Thursday 29 August 2019
3 Upper Pickering Street, Singapore 058289
JKN Global Chief Executive and ContentAsia's Asia Media Woman of the Year 2019, Anne Jakkaphong Jakrajutatip, talks about being at the forefront of expanding Thai content's regional and global footprint as well as her proven success in opening up new markets in Thailand for a range of Asian content. Jakrajutatip will also discuss her focus on strengthening and diversifying JKN’s IP portfolio and what kinds of drama she has greenlit to kick off her original production initiatives. In addition, she discusses her commitment to leveraging her position as a media leader to promote gender diversity issues.
The Philippines’ GMA Network is way ahead of its Asian neighbours in the diversity charts, and has been for six years at least, beginning with prime-time daily series "My Husband’s Lover" in 2013 – the country’s first gay-themed drama. The 94-episode series tells the story of a young couple whose lives are upended by the husband’s affair with another man. That watershed content moment was followed by "Dading" in 2014; "Destiny Rose" and "Rich Man’s Daughter" in 2015; and "Silent Shadow" in 2018. "Rich Man’s Daughter", the story of an heiress to a rich Chinese family who falls in love with another woman, marked another turning point in Philippines’ prime-time broadcast television for its empowerment of gay women. As barriers crumble and audiences unite around content that reflects contemporary realities, GMA Network’s VP for drama, Redgie Magno, and the director of "My Husband’s Lover" and "Rich Man’s Daughter", Dominic Zapata, talk about diversity, pushing boundaries, and entertainment that builds audience and makes a difference.
Jay Lin, the founder of Taipei-based Portico Media and the force behind LGBTQ-focused online streaming service GagaOOlala, talks about the changing profile and footprint of LGBTQ content across Asia.
Chinese mega-drama, "The Story of Yanxi Palace", wasn’t only insanely popular in Asia. The period drama – the world’s most googled TV show last year – landed everywhere, including Ireland. Using proprietary technology to measure demand, Parrot Analytics’ CEO, Wared Seger, takes a deep dive into OTT programming in Asia, including an analysis of content in Southeast Asia, platform trends, what’s driving Netflix’s recent growth, what’s working, what’s travelling best and what’s breaking barriers with diversity in Asia.
Viu platforms across the region are pushing an ambitious original content agenda, diversifying beyond Korean acquisitions with both market specific and regional commissions and balancing scripted adaptations with local series development. Viu Malaysia and Thailand bosses, Thawatvongse (Oh) Silamanonda and Kingsley Warner, talk about what the latest originals mean to their streaming businesses, what kinds of partnerships they are forging, what’s working best and what’s next.
Philippines telco giant Globe Telecom is a poster company for committing to video entertainment as a way to connect emotionally with users, backing everything from theatrical features and reality shows to music content and other video-based experiences for its 65 million+ subscribers. A long-time evangelist for local talent on a global stage, Joe Caliro talks about the music, movies, style, fashion and production partnerships feeding into the bigger picture.
Telcos, with all their sexy mobile, long-established direct billing consumer relationships and fat pipes, remain heavily courted by IP owners, content aggregators and streaming platforms/OTT services. But upheaval impacts everyone and, as far as the industry has come in recognising content as a value creator, animated conversations about whether to invest in faster/fatter pipes or, for instance, the next cycle of sports rights still rage. TM Net Malaysia’s Chief Executive Officer, Emily Wee, talks about what she’s thinking and looking for; her approach to competition and content aggregation; and what kind of programming she’s happy to invest in and experiment with.
Two years ago, Cignal Entertainment was a wish and a prayer with high hopes and big dreams of serving audiences in the Philippines an enhanced diet of fresher, more relevant and intelligent original content. Earlier this month, at exactly the two year mark, Cignal Entertainment’s movie, "Empty by Design", won the Best International Feature Film award in the 2019 Soho International Film Festival in the U.S. Last week, on 21 August, Cignal Entertainment debuted its first film – "The Girl Allergic To WiFi" – on Netflix, one of a growing slate of Filipino titles making their mark on global entertainment platforms. Is everything coming out of Cignal’s bid to boost original content working out as well? Are Cignal’s channels benefitting from the move into original content creation? That’s what Sienna Olaso, the platform’s Vice President, Channels and Content, will be talking about.
StarHub – one of Asia's oldest legitimate pay-TV platforms – has like everyone else wrestled with change. Coupled with a shrinking TV subscription base, a reputation for re-valuing content to the detriment of the subscription video environment, a battle with legacy hard/software, and the pain of migrating to Singapore's high-performance fibre network, the platform has had a rough few years. Are the hard times over? Maybe not, but the consumer business group's newish boss, Johan Buse, who is playing a key role in driving “StarHub: The Next Generation”, says some of the pieces of the reboot are already in place and there's more where that came from. In this one on one session, Buse talks about tough spots, sensible considerations, new kinds of listening and, critically, the latest approach to content.
Malaysia’s Astro is, of course, no stranger to original content for local audiences… and never has been. Today, the platform has a 73% viewership share in Malaysia and 64% of that is driven by vernacular content. Khairul Anwar Salleh, Astro Vice President and Chief of Malay and Nusantara Business, talks about keeping home fires burning at the same time as spreading the spirit of Nusantara.
Once upon a time, Malaysia’s story was among the best in Asia’s production world. Massive new studio facilities, an abundance of government goodwill, tens (if not hundreds) of millions of dollars boosting the country’s status as a production hub, and oozing difficult-to-resist filming incentives. Well, some of that happened. For a while. Some of it is still there, in a different form. Much of the original dream has been hammered by reality, not to mention sweeping political, economic and tech changes. Plus there’s the changing of the entire guard at government media institutions. What happens now? That’s what we’re talking about…
For a range of reasons that go way back, Discovery’s fortunes in Southeast Asia were battered and bruised when Anna Pak Burdin entered the building 12 months ago. The mandate was pretty much putting Humpty Dumpty back together again, and then some, including the integration of Scripps channels into the Asia business. At the one-year mark, she talks about how she went about reworking everything, where she is with the re-build, what role food plays in her plans, and what she’s rolling out next.
A little more than two years ago, A+E made its biggest bet in Asia ever with a US$15-million investment in Korea covering two channels and a stake in local media company iHQ. A significant part of the plan was original content that would drive local engagement and build a Korean pipeline for A+E’s global licensing business. And so were born titles such as debate show "Brain-fficial", now in its third season on History channel; reality/lifestyle show "Pajama Friends" on Lifetime; a slate of digital originals; and, coming soon, scripted production in partnership with Korean broadcaster, JTBC. A+E Networks’ Korea general manager, Youngsun Soh, talks about the journey from fly-in foreign brand to local business, what she’s learned and where she’s taking it.
The professionally-generated content universe’s hopes and dreams are driven online by a diverse community connecting in a million ways from Sunday. But they are united by a common goal – finding, growing and keeping fan bases with a blend of well-tested traditional skills and digital magic.
Cartoon Network has been no stranger to original animation for Asia Pacific in the past decade, with shows such as "Exchange Student Zero", "Roll No 21" and "Lamput". Leslie Lee, the newly minted VP for Kids Content at Cartoon Network Asia Pacific, has new plans and ideas to serve young fan bases, communities and common interests. Against a backdrop of widespread industry change, Lee reveals insights into the company’s animation strategies and development pipeline, and shares his thoughts on the animation landscape in the region.
With "All is Well", Singapore broadcaster Mediacorp embarked on a new phase in its decades-old production journey. The ambitious 40-episode crime/mystery drama series, which premieres in Singapore and Taiwan this month, speaks of a bigger, bolder and broader approach, one which layers regional collaboration and diversity on top of home-grown stories to create next generation Asian programming. What does the focus on regional production alliances mean for Mediacorp? That’s what Chief Content Officer Doreen Neo is talking about...
iflix’s original production initiatives have wound a steady story through the streaming platform’s gyrating corporate landscape, starting with low-hanging fruit (adaptations of well-known IP like "KL Gangster"), reaching for the stars (securing politician Anwar Ibrahim as a guest on "Hot Ones"), and documentary ("Bangkit: 11 Days That Changed a Nation" about Malaysia’s 2018 election. “The first set of shows was planting a flag. Now we have proof of concept and we are creating the content buckets and narrowing down the genres we want to build,” says Global Director of Original Programming, Mark Francis. What does that look like? More from the "KL Gangster" universe, evergreen romance (ie. "Ombak Rindu"), and serialised horror for Indonesia, including "Kisah Tanah Jawa: Merapi" helmed by Rapi Films ("Satan’s Slaves") and "Conversations with Ghosts" (working title) from Screenplay.
If anything worries Adam Yukol, Viu Thailand’s Programme Director, it’s this: “How do I compete with a Dugong?” Before her death this month, the Dugong, Mariam, became an online superstar, with a heartwarming real-life orphan story, her own six-camera live streaming channel, headlines around the world, and, critically, a share of screen time. Creating that emotional connection is a super-challenge. That’s what we will be talking about…
Dentsu’s content development and investment unit, The Story Lab, sits in the sweet spot between money and entertainment ideas that need funding. The company’s Executive Vice President of Entertainment, Fotini Paraskakis, talks about deficit funding and the next generation of content creation; brands’ upgraded involvement in content investment and IP ownership; the rising focus on value visions such as gender diversity; bridging the gap between old and new worlds and what happens when the status quo is disrupted; and how experiences in this space could impact Asia.
