ATF 2016: the "golden age" of television

ATF welcomes new deals, the majority of them have technology companies as the protagonists, but traditional media is very active, too. Most of the developments the industry has been witnessing within the last 2-3 years, are already a reality in Asia. There are much more companies offering and looking for VR/AR, 360 degree apps and 4K programming.

Telecommunication companies, Pay TV operators and OTTs are looking for content partnerships. Original is the name of the game, and to succeed they must pick up the right partner. Not only content distribution (platforms) is reshaping, also the creation and production processes.

Some examples of how technology meets content: Apple has been planning since the beginning of 2016 to launch a TV production. Airbn, the app to book and rent departments, is interested in doing a production, as well. Spotify, the leading global music platform, has been working in 12 video productions. Instagram has produced content for its platform; Twitter announced a deal with NBA for live streaming. There are also big television deals from Snapchat, Facebook and BuzzFeed, among many others.

On the OTT side, Hulu Japan produced the drama series Crown’s Blood, which is globally distributed by Miramax. Amazon plans for next January a global disembark. Netflix, the leading global SVOD, announced a partnership with Mediacorp (Singapore) to bring locally produced TV series to its members around the world from early 2017. The agreement brings over 20 popular Chinese TV series made in Singapore, including award-winning classics like The Little Nyonya and The Golden Path, and more recent dramas like The Dream Job and The Truth Seekers to Netflix.

On the Opening Ceremony held yesterday Chee Hong Tat, minister of state for Communications & Information and Health, Singapore, underlined: ‘Disruption is sweeping across many sectors. Media distribution channels have multiplied and diversified. Traditional TV and film business models have been challenged by new entrants. Digital have lowered the barriers of entry and transformed the ways viewers consume content. Industry has adapted, innovated and grown’.

‘Skilled story-telling is not bound by media platforms or technology. Films based on Marvel comics and books. Novels inspired by Warcraft games or Japanese anime. TV shows emerged from videogames and vice versa. These have created opportunities for new content to be developed and new technologies to converge, bringing greater value for consumers’, he added.

The minister highlighted the videogame industry as one of the fastest growing subsectors in Singapore: ‘To support this growth, Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IMDA) will work with the institutes of higher learning and industry players to build a sustainable talent pipeline of games writers and developers. In partnership with Workforce Singapore and the Screenwriters Association, IMDA will introduce Professional Conversion Programme next year to help TV and film scriptwriters acquire the necessary knowledge and apply their skills for games’.

According to Debbie Evans, president, South East Asia/Australia, Reed Exhibitions, the three main focuses of this year market and conference are: 1) dealing with disruption, 2) reaching out new markets, 3) talent development. ‘Rapid transformation of technology re-shapes audience consumption of content. The rise of OTT services may have led to what many are now calling the golden age of television, they are also one of the biggest disruptors of existing content delivery and pricing models’, she said.

And she concluded: ‘The Market Focus Sessions share insights on China, Indochina and Southeast Asia, the three markets that cannot be ignored by any company seeking to expand into this region. Regarding talent, we host the ATF Formats Pitch for all Asian producers in partnership with all3media International (UK), and the SAFF Project Market, which aims to provide funding opportunities for filmmakers in the SEA film industry’.

Fabricio Ferrara, from Singapore