It is no exaggeration to say that OTT platforms and the contents they stream have come a long way since the early days. Not only has the production quality improved, but the stories have also become more experimental, more timeless, and cater to a wider range of audiences. However, there is a lot of effort that goes into creating such great content, from the time a story airs to the day it is released.
Some of the bigwigs from OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Zee5 spoke about what goes into creating the most compelling content and the things they look for, at Sahitya Tak’s event, ‘OTT Ke Sitaron Ka Mahakumbh’, hosted from November 24-26.
Head of Prime Video Indian Originals, Nikhil Madhok, spoke about how the budget and investments that go into producing OTT shows are equivalent to the budget of a big budget film. “About 5 to 7 years ago, there was a difference in the cost of producing a film and producing a show for OTT. Now, if you look at the shows of Prime Video or any other streaming platform, you will find that some of them have the same budget as a big budget film. In fact, many have “A lot of shows have a bigger budget than a movie these days. So, from a financing and cost perspective, there’s been a lot of investment.”
Madhok said that these major investments initially came in script, and that is the backbone of OTT content – something his peers also agreed on. “In our shows, we focus a lot on the scripts, and when all the creators are happy with the script, we just move on to the next stage. Then we sign contracts with the writers and give them a decent wage so that their work does not go to waste. We have also invested a lot in production and marketing. Fetch “A lot of talented filmmakers have taken their craft to OTT, which requires a lot of investment. We have invested a lot in the last five-seven years and we will continue to do so.”
Director Nikhil Motwani, who participated in the same session with Madhok, said that with the advent of Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, the ambitions of shows on OTT platforms have become the same as those of films.
Tanya Pammi, Head of Series, Netflix India, emphasized the importance of changing the stories being told and the way they are told. “It’s important to change the stories and narrative because we may not be in the mood to watch the same content every day. So our thought process is how do we make every night a Netflix night,” she added.
Netflix is very audience-focused, she said, adding that its procedures on who, how and where a person watches are very clear. “It’s not about small towns or metros – OTT is not restricted in that way. It’s for everyone. We look for stories that have a certain amount of freshness, which can set the direction of the content. Our offerings are moving beyond India as well. And in India , rises to the top 10 immediately after its release. This could mean that Indians like Indian content more than global content, which is somewhat organic. The world is keen to explore Indian stories, she said.
Nikhil Madhok also said that 20-22 per cent of Amazon Prime Video content consumption comes from abroad.
Nimisha Pandey, Content Director, Zee5, admitted the same, albeit in a different session. “Everyone has different preferences, and there are many, many such individuals. So what we try to do is cater to all these tastes. We also try to offer multiple content according to different moods. Zee5 tries to create content for all types of audiences. When we hear offers and stories, we try Figuring out how different these stories are from the type of shows currently on, how memorable the characters can become, what kind of audience will love them, and what the potential budget is – these are the criteria by which we evaluate the pitch, she said.
“Earlier, people used to watch content in their own language, but now people are also watching dubbed or subtitled content equally. With OTT, the choice and convenience are now in the hands of the audience,” he said, explaining how there has been a change in content consumption.
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