A year after going public, production house MD Pictures is seeking bigger and better projects to help boost the local filmmaking landscape.

As the first and so far only Indonesian film company that has been publicly listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX), powerhouse MD Pictures has made itself an important player in the industry. And if things go as planned, it could set the rules of the game.

“Transparency is the main reason we went public,” said chief executive officer Manoj Punjabi. “As a public company, we are now out in the open. The public can assess our assets, values, income, archives, facilities and prospects. While it raises the standard of the company, it would ease investors, specifically foreign investors  because we’re now on the same playing field as them.”

The Jakarta-based company has set its sights on over-the-top (OTT) media services and digital platforms to distribute its movies on top of traditional movie theaters, television channels and DVD releases.

“We’re looking at the future wherein OTT and digital platforms for movies will grow big. Although it has yet been profitable with the right content and platform, we are ready to take the chance. We are going on the right path for it,” Manoj said.

Founded in December 2002 as Multi Dimensia Entertainment by Manoj and his father Dhamoo Punjabi, the family business started with producing TV drama series, TV movies and eventually feature-length films. Among its productions that have set records are the drama series Cinta Fitri (Fitri’s Love) the longest-running TV show ever with 1,002 episodes, the Habibie & Ainun film series, horror flick Danur and the religious drama Ayat-ayat Cinta (Verses of Love).

The popularity of its productions was likely the main reason its stock value skyrocketed more than 345 percent only days after being listed.

“What’s interesting about being a public company is now we have excess funds to expand the business, which will only benefit the national film industry,” Manoj said in a recent interview with The Jakarta Post.

The company’s first investment was in Jakarta Film Studio in Ceger, East Jakarta, for filming and postproduction.

It boasts a Dolby Atmos mixing studio as well as editing and grading facilities, while the sound stage has a Foley room to create sound effects and a dubbing room.

“Filmmakers no longer have to travel to Bangkok or the United States to get the sound mixing done. The license fee of the Dolby Atmos system is lower here for the same quality because the provider sees Indonesia as a newly emerging market,” said Manoj, adding that he had used the sound system for MD Pictures’ latest films, Danur 3: Sunyaruri and Habibie & Ainun 3.

“My intention is to upgrade the quality of [local movies] and subsequently raise the bar for Indonesian film standards. In the near future, we will invest in more filming equipment and facilities along with color-grading services. When completed, it would be a ‘one-stop shopping’ facility for Indonesian filmmakers and even neighboring countries,” he said.

From a family-controlled business to a publicly listed one, the company has undergone a series of changes for the better. It has faced more pressure and limitations, but they were all expected.

“Many of the employees have worked in the company since its establishment, so we have grown as a family. But our work system is adjustable to changes. I personally embrace changes and I can quickly adapt to a new situation. I have professionals to handle the nitty-gritty of the job, while I remain responsible for the operation and as one of the company’s creative workers.

“We were off to a positive start, but of course, there is price to pay. We have to endure the transition for a while and jump-start later or even change the parameters of the game,” Manoj said.

“I have this conviction about the future, but I couldn’t convince other production houses to follow suit other than looking at the position MD currently is in and what we do with it. It would be much better for the national film industry if they become publicly listed companies. We would have better standards of our own and we could do more for the industry.”

One of his biggest concerns was the limited number of quality writers to work with, although the company has its own strategy of developing a team of talents.

“Actors or directors could hone their skill as they learn by doing, but that’s not the case with writers. This is where we need the government’s support to establish a school for writers and creative workers. We don’t need the government’s money to produce a film because there would be a bias. But it could provide us with infrastructure or promotion abroad.”

Citing his own experience as a movie buff from a tender age, Manoj said he was convinced that the United States had won the war against Vietnam after watching Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo franchise when he was 8.

“The US only produces two things: weapons and movies. And movies are the most lethal because they convey ideas. The government should take the same approach by using movies to talk about nationalism, heroism and to introduce our cultures to the world. Movies that are not patronizing but instead convey positive messages and are inspirational  — the kind of movies that I like.”

A company with intellectual property (IP) rights as its largest asset and various records under its belt, MD Pictures has the formula to create in-demand products that Indonesians love, namely drama and romance.

“We are among the strongest IP-based companies and the most consistent in the market, hovering at 23 percent to 25 percent in the pie chart. We value our IPs high and keep on developing them. Cinta Fitri, for example, is an IP from 12 years ago that would soon be made into a feature film.

“I have been developing an animated children’s series called Adit & Sopo Jarwo in the past five years and it has around 20 million views on YouTube for each episode. It will also be on the big screen, directed by a feature film director to give it a cinematic feel,” Manoj said about his upcoming plans.

The latest IP the company acquired was of KKN Desa Penari (Student Community Service in the Dancers Village), based on a trending thread on Twitter wherein the writer shared the supernatural experience of a friend while undergoing their student community service (KKN) in a village with other university students.

“I knew right away that the story deserves its own cinematic universe, so we will go on with the movie for 2020,” he said, adding that his team has created a “superscript bank” for the year.

“We are not market-driven creators because we have the right mindset and conviction to create movies that are appealing to viewers. I don’t make movies for money because there are other businesses that would be more profitable. I make movies because they have value, they are inspiring and have the ability to touch the heart.

“Filmmaking is complex, but a movie itself is simple. And it has to be made simple for people to enjoy. That’s what I’m offering through my movies: simplicity.” (ste)

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