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JAKARTA, Indonesia, July 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --The ConnectedTV Asia Symposium, held on July 6 in Jakarta, brought together industry experts and thought leaders for a dynamic discussion on the rapidly evolving landscape of digital content consumption and the growing prominence of Connected TV in the region. The inaugural ConnectedTV Asia Symposium in Indonesia, brought to you by mediasmart in association with Agency Reporter, marked the region's first-ever event focusing on CTV. Following a successful run in India, this edition introduced the Indonesian market to the world of ConnectedTV. Indonesia's leading advertising experts came together for CTV Asia Symposium in Jakarta as the CTV revolution is set to transform the country's digital marketing landscape Nikhil Kumar, Vice President IN SEA & ME at mediasmart, an Affle company, highlighted the evolutionary trajectory of ConnectedTV and discussed the worldwide landscape, with a specific focus on Asia. With use cases demonstrating the remarkable performance of ConnectedTV advertising, Mr Kumar's address also touched on the growing Connected TV user base in Indonesia, that is estimated to reach 30 million by 2026. He also announced the upcoming launch of the highly anticipated mediasmart CTV report, Indonesia edition that will aid further industry knowledge and conversations in this space to help marketers leverage the benefits of CTV in their media budgets efficiently. Speaking on the landscape and opportunities in Indonesia, Mr Kumar said, "We're currently at a very exciting stage of the future of television, where the lines between linear TV and Connected TV are blurring. There are new frontiers of possibilities for advertisers across the globe, and Indonesia is no different to the CTV revolution. Indonesia perfectly embodies the power of CTV in transcending boundaries, as its people wholeheartedly embrace newer content formats in their daily lives. With 8-10 million households currently embracing CTV, the future of CTV's growth in the country is changing how advertisers perceive television and advertising." The ConnectedTV Asia Symposium is a collaborative and neutral platform for industry leaders and experts. Key panels from the event included, 'Identifying transformation in video consumption habits', with panelists Ashish Bhatnagar, COO at DMP Communications; Fauzan Akbar, Country Digital & E-Commerce Lead at Bayer Indonesia Consumer Health Division; Mayank Singh, Chief Digital Officer & VP – Marketing, Digital Business and IT at Domino's Pizza Indonesia, Pushpendra Kumar, Senior Vice President – Digital Transformation at Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison and Ressa Truna Priono,Senior Head of Media and Strategic Partnership at Paragon Technology and Innovation. The session was moderated by Arindam Bhattacharyya, Chief Strategy Officer at Dentsu Indonesia. Stephanie King, Senior Director – South East Asia at DoubleVerify moderated a panel focused on 'Decoding experiences and expectations of smart TV viewers', with panelists Abhishek Kumar Rajoria, Head of Digital & Integrated Media at DMP Communications; Avijit Dutta, Country Manager, Indonesia at Viu; Swaminathan Iyer, Director – Sales at Lemma and Mudit Govil, Partner – Client Leadership at Essencemediacom. With AI as the buzzword across the digital sphere Rohan Mahajan, Chief Operating Officer (Media Services) at Omnicom Media Group Indonesia, delivered an address on the opportunity to understand its role in the CTV ecosystem. Addressing how to leverage the power of programmatic advertising in the CTV ecosystem, Himanshu Pandey, Chief Executive Officer at Segumento moderated the session with panelists Abbas Ehetesham, Digital Supply Solutions Director at Dentsu Indonesia; Aldila Septiadi, Digital Group Head of Marketing Technology at Erajaya; Saravanan Mudaliar (Savy), General Manager at Publicis Media Indonesia; and Yustiar Rizawan, Head of Digital & Marketing Communication at Blue Bird Group Indonesia. Himanshu Shekhar, CEO GroupM South East Asia; Rajat Basra, CEO (President Director) at Omnicom Media Group and Satyajit Sen, CEO at Havas Group Indonesia, came together to discuss the big question on whether Connected TV can supplant linear TV as the ultimate medium. CTV combines engaging storytelling with programmatic capabilities to make brands discover and reach more audiences across all verticals. With strategic partnerships & marquee clients across Indonesia, mediasmart continues to invest further in Indonesia to enable brands maximise their investments by integrating customer journeys to deliver impactful messaging. About mediasmart mediasmart (An Affle company) is an omnichannel programmatic advertising platform trusted by leading advertisers, agencies and trading desks globally. mediasmart empowers marketers to integrate the consumer journey across connected devices like Mobile, CTV and DOOH to deliver unified and impactful communication, leveraging both online and offline behavioural signals to better target and personalise their message. Marketers have the ability to use the platform on self-serve, managed serve or by building their own solutions on top of its open APIs. For more information, write to pr@affle.com
Phoenix TV Celebrates 30th Anniversary in Hong Kong HONG KONG, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On March 31, Phoenix TV holds the Phoenix Satellite TV's 30th Anniversary Gala at its headquarters in Tai Po, Hong Kong. The event is attended by officiating guests including John Lee, Hong Kong Chief Executive; Xu Zhengzhong, Chairman of Bauhinia Culture Holdings Limited; Xu Wei, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Phoenix TV; Ho Chiu-king, Standing Committee member of the CPPCC National Committee and Vice President of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce; as well as Sun Yusheng, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Editor-in-Chief. Representatives from government, business, and media sectors are present to celebrate the milestone occasion. The Officiating Ceremony In his address, John Lee stated that the 30th anniversary of Phoenix TV is not only a milestone to look back on its remarkable journey, but also a starting point to stride into a new era. "With Hong Kong as its home and thriving on its business here, Phoenix has been leveraging artificial intelligence to empower content innovation, consistently delivering objective, comprehensive and in-depth news coverage and informational programs to its audiences," John Lee said. He commended Phoenix for its transformation and renewal over the past 30 years, reflecting Hong Kong's spirit of proactive change, and noted that the company stands as an exemplary case of an enterprise harnessing Hong Kong's unique advantage of "relying on the motherland and connecting with the world." He hoped that Phoenix will continue to make good use of its strong international communication strengths to take more of China's rich culture, values, industries and talent "going global" to overseas markets, while also "bringing in" global capital. In his welcome speech, Xu Wei stated that in 2021, Phoenix TV underwent a comprehensive restructuring and achieved a rebirth. Currently, Phoenix has established a global presence with worldwide reporting and dissemination, evolving into the largest overseas Chinese-language cultural media conglomerate rooted in Hong Kong and oriented toward the global market. Its premium content reaches over 2 billion audiences worldwide. Xu Wei pointed out that "embracing change" has always been the key to Phoenix's development. He emphasized the importance of upholding the principle that "Watch Phoenix TV When Major Events Break" and leveraging the company's 63 global bureaus to maintain a commitment to truth, professionalism, and public value as the foundation of Phoenix TV. Looking ahead, Phoenix aims to serve as an on-site reporter for major global events, bringing audiences a more diverse view of the world while helping the world gain a deeper understanding of China; to serve as an international storyteller for Chinese culture, enabling Chinese culture to transcend borders and reach a wider audience; and to serve as a platform builder for international exchanges, allowing more voices to be heard and more dialogue to take place. In recent years, Phoenix TV has actively expanded its international presence, with a particular focus on developing the international events brand "Phoenix Go Global" to help Chinese enterprises connect with global resources. Witnessed by John Lee and Xu Wei, Dr. Cheung Kwok-kwan, Deputy Secretary for Justice of the HKSAR Government, and Yeung Ka-keung, Executive Vice President of Phoenix TV, exchanged the MOU of cooperation on the "Hong Kong Professional Services GoGlobal Platform". Leveraging Phoenix TV's advantages in global all‑media communication, the two parties will jointly facilitate the precise connection between Hong Kong's professional services and the globalization needs of Mainland enterprises. Phoenix TV has maintained a consistent focus on the development of Hong Kong's capital market. As early as in the Phoenix Financial Forum for the Greater Bay Area 2023, Phoenix launched the inaugural "Phoenix Star Hong Kong Stock Best Listed Company" awards. Given Hong Kong's reclaiming its position as the global champion of the IPO market last year and building on this remarkable achievement, Phoenix has partnered with Brand Finance, a UK‑based brand evaluation consultancy, to launch an assessment and compile the Phoenix Star 2025 Hong Kong IPO Brand Report to help consolidate and enhance Hong Kong's status as an international financial center. During the celebration, Scott Chen, Managing Director China, Brand Finance Group, and Sun Yusheng, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Editor-in-Chief of Phoenix TV, jointly unveiled the report. The celebration consisted of seven segments, structured around iconic Phoenix news and feature programs familiar to audiences, including Phoenix Morning Express, The World Connection, From Phoenix To The World, Phoenix Evening Express, and X+, as well as the two flagship initiatives "You Bring Charm To The World Global Chinese Awards" and "Phoenix Go Global". Through live presentations by the hosts of these programs, the event showcased Phoenix's broad international perspective, its advantages in global coverage, and its strong international communication capabilities, highlighting the synergy between traditional television broadcasting and new media platforms. In the session titled "Technology and the Future — A Dialogue with the Era", Phoenix TV demonstrated its firm commitment to embracing cutting-edge technology. The company signed cooperation agreements with Volcano Engine and DataOceanAI to collaborate on large language models, artificial intelligence technologies, cloud services, and the development of Chinese language datasets. Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government, attended the ceremony. He shared that the World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit, for which Phoenix TV served as a key supporting organization and media partner last year, will return to Hong Kong in April this year, with the two sides continuing their collaboration. He encouraged Phoenix to continue delivering high‑quality technology and innovation content, contributing to Hong Kong's development as an international innovation and technology hub. During the sections structured around "You Bring Charm To The World Global Chinese Awards" and "Phoenix GoGlobal," Phoenix TV expressed its sincere gratitude to the partners who have provided long‑standing support. The company also presented a series of major new projects including The Healing Path Season 2 and X+ Season 4 and 5, demonstrating its commitment to diversified content strategies and its determination to expand a new landscape for international communication through high‑quality content and global reach. As a special section of the celebration, Phoenix TV veteran anchor Sally Wu took the stage to share a heartfelt account of her 30‑year journey with Phoenix, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the company's development. The celebration concluded with a heartwarming surprise. Renowned music producer Xiao Ke, a longtime friend of Phoenix TV, specially composed a song titled Old Friends for the company's 30th anniversary, using music to express the deep bond forged through years of partnership. As the melody played, more than 20 Phoenix TV hosts and commentators gathered on stage to offer their blessings, bringing the celebration to a warm and dignified close. About Phoenix TV With the mission of spreading Chinese culture and promoting international exchanges, Phoenix Media Group is now the largest all-media Chinese culture media group overseas. Facing Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, Taiwan region and the global Chinese community, Phoenix TV runs six television channels, which include Phoenix Chinese Channel, Phoenix InfoNews Channel, Phoenix Chinese News and Entertainment Channel (European Channel), Phoenix North America Chinese Channel, Phoenix Movies Channel, and Phoenix Hong Kong Channel. With a massive reach spanning 500 million viewers across 190 countries and territories, it boasts the highest audience count compared to all other Chinese-language media groups abroad. In recent years, the user base of Phoenix TV's international communication platforms has continued to grow, with its integrated media matrix exceeding 200 million users.
Icon Global & National Cutting Horse Assn. (NCHA) Announce 2026 Celebrity Cutting Event Benefiting UT Southwestern Medical Center, Fort Worth, Texas. Nicole and Taylor Sheridan Lean into the Cowboy Cause Bringing A-Listers to Hometown. DALLAS, Feb. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Icon Global and the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) today officially announce the return of the NCHA Celebrity Cutting presented by Icon Global – Saturday April 11, 2026. Tickets on Sale February 27, 2026. "There is no more important date on our calendar than this one," said Icon Global Founder Australian Bernard (Bernie) Uechtritz. The inaugural event in 2024 was spectacular and a sellout. We skipped 2025 due to construction at the Historic Will Rogers Coliseum". Past riders and celebrities included competitive rides by Supermodel Model Bella Hadid and Landman's Michelle Randolph, with attendance by Australian Film star Nicole Kidman who are also expected to return in 2026. Yellowstone actors/competitors were Jefferson White, Mo Brings Plenty, Ian Bohen, Jennifer Landon, and Forrie Smith. 1923's Aminah Nieves and Brandon Sklenar also saddled up. Lioness's actor La Monica Garrett competed. Musician and Yellowstone star Luke Grimes (Kayce Dutton) played the private VIP meet and greet. Australian country music legend Keith Urban also showed his enthusiastic support in attendance. Yellowstone's actor Ian Bohen (Ryan) and NCHA rider Elizabeth Quick won the evening in spectacular style. This year's night will feature additional stars from some of today's most popular film and television projects, including talent from Taylor Sheridan productions such as Landman, Lioness, Mayor of Kingstown, The Madison, and others. The 2026 Celebrity Cutting line-up includes Dave Annable, Michael Kelly, Beau Garrett, Elle Chapman, Neal McDonough, Ian Bohen, Taylor Handley, LaMonica Garrett, James Jordan, Jill Wagner, Robert Patrick, Caleb Plant, Matthew Rys, and C. Thomas Howell announced so far. Additional Film, Television, Music and Entertainment Celebrities, Participants and Sponsor announcements will follow in coming weeks. The unique and highly anticipated event brings together A-List Celebrities, entertainers and personalities as well as professional horse trainers, breeders, equine athletes and others pairing with celebrity riders in sixteen highly competitive teams. This year, Celebrity Team Sponsorship opportunities are available, creating high visibility opportunities for individual support and corporate sponsors; packages include Saturday VIP Meet & Greet Passes and Box Seats, Friday Night's Private Draw Party Invite, Photo Op's, Announcer & Program recognition, Social Media exposure and Team logo placement. The evening will also feature other exclusive hospitality experiences and opportunities and offers fans a rare opportunity to witness an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime night in the arena, all the while raising critical funds for life-saving cancer research, treatment, and patient care at UT Southwestern. "This year is especially significant to us on a personal level, as Icon continues its support of UT Southwestern while their exceptional doctors and surgeons are providing care for my own family in real time. I can personally attest to their institutional expertise and compassionate care, each incredible and invaluable to all," stated Icon Global' s Uechtritz. Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., President of UT Southwestern said, "We are honored that UT Southwestern has again been selected as the beneficiary of the NCHA Celebrity Cutting presented by Icon Global." Jay Winborn, Executive Director of the National Cutting Horse Association added," This night adds a powerful philanthropic dimension to the month-long show, reinforcing NCHA's commitment to community impact and the future of the sport. We're proud to continue growing the Celebrity Cutting and supporting UT Southwestern and their important work in cancer care and research."- End For more information about the NCHA Super Stakes and Celebrity Cutting www.Icon.Global media package - NCHA Celebrity Cutting 2026 presented by Icon Global Videos:Icon Global presents NCHA Celebrity Cutting 2026 - 60 sec Icon Global presents NCHA Celebrity Cutting 2026 - 40 sec Icon Global presents NCHA Celebrity Cutting 2026 - 30 sec About Celebrity Cutting. Co-chaired By Nicole Sheridan, Sherri Patton and Kit Moncrief, the Celebrity Cutting is held inside Fort Worth's Historic Will Rogers Coliseum during the month-long NCHA Super Stakes program—an event also presented by Icon Global—The Super Stakes is one of the premier events in the Western horse industry, drawing top competitors and fans from around the world. About Icon Global Icon Global designs and implements strategic, tactical, national and global marketing campaigns for Iconic real estate, and additionally provides specialty advisory and portfolio services for owners of unique assets across the USA, parts of Europe, the Middle East and Asia. Icon represents banking and governmental institutions, and high net worth individuals', as well as corporations and family offices globally in the acquisition, management and disposition of property in all asset classes. Icon Global was founded by complex deal maker and International real estate advisor, Bernard Uechtritz. About the NCHA The National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) is dedicated to promoting and preserving the western sport of cutting, supporting its members, and celebrating the Western heritage that defines the industry. About UT Southwestern Medical Center UT Southwestern, one of the nation's premier academic medical centers, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution's faculty members have received six Nobel Prizes and include 24 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 25 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time faculty of more than 3,300 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians in more than 80 specialties care for more than 143,000 hospitalized patients, attend to more than 470,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 5.3 million outpatient visits a year.
LOS ANGELES, March 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Prime Focus Technologies (PFT), a pioneer in AI-powered technology solutions for the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry, invites you to step into the future of content management, creation, marketing, and distribution at booth W1921. Ramki Sankaranarayanan, Founder and Global CEO at PFT Whether you are in the business of creating content or engaged in converting passive archives to active libraries, join us and witness how AI enables creativity, efficiency, and, most importantly, revenue generation. Welcome to a world where your content meets revenue. "We're driving a profound transformation with an AI-first approach, reimagining everything from our flagship product, CLEAR®, to our media services," said Ramki Sankaranarayanan, Founder & Global CEO at PFT. "Built upon our strategic investments in AI over the past six years, CLEAR® AI represents a perfect culmination of combining small models, LLMs, and multimodal Gen AI purpose-built for M&E. This convergence in our innovation is revolutionizing every facet of our customer business, propelling monetization to the forefront." Content Management: AI Segmentation: Identify markers and build the "Skip Intro" feature in streaming platforms. Automatically detect video segments such as opening credits, end credits, studio logos, texted and textless and customizable segments. AI Metadata for Content Enrichment: Generate tiered, deep metadata, insights, and recommendations, enabling seamless searchability. AI Search: Intelligent semantic search behind a conversational interface swiftly delivering the content you seek with depth and relevance. AI-driven Content Organization: Efficiently organize your content to compare versions, identify copies, and de-dup to remove redundancies. AI-driven Compliance: AI Assistant to identify potentially objectionable content segments, empowering informed decisions on audience targeting and scheduling by flagging areas of concern for viewer discretion. AI Conform: Create ready-to-use "Serviceable, Standardized Masters" by conforming video, audio, subtitles and forced narrations to meet the fulfilment demand faster for TV Distribution. CLEAR® Smart MAM: AI-embedded MAM, AI-driven workflows for active library management with deep metadata, AI-assisted review & approval, efficient storage management, and optimized for multi-platform distribution. Content Creation Use conversational AI search powered by Gen AI to get instant access to content and package it for new audiences or markets. CLEAR® Clip: Use AI Search to discover content from your library from inside Adobe Premiere Pro, edit clips and stories, and generate videos for faster monetization. Use AI-suggested Thumbnails, AI-led Reframe, and AI-led Subtitles to go along with it. AI Entertainment Highlights: Repurpose content from your library to create Gen AI-suggested highlights, bite-sized clips, scene lifts, compilations and cutdowns, posts, and stories at scale for social media and FAST/Streaming platforms. AI-assisted review and approval: Get a side-by-side view, have our AI co-pilot spot differences, and summarize the review comments, just like a human would. CLEAR® Production Cloud: Embedded with AI-assisted review and approval of versions during post-production. Empowered with AI-driven transcription and metadata capture on ingest, enabled with a powerful AI search. Clip-Based Workflow: Streamline post-production workflows by automating set-to-post processes. Effortlessly consolidate shoot metadata from production sets, organizing libraries based on episode, unit, shoot day, and camroll. Folder Upload: Enjoy the freedom to pre-organize content in folders before uploading the entire folder to CLEAR®. Content Marketing & Distribution Generate Gen AI-led engaging social media post recommendations. Use AI Reframe to instantly resize posts/stories for different social platforms with an all-new in-built hybrid cloud editor and make co-pilot adjustments. Generate synopses enabled by Gen AI. AI Localize: Rapid entry into new markets effortlessly. Speech-to-Text: Co-pilot with AI-driven subtitling, transcription, and translation. Text-to-Speech: Get AI-assisted dubbing and voiceovers with realistic voices from AI. Select from a range of voices in multiple languages, simplifying global outreach. AI Ad Marker: Use AI Ad Marker co-pilot to create ad markers within your content for every destination profile with the right product fit to increase relevance across linear, streaming, social, and FAST platforms. CLEAR® Screener (New Version Launch): Securely share your videos with producers, distributors, award committees, critics, and other stakeholders. Create your screening room and invite reviewers with an intuitive, easy-to-use interface that provides a theater-like experience, all within a matter of hours. Some of the recent innovations across the CLEAR® AI platform include: Gen AI LLM integrations across use cases Visual GPT integrations for assessments, highlights, metadata, and custom solutions Vector AI search to enable semantic discoveries of content Introducing Conversational UI to engage effortlessly Optimized cloud technologies for higher scale, lower costs Continuously expanding model integrations with partners PFT models now exceed 60 and continue to grow PFT is committed to delivering AI solutions that enhance monetization for the media and entertainment industry. Connect with our team at NAB Show 2024. Click here to schedule a meeting. About Prime Focus Technologies Prime Focus Technologies (PFT) is the creator of CLEAR®. It offers streaming platforms, studios, and broadcasters transformational AI-led technology and media services powered by the cloud that help them enable creativity, efficiency, and, most importantly, revenue generation. PFT works with major companies like Walt Disney-owned Star TV, Channel 4, ITV, Sinclair Broadcast Group, A&E Networks, Warner Media, PBS, CBS Television Studios, 20th Century Fox Television Studios, Lionsgate, Showtime, HBO, NBCU, TERN International, Disney+ Hotstar, BCCI, Indian Premier League, and more. For more information, visit: www.primefocustechnologies.com. Press Contact: T ShobhanaSenior Vice President and Global Head of MarketingPrime Focus TechnologiesLos Angeles, CAt.shobhana@primefocus.com
First-of-its-kind partnership with Stampede Ventures to bring 10 productions over three years to AlUla AlUla, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Film AlUla, the Royal Commission for AlUla's film agency, and global media company Stampede Ventures, under the leadership of founder and CEO Greg Silverman, signed a three-year deal with a projected spend of USD350 million in AlUla. The groundbreaking partnership, finalised at the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia today, involves Film AlUla providing rebates and incentives. The deal will see Stampede Ventures bringing ten productions to AlUla over three years and advancing AlUla's ambitions to hub a world-class film and creative industry. Film AlUla and Stampede Ventures signed three-year, 10 project deal at FII today. Silverman, the founder and CEO of Stampede Ventures, is an entertainment industry veteran known for his track record at Warner Brothers where he shepherded over 125 films to more than $38 Billion in worldwide box office, most notably Harry Potter, Chris Nolan's Batman series, Zack Snyder's 300 and Todd Phillips' iconic Hangover trilogy, and Joker. He also brought American Sniper, Gravity, The Lego Franchise, The Great Gatsby, Argo, and Mad Max: Fury Road to audiences and countless others over his epic 20 year run at Warner Brothers. His work has resonated around the world but has also promoted the growth of national film industries such as the UK and Australia. His creative and commercial instincts as well as his world-wide network and world-class experience were instrumental to his success at Warner Bros as the President of Creative Development and Worldwide Production. He founded his company Stampede Ventures to create and own IP across film, television and digital and bring a new generation of blockbusters to the screen. The Film AlUla-Stampede partnership is closely aligned to the realization of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 goals to diversify the economy and foster cultural development. With a three-year pipeline of productions, the partnership will play a significant role in growing AlUla from a regional creative hub to a platform for global filmmaking talent. Film AlUla's use of rebates and incentives will provide opportunities for a new generation of story tellers and filmmakers, creating bridges that enable shared stories and learnings. Film AlUla is known for its inclusive approach to developing the local industry and this partnership will play a role in furthering a vibrant film industry in the region. Amr AlMadani, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Commission for AlUla, said: "Our partnership with Greg Silverman's Stampede Ventures is a first-of-its-kind in the region and underscores Saudi Arabia's investment potential as a film and creative hub. Over the past three years, Film AlUla has steadily and sustainably built a film economy that is capable of hosting productions from around the world. We are nearing completion of a 30,000 sq. m studio complex and are upskilling Saudis to assume leading roles in front of and behind the camera. A partnership of this scale will accelerate our growth and increase our global visibility." Greg Silverman, Chief Executive Officer, Stampede Studios said: "We are thrilled to have this ground-breaking partnership with Film AlUla which will further develop their infrastructure for international productions, creating opportunities for the local economy and people, and add scope and nuance to our slate. Perhaps more importantly, the cultural exchange between U.S. and Saudi filmmakers will make for better films and better understanding, the kind of connection that can only come through extended collaboration in the creation of art." As the Royal Commission for AlUla's film division, Film AlUla has been a key player in the development of the film industry in Saudi Arabia. Since 2020, the entity has hosted over 700 days of filming including the action movie Kandahar starring Gerard Butler, the Russo brothers' drama Cherry starring Tom Holland, and Saudi filmmaker Tawfik Alzaidi's debut feature Norah, the first Saudi feature film to be shot at AlUla and featuring an all-Saudi cast and over 40% Saudi crew. TV productions filmed in AlUla include the British series Expedition with Steve Backshall and Nat Geo documentaries, along with commercials, promos, photo shoots and short films. In addition to hosting productions, Film AlUla is currently bolstering its on-ground infrastructure, with phase one of a full-service world-class production facility nearing completion. The facility includes a 30,000 square foot soundstage, backlot, production support buildings, workshops, warehouses, recording studio, training and rehearsal space, cafeteria, event space and an iconic administration building. The soundstage will be 14 minutes from the Film AlUla Residence, the purpose-built crew quarters with 300 high-quality, fully furnished accommodation units, film-friendly office space for short and long-term stays and a range of high-end and mid-range accommodation options. Film AlUla is also focusing on talent to accelerate industry growth. This includes the provision of funds for fledgling Saudi and regional filmmakers, skills training hosted by international experts from Creative Media Skills from London's Pinewood Studios as well as comprehensive mentoring programmes like AlUla Creates, which is designed to nurture creativity and empower future generations in film, the arts and fashion. AlUla Creates is supported by an esteemed group of talent including fashion icons Eva Herzigova and Helena Christensen, Saudi trailblazers Haifaa Al Mansour and Mila Al Zahrani as well as award-winning outfit Vertigo Films. To learn more about Film AlUla, please visit: https://filming.experiencealula.com/ NOTES TO EDITORS ABOUT FILM ALULA: Film AlUla is The Royal Commission for AlUla's film agency, established to promote and support international film and TV production in the AlUla county, located in north-west Saudi Arabia. Its aim is to position AlUla as an international filming destination and develop the services, facilities, and infrastructure in the region to create a film-friendly ecosystem. ABOUT STAMPEDE: STAMPEDE VENTURES is a global media company that creates and owns IP across film, television and digital with an eye toward launching new franchises.
BEIJING, Aug. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Praphaphan Thaingamsin, a 20-something Thai college graduate, has been immersed in a hit Chinese fantasy costume drama Till the End of The Moon recently, breathlessly waiting for new episodes to be released online every night. The entangled love story of the drama is a big draw, but what captivated her most is its stunning portrayal of Chinese culture and aesthetic style, as well as the 1,600-year-old Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, a place located on the ancient Silk Road known for the convergence of the Eastern and Western cultures. "It aroused my interest in Chinese cultural heritage. It's not an exaggeration to say that I'm so obsessed that sometimes I have forgotten to eat and sleep. The last time I was so engaged was when I sat in front of the television every night to follow Chinese fantasy drama 'Eternal Love, The Pillow Book' in 2020," Praphaphan told the Global Times. Starred by Chinese actors Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu, the drama Till the End of the Moon was introduced by Thai online video platform True ID into the Thai market in May. The platform is set up by True Digital Group, one of the leading Thai tech companies under its parent company True Corporation. Komin Aoudomphan, assistant director of True Digital Group which operates True ID platform, told the Global Times that the 40-episode TV series is now one of the most popular among the over 100 Chinese TV shows the platform has purchased. The series has been making such a big splash among the youth that it even made the two actors recognizable stars in Thailand. The dramas' growing fame comes amid strengthened bilateral cultural exchanges between China and Southeast Asia under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as well as Thai people's growing appetite for Chinese TV series. During talks with Thai youngsters at the Siam Square, one of the busiest commercial centers in the Thai capital of Bangkok, the Global Times noticed that a number of Thai students have proudly identified themselves as "fans of Chinese culture," from food like spicy hotpot and barbecue and famous sightseeing spots like the Great Wall to dozens of Chinese TV dramas they have viewed. Some even recalled their childhood memory of watching the fantasy Chinese TV series Journey to the West. In February, a video of Thai taxi drivers watching Chinese TV series The Knockout went viral on social media, another vivid display of the rising popularity of Chinese TV series in the Southeast Asia market. "Southeast Asia is the overseas market we entered quite early, so the results of overseas distribution have been quite fruitful so far," said Li Huabing, executive vice president of the Daylight Entertainment, the company behind many popular Chinese TV dramas. He gave a number of examples of TV series such as Nirvana in Fire, Ode to Joy and Bright Future that all achieved desirable audience rating and positive market feedback in Southeast Asia. Cultural ties between China and Southeast Asia have a long history. Centuries ago, Southeast Asia was an important node along the ancient Maritime Silk Road, which served as a conduit for cultural communication between Chinese and Southeast Asian civilizations. The vibrant exchange nowadays is not only a continuation of such shared historical cultural bond, but also a result of enhanced efforts under the BRI. At its 10th anniversary, it is believed that the BRI's cultural significance will further serve as a basis for bridging people-to-people exchanges between China and Southeast Asia and help cement mutual understanding and trust, industry insiders noted. Cultural root Daylight Entertainment is not alone in enjoying success in Southeast Asia. The region has become the first stop in many Chinese entertainment companies' overseas distribution for multiple reasons. Zhang Liang, general manager of Artop International Co, told the Global Times that people in China and Southeast Asian countries share same or similar culture, tradition and custom, which is a precondition for Chinese TV series to be easily accepted and promoted in Southeast Asian countries. Artop started dual TV series distribution business in both Chinese and Thai markets since the 2000s. According to executives from entertainment companies, China-produced costume drama is one of the most popular genres in Thailand as a result of cultural proximity. Communication and exchanges between China and Thailand have been taking place since the Han Dynasty, according to experts. "Costume drama is liked by the audiences in Southeast Asia because many of them have a certain level of understanding about China's culture and history. In their perspective, Chinese ancient dynasties were prosperous, mysterious and glamorous," Li explained. He added that costume drama is also a relatively unique cultural product of China which draws upon the country's rich and long history. The adoption of improved technologies into production, especially the advancement of computer graphic technology, has also made Chinese TV series more "developed and attractive," Komin noted. Industry insiders said that Chinese fashion drama is another genre that has wowed the audiences in Southeast Asia, partly because of the combination of delicate makeup, costume design and scene setting. Li talked about the successful distribution of Ode to Joy in Myanmar in 2020, a story about five women who live on the same floor of an apartment complex in Shanghai. The drama was so popular that its leading actors Yang Zi and Qiao Xin were invited to attend a series of China-Myanmar cultural exchange activities in Myanmar's capital Rangoon at that time. Spoiled Love, which tells stories of romance in a straightforward way, is another category under the fashion drama genre that has been increasingly gaining favor in Southeast Asia, according to Zhang. "Thailand has produced a lot of 'sweet love' tales, so there's no cultural barrier in understanding this kind of genre," Zhang explained, giving examples of the successful exports of Chinese TV series Put Your Head on My Shoulder into the Thai market. In 2021, the export of China's TV series to Southeast Asia soared 154 percent year-on-year to $8.61 million, which accounted for 15 percent of the total export volume, according to a report issued by the National Radio and Television Administration last year. Wider cooperation Seeing higher potential for cooperation, Chinese and Thai companies have gone to great lengths in bolstering ties. Thai company True ID told the Global Times that it has entered into cooperation with a galaxy of Chinese enterprises like Artop and video platform Youku. It started Chinese TV series acquisition three years ago, at a time when the Thai market was highly competitive due to the pandemic, which prompted the company to look for something new to draw the audience. "At the beginning some of the content had performed very well, and that's why we scaled up the effort then. In the future, we will try to acquire more exclusive broadcasting rights of Chinese TV dramas, and in the next three to five years we might look for co-production that could help strengthen our presence," Komin said. Likewise, Daylight Entertainment has opened the Vietnam Channel in its YouTube account, and it plans to open more such channels to target the Southeast Asian market to enrich and consolidate cultural communication. The exports of TV programs are not a one-way street. Thai soap opera Battle of Angels was broadcast on China's Anhui TV in 2008. With its dramatic plot, the series immediately became a regional market hit at the time. In recent years, more Thai films and TV dramas have gained prominence in what some industry insiders dubbed as a "Thai wave" that is sweeping across the world's second-largest showbiz market. The famed Thai movie Bad Genius distributed in the Chinese market in 2017 has reportedly grossed over $42.6 million at the box office in China. Sa-ngopkarn Moungthong, who has served as the first secretary at the Thai Embassy in Beijing, attributed the rise of this "Thai wave" in China to the BRI, which deepened cultural exchanges between China and Southeast Asia, according to a report by the Nikkei Asian Review. Industry insiders said that TV dramas as well as other types of cultural exchanges play an important role in facilitating connectivity between China and Southeast Asia, a pilot demonstration zone for BRI implementation. The transmission of TV dramas is an essential way for Chinese and Southeast Asian people to understand each other, Komin said. "Content [of TV series] is like the soft power that is more easily accepted by the audiences. People may be interested in the food and culture in the series … those would be among the topics for family discussion," he noted. And the shared interests and roots in culture will consequently generate a sense of goodwill for one another, serving as a catalyst for all-round BRI cooperation and seamless regional crossover in the next decade, industry insiders stressed. Facilitated by the stepped-up exchanges, Zhang said that in the future, cooperation between China and Southeast Asia in terms of TV series production is poised to deepen and become more diversified. Artop is making tentative attempts in localizing Chinese TV series in Thai market, which involves purchasing popular Chinese TV series' intellectual property rights and remaking them with Thai actors and directors.
A12 藝術空間
Television
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