SINGAPORE: Asia TV Forum and ScreenSingapore came to a close on Friday, with some 5,000 delegates in attendance.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the market opening on Wednesday, a host of conference sessions were held on Tuesday, beginning with a keynote by D.J. Lee, president of the media content business at Korea\u2019s CJ E&M. The company is well known for its drama exports and has been ramping up its format business over the last few years. \u201cFormats are traveling faster and further than ever before,\u201d Lee said, noting a recent deal with NBC for the reality format Better Late Than Never<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cAsian broadcasters have relied on Western content for a long time, especially in prime time,\u201d he said. \u201cNow it\u2019s time for Asia to capitalize on its creative content skills and resources [and to] create content that can be enjoyed around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Lee spoke about South Korea\u2019s endeavors to brand kimchi <\/em>and other elements of local culture that are now easily identifiable to people around the world. \u201cI encourage all of you to make your own kimchi<\/em>,\u201d he quipped.<\/p>\n Lee went on to discuss the evolution of CJ E&M into Korea\u2019s \u201cnumber one content creation and marketing company. That wasn\u2019t the case a while ago. In the early 2000s, most of the content broadcast in prime time was licensed\u2014Hollywood movies and shows like CSI<\/em>. We did not have the means or the acumen to create content that would attract lots of viewers. It became clear we had to invest in development and produce diverse and compelling content.\u201d<\/p>\n Lee continued, \u201cThe key to our recent success was our deficiency,\u201d he said, noting that as CJ\u2019s competition was primarily the group of well-established free-to-air broadcasters, \u201cwe didn\u2019t have a huge, loyal audience. That deficiency was the seed of our creation. We focused on digital marketing and social media and emerging platforms that can have a massive impact, especially with the younger demographics. Our programs, [including] SNL Korea<\/em> and Get it Beauty<\/em>, benefited from these digital strategies.\u201d<\/p>\n He identified the factors that have contributed to CJ\u2019s success: creative casting, stories that cross generations and share common values, and series that \u201cshow emotions and relationships with warmth and humor.\u201d<\/p>\n The Tuesday conference schedule also included Ren\u00e9 Rechtman, the president of international at Maker Studios, discussing the digital content creator\u2019s global strategy. \u201cWe\u2019re investing in local talent, in content, and we\u2019re expanding with people on the ground,\u201d Rechtman told World Screen Newsflash<\/em> following his packed session. \u201cAnd then we\u2019re monetizing across different platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n Later in the day, Steve Macallister, the CEO of all3media international, took to the stage to discuss the company\u2019s expansion strategy. \u201cWe need to position ourselves for the next phase of growth,\u201d said Macallister, who joined the distribution arm of the U.K.-based indie about nine months ago. \u201cWe have a fantastic slate of content. Our challenge is to get this content on screens around the world. We announced that we\u2019re opening an office here in Asia Pacific, and also in the U.S. We\u2019ll open the office in the U.S. in Q1 next year and the Asia office at the end of next year. That\u2019s really about making sure we\u2019re able to manage time zones.\u201d<\/p>\n Another key strategy, he said, is \u201cinvesting more in content. We\u2019re going to take a more proactive approach to co-productions. Formats is a very big genre for us in Asia. Certainly one of the areas we\u2019re focused on, apart from formats, is scripted. So finding co-production partners for us is a very important component. We\u2019re also investing in our market research department.\u201d<\/p>\n Discussing all3media\u2019s Asian format business, Macallister revealed that the company has signed on as the sponsor for the ATF Formats Pitch 2016. \u201cWe invite producers from Asia to enter. We are looking for great ideas for studio-based entertainment shows which we ultimately could be distributing around the world. There is a cash prize of US$2,500 and all3media international is committing to $15,000 of consultancy, where [we] will work with you to nuance your pitch so it has a better chance of resonating with audiences in other parts of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Macallister continued, \u201cWe see Asia as an untapped area where there\u2019s incredible talent and we want to be part of bringing some of that talent to the rest of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, ITV Studios Global Entertainment (ITVS GE) held a formats showcase at ATF, with executive producer of international formats and production, Dave Winnan, in town to impart knowledge on successful adaptations. \u201cWe\u2019ve got an awful lot to offer in terms of production expertise and methodology,\u201d Winnan told World Screen Newsflash<\/em>.<\/p>\n It was indeed a busy week for formats at ATF, with numerous announcements regarding new adaptations and renewals. Viacom International Media Networks concluded a deal with GMA for a local adaptation of the format Lip Sync Battle<\/em> in the Philippines. Second seasons of Master Class<\/em> and Rising Star<\/em>, talent-show formats from the Keshet International catalogue, are slated to begin airing next year in China and Indonesia, respectively. All3media announced at the market that it has landed a number of new format commissions across Asia, including a deal for a version of The Only Way is Essex<\/em> in China. Plus, the game show Are You Normal?<\/em>, which has been a huge hit for Tencent in China, is set for a local treatment in Vietnam. In a deal with Bomanbridge Media, CJ E&M renewed the cooking competition format Chef in Your Ear<\/em> for a second season. Bomanbridge Media also inked a deal for a second season of the popular format DNA <\/em>with Zee Tamil, a regional general-entertainment channel in South India. Scripps Networks Interactive marked the one-year anniversary of HGTV in the Asia Pacific by commissioning the channel\u2019s first long-form original production, House Hunters Asia<\/em>, from Endemol Shine. It will be filmed in Singapore and Malaysia beginning in January. Passion Distribution and IPCN concluded a deal with iQIYI that will see a local version of the Worst Driver<\/em> format head to the Chinese streaming video platform. The Chinese adaptation of Sony Pictures Television’s Mad About You<\/em> is set for a January 2016 debut on Dragon TV and will be available for streaming on Youku Tudou shortly after the satellite TV premiere.<\/p>\n Finished factual, which has always been a strong seller in Asia, also generated a number of announcements. Turner commissioned Beach House Pictures to produce A World Icon: Singapore Botanic Gardens<\/em>, an original documentary that is set to debut on the recently launched World Heritage Channel in Asia. It spotlights the planet’s first and only tropical botanic gardens to be designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The hour-long 4K special, which features commentary from expert historians, botanists and taxonomists, was produced using drone technology. Blue Ant International arrived at ATF with deals sealed in Asia on more than 175 hours of programming, including agreements with Discovery and RTL CBS Entertainment. The sales arm of Blue Ant Media did deals across its portfolio of factual and factual entertainment content, encompassing nature and wildlife, lifestyle, documentary series and formats. TCB Media Rights sold more than 180 hours of content into India and the Far East, including package deals in China and Thailand. Locally, MyChinaChannel (MCC) and China Business Network said they are co-developing a pair of infotainment\/documentary series, along with 100 hours of financial business content in English.<\/p>\n On the kids\u2019 front, Cartoon Network launched its Cartoon Network Anything app, designed exclusively for phones and tablets, in Southeast Asia. The network also scored the fifth season of Xilam\u2019s slapstick series Oggy and the Cockroaches<\/em> for a 2017 launch across the Asia Pacific. A new Mandarin-language kids\u2019 channel, MaxToon, is set to debut in Singapore on StarHub TV. Primed to launch in the first half of 2016, the edutainment channel will feature Mandarin-language HD children\u2019s content produced in China. MyChinaChannel will own and distribute MaxToon. In addition, MCC has entered into a partnership with Marshall Cavendish Education, a subsidiary of Times Publishing Group, to co-develop a brand-new kids\u2019 reality-edutainment program.<\/p>\n There was also news on the scripted side, notably HBO Asia aligning with the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) to develop the drama production capabilities of the local industry. Over the next two years, HBO Asia will train talent and work with production houses to develop and produce content. HBO Asia will make use of local production facilities or locations in Singapore for future original productions. The other major development for HBO Asia was its landmark deal to bring its original programming to India via Star. The premium channel operator\u2019s original series will air first on Star\u2019s OTT platform hotstar, and will then be carried on the company\u2019s English-language networks in India. Jonathan Spink, HBO Asia CEO, commented, “HBO is delighted to enter this new chapter in India with Star. Through the first release of our shows on hotstar, Indian audiences will now have unprecedented flexibility in how they consume HBO’s much-loved premium programming.”<\/p>\n