MAM
Ormax Xpressive: Get ready for facial coding
MUMBAI: Expressions say it all, and researchers for long now have been reading people’s faces to know it all. A smile, a frown, a grin and many more can’t hide the real feelings. Keeping this in mind, researchers are now using facial coding to investigate how viewers react and behave towards TV shows.
In India, Ormax Media which has launched various products to help the Media & Entertainment industry has launched a new one – Ormax Xpressive. The newest variant from the house is an automated face coding based content testing tool. It is powered by RealEyes, a Europe-based outfit who are a global thought leader in this technology.
“Using Xpressive, Indian companies can test video content ranging from five seconds to 50 minutes. Unlike regular research, where consumers are shown the video and then asked a series of questions, this technology captures real behavourial data. It measures the second-by-second response of the audience. TV channels can use it for promo testing and pilot testing, while movies can use it for trailer testing,” highlights Ormax Media CEO Shailesh Kapoor.
What was the thought process behind launching the product, Kapoor says, “Ad testing and video content testing is a common need in the Indian M&E industry. The nature of the industry is such that there is rarely any time to do such studies, because the results are needed within 1-2 days. Ormax Xpressive gives real-time responses, and hence, is highly relevant to the industry.”
Also, since it is based on real response and not claimed response, its output is more credible. “The level of detailing facial coding data can reveal is extraordinary, as you get a second-by-second response, not just an overall response. We believe use of technology for better and more effective consumer research is important, and Ormax Xpressive is an example of our belief,” adds Kapoor.
The media insights firm piloted the product in India in February 2014 for which the technology comes from RealEyes who has a team of scientists dedicated to the best interpretation of the facial response data. “Culturally, India and the West are different, and the expression of emotions can vary. Hence, India benchmarks are critical to build. We bring in that value, as well as the ability to interpret the findings given our strong understanding of the media and entertainment consumers in India,” points out Kapoor.
The beauty of the technology is that it does not require any gadgetry. It is entirely over the webcam. Respondents watch the video and their facial expressions and captured via the webcam and then analysed in the backend by the facial coding software. Results are ready within 10 minutes.
The six basic emotions measured are happy, sad, scared, confused, disgusted and surprised. Then, there are derived parameters, the most important one of which is engagement, which measures the overall engagement levels of the content. All parameters are measured at a second-to-second level, and can be seen by demographic cuts, such as market, age, gender and SEC. Ormax Xpressive studies can be done in two ways: a test link can be sent to respondents who can take the test via their webcam, or a Central Location Testing is conducted, where respondents are invited to a venue and administered the test there via a webcam-enabled computer.
The media insights firm is targeting all media and entertainment companies, who have video content for the new product. It will be used by TV channels and film studios.
However, there are a few media analysts who believe that though it is a good initiative and has its merits, there might be a few demerits attached with it as well. For instance, they believe that the state of mind of the respondent will play an important role in a person’s facial expressions. “Today, social media listening is more important. How well this product will help the industry, we will have to wait and watch,” says a media observer.
Another media analyst agrees and adds, “The results will be subjective and hence, cannot be depended upon solely. If it compliments other parameters then it will definitely be put to a good use.”
As for the future, the firm believes that the importance of research will only continue to grow as the market evolves. Technology will play a role in improving the output of research and making it more reliable and actionable. “Technology should not be used for the sake of using technology, but for a better output,” concludes Kapoor.
Digital
Galleri5 launches India’s first AI cinema OS at India AI Summit
Collective Artists Network unveils end-to-end production platform powering Mahabharat series and Hanuman teaser.
MUMBAI: India’s cinema just got an AI operating system upgrade because why settle for tools when you can have a full production command centre? Collective Artists Network and Galleri5 today unveiled Galleri5 AI Studio at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, billing it as the country’s first cinema-native production technology platform. Launched on 20 February 2026, the system acts as an end-to-end orchestration layer for film and television, integrating generative AI, LoRA-driven character architecture, controlled shot pipelines, 3D/VFX tools, lip-sync, upscaling, quality control, and delivery, all tuned for theatrical and broadcast standards.
Unlike piecemeal AI tools, Galleri5 controls the entire stack from script and world-building to final master output. Filmmakers retain creative authorship, continuity, and IP security while slashing timelines from years to months.
The platform is already in live use at scale. Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh, an AI-powered series produced under Collective’s Historyverse banner, is airing on Star Plus and streaming on JioHotstar, ranking among the top-watched shows in its slot. Meanwhile, Chiranjeevi Hanuman – The Eternal (produced by Star Studios 18) dropped its teaser on IMAX screens, leveraging Galleri5’s infrastructure for the visuals.
Collective Artists Network founder and group CEO Vijay Subramaniam said, “For India to lead in the next era of storytelling, we have to think beyond tools and start building systems. This is about putting durable production infrastructure in place so creators can dream bigger, producers can execute faster, and our stories can travel further.”
Galleri5 partner at Collective and CEO Rahul Regulapati added, “Cinema requires precision, repeatability, and control. Off-the-shelf AI doesn’t solve that. Orchestration does. We built an operating system where technology bends to filmmaking, not the other way around.”
Under Historyverse, Collective Studios is developing a slate including Hanuman, Krishna, Shiva, and Shivaji blending advanced AI systems with traditional craft. The summit session featured directors from Hanuman, Krishna, and Shiva alongside Collective leaders, diving into real-world case studies: what delivers on screen, what glitches, and how production economics are shifting.
At a summit packed with global tech brass and policymakers, Galleri5 stakes a bold claim, cinema’s future belongs to integrated systems, not isolated gadgets and India is building one right now. Whether you’re a filmmaker eyeing faster workflows or just curious about AI remaking epics, this OS could be the script-flip the industry didn’t see coming.
