WE-THE TELEVISION PRODUCTION HOUSES!!!!

 

A Garment making unit is called – A factory;

A TV Serial making unit is called – A Production House;

The name “Production House”  takes us away from the spectrum of organised businesses;

Thousands of investers are ready to invest in Websites,Online Portals,Mobile Application companies,Logistics Units,Ground Services,Equiptment Businesses,Broadcast Businesses or even Online Content Businesses;

But not many are there for TV Production Houses;

Why!!!

Because we  do not offer stable,organised,structured and scalable business models;

Why don’t we offer so!!!

Because we don’t  focus on that;

I have been interacting with Production Houses as Head of Companies,Creative Director,Writer or Consultant – And now when I myself run my own Production House – I develop a bigger insight into the operations of the Production Houses;

No doubt,To create the entity of Production House itself is great task;

Congratulations to all those friends of mine who made it;Specially my Creative Friends;

But

Its high time to analyse this entity of ours-The Production House!!!

The entity of Production House gives all of us names on Screen,Good Finances,Cars,Houses,Hollidays,Imported Specs,Colourfull Clothes,Offices,Staff,Good PR,Localised Fame;

 Giving above mentioned things;

But not giving us a real corporate existance;

A big company making dozens of serials can easily die down  in few months;

And a new company having no track record can be created in few months;

That’s the excitement of Production Houses;

That’s the fear of Production Houses;

We have seen big companies vanishing into thin air;

We have seen new companies emerging all of a sudden;

Oh,Sorry;

I should not say-a Company!!!

Because,Though we might be registered as a company,We  are not treated as companies by the corporate world;

We  are known by the names of the producers;

Sometimes people even don’t know the name of the company,People just know the person who is the producer;

Its not an ideal situation for the organised growth of this space of the Media & Entertainment Sector.

 Lets understand what the real situation is!!!

The Production Houses survive on the raw material of Concept and Ideas – There is no factory manufacturing these Concepts or Ideas,There is no organised form of the creation of ideas,Its badly cluttered,badly oriented;

So the back bone area itself is not specifically structured!!

There is no stable work systems,Work systems come and go with people in production houses – It creates lack of deliverance promises,You can trust someone today but you may go wrong with the same person tomorrow;

So the faith remains with people and faith in the entity of the business house  is not developed!!

There is no “Proof of the Concept” element here –A Production house may make a successful show but the next one might be a failure,

So there cant be any kind of minimum guarantee system!!!

There is no Tender system for getting work from broadcasters – Any business strategy is very difficult to be designed,Mostly the entire business runs on personal equations;

That’s why you will rarely find a CEO or COO in any production house!!!

What a Producer want from his or her show!!!

Does he or she want to create a company around the business of TV Serials!!

Or he or she wants to become rich and famous!!!

Mostly,The Second One!!!

Production Houses pay taxes,but not for becoming an entity to attract the investers;

We  do so,Only when It becomes a compultion;

Most of the money is diverted to personal purposes;

And why not!!!

We  know,  that In most of the cases,No invester is waiting to invest in their company,

And Its not a myth;

You just check it around;

How many investers have invested in TV Production Houses!!!

Negligible!!!!

A Production House producing a highly famous TV serial for more than 15 years is still a Partnership Firm!!!

Most of the Production Houses are partnership Firms;

Even if we are Limited Companies,We have very limited use of it;

There is no permanent employment within Production Houses;

There is no leave system,No HR policies or practices,No PF,No Insurance,No Appointment Letters,No Notice Period,No IPR Protection system,No Legal Contractual Systems....Nothing!!!!

You go on a shoot;

It does not look like an organised factory where serials are made;

It looks more like a Marriage Ceremony where so many people are managing things;

You don’t find a great library in most of the production houses;

In this scenerio;

How can we expect from the stalwarts of Media Businesses to look upon us with constructive vision!!!

They will not;

 Once I asked a  head of a TV Channel;

To enhance the business of Production Houses,You need to support the Eco System of them;

He asked me – What do they do to create a great infrastructure!!! A Great Company!!!

And I did not have answers;

He was rights;

As most of the Production Houses create offices just for the investment purposes;

We  do only the running things;

And untill those things are done;Stalwarts will not treat us like an important part of the industry.

 

Broadcasting is serious business;

Production Houses are the back bone of their businesses;

But even in broadcasting industry,

Production Houses are nothing but small entities run by colourfull people termed as Producers;

Creative or Non Creative people who can manage the Production Units;

But we don’t belong to FICCI,FICCI FRAMES,Stock Markets,Panel Discussions,Parliamentry Committee Discussions;

Production Houses are not even the part of TAM or BARC circuits;

We  are not invited for Marketting,Branding or Rating discussions;

We  are not linked to Advertising Associations for any purpose;

 

All these mentioned entities are run by management professionals;

They don’t find any connect with this fraternity;

 

Production Houses are Producers’ Dukaan,

And not a corporate entity;

This is the perception!!!

 Can we break the perception!!!!

Yes;

Few ones are trying to do that;

But for doing that;

We need to disconnect our individuality from the enity called Production House;

We need to pay taxes;

We need to invest in the company;

We need to create an HR,Legal,Finance and all other systems;

We need to move beyond Cars – Towards Company Secretaries;

We need to offer permanent employment;

We need to sustain the employees even in the absence of the TV serial;

We need to provide Insurance;

We need to systemise the output not depending upon the individuals;

We need to create various faces for the company;

We need to dismantle our individual brands for creating the brand of the Production House;

We need to become a Content Creation Entity,Not a Production House;

We need to become Content Aggregators;

We need to get into online plateforms;

We need to create a not so dependent on few clients kind of business models;

We need to be a part of all business organisations;

We need to read Economic Times,Instead of reading Trade Guides only;

 

Can we do that!!!

Yes;

Because this is the only future for production houses;

Else;

Today you are here;

Tomorrow you wont be here;

Production Houses are judged by the performances of their todays;

And that’s not wrong also;

We  get paid for that;

We  don’t have any stake in the larger business;

A day might come,When Production Houses might get into a profit and loss sharing business models with various plateforms owners;

And that might be the day of starting the real business;

A possible future;

Owning IPR of thousands of ideas;

Owning various Online Content Plateforms;

Aggrigating content for plateforms;

Making things in partnership with broadcasters;

Intigrating various verticals of the content business;

Making content beyond Audio-Video formats;

 

There can be thousands of ways of doing that;

But;

If it remains a matter of one concept only,There is no future for Production House Business;

If it becomes a matter of one person only,There is no future for Production House Business;

If it becomes a matter of expanding vision,There is great future for Production House Business;

 I am sure that we have visionaries;

I am sure, we have Production Houses that understands all this;

I am sure that Production Houses will come out of the circle of Helpless and Dependent Business;We will move into the circles of Systemised and Broadbased businesses;

Technology is ready to support the vision;

We must have a vision;

When we have a vision;

We should go to Channel Heads,Programming Heads,Their CEOs;

And should request them;

Help us grow;

Support Us;

We need your assistance;

Assist us please;

They will support once they are convinced with the vision;

I am sure about it;

You too should be sure about it;

Hundred Percent!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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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