IN10 Media eyes movie making, original web content in 2023
2 min read . Updated: 10 Jan 2023, 11:19 PM IST
PremiumIN10 Media plans to commission five originals for DocuBay, which will be Indian stories with global appeal
IN10 Media Network, an entertainment company co-promoted by Anand Mahindra and the Pittie Group, is planning to make films for theatres as well as original content for its two video streaming platforms EPIC ON and DocuBay this year. So far, EPIC ON has primarily carried catch-up television programming from the company’s broadcast network EPIC, while DocuBay has been focused on English-language documentaries from across the globe.
In addition, the network that owns television channels such as EPIC, Ishaara and Filamchi is looking at adding or acquiring more channels, building on genres that it believes its core strengths lie in. “We’re looking at announcing a five-film slate; these will be in Hindi and made for theatres, though they will then obviously go on to other platforms. We’re also looking at one regional language production each in Tamil and Kannada," Aditya Pittie, managing director, IN10 Media Network said in an interview. The films will be across genres, including action, thrillers, horror and comedy, Pittie said. While it is yet to lock in casts for any of these, the company is open to speaking to big mainstream stars if the economics of the project allow it, he added.
Pittie doesn’t see challenges on the theatrical film front except that the content, including sound, visuals and VFX needs to be of a certain scale in order to lure people to cinemas. “A socially relevant film that has a message but no scale may not be reason for people to want to go to theatres, especially since the window between theatrical and digital premiere of films has reduced. The experience of going to a theatre is expensive, so it has to be a family outing. If the film can be watched by all four people together, it’s more appealing and that’s what we want to do. That’s the learning from the past few months post covid. If something feels equally entertaining on a laptop, television or home screen, that differentiation needs to be established even stronger. The theatrical experience has to be a spectacle," Pittie said.
For the company, 2023 will also be the year of original web content for its two streaming platforms EPIC ON and DocuBay. “We’re commissioning five originals for DocuBay, which will be Indian stories with global appeal made in the English language. Plus, there will be Hindi language originals focused on the young adult for EPIC ON," he said. The company doesn’t have a significant direct-to-consumer presence yet, Pittie admitted, though they are available as individual apps. However, bundling with aggregators such as Tata Play and Reliance Jio will provide a fillip to the business once there is more original content to speak of.
While paid subscriber additions have slowed since the peak of the pandemic, some experts see hope in the subscription video on demand (SVoD) business.
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Pittie agreed. “The SVoD business is a tough nut to crack and the future is about bundling which can give people access to most OTTs that will reduce cost and may increase consumption," Pittie said and added that EPIC ON will remain an SVoD business though some free content will be available for sampling.
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