KARACHI: Experts at a panel discussion on the future of OTT (over-the-top) platforms and mainstream media said that film plays a key role in community building and, therefore, it is important to produce original content that people can relate with.

The panel talk, titled “Future of Independent Filmmakers and OTT Platforms,” was held during a three-day film festival at Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture on Saturday.

The panellists included Hasan Sandila, Vice President of Digital Growth and Products at Jazz, Ateequr Rehman from Group M, and Umair Masoom, Founder of Myco. The event was moderated by Ali A. Rizvi.

The conversation started with discussion on the scope of investment in the digital media and how it is a major challenge to secure funding.

Creators discuss future of OTT platforms at IVS Film Festival

“To build stories, we definitely need access to the capital so that good stories can be made. But that doesn’t mean that we would stop if we don’t get it. The major problem right now is the domination of the market by the people who don’t believe in digital,” Mr Masoom remarked.

“The horizon of their imagination is limited. They do invest in YouTube, thinking of the revenue generation. However, they don’t think beyond the boundaries which is one of the reasons why we don’t get to see a lot of growth in terms of OTT platforms content,” he added.

Continuing the conversation, Mr Rehman spoke of the genres that “might” work in Pakistan and will be sustainable.

“When we are reached out by the companies like Amazon Prime, Netflix, they clearly tell us that the horror, mystery, psychological thriller is not something we’re experts at. However, building love stories, content that is driven through family systems and culture is what we’re good at, so creating content around these lines is what is going to get us into the market,” he said.

Explaining more on the topic, he advised the young filmmakers to go for the genre they’re good at. “Pick things that you’re good at and you know you’ll generate good content,” he said.

Mr Sandhila reminded the audience that consumers of the content exist beyond our personal favourites as well. “You need to remember that as a filmmaker, the world exists beyond what you like and what you don’t like. You need to remember that the audience exists beyond this room as well,” he said.

On that note, he shared an example: “I was asked to guess what is the most popular video on YouTube in Pakistan. I thought it would be Pasoori. However, the most popular video was of a six-year-old girl reciting Naat. This is a prime example of the fact that we consider the content we like to be popular but that is not always the case,” he said.

He also shed light on what other factors filmmakers should consider when they’re generating content for the OTT platforms.

“Today’s generation wants to consume the content where they can feel belonged and the content they can relate with, so you’re not only making a film, but also building a community. The new generation doesn’t have the patience to consume the same kind of content that has been made for years, so as an artist, you have to create your own impact by keeping your originality intact,” he said.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2024