KUALA LUMPUR (Sept 27): No industry was left unscathed when the coronavirus pandemic struck. The local film industry was hit particularly hard, perhaps more so than others.

National lockdowns have put years worth of production planning on hold, or worse, forced filmmakers to cancel their plans entirely.

Even with easing restrictions, productions were limited to the small number of studios approved by the authorities — not ideal for feature-length films.

Box office ticket sales also represent a large chunk of the revenue source for the industry. When cinemas closed their doors to comply with Covid-19 restrictions, that revenue tap was shut off entirely.

Movies that went up the silver screen shortly before the national lockdown kicked in only managed to recoup a fraction of the cost that went into producing a film.

Longhouse Films managing director Dianne Tan reveals that these events are merely symptoms of underlying problems that have long plagued the local film industry, the core of which is the lack of a reliable commercialisation model. From the way local films are financed to the direction of content, the sustainability of the industry was questionable even before the pandemic.

Thankfully, international platforms such as Netflix, Disney Plus and iQiyi have opened up more revenue channels for the industry. The rise in digital content consumption and advancements in data analytic techniques have also made it possible for films to partner with consumer brands, further expanding commercial opportunities.

In this story, Tan explains the nuanced challenges in making this transition, and the opportunities available to filmmakers if they are willing to make the switch.

Read the story in the latest issue of DigitalEdge, out with the Sept 27 issue of The Edge Malaysia weekly.

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