New Media in Film Distribution in Bangladesh: Bane Or Boon?

2020-3843-AJMMC

1 New Media in Film Distribution in Bangladesh: 2 Bane or Boon? 3 4 5 The research explores the little-understood phenomena of new media based 6 film distribution system in Bangladesh, finds the consequences of new media 7 in film distribution, and makes a recommendation for developing an effective 8 film distribution system. This research employs a qualitative approach 9 where in-depth interviews of the people involved in traditional and online 10 film distribution systems are taken to collect data. The study finds that new 11 media based film distribution is an emerging sector in Bangladesh, and it 12 will strengthen the distribution system by reducing the distribution cost and 13 increasing the revenue. 14 15 Keywords: new media, internet, online, film distribution, video on demand 16 17 18 Introduction 19 20 This research explores the utilization of new media in film distribution in 21 Bangladesh, finds the consequences of new media-based film distribution and 22 searches for ways to establish an effective film distribution system based on 23 new media. 24 The process by which a film reaches the marketplace and is made available 25 to its target audience is called film distribution, where it is done by selling a 26 film to different gateways like theatrical distributors, broadcast networks, DVD 27 companies, and new-media outlets (Parks, 2007). In this process, fixing release 28 dates and launching advertising campaigns are also done by the distributors 29 (Bordwell & Thompson, 2008). 30 The film distribution system of Bangladesh is going through a crisis in the 31 present time. The digital era has made the industry experiencing different 32 problems. The emergence of new media has raised a question to think about 33 reorganizing the distribution system. According to Neese (2016), social media, 34 blogs, video games, and online news outlets are typically referred to as 'new 35 media' and these channels of communication have far-reaching implications for 36 society, business, and politics. Different terms like digital, interactive, 37 hypertextual, virtual, networked, and simulated define new media (Lister, 38 Dovey, Giddings, Grant & Kelly, 2009). The popular culture of new media has 39 been started with the video games (Lister et al., p. 237) where the term 'new 40 media' refers to the 'Internet' and also a virtual environment, digital TV or blog 41 (Lister et al., p. 12). Again, 'Internet' is said the collection of networks that 42 links computers and servers together (Lister et al., p. 164). In recent times 43 conventional movie distribution system is being modified in the entire globe 44 after the upward push of new media, which are sort of media that might be 45 native to computer systems, computational and relying on computers for 46 distribution like YouTube, Netflix, Amazon and so forth. Bangladesh is also 47 going through the change as new media is being utilized in film distribution

1 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 here, but it is an unknown area as it is still not explored by academics about the 2 change in the distribution process. As Cunningham, Silver, & McDonnell 3 (2010) argue that Online Distribution is servicing independent and the rest-of- 4 the-world cinema where online refers to the new media, it is essential to learn 5 about the present state of online film distribution in Bangladesh to analyze the 6 impacts of it on the whole distribution system. 7 Three companies, Bongo, Bioscope, and Iflix, are distributing feature films 8 along with other video contents in Bangladesh. Bongo is the first VOD (video 9 on demand) platform of the country that started streaming in 2012 (M. 10 Rahman, personal communication, May 8, 2018). Bioscope is started in 2016 11 as a value-added service of Grameenphone, a leading mobile service operator 12 in Bangladesh, which is supported by Telenor, a Norwegian multinational 13 telecommunications company (M. Rahman, personal communication, May 8, 14 2018). Iflix is a multinational VOD streaming site that started its journey in 15 Bangladesh in 2017, which is supported by the Malaysian originated leading 16 telecommunications group Axiata and in Bangladesh, by Robi Axiata Limited 17 (S.R. Islam, personal communication, May 8, 2018). Two companies named 18 Khona Talkies and Indi Minds distribute Bangladeshi short and feature films in 19 different international film festivals. Khona Talkies started distribution in 20 2011(A. Rakhine, personal communication, May 12, 2018) and Indi Minds in 21 2016 (S. K Paul, personal communication, March 1, 2018). 22 The study investigates the little-understood phenomena, that is the use of 23 new media for distributing films, to find out the impacts of new media in film 24 distribution system with a view to finding the ways for developing an effective 25 film distribution system in Bangladesh. 26 27 Significance of the Study 28 29 In Bangladesh, the whole film industry is facing different kinds of 30 problems. Film distribution is also facing problems as the system is not able to 31 return the invested money to the producer. The monopoly of the booking 32 agents made distributors fall into great problems while distributing films 33 (Khan, 2017). However, the proper distribution system can be a remedy to this 34 problem, and the utilization of new media in film distribution can be the trump 35 card to set the least active distribution system an effective one. For that reason, 36 it needs to explore the present situation of new media based film distribution in 37 Bangladesh to understand the impacts of new media on the film distribution 38 process. It will also provide suggestions to establish an effective distribution 39 system utilizing new media. 40 41

2 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 Literature Review 2 3 This section aims to assess the essential scholarly works on new media 4 based film distribution. The key arguments, methodologies, and limitations of 5 these studies will be discussed in this part to comprehend the current trends in 6 the field of study and find out the gaps. Since there is no research on new 7 media based film distribution in Bangladesh, research works done in related 8 contexts will be examined here. This section offers a review of the literature on 9 traditional film distribution, online film distribution, film distribution in 10 Bangladesh, and impacts of new media in film distribution. 11 12 Traditional Film Distribution 13 In the book 'Film Art: An Introduction', Broadwell and Thompson (2008) 14 have discussed about film distribution process, that it is done mainly by the 15 distribution companies, whom they say form the core of the economic power in 16 the commercial film industry. Traditional film distribution refers to the 17 theatrical release of the films that means distribution companies make films 18 available in different exhibiting theatres for the audience and it needs a huge 19 amount of money for distributing films as Broadwell and Thompson provided 20 the estimated average cost of Hollywood films for making $60 million and for 21 distributing $35 million (p. 36). They have described the two major strategies 22 with which distribution companies work for theatrical distribution; in 23 platforming strategy, the film is first released in few big cities and then 24 gradually around the whole country according to the performance of the film, 25 and in wide release strategy, a film is released in many cities and towns and 26 also in overseas which is a typical strategy for mainstream films; for selling or 27 marketing the film, all the theaters are provided a short preview of the 28 upcoming film which is called a trailer whereas music videos of the films, 29 interviews of the stars, TV programs are done to attract the audience (p. 36). A 30 theatre is provided a little percentage of the gross money as the authors contend 31 that in the first week a theatre gets 10% only from the gross amount of money, 32 again the distributor, as in the United States, takes 35% of the rentals as 33 distribution fee and rest are for the filmmaker (pp. 34-35). 34 35 Online Film Distribution 36 Nowadays with the advancement of the internet, cyberspace became a new 37 platform for film distribution which Broadwell and Thompson (2008) state as 38 the new frontier of video distribution and this is regarded as online distribution, 39 and it has arrived as it is possible to release any length of film online, and a 40 huge profit can be gained where it is possible to block copying the films. 41 Again, they add, it helped the distributors to create a system depending less on 42 buying an object than on purchasing a service (p. 38). In the case of online 43 distribution, here comes term VOD (video-on-demand), which is, according to 44 Parks (2007), an element of a computerized link that enables the users to 45 download a film to their computers and watch it instantly. YouTube is one kind 46 of social media and VOD platform, which McMullan (2017) describes as "a

3 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 convergence medium between the Internet and TV" (p. 2). In Europe, the 2 online VOD market is considered the most mature with numerous platforms 3 competing for consumers, including Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, and 4 iTunes (Kehoe & Mateer, 2015). 5 Cunningham, Silver & McDonnell (2010) have conducted a study on the 6 film industry of Australia, where they have done an online search and 7 examined the content and business models of websites, which deliver movies 8 on demand through the internet. They have consulted leading trade magazines, 9 online business directories, expert service providers, where they used business 10 databases Factiva and Proquest to identify relevant articles on the industry and 11 on OLD (On Line Distribution) service providers. In their research, they have 12 discussed how OLD first came into the sector, which made a change in the film 13 industry and how it works as a disruptive technology in the film industry. 14 According to Cunningham et al. (2010), online distribution (OLD) has 15 emerged first in 1997 in North America with the pioneers like I-Film, Atom 16 Films, Intertainer, SightSound, Pop.com, CinemaNow but these companies 17 have been absorbed by larger companies because of failing to establish 18 sustainable business models (p. 121). Paramount, Universal, Warner Brothers, 19 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney, and Sony, six major Hollywood studios have 20 invested in Movielink and Movie beam in 2001 which were expected, they 21 state, to be the leaders of a second wave but both websites were sold in 2006 22 while another one was build led by Apple iTunes with Hulu, the leading 23 streaming site along with Netflix, Blockbuster Amazon, and some others. 24 Apple iTunes launched its movies on demand store in the United States; 25 Amazon came with its own VOD service Unbox and Netflix made available its 26 'Watch Instantly' streaming service to its DVD subscribers in the United States 27 in 2006 (Cunningham et al., p. 121). Advertiser supported site Hulu started live 28 streaming in March 2008 and in one year, became five times bigger than 29 starting time, but with 2.4 percent share of the total OLD market, Hulu was 30 dominated by YouTube as it had 41 percent share (Cunningham et al., p. 122). 31 However, the majority of the YouTube video contents did not attract 32 advertisers as most of the videos in the site were user-generated, and this made 33 YouTube facing 470 million dollars loss in 2009 (Cunningham et al., p. 122). 34 Hulu's advertiser-supported free viewing business model, during 2009, seemed 35 may not be sustainable as ad revenue of online video was estimated to be 60 36 percent lower than for the same program shown on network television which 37 led Hulu towards a subscription-plus-advertising revenue structure 38 (Cunningham et al., pp. 122-123). 39 Online distribution is becoming vital for major Hollywood Studios; as 40 Kozlowski (2012) states, Warner Brothers has started digitally renting movies 41 for the very first time on Facebook from 2011. 42 43 Film Distribution in Bangladesh 44 In Bangladesh, there is only one association for both producers and 45 distributors named 'Bangladesh Film Producers and Distributors Association' 46 as a film producer is also the distributor here at the same time. There are

4 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 booking agents work as middlemen between the distributors and exhibitors, 2 and they control the whole system as they decide which film will be exhibited 3 where, which Hossain (2017) states as a 'weird situation' predominates in the 4 film industry. 5 Kareem (2017), in his research, has explored the film distribution process 6 and problems in Bangladesh, where he has taken interviews of eight traditional 7 film distributors and used inductive thematic analysis to analyze the qualitative 8 data. He stated, in most cases, the same person is the producer and distributor 9 of a film, but in the case of different persons, a distributor is to be paid 15% of 10 the net profit. He adds that distributors distribute the films among the 11 exhibiting halls with the help of booking agents who are the mediators between 12 distributors and exhibitors as they book films for the exhibiting halls but also 13 take 10% commission of net income from the distributors. Exhibiting halls pay 14 money in three ways, fixed rental, minimum guarantee, and percentage or share 15 money. The method 'percentage' or 'share money', in which the distributor 16 collects a fixed percentage of net income, is the worst one, as Khan (2017) 17 shows that a producer gets only 20% of a ticket's price in this method. With 18 this, the author argues that the distribution of a film has become a hostage since 19 exhibitors do not have technological advancement to exhibit digital films; some 20 organizations are taking advantage by providing poor quality projection 21 support and controlling the exhibiting halls and also because of the booking 22 agents (p. 77). 23 In his research, Ahsan (2016) has taken face to face interviews of film 24 industry professionals of Bangladesh where he stated that an organization 25 named Jaaz Multimedia has become an intermediary force in the film industry 26 of Bangladesh, charging money from the digital film producers to let them use 27 the digital film projectors in the exhibiting halls. This is a threat to the film 28 industry in the sector of distribution which Hayder (2013) states this type of 29 tendency to control the film exhibition system can make cinema lose its own 30 independence what happened in Canada and Australia when six big American 31 companies had taken control over the whole distribution system in the 1970s 32 and 1980s. 33 34 Impacts of New Media in Film Distribution 35 In their research, Kehoe & Mateer (2015) have done a situational case 36 study on the film industry of the United Kingdom and examined two 37 movements that are impacting the industry where new media have made 38 changes in consumption habits, which led to the emergence of new business 39 models. The Value Chain concept was coined by Porter in 1985, where 'value 40 chain' is a framework for identifying the set of interconnected value-creating 41 activities performed by a company in developing, manufacturing, delivering, 42 and supporting its product and the points of connection with the activities of 43 suppliers, channels, and customers. Digital technology affects the motion 44 picture value chain by the new type of consumers named 'active audiences', 45 which Kehoe & Mateer (2014) define as a group of consumers who have 46 knowledge of technology, and they consume media products through the

5 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 internet. Zhu (2001) in his research, which was done with the theoretical 2 foundation based on the economics of digital goods and transformation of 3 industry structure, has shown with the Figure 1, how internet-based 4 distribution can affect picture value chain as the internet tends to 5 disintermediate the traditional distribution agencies. 6 7 Figure 1. The Motion Picture Value Chain (Zhu, 2001, p.275)

8 9 10 Zhu (2001) also argues that internet-based film distribution will reduce the 11 distribution cost, and the importance of traditional distributors will be 12 decreased. 13 Kehoe & Mateer (2015) also discussed how changes in business models 14 occur while distributing films through new media. They contended that there 15 had been emerged multiple approaches like 'ultra VOD', 'day-and-date' 16 releasing where 'ultra VOD' is releasing a cinema online through transactional 17 video on demand (TVOD) a week before scheduled theatrical release which 18 creates a sense of exclusivity and 'day-and-date' means a concurrent release in 19 the same day on multiple distribution platforms like cinema theatres, online 20 VODs (Netflix, others), DVDs, etc. and these seem appealing to the independent 21 film distributors. There is advertiser supported model which enables visitors to 22 watch movies and TV programs free whereas sales model can offer charges 23 which are subscription sites that take rental for the determined time period; 24 again, there is IT-innovation model where Hulu is content-driven, and iTunes 25 is device-driven which means a consumer needs having an iPod, Apple TV or 26 iPad or supported device which Cunningham et al. (2010) states as significant 27 disruption to standard business models because it sells premium or near- 28 premium content intending to make a profit from hardware device sales and to 29 buy market share. 30 Ahmed (2010), in his research, has employed case studies on three 31 Bollywood movies, which include Om Shanti Om (2007), Ghajini (2008), and 32 Dev. D (2009) to understand how new media tools are used in their marketing 33 strategy. He found in his research that against traditional media, the internet is

6 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 dominating the decision-making process of the viewers about the film they will 2 watch. Nime (2012), in his Ph.D. thesis, has employed a qualitative method, 3 and in an exploratory way, he tried to understand the impact of digital 4 technologies upon the culture and economy of documentary distribution. He 5 argues that online distribution means not only to make the films available to 6 the audience but also to attach the audience in the distribution process as he 7 states that online distribution platforms like Netflix, YouTube etc. attach 8 consumers by including systems like rating, commenting, sharing, tagging 9 which helps them to get more audience. 10 Researchers discussed about new media based film distribution around the 11 world. However, in the perspective of Bangladesh, it is still less explored by 12 the researchers. Ahsan (2016) has stated the problem of the rise of an 13 intermediary force, which is trying to control the film distribution system, but 14 his research did not provide any suggestion to come out of the problem. 15 Kareem (2017) has outlined the traditional distribution system in Bangladesh 16 and stated that a server-based digital distribution system has not developed in 17 Bangladesh yet. However, there is no insight in his research about the 18 utilization of new media in the distribution system at present. 19 In different researches, Kehoe & Mateer (2015), Zhu (2001), Fair (2006), 20 Ahmed (2010), and Nime (2012) tried shortly to understand the impacts of new 21 media based film distribution in the worldwide perspective. However, it does 22 not seem enough, and no research is done yet to understand the affects of new 23 media based film distribution in Bangladesh. 24 25 Research Questions 26 27 The literature review suggests that the following research questions should 28 be explored in the present research. 29 30 RQ-1: How have the new media been utilized in film distribution in 31 Bangladesh? 32 RQ-2: How will the new media affect the film distribution in Bangladesh? 33 RQ-3: How can an effective film distribution system be created in 34 Bangladesh based on the new media? 35 36 Theoretical Framework 37 38 The research takes the critical political economy of communication as the 39 theoretical base to identify the dominant economic and political factors in the 40 utilization of new media and its affect in film distribution in Bangladesh. 41 Mosco (2009) has defined critical political economy as "the study of social 42 relations, particularly the power relations that mutually constitute the production, 43 distribution, and consumption of resources" (p. 24). 44 Thomas Guback in his essay 'Are We Looking at the Right Things in Film' 45 first drew attention on the study of cinema from a political-economic approach in 46 1978 where he argued that film studies did not pay attention to the analysis of

7 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 cinema as an economic institution and his use of institutional approach to film 2 seemed more like a political-economic approach to the study of communication 3 (Wasko, 2004). 4 The relationships between media power and state power are analyzed in the 5 discussion of the critical political economy by identifying the owners and 6 controllers of media and communication resources (Wasko, 2014). In the case of 7 film distribution, the owners and controllers of new distribution outlets, relations 8 between the state and the distributors are examined by the critical political 9 economy. Again, media power is assessed by the discussion of class issues 10 (Wasko, p. 263). Critical political economists ask if online film distribution is open 11 for all or bound to a separate class. On the other hand, the critical political 12 economy of new media should be concerned with the understanding of power 13 structure, its evolution, and renewal (Mansell, 2004), where understanding the 14 domination of small capital by big capital and capturing the market by big 15 conglomerates are discussed. The involvement of the state in the film industry, 16 reproduction of power structure, uneven power distribution, and wealth, which are 17 represented by the industry, are also matters of interest in the critical political 18 economic approach (Wasko, 2004). 19 Drawing on the work of Murdock and Golding (2005), Mosco (2009) 20 discussed four cornerstones of the critical political economy: social change and 21 history, social totality, moral philosophy, and praxis. Social change and history 22 refer to examining dynamic forces within capitalism to understand the change 23 in social relationships over time (Mosco, p. 3). Guback (1969) and Pendakur 24 (1990) tried to understand the film industries from historical perspectives 25 where Mansell (2004) finds internet as new media involving a significant 26 change in social and economic relations. Exploring the history of new media 27 based film distribution will help to understand the problems of traditional film 28 distribution and the circumstances which made way for the new technology in 29 the film distribution in Bangladesh. The growth of new media technology is 30 tried to understand by the analysis of policies and politics, which surrounds the 31 digitization process (Wasko, p. 267). In the case of film distribution where 32 online distribution is not bound to a specific border because of its transborder 33 nature, local culture is being affected by the global culture, which is also 34 examined by the political economists. 35 Social totality suggests understanding society with a holistic approach 36 from economic, political, social, and cultural perspectives (Mosco, p. 3). It tells 37 to understand the connections between the political and economic (Mosco, p. 38 29) where with the help of government policies, privatization and liberalization 39 create the free market. The growth of multinational capital throughout the 40 world has led to the development of many new centers of media production 41 and has changed the direction of global and regional flows of media materials 42 (Bhuiyan, 2002). Big foreign conglomerates and also local companies started 43 online film distribution in Bangladesh, which has made a change in the media 44 flow where media materials like cinema are going from developing to 45 developed areas of the globe.

8 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 Moral philosophy means the analysis of the economic system with the 2 discussion of normative and moral issues (Wasko, 2004) like "justice, equity, 3 and the public good" (Mosco, 2009, p. 32). Political economists emphasize to 4 understand if the public has access to the goods equally or those are 5 commodified, where commodification transforms goods and services which are 6 valued by their earning in the marketplace as communication technologies 7 contribute to the primary commodification process in the society (Mosco, p. 8 11). Internet accelerates the opportunities for commodification by increasing 9 chances to measure and monitor (Mosco, p. 12), as in the case of online film 10 distribution, more control comes over the distribution process as the 11 subscribers and the subscription fees are definite. Again, commodification is 12 intensified by spatialization. Mosco (2009) described spatialization as "the 13 process of overcoming the constraints of space in social life" (p. 14), where 14 Harvey (1989) identifies "time-space compression" suggesting the way the world 15 is being smaller (p. 147), as communication and information technologies promote 16 flexibility and control throughout the industry (Mosco, p. 14) and thus 17 encompasses the process of globalization. Praxis is referred to as free and creative 18 activities to change the world with actions (Mosco, pp. 34-35) "to transcend the 19 distinction between research and policy" (Wasko, p. 223). 20 This political-economic approach is used to understand the new media based 21 film distribution asking the purpose of the use of new technology. It helps to ask 22 why new media technology is used in film distribution, who benefit from this? By 23 taking a historical approach, this research explores why and in what context 24 internet technologies have been used in film distribution in Bangladesh with 25 what consequences and identify its beneficiaries and losers. 26 27 28 Methodology 29 30 This study employs a qualitative research method. It utilizes in-depth 31 interviews to collect data. As the study focuses on exploring new media based 32 film distribution in Bangladesh and finding out the affects on traditional film 33 distribution with a view to establishing new media based film distribution, 34 people who are involved in film distribution both traditional and online make 35 the population. 36 There is only one global video on demand (VOD) service named 'Iflix', 37 which has just been started in Bangladesh with the support of Robi Axiata 38 Limited, a mobile network operator in Bangladesh, a Bangladeshi online VOD 39 service provider named BongoBD and Bioscope, another video streaming 40 platform supported by Grameenphone, a telecommunication company (S. K 41 Paul, personal communication, March 1, 2018). There are also some independent 42 online distribution agencies like 'Khona Talkies', 'IndieMinds Inc.' who 43 distribute short films of Bangladeshi filmmakers in different festivals worldwide 44 (S. K Paul, personal communication, March 1, 2018). Again, there are 219 45 enlisted members of Bangladesh Film Producers and Distributors Association 46 (BFPDA, 2018).

9 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 Interviewees are selected purposively based on their involvement with the 2 film distribution process. Ten film distribution companies are taken as the 3 sample. Among them, six are traditional film distribution companies randomly 4 selected from the 219 members of Bangladesh Film Producers and Distributors 5 Association, and four are online distribution companies. In-depth interviews of 6 the ten respondents of the following ten distribution companies are taken to 7 collect detailed information. Among them, four respondents of four online 8 distribution companies are interviewed to understand the present situation of 9 new media based film distribution in Bangladesh, and six respondents of six 10 traditional distribution companies are interviewed to find out the impacts of 11 new media based film distribution on traditional film distribution. All ten 12 respondents are interviewed to get suggestions for creating an effective film 13 distribution system. All the questions were open-ended, and the respondents 14 were encouraged to answer in detail. Follow up questions were asked based on 15 the reply of the respondents. 16 17 Table 1. Interviewees Name of the Name of the Category Designation Company Respondent Online Film Distributors Director, Content Feature Film BongoBD Mushfiqur Rahman Acquisitions Head of Marketing, Feature Film Iflix Sheikh Rifat Islam Bangladesh & Nepal Distributor and Short Film IndieMinds Inc. Shubh Kumar Paul owner

Short Film Khona Talkies Aung Rakhine Director

Traditional Film Distributors Ashirbad Feature Film Razib Ahsan Executive Director Chalacchitro Distributor and Feature Film Janani Kothachitra Sajjad Hossain Owner Feature Film Jazz Multimedia Abdul Aziz Chairman Distributor and Feature Film Tushar Kathachitra Abdul Mabud Kawsar Owner Malancha Distributor and Feature Film Miah Alauddin Chalacchitro Owner Iftekhar Uddin Distributor and Feature Film Modhumita Movies Nowshad Owner 18 19 Consents of the respondents were taken for recording the interview. A 20 voice recorder was used to record the interviews of the respondents. After that, 21 the interviews are transcribed verbatim. The inductive thematic analysis was 22 adopted to analyze the in-depth interviews. Transcribed interviews are coded

10 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 and divided into thirteen themes under the three research questions. According 2 to the themes and, the data are analyzed. 3 4 5 Results 6 7 Online film distribution is a developing sector in Bangladesh. It has not 8 become a primary distribution medium yet but being developed as a secondary 9 distribution outlet. There are two types of online distribution platforms in 10 Bangladesh, feature film distribution and festival distribution. 11 12 New Media Distribution Process 13 14 In Bangladesh, three companies release feature films online, and two 15 companies distribute short and feature films in international film festivals 16 through the internet. Different companies employ different strategies for doing 17 the distribution. Bongo is a Bangladeshi originated emerging multinational 18 video on demand streaming site, which is presently streaming in five South 19 Asian countries; India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh. It is 20 planning to start streaming in more 31 countries targeting Bangladeshi and 21 native audience living in those countries. In Bangladesh, Bong is streaming 22 with the name BongoBD. For starting streaming videos, Bongo applied for a 23 publishing license to the organization MCN (Multi Channel Network), which 24 provides support to the online video streaming sites. Getting the license, it 25 became authorized for starting the streaming site. BongoBD started buying 26 online distribution rights of different video contents as well as films from the 27 owners based on two processes, royalty and onetime payment. BongoBD is 28 different here from other streaming sites as it takes the whole distribution right, 29 which allows it to release the content not only on BongoBD but also on other 30 platforms. To protect the contents by copyright, BongoBd created a YouTube 31 channel where the content management panel (CMS) provided by MCN 32 allowed it to block the same video contents uploaded on other YouTube 33 channels that are owned by BongoBD. It uploaded all the video contents on the 34 YouTube channel but kept in private to create the demand with a view to 35 starting a subscription-based platform. It wanted to create more demand by 36 keeping the video contents in private mode for a long time but could not 37 continue as some other companies started buying online rights of different 38 video contents, and they published those on their YouTube channels, which 39 created the pressure on BongoBD to publish the video contents. But to start 40 subscription-based streaming service, it faced a problem in case of payment 41 method because there is no common payment gateway in Bangladesh for the 42 subscribers as very few people use credit cards. By this time, Grameenphone 43 started Bioscop— a video on demand streaming service, and BongoBD linked 44 up with it by providing content and logistic support. Bioscope is now providing 45 free service and later will go for the subscription model and enter into the 46 global market. Bioscope streams the latest feature films along with other video

11 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 contents like music video, lifestyle content, drama, live television channels etc. 2 BongoBd will support Bioscope for a certain period. It is being prepared by 3 collecting video content for a big startup as it already has 1000 feature films 4 and lots of other content. It wants to start as a leading VOD streaming service 5 of Bangladesh using Grameenphone as the payment gateway. BongoBd wants 6 to be streaming sites like Amazon, Netflix, and plans to stream BongoBD 7 Originals, which means it will produce content by itself for the streaming site. 8 Iflix, a Malaysian originated multinational streaming site started its 9 journey in Bangladesh recently which works focusing on emerging economic 10 countries where Netflix is not prominent yet as the respondent says, 11 12 "Iflix is present in South Asian emerging markets like Bangladesh, Nepal, 13 Maldives, Sri Lanka and in Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines 14 apart from big markets like India where Netflix has huge investment…" (S.R. 15 Islam, personal communication, May 8, 2018) 16 17 Iflix releases the latest Bangladeshi feature films after the theatre release. 18 In a very short time, Bangladesh became the fourth most important country for 19 Iflix placing after the top three countries, Malaysia, the Philippines, and 20 Indonesia. It is started as the video platform of the telecommunication 21 company Robi Axiata Limited as every telecommunication company seems 22 nowadays trying to provide a value-added service like video platform. On the 23 other hand, Iflix became connected with Axiata with a deal of working in the 24 countries where Axiata is providing telecommunication service as it will work 25 as the payment gateway for the subscribers as Grameenphone will work for 26 BongoBD. Robi is privileged here in the way that Robi users will be able to 27 watch Iflix contents at a lower price than other telecom service users as Robi is 28 able to design their data package linking Iflix. Unlike Bongo, Iflix buys only 29 the online rights for releasing in Iflix. In the case of feature films, Iflix buys the 30 online rights to release the films on its site after the theatre release. Iflix 31 releases Iflix Originals in other countries and now also planning to produce 32 Iflix Originals in Bangladesh. It is planning to have two systems free tier and 33 premium tier for earning revenue where the free tire will be advertiser- 34 supported, and premium tier will be subscription fee-based. Content owners 35 will be paid with the off-the-shelf (OTS) model where they will get a specific 36 amount of money for per hour view of the distinct amount of content. For 37 example, in the case of royalty, if someone provides 20 films to Iflix, 50% of 38 the revenues from per hour view of the 20 films will be provided to the owner. 39 Khona Talkies and Indi Minds distribute short and feature films in 40 different international film festivals. Khona Talkies also tries to distribute films 41 in cinema theatres after festival distribution and later in online platforms. It 42 mainly focuses on alternative cinemas which are not well celebrated in cinema 43 theatres. With this, it encourages promising film directors of the country 44 making a demand of the Bangladeshi films in the festival-oriented markets of the 45 world. Indi Minds also distributes films in the festivals and helps filmmakers 46 making them aware of the rules and regulations of participating in international 47 film festivals.

12 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 Reasons Behind the Emergence of Online Film Distribution 2 3 Due to the evolution of technology, things around the world became 4 digitalized, and in foreign countries, online distribution has been started earlier. 5 Four reasons are vital behind the emergence of online-based film distribution 6 in Bangladesh. Firstly, the business of CD and DVD has been destroyed by the 7 rise of piracy in 2006-2007 as video contents were copied from DVD and 8 uploaded in online sites as the respondent says, 9 10 "In the mid-2000s which are in 2006 and 2007, it is found that the business of 11 CD-DVD is not that profitable as the contents became available to all because of 12 piracy" (M. Rahman, personal communication, May 8, 2018) 13 14 As a result, a massive demand for video content has emerged in Bangladesh, 15 but there was no streaming site at all. In that situation, the running streaming sites 16 have been started with a view to capturing the market. 17 Secondly, cinema theatres have been decreased from around 1200 (Hayder, 18 2012) to 321 (Roy, 2016) in the last decade. The environment of the running 19 theatres is not well enough for all kinds of audiences. On the other hand, the 20 contents of the cinemas in the last decade did not satisfy the audience, which made 21 them averse to cinema theatres. But they were still interested in cinemas and were 22 searching a way to watch films without going theatres. Again, in the case of big 23 cities like Dhaka, Chittagong, a huge time of the audience is consumed due to 24 traffic jams to reach the theatres. These situations amplified the need for VOD 25 streaming services which attracted the online distributors. 26 Thirdly, there were audiences for Bangladeshi contents in different countries 27 of the world, especially the people working in different foreign countries who 28 want to watch Bangladeshi contents. That was also one of the reasons behind 29 starting multinational VOD streaming platforms. 30 Fourthly, an online film distributor needs to spend a minimal amount of 31 money to distribute the film as it is just about uploading the film on the website. 32 On the other hand, the profit is a slow process but not limited as the onetime 33 profit from the theatres. For example, a standard film made with one crore taka, 34 can income 80 lakhs from the theatres, 20 lakhs from television rights and 20 35 lakhs from online rights, but in case of royalty, the income from online rights 36 may be increased from 20 lakhs according to the number of hours viewed. This 37 made the content makers interested in online distribution. 38 Moreover, different companies that emerged to distribute films in film 39 festivals have three reasons. Firstly, independent cinema is not so popular in 40 Bangladesh as those cannot gather much audience attention because of the 41 difference in content and presentation than the mainstream films what is said 42 by the distributor that, 43 44 "Most of the audiences in Bangladesh are not yet ready to watch these kinds of 45 films" (A. Rakhine, personal communication, May 12, 2018) 46

13 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 As a result, these independent cinemas are not welcomed by traditional 2 distributors for theatre release. For example, The Unnamed (2016), Kingdom of 3 Clay Subjects (2016), Halda (2017), all these films were released in a very few 4 theatres because of being alternative in types though these were critically 5 acclaimed. So, production and distribution organizations like Khona Talkies 6 came forward to help in making and distributing these kinds of films in 7 different foreign film festivals through online where these are screened and 8 critiqued. 9 Secondly, submitting films in foreign festivals is quite difficult, which is 10 true for both feature and short films. Film submission needs to go through a 11 complicated process as it requires many formalities with a massive paperwork 12 and a great experience. Some festivals want to see still pictures of the shooting 13 time, which is called working stills. Again, it needs to write a 'logline' for the 14 film, which means describing the whole film in only one line. In some cases, 15 film festivals demand a press release or press kit about the film. But in most of 16 the cases, the filmmakers are not familiar with these formalities, which led 17 companies like Khona Talkies, Indi Minds come forward to doing the job as 18 festival distributors. 19 Thirdly, in the case of Indi Minds, it came in festival distribution with a 20 plan to be renowned as a festival distributor, which is vital for the career of the 21 distributor in many ways. Distributing some good films makes a good track 22 record for the distributor, which develops the reputation of a distributor. For 23 submitting films, there needs some fees; this reputation with a good track 24 record enables the distributor to get a certain percentage of discount, in some 25 cases, no fees. Again, very few festivals invite short filmmakers in the festival 26 with all the supports, including air ticket, lodging, food expenses etc. but a 27 reputed distributor can manage all these supports for the director. Moreover, 28 the distributor of Indi Minds distributes short films, and through this, he is 29 developing the worldwide network with other distributors with a view to 30 establishing a platform for short films in Bangladesh like the television channel 31 ShortsTV in America. 32 33 Challenges to the Online Film Distribution 34 35 Distributors face different kinds of problems, as online film distribution is 36 a developing sector in Bangladesh. Firstly, most of the content makers are not 37 interested in online distribution as they do not understand the way it works. 38 Some relate it to piracy. Secondly, some content makers are not aware of 39 copyright. Sometimes they use copyrighted music as background score. As a 40 result, the content becomes blocked with the claim of the actual owner when 41 uploaded on the site. So, distributors have to work hard to know the credibility 42 of the content, but it is not that easy as they are not well equipped yet to detect 43 the copyrighted items in the contents before uploading. Thirdly, internet speed 44 and costs are also vital concerns for online distributors. Less internet speed 45 costs more money if anyone wants to watch a film with a mobile phone using 46 telecommunication service as a payment gateway. For example, it consumes

14 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 around one gigabyte of data to watch a film that costs at least 15-20 taka, and 2 this is a little high for the audience of Bangladesh. Fourthly, festival 3 distributors face problems when they find films to be distributed, which do not 4 meet the festival requirements as filmmakers are not aware of different kinds of 5 requirements of the festivals. 6 The telecommunication companies mostly occupy the emerging new 7 media based film distribution sector in Bangladesh, as most of the streaming 8 sites have been started as value-added services of different telecommunication 9 companies. As the sector is just growing up, it is facing different kinds of 10 problems in the present time. 11 12 The Consequence of Online Film Distribution 13 14 As online film distribution is a new concept in Bangladesh, some 15 traditional distributors are not yet familiar with the process. They are confused 16 with the new type of film distribution and think that the consequences of online 17 film distribution will be understood by the way the process will ensure the 18 recovery of the capital spent in making the film. There are different opinions 19 among the distributors about the consequences of online film distribution. 20 Some think online distribution will affect traditional film distribution by 21 decreasing the audience of the cinema theatres. Because, if films are found to 22 watch online, people will lose their interest in going to the theatres. As a result, 23 the number of exhibiting halls will be decreased, and theatre release thus will 24 be affected. 25 Most of the traditional distributors hardly feel any challenge because of 26 online distribution. They argue that online distribution is still a developing 27 medium in Bangladesh. Only a few movies have been released online after the 28 theatre release. It has not yet become the primary platform for distribution. 29 Here, it is almost secondary, sometimes tertiary platform as people still like to 30 watch films in theatres and will always like to, if it is possible to provide a 31 better environment in the theatres. 32 Again, they believe that online distribution will strengthen the film 33 distribution system. Because the revenue is unlimited here as it depends on the 34 volume of watch hours by the audience. Additionally, online film distribution 35 will reduce the cost of distribution, removing the intermediaries of the 36 traditional film distribution process. Because there will be no need for the 37 middlemen like booking agents and exhibitors as the film will reach the 38 audience directly from the distributor to the audience through the internet. 39 40 Suggestions for Developing an Effective Film Distribution System 41 42 Distributors suggested taking different steps for creating an effective film 43 distribution system based on new media. But they reminded that, it is not 44 possible to create an effective film distribution system based only on new 45 media. There needs the coordination of the traditional and the online

15 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 distribution as traditional distribution is still the primary distribution medium in 2 Bangladesh. 3 To raise the interest of the content makers in online distribution, it needs to 4 make them understand about the online distribution process. To provide online 5 distribution rights to the distributors, some content makers believe in revenue 6 sharing, and some are interested in the onetime payment method. It needs to 7 explain the revenue sharing method to them in a believable way. Again, 8 content makers are needed to make aware of copyright claims by doing 9 different kinds of workshops and training. With this, there needs proper logistic 10 support to detect the copyrighted items in the contents before uploading those 11 on the online platforms. Moreover, the internet cost needs to be reduced, and 12 high-speed internet should be ensured to push up the audience's interest in 13 watching films online. On the other hand, festival distributors need to make 14 filmmakers informed about different types of requirements for the festival 15 submissions. 16 17 Making Good Films 18 To distribute films online, at first it needs to make good films which will 19 attract the audience. For good films, there need good artists. On the other hand, 20 films should be made abiding the content making policy of online platforms 21 like using original or copyright-free sound and music scores. Online streaming 22 companies should have eye-catching websites, which are needed in a global 23 perspective to attract both global and local audiences. 24 25 Coordination of Online and Traditional Distribution Process 26 Distributors think that it is impossible to create an effective film distribution 27 system based on only the new media. There needs the coordination of traditional 28 and online distribution process, and for the coordination, it needs emphasizing on 29 the theatre distribution first. Exhibiting halls should be made attractive and 30 comfortable for all kinds of audiences by upgrading the environment. Theatres 31 should be air-conditioned, sitting chairs should be comfortable, screening quality, 32 the sound system should be up to the mark. There needs to have a food court and 33 other luxuries for the audience to provide complete entertainment. Again, the 34 number of theatres should be increased. Moreover, theatres can take a strategy 35 initiated by the American company named MoviePass, founded in 2011, which is 36 called 'Netflix for Theatres', allowing a subscriber to buy a movie ticket every day 37 with a plane subscription fee for the whole month (Hardawar, 2012). 38 There should be a chain for film distribution that means, at first, the 39 film will be released in theatres, then, after a specific period of time, in 40 online platforms with pay per view mode or subscription mode and at last, 41 in television channels. With this planned distribution, revenues will come 42 from different platforms. For this type of coordination, there needs efficient 43 and robust leadership, and all these could be implemented successfully if it 44 is possible to obstruct piracy by having the proper equipment to detect the 45 guilty one and law enforcement power to punish that one.

16 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 Online film distributors also suggested that the film production companies 2 should develop their own online platforms like most of the Indian sites as Eros 3 Now, Hungama, Jio Cinema etc. where all the films produced by one company 4 will be available online after a certain period of theatre release, and the 5 audience will be able to watch those films any time paying a subscription fee. 6 7 Working at the Policy Level 8 There needs to work at the policy level for establishing an effective 9 distribution system. Here also needs the coordination of policies for online and 10 traditional distribution. Online content making policy should be fixed based on 11 Bangladeshi social values and cultural norms. For example, BongoBD uploaded a 12 music video Nesha sung and performed by Kushum Shikder on its YouTube 13 channel, which was accepted by YouTube authority as that does not employ any 14 conflicting item with YouTub’s content policy. However, after releasing the video, 15 a Supreme Court lawyer filed a legal notice to remove the video song from all 16 social media outlets accusing it under section eight of the Pornography Act 2012. 17 So, the universal policy may not be applicable in Bangladesh. 18 Distribution of revenues in online distribution and pricing of the tickets in 19 traditional distribution should be determined by the government. Real box office 20 information should be available online, which will help the producer to understand 21 how the audience is responding to his film and that will help to improve the 22 quality of the content. 23 A policy should be employed to improve the environment of the cinema 24 theatres. For example, if anyone wants to import chairs for replacing the old chairs 25 of the cinema theatre, he has to pay 37.07% tax (BCNBR, 2018). Distributors 26 suggest reducing the tax rates on importing theatre materials like the projector, 27 chair, air cooler, sound equipment for a certain period of time, which will 28 encourage the theatre owners to renovate the theatres. 29 The Producers and Distributors Association should be separated. In the 30 present time, a producer does not feel pressure to produce good films as the same 31 person is the distributor here. But separate distributor's association will help to 32 pressurize producers for making good films. On the other hand, The Producers and 33 Distributors Association does not have any executive committee. As a result, there 34 are no spokespersons to talk about the problems and policy development in the 35 production and distribution sector. This gave rise to the booking agents as an 36 intermediary force in the distribution system. A real example of the necessity of 37 the executive committee is that, when Jaaz Multimedia set digital projectors in 38 some theatres, it demanded that the distributor will provide the rent for the 39 projectors. But it is always the exhibitor who is supposed to make arrangements 40 for the projection, not the distributor. As a result, a distributor has to spend extra 41 money on the projectors till now, and no one is there to raise a voice about it. 42 There needs separate executive committees for the separate associations of the 43 producers and the distributors to get rid of the problems. 44 45 46

17 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 Discussion 2 3 There are some key factors behind the emergence of new media in film 4 distribution in Bangladesh. The rise of piracy, the decreasing number of cinema 5 theatres, the arrival of new technology etc. caused a change in the distribution 6 pattern, which can be understood from the critical political economic perspective. 7 Piracy made the gatekeepers around the world to think about a new form of 8 distribution, which is called online distribution started first in 1997 in North 9 America (Cunningham et al., 2010) but in Bangladesh, it has been started 15 years 10 later by Bongo in 2012. Again, Fair (2006) stated that digital technology is 11 considered to have accelerated piracy as it is easier to make clones with very little 12 loss of quality. But in Bangladesh, piracy of CD and DVD made the gatekeepers 13 to welcome new media in film distribution, but they did not yet face the problem 14 of piracy in case of online contents as it is just an emerging sector and distribution 15 sites have not yet started making their own contents which could be pirated. 16 On the other hand, the number of theatres has been started to be decreased as 17 it was counted 321 in 2016 (Roy, 2016), which was 1200 in 2005 (Hayder, 2012). 18 A key reason behind it was the scarcity of good content, which was led by the 19 internal problems of the distribution system in the last part of the 20th century. In 20 this system, there is an association for the distributors, which is also the association 21 for the producers, as it named Film Producers and Distributors Association. 22 Again, in the present time, the association is under a government administrator as 23 there is no elected executive committee. This kind of weak policy, which can be 24 understood with the third basic characteristic of the critical political economy, 25 created havoc not only in the distribution sector but also in the whole film 26 industry. Because when the distributor and producer are the same, there is no 27 compulsion for the producer to create good films as he can distribute any film he 28 wants. 29 On the other hand, distributors cannot take part in policy-making, as there is 30 no executive committee. Because of not having any spokesperson to deal with the 31 state about different kinds of policies, the decision-making power is secured only 32 by the state. Taking the chance, booking agents grew up as an intermediary force 33 determining the fate of a film as they do not hire films for the theatres based on 34 good content but star casting, glamour etc. which Khan (2017) states, film 35 distribution became hostage to the booking agents. As a result, theatres lost 36 audience attention and the business became a fact of financial loss for the owners, 37 which led them to close the theatres. Again, the environment and the service of the 38 still running theatres have been started deteriorating, which will lead those to be 39 closed in the near future. 40 To keep pace with the new generation and to come out of all the problems, 41 platforms like BongoBD, Bioscope, Iflix have started distributing films online, but 42 this type of distribution has not yet become significant as it is just an emerging 43 sector in Bangladesh. 44 Online film distribution involves a significant change in social and economic 45 relations according to Mansell (2004), where power relations can be analyzed by 46 identifying the owners and controllers of online distribution outlets (Wasko, 2014).

18 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 In Bangladesh, online distribution sites like Bioscope and Iflix are streaming as 2 video platforms of telecommunication companies like Grameenphone of Telenor, 3 a Norwegian multinational telecommunications company, and Robi Axiata 4 Limited of Axiata Group, a Malaysian telecommunications company. Bioscope is 5 run by BongoBD, which is the only Bangladeshi emerging multinational 6 subscription-based VOD service provider. BongoBD is now focusing on 7 upgrading Bioscope as it uses Grameenphone as a payment gateway. Iflix is a 8 subscription-based Malaysian VOD service, which is also attached to Robi Axiata 9 Limited to have it as a payment gateway. So, there are two types of controllers of 10 the leading online film distribution companies of Bangladesh; telecommunications 11 companies and multinational foreign and native VOD service provider companies. 12 In the case of Iflix and BongoBD, owners are multinational companies, and in the 13 case of Bioscope, the owner is a telecommunications company. However, in every 14 case, there is related a telecommunications company as distribution companies 15 need them to use as payment gateways and also the telecommunications 16 companies are trying to have control over the online distribution which Mahbub 17 (2016) indicates about a silent war which is going on among the major telecom 18 operators in Bangladesh for having the control of digital service space. As foreign 19 multinational companies are mostly investing in the sector, global capital is 20 absorbing local market here. On the other side, BongoBD, the only Bangladeshi 21 online platform is also targeting global market as Ahsan (2012) argues that there 22 are active audiences for Bangladeshi films in the different parts of the world where 23 the active audience is defined by Kehoe & Mateer (2014) as the "emergence of a 24 new group of technology-savvy consumers who primarily consume media product 25 via the Internet" (p. 99). Here, local capital like is entering into a foreign market 26 changing the direction of the flow of media materials as Bhuiyan (2002) states 27 about the expansion of multinational capital which has altered the direction of 28 global and regional flows of media materials. 29 On the other hand, festival distributors, Khona Talkies, and Indi Minds are 30 basically owned and controlled by independent filmmakers. In the beginning, they 31 started this type of distribution for participating in different film festivals with their 32 own films, and later transformed into business platforms. 33 Wasco (2014) emphasizes on the assessment of media power by the 34 discussion of class issues. Online can become a powerful medium of film 35 distribution, but it is limited to the people of an economic class who can buy a 36 device like a smartphone, tablet or personal computer and have access to the high- 37 speed internet where most of the people in Bangladesh do not have access to the 38 internet with a minimum speed (BTRC, 2019). This is an image of inequality 39 because most of the people in Bangladesh are not able to access the internet. 40 Again, inequality is found in the legislation as there is no specific policy for VOD 41 services, but traditional films have to pass through the sensor for being released. A 42 policy vacuum for which traditional distribution is in the discriminative 43 environment, suggests establishing a suitable policy for online film distribution. 44 The rise of the internet has advanced the opportunities for commodification 45 where the commodification of goods and services means transforming them into 46 commodities which are valued for their earning in the marketplace (Mosco, 2009).

19 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 Online distribution has commodified films as it made films reaching directly to the 2 audience, providing them the opportunity to watch in their suitable time but in 3 exchange for the money taken as a subscription fee. This kind of flexible business 4 promoted by new media technology is significant as it is changing the model of 5 earning revenue. 6 Spatialization, which means "the process of overcoming the constraints of 7 space in social life" (Mosco, p. 14) encompasses the process of globalization 8 which is identified by Harvey (1989) as "time-space compression", suggesting the 9 way the world is being smaller (p. 149). Because of online film distribution, the 10 audience need not going to the theatres, which consumes much time in big cities 11 like Dhaka, Chittagong due to the excessive traffic jam. Again, the audiences from 12 different parts of the world are being able to watch Bangladeshi films. Mosco 13 (2009) argues digital technology's contribution in changing the structure of 14 existing companies (p. 15), which is found by the intention of traditional 15 distributors to start online distribution as a part of the whole distribution process, 16 which will change the structure of traditional distribution companies. Pendakur 17 (1990) perceives film as the commodity by describing the film as "tangible 18 product and intangible service" (p. 39), where online distribution provides the 19 streaming service, which makes films more intangible than in the theatres. 20 Mosco (2009) describes social totality as understanding the society with a 21 holistic approach from economic, political, social, and cultural perspectives (p. 3) 22 and especially the connections between the political and economic (p. 29). 23 Traditional distribution and online distribution generate different social cultures. 24 People go to watch cinema in theatres in their leisure time, maybe with family and 25 friends, take food, do shopping etc. It becomes an avenue to get together, which 26 strengthens the social bond. However, online film distribution encourages an 27 individualistic culture where one can watch any film he wishes in his free time. It 28 works to loosen the social bond. 29 On the other hand, in the case of theatre distribution, earned money is 30 distributed among several groups of people like the producer, distributor, booking 31 agent, exhibitor. But online distribution is run by sharing revenue between the 32 content provider and the distributor which Zhu (2001) shows in his research that 33 the distribution cost is reduced with the disintermediation in the motion picture 34 value chain. Again, privatization and liberalization of telecommunication services 35 have created the opportunity for free market by providing the telecommunication 36 companies the chance to create online distribution platforms as most of the OLD 37 platforms in Bangladesh are owned and controlled by the telecommunication 38 companies. 39 A critical situation is prevailing in the distribution sector of the Bangladesh 40 Film Industry. Distributors are economically endangered, and online distribution is 41 perceived by them as a gateway to earn some additional revenue which led them 42 taking it positively as they suggested the coordination of traditional and new media 43 based film distribution process which Mosco (2009) states about the flexible 44 companies those make change in the relationships with other companies by using 45 communication and information systems like internet (p. 15). 46

20 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 Conclusion 2 3 This research tried to explore the present situation of new media based 4 film distribution in Bangladesh. It tried to see how it affected the traditional 5 film distribution system and develop a framework for an effective distribution 6 system. This research was conducted based on in-depth interviews of people 7 involved in the traditional distribution system and new media-based 8 distribution. 9 Online film distribution is a growing sector in Bangladesh. Piracy, 10 decreasing number of cinema theatres, increasing the demand of Bangladeshi 11 contents in different areas of the world, less expense in online distribution, 12 making alternative cinemas, and urges to participate in different film festivals 13 around the world made distributors using internet technologies in film 14 distribution. At present, the sector is controlled by telecommunications 15 companies. Most of the sites are started as value-added services of the mobile 16 network operators with a view to creating video streaming platforms and 17 controlling the digital service space in Bangladesh. Even though some take the 18 online distribution as a threat to theatrical distribution, the greater part of the 19 traditional film distributors perceives online distribution as supportive to the 20 film distribution system as it diminishes the cost of film distribution by 21 disintermediating booking agents and exhibitors from the distribution process 22 and increases revenue. There needs the coordination of traditional and online 23 film distribution to create an effective film distribution system, where making 24 good films and working at the policy level are essential. 25 26 Limitations 27 28 It was challenging to find out the affects of new media in film distribution, 29 as most of the traditional distributors had a hard time expressing their thoughts. 30 Additionally, only ten distributors are interviewed for the research. It would be 31 better to interview more traditional and online film distributors. Again, some 32 YouTube based distributors could be vital as respondents for the research, but 33 it was not possible to interview them as they were unavailable during the data 34 collection phase. Moreover, the research has not included audience perception 35 about the new media-based film-watching platforms. If the opinion of the 36 audience could be analyzed, it would be more comprehensive. On the other 37 hand, the research did not include the marketing strategy of online film 38 distribution, which seems needed for a better understanding of the sector. The 39 absence of previous studies in this sector in Bangladesh also made this research 40 very challenging. 41 42 Future Areas of Research 43 44 Future researchers can study the following aspects. 45 First, the researchers can assess the audience perception of online media as a 46 cinema watching platform in Bangladesh.

21 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 Second, research can be done on the marketing strategies of online 2 distributors to understand the changing trends of film marketing in the era of new 3 media. 4 Finally, a comprehensive study on the whole film distribution system of 5 Bangladesh can be done to understand the roles of stakeholders in developing an 6 effective film distribution system. 7 8 9 Acknowledgements 10 11 Thanks to Athens Institute for Education & Research for allowing to modify 12 templates they have developed. 13 14 15 References 16 17 Ahmed, S. (2010). New Media Marketing of Bollywood Movies: Making a Difference. 18 Proceedings of the Conference of Comunicacao em Debate, (pp. 545-553). Avanca, 19 Portugal. 20 Ahsan, M. S. (2007-2008). E-Participation for Developing Digital Distribution of Movies 21 in Bangladesh. The Jahangirnagar Review, XIX, 185-201. Retrieved from https://w 22 ww.researchgate.net/publication/272892393_E-Participation_for_Developing_Digi 23 tal_Distribution_of_Movies_in_Bangladesh 24 Ahsan, M. S. (2012). Integration of Digital Technology in the Film Industry of 25 Bangladesh: Readiness and Response Functions. (Doctoral dissertation, The 26 University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom). Retrieved from https:// 27 www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/api/datastream?publicationPid=uk-ac-man- 28 scw:155067&datastreamId=FULL-TEXT.PDF 29 Ahsan, M. S. (2016). Impacts of funding in digitising the Bangladesh Film Industry: 30 Challenges ahead. South Asian Popular Culture, 241-248. 31 Bangladesh Customs: National Board of Revenue. (2018, June 15). Retrieved from Duty 32 Calculator: http://www.bangladeshcustoms.gov.bd/trade_info/duty_calculator 33 Bangladesh Film Producers and Distributors Association. (2018, February 19). Retrieved 34 from Members: http://filmproducersassociation.com.bd/index.php/welcome/Member 35 s.aspx 36 Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission. (2019, February). Retrieved 37 from http://www.btrc.gov.bd/content/internet-subscribers-bangladesh-february-2019 38 Bhuiyan, A. J. (2002). The Political Economy of Mass Communication in Bangladesh. 39 The Journal of International Communication, 118-136. 40 Bordwell, D., & Thompson, K. (2008). Film Art: An Introduction (8th ed.). New York: 41 McGraw-Hill. 42 Cunningham, S., Silver, J., & McDonnell, J. (2010). Rates of change: Online distribution 43 as disruptive technology in the film industry. Media International Australia, 119-132. 44 Fair, J. (2006, August). The Impact of Digital Technology upon the Filmmaking 45 Production Process. (Master's Thesis, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland ). 46 Retrieved from https://the72project.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/thesis.pdf 47 Hardawar, D. (2012, October 2). VentureBeat. Retrieved from MoviePass debuts an 48 unlimited movie service that may just save cinemas: https://venturebeat.com/2012/10 49 /02/moviepass-theater-subscription-service/

22 2020-3843-AJMMC

1 Harvey, D. (1989). The condition of postmodernity. Oxford: Blackwell. 2 Harvey, D. (1989). The Condition of Postmodernity. Oxford: Blackwell. 3 Hayder, K. M. (2012, January). Prekkhagriho Bondher Michil. Magic Lanthan(2), 1-13. 4 Hossain, D. M. (2017). Poribeshon o Prodorshon Poddhotie Bangladesher Cholochchitrer 5 Unnoyoner Prodhan Ontoray. Bangladesh Cinema and Television Institute Journal, 6 59-75. 7 Kareem, S. S. (2017, December). Film Distribution Process In Bangladesh: Loopholes 8 And Suggestions For Establishing An Effective Distribution System. IOSR Journal 9 of Humanities and Social Science (IOSR-JHSS), 22(12), 57-62. doi:10.9790/0837-22 10 12085762 11 Kehoe, K., & Mateer, J. (2015). The Impact of Digital Technology on the Distribution 12 Value Chain Model of Independent Feature Films in the UK. International Journal 13 on Media Management, 93-108. 14 Khan, A. R. (2017). Cholochchitrer Poribeshonay Buddhibrittik Shunnota Ebong 15 Uttoroner Somvabbo Upay. Magic Lanthan, 74-85. 16 Lister, M., Dovey, J., Giddings, S., Grant, I., & Kelly, K. (2009). NEW MEDIA A 17 CRITICAL INTRODUCTION (Second ed.). New York: Routledge. 18 Mahbub, I. (2016, September 18). GP Quietly Launched Video Streaming Service 19 Bioscope. Retrieved from Future Startup: https://futurestartup.com/2016/09/18/gp- 20 quietly-launched-video-streaming-service-bioscope/ 21 Mansell, R. (2004). Political Economy, Power and New Media. New Media & Society, 22 6(1), 96-105. doi:10.1177/1461444804039910 23 McMullan, J. (2017). A new understanding of 'New Media': Online platforms as digital 24 mediums. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media 25 Technologies. 26 Mosco, V. (2009). The Political Economy of Communication. London: Sage Publications 27 Ltd. 28 Moscow, V. (2009). The Political Economy of Communication. London: Sage Publications 29 Ltd. 30 Neese, B. (2016, February 15). What Is New Media. Retrieved from SOUTHEASTERN 31 UNIVERSITY Online Learning: http://online.seu.edu/what-is-new-media/ 32 Nime, N. M. (2012). The Impact of Digital Technology on Documentary Distribution. 33 Retrieved from British Library-EThOS e-thesis online service: http://ethos.bl.uk/Or 34 derDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.589008 35 Parks, S. (2007). The insider's Guide To Independent Film Distribution. Waltham, 36 Massachusetts: Focal Press. 37 Pendakur, M. (1990). Canadian Dreams and American Control: The Political Economy of 38 the Canadian Film Industry. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. 39 Roy, N. (2016, April 23). The death of cinemas in Bangladesh. Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 40 from http://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/2016/04/23/death-cinemas-banglade 41 sh/ 42 Wasko, J. (2004). The Political Economy of Film. In T. Miller, & R. Stam, A Companion 43 to Film Theory (pp. 221-233). Malden: Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 44 Wasko, J. (2014). The study of the political economy of the media in the twenty-first 45 century. International Journal of Media & Cultural Politics, 10, 259-271. doi:0.1386/ 46 macp.10.3.259_1 47 Yin, R. K. (1984). Case Study Research: Design and Methods. London: Sage Publications. 48 Zhu, K. (2001). Internet-based Distribution of Digital Videos: The Economic Impacts of 49 Digitization on the Motion Picture Industry. Electronic Markets, 11(4), 273-280. doi: 50 10.1080/101967801753405562 51