Now I have been back in Helsinki for a day. It is -5C and heaps of snow are piled everywhere. The memories from the past months warm me up while I put together the report of the trip, due in early March.
Thanks for all for your support and help in getting me to accomplish my mission this time!
Until later, sawasdee, krap!
Tim
Thaimaan Mobile Monday-tapahtuma pidettiin Bangkokissa toista kertaa eilen illalla. Tapahtuma piti alunperin olla marraskuussa mutta tulvan vuoksi se siirrettiin tammikuuhun.
Paikalla oli lähes parisataa osallistujaa, enimmäkseen nuoria mobiilialalla toimivia thaimaalaisia, sekä paljon pohjoismaisia alan ammattilaisia. Mobile Mondayn tapahtumajärjestäjä Ville Kulmalan mukaan samaan aikaan osunut kiinalaisten uusi vuosi rokotti osallistujamäärää.
Nokian sponsoroiman tapahtuman aloitti Tarad-yhtiön johtaja Pawoot Pongvitayapanu, joka esitteli vuonna 1999 perustamansa verkkokaupan toimintaa. Tarad on verkkokaupan tavaratalo, joka kokoaa yhteen 180.000 online-myyjää www.tarad.com-saitilleen. Vuonna 2009 Tarad liittoutui japanilaisen Rakutenin kanssa ja nykyisin palvelu tarjoaa myyntiin Pongvitayapanun mukaan yli 1,6 miljoonaa eri tuotetta.
Mobiili verkkokauppa on valtavassa kasvussa Aasiassa ja Tarad tarjoaa kauppapaikan lisäksi tutkimustietoa verkkokaupan toiminnallisuuksista. Esimerkiksi PC:n kautta ostetaan elektroniikkaa 26 % kaikista ostoksista. Mobiililaitteilla tehdyistä ostoksista elektroniikan osuus on pudonnut 14 %:iin. Vastaavasti naisten muoti-kategorian osuus PC-ostoksista on liki olematon kun mobiilissa kaupassa se edustaa 22 %:a kaikesta kaupasta.
Kiinalaisen Huawein teknologiajohtaja Mike MacDonald totesi esityksessään, että Aasiassa älypuhelimet ja tabletit ovat ”uusi PC” ja mobiiliyhteydet ylittävät kiinteät verkkoyhteydet kymmenkertaisesti lähitulevaisuudessa. MacDonaldin mukaan palveluiden on toimittava kaikissa laitteissa ja pilvipalveluissa sisältö on synkronoitava niin, että sen jakaminen toimii saumattomasti. Sisältöjen laitteille lataaminen muuttuu streamaamiseksi.
Mobile Mondayn päätti Nokian esitys, joka jätti paljon toivomisen varaa. Lavalle noussut teknologiajohtaja Jirapat Janjerdsak ei puhunut Lumiasta, eikä Windows-käyttöjärjestelmästä, vaan hehkutti Ovi-verkkokaupan mahdollisuuksia sovelluskehittäjille yleisellä tasolla.
Nokia Storesta ostetaan Thaimaassa viikoittain puolitoista miljoonaa latausta. Vertailulukuja muihin sovelluskauppoihin ei esitetty, mikä osaltaan kertoo, että Nokialla on vielä pitkä matka kuljettavanaan ollakseen maailmanluokan tekijä myös sisältökaupassa.
Thaimaan seuraava Mobile Monday pidetään kesän korvalla. Menkää mukaan tuolloin kaikki Bangkokissa olijat; tapahtuma on hyvässä nosteessa.
This week I visited a few companies in Kuala Lumpur. Please read more about the Malaysian production scene in the market report due in early March.
(Pictured me and Muzri Abdullah who presented Malaysia’s film insitute FINAS’ operations and studios.)
Sorry, I couldn’t resist uploading this scene from Koh Samui, where I spent the first week of the new year. (Picture courtesy of Tia Tuovinen)
Next week I’m off to Kuala Lumpur. Stay tuned for more from Malaysia soon!
Joulukäteistä kun nostaa koetin, ruutuun ilmestyi tällainen teksti.
Osaisinpa lukea thaita!
Hyvän joulun toivotukset kaikille blogini lukijoille!
The 12th Asia TV Forum (ATF) in Singapore opened with a 20 % increase in the attendance compared with last year. Undoubtedly, the growth reflects the importance of Asia as a fast emerging marketplace in the global television landscape. Over 3000 delegates from 950 companies talked shop over three days.
Here are some highlights and observations from this year’s ATF. I hope you enjoy the report; please get in touch if you want more information on any points raised.
ATF buyers from Asia comprise over 90 % of all buyers, but sellers range widely from Europe to the Americas and Middle East. Large delegations from countries like Italy, Spain and France occupied their own pavillions.
Finland had a strong representation with six production companies. The Favex (Finnish Audiovisual Export) stand was busy throughout the market. Finnish delegation overall was very satisfied with the number and quality of the contacts made during ATF.
Asia Raising
According to PriceWaterhouseCoopers the Asian entertainment and media market is predicted to have an annual growth of over 6 % until 2014. Total value of the market will then be 457 bn US$. The area also has the world’s biggest pay-TV market with 420 million subscribers and 570 million subs predicted by 2020; more than the rest of the world combined.
Asian market growth stems from the positive economical situation across the region. But Asian media industries also continue to enjoy generous production subsidies.
Governments support media industry
Singapore’s Media Development Authority (MDA) is well known for its financial support schemes, which continue to cover up to 40-50 % of the production budgets. MDA has simplified its funding schemes from 46 down to five, representing 62 million euros. The grants are applicable for content in broadcast, film, animation, music, interactive, games and publishing industries.
MDA announced at ATF its plans to build Mediapolis right in the city center. Mediapolis will be a physical ecosystem for the creatives and it will act as a test-bed and incubation center.
Malaysia is also going to establish a creative zone in the southern tip of the Malaysian peninsula. They will invite foreign companies to invest in the area in the hopes of benefiting from the proximity of Singapore. The British PInewood Studios, as well as Lego have already comitted to establish their presence in the area.
Focus on Malaysia
Malaysia was the most visible country at ATF this year. The official contingent was more than doubled from last year with more than 60 companies attending.
Datuk MD Afendi Datuk Hamdan, the chairman of the National Film Development Corporation (FINAS) told about plans to inject production subsisidies also for foreign companies in FINA’s quest to accelerate coproductions. To emphasize their commitment Datuk told participants that the new studio complex will house the world’s largest water tank used in feature film productions.
Malaysia produces annually some 40 feature films, most of them heavily subsidised by the government. Local production costs are low: one hour drama budgets start from as low as 20.-30.000 US $.
The role of the public funding, however, is a support for the actual production, not production development. Technical know how in Asia generally is very high but the originality of the ideas and storytelling still lag behind the western standards. Support for improving screen writing talent is especially needed in the region.
China goes online
Asia is a difficult area for foreigners to work in many respects. Western content in Chinese television has to be approved by the State Administration of Radio Film and Television. Getting the stamp of approval can be difficult for many smaller exporters.
Also the sheer size and diversity of the region pose challenges and some companies are looking for non-traditional platforms. For example, online video platforms in China have started to license foreign content and they often pay upfront for large program packages.
Recent studies show that Chinese are switching off linear TV in favour of online-viewing. Out of the country’s 420 million internet users, 265 million were watching online videos, reported China Internet Network Information Center.
Yoku is China’s leading online video company, attaining almost a quarter of the online ad revenue. Other television and movie portals are Sohu, Tudou, PPS, PPTV, Xunlei and QiYI.
Last month QIYI upgraded its brand and today it is one of the fastest growing independent online video companies. It is part of Baidu, China’s largest search engine, and it focuses on fully licensed, high definition, professionally produced content. It is ad funded and protected from piracy. Online platforms should seriously be considered as an alternative in entering the Chinese consumer market.
Asia adapts formats
Formats continue to be a strong genre. China’s Hunan TV and Korea have licensed TopGear from BBC Worldwide and it has been a great success. Two more seasons in Korea are in preproduction and it will be interesting to see if western broadcasters will license the Korean or Chinese versions of TopGear.
Another emerging format market is Vietnam, which recently bought the scripted format of Ugly Betty. It seems that especially long running scripted drama formats are on the rise in Asia not the least because Asian scriptwriting leaves a lot to desire for.
Other recent format deals are: Million Dollar Money Drop for Singapore, Minute to Win It for Malaysia and Hole in the wall for Cambodia. Also Idol, X-Factor, Master Chef, Amazing Race, Dances with the Stars and Top Model have had long pan-Asian deals in place.
Interesting three days of television business ahead. 
For a full report early next week, see: http://www.digitalmedia.fi
Siam is the old name for Thailand; obviously the cats here are siamese cats.
Last night I went to see a new Thai feature release.
It was Pen-Ek Ratanaruang’s Headshot (Fon Tok Huen Fa), a very, very dark crime noir film about a hitman who gets shot in the head while at work.
When he wakes from three month long coma, he sees everything upside down.
The main character, Tul, is an ex cop turned bad because he refused to accept bribes in connection of crime investigation involving a prominent politician. Now Tul wants to quit his criminal profession but he has sunk too deep into the organisation who wants to kill crooked politicians untouched by the law.
The film is beautifully shot and the main character Tul, played by Nopachai Jayanama, is a tough, yet sensitive character full of expression.
This action thriller moves fast in so many directions I sometimes found it hard to follow, weather Tul already was injured with the upside down vision or not. The plot took surprising turns and was too unbelievable at times. For example, I found it hard to believe that the daughter of Tul’s first victim actually fell in love with her father’s assassin.
The main underlying element, the upside down vision, is down played and fails to gain all that this visually stunning element could have given to the film. Now the whole impairment stays in the background and is only talked about at the end of the film. And even then, it produces no more than banalities like: “Seeing everything upside down makes the world a clearer place for me.”
Headshot has gained wide international interest with releases in the USA and participation in film festivals in Japan and South Africa.
Finally, I also was intrigued by the way Thai cinemas pay tribute to the King. Before the feature starts, everyone in the audience stands up to watch a short archive collage about the King among his people.
MEDIA(B)LOG 