Very rarely has there been a concert featuring mainly child singers and children's tunes that could whip up a crowd in a way comparable to an international rock concert.

Even though the stadium seats were filled by parents accompanying young children, the audience’s energy throughout the 100-minute concert was galvanizing. Of course, songs from the much-loved soundtrack, such as "Kumpul Bocah" (Kids gather) and "Selalu Ada di Nadimu" (Always in your pulse), were predictably the ultimate crowd-pleasers.

That said, who would have thought that Ariel Noah's heartfelt rendition of the classic children's lullaby "Ambilkan Bulan Bu" (Get the moon, Ma) could be equally reverberating?

Two days later, Herry Salim, group president & CEO of Visinema Studios, was available for an exclusive interview to discuss the past, present and future of what has become more than “just” a record-breaking animated opus.

"Please don't mind me if I get a bit high-spirited," Herry said, laughing, "because I'm very excited to talk about this."

Evergreen venture

While the impact of Konser JUMBO met his expectations, Herry said there was always a bigger goal in motion.

From "the very beginning", he said, Visinema Studios had been keen to establish and develop a homegrown evergreen intellectual property (IP), the kind of IP whose story continues to resonate and stays relevant, regardless of the passage of time.

Jumbo and its characters were never intended to be a short-lived, zeitgeist entertainment.

"When we came up with Jumbo, it was never meant as a mere feature film that could generate an audience," Herry explained.

"Audience is what a one-off entertainment aims for. An evergreen IP, however, seeks [to generate] fans. How the audience could be transformed into fans," he said.

Looking back, Jumbo proved something extraordinary when, during the film's theatrical run in Indonesia, its audience numbers managed to even rival those of international animated features, according to Herry.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

The concertgoers’ infectious energy at Konser JUMBO demonstrated how the audience of the beloved movie has turned into devoted fans of Don, Meri, Nurman, Mae, Atta and even Don's parents.

Here's the tricky question: If Jumbo had not become the most commercially successful Indonesian theatrical feature film of all time, would Konser JUMBO have been staged?

Without a shadow of a doubt, said Herry, adding that the concert was never intended to be either an occasion for self-congratulation or an epic swansong.

It was simply the first page of Jumbo’s next chapter.

"The moment the audience becomes fans, our responsibility gets heavier, because fans have already fallen in love," Herry said.

"If we ever churn out a [future] product of subpar quality, that would be the same as betraying their love."

Film visionary: Herry Salim, group president & CEO of Visinema Studios (Visinema Studios/-)

Domino effect

Konser JUMBO can also be seen as a teaser for what is to come from this evergreen IP.

Through the concert, Jumbo manifested its potential as more than cinematic storytelling, but as a shared musical experience also.

While no official plans can be announced just yet, Jumbo now has endless future possibilities, including cross-sector ventures. For example, it could return in future incarnations as offline and online events, merchandising or product licensing.

The movie’s enduring appeal, in retrospect, comes from its ability to create what Herry calls "core memory": How Jumbo, as a whole, helped create a treasured, shared memory for both parents and children.

In essence, Jumbo for Visinema Studios is like what Toy Story was for Pixar back in the ‘90s.

Still and all, even the word intellectual property could, among laymen, easily lead to more cynical words like "overcommercialization" or "capitalization".

This would not be the case for Jumbo, said Herry, as he had no intention to turn this IP into a cash cow.

"One of our early intentions was that Jumbo must become an inspiration to Indonesian industries," he said, clearly enthusiastic.

"The creative economy, as an industrial sector, is one of the most democratic," he added.

With the right future direction, Jumbo could trigger a positive, constructive and continuous effect across industries.

"Imagine [what] our animation industry could become. [The Jumbo IP] could unlock more job opportunities, inspire more young people to become animators and produce more stories. The domino effect could be enormous,” Herry said.

“Even more so, my hope is for other players to top Jumbo so our industry can compete on the regional and international levels."

Thanks to its commercial success thus far, Jumbo has inadvertently become a symbol of what the creative economy can achieve for the entire nation.

Herry acknowledged that economic impact was an undeniable element for consideration within the journey, present and future, of an evergreen IP like Jumbo.

"This is not a sprint. It's a marathon," he remarked.

As for Visinema Studios, Herry said it could expect more exciting evergreen IPs besides Jumbo in the future.

So, what’s the secret behind developing a strong evergreen IP?

"Storytelling," Herry answered firmly.

"It's storytelling that resonates. It's storytelling that is insightful. It's storytelling that can enter the audience's emotionality so that an audience does not remain an audience, but also become fans."