Biz still mulling digital implications
FilMart panelists look to new platforms
The TV and film biz is wrestling with ways to incorporate new ways of delivering content across multiple devices.
A group of panelists at a seminar at FilMart in Hong Kong on Tuesday all agreed that the new platforms are the future of how entertainment will be distributed in Asia and the world.
Ross Pollack, senior veep for distribution in Asia at Sony Pictures Television Intl. (SPTI) said he believes that various opportunities exist side by side.
"It's a time of experimentation. Some offerings will prove to be more successful, but if you don't try you don't know what the consumer wants," said Pollack.
SPTI has been proactive in introducing new platforms. Earlier this month, it closed a video-on-demand licensing deal with South Korea's largest mobile operator, SK Telecom, which sees a selection of SPTI's features and skeins offered on demand and in full length to SK Telecom's mobile customers through its mobile platforms, Nate and June.
Richard Yelen, veep and managing director of Kylin TV, an Internet TV service that provides broadcast Chinese channels and thousands of hours of VOD, said a key change in society is instant gratification syndrome.
"Consumers don't really care about technology. They want it when they want it. The consumer has changed our business whether we want it or not," said Yelen.
Gaurav Dhillon, CEO of Jaman.com, a download service for independent films from around the world, said that new media means new ways of making money.
"People are enjoying content on the Internet. If that is the transformation, what does it mean for you as a filmmaker? Additional revenues. People license the rights," said Dhillon.
The problem with new digital forms of distribution, as with many traditional forms, is piracy
Fang Li, president and CEO of Netmovies, said many users in China, which has the world's largest population of Internet users, believe content is free when downloaded, so there needs to be more awareness. But there are terrific opportunities in China nonetheless, especially in the cell phone side of the business with more than 600 million users.
"The opportunity in China is unlimited. Content providers need to pay more attention and provide more paid services," said Fang.
David Chung, head of IT operations at Cyberport, which describes itself as Hong Kong's IT flagship and is owned by the local government, said the authorities are providing platforms for schools to teach students how to respect copyright.
"Rights management is becoming part of daily life. It's a tough job and that's why the government has to step forward to do it," he told the seminar. "In Hong Kong, we put pirates in jail," he said.
