But the reality is that the quality of production in the region - both online and broadcast, digital or film - lags behind the execution in other media, say industry insiders. And, with the exception perhaps of Australia, South Korea and Japan, it is nowhere near the award-winning class of video produced in other parts of the world.
In theory, as the amount of video consumed in the region increases, so should the demand for better production. But there are trends that conspire against it reaching its full potential. One is the move towards multi-channel integrated campaigns, which have seen some of the budget for video production spirited away to other media.
Budgets are certainly an issue, says Charles Edwards, executive producer at The Media Village, but it is not the full story. “At the end of the day, it can be as expensive or as inexpensive as you like. What people remember is the quality of production and not what it cost.”
With online video in particular, a more pressing problem is the hesitancy of marketers to loosen their control over brands. “I think a lot of clients and agencies are yet to understand the power of viral video - it is more than just filming a great 30-second spot,” says Edwards, adding that brand managers need to stop following the corporate line and start accounting for consumers’ tastes.
The nature of brand management in Asia, especially at MNCs, also hinders the production process. “There is a trickling down of approvals for shoots in this part of the world,” adds George Ooi, executive producer, DDB China. “Usually, we are given very little time to shoot after brand management approval, local approval, regional and worldwide approval.”
By speeding up the process with pre-approvals on big brand campaigns, valuable time - and money - can be found for production. “Sometimes, we see that with local companies with fewer layers of management there is a better product because there aren’t the same levels of approval,” says Ooi.
Talent is an issue too. China in particular is emerging as a centre of low-cost production and, say some analysts, is hoovering up talent from other markets. Craig Leeson, CEO Ocean Vista Films, believes the rise of China has had an adverse effect on the Hong Kong production industry, and there is little new talent coming through to replace those who have left.
Nick Payne, managing director of The Works Music and Sound, an independent shop specialising in post-production and scoring ads based in London, is well-placed to compare the production environment in a major production centre such as the UK with Asia.
Fresh from a five-week business trip to China, he sees the dilemma facing video as a stand-off between the marketers’ financial imperative and the agencies’ creativity. China holds huge potential, but, while the market is still emerging creatively, clients are “naïve” about the process and are hampered by conservative thinking.
“It’s not that the agencies aren’t capable of producing, it is that the brands don’t want it,” he says. “Agencies are trying to educate their clients. The talent is there and it is going to take time.”
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This article was originally published in 24 September 2009 issue of Media.
