The second screen inclusion allows you to get innovative: Anupama Mandloi
Interview with managing director, FremantleMedia India
 "The second screen inclusion allows you to get innovative: Anupama Mandloi")
The challenge is to move beyond envisioning content for the largest consumer base to specific demographics. This happens effectively in the regional space, Mandloi tells Vanita Kohli-Khandekar
Have you noticed any major change in the requests that broadcasters are making on the kind of programming they want in the last couple of years? To what extent can we attribute such requests to digitisation?
There is still a sense of homogeneity in content across channels. The niche channels are more experimental as they need to create edgy content that gets talked about and engages the youth. The more evolved audience consumes their content through YouTube, international content through downloads or through the internet. Most GECs (general entertainment channels) are looking at creating flanking channels where there is more scope for experimentation and potential to create content that represents an evolving India. There are noticeable changes in the shows that have been running for a number of years. Characters that have been adopted by the viewers as inspirational or relatable are today taking a stand within the home, stepping out to pursue a career like joining the police force, fighting for custody of a child, opting for divorce, adopting a child… At present, all change is neatly placed within packaging that is relevant to a larger consumer base so that it is gradual and acceptable. How much this has to do with digitisation is a moot point.
What does digitisation mean to you as a production house chief?
We make shows. The more variety comes our way, the better it is. As content professionals, it is encouraging to see that there are some people willing to take a risk and try something new. There is a long way to go though. It is a tough space for programmers at channels because the numbers game dictates the content offering. The problem is not with the ratings as much as the doubtful accuracy these numbers represent.
Are there examples of shows that you are making or your shows that are doing well, that wouldn't have worked as well, if digitisation had not happened?
No. I can't say we have shows that have been impacted by digitisation yet. Those numbers are too few to make a difference to the overall skew or performance. We have several shows slated to appear in the latter half of 2014 and the beginning of 2015. Their destiny is not likely to be defined by the speed of digitisation in India. It is interesting to note that while we hear glib statements like 'content is king' what we are always saying is that the number of viewers define how good or bad your content is.
We have started seeing a lot more receptivity about tapping into social media. For example, in this season of India's Got Talent we collaborated with YouTube to simultaneously build surround sound. Some of our contestant clips went viral and an eight-year-old Akshat was spotted by the Ellen DeGeneres, show courtesy the online chatter and was flown to LA for an interview. The second screen inclusion allows you to get innovative and interactive and it is also a transparent and accurate way of gauging how people are responding to the content.
At a broad industry level what do you think will be the three big things that digitisation will do to programming?
It is not just digitisation. It will have to go hand in hand with how we interpret consumer data in the digital bandwidth and what choices the consumers make when the channels are unbundled. Just technology will not drive change. However, when digitisation, ratings data and subscription revenue are synchronised enough, there will be significant change. There will be more experimentation, risk taking and target group specific shows. And also increasing collaborations between content creators, social media as well as sponsors.
The challenge is to move beyond envisioning content for the largest consumer base to specific demographics. This happens effectively in the regional space.
The shifts are very gradual and barely perceptible but in ten years we will hopefully all be speaking a different language in the content space.
In the movie space, content is much more easily defined. You make a film specific to metros and its success is measured by the relative ticket sales. You don't measure its success in comparison to the nationwide releases and, therefore, it allows you to make investments in experimental, edgier and innovative story telling.
We need a clear measure for television as well that allows us to define content specific to the viewers. Till then digitisation will remain a concept.
Which are some of the formats that you are yet to get to India? Why haven't they been brought in yet?
Thank God You're Here and Take Me Out are two of our most travelled formats other than our game shows and the three super formats (Idol, Got Talent and X Factor). These two formats are doing exceptionally well but there is a tendency to see shows in black and white here. Both these shows require someone to take a risk. Our belief is that these shows are waiting to happen. They need a platform and a vision.
Have you noticed any major change in the requests that broadcasters are making on the kind of programming they want in the last couple of years? To what extent can we attribute such requests to digitisation?
There is still a sense of homogeneity in content across channels. The niche channels are more experimental as they need to create edgy content that gets talked about and engages the youth. The more evolved audience consumes their content through YouTube, international content through downloads or through the internet. Most GECs (general entertainment channels) are looking at creating flanking channels where there is more scope for experimentation and potential to create content that represents an evolving India. There are noticeable changes in the shows that have been running for a number of years. Characters that have been adopted by the viewers as inspirational or relatable are today taking a stand within the home, stepping out to pursue a career like joining the police force, fighting for custody of a child, opting for divorce, adopting a child… At present, all change is neatly placed within packaging that is relevant to a larger consumer base so that it is gradual and acceptable. How much this has to do with digitisation is a moot point.
What does digitisation mean to you as a production house chief?
We make shows. The more variety comes our way, the better it is. As content professionals, it is encouraging to see that there are some people willing to take a risk and try something new. There is a long way to go though. It is a tough space for programmers at channels because the numbers game dictates the content offering. The problem is not with the ratings as much as the doubtful accuracy these numbers represent.
Are there examples of shows that you are making or your shows that are doing well, that wouldn't have worked as well, if digitisation had not happened?
No. I can't say we have shows that have been impacted by digitisation yet. Those numbers are too few to make a difference to the overall skew or performance. We have several shows slated to appear in the latter half of 2014 and the beginning of 2015. Their destiny is not likely to be defined by the speed of digitisation in India. It is interesting to note that while we hear glib statements like 'content is king' what we are always saying is that the number of viewers define how good or bad your content is.
We have started seeing a lot more receptivity about tapping into social media. For example, in this season of India's Got Talent we collaborated with YouTube to simultaneously build surround sound. Some of our contestant clips went viral and an eight-year-old Akshat was spotted by the Ellen DeGeneres, show courtesy the online chatter and was flown to LA for an interview. The second screen inclusion allows you to get innovative and interactive and it is also a transparent and accurate way of gauging how people are responding to the content.
At a broad industry level what do you think will be the three big things that digitisation will do to programming?
It is not just digitisation. It will have to go hand in hand with how we interpret consumer data in the digital bandwidth and what choices the consumers make when the channels are unbundled. Just technology will not drive change. However, when digitisation, ratings data and subscription revenue are synchronised enough, there will be significant change. There will be more experimentation, risk taking and target group specific shows. And also increasing collaborations between content creators, social media as well as sponsors.
The challenge is to move beyond envisioning content for the largest consumer base to specific demographics. This happens effectively in the regional space.
The shifts are very gradual and barely perceptible but in ten years we will hopefully all be speaking a different language in the content space.
In the movie space, content is much more easily defined. You make a film specific to metros and its success is measured by the relative ticket sales. You don't measure its success in comparison to the nationwide releases and, therefore, it allows you to make investments in experimental, edgier and innovative story telling.
We need a clear measure for television as well that allows us to define content specific to the viewers. Till then digitisation will remain a concept.
Which are some of the formats that you are yet to get to India? Why haven't they been brought in yet?
Thank God You're Here and Take Me Out are two of our most travelled formats other than our game shows and the three super formats (Idol, Got Talent and X Factor). These two formats are doing exceptionally well but there is a tendency to see shows in black and white here. Both these shows require someone to take a risk. Our belief is that these shows are waiting to happen. They need a platform and a vision.
THE CONTENT STRATEGIEST
- Mandloi has been a TV content person for most of her career spanning 20 years that started with Amit Khanna's Plus Channel in the mid-nineties
- Prior to joining FremantleMedia, Mandloi oversaw the non-fiction department of Star network's flagship brand Star Plus. She has also worked with Sony, Sab and interspersed with a brief stint at FremantleMedia where she was a consultant. She came back to FremantleMedia in 2010 as creative head and soon took over as managing director
- FremantleMedia produces India's Got Talent and Indian Idol among other shows. These are licensed from its parent FremantleMedia UK, which is part of the RTL Group