As someone who has spent years immersed in the dynamic world of global television, I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiments shared during the Red Sea Film Festival panel. The shift towards local content with authentic voices is not just a trend, but a necessity in today’s market.
During a discussion at the Red Sea Film Festival, some leading figures in the entertainment industry suggested that content creators should initially focus on creating locally-rooted and genuinely expressive content for streaming platforms, rather than aiming for global success immediately.
“When creating content, such as the AlRawabi School for Girls series, it’s crucial to be authentic rather than trying to appeal globally. This means writing about what you truly understand,” Tima Shomali, the creator of the series, emphasized during a discussion on global TV trends in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Television production worldwide has experienced a slowdown following its peak periods, as the industry begins to shrink with popular shows such as “Squid Game” and “Narcos” among others. According to David Davoli, president of international at Anonymous Content, creating content that resonates authentically across cultures is key to success today.
Davoli suggested a particular approach, which is to aim for a broad appeal and avoid taking risks, in order to ensure that the show remains traditional and has the best chance of being sold in a straightforward, unremarkable manner.
The panel at the Red Sea festival discussed how certain genres and TV programming are thriving following the decline of Peak TV, with international streaming platforms such as Amazon and Netflix focusing more on local content to boost their subscriber base worldwide.
Nicholas Weinstock, head of Invention Studios, highlighted the paradoxical approach of delving into regionally specific and emotionally impactful topics that could strike a chord globally, as the most effective method for thriving in today’s international marketplace.
Individuals are intelligent, and they tend to develop a sensitivity when corporations try to appeal to everyone indiscriminately,” Weinstock suggested. The conversation about what television content is striking a chord with worldwide audiences also emerged following last year’s strikes by Hollywood actors and writers and a decrease in new TV production by the major studios and streaming platforms.
Weinstock collaborates with native artists in Lebanon, Kenya, and various global markets, leveraging the affordability of local television production. In an age where Hollywood seeks to reduce content costs, and major streaming services continue to seek content to attract new subscribers, this strategy remains viable.
We not only have the ability to produce our shows, but we also develop models during this process that can guide us into the future, even in more traditional periods. This is a significant advantage, as he pointed out,” Weinstock asserted. He further explained his attendance at the Red Sea festival was partially to seek out additional Arabic language content to create.
I’ve come for this very reason. It’s the potential of emerging markets that truly captivates me. There’s an incredible amount of ingenuity at play here. What really gets me pumped is the possibility of forging a connection to Hollywood, simply by collaborating on projects,” Weinstock expressed.
Ritesh Sidhwani, a partner at Excel Entertainment based in India, emphasized that content creators must fully trust their unique creative instincts to develop shows that could potentially require some patience before attracting viewers and finding a streaming platform to back them.
Over the past year or two, streaming platforms have mentioned to me that some shows aren’t as popular in their second episode, and I think that claim is nonsense. There are numerous examples of successful series that started off slowly,” Sidhwani argued firmly.
Content producers were encouraged to utilize platforms such as TikTok to transform the idea of traditional television by harnessing the power of the creator economy. As Davoli from Anonymous Content pointed out, “This is going to be a tidal wave – the creator economy and TikTok. That’s what everyone should be focusing on, or at least paying more attention to.
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2024-12-07 13:54