Busy Week

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Last few weeks have been very hectic. Been invited to give a few talks on blockchain and smart contracts to private groups. There was a pitch to sell animation to some broadcasting company in Kazakhstan, a government initiative.

Here is how the story unfold. Our dear friend and comrade @rambai owns a production house for animation called Sead Studios Private Limited. His company has been invited by the Malaysian government as part of the MIDA (Malaysian Investment Development Authority) initiative to pair buyers from overseas with Malaysian sellers.

The Animation Industry in Khazakhstan

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This industry is virtually non existent. So, they are looking to outsource the production of an animation meant for the silverscreen and we all know that oil producing countries are not lacking in funds for investment. So their trip to Malaysia is to source for a company that is capable of taking up the task and complete the job and has a track record.

The first thing in our mind is taking their request and putting on the mindset of a group of investors. The first question that came to mind is how big is the population of Khazakhstan because it will tell how much of revenue they can generate from the cinemas. Secondly is the pricing of the tickets in their country. Was quite surprised to find out that tickets are priced at USD3 which is relatively cheap by any standards.

The Product

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The product in hand that belongs to Sead Studio is the Intellectual Propriety rights to Awang Khenit. Currently running in the second season and being broadcast through satellite television.

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Currently Awang Khenit boasts a viewership of 700,000 people per telecast which is quite admirable because this is a competitive market.

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However, the buyers are more interested in developing their own Intellectual Proprietary Rights which may include the commissioning of new characters, storyline and plots. That is quite understandable because every culture may have a different set of following.

Whilst we are aware that our reach and presence may not command as much gravitational pull to the likes of Pixar or Disney but there is still a market for 2nd tier animation industry that is catered for customised animation and plot creation.

The Malaysian Government Support

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It is amazing how the government has continued to lend its support to this industry. Given the market isn't as huge as those in China and America, it can be quite a struggle for animation companies to survive in Malaysia. However this is a problem that is known to all and sundry. Companies doing animation cannot cover its production costs unless they are aided. So, the government of Malaysia through its arm called FINAS (National Films Development Organisation) do provide grants to aid companies such as Sead Studios to develop and sell their animation.

In short, it is to keep this industry afloat and hopefully, Malaysian talents would be able to penetrate other markets.

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So, if the Malaysian market itself is unable to sustain the growth of local animation companies, the government is making initiative to promote Malaysian animation industry to other countries that may lack such setup or infrastructure.

The Press Conference

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The event ended with a press conference as the project if successfully procured would be among the first few pilot projects that is entirely created, designed and produced by a Malaysian team for oversea consumption. This could be a catalyst for more to come. In fact, there is no lack of local talents in this sector and even the talents within #steem-cartoon would be able to deliver the demands of today's market.

There will be further collaboration with other companies which is in the pipeline and tomorrow, @rambai and myself have been invited as key speakers to an animation and production school.

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