Category: Broadcast

Let’s Roll! Dallas Startup is Revolutionizing the Music Industry

Rock ‘n roll may be dead, but the music business is still projected to grow to $142 billion by 2030 globally, according to Goldman Sachs. Despite this growth the average musician is consistently being squeezed by the big players and not earning their fair share of the value of the art they have created. Community Musician — originally a “Craig’s List” for musicians — has developed a plan and formed a team to disrupt this unbalanced monopolistic system, all while ensuring that the musicians they work with are properly compensated for their talents.

Scott Arey, the CEO of Community Musician who is also the front man and songwriter for his latest band The Lost Cavaliers of Mercy, understands the struggles of the average musician in the cutthroat industry. As a young musician, Arey signed with Warner Music and began touring as a warm-up act for the Indigo Girls, but he quickly discovered he couldn’t make enough money to pay his bills.

“I would max out my credit cards just trying to pay the expenses of putting together a few cities’ tour, never mind trying to pay the band,” Arey reminisces.

Partly due to the economic hardships he faced as a musician, Arey decided to pivot to a business career. After graduating from Stanford University, he began his career with KPMG and soon joined Bank of America where he worked for ten years, eventually becoming CFO of the Commercial Banking Division and then CFO of BofA’s International Trade Bank. He then led a series of successful start-ups to growth and investor exits, such as Journey, Alsbridge, Gearbox and even a publicly traded microcap company he got NASDAQ to agree to list on their exchange.

Whether or not Arey has the ability to lead Community Musician in a way that forever alters the landscape of the music industry could be a billion-dollar question. Just before his current run of with Community Musician, Arey took a company valued at $66 million when he joined to a $1.3 billion exit in less than three years. Arey won’t be alone leading the company, as he is partnering with Community Musician President Derek Toone who has also driven hundreds of millions of dollars in shareholder value — most recently at Automation Anywhere, which in 2018 had the highest Series A valuation at $1.8 billion in Silicon Valley history.

Arey believes that he has the resources and the personnel to take Community Musician to the next level.

“Derek Toone and I have individually and collectively applied sound business practices to the enterprises we’ve made successful, enterprises that frankly, were resistant to doing so. We are uniting musicians in common cause to pool resources and apply those resources wisely and effectively to meet the challenges all musicians face,” says Arey.

While the road ahead will be a long one, Community Musician plans the start of its journey with an acquisition of Puddletown Rehearsal Studios based in Portland, Oregon, which currently has 8 buildings and 350 rooms serving a community of over 8,000 local musicians. Community Musician plans to further develop its already successful app for musicians and its patented Collectible Music Card which uses the same NFC chip that trigger high fidelity (i.e., lossless vinyl quality) recordings to play on any smartphone, with just a tap.

Nic Yannariello, who toured with bands like Tool, Filter and Rage Against the Machine, created Puddletown after he built and sold the now-iconic venue the Hawthorne Theatre. Yannariello has joined Community Musician as SVP of Operations and will run the nationwide music rehearsal studio business.

“If you’re a serious musician, you either have a rehearsal space, you’re sharing with someone, or trying to get off the waiting list for a space,” Yannariello said. “Either way it all starts with rehearsal.”

Yannariello is chopping at the bit. “You wanna rock? Then let’s roll, we’ve got tools, we’ve got the talent, jump in, the water’s just fine.”

Web: https://communitymusician.com/
Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/community-musician/id1584215306
Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cm.commuscian
Source: Plato Data Intelligence: https://platodata.io

Contact Info:
Name: Bryan Feinberg
E-mail: zephyr@platodata.io
Organization: Plato Data Intelligence
Address: 144 E44th St, New York, New York 10017, United States
Website: https://Platodata.io

Indonesia Market Poised for Big Growth in Streaming

For the first time in three years the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) returned to Jakarta to host Indonesia in View 2022, an event that welcomed some of the industry’s biggest players for a day of discussions dissecting the opportunities for growth in this expansive market.

Opening comments were made by Yuliandre Darwis, Commissioner with the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) who talked about the development of the KPI over the last twenty years, and the hope for revisions to the broadcasting law which could see greater responsibilities given to them.

Highlights of the Indonesia in View Report, to be published by AVIA, were given by Bettina Cavenagh, President Director, Clarity Research Indonesia, outlining the state of Indonesia’s video markets in the post-pandemic economy. Pay television had plateaued and while DTH services were the biggest victims of increased broadband penetration, cable numbers were increasing meaning the overall pay TV market remained significant, even if ARPU’s were under pressure. But all eyes were now on the premium OTT market. Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) has grown by more than 50% from 2020 to 2021, to 11.5M subscribers, while digital advertising grew by 33% over the same period. This set the scene for much debate throughout the conference on the relative merits of the subscription versus the advertising led business model for OTT.

In a conversation around growth and monetization, Hermawan Sutanto, COO of Vidio talked of the need to educate the market to pay for premium OTT services and Guntur Siboro, Country Head for Lionsgate Play further made the point that ad supported VOD (AVOD) was a different ballgame which required significant investment to monetise successfully. Whatever the business model, Avijit Duta, Deputy Country Manager for Viu, emphasized the need for the business to be sustainable and everyone was witnessing rising production costs as the production talent pool was still limited today.

In his keynote conversation, Sutanto Hartono, Managing Director of EMTEK and CEO of SCM and Vidio, discussed Vidio’s emphasis on local originals and live sports as differentiators in their quest to acquire customers and keep churn down. While sports rights were expensive and not owned in perpetuity, they played a crucial role in a growth strategy. Marlo Budiman, CEO & President Director, Link Net, later added that while the pay TV market had plateaued, its death knell had not quite sounded yet and also attributed this to the role of sports and original content keeping OTT churn low.

Clarissa Tanoesoedibjo, Managing Director of MNC’s Vision+, also talked about the importance of local original content and that Vision+ was increasing their investment in this sector for the service. She also pointed out that while Vision+ was primarily subscription led, the accompanying RCTI+ service was advertising led.

There was little doubt about the importance advertising played in the growth prospects for the market when Gavin Buxton, Managing Director, Asia for Magnite, Florencia Eka, Country Manager, Client Services, for The Trade Desk, and Lesley Simpson, Country Manager for WeTV and iflix Indonesia, got together. They agreed that OTT was the natural evolution of TV and provided unique opportunities for digital advertisers given the engagement with viewers. And while fragmentation of services was an issue, it was clear that there was more than enough scale in premium OTT as they looked forward to sustained growth in the sector.

Indonesia in View is generously sponsored by Gold Sponsors A+E Networks, Vidio and Vision+ and Silver Sponsors Akamai, Broadpeak, CDNetworks, Conviva, INVIDI, Irdeto, NAGRA, SES, TV5MONDE and YouTube.

About the Asia Video Industry Association

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is the trade association for the video industry and satellite ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. The AVIA is the interlocutor for these industries with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy through its Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry.

For media enquiries and additional background, contact:
Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoia
Twitter: @AsiaVideoIA

Brawijaya University develops GIS-based IoT for disaster mitigation

Brawijaya University has developed an Internet of Things (IoT) technology based on the Geographic Information System (GIS) to mitigate disasters in Pronojiwo district, an area affected by the eruption of Mount Semeru.

A lecturer on urban planning at the Faculty of Engineering of Brawijaya University, Adipandang Yudono, Ph.D., has developed an Internet of Things (IoT) technology based on the Geographic Information System (GIS) to mitigate disasters in Pronojiwo district, an area affected by the eruption of Mount Semeru. (Photo: ANTARA/HO-Humas UB)

“The data generated by IoT can be crucial information in dealing with disaster-affected areas,” a lecturer of urban planning at the university’s Faculty of Engineering, Adipandang Yudono, Ph.D., said here on Thursday.

After the Semeru eruption some time ago, the IoT technology was used to enter a number of data regarding the number of refugees, logistics, the distribution of survivors, the location of the post, medicines, and food, among others, he informed.

According to Yudono, during the recovery period, the GIS-based IoT technology has been used to map the condition of agriculture, livestock, as well as damaged schools in affected areas.

“This data can be used as a support system for determining areas that can be rehabilitated or determining lines for the protected areas,” he said.

Meanwhile, a volcanology and geothermal expert at Brawijaya University, Prof. Sukir Maryanto, said that the IoT system can work via two methods: through human media and the use of sensors.

When using human media, the IoT works in three stages, namely entering or inputting data, which can then be managed using a database, he informed. The database is then forwarded to the operational dashboard.

The operational dashboard contains infographics on the distribution of activities, the number of activities, and their graphs. Meanwhile, electronically, the IoT inputs data based on electronic sensors installed somewhere.

“In the future, the geospatial-based IoT can be used for planning activities for the recovery of areas affected by the Semeru eruption, such as reforestation,” he said.

According to the chairperson of the Independent Learning Program for the Independent Campus (MBKM), Semeru, Dr. Sujarwo, the IoT for disaster mitigation is supporting the activities of students involved in the Semeru humanitarian project.

“This (IoT) makes it easy, especially in identifying damage and providing better information, such as the number of damaged buildings and data on affected areas,” Sujarwo said.

In addition to the use of IoT for disaster mitigation, the MBKM Semeru has also initiated a “school and town watching” system, which is also being carried out with the help of schools and communities.

The disaster mitigation effort in schools or “school watching” involves identifying elements in schools that are at risk, analyzing the impact of risks, and finding solutions to problems when a disaster strikes.

Meanwhile, “town watching” is a program wherein people living in an area, namely residents, children, and students, go around the area to see and identify dangerous places when a disaster occurs.

“Town watching” seeks to increase public awareness on disaster management, identify environmental and surrounding vulnerabilities, and identify community capacities or resources that can be used when a disaster occurs.

In addition, it also identifies the main problems in the community and finds solutions to these problems.

Written by: Yashinta Difa Pramudyani, Editor: Suharto (c) ANTARA 2022

Philippine Industry Body Launched for Stronger Content Protection and Anti-Piracy Efforts

Today, leading Philippine industry players including, Globe, GMA Network, Inc., Cignal TV, Inc, KROMA Entertainment and Smart Communications, Inc, joined hands with the Asia Video Industry Association’s (AVIA) Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) to announce the formation of the Video Coalition of the Philippines (VCP).

The VCP aims to push for stronger intellectual property protection in the Philippines that will protect both original content and users, as well as promote the Philippines creative and media industries, not only in the Philippines but around the world.

VCP convenors will build on the momentum of the presentation of the proposed Revised Intellectual Property Code in the Philippines’ 19th Congress in July and the recent Protection of Online Content Summit held on September 2 in Manila.

House Bill No. 0799, filed by Albay 2nd District Rep. Joey Salceda, aims to update the Philippines’ patent application system and make it “more attuned to the digital age.” It also “provides for technologies and media that were not anticipated” at the time the intellectual property code was enacted.

Proposed revisions also give regulators greater authority to combat IP violations, including the power to issue “permanent blocking orders, takedown orders, cease-and-desist, or disable access orders” against websites, service providers, and online platforms, including social media. The current IP code does not cover electronic or online content in its definition of pirated goods and lacks clear provisions that would allow for efficient and effective site blocking, and other interventions against online IP violations.

CAP General Manager Matt Cheetham said, “With the presentation of Bill No. 0799, “An Act Establishing for the Revised Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines” to the House, the Philippines has a golden opportunity to not only update and future proof its intellectual property regime, but to act as a launching pad for intellectual property to protect consumers and advance the overall Philippine economy.”

Cheetham further noted CAP’s recent YouGov survey showed Philippine consumers believe a government regulation for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to block pirated content would be the most effective measure to reduce piracy in the Philippines.

Globe, the Philippines’ leading digital solutions platform, has been an advocate of anti-piracy through its #PlayItRight advocacy. Globe hopes to rally consumers and stakeholders behind original content creators by making online content affordable and accessible via content subscription.

“Revising the Intellectual Property Code will go a long way in protecting Filipino consumers from the dangers that lurk in pirate sites and improving cybersecurity in the country, especially as Filipinos now rely heavily on digital platforms,” said Globe Chief Information Security Officer Anton Bonifacio.

Yoly Crisanto, Globe Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer, said revising the IP Code is necessary to improve the country’s regulatory environment just as the government aims for greater digitalization.

“The use of digital technologies and platforms is expected to further expand in the years to come, whether it be for education, finance, health or recreation. It is, therefore, urgent that we provide better protection for the creative industry and give them a secure environment conducive to creativity and innovation,” said Crisanto.

“Upholding intellectual property rights in the Philippines enables the creative industry to grow and thrive. KROMA, through the Video Coalition of the Philippines, is committed to collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that this is observed, for the industry’s success and sustainability,” said Jil Go, KROMA’s Head of Broadcast and Publishing.

“GMA’s participation in the Video Coalition of the Philippines presents an opportunity to further strengthen our existing anti-piracy initiatives by working with other players in the industry to push for the implementation of site blocking mechanisms and help protect our viewers and GMA content against unauthorized uploaders,” said Joseph T. Francia, First Vice President and Head of Operations, GMA International.

Pointing to the impact of site blocking in Indonesia, where traffic to pirate sites has dropped by more than 75% since the government implemented their rolling site blocking procedures in 2019, Cheetham further noted, “The effectiveness of site blocking is backed up by CAP’s most recent YouGov consumer surveys in which more than 50% of Indonesian consumers say that they have stopped or rarely access pirate services as a result of the highly efficient and effective blocking measures in place there.”

“Perhaps more importantly, 76% of Indonesian consumers say they are accessing more legal content and pirating less, and 26% have subscribed to legitimate sources as a result of illegal streaming sites being blocked. Blocking as an educational tool may also be evident in 95% of Indonesian consumers agreeing that online piracy does have negative consequences – the highest in the region,” said Cheetham.

When done efficiently and effectively, site blocking has a massive impact on combating piracy, changing attitudes and protecting consumers.

About the Asia Video Industry Association

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is the trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. AVIA is the interlocutor for the industry with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy through its Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry.

For media enquiries and additional background please contact:
Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org

AVIA Releases OTT Study in Singapore at its First OTT Upfront Showcase Presenting Premium Content at its Best

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) has released a new research study entitled Premium OTT – Building its Rightful Place in the Digital Market, to understand the usage of different video services in Singapore and attitudes towards them. The independent research study conducted by Milieu Insight was unveiled to agencies, advertisers and brands at AVIA’s first OTT Upfront Showcase where two of the region’s top premium video services, iQIYI and Viu, presented previews and highlights of their upcoming slate of content to the audience at a closed-door event.

The research shows that Premium OTT streaming services (OTT) are clearly differentiated from videos viewed on social media or video sharing sites. OTT was highly valued by consumers in Singapore for having the highest quality content. 58% of respondents indicated that they felt premium OTT services had high quality content, compared to only 36% for social media and video sharing services. Similarly, when asked which video services they generally felt captured the highest levels of attention while watching, 49% of respondents selected OTT streaming services, compared to only 35% who selected social media and video sharing services.

Levels of engagement were also entirely different with 51% of people feeling immersed when watching OTT content as opposed to only 39% for social media & video sharing. Top emotions elicited when watching OTT were happiness and amusement whereas for social media and video sharing, the top emotion was “nothing”.

When looking at the impact of advertising, linear television remains the place where it is most noticed (76%) and ads are thought to be the highest quality (41%), although it is in social media where ads feel most intrusive (37%). Linear was again the winner when it came to prompting brand or product searches (25%) and prompting purchase (19%). Louis Boswell, CEO, AVIA, commented that this “Bodes well for the OTT industry. There is a clear link between linear television and OTT from a content perspective, and with more OTT services looking at advertising, I strongly suspect it is simply a matter of time before the effectiveness of ads on OTT matches that of linear television.”

Dinesh Ratnam, Country Manager, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, iQIYI International, commented, “AVIA’s research further cements the rise of OTT and the appreciation for the premium content on OTT platforms. As the OTT industry continues evolving and becoming more accessible, its audience is also looking for more diverse content. With the global success of shows such as iQIYI’s original costume drama Story of Yanxi Palace drawing a global audience larger than that of Game of Thrones, the rise of Asian content is also drawing in larger, more diverse audiences. We are thrilled to be a part of AVIA’s inaugural OTT Upfront Showcase in Singapore and to have the opportunity to showcase our exciting slate to advertisers and partners.”

AVIA thanks its members Magnite, PubMatic, The Trade Desk, and Xandr for supporting the OTT Upfront Showcase and the same companies plus Index Exchange for supporting the research.

A link to the research study entitled Premium OTT – Building its Rightful Place in the Digital Market can be downloaded here (https://bit.ly/3L4lrMD).

About the Premium OTT Study

The study, Premium OTT – Building its Rightful Place in the Digital Market, was conducted in Singapore by Milieu Insight Pte Ltd, with online fieldwork using Milieu Insight’s online panel. The sample size was n=1200 and was representative of the Singapore adult population aged 16+. Premium OTT Services listed in the study were as follows: Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Go, iQIYI, meWATCH, Netflix, Singtel Cast, StarHub TV+, Viu and WeTV. Social Media and Video Sharing Services listed were: Daily Motion, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Telegram, TikTok, Twitter, Vimeo, WhatsApp and YouTube.

About the Asia Video Industry Association

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is the trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. AVIA is the interlocutor for the industry with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy through its Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry.

For media enquiries and additional background please contact:
Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoia
Twitter: @AsiaVideoIA

Manila Protection of Online Content Summit Builds Off High Hopes for Efficient and Effective Site Blocking Measures in New House Bill

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) and the Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) hosted a seminar earlier today in Manila to promote the protection of online content in a country that continues to have some of the highest levels of online piracy in Asia Pacific, levels that impede economic growth and pose serious risks to consumers. AVIA, and local industry partners involved in the seminar such as Globe and Kroma, held the event to highlight the need for the revised IP Code recently presented to the House to address rampant online piracy via the implementation of efficient and effective site blocking procedures.

The seminar brought together some of the leading content industry and government players in the Philippines, including the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines’ (IPOPHL) Deputy Director General, Teodoro C. Pascua, Congressman Joey Sarte Salceda, the Film Development Council of the Philippines and representatives from Globe Telecom, Disney, NBA and Kroma. Speakers at the seminar discussed the revised IP Code, the impact of online piracy in the Philippines, including the harm posed by piracy such as malware infections, as well as looking at best practices to combat online piracy, including reviewing what measures other countries in the region have taken to address online piracy.

Matthew Cheetham, CAP’s General Manager, noted. “We know from a recent YouGov survey that the Philippines has some of the highest online piracy rates in the Asia Pacific, with more than 60% of consumers admitting they watch pirate content online.” The same survey shows that site blocking is the preferred method of reducing piracy. Added Cheetham, “More than 49% of consumers believe a government or court order for ISPs to block pirate sites would be the most effective measure to reduce piracy in the Philippines.”

However, the good news is that consumers are also being educated about piracy with more than 40% being aware of the negative impacts of piracy on the local creative industry, as well as the risks of malware infections from accessing pirate sites. Cheetham illustrated the stark reality of the consumer risks from pirate sites highlighted in their “Time to Compromise” report from earlier in the year with a video presentation showing a user being infected with fake ransomware within 30 seconds of searching for pirate Philippine movie content.

There is some hope that the revised IP Code bill, HB0799, filed in early July, will address the rampant online piracy. However, while the bill does provide the potential for the government to block sites due to copyright infringement, the procedures for doing so are not clear. Cheetham noted that “Malaysia has some of the best site blocking measures in the region and it’s no surprise that Malaysia’s online piracy rates have plummeted by 60% since the Malaysian government implemented its rolling site blocking measures in early 2020.”

“The transformation brought about by the last two years has drastically changed the ecommerce landscape and technologies in all sectors have adapted accordingly. Protection and enforcement of intellectual property especially in the creative sector will perforce, adjust and adapt as the developments in ecommerce evolve and stabilizes. Failing to do so will drastically destroy the cadence of development already began and bring more loss than gains,” said Teodoro Pascua, Deputy Director General, The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL).

“Revising the Philippines’ intellectual property code is urgently necessary to ensure that we protect the Philippines’ creative industry and content users. To complement regulatory efforts, Globe has been implementing its anti-piracy campaign #PlayItRight since 2017 to educate customers on how to become responsible users of online content across the film and music industries, and the areas of digital literacy and education. We also vigorously monitor, and block validated illegal piracy sites. Adding teeth to the law will further boost these initiatives,” said Yoly Crisanto, Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer at Globe.

Added Ian Monsod, CEO of Kroma Entertainment, “Kroma is committed to develop world class entertainment as well as to elevate Filipino artistry and content to the world stage. We will continue to vigilantly work with industry stakeholders to uphold the IP rights protection as a backbone and path to the creator industry sustainability.”

About the Asia Video Industry Association

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is the trade association for the video industry and ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. AVIA is the interlocutor for the industry with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy through its Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry.

For media enquiries and additional background please contact:
Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoia
Twitter: @AsiaVideoIA

Korean Content Powerhouse Shaping the Entire Asian Video Landscape

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) welcomed over 200 delegates from across the region for its first ever Korean focused conference and its first in market event since 2019, with Korea in View, which took place on 30 August at the Westin Josun, Seoul.

To set the scene, AVIA CEO Louis Boswell presented key highlights from AVIA’s Korea in View 2022 Report. Ranking 10th among the world’s largest economies and 4th in Asia, South Korea had risen from one of the poorest countries in the world to a developed, high-income country in just one generation. The pay TV market continued to show growth of 2.7% per year, now dominated by IPTV, while streaming services were accelerating at breakneck speed, seeing paid subscribers increasing from 20.4% of the population in 2020 to 34.8% in 2021.

In his opening speech, keynote speaker, Vice Chairman Ahn Hyoung-hwan of the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) shared that while OTT growth was an opportunity for the content industry to grow, it was also resulting in a sense of crisis for existing legacy media. Hence the KCC was preparing the Audio-Visual Media Service Act and was pushing for innovative deregulation of the existing regulations on advertising and programming.

The day spanned multiple conversations about the strength of Korean content and how that was fuelling the success of both Korean streaming platforms as well as international, with Marianne Lee, Chief of Content Acquisition and Development, Viu and Junbeom Jeon, Chief Leader, Wavve, both agreeing that this investment in local content was the key to survival. Such demand, however, was also clearly fuelling a rapid escalation in content costs and while Hyun Park, Senior Vice President, Global Division of Studio Dragon commented that from a Hollywood perspective Korea still presented great value for money, there needed to be a cap on costs before they got out of hand. He also noted, “We are definitely not at the peak of production, we are only at the beginning.”

The roles of international and Korean streaming platforms were also examined with Esther Ahn, Vice President, Streaming, Korea, Paramount, explaining the recent introduction of Paramount+ to the market in partnership with CJ-backed TVING. The partnership spanned making Paramount content available within the TVING service in Korea as well as co-producing Korean content with a view to Korean and international audiences. TVING CEO Jay Yang also talked about the desire to be able to take the best Korean content overseas and deliver it through a Korean streaming platform, although he did not believe Korean content should only be on Korean platforms. But as in the same way Korean content was on international platforms, the Paramount+ deal also saw international content on a Korean platform. Ultimately streaming platforms wanted the best content no matter its origin.

The advertising market was also seeing the traditional markets of TV, Print and Radio declining but there has been significant growth in digital. This was an opportunity that both Bong-Su Kim, Addressable TV Ad Team Leader, SK Broadband and Vijay Kunduri, Regional Vice President, OTT/CTV, APAC, PubMatic, felt needed to be exploited with the growth of ad supported VOD or streaming services, with both being confident that this space would evolve quickly in the next two years in Korea.

Rounding up the day’s sentiments, Louis Boswell highlighted the importance of the Korean market not just because of the impressive growth it had seen for video content, but because of the influence Korean content has had across the region, and also the early stages of Korean streaming platforms looking to enter other Asian markets. “It is not possible to look at the Asian video industry without looking at Korea,” added Boswell.

Korea in View is generously sponsored by Brightcove, BytePlus, Conviva, Google Cloud, Irdeto, NAGRA, Paramount and TV5Monde.

About the Asia Video Industry Association:

The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA) is the trade association for the video industry and satellite ecosystem in Asia Pacific. It serves to make the video industry stronger and healthier through promoting the common interests of its members. The AVIA is the interlocutor for these industries with governments across the region, leads the fight against video piracy through its Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and provides insight into the video industry through reports and conferences aimed to support a vibrant video industry.

For media enquiries and additional background, contact:

Charmaine Kwan
Head of Marketing and Communications
Email: charmaine@avia.org
Website: www.avia.org
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/asiavideoia
Twitter: @AsiaVideoIA

Amazfit Launches GTS 4 Mini in Malaysia

Ultra-slim smartwatch comes with features that challenges the limits of size

Amazfit, a premium smart wearable hardware brand owned by Zepp Health Corporation (Zepp), launched the Amazfit GTS 4 Mini in Malaysia today with all the signature features packed into a lightweight and compact frame that challenges the limits of size.

The ultra-slim Amazfit GTS 4 Mini comes with heavyweight power in an aluminium alloy frame weighing-in at a mere 31.2 grams while the 70.2% screen-to-body ratio gives more screen. Powered by a 270-milliampere hour battery, the Amazfit GTS 4 Mini can last for 15 days from a single charge.

Other highlights of this mini smartwatch include five-satellite positioning system for outdoor activities, 5 ATM water-resistance to track water-sports and 120+ sports modes. The Amazfit GTS 4 Mini can also recognise seven sports activities and the PeakBeats Workout Status Algorithm monitors post workout recovery while wearers can assess and compare their previous running performance lap-data through the Virtual Pacer. Stress monitoring is included in the health reminders.

All this data is easily viewed through the Zepp App, which is powered by the Zepp operating system. The Amazfit GTS 4 Mini also has Alexa that can be accessed through the built-in microphone.

The Amazfit GTS 4 Mini’s soft and skin-friendly silicone band comes in Mint Blue, Flamingo Pink, Midnight Black and Moonlight White. The curved bezel smartwatch allows the wearer to download dozens of watch faces, some are animated, with matching always-on display or customize with photos.

The Amazfit GTS 4 Mini comes with a one-year warranty and will retail at RM399 each.

A special Shopee launch price of RM379 is good until 22 August 2022, plus those who order will also receive a limited edition Amazfit T-shirt (while supplies last)!

Find out more about the Amazfit GTS 4 Mini smartwatch at https://www.amazfit.com/my or Amazfit’s e-commerce partner platform https://bit.ly/MYAmazfit-SHOPEE.

Amazfit: www.amazfit.com/en

‘Gumball Dreams’ to have its International Premiere at the 79th Venice International Film Festival

Internationally premiering at the 79th Venice International Film Festival, brought to you by the award-winning virtual reality production company Ferryman Collective and Screaming Color, their fourth VR production, Gumball Dreams is an Official Selection of the oldest festival in the world after having won the SXSW Audience Award XR Experience Competition.

Organised by La Biennale di Venezia and directed by Alberto Barbera, the 79th Venice International Film Festival will take place at the Venice Lido from 31 August to 10 September 2022.

“In Gumball Dreams, our character Onyx has been blessed with the opportunity to explore worlds, and to experience the very best that those worlds have to offer. The delicious metapoetry is not lost on me that this work appears to be bringing me and my team similar opportunities,” states Christopher Lane Davis, aka Screaming Color, “I’m beyond thrilled that we will have almost two weeks to romp around one of the most beautiful cities in the world, meeting some of the most genius creators alive, and getting to experience their art. And I’m endlessly grateful to the founders and curators of the festival for bringing us together in this way.”

Gumball Dreams is a live, hour-long immersive experience in virtual reality that takes three audience members on a fantastical journey through a surreal landscape in space, dominated by a whimsical Gumball Machine, where Onyx, the main character sits on their throne waiting. A powerful and intimate experience that allows us to discover a mythic world beyond the reaches of our reality.

NARRATIVE SUMMARY

You have been called by an alien creature named Onyx to a mythical planet on which they are living out their final days. You, and two others, are asked to help them transition from this reality to the next. Each interaction with this majestic creature is illuminating and fascinating as you are asked to delve into your past and share stories with your fellow travelers in moments out of time.

But before Onyx can lay infinite wisdom at your feet, the weight of your spirit must be assessed. If found ready, you shall embark upon the journey of a lifetime, skipping among the stars, floating above the spheres, and remembering who you truly are.

Greetings, Traveler.

HOW IT WORKS

Gumball Dreams is performed live with one actor playing multiple roles. Through the magic of VR technology, participants feel fully immersed in our 3D world.

“There are things that can be done in VR that can only be seen in the movies, however, with VR, we allow the audience to be immersed inside these 3D worlds, in a way that 2D mediums cannot achieve,” says Stephen Butchko “there is a sense of awe about the scope and scale of things that can be accomplished in VR.”

PROJECT HISTORY

“This show was inspired by Club Gumball and Gumball Lounge, the existing worlds of Christopher Lane Davis, aka Screaming Color,” explains Deirdre V. Lyons, “with such beauty and grandeur, I felt this was the perfect environment to bring a new kind of story alive, almost as if it had been waiting for Onyx to step into the world and take a breath.”

Coming off the award-winning success of the festival darling The Severance Theory: Welcome to Respite, Ferryman Collective continues to trail-blaze in this new storytelling medium. Ferryman Collective is also known for PARA and Krampusnacht, a finalist for the PGA Innovation Award.

“VR allows us to combine the centuries old traditions of theater and performance with exciting and boundary breaking technology to bring people into an entirely new world.” adds Whitton Frank.

THE TEAM

Gumball Dreams is produced by Ferryman Collective and Screaming Color and is directed by Deirdre V. Lyons, Artistic Director, World & Animation Design by Christopher Lane Davis, a.k.a Screaming Color with support from Ferryman Collective members: Brian Tull – Producer, Braden Roy – Producer, Whitton Frank – Producer and Andy Aloisio – VR Consultant and Prefabs.

Coding – SnugDad.

Avatar Designer and Creator -Braden Roy and Brian Tull.

Screaming Color – Original Music and Sound Design.

Story by Deirdre V. Lyons and Christopher Lane Davis, aka Screaming Color. Inspired by the VRChat Worlds Club Gumball and Gumball Lounge, created by @screamingcolor.

The production team includes Deirdre V. Lyons, Braden Roy, Whitton Frank, Stephen Butchko, Brian Tull and Christopher Lane Davis, a.k.a Screaming Color.

Cast members include Brendan Andolsek Bradley (Onboard XR: Below Deck and Cruise, Resident Evil Village, The Haves and the Have Nots), Stephen Butchko (PARA, Krampusnacht, Welcome to Respite), Whitton Frank (The Under Presents, Tempest, PARA, Welcome to Respite), Kelly B Jones (Strikeback, The Letting Go, The Marine 2), Dasha Kittredge (The Under Presents, Tempest, Onboard XR), Deirdre V. Lyons (The Under Presents, Tempest, Welcome to Respite), Jonathan David Martin (Finding Pandora X, Loveseat, War Horse), Melinda Dekay (The Willows, Ashes, Torment) and Ona Zimhart (Alien Convergence, Cages).

MEDIA SHOWINGS AND INTERVIEWS

Interviews and private showings of Gumball Dreams may be experienced by contacting the team directly with requests. (Meta Quest 2 or PCVR required for private showings.)

Website:
https://www.ferrymancollective.com/

Social Media Links:
https://www.facebook.com/FerrymanVR
https://www.instagram.com/ferrymanvr/

For questions please contact: Ferryman Collective info@ferrymancollective.com

Press Release and Images: Press Kit_Gumball Dreams – Google Drive

Asian Licensing Conference explores latest trends and forges new business opportunities

34 industry experts share insights, 25,000+ viewers join online

The 11th Asian Licensing Conference (ALC), organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), ran successfully from 27 to 29 July. The three-day online event featured 22 thematic sessions where 34 industry experts from different sectors addressed participants. More than 25,000 viewers from 42 countries and regions joined the discussions alongside physical participation at five satellite conferences in Chongqing, Dalian, Hangzhou and Shenzhen in Mainland China and Jakarta in Indonesia. The three-day event generated nearly 140 one-on-one business matching meetings online, connecting global licensing players with potential partners to help them explore business opportunities.

The 11th Asian Licensing Conference (ALC) online featured 34 industry speakers well versed in the industry and attracted more than 25,000 viewers from 42 countries and regions.
Five satellite conferences were held in parallel with the ALC in Chongqing, Dalian, Hangzhou and Shenzhen in Mainland China and Jakarta in Indonesia.
The inaugural Brand Forum took place alongside the conference, featuring a number of established Asian brands. Representatives from these brands shared their stories and connected with participants for potential business partnerships.

One-stop platform connects licensing partners to global opportunities
Hong Kong is maintaining its position as an international intellectual property (IP) and licensing hub that links international licensors and licensing agents. The ALC provides a one-stop platform where leading global brands and licensors can explore cross-sectoral cooperation and keep abreast of the latest market trends and opportunities. This year the conference addressed topical issues in such areas as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), the metaverse, brands crossover, arts and culture licensing, art technology, blockchain gaming, location-based entertainment (LBE) experiences, environmental, social and governance (ESG) in licensing and more.

Speaking at the conference, Maura Regan, President of Licensing International, said that following two years of unparalleled change brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers put greater focus on life and cultural experiences. She said the global licensing community should capture opportunities arising from this consumer behaviour shift, expressing confidence that the licensing industry will continue to grow in line with consumer market trends in over the next two years.

Brand Forum builds business connections
The inaugural Brand Forum took place alongside the conference, featuring a number of established Asian brands such as BANDAI NAMCO, CAPCOM, DNP, Fuji Television, TV TOKYO Communication, Minto, San-Byte, Sony Creative, Poplar Publishing and Tsuburaya. Brand representatives shared their stories and were connected with other participants to explore potential partnerships. In addition, 45 Hong Kong homegrown brands under the DLAB banner presented their creative characters, animations, products and gaming designs. The online exhibition showcased more than 100 instances of IPs, fully demonstrating the power of licensing and creativity in the region.

TV TOKYO Communication shared that the event enabled them to connect with potential partners worldwide and explore business opportunities together. Yellow White Stone also said taking part in ALC helped them gain more experience and exposure.

At the “China Opportunity” session, one conference highlight, Gao Zheng, Director General, Bureau of International Exchange and Cooperation (Department of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs) of Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, said Hong Kong has been playing an important role in the development of the country’s cultural industry. The conference would further promote business collaboration between international and Mainland Chinese enterprises, and at the same time cement Hong Kong’s unique role as an international licensing hub. Jacky Chung, HKTDC Director, Mainland, said the National 14th Five-Year Plan supported Hong Kong’s development into an arts and cultural exchange hub that connects the mainland to the rest of the world. This will further enhance the city’s function as a trade centre for international IP and a globally recognised licensing hub.

He Yizan, Founder and CEO of ARTiSTORY, said technology would have a profound impact on people’s lives, and many cultural and art institutions were now actively embracing new technologies. He believed the convergence of art and technology would become a new trend for cultural and art licensing in the future.

Over three event-packed days, the ALC addressed numerous topical issues, offered fruitful content to participants and generated business opportunities for industry players. The event served as a prelude to the 20th HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show (HKILS) and the 12th Asian Licensing Conference (ALC) to be held from 27 to 29 April 2023. More details of these events will be announced in due course.

All ALC sessions were broadcast via the event’s online platform. Complimentary playback is available for registered participants until 29 August 2022 through the conference website link [ https://alc.hktdc.com ], while subscription for video-on-demand is available for those who did not register for this year’s event. Please email to: alc@hktdc.org for details of the subscription.

Website
– Asian Licensing Conference website: https://alc.hktdc.com
– Photo download: https://bit.ly/3PXfC5i

About HKTDC
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong’s trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedIn

Media enquiries
Please contact the HKTDC’s Communications & Public Affairs Department:
Kate Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4239, Email: kate.hy.chan@hktdc.org
Snowy Chan, Tel: +852 2584 4525, Email: snowy.sn.chan@hktdc.org