In an exclusive interview with BroadcastPro ME, Fadi Ismail, GM of O3 Productions, the production arm of MBC Group, talks about the new productions the broadcaster will undertake at the new sound stage in Dubai Studio City In the next couple of months, MBC will begin filming one of its biggest Khaleeji productions at Dubai […]
In an exclusive interview with BroadcastPro ME, Fadi Ismail, GM of O3 Productions, the production arm of MBC Group, talks about the new productions the broadcaster will undertake at the new sound stage in Dubai Studio City
In the next couple of months, MBC will begin filming one of its biggest Khaleeji productions at Dubai Studio Citys first sound stage, which the broadcaster has leased for a period of five years. The comedy series, which will feature some of the biggest Khaleeji stars, is an ambitious local production by MBC and one of the first of a series of productions that will be shot in the new studio. The broadcaster hopes to make the series ready in time for Ramadan 2013.
The sound stage, which is the first in a series of three stages, is spread over a sprawling 15,000 sq. ft and offers state-of-the-art facilities.
MBCs in-house team will work closely with international and local experts to put in place a cost-effective and fully functional studio that will provide maximum return on investment, Fadi Ismail, GM of O3 Productions told BroadcastPro Middle East.
MBC will customise the studio with lighting, systems and graphic set-ups according to its varied production requirements. A chroma will be part of the studio once it is fully ready.
MBC, being the largest FTA network in the region, has changed the dynamics of the TV viewing experience in the Middle East, by constantly bringing fresh content whether acquired or produced directly, to the Arab audience.
The new sound stage that the broadcaster has leased will give fresh impetus to its plans to build a consolidated media content production base in the region. The broadcaster hopes to play a greater role in direct productions thanks to the availability of the new sound stage.
“MBC has constantly strived to raise the bar for content quality and being able to produce directly is a major step forward in that direction,” explains Ismail.
According to Ismail, the ratio of commissioned to direct productions by MBC stands at 70:30 today, but he hopes that the balance will shift in the reverse direction in the years to come with the broadcaster making greater investments in local productions.
“We have lined-up a number of projects this year between Dubai and Cairo while some commissioned productions in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia are also being planned. Although, Turkish content is still popular, it cannot beat the appeal of local content which we regard as the king of kings. We have decided to produce locally in order to control the quality. A historical title is in the offing and we are also working on a social drama to release during Ramadan this year. Both these productions will be done in Egypt,” confides Ismail.
MBC Group also recently announced a partnership with Hollywood specialist Stargate Studios Global Production and the consequent launch of Stargate Middle East, which will tie in with the studio project.
The partnership, according to Ismail, will be a game changer and help to overhaul the creative process in the region and aid in developing more content in the local market.
“Stargates role does not end at providing only the technical expertise but they are involved at every stage of the production,” explains Ismail.
“That was the main idea of bringing this partnership to the region. They will provide the know-how and the workforce in addition to being the technology providers. The creativity that we hope to apply in the region will make use of these abilities. In association with Stargate, MBC is working on the systems integration of the sound stage with an in-house team.”
The primary objective is to maximise the potential of the studio, kit it out with equipment that can be used flexibly across various productions and ensure a good return on its investment, says Ismail.
“The idea is to make the project functional and cost-effective, which is why we are going the extra mile to garner the right kind of expertise from different quarters. We have experts and technical support from Los Angeles, Denmark, Croatia and Spain. Being a private company, we have to make things commercially viable while making creative sense.”
MBC will be investing in its own studio equipment as well to ensure that everything stays within budget.
“Renting equipment is an expensive proposition and we have ruled it out completely. We are investing in equipment and human resources which we believe to be more viable. We want to make Dubai a production hub in the true sense and making the facilities efficient in terms of cost goes a long way in that direction.”
Given its large size, the studio has sufficient room to house multiple productions and it will be customised according to individual productions.
Although Ismail says he does not know just yet if multiple productions will be filmed at the studio, he confirms that he has travelled to several countries including Argentina, Spain and Croatia scouting for studio development ideas to make optimum use of the space they have.
“We do not aspire to build a museum that has equipment that will be used sparingly. We want a functional base that offers conducive conditions and good facilities to produce quality content regularly. Dubai has experimented in ad films and music but with attempts such as this, we are laying the foundation for drama and movie production here,” adds Ismail.
Sound Stages
While Ismail is hopeful that the MBC sound stage will be operational by April, two larger sound stages of 25,000 sq. ft each, are scheduled to release in Dubai in June and September 2013, respectively, Jamal Al Sharif, Managing Director of Dubai Studio City tells BroadcastPro ME.
The two studios will be interconnected by an elephant door to operate as one 50,000 sq ft sound stage should there be such a requirement. The combined studio will be the largest in the Middle East.
These sound stages are complemented with workshops and backlots and are expected to further boost local production volume which witnessed a 25% growth in the year 2012.
“This is not your average studio. This is a place where a crew can literally stay for weeks without getting out. Theres a laundry room, make-up room, bedrooms, living rooms and so on. We have green rooms, screening areas, offices and the stage itself,” says Al Sharif.
Dubai Studio City will be partnering with broadcasters to offer them infrastructural and logistical services, soft services, power, and telecommunications for the long-term development of production facilities in the region.
In addition to these, Dubai Studio City offers several incentive programmes to attract more productions to Dubai.
The recent launch of Dubai TV and Film Commission, of which Al Sharif is Chairman, is aimed at aggressively pushing the emirate as a hub for international film production.
“Dubai Film and TV Commission has stepped in to make Dubai more appealing for production companies and is lending support to production staff and freelancers in order to build a thriving local talent pool. The incentives include special facilities for the crew, visas, accommodation, airline, sorting out equipment, and so on,” explains Al Sharif.
Dubai Studio City has big plans for the future as it negotiates with hotel chains to open three-star and four-star hotels in the vicinity of the sound stages.
