The GEC Formula!!!

(A +B) X C = AC + BC

Put your figures into it and get the desired result.Its a Mathematical formula.

(Relatibility + Strong Characters) X Good Screenplays  + Good Producer  +  (Creative Vision X Casting)

                                       (Research + Promotion) – Distribution

Is equal to what!!!

Noone Knows!!!

Because all these variants reacts differently to different formulae created in different sets of Time and Space!!

What we know for sure is that these variants do exist,Some like mentioned above,Some more like Look & Feel,The Disruptive or Representative Content,The Making,The Direction,The Freshness,The Recall Value and many more.

Everyone in Entertainment Television industry is in continuous search of the formula that works,And Its not that we don’t get formulae,We do get formulae,But the formula succeeds once and fails if attempted again,So no permanent formula has been found and success and failure is everyday struggle for everyone.

After writing on the Incoming Changes in Entertainment industry,The Sports Entertainment,Emerging News and the possibilities for the Professionals,We decided to focus on the elements of this hidden but ever existing (Or Unexisting) formula,The Creative Formula,The GEC formula!!!!

In this search,Lets examine the elements that are allready existing:

 

NUMBER 1

 

Few TV channels do a lot of Research,Gets into the Consumer Insight,Tries to explore what the viewers want from that perticular brand and decide a a larger vision for the channel.

Sometimes,A one Liner of the vision is attempted in creating the shape of the creative product,

On the other hand,We also have channels that go for research but does not follow any specific larger vision.

Does it make any difference!!!

Yes,It does!!!

 

NUMBER 2

 

A very outdated question still exists in our surroundings.

Do the viewers follow a channel? OR They follow the shows?

Just think of the shows and you will find one or two successful shows on every channel.

It speaks for the truth of the fact,that the show is the driver,and not the positioning of the channel.

So,Should we blame the overall positioning of the channel for a show not working?

No,We should not!!

 

NUMBER 3

 

The selection of the Concepts that are to be made;

Yes,It’s a very very important element;

At some places,The selection is based on Consumer Insights and Brand Positioning;

At some places,It still is based on Gut Feel and personalised likings;

Is there a big difference?

Yes,There is!!

 

NUMBER 4

 

The Producer!!The person who is going to deliver the product.

At some places,Specific Producers are invited;

At some places,They are open to everyone;

At other places,They encourage new people to come forward;

Few Organisations decide the content on their own and deligate it to a producer;

All these approaches deliver different results.Is this element important?

Yes,It is!!

 

NUMBER 5

 

The Channel Creative Team + The Creative team of Producer = IMPACT

This impact is different for different shows on different TV channels,

Because;

We are still discussing:

·         Should the channel creative teams work as Creative Partners or Creative Supervisors?

·         Should the Producer be independently responsible for the output of the show?

No One Policy,Teams work differently,Giving different results;

Do we have the need to streamline it?

Yes,There is a need.

This element affects the larger formula that we are searching for.

 

NUMBER 6

 

Freshness !!!

After spending long years in creating,writing,directing and managing;

People loose freshness;

People coming from outside carry this freshness.Are they welcomed!!!

Yes and No,Both!

We can see,We can smell this freshness at some production houses and  TV channels;

At some places,We find the same old smell;

Does this factor matter?

It does matter!!!

 

NUMBER 7

 

The Disconnect!!

Concepts are approved keeping many things in mind but many times,The teams carrying it forward are disconnected with the original thinking of the thinkers;

Does it happen?

Yes,In most of the cases!!!

 

NUMBER 8

 

Do people enjoy making the show!!!

Not everyone !

Running from here to there handling five shows / Arguing with Creative Teams/Being fired by the seniors / Delivering the creativity just to appease others / Working for money only

Can there be a scenerio where people working on shows love and enjoy every moment of it!!

Feelings reflect in Creations.

Should we take it as an element?

Yes,It IS an element!!

 

NUMBER 9

 

The Promos and Hoardings!!

We have seen it happening many times that the selling pitch of the show is derived from the show very differently from the pitch with which it was started and created;

And its promoted that way only;

Later finding it not reflecting it in the show;

Should the Creators of the show be a strong part of this last step exersise contributing with their vision?

Can it bring in some difference?

It can!!

 

NUMBER 10

 

We have reached at Number Ten  but we have not discussed the Following things:

(Story +Screenplay +Dialogues+Direction+Creative Heading+Set+Music ) = CREATIVE

Is Creative  not important!  Is It not the part of the formula!!

It Is;

Very Much;The strongest part of the formula;

We have seen the shows which were not different,But they were made differently;

And they created a difference.

With their Creative;

 

Sot we take them as ONE VARIANT of the formula which can be added to or Multiplied with other nine variants.

 

Now;

 Where is the formula?

VARIANT (1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9)X VARIANT 10 = A Good Product

But It also can be VARIANT (1+2+3+4) X VARIANT  5 + VARIANT (6+7+8+9) +VARIANT 10=A Good Product

It can be structured in hundreds of ways!!

 

There can never be a single formula , And we all know it;

We can search for the different Variants that controls the final outcome;

And these Variants too will keep changing;

 

Few Variants are mentioned above from Number 1 to 10  (Without being Judgemental);

We are sure that you too have your own variants taking this number from 10 to 15;

Someone else will come up with new variants taking it to 20 from 15;

This is a journey;

We have no option but to work on these Variants;

The Variants will create a different formula for a different setting;

Sometimes you may sense it,Like Ekta Kapoor does it correctly most of the time;

Sometimes we may not sense it;

These variants will allways surprise us;

These variants will never let us make a Coca Cola formula;

We will allways be;

In search of;

The GEC Formula!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WE THE PROFESSIONALS!!!

Sometimes We do wonder about the fact that we don’t see writings on subjects like “How to design the struggle of a TV actor!”, “What to do after becoming a successful TV writer!”. “What should a TV producer do after making many shows!”, “Is getting a job at a TV channel  becomes the last stop for TV professionals!”, “Where will the channel creatives go?”, “Can a Supervising Producer survive beyond twenty years!”, “Are creative professionals growing intelectualy!”, “Is Television a short term career!”, “Can there be a plan for a transition from Television to Films!”, What can you do after quitting the News Channel!”, “Are we understanding the arrival of Digital!”.

For a matter of fact,We have found most of the TV professionals confused about these questions.Many try to get the answers but they don’t get it,And then decide not to think about all this,But actually they continuously think about it as the unknown allways looks scary.

Don’t Worry,Its not that scary.

Lets discuss it for two separate categories:The Entertainment Professionals and the News Professionals!

First the Entertainment professionals:

Do you remember the highly artistic and popular Television shows of late Eighties or Early Nineties!!

Many of those great shows were made by highly talented people coming directly from Film Industry.Well read creative people with a strong exposure to society and literature were driving the Hum Log  era of Television in this country.THE FIRST GENERATION OF TELEVISION!

Where have they gone!What happened to them!

THE FIRST GENERATION DISAPPEARED.

Why?

Because they did not understand and accept  the changing language of Television from the second half of 1992 with the arrival of Zee TV.We started our career in 1994 and we remember meeting many talented professionals of Doordarshan era in those initial years of settelite Television.They were not agreeing to changing trends.They disappeared.

Youngsters arrived,THE SECOND GENERATION OF TELEVISION!

They were born mostly in the creative labs of  Zee TV,Sony TV,Star Plus,Balaji,UTV,Cinevista,TraCinema,DJs,Creative Eye,Adhikari Brothers,Plus Channel,Siddhant,With Sagars,Chopras and Sanjay Khans and many others.

They are still around.Sitting in TV channels,Producing TV shows,Heading TV Companies,Doing Consulting Jobs,Working on Film Projects,

The Second Generation is still doing great work,They are still making great money;

But the changing trends are very strong and they are taking place faster than the early 90s.

THE THIRD GENERATION OF TELEVISION has allready arrived.

Its time for the Second Generation to introspect.Changing trends can kill any generation.The First Generation of Television disappeared and the second generation  of Television can also disappear if we don’t read the writing on the wall.

We all have no option but to accept the Digital Language of Entertainment business.Its not only about putting the content on Digital Plateforms,Its beyond that.

In Few Years,We will face hundreds of possibilities:

The nature and shape of Content Products will change / The creation process will go through innovative methods / The new plateforms will require new working attitudes / The timelines will drastically change / The responses from the viewers will be different / The impact of screenplays will be planned differently / There will be localisation and interactivity in content / There will be viewers involvement in decision making / The creative processes will not be isolated processes.

Many More Points!!!

The TV channels are run by market oriented forces.They have read the writing on the wall and preparations are on for the coming years.

The Creative Professionals are still a little away from the reality.

Sometime back We were  discussing this with a friend of us who heads the Digital Wing of a TV channel.We shared our concern that not many in our industry are concerned about it  and she said..Whats the need to enlighten everyone about the encoming danger!!Everyone needs to look around on their own..And we who understand it today will be the first movers in coming tomorrows!!

Yes,The First Movers!!

Those who understand and accept it today.

And;

Part of THE DISAPPEARED SECOND GENERATION OF TELEVISION;

Those who don’t understand or accept it today.

So Its an oppurtunity,

Lets educate ourselves,Lets accept the new language,

Let there be a phase of the Second and Third Generation together.

It might be a very exciting time for us!!

See the possibilities!!!

City based Channels / Shows with Real Actors / Interactive Mobile Dramas / Innovative Web Channels / Production Houses in small cities / Rural participation in Content Business / Personal Programming / New Working Methods / Films and Television together / Mohalla Content,

The list can go on!!!

This all can belong to us - THE SECOND GENERATION OF TELEVISION ..if we decide to welcome it with our understanding of it.

So Good Days are ahead..If we remain Good to coming future!!

 Now The News Professionals:

What could be  the life beyond a News Channel!!!..Time to think.

If you get up early in the morning,Chasing  your stories throughout the days,Going back to your homes blank,Having no energy left to read and study the life and surroundings..What will happen to you?

“THIS” happens to thousands of News professionals everyday;

Not prepared for life beyond News Channels,Not able to adjust with other streams of Communication,Not getting other News Plateforms,Not reading,Not studying,Not Growing as a professional,

Thousands of them are getting disillusioned!!!

The quality and ethics of News Channels have disappointed their creative energies..And this whole experience does not give them great money also..in comparison to Entertainment Television professionals;

So what do they do!!Where do they go!!Whats the future!!

Its complicated because News is connected with the game of power.The News channels are run for different purposes.They are focussed on the happenings,rather focussing on those who report these happenings.

Entertainment professionals create the happenings (Read :The Original Content)..And the happenings are reported,So the people are very important;

In News,Happenings (Read:The Act and the Activity)are created on its own..by News Makers..Those who report just report it..So the people are not that important;

News Industry is not supportive to its own people.

 The News Professionals don’t have much to do beyond News Channels;

As there are no outsourcing there because of Control and Economical factors.

 So;

Whats the future of News Professionals!!

Can be great!!

Yes,It can also be great!!

Infact greater than the entertainment professionals!!!

 The business of News will move beyond these News Channels,The process has started.

The arrival of Google Glass,The experiments of Baloon Internet for rural areas,The coming age of 4G,5G,6G;

This all will change the face of News;

Every single individual can be in a position to run a News stream somewhere on some plateform.

This is an oppurtunity;

For those,Who want to understand and accept it;

Else..The power business will throw you out when you become useless!!

 Smart people have allready started taking steps;

When we are writing this,We read an article about one of the biggest names in News Television..Someone who recently sold  his News empire to a business group,

This someone having billions of dollors now in his pocket is today searching something in the lanes of cities and towns of the United States of America.

Search for the future of personalised news on hand held divices;

Another someone ,who recently sold his entertainment empire to a foreign group,has invested heavily in a user generated News Portal;

It’s a symbol of greatest hope!!

News can never be outdated;

News professionals can never be outdated..If!!

 They read the writing on the wall!!

We are sure that they will do that and adjust their careers with the changing trends;

 Road blocks are standing on roads ahead;

But there are longer Roads existing  beyond them;

We The People,We The People of Entertainment and News industries have to cross these road blocks;

We all can do it;

Afterall;

We  are THE PROFESSIONALS!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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NEWS IS NOT NEWS UNTIL!!!!! (CONCLUDING PART 2)

 

Year 1996,New Delhi

 At J 27,South Extension Office of “To Be Launched Zee News”

 My teacher in Television News started telling me things.(He was in those few in the country at that time who knew about Television News as he had worked with the only News Provider of that age:Doordarshan News)

He said, “In Television News,Visuals are more important than the Audio.We are in the business of images.Keep this in mind.”

Oh My God!!!!

He knew the biggest secret at the time of the Big Bang of Television News in this country,

He moved on to other sectors;

And  his precious saying was forgotten by the coming generation of Television News fraternity.

Yes;

The Images!!! Not the Audio!!!

We are not discussing  a Silent News Bulletin on a News Channel;

But his saying tells us about the power of visuals in Television News,It does not need the support of shouting anchors or overdoing reporters from the spots,All It needs is the understanding how the viewer will understand it!!!

This was directly related with the form of the Narrative.

Now the teacher is back in a bigger role as the head of a News Network,I hope that his forgotten saying will be brought back to create a connect of usefulness  between the Television News  and the viewers.

So

POINT NUMBER 3 : The connect of usefulness  has to be created. (This connect of usefulness can be found and studied in the advertising industry driven initiatives and products.Entertainment Television is a connect of Engagement.)

OK

Now What!!!

Nothing;

We just need to watch Entertainment Channels for few days.We can find many weekend shows and programmes on these channels , in disguise of an entertainment programme , But they actually are News programmes.

Television News did not innovate  its programming and much of its possible programming was hijacked by the entertainment channels..And there,It delivers good ratings…Crime Based Shows,Issue based Shows,Truth Exposing Reality Shows,Humanatarian Programmes..All- that could have been giving ratings to News are today on Entertainment channels.

Television News should get it back with more innovation on it.

Any format,Any Form can be changed anytime.It should just experience good.

Formats can be changed in seconds;

As I change  the format of this piece of writing NOW!!!

 My dear Television News!!

You have an advantage!!!You go LIVE!!!They don’t.(Mostly),So the power of Live Realism with right kind of the connect of usefulness will any day bring your things back to you.

NOW

The issue of talent.

Dear Television News!!

You are mostly based in Delhi;

Do you know the fact that thousands of talented people working in Mumbai come from Delhi only.

Why don’t you hold them for News industry!!!They are there..But they might not be there in News channels..They are young  and bright boys and girls studying or planning their lives..Catch them..They will give you great output but they will remain with you.. only , If you create an exciting creative layout of News and its programming for their talent to get exposed.

I guess,you should also look at another interesting fact , My Dear Television News!

The biggest entertainment channel in India is being run by many News persons today.They are the ones who are handling and controlling the world of fictitious stories.They are doing it very successfully.

These News persons discuss Scripts,Clothings,Sets,Music,The Look and Feel..The Content Positioning,Its designing to touch the pulse of the consumers..Viewers

They do it all very successfully,This I can tell you with confidence,

How is it possible !!!

Because a News person always gets a 360 degree view of the surroundings and happenings;

A News person can fit into anything with right kind of attitude;

So the power lies within!!!It just needs to be understood!!It just needs to break the barriers of restricted thinking!!It just requires courage!!

I feel that AAP KI ADALAT  on India TV is the biggest example of courage shown in last Eighteen  years of private news bulletins  in India.

The presenter of the show,The owner of the channel,is a landmark personality;

He is my mentor,He gave me a professional life to start with,I can be biased towards him,But I am not;

This is a fact that;

He created the format of the Adalat in Television News twenty  years ago taking the risk of being laughed at,Taking the risk of being rejected by the viewers..He took the risk and  did it..and Yes ,There was a visionary business  man at Zee TV  standing to support him.

Why did he support him;

He supported because he was a businessman,He focussed on the pulse of the people rather talking about the academic  seriousness of the News business

So I can say again;The bigger roles of Corporate groups in Television News may enhance its output.

I am very hopeful for the Television News industry;

I may be right on few things,I may be wrong on few things;

But my perspective will remain a third angle perspective as I write it from a point  where I am neither inside the Television News nor completely out of it.

Oh yeah;
How can I forget it!!!!

One of my friends , The powerful head of a News Channel,has just completed his first Hindi feature film as a Director..Should I tell you the name..I am sure you know him.

See,He has narrated News Stories all his life;

He is easily narrating a fictitious story now!!!

Question:What does it mean?

Answer:It means that anything is possible.News people can do anything.For doing things outside News,For doing things inside News..So you do you job..I do my job..Before that,Let me congratulate him.
Congratulations My Dear Friend,You could be the latest inspiration for the entire Television News world.

J

NEWS IS NOT NEWS UNTIL !

 

Year 2001,New Delhi

The News Director of the Number 1 News Channel of the country did not ask me , rather he  told me a strange thing : I want you to take an assignment for this News Channel.I want you to take independent charge of an half an hour News Programme of this channel…and give it the energy,orientation and the psychology of the Entertainment industry where you work now...He continued..Here in News,We have better stories than the fictitious stories of the entertainment world  but here  we don’t have an innovative and gripping form of narrative..The connect with the people!! I was surprised but confident about his vision..Unfortunetly,We could not work on his visionary idea.

 

Year 2004 ,Mumbai

The News Director,Now the Editor of a big news channel again told me the same thing :There is a 7 PM show on this channel..I want to experiment with the form,format and the narrative of it..Again,It could not happen but,

We made a special series on the on-going war between Raj Thackerey and Uddhav Thackerey.

An experiment was finally made!!

The larger story  was a political one but It was presented as a human story of a family.Things were attempted at the micro level of its idea and Script.

If this thought and approach of the News Director could have been remained  available to News Television, This could have been the beginning of a new phase for Television News in our country.

The News Director moved on to lead the world of stories in the entertainment world.He knew the power of real stories..He experimented with the form,format and narratives of the fictitious stories..He himself became a great success story.

His success in the entertainment world is an argument in favour of the fact that..If News could understand the power of form,format and narrative,If News could understand the philosophy  that viewers are a living thing and not a concept ,If News could understand the responsibility of engaging the viewers with the usability of the content…The day will not be far when a News channel can surpass the ratings of a General Entertainment Channel!!

I just asked myself why I am writing this piece on News from the point of view of this visionary!!

Simple!!

Because I never heard such things  again from anyone in the world of Television News.

So What I got from his vision can be a part of my narrative today.

POINT NUMBER 1 : The hidden  OPPORTUNITY in News was understood by him.Its still there.

Now comes the second thing:ACCEPTENCE OF THE TRUTH

 

Long back,He asked me;

Can you make a five minutes capsule on Entertainment World for my News Channel?

I said, “ There can be a half an hour daily capsule on the happenings of the world of TV Serials.”  (We were discussing this at a time when no news programme on TV serials was existing on any News Channel.)

The team in the News Channel was not convinced with the idea.Many thought that News Channel should not promote the Entertainment Channels.

The visionary said, “This is wrong.We in News Channels are nowhere in comparison to the ratings of the Entertainment Channels.We have to accept the truth and the truth is this , that we get benefited  by showing the serials of the entertainment channels on our News Channels.”

Acceptance!!

That a whole world of communication with the viewers exists beyond News Channels.

We can study the methods and impacts of this communication to utilise it in the narratives of the News Channels.

POINT NUMBER 2 : News needs innovation and innovation can come from outside the world of News also.We have to accept this truth.

Beliefs and Opinions are always personal,So mine are too!!

In the world of Television News,Today

Oppurtunity is there;

Acceptance is not there;

And without acceptance,How can we bring in the change!!

 

When we look at the Entertainment Television today;

We can see that a lot of academic and research driven thinking is being applied not only to bring in micro level changes but to adjust with the futuristic change patterns also.

When we look at the News Television today;

We don’t find these elements.Things are same for the last many years.

 

Now,At a time

When the biggest corporate group of the country has directly taken control of a News Network;

People are skeptical;

But I feel that this could be the best thing ever happened to the world of News Television;

It might introduce a new element;

Element of Responsibility;

Business grows on responsibility..and the business groups  believe in fixing up the responsibilities;

If the business responsibility to engage and hold the viewers is introduced aggressively;

Then the News Teams have  to learn the new forms of narratives of their stories and programmes..To engage the viewers..To hold the viewers.

The disconnect with the viewers has to go;

 

So Mr Network 18 News Network!! (Its so obvious!! J )

You are a source of hope for the entire world of Television News;

I leave it to you  and intend to end this piece of today.

But!!

We did not talk about the possibilities of various ideas in News Television!!

Can we innovate? Can we experiment? Can we introduce a new kind of programming? Why cant it be  Useful News? Why cant we introduce new concepts?

This and more;

In the concluding part of this piece TOMORROW!!!!!

 TO BE CONTINUED