productioninterview
Alice Chang, Vice President, Taiwan Creative Content Agency (TAICCA)
First among equals Taiwan is on a creative mission. And no-one, least of all the local industry, is complaining. TAICCA VP, Alice Chang, talks about goals in a market already considered one of Asia’s most creative. In the past year, Taiwan’s Creative Content Agency (TAICCA) has been,
At the same time, TAICCA is aware of a “new normal” for content
along with Korea’s much older KOCCA, more proactive, visible and
in a post-pandemic environment. Chang talks about the challenges
effective than any other government-backed agency in the region.
of a transformation that encompasses virtual environments and online
Set up in mid-2019, TAICCA had by the end of 2020 seen NT$328.75
content.
million/US$12 million of private funding promoted through its Cultural
One of the local industry’s other bigger challenges is integrating the
Content Investment Project, including investment in ContentAsia Awards
wider genre demands and production specs of international streaming
winner Studio76, and helped cultural content enterprises raise funding of
platforms. Chang says the entry of international platforms into Taiwan
NT$954.85 million/US$34.4 million.
presents “great challenges and impact” on the local film and TV industry.
Under the Ministry of Culture and overseen by Taiwan’s Congress,
TAICCA has an ambitious remit across 10 fields, including film, animation
TAICCA’s many investments also include support for local production
and publications, all of which present challenges of their own. “The
house Screenworks Asia, for LGBTQ+ streaming platform GagaOOlala;
ecology and value chain of each field are different,” she says. “Therefore
built a full-scale medical film studio to fill gaps in the country’s locations;
we must have a variety of different strategies. This is our big challenge”.
and stepped up to fund multiple incubation, development and designed to boost Taiwan’s film and television output.
At the end of the five-year mark in mid-2024, TAICCA is aiming for a much bigger international footprint.
This has, the agency says, laid the foundation for a forward-looking,
“At present, our IP production volume is gradually increasing because
innovative and market-orientated ecosystem for Taiwan’s content
we have different strategy mechanisms in various fields, and we use various
industry. “Our mission/goal established is first to industrialise, second is
funds and assistance on international channels. Therefore, our production
to internationalise, and third to integrate,” says TAICCA vice president,
volume is constantly assisting the industry to improve,” she says.
Alice Chang. Not long after TAICCA was established, along came Covid-19. If the pandemic upended the production in some markets, Chang says the
Among the highlights of the past year is showcasing Taiwanese content at France’s Séries Mania, which Chang says is an important part of TAICCA’s international partnership network.
impact in Taiwan was not as devastating as in other parts of the world.
She talks about elevating Taiwanese stories beyond domestic scenarios,
Production was never officially halted as part of pandemic containment
cultivating and nurturing talent, co-producing with international partners,
measures, and, while scaled back with some delays, the shows pretty
and exposing Taiwan’s industry to global creative environments. Some
much went on.
might say done, done, done and done.
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contentasia november 2021