IMDA’s Gabriel Lim

This year, against a backdrop of the continued convergence of media and technology, two Singaporean regulators came together under the banner of the Info-communications Media Development Authority (IMDA). As the CEO of the organization, Gabriel Lim is devising strategies to invest in and promote Singaporean content that can be deployed across multiple platforms. He tells TV Asia about how he and his team are flying the Singaporean flag in the global content sector.

TV ASIA: What was the thinking behind the merger of parts of the IDA and the MDA?
LIM: We had been looking at this for quite some time. What we see happening today is the convergence between info-comm and media, and we see that continuing into the future. Many tech companies realize that to succeed, you need to find a way to differentiate yourself to build a loyal fan base or customer base. Content and media are part and parcel of that strategy. And the digitalization of media has been happening for many, many years. It’s not just about how [content is] distributed or how it’s produced, it’s changing the business model as well. We thought, if we’re serious about not just developing Singapore’s info-comm media sectors, but also regulating them, it makes sense to bring both together. IMDA is still a statutory board under the Ministry of Communications and Information, but it’s a different configuration and reflects our focus for the future.

TV ASIA: How have you evolved the services you provide producers to help them take advantage of the opportunities available in the media sector today?
LIM: In many ways, what we do for the media sector reflects what we’re trying to do for the country, which is to keep ourselves relevant, to keep up with the times, evolve and see where the new needs are, both for users and for businesses.

We’ve evolved over the years, for example, with the greater shift to digital in a much more decisive way. What we’ve done in the past year is devote more resources to promoting digital talent and digital content creation. Last year, we partnered with Maker Studios for a boot camp for digital content creators that went very well. We’re looking at further collaborations with industry partners on that front. We just announced a year-long partnership with Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific designed for the upskilling and co-creation of content with emerging and established production companies in Singapore using the most advanced techniques and technologies, including 4K and VR. That’s another example of where content and technology come very close together.

The other aspect is promoting local talent and local content by working with global leaders. Between our various funding schemes, capabilities development and content production partnerships, we have been working with leading media companies from around the world, such as FOX Networks Group and HBO Asia. The idea is to find a way to tap into their expertise, benchmark ourselves to world-class standards of production and standards of organization, and give our local companies a chance to grow. They can learn, they can adapt for themselves. We are hoping that in this process, we can build up a few more companies that have established themselves, at the minimum regionally, if not globally, and can fly the Singapore flag high.

We’re excited about the opening of PIXEL Studios, previously known as Creators’ Space. It is a space that promotes innovation and experiential learning. PIXEL Studios is focused on digital content creation for new professionals starting their own companies or even mid-career professionals trying to retool themselves for digital media. It’s a place to sit down and learn new equipment—how to shoot in 4K, how to produce for Vine as opposed to 2-minute short form—and how to run a digital enterprise: understanding page views, activating social media, how to monetize. We’ve put together a physical location as a central meeting point. If it succeeds, we’re going to equip quite a few Singaporeans to be able to take advantage of the opportunities in the digital arena.

TV ASIA: In your funding schemes, how do you strike that balance of enabling companies to make the shows they want to make, without protecting them from the competitive pressures of the global market?
LIM: For one, when we give grants, we’re never the majority funder. For instance, for the Production Assistance grant, IMDA’s support is capped at 40 percent of a project’s qualifying expenses. We want to see the industry put in their fair share. Second, we’re putting resources into developing capabilities for the long term. In other words, we’re using money not to fund consumption but investment, and training is a big part of that, talent development is a big part of that. We’re looking at capabilities in digital content, training our media professionals to understand world-class levels of production. That’s how we look at funding, as opposed to just funding operating expenses of production, which becomes a subsidy at the end of the day and you distort the market.

The other part is, we’re trying to build a broader ecosystem, finding ways to grow the financing market in Singapore. Through the Singapore Media Festival (SMF) and its constituent events like the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) and ScreenSingapore (SS), we offer an abundance of opportunities for producers and financiers to connect and forge partnerships. This then shows that a) you don’t always have to use government funding and b) building a healthy media ecosystem is a much more sustainable, scalable way of growing the industry.

TV ASIA: What are the strongest genres in Singaporean production today? Where do you still want to see gains?
LIM: Animation is an interesting opportunity. We have good capabilities there, but it’s not an easy market to tap into. One of the areas we’d like very much to focus on is local drama production. It’s so difficult to be able to differentiate the output of a small country if we’re just going to be like everyone else. Developing local stories that are unique and that are not too esoteric is something we want to work on. We’re trying to invest more in storytelling.

TV ASIA: What are some of the highlights of the Singapore Media Festival this year?
LIM: SMF is an umbrella [that includes] constituent events ATF, SS, Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF) and the Asian Television Awards. For ATF, we’ve continued to grow and diversify, building up the marketplace with more buyers from different regions so that exhibitors and participants have a broader base to sell to. We’ve talked about building up an ecosystem and having a financing framework—the Southeast Asian Film Financing (SAFF) Project Market, the new addition to SS, has returned in 2016 and expanded to 15 projects, up from ten projects in 2015. This is good news for budding filmmakers from Southeast Asia, as they have more opportunities to meet with a global network of established media players.

With the Singapore International Film Festival, we’re going into our 27th year. Over the last two or three years, we’ve raised the standing of the festival quite a bit. This year we’ve taken the decision to raise the standards higher for qualification. We received more than 1,000 entries, mostly from Southeast Asia. We’re excited to see where this will go.

Last year, SMF introduced Digital Matters, which included B2B conferences and a fan meeting with YouTube stars. In 2016, we are introducing the inaugural SMF Ignite, which brings together digital content creators to learn, experience and create through an exciting lineup of interactive workshops and insightful conference tracks led by industry thought leaders. The idea is to give participants a chance to learn more about digital media. We still have to build it up, but we see it as a very natural complement to the work that we’re doing. Overall, one thing that we’re trying to focus on very much for the Singapore Media Festival is to foster greater synergy between the different constituent events.

TV ASIA: As you look ahead to 2017 and beyond, what are your goals for the IMDA?
LIM: With any reorganization, you want to make sure that the organizational development issues are sorted out, so the organization can function as one. Externally, we want to deliver and show value to the industry. It’s an exciting time for the info-comm and media industries because of how tech is playing such an important role in everyone’s lives. At the same time, it’s also a period of some anxiety as the global economy is softening, so people are anxious about the next growth opportunity. We have a role to play in creating opportunities for companies, for workers, for talent professionals. We want to make sure our strategies are sorted out. Internationally, we want to reestablish and reaffirm this position that we are open for business. Singapore has always positioned itself as a hub in general—business, air travel, sea freight—and we see info-comm media as another example of how we can establish a regional hub. We welcome everyone to come to Singapore, work with us and work through us to get to Asia, and Asian companies can work through us to get to the West.