Step Over to the Asian Side Yves Jeanneau Reveals That the Future of Documentary Points to Asia a Dynamic Professional Directory &Network Tool

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March/April 2013 | Vol. 011 www.mediahubaccess.com INTERVIEW Alexandre Muller, Managing Director discusses new media developments at TV5Monde Asia COMPANY FOCUS CEO, Francois-Xavier Poirier, gives a glimpse of the stories behind the laughs at Novovision

Step over to the Asian side Yves Jeanneau reveals that the future of documentary points to Asia A dynamic professional directory &network tool

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mediahubaccess.com EDITORIAL

Director of Publication ransitions can be daunting. Al- as a prominent stop for producers Dimitri Mendjisky though most of the time it is a and documentary makers, the progression towards something time has arrived to step over to General Manager T better, not all of us are ready to the Asian side! Juliette Vivier embrace the change that follows. But, a transition is an important In our Interview of the month, EDITORIAL facet to a musical arrangement; TV5Monde’s Managing Direc- Editor-In-Chief a smooth segue from one move- tor, Alexandre Muller, is all about Suzane Avadiar ment to another is as vital as each the growth within the company.

note in that movement. So, when TV5Monde Asia is not simply ex- Editorial Designer we choose to look at it from this panding; it is making significant Kevin SJ Francis optimistic juncture – transitions are developments that will revolution- Editorial Assistant far from scary; in fact, we realise ize how they serve their audience. Amanina Nazari that it is downright essential. Here Our Company Focus, Novovision at Mediahub, we are undergoing is no different; in fact they have OPERATIONS & SALES changes of our own – one that we been on the trail of transforma- Operation Manager are proud to embrace and eager tion for almost a decade now and Shelley Mc Morrow to share with you. show no signs of slowing down. Armed with a proven business Business Development Our B2B platform at www.media- model and laughter as their tool, Manager hubaccess.com boasts a fresh they clearly have a winning com- Frédéric Alliod look, as does this very magazine. bination. Francois-Xavier Poirier, Within the pages of this issue, you’ll CEO of Novovision, is positively Advertising & Sales discover a new design and layout convinced that the company’s Officer and that is just the tip of the ice- focus, direction, and production Shalini Kalimuthu berg. Over the next few months, team are going to take them fur- we plan to incorporate innovative ther in their goals for expansion. FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION stories and a shift in our content Chief Finance Officer to allow this internal progression While the thread of transition William Tan to better serve you our readers seamlessly runs through every and members. I encourage you region of each article in this issue, Finance Executive to interact with us and give your the biggest transformation is Lim Hsioh Yin feedback and thoughts about our happening right here in Malaysia,

new look, and also perhaps about where Mediahub is based. As the Office Administrator what will benefit you as a reader of General Elections draws close, Haliza Ahmad Mediahub Mag. You can drop me it is not a mere metamorphosis in IT DEVELOPMENT a line at savadiar@mediahubac- political powers and governance Lead Developer cess.com or any other member of that is in place but a shift in the Mohammad Norhizam our team listed in the next column. attitudes and expectations of all Omar It’s time to get personal! Malaysians. Regardless of where the power of governance falls, Senior Pragrammer In this issue, Our Special Report is change is clearly inevitable and Foo Seong Kin very much aligned with this same very much anticipated. And, this theme. The recent Asian Side of time around, more than ever, the the Doc (ASD) that was held in people of this nation are unafraid PUBLISHED BY Kuala Lumpur last month was a to stipulate exactly the sort of Mediahub Asia Pac clear revelation of the direction change they want. Holdings Sdn Bhd (Formerly known as of independent documentaries. Within each bold The Global Media Centre According to Yves Jeanneau, the clamour of every for Development Sdn Bhd) founder of Sunny Side of the Doc, citizen who yearns Suite C-703, Level 7 the development of documenta- for a better Malay- Center Wing Metropolitan Square ries in Asia is not merely growing, sia lies a very Jalan PJU 8/1 “it is exploding!” He goes on to as- thriving hope. This Damansara Perdana sert that there is a clear shift in the alone, makes any 47830 Petaling Jaya geographical hub of documen- transition worthy Suzane Avadiar Selangor, Malaysia taries. Where Europe once served to run its course. ■ Editor-In-Chief 3 footage and programs n one century of images and sounds n easy online access, viewing and creating clips n Unique and dedicated salesperson n Highly secured and reliable rights management n fast delivery system inamediapro.com : all you need ina single place CONTENTS

10 6

6 INTERVIEW TV5 Monde connects Asia in French.

10 COMPANY FOCUS Novovision shares more than just laughs.

18 15 TOP 10 Highlights of the most watched Mediahub trailers for March 2013.

18 SPECIAL REPORT Step over to the Asian Side of the Dock.

24 NEWS ITU releases latest global technology development figures.26 Fashion One share their expertise at the United Nations. 26 Novovision strikes a co-production deal with Greymatter Entertainment. 27 Deutsche Welle takes Beethovenfest to the world. 27 Japanese Hide and Seek finds its way to US.28 Cinderella ballet spins to global digital cinemas. 28 A new cartoon aggregator on YouTube.

29 AGENDA Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, 134th AES International Convention, INPUT, A ES Brasil Expo, Festival De Cannes, and Connected TV World Summit.

5 INTERVIEW

TV5MONDE connects Asia in French Mr. Alexandre Muller, Managing Director of TV5Monde Asia-Pacific discusses with Mediahub Mag about the strategic expansion of the company within the region and reveals new media developments in Asia Pacific that could significantly revolutionize how they serve their audience.

Can you please discuss with us there is significant demand from ward to growing our business in TV5Monde objectives in Asia subscribers for quality TV enter- those markets. We also launched Pacific? tainment. on M4TV (Forever Group) in Like any other pay-TV network, Myanmar and AnVien (AVG) in our objective is to grow our dis- Could you please share with us Vietnam; renewed and extended tribution, our revenues, and our the main profile of your audience our carriage agreement with viewership for all our channels in the Asia Pacific region? TelkomVision in Indonesia; and around the world. In particular, Our target audience in Asia- we are finalizing deals with PeoTV the pay-TV industry in Asia-Pacific Pacific are Francophiles [i.e. (SLT) in Sri Lanka, Viettel in Vietnam, has tremendous potential for those who have an interest in and FBC TV in Fiji. All in all, these growth so our regional objectives France and its culture], rather deals account for over 1.2 million are ambitious. than strictly Francophones [i.e. additional pay-tv subscribers. those who speak French], from Our two regional channels now social economic segments A/B Within the framework of your cur- gather more than 30 million and aged between 25 and 44. rent and upcoming new ven- paying subscribers in 42 Asian A typical viewer is likely to be tures, how is TV5Monde content markets – up by 88% over the an Asian female with a strong broadcast? Which platforms, such past 5 years – and we still see a disposable income, an interest as IPTV, Cable, Satellite, and lot of room for growth across the in French culture, and someone Internet, are most used? Are your region, in developed markets like who appreciates refined taste in channels delivered under a pay- Australia or Japan, in developing entertainment and lifestyle. package or are they provided markets like Indonesia, Vietnam, or free? Thailand, and emerging markets Please discuss some of the new Asia-Pacific is a vast, heteroge- like Myanmar, Bangladesh or ventures and agreements that neous region comprising markets Nepal. We’re very optimistic for are currently underway between with different levels of advance- the future. TV5Monde and the various ment in communications tech- networks/media players in Asia nology and infrastructure, so it What are some of the challenges Pacific? would not make sense to have a you face in this region? We are constantly expanding one-regional strategy and one The biggest challenge for us is to our footprint across the region. In preference in terms of platforms. help platforms understand that recent weeks, we were granted We provide our channels on all our channels reach far beyond landing rights in Nepal and we platforms with a variety of busi- the community of French or expect the same in Kazakhstan ness models from basic package European expatriates, and that very soon, so we’re looking for- to a-la-carte, with a view to find, 6 in each market, the best way to reach our target audience and satisfy our business partners.

Are there plans for additional channels or changes in the direction of your content? We will progressively switch all our channels to HD starting from June this year, and we are also looking to provide thematic channels to complement the flagship general-entertainment channels. We launched a kids channel in the US last January called TiVi5Monde and we are now exploring opportunities for this new channel in Asia-Pacific, and possibly other genres as well.

TV5Monde channels are mostly distributed – do you also distribute your contents by programs only? We do not syndicate our programs at this point, to focus on growing our revenues from linear channels, but we are exploring opportunities to start offering our content on a non-linear basis in the near future as well.

Are all your programs subtitled? If no, what is the percentage of your programs that are subtitled? 7 INTERVIEW

In the first phase of the roll-out this month, users will have access to our live channels on their Mac or PC, anywhere in their region with one user ID.

In the second phase this sum- mer, on-demand programs will be added to the offer, and in the third phase (in Q4 of 2013) the application will become truly 360º with the launch of a ‘Player’ mobile app fully compatible with any connected TV. The real revolution behind the ‘Player’ is its technology. Existing OTT solutions on the market today are all streaming services, whereas our new ‘TV5MONDE Player’ will use In Asia-Pacific our channels are free services are not accessible the multicast hybrid technology. subtitled on average 8 to 10 and instead we are finalizing a hours per day, with a focus on brand new 360º viewing solution This represents a big win-win op- movies, lifestyle, documentaries, that will enable us to reach out to portunity for the end user and and discovery magazines. This new subscribers without compet- the channel: the former enjoys a covers all our access – primetime, ing with our affiliates. better picture quality with lower prime-time, and late night pro- download speeds compared gramming, and more. Are there any new media devel- to traditional streaming, and opments to offer your programs the latter can better control its Do you have any plans to extend on mobile devices such as iPads technical costs because they’re TV5Monde content into other and Androids in this region or a fixed costs no matter how many languages? dedicated WebTV for Asia? users are on the network [i.e. with Today, in Asia-Pacific, we pro- Our in-house over-the-top service streaming solutions, the server vide subtitles in English, Japa- called ‘TV5MONDE Player’ starts and bandwidth costs are propor- nese, Korean, Vietnamese, and rolling out next month. The ‘TV- tional to the number of users]. Ac- French. We are actively working 5MONDE Player’ desktop applica- tually, the more users watching at to launch subtitles in traditional tion will offer two levels of service: any one time, the better! Chinese next year, and possibly a free offer with features such as Bahasa Indonesia as well. choice of subtitles, social media Could you please share with us integration and programming how TV5Monde existing objec- TV5Monde is currently offering guide, and a premium subscrip- tives and direction align with catch-up TV, VOD, and live events tion offer with a range of value- your new role at CASBAA? on Facebook and Twitter free of added features like full-screen I see my election as recognition charge. Do you have any other viewing and access to a cata- by the industry of our involvement new developments scheduled logue of on-demand programs. in and support of CASBAA’s initia- in 2013? tives over the years. I don’t see These developments are pri- In markets where TV5MONDE any direct correlation between marily meant for regions of the channels have little, or no access my new role at CASBAA’s Board world where our viewers already on cable or satellite, this system will of Directors and the strategies have access to their TV5MONDE enable us to serve prospect sub- we implement at TV5MONDE. channel free-of-charge, mostly scribers directly. But to make sure The members of the Board and in Africa and the Middle East. we do not cannibalize our exist- of the Council of Governors have In Asia-Pacific, we adopted a ing distribution on Cabsat in other an obligation to rise above each different approach in keeping markets, we are in discussion with individual company’s agenda, with our premium positioning, to our platform partners to offer the to see the bigger picture and set carefully preserve the interests ‘Player’ to our existing subscribers goals and priorities for all of the of our platform partners. These as a complimentary service. 130 members of the association. ■ 8

COMPANY FOCUS

Novovision shares more than just laughs 10 Founder and CEO, Francois-Xavier Poirier gives a glimpse of the stories behind the laughs at Novovision

hen Francois-Xavier Po- venture. Nothing was certain but irier walked away from he chose to press on with valu- Wa thriving career in Wall able tools, skills and expertise he Street to make laughter his full- learnt in his former career. “In time business, he was well-armed Wall Street, I learnt the rigor of with a genuine “passion for Finance. It surely helped me a lot gags and laughter”. His choice in founding and developing No- of building a new career in the vovision as I was starting off. Be- genre of non-verbal comedy ing as structured and organized and hidden camera was a natu- was essential at first, but more ral one. “Laughing and joking than anything, nothing ventured, has always been part of my DNA. nothing gained!” As I was working at Wall Street, I always took great pleasure joking Today, Novovision has become with my colleagues. Since child- the leader provider of funny clips hood, I’ve always loved that and from a recipe that Poirier believes I knew, from the start, it had to be has worked out pretty well. Over more than just a hobby; I would the last decade, Novovision has make a business out of what I expanded and grown globally, liked,” said Poirier. far beyond Poirier’s intended vision. More recently, Novovision Having always been a big fan signed a co-production deal with of Harold Lloyd, Charlie Chaplin, a Mumbai-based production Buster Keaton, Allen Funt, and his company, Greymatter Entertain- good friend Pierre Girard from ment, for a new range of candid Just For Laughs, Poirier decided camera shows in the Junior Hid- to move forward from Wall Street den Camera series. “Greymatter back to Paris after the September brings us great professionalism 11 events, and turned a per- and the sense of humour that is a sonal pleasurable activity into core part of Indian culture,” said a global business activity, and Poirier. subsequently, Novovision was born. “I consider myself being a “A co-production like this reflects self-taught person. The first thing our wish to continually innovate is a little improvisation but the key and renew the genre, and to point remains the taste for hu- adapt it to regional audiences, mour and fun. You have to love building on our decade of ex- to be laughing at yourself first be- perience in the hidden camera fore starting to laugh and making field,” he added. As part of the jokes at others,” he added. agreement, a total of 1,200 gags will be filmed locally with Indian Despite the clear passion and participants. The deal continues vision, Poirier still took a gamble to expand Novovision’s growth as he stepped into a brand new in the Indian sub-continent and 11 COMPANY FOCUS further underlines their popularity with comedy shows in the Asia Pacific region, where sales have In Wall Street, I totalled over 50%. learnt‘‘ the rigor of Finance. It Programming that Works surely helped me Novovision’s non-verbal pro- a lot in founding grammes are very successful and and developing are broadcast in various formats, Novovision as I such as a full-length show or a was starting off. short segment. The secret of their Being as structured success is a very simple one; they and organized was are always funny, non-dialogue, non-violent, and aimed to attract essential at first, a family audience. Furthermore, but more than these programmes are complete- anything, nothing ly adapted to be part of a compi- ventured, nothing lation or stand-alone. “This is why gained! they are adapted to an extremely large and multicultural audience. We have 10 years of unique expertise in that niche programming and the permanent renewal of portance. Currently, Novovision’s our catalogue is a sign of quality, programmes are’’ mostly broad- of sustainability, and of success, cast on TV, although they do try as well as a guarantee of quality and stay current new trends and for our clients,” said Poirier. developments. Through the use of Social Medias such as, Face- Along with their expertise in this book, LinkedIn, and YouTube, favoured format, catering to their Novovision constantly embraces clients’ needs is also of high im- new platforms to stay in touch with their community. In fact, an increasing number of their clients constantly ask for mobile content on smartphones and tablets. However, specific content that Novovision produces, such as short humoristic programmes, are already particularly well-adapted is self-produced; especially all the for the web. candid camera segments, but to further expand on their program- Staying abreast with latest devel- ming, Novovision has also created opment and mastering such a an acquisitions department. niche market alone is not enough to keep Novovision ahead in the “We have around 30 partners game. The key to keeping the around the world, such as in Por- dream alive also lies in constantly tugal, Lithuania, and USA and we sourcing and providing new are always looking for more part- materials. Currently, Novo- ners to provide us with a lot of vision focuses largely on very valuable content. We have family entertainment beaters everywhere, always that includes Candid searching for shorter, punchier, of Cameras, Home Vid- better quality programmes. This is eos, Extreme Sport how, for example, we have cre- Bloopers, and Script- ated our brand new series based Francois-Xavier Poirier, ed Sketches. A ma- upon animation, Pop Toon,” Founder and CEO of Novovision jority of their content Poirier said. 12 A Dream Team a certain number of co-productions. This is where the collective According to Poirier, Novovi- We always try to experience and expertise avail- sion’s production team con- take the‘‘ best out of able at Novovision comes into stantly evolves to cater to specif- everyone to create play with great success. The team ic demands. The team changes a solid and efficient is literally concocted of expertise when they have to produce team spirit in a from all over the world, speaking advertising clips through media over 15 languages. “We always agencies. “Today, people are young and dynamic try to take the best out of every- looking for edgy or educational structure one to create a solid and efficient content. Some of our clients team spirit in a young and dy- request funny but also good namic structure,” Poirier added. value oriented gags. By adapting the length of our content, Moreover, the team also takes It does seem that the diversity which requires creativity in terms into account the’’ desire for cer- that is available at Novovision of script writing and shooting tain countries, such as those from almost resembles a dream team. process, we guarantee the qual- south-east Asia, to broadcast their They possess what is most impor- ity of each program provided,” programs with local connotations, tant to make it in this business, he added. and this usually results in setting up which is, very simply, a set of pro- 13 COMPANY FOCUS

fessionals, who are skilled in the ness in humour is how effective hidden camera field. “The most of a tool it is when promoting important thing is the comedian Humour is a viral brands. who is the conductor of the gag. vector.‘‘ Thanks to His role is essential; he has to laughter, we are According to Poirier, “developing manage the cameras, the prank, able to appeal to a concept or an idea when smil- and unexpected incidents that a large audience ing is always the most efficient may take place, all while keep- way” and as such, using humour ing the prank under control,” with a non-invasive around brands is an inevitable Poirier said. message success. When integrating a promotion of brands into their A Model of Success programs, Poirier said the team begins with a brief from the cli- After all is said and done, no one Novovision has managed to find ent, and then proceed to write can dispute that Novovision has that perfect formula’’ to inte- a script based on the client’s been more than successful in set- grate their client’s content into needs. A scenario is then created ting out to achieve its initial dream; a myriad of line-ups in a taste- and subsequently production all based on a business model that ful manner that proves to be a begins after validation from the has created quite a demand in crowd pleaser time and again. specific brand. The main idea Europe and beyond. “We have a Their content is viewed globally is to underline the added-value model that allows us to share years and their business model has of a product or a service, and of experience in the production also shown to be successful in the video that is created gives of a program that looks so obvi- Asia. “We have a lot of clients in the brand an absolute positive ous at first sight, yet turns out to be this part of the world and they vector. “Humour is a viral vector. a nightmare to produce if you do love our content: 50% of our Thanks to laughter, we are able not know the key elements that turnover comes from this part to appeal to a large audience makes a great hidden camera of the world,” Poirier added. with a non-invasive message,” prank,” Poirier said. Another winning result of a busi- Poirier said. ■ 14 TOP 10 MOST VIEWED PROGRAMS ON MEDIAHUB ACCESS

CHECK OUT THIS MONTH’S TOP PROGRAMS

Goldman Sachs by Newen Distribution

Established in 1868, Goldman Sachs is an American investment bank that has carved out its reputation and success by working silently behind the scenes. Despite being accused of myriad charges: playing a key role in the subprime loan fiasco, pushing several of its competi- tors into bankruptcy, helping countries like Greece hide their deficits before speculating on their downfall, and precipitating the fall of the Euro, Goldman Sachs is now more than a bank, as it grows more powerful than ever. This compelling film gathers former employees, rival bankers, politicians, financial regulators, economists, and journalists to unveil the true story behind the most secretive bank that leads the world.

Rise of Man by France Televisions Distribution

Under the Grill by Flame Distribution

Under the Grill challenges an Australian celebrity chef, Sean Connolly to design, staff, and open an award-winning restaurant in one of the three premier venues in Federal Street, Auckland – just in time for the kick-off of the Rugby World Cup. With no kitchen, no staff, no food, no final design, and only 4 million dollars, Sean has just 100 days to create a glamorous new dining experience, in time to capitalize on the rush of over 80,000 From the first village to the first city and from a nomadic tourists to New Zealand for the world’s existence to sophisticated urban lifestyles, the Rise of third largest sporting event. Under the Grill Man documents the development of human civilisation, takes you behind the scenes, alongside from its earliest origins until the society that is now ours. the creativity and construction, of what will Directed by the creators of Species Odyssey and Homo- become the ‘new place to be’ – all in just sapiens, this final chapter of mankind is available in two three months! episodes of 90 minutes. 15 TOP 10 MOST VIEWED PROGRAMS ON MEDIAHUB ACCESS

The Fall of the Divine Elephant by 10 Francs

Thailand’s elephants are sacred, especially the white elephants, as they symbolise the royal power. The locals believe the more elephants the King has, the greater his standing. Thus, white elephants are placed in the royal palace and are given special care and food. On the other hand, since the banning of logging activities in Thailand, in 1990, the ordinary Asian grey elephants, which are used heavily in the logging industry, have been turned into circus animals for the pleasure of tourists. The Fall of the Divine Elephant features comparison between the pampered lives of the sacred white elephant and the ordinary grey elephant that has to strug- gle for survival by begging in the streets to make a living.

She is Not Crying, She is Singing Dream Town by CHINAnimax by Insomnia

This brilliant 3D/CG-animated cartoon series, Dream Town, a CHINAnimax production, portrays a community of animals who live in harmony, as they work and play together in a beautiful forest by a pond. Dream Town follows the tale of two little mice, Princess Mimi and her neighbour, Dou-Dou. Though they often argue over the smallest thing, they still end up do- ing great things together. Meanwhile, there’s Ata, the (not so) evil mice. He can perform magic but somehow fails to get it right and in the end, Ata promises to turn over a new leaf – that is, until the next episode.

27-year old Laura was sexually abused by her father and since then, her past has always haunted her. One day, Laura receives news that her father has been in a serious car accident and she decides to visit him in a mission to seek revenge. Laura reveals her feelings to her father whilst he is in a coma. Whether or not her father hears her, recognizes his faults, is punished and condemned, it does not change the fact that Laura is the only one who can heal her wounds. Laura eventually reconciles with her past and recovers her integrity. 16 Surviving Progress by National Film Board of Canada Intérieurs by Only Lifestyle Inspired by a bestselling non-fiction book entitled ‘A short history of progress’ by Ronald Wright, Surviving Progress examines risks that mankind pose to survive in this current state of human civilisation. Standing in the way are “progress traps” – the financial collapse, Intérieurs is a TV magazine made growing inequity, and of 160 episodes surrounding the Wall Street oligarchy, interior design and the opulence with future technology, of the European Lifestyle. Each sustainability, and the fate episode has five segments, which of civilization. The film is include Amazing Homes, Places structured as a series of To Be, Relooking, Deco Lessons, interviews that feature and Travels. It is produced by some of the world’s great Paris-based company, Only contemporary thinkers, Lifestyle, the European leader in which include, Jane lifestyle distribution, with a cata- Goodall, Margaret Atwood, logue of 2000 hours of program- David Suzuki, and Stephen ming that range from ecology to Hawking. gastronomy, as well as travel.

Grenadine and Peppermint by Cyber Group Studios

Whatever Happened To? By Ampersand Limited

Ever wondered what happened to your favourite TV and films stars of the 80’s and 90’s? Where are they now and what have they been up to? Get all your questions answered in Whatever happened to? Pre- Living in the cold extreme weather does not limit Grenadine, sented in biography style, the show a little Eskimo girl seeking new adventures. Joining her esca- revisits the roles that made them pades is her best friend, Peppermint the Penguin, who has all famous and legendary. Discover the the right stuff to serve as her superhero and keep her moti- emotional and inspiring stories of vated. Grenadine’s energetic personality and curious mind al- how they began their careers, what ways leads to mischief! A production designed for pre-school- made them famous, and the various ers, Grenadine and Peppermint is an animated series, based misfortunes they endured. on the Editions Milan books by Colonel Moutarde. 17 SPECIAL REPORT

Yves Jeanneau, founder of Sunny Side of the Doc, shares his thoughts and optimism about the revival of documentaries; the future of which, seem to point to Asia. STEP OVER TO THE ASIAN SIDE ocumentaries are a tricky According to Jeanneau, in 1989, genre and 25 years ago, documentary was very weak Dthey were downright risky as a genre in Europe and there business. Yves Jeanneau knew were very few independent this all to well, having been in the producers and co-productions. documentary business for close Public TV stations were so strong to 35 years. His repertoire and that they were all producing credits have included, filmmaker, in-house for their own territories distributor, Head of Documen- and audience. They didn’t really tary at France 2, and producer see the need to reach outside of several documentaries within their pool of talents. Jeanneau Telfrance Group, including the thought otherwise and was award-winning, Jean-Xavier de compelled to right a situation Lestrade’s “Murder on a Sunday that he felt was wrong because Morning”, that won the 2002 independent producers were the Oscar for best feature documen- ones who brought fresh, creative, tary. He is, quite simply, an expert and original points of view. “I also in this field. However, Jeanneau thought that good documenta- the man and artist, is far from ries can travel the world because simple. His ideas and visions are they are very specific; that’s not grandiose, and 25 years ago he true for drama but perhaps more had a dream to resuscitate the true for animation and cartoon. dying art of documentary. But documentaries can travel the 18 “I really wanted to see the sunny side – not the dark, or world pretty easily because they grow, professionalise themselves, hard side of making are a way to discover and un- and to give them the keys, skills, a documentary. Let’s derstand the world and to share and tips to make films that could stories,” Jeanneau said. more easily be co-produced and go to the sunny side, travel globally. He began toying let’s go to the good Jeanneau had an understanding with the idea of Latin Side of the stories and give hope, and felt it was necessary to cre- Doc, but at the very same time, ate a place and time where the turned his attention to Asia. He expertise and share documentary community from was already co-producing with experiences, so people all over the world could meet, ex- Asia at that time and could see can learn from each change, discuss, and help each the potential in the region. He felt other create a market place, Asia bore the same need as Latin other. It was a very which didn’t exist at that time. America, although it was not as democratic dream” This was the sole reason for creat- obvious five years before. Still, he – Yves Jeanneau ing Sunny Side of the Doc and had a premonition, chose to pay he chose that name to infuse a heed, and began developing little optimism to the fragile art of both Latin Side and Asian Side of documentary. “I really wanted to the Doc (ASD), at the same time. see the sunny side – not the dark, or hard side of making a docu- So, the first event for both regions mentary. Let’s go to the sunny took place four years ago and side, let’s go to the good stories in just four years, the Asian Side and give hope, expertise and has grown significantly. At the share experiences, so people first ASD, there were less than can learn from each other. It was 200 people in Hong Kong. The a very democratic dream,” he following year, there were 400 recalls. participants in Seoul, the next event in Tokyo brought in 450, It worked wonderfully and with and this year in Kuala Lumpur, time, Sunny Side was established as the marketplace where broadcasters, producers, filmmakers, distributors, new tech- nologies, and new media from five continents convene together for a sole purpose. But, Jean- neau was far from done. He was a visionary; one whose visions continued to grow and reach far beyond borders.

A Vision Beyond Borders

Jeanneau had good knowledge of Latin America and had been helping people from documentary associations in the region to organize various training events. This involvement made him realise that it was necessary to create another time and place in South America to help them 19 SPECIAL REPORT

Thomas Ellis Marek Mackovic Shirley Abraham

“In a mega event, there were over 500 participants. for Sugar. Abraham had recently it is very fruitful The promising aspect to this won the Best Project Award at growth is that now, almost all the Docedge Kolkata, a pitching to sit down with Asian countries are participating. forum in India, and was invited commissioning editors The 4th Asian Side of the Doc in to participate at ASD, much to and other decision Kuala Lumpur, which was jointly her delight. “In a mega event, organized by Sunny Side of the it is very fruitful to sit down with makers in a defined Doc and Bang Singapore, with commissioning editors and other time with the definite support from Malaysian National decision makers in a defined time purpose of discussing Film Development Corporation with the definite purpose of dis- (FINAS) saw an increase in num- cussing the film. The one-to-one the film. The one-to- bers with the participation of sessions were beneficial to me. one sessions were various countries including, India, One can never know enough beneficial to me” Kenya, the Maldives, and Chile. about this beguiling yet exciting Overall there were 510 Partici- world of film festivals, broadcast, – Shirley Abraham pants from 43 countries, including and new media – and so, every- 104 decision-makers. There were thing that I learnt – be it about also 13 new counties attending: potential partners, slots, pitching, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Indone- co-production, distribution, mar- sia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Maldives, keting – is valuable. I came away Pakistan, Iran, Thailand, Lebanon, enriched,” Abraham said. UAE, Chile, and Kenya. This continual growth of ASD is so This expansion and additional astounding that Jeanneau can participation served well for Shir- see this event occurring twice in ley Abraham, a producer from a year. “It is exploding! I never Pickle Jar in India, who bagged would have bet that in just four the Jury’s Special Award this year years, this would become such for her documentary, Like Ants a recognized event,” Jeanneau 20 And the winners are... Best International Pitch Love Is Not A Crime Babel Press, Thomas Ellis – UK

Best Video Pitch (Docs In Progress) – Sponsored by Sunny Side Okwhan: Mission Impossible Filmpark Production, Marek Mackovic – Slovakia

Jury’s Special Award Like Ants for Sugar Pickle Jar, Shirley Abraham – India

Best Malaysian Pitch– Sponsored by Crossing Borders Borneo Punk Rock Matavia Reka Sdn Bhd, Ilana Nadira – Malaysia Ilana Nadira Lydia Lubon Second Prize The Gold Detective said. He views ASD as a learning of these channels to develop my Rack Focus Films Sdn Bhd, event but also a business event, pitch further to possibly get the Lydia Lubon/Ahmad Puad where a lot of businesses take show up on the channel. So that is Ahmad Yazid – Malaysia place. It is also a way for Asian very exciting,” Lubon added. countries to understand what Best Asian Pitch - Sponsored they can do and accomplish Clearly, the growth of ASD is not by the French Embassy when they become professional merely in numbers. Jeanneau Please Remember Me with their craft. Lydia Lubon, a asserts he also sees a distinct Shape Pictures, Zhao Qing/ Malaysian Producer from Rack improvement in the quality of the Violet Fang – China Focus Films Sdn. Bhd., who documentaries pitched at the pitched a documentary called, event. Five years ago, he was not The international jury was The Gold Detective, echoes at all aware of the documentary composed of: Jeanneau’s sentiments. scene in Indonesia or Malaysia, Charlotte Gry Madsen and the documentary makers he (DR TV, Denmark) “The opportunity to pitch my encountered from Korea, China, Ann Julienne project in front of a room full of and Japan barely spoke English. (France Télévisions, France) industry people and network Today, they all stand alongside Paul Lewis executives, is an experience most their peers from all over the (Discovery Channel, Canada) documentary filmmakers in the world at an international event Joseph Maxwell world would pay A LOT of money and pitch confidently with much (SBS TV, Australia) to be able to have,” Lubon said. success. Jeanneau says that Her documentary went on to win the documentary makers in this Choy Lin Mok the 2nd Prize in the Best Malaysian region are not only growing but (Mediacorp Pte Ltd, Singapore) Pitch category, which she says also going against the grain to Sakura Ono was well received by the very find new ways to tell their story. It (NHK, Japan) channels she was targeting. “His- is inspiring to say the least. Prof. Dr. Asiah Sarji tory and Discovery channel ex- (Finas, Malaysia) ecutives gave me great feedback According to Marek Mackovic, a Ganesan Sudheer and I’m currently working with one producer from Filmpark Produc- (AETN 18, India) 21 SPECIAL REPORT

Mackovic said. Although he was not able to raise the funds he needed yet, he raised awareness about his project and feels that winning the Best Doc-In-Progress award at ASD gave him credibil- ity to explore new opportunities. “The one-to-one sessions with the decision-makers were like talking to friends that are there to help you. We learned more about possibilities of the market,” Mackovic said.

There is clearly a lot of talent and the best way to improve is to meet with other professionals to exchange thoughts, ideas, and experience, while also gaining an understanding of the global market. “This, I feel, is one of the positive aspects of globalization – its direct impact and benefit to documentary market,” Jeanneau said. “I can bet that in the near future, the circuit will not pass “I can bet that in tion in Slovakia, who won Best through Europe anymore and will the near future, the Video Pitch (Docs-In-Progress) for travel directly from Asia to Latin his documentary, Okwhan: America or even Africa,” he add- circuit will not pass Mission Impossible, what helped ed. With the growing success of through Europe him personally as a Director of Sunny Side, Latin Side, and Asian anymore and will this movie was the video-pitch. “I Side, one can assume that Jean- was able to sit among the profes- neau is ready to take a pause, travel directly from sionals from all around the world or perhaps even stop. However, Asia to Latin America and see the reactions, to see given his track record, that would or even Africa” what works and what doesn’t. simply be a spurious supposition. From our discussions with the Jeanneau’s ambitious visions and – Yves Jeanneau people afterwards, we noticed ideas are still brewing with future some aspects, which we can plans, and it looks like they could add to the film to make it more be spilling over to the Middle East dramatic and I believe, better.” side of the globe. Who knows? ■ 22 BEST ASIAN Please Remember Me PITCH Shape Pictures, China, Director: Zhao Qing, Producer: Violet Du Feng

Was this your first time participating at Asian At ASD, everyone agreed with my proposal and Side of the Doc? Why did you choose to through this film they understood the emotional participate? life of the elderly living in such a special era. This is my first time participating in ASD. In 2012, I participated in the CNEX Chinese Doc Did you manage to raise the funds needed to Forum (CCDF), held in Taiwan, and was the complete your project? Or other professional Best Proposal. I was then recommended to interests that will help your project move participate in the ASD, which allowed me to forward? see the different cultural backgrounds of vari- We are in discussion with some people who are ous countries and realise that documentary particularly interested in our project, whom we content is rich and beneficial, especially in met from ASD including LIC China and Shang- Asian countries. hai Media Group and Asian Cinema Fund.

How was your project received? Did you How valuable were your one-to-one sessions? receive constructive criticism that helped you My proposal was pitched on the last day, which with the project that you pitched? made it impossible to participate in the one-to- My proposal “Please Remember Me” won “Best one sessions. Asian Side of the Doc Project”, which is an hon- our. My proposal caused a certain resonance in Did you manage to secure any pre-acquisitions the minds of many people. Different countries, for discussion regarding your project? different ethnic groups have different manifes- Not at the moment, but Shanghai Media Group tations of “love”, “love” is the common theme of is interested and we are now following-up with humanity. them.

My grandparents experienced a different Were you able to expand your professional generation of China throughout their lives. They network here at ASD? were impacted by Chinese Confucian culture Sure. ASD is a professional documentary ex- since childhood, which allowed them to face ill- change platform and there are so many me- ness and death with their special understanding dia and documentary film festivals around the and expression of “love”. world that also participate in ASD. 23 NEWS ITU releases latest global technology development figures The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has estimated that 2.7 billion people representing 39% of the world’s population will be using the Internet by end of 2013.

nternational Telecommunica- tion Union (ITU) has recently I released new figures that confirm strong sustained demand for information and communication technology (ICT) services, with uptake spurred by a steady outpacing Asia and the Pacific solution, and we must continue to fall in the price of broadband (32%), and Africa (16%). ‘mobilize’ to ensure that all the Internet. world’s people have affordable, As for the household Internet equitable access to the Internet,” ITU’s World in 2013: ICT Facts and penetration, the number contin- Dr. Hamadoun added. Figures report predicts that the ues to rise and ITU predicts that number of mobile-cellular sub- 41% of the world’s households will According to the ITU report, over scriptions will increase close to 7 be connected to the Internet, by the past five years the cost of billion in early 2014. the end of 2013. fixed-broadband services has dropped by 82% of GNI per More than half of all mobile Africa’s household Internet capita. Despite that, residential subscriptions are in Asia, which access has grown the fastest in fixed-broadband services remain remains the powerhouse of the past four years with an annual expensive in the developing market growth, and by the end of growth rate of 27%. Anyhow, 90% countries, with just 30% of aver- 2013, overall mobile penetration of the 1.1 billion households age monthly GNI per capita – to rates will have reached 96% worldwide, mainly from the be compared with just 1.7% of globally; 128% in the developed developing countries, are still not average national income in the countries and 89% in the develop- connected to the Internet. developed countries. ing countries. “We have made the most ex- In Europe, a basic subscription The report indicated that with traordinary progress in the first cost on average is less than 2% of many markets saturated, and twelve years of the millennium GNI per capita, while the figures penetration at over 100% in four and yet we still have far to go. for some of the developing of the six ITU world regions, mo- Two thirds of the world’s popula- countries reached over 50%. bile-cellular uptake is already tion (some 4.5 billion people) is still slowing substantially. offline. This means that two thirds ITU’s report also shows that Re- of the world’s people are still public of Korea, Hong Kong, and Meanwhile, ITU estimates that 2.7 locked out of the world’s biggest Japan are among the top per- billion people representing 39% of and most valuable library,” said formers in high-speed broadband the world’s population will be Dr. Hamadoun I. Touré, ITU Secre- Internet access, followed by using the Internet by end of 2013. tary-General at the Mobile World Europe, including Bulgaria, Ice- However, Internet access will Congress in Barcelona. land, and Portugal. remain limited in the developing countries, with only 31% of the “Two thirds of the world’s people However, in Africa, fewer than population forecast to be online are still refused access to the 10% of fixed-broadband subscrip- at the end of 2013, to be com- world’s biggest market place. tions offer speed of at least pared with 77% in the developed And two thirds of the world’s 2Mbit/s, which also reflects the countries. people are still denied the ex- situation in several countries in traordinary opportunities now Asia and the Pacific, the Ameri- Europe remains the world’s most available to the other third. cas, and the Arab world. connected region with 75% Mobile broadband is clearly Internet penetration, largely going to be a vital part of the Source: ITU 24

NEWS

Fashion One share their Novovision expertise at the United Nations strikes a co-production ashion One was among The forum aimed to identify how the high-profile fashion fashion’s economic, social, and deal with F industry leaders assembled cultural powers can be positioned, Greymatter for the World Fashion Forum on focused, and managed to al- Women’s International Day, held leviate the world’s most critical Entertainment on March 8, 2013 at the United needs. Its goal is to instigate Nations Headquarters. Organised communication and mutual col- by the Global Millennium Foun- laboration between leaders of the dation and the United Nations, fashion industry and the United Fashion One shared its views on Nations so that fashion resources the power of fashion in media, and humanitarian efforts can be and how the fashion industry can optimized, and directed toward Novovision has signed a work with the United Nations to positive and sustainable change co-production deal with create change. in the lives of those in need. Mumbai-based production company, Greymatter “The fashion industry acknowl- Entertainment, for a new edges the social responsibility range of candid camera of bringing awareness to global shows in the Junior Hidden issues through the power of their Camera series. “Greymatter brands. Fashion One plans to brings us great professional- spotlight these issues through ism and the sense of humor programming that connects audi- that is a core part of Indian ences to the part of the fashion culture,” said François-Xavier industry looking to ‘give-back’,” Poirier, President of Novovi- said Ashley Jordan, the CEO of sion. “A co-production like Fashion One. “Audiences want to this reflects our wish to con- be inspired and motivated, and tinually innovate and renew Fashion One, together with the the genre, and to adapt it to Fashion One Foundation, want regional audiences, building to be part of this movement to on our decade of experi- voice and capture the stories of ence in the hidden camera models, designers and brands field,” he added. looking to bring about economic and social change,” added As part of the agreement, Ashley. a total of 1,200 gags will be filmed locally with Indian Moderated by Fern Mallis, the participants. The deal con- Founder of New York Fashion tinues to expand Novovi- Week, Ashley conducted a ses- sion’s growth in the Indian sion on “Fashion Media for Global sub-continent and further Awareness and Engagement”. underlines their popularity Among other speakers were with comedy shows in the Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, Presi- Asia Pacific region, where dent and CEO at the IMG Fashion sales have increased to over Consultant and Inaugural Direc- 50%. Furthermore, Novovision tor of Fashion at Lincoln Center, launched 52 new episodes Pauline Brown, Chairman of LVMH of 22-minutes Junior Hidden North America, and H.E. Lakshmi Camera made up of gags Puri, Assistant Secretary General filmed in North America, Eu- of the United Nations and Deputy rope, and Asia, as well as the Executive Director of UN Women Indian productions at MIPTV as the honorary guest speaker. market in April. 26 Deutsche Welle takes Beethovenfest to the world Every year the town of Bonn team, available via television, intercultural exchange. In this comes alive with the musical radio, online, and podcasts. year’s orchestra, DW cooperates sounds of Ludwig van Beethoven, with the Istanbul University State in a majestic festival known as Additionally, DW will distribute Conservatory Orchestra. The Beethovenfest. This year the recordings of the concerts to orchestra will premiere new work festival is going international, as their rebroadcasting partners, from a young Turkish composer, Deutsche Welle (DW) promises to including stations in the USA, Rus- Zeynep Gedizlioglu, led by Artistic broadcast a wealth of content on sia, Turkey and South America. Director, Ramiz Malik Aslanov, on the event to a broader audience Meanwhile, Turkey returns as the October 3, 2013. The Beethoven- worldwide. There are features of partner county for this year’s fest, which has taken place in up to 30 languages that include Orchestra Campus. Organized Bonn since 1845, will include 67 TV segments, portraits of musi- jointly by DW and Beethovenfest concerts and events at 29 loca- cians, reports from the festival, Bonn, Orchestra Campus features tions in Bonn and its surroundings. as well as a multimedia project youth orchestras from a different The festival runs from September 5 orchestrated by DW’s journalists’ country to highlight and promote to October 5, 2013.

Japanese Hide and Seek finds its way to US Eccho Rights recently sold its Jap- T Group’s level of reach into inter- anese ultimate game show for- national territories and business mat, Hide and Seek to US-based development, this opportunity reality TV production company, T to work with Eccho Rights served Group. T Group has since teamed as a perfect synergy, allowing up with Jack Black’s Electric Dyna- both parties the benefit of gain- mite to co-produce the US version ing strong formats for international of Hide and Seek. “Hide and Seek and domestic sales,” commented is a classic family entertainment market and are looking forward to Jennifer Daly, President at T Group. format that will appeal to view- working together on future for- ers of all ages. T Group and Jack mats,” she added. “As we now have the opportunity Black’s Electric Dynamite are the to take the Hide and Seek format perfect match for this high-energy, Hide and Seek is an extreme ver- into the States we have teamed exhilarating show and we are real- sion of the traditional kids’ game, up with Jack Black’s company, ly looking forward to working with where a family hides in their own Electric Dynamite, which we will them both,” said Mia Engström, home from a celebrity seeker. With be shopping to the networks Director of Sales and Acquisitions the help of the professional teams in the next few weeks. We are at Eccho Rights. “We anticipate who design false walls, camou- looking forward to a continuous this to be the start of an on-going flage costumes, and booby traps, relationship with Eccho Rights in relationship between Eccho Rights the obstacles will complicate the hope of garnering strong and T Group. We are already matters for the celebrity seeker international formats and giving lined up to represent their Secret and in turn, help the family win big our domestic projects homes Celebrity show in the international cash. “As I was looking to expand overseas,” Jennifer added. 27 NEWS

Cinderella ballet spins to global digital cinemas

ondon-based alternative con- production. It is a privilege to be Nutcracker & the Mouse King to tent distributor, More2Screen, able to offer a brand-new, original cinemas across Europe. “With their Lhas signed a new distribution ballet production by a choreogra- impressive track record in distrib- deal with The Dutch National Bal- pher of the international stature of uting special events to cinemas let and 3 Minutes West to release Christopher Weeldon to our digital across the globe, and their proven a brand-new Cinderella ballet. The cinema partners worldwide,” said expertise with ballet in particular, ballet will be released to digital Christine Costello, Managing Di- More2Screen is the ideal partner cinemas worldwide (ex-US) be- rector More2Screen. to work with us on the theatrical ginning May 1st, 2013. “We are release of this critically acclaimed thrilled to be working with 3 Min- In 2011, More2Screen had suc- new Cinderella ballet,” said Ted utes West and the Dutch National cessfully screened a live broad- Brandsen, Director of the Dutch Ballet again on this stunning new cast of the Dutch National Ballet’s National Ballet added. A new cartoon aggregator on YouTube BRB Internacional recently announced that it has become one of the first animation aggregators on a global level on YouTube. The Spanish production company will showcase its ample experience in the fields of channel management and digital rights. It will also help other companies enhance their audio- visual spaces on the Website by orienting them to maximize the performance of their content and by acting as a link between content creators, media agencies and advertisers.

BRB has its own channel on YouTube, available in eight languages, as well as several other channels for its series, Bernard, Suckers, Canimals. As a car- nacional, comments in this regard: “The association toon content aggregator, it will also take care of the is natural given that most video consumers in the management and the optimization of both its own world use YouTube. And it is a great honor really that and other owners’ content networks by constantly the leading Website for video in the world has given updating and adapting to new formats - capsules, us the opportunity to become an associate ag- webisodes, and interactive media. gregator for animation on a global level, principally because of our demonstrated capacity to generate Marijo Arnáiz, Director of Digital Media forBRB Inter- viewing traffic”. 28 AGENDA

LOS ANGELES ASIAN PACIFIC FILM FESTIVAL AES BRASIL EXPO

The 29th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival will be held at the Directors Guild of America, CGV Cinemas, and the Art The- atre of Long Beach. Since 1983, the festival AES Brasil Expo is in its 17th has grown from its humble beginnings into edition this year and is one a celebrated annual event in America. This of the largest and renowned year it will showcase films and videos by expo for audio, video, and both independent and studio-based, Asian lighting technology systems Pacific American and Asian international in Latin America. AES Brasil filmmakers.It will be held on May 2-12. Expo features lectures, con- ferences, and product pre- 134TH AES INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION sentations, as well as live out- door demonstrations by the professionals of the industry from all over the globe. The Expo will be held on May 7-9 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

CONNECTED TV WORLD SUMMIT Entering its forth year, Con- nected TV World Summit, is a renowned event for experts from platform operators, content owners, and the con- sumer electronics industry to share their insights and network together. This year, the The Audio Engineering Society knowledge in audio research, summit promises to provide (AES) will be holding its 134th development, and applica- more time on panel debates International Convention at tions. Formed in 1948, AES is and one-to-one interview the Fontana di Trevi Confer- an international organization sessions, thus maximizing the ence Centre in Rome. “Listen, dedicated to the increasingly opportunities for the dele- Learn, Connect” with a com- wide field of audio engineering. gates to interact with industry munity of international audio The Convention will be held on experts. The Summit will be engineers and share the latest May 4-7 in Rome. held on May 22-23 in London.

INPUT 2013 FESTIVAL DE CANNES

This year’s Inter- Festival de Cannes national Public is the world’s most Television Screen- prestigious film festi- ing Conference val that celebrates (INPUT), which great films and new gathers global media professionals, will highlight talents in the film Investigative Programs & News, Productions and entertainment targeting younger audiences, Fiction, and Cross industry from around the world. Alongside the film Media productions. For over 35 years, the event festival is the Marché du Film, a film market where has encouraged the development of public ser- leading professionals from the industry market vice television by screening and debating the their products and discover new business oppor- most outstanding global programs. The Confer- tunities. The Festival will be held on May 15-26 in ence will be held on May 6-9 in El Salvador. Cannes, France. 29 The Unique Gateway to EMERGING MEDIA MARKETS Expand your horizons and advertise with Mediahub

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