Tag: hollywood

India – Media and entertainment company Connekkt Media has acquired Mob Scene, a Hollywood marketing agency known for its work on major blockbuster campaigns, as part of its international expansion.

With this acquisition, Connekkt Media expands its presence in the global media and entertainment industry, adding to its existing operations in Los Angeles, Mumbai, Dubai, and Delhi NCR. It also marks the company’s entry into the U.S. and North American markets. 

Greg Bedrosian and Mohit Pareek of global tech investment bank Drake Star managed the deal on behalf of Mob Scene.

Tom Grane, co-founder & CEO of Mob Scene, shared, “Joining forces with Connekkt Media marks an exciting new chapter for Mob Scene. Their cutting-edge media technology and deep understanding of global entertainment align perfectly with our creative vision. This partnership will allow us to push the boundaries of storytelling, expand our reach into dynamic new markets, and continue delivering innovative, emotionally compelling campaigns that resonate with audiences worldwide.”

A known creative force for nearly two decades, Mob Scene has worked on the marketing campaigns for major Hollywood films and series, including Avatar, Dune, Barbie, Jurassic World, The Last of Us, Puss in Boots, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, and A Complete Unknown. The agency has also contributed to campaigns for franchises such as Fast & Furious, Stranger Things, Kung Fu Panda, and Minions.

Highlighting the importance of the acquisition, Varun Mathur, co-founder of Connekkt Media, said, “Mob Scene is the gold standard in Hollywood film marketing, and we are beyond thrilled to join forces with them to bring their creative marketing capability to partners across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, India, and the rest of Asia.” 

Mathur continued, “As a global media company with its origin in India, this acquisition marks a strategic expansion for us into the US and the rest of North America. With the unique combination of Mob Scene’s industry-leading creative marketing capability and our class-leading technology, we will be able to deliver outstanding value to our clients and consumers by driving targeted and measurable marketing impact across mediums, geographies, and formats.”

United States – ABS-CBN, a media giant in the Philippines, has been reportedly planning an international expansion by opening its new office in Los Angeles, California.

ABS-CBN’s actress Sharon Cuneta broke the news on her official Facebook page by reposting a job ad by Cinema Sala, a platform showcasing Filipino and Filipino-American work in film and the performing arts. It said that the network is planning a physical office in Hollywood, and is looking for an assistant/coordinator.

According to recent news by Bilyonaryo, the international expansion comes after ABS-CBN signed a landmark investment deal with TV5, another media giant in the country under Manny Pangilinan.

“The goal of opening the LA office is to develop, collect, and curate material to produce from Hollywood, for the US and the world,” said Cinema Sala in the job ad.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia (KKMM) and National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) has announced that it welcomes the new Hollywood visual effects (VFX) work for local media production Base Media.

The new work, under the premise of 30% incentive under the Film In Malaysia Incentive (FIMI), includes the new “Star Wars, The Rise of Skywalker (Episode IX)”. Under the basis of FIMI, outsourcing media production to the Malaysian-based media production group will be of competitive rates against other media productions in the SEA region. Some of the works that they have worked on include Star Wars, Netflix’s 6 Underground, and The Mandalorian.

In turn, FINAS invites international applicants to outsource their VFX production in the country.

“I would like to take this opportunity to invite international applicants to explore Malaysia-based companies for post-production activities and also to utilize our beautiful, multi-diverse country as a location for filming. The FIMI incentive has brought several blockbuster movies to light in Malaysia. With the tremendous recognition Malaysia has received as a preferred hub for visual effects and post-production activities, FINAS will continue in its efforts to develop the film and creative industry in Malaysia and to also develop local talents to highlight Malaysia as the preferred destination for international productions,” said Ahmad Idham bin Ahmad Nadzri, chief executive officer of FINAS.

Meanwhile, Chris Bremble, founder and chief executive officer of Base Media, added, “We had a positive first year at the studio with several big productions and new staff on board. We have significant opportunities ahead of us in Malaysia. We remain focused on local talent and management. We shifted our strategy a bit with the pandemic, and while unfortunate, we are confident we will quickly get back to growth. The Malaysian government support has been a big factor in getting through the last few months and in planning, and we remain confident of our leadership position in the market.”

For Aaron Cowan, executive producer of Base Digital Production, the recent media incentive responds to the country’s growing number of visual effect artists, and believes that the country can move forward in snitching more Hollywood-related VFX works.

En. Shakib Ahmad Shakir, deputy secretary-general of KKMM also noted that aside from the positive economic impact of the initiative, the continuous work is also aimed at developing skills of the local VFX editing scene.

“With the incredible commitments of over a hundred talented digital artists under Base Digital Production for the visual effects of The Mandalorian and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Episode IX), Malaysia is shaping the future digital industry with esteemed talents. With Sunac’s investments in Base Digital Production, and with the constant support from the Ministry and FINAS, we are confident that Malaysia will soon be the regional leader as a hub for visual effects in Southeast Asia,” Shakir concluded.