JAKARTA - Streaming and over the top (OTT) platforms are the main alternative for showing Indonesian films during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social restrictions and the closure of cinemas forced production houses to be creative in making changes.
To review this theme, the Committee for the Film Festival of Journalists (FFWI) held a series I FFWI Zoom Webinar entitled "Opportunities to Develop the Indonesian Film Ecosystem in the Era of a Pandemic" on Friday, August 20. The webinar, which was attended by journalists, filmmakers, and the film community throughout Indonesia, featured speakers Judith J Dipodiputro - CEO of Perum PFN, Lesley Simpson - Country Head of We TV & IFlix Indonesia and Manoj Punjabi - CEO of MD Corp.
"I saw two or three years ago that OTT would be the future of entertainment. That's why I have prepared an OTT team. When the pandemic came, OTT was an option to survive," said Manoj Punjabi.
OTT, he continued, could take a middle position between films and soap operas. Soap operas and film workers usually cannot be combined. However, with OTT they can work together in a hybrid way to make serial products.
"The quality of shows for OTT is above soap operas and below films. With good promotions, big brands, quality players, we can invite the audience to want to pay and subscribe to OTT," he explained.
Willingness and speed to adapt are the keys to success in dealing with the pandemic. This is proven by the rise of MD Corporation to profit in the first half of 2021.
"I'm not pro OTT, but I think OTT is more of an alternative opportunity. OTT can still grow bigger, beyond TV. And this is what I'm waiting for," said Manoj Punjabi.
For cinema, Manoj reiterated that cinema will not be replaced by OTT. "The cinema cannot be replaced by OTT. Because people go to the cinema not just to watch, but they want to get other experiences that OTT will not be able to get easily. We are also preparing quality films to enliven the cinema when it opens," he explained.
WeTV's Lesley Simpson is in tune with Manoj's exposure to concurrent momentum in the pandemic era. Entering the Indonesian market in 2019, WeTV had a great time.
"WeTV's dream is in accordance with its vision and mission to bring Indonesian films to the world, not only Indonesian audiences. WeTV wants the national film industry to be revived through OTT opportunities from webseries to films when cinemas are still closed. .
According to Judith J Dipodiputro, Indonesian films can definitely survive the COVID-19 storm. Moreover, the sources of financing are increasingly diverse today.
"PFN is a catalyst for the growth of the Indonesian film industry and content industry, including the film industry financing center with many collaborations such as the Telkom Group for start-ups. I underlined that films financed by PFN must have social value for Indonesia and are still in process," said Judith.
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