slow down and listen to the creators. As a company

the leverage and the flexibility. Our hope is just that they become emis-

we have a certain DNA: we are not here for quantity, we are here

saries to help the industry as a whole.”

for quality.”

46

contentasia december 2022

MEET US AT ATF STAND J12

productioninterview

Sing out loud Malaysia’s dominant subscription video platform, Astro, has a well-documented transformation plan that stretches from becoming the home of a wide range of 3rd-party streaming apps to commissioning the first local adaptions of U.K. premium drama Liar and French series Call My Agent. Content director, Agnes Rozario, talks about new approaches, changing consumption habits and Astro’s evolving relationships with Malaysia’s production community.

The premiere of what would become an iconic show, Akademi Fantasia,

librate how we

in 2003 was a milestone moment for Astro. When the Malaysian platform

thought about

returns its local adaptation of Korean format, Masked Singer, for a third

production and

season just before Christmas this year, it bookends 20 years of musical

ideation, both in

reality shows that gave artists like Vince Chong, Mawi and Stacy Anam a

scripted and non-

new stage, and proved the genre’s pulling power.

scripted... we now

The new season goes live as Astro marks major shifts in tech and ser-

One Cent Thief

have a different view

vices along with a changing of the guard as long-time boss Henry Tan

of what’s relevant,”

steps into a role as content advisor and Astro Awani chairman from the

Rozario says. For ex-

beginning of February 2023 and Euan Smith takes over as group CEO.

ample, until two years ago

Astro’s debut as a full internet service provider in May this year

there was no regular supply of

along with upgraded boxes rolled out over the past few years have

Indian/Tamil drama. There’s also

not changed the platform’s content DNA as much as they have user

a new local scripted Chinese belt, and

engagement, says content director, Agnes Rozario. Discoverability and

telemovies.

relevance have improved because of the new recommendation engine,

The evolving approach has involved closer

and the platform has, thanks to digital tech, unprecedented insights into

ties with Malaysia’s production industry.

where and what its viewers are up to. “Audiences spend over 70% of their

“We’ve always been part of that local pro-

time on the Astro platform and over 70% of their time watching our local

duction industry but more so now as we start

shows, both on demand and linear,” she says.

producing in addition to commissioning our

Astro has also integrated multiple streaming apps onto the platform (15

local scripted content... the local industry is the backbone for our con-

are promised by early 2023), and has over the past two years upped its

tent pipeline today,” Rozario adds, listing Malaysia’s production royalty,

local content game across all language groups. This includes spending

including the late Mamat Khalid on the Kampung Pisang franchise, Skop,

more on originals such as Alfie Palermo’s One Cent Thief, based on the

Infinitus, Red Communications, Radius One, Nu Ideaktiv...

true story of a Malaysian man who stole millions of ringgit, one cent at a time but was, ultimately, undone by greed and ego.

“It took a while to get there [but we are now] able to focus on differen-

Astro is also bringing new long-form filmmaking talent into its fold. For example, Take Control, about children taking control over their parents’ lives through a video game, and Grim Film’s show about a body swap.

tiated storylines, innovation, production values and really target audi-

Grim Film is best known for short films and branded content. Early projects

ences through different platforms and also different belts, different types

include Alpha47, which has become a regular contributor, including

of content,” Rozario says.

producing last year’s Projek: Anchor SPM. One of the latest projects from

The effort was not without much soul-searching. “We had to reca-

48

newbie creators is dark comedy, Murder By Moonlight; the eight-episode

contentasia december 2022

productioninterview

The Masked Singer Malaysia season two

whoddunit about a female detective and 12 suspects trapped on an island was created/co-directed by Mien Ly in her first TV series. Astro Shaw

storytelling, and higher production values.

Malaysian murder mystery, Helmi Yusof’s The Maid (2021), also

produced Murder By Moonlight with Iron Hill Media and Passion Pictures.

forged new paths for Astro; the original half-hour series by Juita Viden

Astro’s latest environment is “really about flexibility. We had to opti-

for Astro Ria about a man, his four wives and their maids, was the first

mise business models to encourage producers and showrunners to want

Malaysian show acquired by Philippines’ free-TV network, GMA, for its

to collaborate with us,” Rozario says.

June 2022 schedule.

Streaming competition has little, if anything, to do with Astro’s newest

Rozario says Astro has exported its content for years, primarily to Indo-

content initiatives. Rozario points out that Astro was experimenting in

nesia and Singapore. Co-production/co-investments are also part of the

the premium space as early as 2015/6, with Dosa, Sembilan, Sepenggal

mix, including involvements with Angga Dwimas Sasongko’s latest film,

Puisi, Mandatori and Gantung. At the time, the local market was “prob-

Mencuri Raden Saleh; Rally for Love, a co-production with Taiwan’s For-

ably not ready”. Fast forward some seven years and “we’re seeing new

mosa TV; and On Your Mark, Chiu Keng Guan’s mainland China directori-

engagement” with these titles. “Once you create something that’s

al debut, which Astro Shaw distributes in Singapore and Malaysia. “We’re

good, it adds library value,” she says. Meanwhile, a new class of writers

very flexible about our business model,” Rozario says. “We’re constantly

and showrunners has emerged. “It was about us taking stock, of seeing

looking for partners in a way that’s beneficial to all parties,” she says.

what we needed to work on and where we needed to be,” she says.

While it keeps eyes wide open for new ideas, Astro remains faithful to

Services like streamer sooka, which Astro rolled out in mid-2021, and

long-trusted tried-and-true properties, like reality shows, led these days by

e-sports brand eGG have pushed Astro in new directions as well. eGG,

singing competition Gegar Vaganza, which has audience reach of close

launched in 2016, has, for instance, created a show called Dongibab,

to seven million on linear and also drives non-linear Astro Go viewership.

rooted in a community that doesn’t have to think about what that word

Rozario says these play a key audience engagement role and

means (Ed’s note: ‘don’t give up’), which is working well on sooka.

dominate the still-important linear space. “They are highly local and

There’s also eGG’s gaming-related Mata Kerbau (2018), which is work-

relevant and, because they are live or slightly delayed, they allow

ing for sooka’s viewers.

us to be responsive to the sentiments of the day, or to things that are

Sooka shows, targetting younger audiences, tend to be more edgy

going on around us,” she says. During 2021’s floods, for example, Astro

than Astro’s premium originals, which are primarily meant for Malaysia’s

raised flood relief via a collection in each of the competitors names.

traditional pay-TV audience. “It’s very much about the target market,”

Live comedy franchises, such as Sepahtu Reunion and Maharaja La-

Rozario says. Sooka audiences are less interested in subscription contracts

wak, are also huge crowd-pleasers.

“but might come in very regularly to watch sports or other content”.

Home-grown shows will live on alongside format adaptations, re-

Astro’s new partnerships include an adaptation of Wattpad coming-

started in 2020 with Masked Singer, which returns on 23 December, and

of-age story, Shieyruna’s Kau vs Aku, a sooka original directed by Shamyl

Banijay Rights’ All Together Now, adapted from the U.K. original, which

Othman and produced by Lina Tan’s Red Communications. Kau vs Aku is

had a reach of 5.4 million when it aired in 2021 and is returning for a

the first Wattpad story adapted for Astro. A week into its run, digital exten-

second season.

sions had topped 33 million views, Rozario says. “That wasn’t even the ac-

“In order to feed a lot of these reality competitions and the thousands

tual show,” she adds. Viewers were commenting about not having seen

of hours that we produce for our platform, we also need to create

anything like this before in Malaysia, “so that is encouraging”, she says.

other shows to discover new talent. Through our collaboration with Nu

The same goes for i-Tanggang Mother of All Lies, which deals with men-

Ideaktiv (a JV between Astro & Karangkraf), we successfully discover

tal health, and Projek: Anchor SPM about academic cheating. “We’ve

new talent all the time for our shows... And to think this all started with

really focused on innovative concepts... on differentiated stories and

Akademi Fantasia in 2003.”

50

contentasia december 2022

productioninterview

Sing Again

True story True CJ Creations has ambitious creative goals that have brought the market Thai versions of hit Korean dramas, including Voice, Tunnel, Unlucky Ploy and the upcoming Start-Up and Good Doctor. Co-CEO, Ari Arijitsatien, talks about re-imagining Korean stories, building a studio system in Thailand based on Korea’s Studio Dragon model, and what’s next for the Bangkok-based joint venture.

CJ Creations, in a sweet spot, with, as Bad Guys showed, exactly the

We have a new model... We decode the [Korean] format and find our own themes.”

Ari Arijitsatien, CEO (Co), True CJ Creations

kinds of premium content it was created to make.

Set up in 2018 to marry the best of Korean IP with the creative spirit of Thailand, the Bangkok-based True CJ Creations, from the start, charted a new path for scripted and non-scripted content in Asia, blending Thai practices and decades of experience in the local market via True with the best of Asia’s story-telling and production skills and values in CJ ENM/Studio Dragon.

“We have a new model,” True CJ Creations’ Bangkok-based co-CEO, Ari Arijitsatien, says. “We decode the format and find our own themes.”

Family, for instance, is more of a focus of the Thai adaptations, she says; “it doesn’t mean that romance will not happen in the Thai

In early October this year, Thai drama series, Bad Guys – a remake of Korea’s 2014 OCN thriller about a team of hard-core criminals pressed

version, just that the story is more about the family.”

She’s referring, in this case, to Start-up, based on tvN’s 2020 series

into new lives as crime-fighters – charted #1 on Netflix in Thailand as

starring Bae Suzy as a woman with entrepreneurial dreams at the

well as on local platform True ID. Director Piyapan “Tom” Choopetch’s

centre of a love triangle with two men – one her secret first love and

12-episode local version ultimately spent seven weeks on Netflix’s top

a second who pretends to be her first love. The Thai version, currently

10 in Thailand, at its peak ahead of global blockbusters such as Little

in production, has two female leads and a different ending from

Women, Dahmer: Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and Narco Saints.

the Korean original. The idea is to use Korea’s winning story-telling

The show’s success comes as global streamers ramp up production in

elements to tell new stories in a world likely to be familiar with the

Southeast Asia, putting four-year-old Thailand-Korea joint venture, True

original via global streaming platforms.

52

contentasia december 2022

New Scripted Series / Comedy Drama 8 x 30’ redarrowstudios.com/international

productioninterview

Bad Guys

What’s the benefit of a format if everything is changed? “We’re not

“Our research showed it trending among Gen-Z audiences, which

changing everything, but we twist it in order to make it make more

are always crazy for content on music, following their dreams and

sense [for local audiences] and add new flavour that will entice

romance, love triangles...”

audiences to watch it again. When we add more in terms of the storyline, it does not mean we are eliminating everything.”

CJ ENM’s catalogue is huge. Are your choices based on the performance of the Korean titles or those that aren’t well known in Thailand? “It’s a mix, but of course we cannot avoid looking at the

What about Bad Guy? What made you choose it? “Bad Guy is a male-led crime series. Voice and Tunnel are suspense crime series, so we thought this genre would work. Also Bad Guy has multiple seasons, and a move spin-off, so it’s possible to leverage that.”

How often do you go outside of CJ ENM’s catalogue? “We are not

performance in Korea, either from Nielsen or CPI (Content Power

limiting ourselves to CJ ENM. For example, our 2024 lineup includes

Index). Those are the key indicators. We also listen to customers, to

Good Doctor from Korea’s KBS Media.” The 2013 Korean original

reviews...,” she says, adding that the advantages of adapting a series

medical drama about a doctor (played by Joo Won) on the spectrum

that is not well-known means less scrutiny and pressure in the remake.

with extraordinary memory and spatial skills has been remade in

Studio Dragon has something like 80 in-house producers. How are you replicating that model in Thailand? “We have 10 in-house producers who work in the same way as Studio Dragon. We focus

multiple international markets, including the U.S. Japan, India and Turkey.

What about unscripted? “We’ve done a lot, such as Show Me The

on managing the story, from scripting to pre-production and post-

Money, You’re My Fantasy, Grandpa Over Flowers... Their budgets

production. In Thailand, generally, producers do not monitor the

are high... we are figuring out if we can make those feasible during

production from the beginning to the end in this way.”

these times.”

True CJ has now had about four years of experience. What genres

With so many local production houses, what do you think True CJ’s

have worked best for you? “In the past, people might have thought

competitive advantage is? “We are famous for remakes... we have

we were famous for suspense, thriller, crime, like Voice, which was

internal consultation from CJ ENM, with Studio Dragon’s writers or

so successful, and Tunnel as well. But that changed after romcom

producers, and keep training to improve the skills we need. We are

Unlucky Ploy.”

also exploring co-production with Studio Dragon.”

Are you free to choose anything you like from CJ ENM? “We have

Is there a roadmap for moving from scripted formats to producing your

to talk with the writers because we are changing the original. So

own series? “We are planning to launch in 2023, if we can find the

the writers have to be convinced as well. That’s why we do a lot of

right partner. Right now we are meeting a lot of local and regional IP

analysis before we start to change or adapt.”

owners in order to select and develop together, based on what we

One of your latest shows is the music-themed Sing Again, adapted from the 2015 M-net drama series. Why did you choose this one?

54

are practising with the remakes... Hopefully we can make that part of the plan for next year.”

contentasia december 2022

26 x 11’

40 x 7-9’

© Kukua Education Ltd., All Rights Reserved © 2018 Kiri and Lou Ltd. © Sky UK Limited (2022)

94 x 5’

20 x 5’ & 24 x

MEET US AT ATF: STAND L09 / JULIEN FARÇAT jfarcat@cakeentertainment.com +44 (0) 7833 467635

11’

cakeentertainment.com

Story beats Thai executive producer, Maker-Y’s Yossinee Na Nakorn, has given the market reinterpretations of well-loved romances like The Frenemy and My Secret Bride. Between those and 2023’s To the Moon and Back, she has honed her taste for character-driven stories, more complex motivations and universal themes.

Yossinee Na Nakorn – second-generation Thai filmmaker and executive producer of blockbuster Thai drama series, including The Frenemy and My Secret Bride – talks about following in her mother’s footsteps, craft-

didn’t have many

ing her own style, her latest drama series, Matalada (To the Moon and

adaptations. Her ver-

Back), and bringing to life stories that are flying the flag for Thai content

sion is more situation driven,

around the world.

didn’t really dig deep into the characters. We know who they are, what they’re doing, and how they’re doing it; it’s

Your mother made the original The Frenemy, about two women and a man they are both involved with. You remade the series about four

mostly about winning over a guy.

When I produced The Frenemy, the whole industry had changed, the

years ago. What did The Frenemy mean to you as a filmmaker and what

market, the audience, everything was different. What was most chal-

was it like following in your mother’s filmmaking footsteps? “The first ver-

lenging for me was how to tell the story of a guy whose wife and mis-

sion of The Frenemy was made many years ago by my mom and then I

tress are friends. The novel was told through the diary of the ‘good girl’.

remade it four years ago. A lot changed

I didn’t see The Frenemy as the story of two girls winning over one guy. I

in between. The Frenemy was

saw The Frenemy as the story of two girls with a friendship that is so tight.

adapted from a novel. My mom respected the novel, and

I wanted to tell the story from the diary of the ‘bad girl’ as well.

As a content creator today, I cannot just go with the situation and not let the characters tell their stories because it won’t connect with the audience.

The Frenemy was one of the first times that I worked really really hard character-wise to make sure I knew what was in the mind of each character, what their motivations were, and what they wanted me to tell.

Towards the end of the story, we see the reason why she’s doing what she does, and the audience connects right away. They really loved it.

To tell stories today through drama, you need to lean toward character-driven stories. That’s what The Frenemy taught me.”

If you made The Frenemy today, is there anything you would have done differently? “I think I would not have the main character go back to her husband after he cheated on her.”

Your next series was My Secret Bride (2019), another remake of one of your mother’s shows about a girl in a slum community who becomes a spy for her employer, an undercover police officer. How did you approach this one? “My Secret Bride was first made by my mom when I was in school. It was remade a second time by another company when I was in college, and mine was the third. We reinterpreted the whole story. I went back to the novel and what caught me the most were the strong characters – and not just the leads, but all of them. There was room to explore. This was also the first time we didn’t follow the novel’s story framework.

We dug deep into the why of each character and what they all wanted, not just the lead characters... What’s so much fun

My Secret Bride

56

contentasia december 2022

I divide my work into two eras – the first 8 years and the last 8 years.

The first 8 were like analogue – solid, really safe and sound, before all this disruption. And then the last 8 years, it was like I jumped off the mountain and I just started climbing back.”

Yossinee Na Nakorn, Executive Producer, Mayker-Y Thailand

To the Moon and Back

about this story

(played by James Jirayu) is born into a perfect family with a seemingly

that I dig deep

perfect life. But she’s the one who heals everyone... It’s not about win-

into the group

ning over love. It’s not about the big big problems. It’s about a girl who

of the antago-

will come into your life and suggest how you could live a happier life.”

nist, not just the lead characters... ... usually we only know that the bad guys in Thai drama series are greedy or they are

The Frenemy

jealous. But we never dig deep into why they’re doing anything. The last episode, when the

Why did you choose it? “To the Moon and Back is my most challenging project yet. I divide my work into two eras – the first eight years and the last eight years. The first eight years were like analogue, solid, really safe and sound before all this disruption. And then the last eight years it was like I jumped off the mountain and just started climbing back.”

“The problem we address in To the Moon and Back is authentic, true to human needs. There are no guns pointing in your face, there are no explosions, no deals anyone needs to close... in film school, we are always taught to pick situations that are big enough for people to care about. To the Moon and Back deals with the biggest problem

four bad guys go into court and disclose why they have done this, went

to today’s audience: answering a question we keep asking ourselves,

viral... it speaks so well to the audience today. Because we acknowl-

‘why am I not happy?’ This question today is very important... it’s really

edge the common problem that the audience has, and that’s the

challenging for me to put this question into dialogue and action.”

common problem with the character... that’s the way I need to be as a storyteller today.”

What’s so appealing about remaking your mothers’ work? “I didn’t

What kinds of stories inspire you? “I always lean towards the story with strong characters. I love problems that are human, the character that has room for me to dig deep into the reasons they are behaving in

really look at my mom’s work as my mom’s. I looked at the story and

certain ways. By telling their stories, it might speak to my audience and

as a producer she picked good stories, good projects, especially these

it might give something out that is good for them, healing them....”

two. They appealed to me as a storyteller. My mom actually suggested

When you think about a drama, do you think about the Thai market

My Secret Bride... Those are the only two [of more than 10 that I have

or do you think about the regional/international footprint? “Today, I

made] that I remade from my mom.”

think about a good story for Thai audiences that can be translated for

Fast forward to your latest series, romantic drama To the Moon and

an international audience as well. That’s why I focus more on people,

Back (Matalada), which releases in 2023... “To the Moon and Back is

on characters... We all love, we get heartbroken. There are things we

about a girl (Matalada, played by Jarinporn Joonkiat) born into a LG-

all have in common. I feel I have more responsibilities as a Thai content

BTQ family and raised against a backdrop of drag shows. To the world,

provider to provide content that translates well for the international

her family may be considered incomplete, imperfect. The lead actor

market and represents the Thai market too.”

58

contentasia december 2022

Anne Thongprasom and Ananda Everyingham in The Betrayal, Channel 3/BEC World Thailand

productioninterview

Doctor in the house Philippines’ director, Concepcion “Connie” Macatuno, and Thai executive producer, Thiti “Teddy” Sutthikulphanich, talk about their challenges and choices in adapting U.K. scripted series, Doctor Foster, for their markets.

The World of the Married, Korea’s blockbuster 2020 remake of BBC Stu-

to describe a journey that took the

dios’ scripted drama Doctor Foster, has been followed by award-winning

team deep into detail, from bleed-

versions in India (Out of Love, 2019, 2021) and the Philippines (The Broken

ing hearts and pines to durian and

Marriage Vow, 2022) by ABS-CBN Entertainment/Dreamscape and, most

roast suckling pig.

recently, in Indonesia as Mendua by Screenplay Films and in Thailand

In both Thailand and the Philippines,

(Game Rak Torrayod/The Betrayal) by production house Juvenile for

the scripted format shows up in differ-

broadcast network BEC World/Channel 3’s June 2023 schedule.

ent lengths to either the U.K or the Korean

The interpretations of the original 10-episode one-hour U.K. premium drama about a woman who discovers her husband is having an affair

versions.

In Korea, episodes are around 90 minutes. The

could not – of course – be more different. Dig a bit, and it turns out that

Philippines’ version ran as a half-hour drama stripped on

the 18-episode Korean series played as much, or more, of a role in shap-

weekdays for 107 episodes/two seasons; “It’s a habit... how we like to

ing some of what came next in Asia as did the 2015 U.K. original.

watch our soaps, an everyday thing,” Macatuno says. Currently in pro-

In Thailand, Juvenile executive producer, Thiti “Teddy” Sutthikulphanich, found his way to Dr Foster via Korean broadcaster JTBC’s 16-episode 2020

duction, the Thai version is 16 episodes of about 70 minutes each.

The family unit is also elastic. In Thailand, the original mother-father-

blockbuster, The World of the Married, which soared from a nationwide

son family was reframed to include a second child, which made sense

audience share of 6.260% for its first episode in March 2020 to 28.371% for

in a social context. “Wealthy Thai families like to have two children – a

its finale seven weeks later. In between, with a broad streaming footprint

boy and a girl,” Sutthikulphanich says. Adding a child allowed writers

that kicked off on regional platform Viu, it was all anyone with Korean

to explore the impact of parents’ relationship on children of different

drama on their radar could talk about.

ages/genders. The daughter in the Thai series is 10. “What is interesting

The path for The Broken Marriage Vow director Concepcion “Connie” Macatuno, was via her mentor, who brought her the project. Her primary

about a 10-year-old girl is that she’s not yet a teenager but she’s also not a child,” he adds.

guide was the original BBC version, although she watched “a little” of the

The Thai version changes Dr Foster from a medical doctor to a psy-

Korean series. “I stopped watching because I didn’t want to muddle the

chiatrist. Speaking in the early days of production, Sutthikulphanich says

story... I wanted to stay faithful to the U.K. original. That became our bible

the team felt that changing the lead role to a psychiatrist levered up the

and the basis of our translation into the Filipino setting,” she says, going on

jeopardy. “From our research, we found that psychiatrists have an image

60

contentasia december 2022

C

M

Y

Connie Macatuno (above left); Teddy Sutthikulphanich (below left)

CM

MY

CY

as people who are really smart and good at fixing other people’s problems. We thought it would be very interesting to see how she

CMY

K

goes about fixing her own problems. How she deals with the morals and the ethics of her situation... Can she cross lines personally that she cannot cross as a psychiatrist?”.

The Betrayal also includes more background to the characters than the U.K. version, “so viewers understand why they make certain decisions. “We did a lot of research to make sure everything Thai audiences see makes sense to them,” he adds.

To symbolise the loneliness and isolation of the main character, the Thai production team chose Phuket as a backdrop. “It’s a close community. She’s always an outsider,” Sutthikulphanich says.

For The Broken Marriage Vow, ABS-CBN and Macatuno chose Baguio/Benguet in the Cordillera Central mountain range in northern Luzon as a backdrop. “The doctor was uprooted from where she grew up, taken out of her comfort zone,” she says. There’s a second reason. “In the Philippines, everyone has been to Baguio. We wanted to present a different scenario so that they would want to revisit, to explore the area.”

Elements of Baguio were infused elsewhere. The doctor’s office, for instance. Macatuno describes the office as “quaint, with a vintage vibe, but there’s a lot of fresh greens because Baguio is a city of pine.

So there’s a lot of pine trees in the background and a lot of succulents that grow organically in the place”.

Macatuno was as deliberate about including other details that would contribute to showcasing the Philippines to a larger audience.

“The dream for me as a storyteller is to showcase the Philippines, to push forward our Filipino identity in a global context,” she says.

61

The dream for me as a storyteller is to showcase the Philippines and push forward our Filipino identity in a global context.”

Connie Macatuno, The Broken Marriage Vow

for the stinky relationship”. But she can’t have it smell in the car because David would get the reference, so she wraps it up carefully to keep her intentions a secret. “Durian is a well-considered gift in the Philippines,” Macatuno says. “Dr Jill wants to tell Lexy’s parents that their daughter is sexually active with her husband and it stinks, just like a durian”. That’s not all.

“Eating durian the traditional way is to put the entire seed in your mouth, and let it stay there. So that in itself, the way that you eat it, with a context of something sensual, is what I wanted to represent”.

The other loaded dish is the roast suckling pig, which is traditionally “cut” with a plate. “That suckling pig is Lexy and he smashes it with a plate, which is just really visceral,” Macatuno says. “The daughter is pert, young, delicious, unlike Dr Jill... the bones that are being broken in that suckling pig is a metaphor for Lexy being broken in front of her beloved

Local designers were tapped to create the wardrobe and much thought went into the food that appears on screen. “For me, the cloth-

people, her family.”

Two others scenes are handled differently across the adaptations. The

ing, the accessories, the fashion... are another layer of our culture,” Ma-

first is when Dr Jill finds the hair on her husband’s scarf, kicking off the

catuno says, speaking about design communities that work in traditional

drama, and the second is when he attacks her in front of their son.

embroidery, beads, hand looms, weaving... “That’s what we wanted

Macatuno says the scarf chosen for The Broken Marriage Vow was

to showcase... how do we, as Filipinos, introduce ourselves in an Asian

embroidered with a Bleeding Heart plant pattern. “The scarf is a turning

scenario, or in a global context.”

point... the bleeding heart is called Cadena de Amor in the Philippines.

The show’s success has had a positive impact on local crafts communities. “There’s a feeling that they’re being appreciated and noticed... they never imagined this kind of look could be created and it encourag-

I wanted to bring it there because their kind of love is something that makes you bleed, it’s intense,” she says.

The second scene is “very intense”, for actors as well as everyone

es them to continue their traditions... all the skills handed down through

on set. “It actually stayed with them for two days because of how we

the generations,” she says.

mounted it... I wanted to show how ugly it is to be violated by the per-

The dishes in the series are distinctly Filipino. The Philippines “is big on

son you trust and love. It wasn’t a glamorous scene. I wanted it to be

roasting”, Macatuno explains. Cue lechon (roasted suckling pig), which,

in your face, where it starts out that she has the upper hand and she’s

along with durian, stars in the high-drama dinner scene where Dr Jill dis-

provoking him and then in the middle it becomes him having the upper

closes her husband’s infidelity to Lexy’s family.

hand and he strangles her, throws her, and then realises what he has

Dr Jill’s gift to Lexy’s family is a durian, “which is really stinky and a symbol

62

done,” she says.

contentasia december 2022

Jodie Sta. Maria and Zanjoe Marudo in The Broken Marriage Vow, ABS-CBN Philippines

The third element of the scene is that the son witnesses the violence. “I saw that he [Gio, played by Zaijian Jaranilla] wanted to hit his dad. I saw his look... I asked him, ‘do you want to do something to your dad?’ and he goes ‘no’. He was denying it, but of course I saw the body language, and said, ‘if you want to do something to him for this take, let me see how you would do it’. I didn’t want to give him ideas on how because I wanted it to be natural... this is always our agreement, do it when you are compelled by your character to do it, otherwise don’t... He was crying and he approached his dad and he pummeled him saying, ‘What did you do? What did you do?’.

“For me, it’s heartbreaking for a mother to see her son, who loves and adores his father, turn away from him, which is exactly what the scene is about, a turning point in the family. It really is heartbreaking,” she says.

Macatuno did not sugar-coat the domestic violence. “Once you’ve connected to the character, you ride along with what goes on in her life. And you want to see her empowered... Her triumph is the audience’s triumph, her heartaches, her trials that she’s going through are the same troubles that the audience goes through”.

With The Betrayal’s premiere still months away, Sutthikulphanich steers clear of spoilers. But he’s no stranger to producing intense, emotional entertainment. His credits include Thai adaptations of Nippon TV’s Mother and Abandoned, both for Line TV. “Mother is all about motherhood. The key message is that a mother doesn’t have to be the person who gives birth to you. That is something easy for audiences to understand. Abandoned is about children who don’t have a mother or father. So it’s also a family drama and the theme is universal. These stories haven’t been told in Thailand before.” Which is, at the end of the day, the whole point.

63

Children’s rights

distributionkids

Kids rights holders and distributors talk about monetising content in Asia, the changes they’re seeing in buying patterns in the region &, among other top of mind issues as the year draws to a close, their favourite strategies for putting their shows in the right places at the right times.

Big Nate, Paramount Global Content Distribution

Did monetising kids content in Asia become more difficult this year?

“No not really, kids content is still in high demand and streamers are increasingly seeing the value of a robust kids offering, so the market has been buoyant.”

Lauren Marriott, SVP, Content Partnerships & Brand Strategy, Paramount Global Content Distribution “Yes and no. On the one hand, linear opportunities can sometimes be limited, with many channels suffering from budget cuts and an ever-changing media-landscape to compete with, but on the other AVOD exploita-

Lauren Marriott

Kung Fu Pork Choppers, Jetpack Distribution

tion at a local and global basis, both via local partner’s platforms as well as our own YouTube channels, has seen the balance maintained this year. Many streaming services seem to be re-evaluating their kids and family content strategy, with so many players in the market, and so this could result in financing some new IP in particular a little more challenging. From our experience, financing and monetising known-brands continues to be a success.”

Miguel Mestre, Senior Sales Manager, Aardman

Luca Fiore

“No, in general the opposite has been true – streaming kids content increased during the

pandemic and has continued to rise throughout 2022 so we’ve seen increased streaming revenue as well as traditional licensing deals.”

“It’s no more difficult than it has been in past years. If anything, there are

Joe Barrett, Vice President of Sales, PBS International

more platforms and opportunities to distribute a streaming channel. The challenge for monetising kids content continues to be in the ad sup-

“In terms of YouTube/AVOD, it doesn’t look like it will be more difficult

ported space. Nonetheless, there are concerted efforts in the industry

this year than the previous one. If anything, the multi non-exclusive

to grow and increase access to specifically kid- and family-appropriate

window opportunities are increasing with the launch of more AVOD

advertising that I see as a positive sign for the future.”

platforms and FAST channels.”

Luca Fiore, Director of Content, Macademia

Sophie ‘Kido’ Prigent, Global Head of Sales, Jetpack Distribution

64

contentasia december 2022

NEW SERIES! KIDS 2-5 75 X 7 MIN

Visit us at ATF - BOOTH L03 © 2022 9 Story Media Group. All rights reserved by respective owners. © 2023 Bhean Productions Limited. All rights reserved.

“I would say monetising content can be easier now with so many

“In some respects, it will become easier as the market sees more plat-

streaming original opportunities, but retaining distribution rights, at least

forms emerging (AVOD, FAST channels, etc.) providing consumers with

in the first window, has become more challenging.”

more choice; like short-form content. However, a steady pipeline of

Kerry Novick, VP Global Distribution, The Jim Henson Company

good content will always remain critical as viewers and buyers alike return to us for additional episodes and new programmes.”

Joe Barrett, Vice President of Sales, PBS Distribution

“I think it is always difficult to monetise kids content as there are more protections in place. Many advertisers are not allowed to advertise, so therefore it is difficult – be it now or in

“Absolutely, particularly in what concerns more traditional lin-

the future. I think to purely focus on monetising on TV is not

ear channels; there seems to be a slightly increased appetite,

the way to go.”

Samantha Wong, Head of Global Division, Zoland Distribution

which we hope will continue on its upward trend next year.”

Joe Barrett

Miguel Mestre, Senior Sales Manager, Aardman “I do in the ad-supported space for the reasons

Do you think monetisation will become easier in 2023?

noted in the previous question. For subscription services and pay TV, it will really depend on the consumer trends for each region/market and what

“I think whether is becomes easier or harder, we have to remain flexible and nimble about how we monetise content and remain open to new opportunities. We have to put shows where children are watching them and help them interact with shows as they want to interact with them. That’s how you build a successful franchise.”

Lauren Marriott, SVP, Content Partnerships & Brand Strategy, Paramount Global Content Distribution “I think it will, as I see a trend of moving towards short-form, which is less expensive to produce, but is what kids want to watch. I believe the advent of FAST will also propel monetisation in ways we still can’t conceive.”

Kerry Novick, VP Global Distribution, The Jim Henson Company

kind of services consumers are gravitating towards.”

Samantha Wong

Luca Fiore, Director of Content, Macademia

“Hopefully, as AVOD services promote themselves to keep up in an ever-more crowded market. And refine their interfaces and discoverability tools to retain viewers.”

Sophie ‘Kido’ Prigent, Global Head of Sales, Jetpack Distribution “It has never been a breeze .. and it’s not going to get any easier, especially with many digital players wanting a revenue-share model.”

Samantha Wong, Head of Global Division, Zoland Distribution

65

distributionkids (Left): Go Green with the Grimwades, Macademia; (Below): Betsy The Bear Car, Zoland Distribution

Do you have a preferred strategy for discoverability or surfacing content?

“We face similar challenges as a sales organisation that programmers do in terms of our programmes existing in a sea of other programmes. Having the added advantage of the Nickelodeon brand name is incredibly helpful since it is synonymous with both quality and parental safety.

I think on that basis alone, and the fact that the kid’s programmes we dis-

Are you seeing any significant changes in the way kids programming buyers are acquiring in Asia?

tribute encompass enduring franchises... certainly doesn’t hurt.” Lauren Marriott, SVP, Content Partnerships & Brand Strategy, Paramount Global Content Distribution

“Somewhat significant changes now compared to how they were acquiring in 2021. There’s more appetite to study content in detail before

“There are many angles to answering this question, but it mostly de-

deciding on a licence or not, and there has certainly been more busi-

pends on whether we’re talking about platforms that host our stream-

ness achieved overall than last year, both in terms of linear and OTT.”

ing channel vs our own products, like our mobile and TV apps. With our

Miguel Mestre, Senior Sales Manager, Aardman

own products (which we manage in-house), we have more control and flexibility to both implement different editorial and scheduling decisions,

“I wouldn’t say significant changes, buyers are still looking for known IP

but also to develop features that will surface content. For example, we

and our Nick franchises are still in demand.” Lauren Marriott, SVP, Content

recently released a feature on our Da Vinci Kids app that allows users

Partnerships & Brand Strategy, Paramount Global Content Distribution

to earn learning badges by watching or playing certain educational content. On third-party platforms, discoverability can be more chal-

“I am noting more opportunities for kids buyers to acquire content out

lenging beyond whatever editorial or scheduling powers are allowed

of Asia.” Luca Fiore, Director of Content, Macademia

by the platform or service infrastructure itself. Nonetheless, we find that one of the key ways of surfacing content with platforms is by remain-

“As with every region, buyers are looking for increased rights to cover

ing editorially active with new content, highlights and campaigns that

multiple platforms.” Joe Barrett, Vice President of Sales, PBS International

entice the platform to want to work with you.” Luca Fiore, Director of Content, Macademia

“China: there have been some changes since new quota regulation started with more players and distributors getting involved at the

“We trust our streaming partners’ promotional strategy and always try

development stage and co-producing. No major significant change

and provide them with as much promotional content as possible. Build-

other than the fact that Covid has kept us apart for too long, affecting

ing marketing assets for social media and on-screen is and always has

communication with Asian partners.” Sophie ‘Kido’ Prigent, Global Head

been a priority for Aardman, and is something we strategise and imple-

of Sales, Jetpack Distribution

ment from the commencement of any production. For exploitation on our YouTube channels, our YouTube team follows a tailored release

“Yes, there has been a positive increase in the amount of quality local

strategy for each IP and channel, in addition to cross-promoting be-

productions for the kids audience, which means buyers rely less on pro-

tween our different channels, our social media channels, our website,

gramming from overseas producers. This simply means that if a buyer in

etc, all aiming at higher exposure and discoverability of our IP and that

Asia is buying programming produced outside of Asia, they are doing

which we manage for third-party producers.” Miguel Mestre,

so because the series holds all the educational and social development

Senior Sales Manager, Aardman

notes they are looking for, in particular for pre-schoolers, and that the stories are delightful, fun and engaging. It has set the bar very high.”

“Our kids content is character driven and deeply rooted in the edu-

Kerry Novick, VP Global Distribution, The Jim Henson Company

cational standards of PBS. Discoverability is based on both character recognition and the brand equity of PBS. The brand equity flows from

“Most are not too keen on considering pre-school content; it seems like

a strong broadcast and digital footprint creating millions of weekly im-

there is an oversupply.” Samantha Wong, Head of Global

pressions. Continuing to emphasise both in our metadata is key.”

Division, Zoland Distribution

Joe Barrett, Vice President of Sales, PBS International

66

contentasia december 2022

Is there anything you wish platforms would do to improve discoverability?

“On a streaming platforms, we can’t speak for the streamers’ decisions, strategy and tools to surface content, other than the recommendations based on users’ preferences and browsing history, they do pro-

“Improved voice recognition so pre-schoolers can speak the

mote on their platform and on social networks. From our side, the strategy to motivate kids to search

name of their favourite characters to see related video Kido Prigent

suggestions.” Joe Barrett, Vice President of Sales, PBS International

for the content is through exposure on other screens such as linear TV, YouTube, AVOD in general and social networks. Once kids are

“For kids content having an intuitive platform is

acquainted with the content, they’ll look

essential. Also, as I’m sure most parents agree, the

for it.” Sophie ‘Kido’ Prigent, Global Head of

power of the thumbnail image is huge, and having Miguel Mestre

Sales, Jetpack Distribution Kerry Novick

these on an episodic basis really lets children drive their own viewing and make their own choices. SVOD

“We work with global platforms and U.S. broad-

platforms could do more with algorithms to serve up comparable new

casters... to create strategies that launch our kids shows. Addition-

titles and improve discoverability.” Lauren Marriott, SVP, Content Part-

ally, we leverage the awareness of our own brand by engaging

nerships & Brand Strategy, Paramount Global Content Distribution

with our fans and parent communities across social media and seeking out unique PR opportunities that showcase our characters and our cre-

“It’s a difficult one, as we know many platforms rely on algorithms,

ators.” Kerry Novick, VP Global Distribution, The Jim Henson Company

and it’s hard to say how this could ever change for streaming services. The more some channels curate, the

“This will constantly be an issue as kids’ attention is difficult to attract and

better the chance of having more discover-

to maintain. One of the ways to stand out is to launch merchandising

able content, but I believe the key is always

or enter into joint promotion... Of course, online promotion is good, such

to provide any partner with as much support-

as creating short clips on social platforms to get awareness up. This itself

ing content as we can, in order to signpost

can also be an issue as there is no platform for the very young, so again

audience to the platforms, and to enhance

it will be good to study all platforms before spending money to go to the

the brand experience overall.” Miguel Mestre,

platforms.” Samantha Wong, Head of Global Division, Zoland Distribution

Senior Sales Manager, Aardman

67

Playing catch-up Turns out an awkward young lawyer with Asperger’s syndrome has way more staying power among audiences around the world than zombies running amok in a high school. But, depending on how you look at it, it may be the zombies that

Below: Extraordinary Attorney Woo; Right: Squid Game S1

won in wilder swings in the number of hours viewed over a shorter period.

In 20 weeks on Netflix’s top 10 global non-English-language TV charts, Extraordinary Attorney Woo has been viewed by a total of 657 million hours. All of Us Are Dead, with just under 660 million hours in half the time, is still ahead. But absolutely nothing indicates that anything Netflix has put up from the finest of Korean creators comes anywhere near Squid Game’s win of almost 2.3 billion hours viewed in its 20 weeks on the top 10.

Meanwhile, global audiences’ appetite for non-English-language programming varies wildly. Even taking Squid Game and All of Us Are Dead out of the mix with their gigantic viewing hours in their first few weeks, the graph for the number of hours the #1 show on the non-English list has attracted a week since January this year is a roller-coaster: Spanish drama Wrong Side of the Tracks made #1 for the week of 6-12 June with 19.4 million hours. Also on the lower end, Extraordinary Attorney Woo topped the 4-10 July list with just under 24 million hours viewed.

Somewhere between those lows and the middle, Colombian telenovela Café con aroma de mujer hit 99 million hours (10-16 January); 59.4 million hours (3-9 October) did it for Austrian historical drama, The Empress; and 62.7 million hours put Korean drama Narco Saints in pole position for 12-18 September.

Possible reasons vary from Covid to competition to Bridgerton, Stranger Things and Jeffrey Dahmer, all of which have topped the English-language list and drew audiences from everywhere. Closing out 2022, it’s pretty safe to say there is zero able to match Squid Game for the year and only the hope that other Asian originals will, eventually, make it to the list.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo Date (2022)

Business Proposal

Squid Game S1

Rank

Hours viewed

Date (2022)

Rank

Hours viewed

4-10 July

#1

23,950,000

7-13 March

#6

15,900,000

11-17 July

#1

45,580,000

14-20 March

#1

18-24 July

#2

55,070,000

21-27 March

25-31 July

#1

65,630,000

1-7 August

#1

8-14 August

Rank

Hours viewed

13-19 Sept 2021

#1

63,190,000

24-30 January

23,480,000

20-26 Sept 2021

#1

448,730,000

31 Jan-6 Feb

#1

30,940,000

27 Sept - 3 Oct ‘21

#1

571,760,000

7-13 February

28 Mar - 3 Apr

#1

32,520,000

4-10 Oct 2021

#1

412,940,000

14-20 February

67,010,000

4-10 April

#2

41,460,000

11-17 Oct 2021

#1

258,840,000

21-27 February

#1

69,360,000

11-17 April

#2

24,190,000

18-24 Oct 2021

#1

147,560,000

28 Feb-6 March

15-21 August

#1

77,430,000

18-24 April

#4

20,380,000

25-31 Oct 2021

#1

90,100,000

7-13 March

22-28 August

#1

53,890,000

25 April-1 May

#3

19,500,000

1-7 Nov 2021

#1

65,000,000

14-20 March

29 Aug - 4 Sept

#1

48,820,000

2-8 May

#3

19,100,000

8-14 Nov 2021

#1

42,790,000

21-27 March

5-11 September

#1

31,640,000

9-15 May

#3

20,160,000

15-21 Nov 2021

#3

30,410,000

28 Mar-3 April

12-18 September

#4

21,970,000

16-22 May

#6

13,220,000

22-28 Nov 2021

#3

25,730,000

4-10 April

19-25 September

#4

16,890,000

23-29 May

#10

9,990,000

29 Nov - 5 Dec ‘21

#4

21,200,000

Total hours viewed

26 Sept-2 Oct

#4

13,370,000

30 May-5 June

#10

8,270,000

6-12 Dec 2021

#4

18,170,000

3-9 October

#5

12,220,000

Total hours viewed

279,110,000

13-19 Dec 2021

#4

15,430,000

10-16 October

#4

12,150,000

20-26 Dec 2021

#5

15,100,000

17-23 October

#8

10,490,000

27 Dec ‘21 - 2 Jan ‘22

#6

18,110,000

24-30 October

#9

8,990,000

3-9 Jan 2022

#8

14,980,000

31 Oct-6 Nov

#9

8,370,000

10-16 Jan 2022

#10

11,780,000

7-13 November

#8

6,980,000

17-23 Jan 2022

#8

10,200,000

14-20 November

#7

6,780,000

13-19 June 2022

#10

7,480,000

Total hours viewed 68

656,590,000

Business Proposal

Date

All of Us A

Total hours viewed

Date (2022)

2,289,500,000 contentasia december 2022

GREAT STORIES HAPPEN HERE.

4 SEASONS!

52 X 11’

104 X 11’

SALES@GURUSTUDIO.COM

Are Dead S1 Rank

Hours viewed

#1

124,790,000

#1

Alchemy of Souls Date (2022)

Little Women

Rank

Hours viewed

27 June - 3 July

#5

9,920,000

236,230,000

4-10 July

#5

#1

113,240,000

11-17 July

#1

62,130,000

#1

Rank

Hours viewed

Date (2022)

Rank

Hours viewed

5-11 September

#7

9,970,000

24-30 October

#10

8,010,000

12,310,000

12-18 September

#9

12,960,000

31 Oct-6 Nov

#6

10,420,000

#5

14,640,000

19-25 September

#5

15,020,000

7-13 November

#3

12,200,000

18-24 July

#5

15,760,000

26 Sept - 2 Oct

#4

18,940,000

14-20 November

#3

15,620,000

38,860,000

25-31 July

#4

19,080,000

3-9 October

#3

23,580,000

Total hours viewed

#3

24,020,000

1-7 August

#4

20,100,000

10-16 October

#3

24,990,000

#4

17,480,000

8-14 August

#4

17,840,000

17-23 October

#3

15,550,000

#5

13,820,000

15-21 August

#5

18,040,000

24-30 October

#4

12,290,000

#7

11,380,000

22-28 August

#3

28,590,000

31 Oct-6 Nov

#5

11,300,000

#7

9,430,000

29 Aug - 4 Sept

#3

27,200,000

7-13 November

#4

10,330,000

#8

8,130,000

5-11 September

#6

16,840,000

14-20 November

#4

8,590,000

659,510,000

12-18 September

#10

10,890,000

Total hours viewed

26 Sept - 2 Oct

#8

10,980,000

3-9 October

#6

9,780,000

10-16 October

#7

7,750,000

Total hours viewed

Date (2022)

Under the Queen’s Umbrella

46,250,000

163,520,000

239,720,000

Source: Netflix’s weekly non-English global top 10 TV shows, updated as of 23 November 2022.

Pics from left: All of Us Are Dead S1, Alchemy of Souls, Little Women, Under the Queen’s Umbrella

69

The first MIP market of 2023

with The biggest week in unscripted

Cannes

Palais des Festivals 17-19 April 2023

MIPTV®, MIPDoc®, MIPFormats® are registred trademarks of RX France - All rights reserved © S. d'HALLOY / IMAGE&CO

Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva

Ayan’s Astraverse Indian cinema has always struggled with two things – creating a franchise and using Indian mythology to create big cinema. Brahmastra is a giant step forward on both fronts.

Vanita Kohli-Khandekar spoke to the film’s director, Ayan Mukerji, about bold dreams and forging new paths.

Indian director Ayan Mukerji’s Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva grossed

“I found a much deeper commitment and went deeper

about US$53 million at the global box-office, making the story of Shiva’s

into my philosophy as an artist, unleashed my imagination.

fight against evil forces the biggest Hindi hit of 2022. Starring Ranbir Ka-

I moved from thinking of myself as a storyteller and devel-

poor as Shiva, the film centres around control of the ultimate weapon –

oped an entrepreneurship with this. I wanted to make a

the Brahmastra (a blend of the Hindi word astra, which means weapon,

film that all the 1.3 billion people in India will watch and

and Brahma, the creator in Hindu mythology).

enjoy,” he says.

The story is the first of a trilogy that has taken Mukerji, now 39, almost

Brahmastra trilogy’s budget is estimated at US$50 mil-

10 years to create. The “Astraverse”, as he calls it, is an alternate uni-

lion – a fraction of the US$715 million Amazon Prime Video

verse where the good guys are armed with natural forces like water,

spent on its Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power – but still a

fire, wind or creatures such as monkeys or bulls thanks to some stunning

sizeable sum in India.

visual effects from Indian VFX specialists, Prime Focus.

Mukerji says he started thinking about Brahmastra even before shoot-

How easy was it to raise the funding? Mukerji says the film’s partners (Disney’s Star Studios, Prime Focus, Dharma Produc-

ing his 2013 romance, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, describing the film

tions, Starlight Productions) “knew that not only were we build-

as “the beginning of this journey on the path where modern spirituality

ing a trilogy but we were building the foundation of a universe of

meets fantasy”.

cinema, which we call the Astraverse. It would have multiple story-

“I am a lover of fantasy, that kind of storytelling really tickles my mind.

Some of the divine power in our literature is deeper in me. I think Shiva is the greatest thing in the universe. I started off wanting to make a film that

lines and could become this wonderful youth technology brand for our country”.

Others, like Krrish (2003, 2006, 2013) have attempted to build scal-

excited and entertained people, like Lord of the Rings; it is the best ever

able India-led franchises. Brahmastra may well be the first, with a film

(fantasy fiction) created. That journey led me into drawing and creat-

for each “astra”. Mukerji says this is part of the game plan. “Two years

ing my fantasy from a deeply Indian childhood, history, spiritual, culture,

ago we were not thinking only of the Brahmastra trilogy. While shooting

space. That is the dream I am chasing and am still chasing it,” he says.

Vanarastra (monkey weapon), I was thinking of the Vanarastra movie

From the start, he knew the idea would best be expressed using technology. The VFX, he says, “began on paper at the same time as the

and what it would look like.”

Does the 2022 success impact how he thinks of Dev (part two) or part

story, screenplay and character” and moved into high gear during

three? “All feedback will be considered,” he says. His target for the

pre-production.

release of part two is around Diwali in October 2025 and end-2026 for

He describes the shift from regular feature films into high-cost VFXladen features as a “transformative process”.

72

part three.

By then, he will be 50 years old and would have lived with the trilogy

contentasia december 2022

for more than a decade.

Does he see a time when he will be free of the project?

“I may never be free,” he says. “I became comfortable with that... If we need to build something really amazing in India and the roadmap for it doesn’t exist, how can I do it if I also want to do everything else? I have to commit. There will be other filmmakers who will

If we need to build something really amazing in India and the roadmap for it doesn’t exist, how can I do it if I also want to do everything else?... There will be other filmmakers who will make the Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani kind of films.”

Ayan Mukerji

Ayan Mukerji, Film Director

make the Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani kind of films.”

Mukerji says developing Brahmastra’s VFX was “so difficult. We were trying to make visual effects that have only been achieved in the Western world, priced at Western rates and pegged to Western box-office.

Our budget was in Indian rupees. Figuring that out was part one of Brahmastra.”

The VFX was done with the help of Namit Malhotra (co-founder Prime Focus & CEO of DneG). “It took me time to find them and select them and for them to select me, and for us to form this partnership,” Mukerji says. “They met me halfway and I met them halfway. Which is how Namit became a producer on the film. It was his entrepreneurial spirit and vision for cinema in India meeting with my vision for the Astraverse and us agreeing that let’s do this.”

He also pays tribute to the icons that have gone before him and paved the way. “What Shah Rukh Khan did with Ra One (2011) years ago was the first stepping stone for Brahmastra. Krrish and Rajamouli’s Bahubali (2015, 2017) also paved the way. We are now at the top of the food chain in Indian cinema on visual effects.”

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productioninterview

Papa & Daddy S2

Family ties Taiwanese family series, Papa & Daddy, is part of the next wave of LGBTQ-themed stories, with, among other elements, grown-up characters, kids, ex-wives, blended families, career conflicts, elderly parents, expanded storylines... Zhu Zijiao talks to writer/director Nancy Chen about the multi-season show for streaming platform GagaOOlala, what she was trying to achieve, and what she would like the series to stand for.

What do you think the significance of Papa & Daddy is for Asia’s LGBTQ

You’ve worked on

community? “Taiwan is at the forefront of protecting LGBTQ rights in

a few titles related to

Asia. I aim to take advantage of our conditions and resources to tell

LGBTQ issues, including

the story of a real gay family, so that other countries and regions in

5 Lessons in Happiness –

Asia can see the hope: is it possible for them to do the same thing one

Throuple and History 4 – Close

day? For I believe that everyone has the right to start a family with

to You. Have your perceptions

their beloved ones.

changed? Will you continue to work

“In fact, I won’t intentionally glorify Taiwan’s achievements in the

on these themes? “Perhaps it’s because of

LGBTQ activities and welfare, as marriage is not an absolute ‘happy

a special fate, or perhaps because people

ending’. In other words, there is a lot more to the nature of marriage.

recognise my ability to handle this kind of

Whether homosexual or heterosexual, there are many hurdles to over-

story, that I’ve been approached to direct

come in the coursework of marriage.

many gay and lesbian productions over the

“Papa & Daddy shows what kind of problems a family with two dads

Director Nancy Chen and Executive Producer, GagaOOlala/ GOL Studios’ Jay Lin, winners of ContentAsia Awards 2020 Best LGBTQ+ Programme Made in Asia for 5 Lessons in Happiness

past two years. I am not a stranger to this community myself, as I have

encounters. For example, they have to deal with scrutiny from the

many gay friends around me and I have always been very supportive

external community, the push and pull from family, and the parenting

of them, and I am honoured to be able to use these opportunities to

strife and distress – even though their love for their children is the same.

speak out on their behalf. I hope that I can break down the prejudices

These problems are also encountered by other families; there is nothing

and stereotypes that the public has and present their stories in a more

special about gay families.

objective way. I’m definitely not averse to continuing to approach

“Of course, in the end, I still wish that we all have a happy ending, so

similar subjects, but I don’t want to be labeled either. As a filmmaker, I

that we can see that we have the positive energy to embrace hopeful-

have many other types of stories in mind that I would like to tell. I feel

ness. I would like to show our non-LGBTQ friends, and even the whole

that if the story is interesting enough and shares the same values and

society, that LGBTQ is just a label, and that no matter what kind of situ-

core spirit that I retain, I won’t reject it.”

ation men and women encounter in their respective families, the most important thing is to resolve it with love.”

74

What new elements did you bring to the Papa & Daddy sequel?

“We left a hook at the end of the previous season – Damian and his

contentasia december 2022

ex-wife’s child, Jimmy, joined the family, and this part has quite a lot of stories worth stretching out, such as how [Damian’s partner] Jerry must deal with and accept the fact that his other half actually has another child.

“Both gay and straight families may face the puzzle of reunification. Maybe each of you had kids in your last relationship and then

filming. In the first season, there was footage of the 2020 Taiwan Gay Pride Parade. I think it’s meaningful to map a real social event into the story. In the second season, I wanted to include similar commemorative events to convey tenderness and positive power to everyone. It was a challenge for me to complete these big scenes in a limited time.

“I am still the scriptwriter of this season... like the initial season, the

brought them into your current family. How Jimmy, the ‘new son’,

most difficult part is to work with children. Because Kai is around four

affects Damian and Jerry is one of the second season’s highlights.

or five years old, and the kid who plays him is not a professional actor.

“Jerry not only has to deal with the relationship with his new son, but also has to confront Damian’s ex-wife. At the same time, there’s a

Therefore, there are still a lot of uncontrollable factors on set.

“In the early stages of shooting, I asked [lead actors] Muhan and

new handsome waiter, Wei, played by Tau, in Damian’s restaurant. He

Melvin to try to bond with him. During shooting, I attempted to get

seems to have some ambiguous feelings for Damian… But that doesn’t

him to understand the situation that he had to act out. By the second

mean the pressure is entirely on Jerry’s side and Damian can rest easy

season, I feel I was a little more experienced in directing young actors.

because this season Jerry’s schoolboy crush, Gao (played by Peter

Even though overall it is still difficult. I would also like to thank other ac-

Kuan), also appears. He is an outlet for many unspoken complicated

tors who helped on set. For example, Yujia who plays Kai’s elder brother

emotions of Jerry, but also brings Damian a full sense of crisis.

Jimmy; he helped me a lot on set.”

“Another focus of the second season is how Jerry handles the new

Which film directors have most influenced your work? “My junior days

push from his parents. Kai, a child born to Damian and a surrogate in

coincided with the new wave of Taiwanese cinema, and I was greatly

the U.S., is not directly related to Jerry. This season, we explore more of

influenced by Yang Te-chang and Tsai Ming-liang. I worked with Tsai as

this part of the story, as Jerry has successfully come out, but his parents

his assistant director. Both Tsai and Yang would bring a critical eye and

are hoping that Jerry will have his own biological child.

sharply confront the problems in modern society. That’s why I particu-

“At the same time, the story of Amy and Shasha, the lesbian mothers in season one, is further developed. They also have a son. The story of

larly love the realistic parts of their films.

“At the same time, I am also of the generation that grew up watching

this child is related to the issue of gender identity. My inspiration for this

Hong Kong films. At that time, Hong Kong films had a very prosperous

story line came from the ‘Rose Boy’ Yeh Yung-chih incident [in which a

market, and they had a great variety of genre elements. Whether it was

young boy died after being attacked, leading to a revision of Taiwan’s

police films, comedies, zombies or other genres,

gender equality act]. It carries a lot of significance in my mind.”

they were all very well-developed. This also influ-

What were your challenges in directing the second season? “Both the

enced me in a subtle way. For example, I would

story capacity and the scale of filming are much larger in the second sea-

like to be on the comedic side. I hope that apart

son than the first season, and each episode is longer. The first season has six

from the story I want to tell, my work can also

episodes. We extended it to eight in Papa & Daddy 2. A lot of new char-

echo with the audience and provide them with

acters have come on board, and they help make the story more rounded.

an outlet for entertainment, as well as an outlet

“The challenge that comes with this is the increased difficulty of

for emotions.”

75

programmingpicks

programme

ASIA

ATF 2022 highlights The Final Score (Goles en contra)

This format sees 1,000 karaoke kings and queens whittled down to one, as they battle it out in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 6,000 karaoke lovers. Each competitor is equipped with a microphone and sings along to various karaoke hits. Behind the scenes, an expert group of singing specialists listen closely to their individual voices and eliminate them one by one, keeping only the most talented. The finalists are given the opportunity to perform a duet on stage with a singing star before one contestant is named the best karaoke singer. Length: Primetime format Banijay Rights Macdonald House, 40A Orchard Road, #03-01, Singapore 238838 T: +65 6911 3315

123 Number Squad!

123 Number Squad! follows Paula, Billy and Tim as they use numbers, counting and shapes to become a fast-response rescue team that helps the citizens of Numberville. The series offers fast and funny adventures for pre-schoolers where they’ll learn and laugh as they go, while also exploring key social and emotional development themes – such as sharing, resilience, teamwork, and friendship.

Length: 104 x 11min Guru Studio 110 Spadina Ave #500, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2K4, Canada T: +1 416 599 4878

Crypto Decoded

Teletubbies Let’s Go! The Teletubbies are back and ready to explore the world in 3D animation in Teletubbies Let’s Go!. Teletubbies Let’s Go! is a world full of love and laughter with the added dimension of music. Each episode features a catchy song, so pre-schoolers can jump up and join in; singing, dancing, exploring, laughing and learning just like the Teletubbies do! Length: 52x5 mins WildBrain 25 York Street, Suite 1201 Toronto, Ontario, M5J 2V5, Canada T: +1 416 363 8034

From Bitcoin to NFTs, crypto is making headlines. But what exactly is it, and how does it work? Experts go beyond the hype and skepticism to unravel the social and technological underpinnings of crypto – exploring how it came to be and why this new technology may change more than just money.

Length: 1x53 mins HD PBS International 10 Guest St., Boston MA 02135, U.S. T: +1 617 208 0728

Image credit: Kate Scott; whiteMocca for Shutterstock

The Nation’s Biggest Karaoke

Between 1988 and 1994, Andrés Escobar rose to fame as a premier soccer player in Colombia while drug-trafficking boss, Pablo Escobar, started investing his money into soccer teams.

The series explores these complicated relationships, creating the suspicion that the mysterious murder of Andrés one night is somehow connected. Length: 6x60 mins Lionsgate F/6, Zhongyu Plaza, Room 6, Beijing, China 100011 T: +86 139 1090 5613

A Little Sunshine Hakan and Elif are happily married until an accident exposes all the lies, including Hakan’s daughter with another wife.

As Elif deals with her grief, she meets businessman, Fırat. A Little Sunshine explores themes of survival, love and motherhood as a woman confronts betrayal by her husband. Length: 45 mins (In production) atv Güzeltepe Mahallesi, Mareşal Fevzi Çakmak Caddesi, B Blok, No:29/1/1, Eyüpsultan, Istanbul, Türkiye T: +90 21 2381 2848

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contentasia december 2022

programme

ASIA The Gymnasts From Oscar-winning producer Indigo Film, this stunning drama combines powerful coming-of-age stories with a compelling murder mystery as it tracks the most important week in the lives of an elite team of teenage athletes as they compete for Olympic selection. Many of them have spent years dreaming of victory, so when it is revealed that a competitor has died, the police suspect murder. Length: 6x60 mins All3Media International 1 George Street, 10-01, Singapore 049145 T: +65 9459 2139 E: international@all3media.com

OPJ season 3 (Pacifique Criminal season 3)

Maria Clara and Ibarra Klay is a young woman excited to graduate from university so she can work abroad. However, she has to pass Rizal Studies first. One day, Klay wakes up to find herself in the world of Jose Rizal’s novel, Noli Me Tangere. She tries desperately to return to the present but needs to finish the story and learn her lesson. She meets the characters in the novel, Maria Clara and Crisostomo Ibarra, who teach her the value of history, empathy, patriotism and love. Length: 50x45 mins GMA Network GMA Network Center, EDSA cnr Timog Avenue, Diliman Quezon City, 1102 Metro, Manila, Philippines T: +632 8982 7777 E: GWI@gmanetwork.com

The daily life in a judicial police squad from Nouméa, New Caledonia, under the command of Inspector Clarissa Hoarau. This third season takes Clarissa and her team into the unique and uncharted worlds of Reunion Island. In the heart of a distillery and sugar cane fields, in a borderline student fraternity, at the home of a brother and sister impatient to see their grandmother die, on the lagoon and in the Highlands... Each investigation will shake up the police officers, already challenged by the ups and downs of their private lives.

Length: 18x52 mins TV5MONDE AsiePacifique Unit 704-706, &/F, Cyberport 1, 100 Cyberport Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong T: +852 2989 6090 E: asie@ tv5monde.org

The Elon Musk Show Elon Musk is one of the richest men in the history of humankind. To some he is a tech genius, boldly exploring space and reshaping the way we live. To others, he is a divisive and controversial figure with too much influence over individuals and governments. This documentary series, featuring insights from friends, family, business-associates-turned-rivals and more, takes us inside the life of Elon Musk – like never before. Examining the triumphant successes and catastrophic failures that have defined his journey, it reveals the man behind the media circus, as we ask who the real Elon is, how he got where he is today and at what cost. Length: 3x60 mins Fremantle 3 Fusionopolis Way, #06-21 Symbiosis, Singapore 138633 T: +65 6307 7227 W: fremantle.com

Deep End Li Ching, a talented police officer, investigates a teenage cybersex crime and falls victim to her own vices in the process. Plunged into the ‘deep end’ of the dark web, the series exposes the alarming ideologies that are manifested in a world being shaped by technology.

Length: 5x60 mins CJ ENM Hong Kong Ltd Singapore Branch 16 Collyer Quay, #13-00 (Suite 1326), Income@Raffles, Singapore 049318 E: liling.tan@cj.net

Vegesaurs Vegesaurs are the juiciest and crunchiest creatures ever to rule the planet in a colourful prehistoric era. The young Tricarrotops Ginger lives in Vegesaur Valley, a little garden of Eden bathed in sunlight with nutrient-rich soil, lush vegetation and even temperatures…

A perfect patch that a rich ecosystem the Vegesaurs call home. Each episode is a standalone miniadventure driven

by Ginger and her friends, the baby Pea-Rexes. The stories lean into relatable themes for upper pre-schoolers like mealtimes, sharing, friendship and play.

Length: 20x5 mins Studio 100 Media GmbH, Neumarkter Str. 18-20, 81673 Munich, Germany T: +49 89 9608 550 E: vanessa.windhager@studio100media.com

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programmingpicks

programme

ASIA

Lu and the Bally Bunch

Bardot

An animated dramedy about a threeand-a-half-year-old with a brand-new social life. Exploring the everyday drama of life in pre-school, Lu and the Bally Bunch is a funny and affectionate look at what happens when six centers of the universe must learn to get along. Length: 75x7 mins, 1x22 mins (Holiday Special), 25x1 min (Interstitials) 9 Story Distribution International Unit 20, Block C, Smithfield Market, Smithfield, Dublin 7, Ireland T: +353 1 872 1608 E: distribution@9story.com

Young and free, Bardot (starring Julia de Nunez) was passionate and liberated while defying the rules of the society of the time. Unanimously considered the most beautiful woman in the world, Brigitte Bardot provoked, in spite of herself, a worldwide sexual revolution. A woman ahead of her time, 10 years before the lifechanging events of May 68. Daughter of a good family, Brigitte Bardot became an international icon after And God Created Woman. The series focuses on the first years of her superstar life, as she deals with her new status while trying to find her true self. Length: 6x52 mins Federation Studios 10 Rue Royale, 75008 Paris, France T: +33 1 84 25 02 70

Loaded in Paradise An adrenaline-fuelled reality game show where party-loving pairs island hop around Greece in a race to take control of – and spend – EUR50,000. Only one pair can control the gold card loaded with cash at any one time. This lucky pair get to live it up on the run, while the pen-

Super Sema Super Sema follows the world-changing, STEAM-fuelled adventures of a brave and heroic 10-year-old girl, Sema, and her twin brother MB as they protect their African village from the villainous Tobor and his bungling robot army. A heartless artificially intelligent ruler, Tobor meets his match in Sema, who learns that with determination, creativity and a helping hand from the amazing worlds of science and technology, anything is possible! Super Sema is the world’s first-to-launch African animated kids’ superhero franchise, produced by London/Nairobi-based female-led studio, Kukua, and exec produced and starring Oscar-winning actor Lupita Nyong’o (Black Panther, 12 Years A Slave). Length: 20x5 mins & 24x11 mins Cake Floor, 50 Marshall Street, Carnaby, London W1F 9BQ, U.K. T: +44 (0) 207 307 3230 E: info@cakeentertainment.com

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That Girl

niless pairs hunt them down.

After each 48-hour chase, everyone reconvenes at a luxury safe house. Culminating in a big twist on the final leg, it’s guaranteed to be a wild ride! Length: 15x60 mins (flexible) ITV Studios T: +31(0) 8824 83111 E: ayesha.surty@itv.com

Zeynep, burdened with family and financial issues, dreams of leaving her miserable life behind. The only place she feels young and alive is at the home of celebrity Ozan, where she works as a part-time cleaner. There she meets businesswoman and social media power, Sitare, who is also Ozan’s secret lover.

Zeynep has little social presence and is envious of the stars who have thousands of followers. Sitare offers to help, and Zeynep’s star will shine. But the reality is much rougher and dirtier than she imagined. Kanal D International 100. Yıl Mah. 2264. Sk. Demiroren Medya Center, Apt. No:1/21 34218 Bagcılar, Istanbul, Turkey T: +90 212 413 6090

Ten Piedad de Nosotros (Mercy on Us) In 1990 at a private school, a group of students assaulted two classmates, causing permanent injury. Thirty-three years later, Octavio Moro and Lucas Nantes, two city policemen, will be responsible for an investigation of murders that involve events from their past and compromises their future. Length: 6x30 mins Dori Media 2 Raul Wallenberg st., Tel Aviv, Israel T: +65 8338 3719 E: haikal.jamari@dorimedia.com

contentasia december 2022

programme

ASIA Los Hermanos Salvador (The Salvadors)

In the Shadows

The five Salvador siblings must come together to restore the glory of their antique and magic shop and thereby save the family legacy. But in doing so, they will have to settle their differences and learn to work as a team.

On the other hand, the Quiroga siblings have the mission to end that legacy. This confrontation triggers a series of supernatural adventures. Length: 10x30 mins Dori Media 2 Raul Wallenberg st., Tel Aviv, Israel T: +65 8338 3719 e: haikal.jamari@dorimedia.com

In the Shadows is the story of Julia and Magdalena, members of an elite group that strives to solve the most perplexing crimes in record time.

The two women have very different lives. Julia lives happily with her husband and son, and Magdalena searches for her stepfather, who abused her when she was a child.

Julia’s personal life takes a turn upon the return of Iván, a well-known criminalistics expert who was the love of her life years before and who abandoned her for an unknown reason. Magdalena takes an interest in him and gives life to a tense love triangle that unfolds as they search as a team for those responsible for the most mysterious crimes of their careers. Length: 60x60 mins Caracol Televisión. 150, Alhambra Circle, Suite #1250. Miami, Fl, 33134 U.S. T: +1 305 960 2018 (Miami, Estados Unidos)

Kung Fu Pork Choppers Kung Fu Pork Choppers follows a team of five galactic out-ofthis-world pigs in space and their super-powered Splaximal pets, transformed by the slimy substance “Splaxis” from the cutest creatures to mega-sized fighting machines.

In their actionpacked quest to right wrongs, the Kung Fu Pork Choppers take off on planet shattering adventures, chock full of the coolest and craziest heroes and villains imaginable – and unimaginable – and much, much more!

Jetpack Distribution Spitalfields House, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 2FX, U.K w: www.jetpackdistribution.tv

Order Up! Order Up! follows Fresh Off the Boat star Hudson Yang on the ultimate chef apprenticeship crash course across America to Singapore. Having a fulltime acting career means that Hudson must compress the classic training. Hudson travels across the U.S. to visit renowned, accomplished chefs and restaurants, before flying to Singapore where he pushes himself to tackle even more difficult and unique challenges. While others take years to master these complex dishes and techniques, Hudson only has a few days. It’s the ultimate pressure cooker and stakes are high; can Hudson stand the heat? Length: 8 x 60 mins Blue Ant International 99 Atlantic Ave, 4th floor. Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6K 3J8 T: +1 416-646-4434 / T: +1 416 454 0692 (Nick Solowski, Senior Director, International Sales & Acquisitions)

Last King of The Cross Inspired by John Ibrahim’s best-selling autobiography charting his rise from a poverty-stricken immigrant with no education, no money and no prospects to Australia’s most infamous nightclub mogul, Last King of The Cross is an operatic story of two brothers who organise the street but lose each other in their ascent to power. The series stars Lincoln Younes (Grand Hotel, Tangle, Barons), Claude Jabbour (Eden, Stateless), Callan Mulvey (300: Rise of an Empire, David Mackenzie’s Outlaw King), Tess Haubrich (Spiderhead, Alien: Covenant), Maria Tran (Truy Sat, Echo 8), Matt Nable (Riddick, Bikie Wars: Brothers in Arms), and Tim Roth (The Hateful Eight, Lie to Me, Sundown). Length: 10x60 mins Cineflix Rights First Floor, 275 Grays Inn Road, London, WC1X 8QB, U.K. e: sales@cineflix.com

A Year on Planet Earth On our planet’s annual orbit around the sun, the energy reaching the surface shifts up and down the latitudes, giving us our seasons, and creating opportunities and challenges for all life on Earth.

Across four episodes, this series reveals the extraordinary adaptations and behaviours of the world’s most spectacular wildlife as they not just endure but make the most of all that the seasons can throw at them. Length: 6x60 mins ITV Studios Level 1, 19 Harris Street, Pyr Pyrmont, NSW, Australia T: +2 61 93834360 e: carla.ferry@itv.com

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28 November-11 December 2022

programmingpicks

atfprogrammepicks

Page 13.

Summer Love

The Smeds and The Smoos

Funny, moving and uplifting, Summer Love is an enchanting anthology series in which eight very different sets of people rent the same beachside holiday house and experience some incarnation of love. From the two couples who discover their friendship has reached its expiry date, and the gay couple who confront societal expectations versus what they really want, to the sisters who take time out to recharge but somehow manage to bring the chaos of their lives with them, the drama travels across gender, class and culture to deliver eight fresh, authentic and relatable stories.

Length: 8x30 mins Red Arrow Studios International Medienallee 7, 85774 Unterfoehring, Germany T: +49 89 9507 7303 e: sales@redarrowstudios.com

On a faraway planet, Janet and Bill meet in the Wurpular Wood and fall in love. Their warring families, The Smeds and The Smoos, cannot accept the match. But when Janet and Bill elope, they have little choice but to put aside their differences. Length: 1x26 mins Magic Light Pictures 4th Floor, 41-42 Foley Street, London, W1W 7TS, U.K. T: +44 (0) 20 7631 1800 e: distribution@magiclightpictures.com

Cattleya Killer The closed case of the longdead Cattleya Killer is resurrected when a corpse appears with the same markings. Top agent, Anton dela Rosa, gives his all to crack the mystery his father once solved. However, as he digs deeper into the case, Anton finds himself at the center of the investigation. Length: 6x45 mins (Psychological Thriller) ABS-CBN & Nathan Studios, Inc. ELJCC Bldg., Mo. Ignacia Ave., Brgy. South Triangle, Quezon City, Philippines 1103 T: +632 8924 4101

On Marriage On Marriage focuses on portraying all those struggles couples encounter when they give up themselves in order to fulfil the demands of their marriage.

In this anthology series, each individual episode explores varying meanings of marriage from five unique perspectives.

Length: 10x60 mins. Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation No.100, Lane 75, Sec. 3, Kang Ning Rd., Taipei 114, Taiwan T: +886 2 2633 8118 e: julian58@pts.org.tw

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Vocal Like Locals

U Motherbaker – The Movie A sequel to the popular series, U Motherbaker, the movie is a Taiwanese family comedy about culture and the challenges of transforming a traditional cake shop. The film spin-off depicts the mother’s adventures of being the number one fan of the superstar OO. Length: 120 mins Bole Film Co., Ltd. 8F, No. 3, Songren Rd. Taipei City, 11010, Taiwan T: +886 2 8780 1166 e: dennis_wu@bolefilm.com.tw

A reality singing competition that brings together amateur singers from all over the world. In this format, contestants will have the opportunity to sing a local hit from their favourite foreign country. While not necessarily even speaking the local language, their love for the local music and culture will help them express their affection for a country through a song. Featuring a lineup of renowned celebrity judges, contestants will compete to advance to a final championship round where one singer will be crowned champion and have the chance to meet the singer of their favourite local hit. Length: 60-180 mins Nippon TV 1-6-1 Higashi-Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 105-7444 T: +81 3 6215 3036 e: nippontv-ibd@ntv.co.jp

contentasia december 2022

Screenings C

The Mole, Bomanbridge Media

NTENT

Twist of Fate, Kanal D International

New Gold Mountain, All3Media International

Undercover, JTBC Studios

ABC News 7.30, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)

www.contentasia.tv/screenings

Voice In The Rain, Viu

World World of of Himmapan Himmapan (Pipob (Pipob Himmapan), Himmapan), BEC BEC World World

The Last Wildlife – Anan, Wangpeng & Me, HONG PICTURES

Wife on Duty, JKN Global Media

Be included, contact: Leah at leah@contentasia.tv (Americas and Europe) Masliana at mas@contentasia.tv (Asia, Australia and Middle East) CJ Yong at cj@contentasia.tv (Taiwan and China) www.contentasia.tv

contentasia

Kalel, 15, Cignal Entertainment

Rampas Cintaku

Sweet spot The original Malaysian story of a man promised a life of luxury as a sugar baby has put Chinese streamer iQiyi in a sweet spot.

As iQiyi’s corporate bosses announced the company’s “iconic turna-

authentic Malaysian culture

round” for Q3 2022, the Chinese streamer’s Southeast Asia team was

and language to interna-

celebrating a win of its own – Rampas Cintaku, a dark romance about a

tional audiences, while

young man desperate to get out of debt and escape harassment from

contributing to the local

loan sharks. He decides to work in a nightclub where he meets a wealthy

creative industry”.

businesswoman who promises him a life of luxury as a ‘sugar-baby’.

Like almost everywhere,

The Malay original topped the streamer’s charts in Malaysia, ending

the demand from streaming

its run with over 100 million digital views. This makes the 14-episode series,

audiences is for “something

produced in collaboration with MIG Productions, the top (and most prof-

edgier” than they are used to on

itable) local title on the platform in Malaysia, iQiyi says.

regular TV platforms. In Malaysia,

Dinesh Ratnam, iQiyi’s country manager for Malaysia, Singapore and

this translates to topics that deal with,

Brunei, describes the performance of its Malaysia originals so far as “a

for example, women’s empowerment and

solid start”, and says it paves “the way for local originals to have substan-

cross-cultural diversity.

tial revenue stream potential for iQiyi in Malaysia”.

Dinesh Ratnam, Country Manager, Malaysia/ Singapore/Brunei, iQiyi

Across the region, iQiyi has been bold in surfacing attention-grabbing

Rampas Cintaku, which premiered on 23 September, is one of five

stories – topped by its Thai original, KinnPorsche: The Series La Forte, a BL

Malaysian originals iQiyi announced in Dec 2021. The others are sitcom

series about the son of a Mafia don rescued by a part-time student, who

My Ofis, about rock star wannabe Jasper who relinquishes his dream

becomes his bodyguard.

and enters corporate life, produced in collaboration with Kuching-based

If he can’t exactly go there in his markets, Ratnam nevertheless speaks

Longhouse Films; director Aidilfitri Mohamed Yunus’ Sorry Naik Lori with

up for valuing “differentiation”, “unique storylines that represent the

Tsar Asia, about a housewife whose TikTok video goes viral; time-travel

essence of local communities”, and being part of a strong production

romantic drama, Love You Later, with Juita Viden; and Infinitus Entertain-

environment. “It’s our goal to be an active driver in the local content

ment’s Restu, about a recently widowed father and three marriage pros-

ecosystem,” he says.

pects who need to meet the approval of his grieving daughter. My Ofis

This follows the two years since the Malaysia

ran earlier this year. At press time, seven of Sorry Naik Lori’s 12 episodes

launch acquiring prime-time drama rights from the

had dropped. Restu is scheduled for 2023. Love You Later’s release date

country’s broadcasters, which iQiyi Malaysia will

is yet to be confirmed.

continue to do. At the same time, Rampas Cin-

Ratnam says Rampas Cintaku’s “exceedingly high viewership demon-

taku’s performance has given the team in KL valu-

strates the strong appetite for hyper-local content with authentic storytell-

able validation. “We continue to double down

ing that is real and differentiated.”

on productions and formats that compliment our

He adds that the slate of made-in-Malaysia dramas showcases “the

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licensed local content,” he says.

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