In showbiz too, thinking regional is the way forward

Even before the advent of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) last month, the people of Southeast Asia had much in common, including their taste in entertainment. TV viewers in Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand all watched the same soap operas every evening, for example, and some of the better movies produced in the region have leapt effortlessly across geographical boundaries. 

The AEC strengthens the links binding the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, erasing borders for ease of trade in goods – and in culture. And just as businesspeople across the region are coming to terms with the enormous potential for expansion, so too must the creative minds involved in the fine arts.

More than 600 million people live in Southeast Asia, an immense market for anyone who can deliver a product or service with broad appeal. Television producers should certainly be considering that market, especially now amid the liberalisation of broadcasting. Dozens of new TV platforms have emerged, including the new digital terrestrial channels in Thailand and the pay-TV services in Myanmar. Movie producers should consider the rapid expansion of multiplex cinemas across the region and a growing appreciation for films from neighbouring countries, subtitled or dubbed as needed.

The conglomeration of Southeast Asia under the Asean flag offers potential that might not at first be obvious. Its member-countries are major buyers of TV content from Japan, South Korea and the West. The time has come to produce content of our own for export – not just around the region but to the world. 

There will of course be no sudden break from the dominance of the international giants, but a trend has already begun among producers in each country eyeing the region as a single, vast market. Over the long term, collaboration on content for export would help reduce heavy licensing costs, as well as fostering creativity and bringing local talent back home from jobs they’ve migrated to abroad. 

If our TV and movie producers can achieve high quality in their content, buyers across the continent will take a keener interest. 

Thailand has shipped the movies “Love of Siam” and “Pee Mak” overseas to significant success, along with the formats for creating equivalents of its TV shows “Fan Pan Tae” and “SME Tee Taek”. 

The only “boundary” really left in Southeast Asia is the stoic mindset that insists only Thais can appreciate Thai entertainment and only Vietnamese can enjoy Vietnamese content. This is demonstrably untrue, as producers discover when they begin to “think regionally”. In doing so, they must take into consideration the differences that do exist among the nations of the region, as seen in religion and politics. But these are relatively minor obstacles to creating content that can be enjoyed by everyone in the region and far beyond.

Cambodia has invited Thai TV producers to invest in co-productions, with an eye to making shows for its prime time beyond the usual fare of Thai soap operas. Index, a Thai company, created a cultural show in Bagan, Myanmar, starring local performers. So there is room for growth and experimentation.

The key term here is open-mindedness. From the creative standpoint, that involves assessing country-specific sensitivities. From the business side, it requires conduct that will only elevate the AEC market, not undermine it. 

Collaboration and the sharing of expertise will groom young talent and put the region in a position to compete with the heavyweights. 

If Thailand can make a regional blockbuster like “Pee Mak”, so can Myanmar, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam. Collaboration will enable all member-nations to grow together and will bridge the development gap separating established and growing economies. Thinking regionally, there really is no limit to what’s possible.