The best way to learn about other countries and cultures is to experience them. On 16-18 May 2023, Spherex attended CabSat in the Emirate of Dubai, a regional trade show similar in focus and content to the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in the U.S. At CabSat, two things stood out among the technologies and topics discussed: the region's market size and its resolve to produce local film and television content.
The Media and Entertainment (M&E) market throughout MEASA is massive. The region covers 17 countries in the Middle East, Africa, and Southern Asia with a combined population of 3.9 billion. Sixty-four (64%) of consumers in the region, or 2.5 billion, have Internet access. The average age in the Middle East countries is 29 years old. In Africa, it's 19 years; in Southern Asia, it's 26 years. People increasingly live in urban areas, have high incomes, are family-oriented, and brand-conscious. Everything about this region indicates that MEASA is an ideal market for appropriate original content.
Increasing Demand for Homegrown Content
Like any audience, MEASA consumers prefer stories with which they can identify and that are relevant to their lives. Homegrown productions are one way to effectively feed the public's appetite for relatable content. Except for titles from India and Nigeria, much of the content shown in the region is imported and localized from elsewhere, particularly the U.S. and Europe. These titles are often at odds with the region's cultures or customs, resulting in censorship to comply with cultural norms or regulations, which can affect the story significantly.
World-class Production Facilities
These factors drive regional governments to invest in large, ultramodern local production facilities. Projects worldwide have used these locations and capabilities. Tom Cruise climbed the side of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, for "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" (2011). "Dune" (2021) was shot in Jordan and the UAE. According to IMDBPro, over 450 films are currently under production throughout the MEASA region.
As recently discussed , Dubai has invested billions of dollars in sound stages, media, and post-production facilities while offering tax incentives to attract outside film or TV productions. Many other countries in the region offer similar enticements, including Jordan, Israel, Malaysia, Morocco, New Zealand, Turkey, South Africa, and South Korea. These same countries are also very active in regulating or censoring content.
Censorship or Cultural Respect?
Regional governments have established production guidelines. For example, in Saudi Arabia, every script, regardless of the film genre, e.g., animated, drama, or horror, must obtain government script approval before pre-production can commence. Censors must also approve any script, location, or story changes made during production. The region's writers and directors understand the rules and adhere to them. It's not as challenging as non-locals believe.
A World of Opportunity
An insatiable international market exists for great stories, and the MEASA region is no exception. It is an attractive market for both producing and exhibiting content. The key to success lies in localization -- culturally adapting the content to meet production guidelines set forth by local governments and making the content locally compliant and appealing.
Spherex is the only commercial company that accurately assesses titles for culturally objectionable content in any film or TV market. Contact us today to learn more about how Spherexratings ™ and Spherexgreenlight ™ AI technologies can make this critical part of your production and release workflow faster and easier.
