Movies
Art meets tech in the Media.Monks open house as they successfully decode virtual production
Mumbai: Media.Monks India, global creative and tech production company, has successfully hosted the first-of-its-kind virtual production open house in collaboration with Unreal Engine and ARK Solutions NCAM. The full day event was held in their Noida studio, bringing together filmmakers to explore virtual production and its potential to change the landscape of Indian cinema. With multiple virtual production films under their belt, MM took the audience through their approaches, and their learnings from these experiences – breaking down each scene from virtual assets to physical sets and premiered a live demo of multiple scenes from a recently shot film, highlighting their impressive capabilities.
Virtual Production merges live-action footage with computer-generated imagery (CGI) in real-time, offering filmmakers unprecedented creative control over their films. By reducing post-production time and costs, it’s a popular choice worldwide.
Over 100 filmmakers from major production houses and independent filmmakers from Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad attended the hands-on event, which showcased the latest virtual production innovations. It was an opportunity to test and understand the magic behind virtual production and interact with the team and tech.
Adding to this MM’s CCO- art & tech, John Paite says, “We’re very excited by the overwhelming support and interest shown by some of the most celebrated and established filmmakers in the country. The film industry is highly competitive so it was an extremely refreshing and unique experience to be able to interact and work together on something that has the potential to change our industry for the better.”
MD Robert Godinho further added, “ The event was well accepted and we saw a lot of potential collaborations and learning emerge from it. In line with the Media.Monks vision we intend to do more such open houses across the country, sharing our learnings on Art-Tech developments and of course learning a lot on the way from industry specialists. The goal would be to have a platform for artists to collaborate and further build our vision of an artist first community.”
The event had Whistling Woods, one of Asia’s premier film, communication and creative arts institute CTO – Chaitanya Chinchlikar, as their guest speaker who spoke about the VP industry globally and how VP is the need of the hour.
The virtual production open house was evidence that collaboration between different skill sets is not only possible but preferable for creating groundbreaking work. SVP Growth – the curator of this event – Gayatri Sethi mentioned, “Great work is inevitable when great minds come together. With Media.Monks India’s passion for creative collaboration, India’s most creative minds now have access to the latest filmmaking innovations and experts to take their vision to the next level. The only limitation now is their imagination.”
Movies
Tamil film Made in Korea tops Netflix global chart, storms 24 countries
Cross-cultural drama races to No.1, marking a global breakthrough for South Indian cinema
MUMBAI: A Tamil tale has gone global at speed. Netflix’s Made in Korea has shot to No.1 on its Global Top 10 Non-English Films list, trending across 24 countries within days of release.
Premiering on March 12, the film, directed by Ra.Karthik and starring Priyanka Mohan, is the only South Indian title to claim the top spot across both licensed and Netflix original films, underlining the growing global pull of regional Indian cinema.
The story, which follows Shenba’s journey from Tamil Nadu to Seoul, has struck a chord for its emotional warmth, scenic visuals and cross-cultural appeal. Early word-of-mouth has powered its rapid climb, turning a modest release into a global talking point.
Monika Shergill, vice-president, content, Netflix India, said, “We are proud that a story like Made in Korea has become the first ever film from our south slate to land at the No.1 spot on our Global Top 10 Non-English Films list. It reaffirms our belief that there is so much more from India for the world to discover and embrace. This film stands out for blending two distinct cultures into one powerful story that explores universal emotions of love, friendship, belonging and family. At Netflix, we remain committed to championing authentic, locally rooted stories and it’s incredibly exciting to see a film like this travel so widely and connect with audiences around the world.”
Priyanka Mohan called the moment deeply personal. “Moments like these are what every artist truly hopes for. We always strive to give our best, but some films become very special in our journey as performers, and Made in Korea is one of them for me. Shenba is a character that touched my heart from the moment I read the script, and bringing her story to life has been incredibly meaningful. Working with Ra.Karthik sir was a wonderful experience. He has such clarity and sincerity in the way he tells stories. I’m also grateful to our producer Sreenidhi Sagar sir and the entire team for their constant support. And of course, my heartfelt thanks to Netflix for giving this story such a wonderful platform and helping it reach audiences everywhere.”
Ra.Karthik struck a similar note. “There are certain films you make with complete faith in the audience, believing they will connect with the emotions you are trying to convey. It is truly heartening to see Made in Korea trending on Netflix and receiving such encouraging responses from viewers, not just in India but across the world. Priyanka Mohan brought incredible dedication and sincerity to Shenba’s character, and that commitment reflects beautifully on screen. I’m grateful to producer Sreenidhi Sagar for trusting this story and to Netflix for providing such a wonderful platform for the film to reach audiences across countries.”
As the film continues to travel across borders, its success signals more than just a hit. It marks a shift, where local stories, told with authenticity, are no longer confined by language or geography. In the streaming wars, the South is not just rising. It is rewriting the script.
