WatBlog Newsletter Archive: WATBlog Update "At IAMAI Digital Entertainment: Digital Cinema in India" from "WATBlog.com - Web, Advertising and Technology Blog in India"

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

WATBlog Update "At IAMAI Digital Entertainment: Digital Cinema in India" from "WATBlog.com - Web, Advertising and Technology Blog in India"

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"At IAMAI Digital Entertainment: Digital Cinema in India" from "WATBlog.com - Web, Advertising and Technology Blog in India"

At IAMAI Digital Entertainment: Digital Cinema in India

Yesterday the Digital Entertainment Conference was organised by IAMAI in Mumbai and the theme was discussion on the various screens of entertainment i.e. the cinema theatre screen, TV screen, Computer screen and the mobile screen and the digital revolution in all of them.

The first panel was on entertainment from 25 feet i.e. the digital cinema business.

The panel included the following panelists:

Aditya Shastri, CEO, People Pictures
PS Saminathan, Group Chairman, Pyramid Saimira
Rajjat Barjatya, Managing Director, Rajshri Media
Jai Maroo, Director, Shemaroo Entertainment
Rajesh Mishra, CEO, UFO Moviez
Navin Shah, CEO, Percept Pictures

PS Saminathan, CEO, Pyramid Saimira blamed the Film stars as culprits who have spoilt the system with their exhorbitant fees. He stated in many cases a movie star’s salary is more than the films collections. He felt that exhorbitant film star fees killed the creative process of film making and hence there needs to be introduction of a mechanism which changes film distribution from push mechanism to pull mechanism. He said that digital had the potential to bring about this change.

He made the following points on the impact of digital cinema:
1) Big institutions will vanish
2) Institutions will become platform agnostic
3) Creativity and money wont be commodity

On Whether digital distribution will change cinema?
1) India is at the fore front of digital technology
2) Indian theatres are much better and ready to go digital
3) Digital has changed the way people look at territories
4) Digital will change the way small films are made.

In the next 10 years we shall see a shift from push entertainment to pull entertanment.

rajjat barjatya Rajat Barjattya, Managing Director, Rajshri Media
1)Digital cinema have redefined exhibition especially tier 2 and 3 cities
2) Mobile is a big revenue stream
3) VCD>DVD Music Cassette > CD
4) Web which began as a marketing platform but is now a sales & distribution platform
5) Vivah was the first feature film to release on the internet day and date with theatrical release.

Vivah as a catylyst
1) Medium budget film
2) Over 6500 downloads @ USD 9.99 each
3) 99% of downloads overseas (> 60 countries)
4) Growth in revenue pie and no cannibalization of traditional revenue
5) Online strategy mirrored offline i.e. the offline strategy of cinema > home video > Free screening on tv was mirrored online with downloads to rent > download to own > free streaming online model.

Bollywood is driving digital distribution
1) Rajshri has 1000 full length films
2) Free streaming and paid downloads
3) Hindi most popular channels
4) 200+ TB of video served every month (50% for bolly films)

Bollywood is engaging
1) 72% film viewers watch 30 mins in one o
2) 32% watch 60 mins
3) 17% watch 120 mins in one go
4) Now we are putting full length movies on amazon, youtube and itunes.
5) Rich media advertising would do well.

The future opportunity lies in creating bollywood inspired content solely for new media platforms.

Example The Akbar Birbal Series
1) 90 2-3 minute video episodes each
2) 90 3-4 minute audio episodes
3) Sms quotes ringtones and images
4) Spot the mistake contest
5) Released on idea cellular, youtube and rajshri.com

Jai Maroo, Shemaroo

Web and mobile distribution of Cinema as an additional Revenue Stream

Should not affect other revenue streams
Content not created or acquired for free
Transparent and timely reports should be provided
Definitely enhances visibility & penetration

Benefits of Web and Mobile as a Marketing Tool

Better allocation of marketing budgets
Offers more targetted marketing options
More integrated interactive solution
Rational cost levels allow prolonged campaign

Movies on demand How and when in India?

Yes it is available through a few web portals.. bandwidth still not there
Movies on demand on IPTV - Is enough education happening about these mediums?
Movies on demand on Digital cable - cable players have a ready mass to offer to offer interactive services by taking their networks to the next level. Question is when will they do it?

Prediction: Superior quality true movies on demand over broadband iptv and digital cable is not more than 6 months away.

Moving Beyond bollywood content:
Shilpa Yoga
The Secret
Deepak chopra

Example of Content that works on digital: Manorama 6 feet under did better on home video and even better on new media. Difference in new media is that it allows content to find its audience. There is a lot of other content like documentaries, short form content which can have an audience on digital.

Insight: Any new platform that comes doesn’t kill the earlier platform. It only polarizes what the other platform does. It helps platforms focus on their USP’s.

What is bollywood’s reaction to fully on demand universe?
1) Significant increase in revenues
2) Much awaited distribution solution and blow to piracy
3) Shrinking of movie release windows across platforms
4) Better accountability and reporting
5) Streamlining/consolidation in value chain
6) Encouragement for aspiring talent to innovate
7) Allows industry to go beyond stereo type films

With Digital coming in the problem shifts from distribution to marketing and awareness about the movie.

Rajesh Mishra, CEO - India, UFO Moviez

Single screens on a decline due to people not getting to see films on time. Piracy is nothing but a demand and supply gap and we as an industry need to fill that gap. The answer is digital cinema. Rajesh announced that UFO India Moviez would be launching Movie Beam a set top box driven on demand movie delivery services in India. On the pricing front he stated that they shall price this box based on a business model that works.

Navin Shah - CEO - Percept Pictures

Navin Shah had a completely contrary take on Digital in comparison to the rest of the panelists. He stated that digital is culprit creating huge piracy. He pointed out that in today’s social settings its cool to buy and watch pirated movies. He felt this was the mindset which needed to be broken for the entertainment business to grow.
He also provided a couple of solutions like In film/ video ads i.e. monetize via ads within the movie so that the piracy and free distribution of the content earns more revenue.
His second suggestion was to make piracy a moral issue through the use of media.

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