GECs
Saluting TV technicians, the Beyond Dreams way
MUMBAI: As an audience, whenever we watch a film or a TV show we only know and remember the faces of our heroes and heroines. Even the national anthem videos which play in the multiplexes before a film starts feature the stars – film or TV or musicians or singers.
We promptly forget and hardly acknowledge the professionals who work behind the camera. These are the names that appear in the end of the film or the show in the credits. We simply switch the channel or walk out the theatre, without paying heed to any of them as they roll down.
Breaking the stereotype formula of only highlighting the stars on screen, TV production house Beyond Dreams Entertainment’s Yash Patnaik has featured those behind the scenes in a video of the national anthem, that was released on social media websites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter on Independence Day.
TV crew such as make up artists and hair designers, writers, set designers, spot boys, lighting boys, helpers – pop up in the video singing a word or a line of the national anthem.
Says Yash: “Whenever events like Independence Day, Diwali or Holi come, we always zoom in on the on-screen talent or directors or producers, and they are given greater respect. But behind the recognition and success we get are the large crews that work with us and support all our productions. Whenever I visit my set, the affection and love I received from my unit is tremendous. Therefore, we thought of doing the video featuring them and let them feel special on the special day. “
The national anthem video cost Patnaik – who has three shows (Jaana Na Dil Se Door, Naagarjuna and Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi) under his belt currently – Rs 3 to 4 lakh to produce. Thanks to the three units that are working on the three shows, Patnaik had access to the 150 crew to participate in the video. Despite that however he states that it was not that easy to make the film.
“They were not ready to face the camera,” he reveals. “as they are very uncomfortable in front of it. But they came forward after some persuasion and we shot it over four to five days.”
Even good names from Bollywood stepped forward to lend their support to his effort. Bollywood actor Ali Faisal came forward and gave the voice over at the beginning of the video, with lyricist Abhishek Kumar writing the lines and Udbhav Ojha composing the music for the national anthem.
The video was released on Facebook and YouTube and simultaneously a social media push was given. The hashtag #GoBeyond was used to promote it on social networking sites. On Twitter, the hashtag #GoBeyond was at the No 1 spot in India and in the world it was on number 20. The reach was 1.5 million and the video generated 165,000 views. More than that it got a lot of plaudits from fellow and rival producers, industry stalwarts. The video trended at the number three position in Australia
Patnaik says another video has been produced with TV stars paying tribute to the behind the scenes technicians.
Yash says he is quite enthused by digital and short productions and hopes to launch a digital platform by the end of 2016.
“Digital gives you an opportunity to say what you feel and we should all say something which make sense,” says Yash. “You should speak in a voice and that voice should make some difference in the society and we will not shy away from telling the world what we believe in. And this video is first step in that initiative.”
GECs
ZEEL overhauls sales structure to chase growth across TV and digital platforms
New structure sharpens digital push as viewing habits fragment fast
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is reshuffling its sales playbook as it looks to keep pace with a fast-changing media landscape, where audiences are scattered, screens are multiplying and advertisers are following the data.
According to media reports, the rejig is anchored in the company’s push to build a more integrated, data-led monetisation engine, one that can straddle both traditional television and fast-growing digital platforms with equal ease.
At the heart of the move is a reworked sales architecture designed to deliver cross-platform solutions. With connected TV gaining ground and digital consumption surging, ZEEL is aligning its teams to move quicker, think broader and sell smarter.
The restructuring is being led by chief operating officer, advertisement revenue, Sandeep Mehrotra, at a time when the company says it is seeing tremendous growth. The idea is simple: match the right talent to the right opportunity in a market that is anything but static.
As part of the overhaul, several long-serving executives have been elevated to chief sales officer roles across regions and content clusters. Sanjoy Chatterjee will head the east market, while Gunjarav Nayak takes charge of the west along with high-margin verticals such as hmg, brand works, intellectual properties and digital sales. Rajnish Gupta will oversee bengaluru and chennai markets alongside the kannada and tamil clusters.
In other key moves, Divjyot Dhanda will lead hyderabad and kochi markets and manage zee tv, zee keralam and the telugu cluster. Roshan Vasu Kotian will supervise a diverse portfolio including Zee Marathi, &tv, Zee Punjabi, Zee Anmol, Big Magic and Zee Biskope.
The company is also strengthening its bench, appointing national sales heads across retail, regional clusters, digital and brand solutions. Ankur Kapila’s appointment to lead digital sales signals a sharper push into a segment that continues to outpace traditional formats.
Behind the scenes, dedicated strategy and operations roles have been carved out for both linear and digital businesses. Nitin Shetty, Rajkiran Shrivastav and Priya Nambiar will take on key responsibilities to ensure the new structure runs with precision.
The broader aim is clear. ZEEL wants a bigger slice of advertising budgets that are steadily drifting towards digital and connected TV ecosystems. By integrating its offerings, the company hopes to deepen client relationships while unlocking new revenue streams.
The new structure takes effect immediately, with Mehrotra continuing to report to chief executive officer Punit Goenka and steer the company’s advertising revenue strategy. Senior executive Laxmi Shetty will support the transition, with her revised role expected to be announced soon.
In a market where content is everywhere but attention is scarce, ZEEL’s latest move is less about rearranging the org chart and more about staying in the game.
