Spotlight on creativity
For two days, on Aug. 7 and 8, the spotlight on excellence in television creativity will highlight the UAE, as CERT in association with CNBC Arabiya will host the judging process of the semi-finals for the International Emmy awards in two categories – comedy and non-scripted entertainment – in Dubai. Rajeev Nair writes
As a judge of the International Emmy awards in the news segment, a television personality from the UAE found to his surprise that while most of the contestants were liberally employing news images broke to the world by Abu Dhabi Television, there was no regional presence in the competitor list.
Georges Leclere, executive director of The International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, now in Dubai, is baffled. He doesn’t understand why more television companies from the Arab world are not competing for the awards, when they could easily have made it to the big ceremony in New York and hopefully walk away with a few trophies.
If lack of awareness was the issue, surely this year will mark a sea-change.
Leclere is here to oversee the judging process of the semi-finals of the International Emmy awards hosted by the Centre of Excellence for Applied Research & Training (CERT), the entrepreneurial arm of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) in association with CNBC Arabia.
Judging is for entries in two categories – comedy and non-scripted entertainment. The event will be on Aug. 7 and 8 at the Mina A Salam. Creating awareness about the awards is only one of the accomplishments expected of the two-day judging process, which will see television personalities from around the world flying to be in Dubai.
“I think I was partly instrumental in bring the UAE to the Academy,” says Leclere. “In 2000, a member hosted the judging in Lebanon. He invited me to Dubai, and I met with Mohammed Gergawi and Seed Muntafiq. Saeed asked how the Academy could help attract broadcasters to the Dubai Media City. I asked DMC to join the Academy. DMC eventually was one of the sponsors of the gala, which made it quite visible. Immediately, many of our members were interested in DMC,” he explains.
Since then, he says there has been a vast change in the television culture of the Gulf region. “Most of the countries earlier had only governmental television, and investing in satellite television was the only way to expand television. Gradually, they started having news channels like Al Jazira, Abu Dhabi TV, and Al Arabiya. Now, I see a change happening in governmental television too because it has to compete with the rest and to do that you must have precise programmes to attract viewers. You must react like commercial television though you are governmental. The best example of this change is Dubai TV being restructured.”
Leclere sees regional channels making heavy inroads into global television. “At the Emmys last year, most of the programmes had Abu Dhabi TV pictures. Abu Dhabi TV was probably the biggest supplier of war pictures during the fall of Baghdad.”
But his “big problem” is the lack of entries from regional channels. “I approached Al Jazeera and asked them to get entries to the Emmys. They didn’t do it. It could be because they don’t know us very well. Probably, the second reason is they perceive the Emmy Awards as too American for them to join. I have explained to them that if they join the Academy they will be part of the networking, and that the Academy is not American – it is international.”
Next year, Leclere proposes to have news judging in the region and invite all the news channels – whether local or satellite. “Then they will see which programmes are entering and they will see they can win.”
The Emmy Awards were first instituted in 1948 following the founding of the Academy in 1947. During the 1960s, an Emmy was given for the best foreign programme, much like the Best Foreign Film in Oscars. In 1969, the specific International Emmy was created – first as the International Council and in 1972, the first gala was held to award International Emmys for television programmes from countries outside the US.
The International Academy has over 400 members with about 30 to 40 based in the Middle East. The semi-final judging process is in eight categories – arts programme, children and young people, comedies, documentaries, drama series, news coverage, non-scripted entertainment, and television movies/mini series.
The International Emmy awards are essentially judged in four regions: Asia-Africa, Europe, Latin America and the countries that use English as the first language. Each region provides two finalists in all the categories. This year, the semi-finals in the Asia-Africa region are held in Kyrgyzstan, Georgia, Taiwan and Dubai.
The entries in each region correspond to those originating from the region. “The idea is to judge in your own region so you have the sensitivity and understanding of the cultures of that area,” says Leclere.
Dubai hosts the categories comedy and non-scripted entertainment. “Kyrgyzstan wanted to do news because they wanted to train their journalists. We suggested that they do news and documentary because the same jurors could judge both. Georgia chose to have television movies and arts programme. Georgia was the Hollywood of Soviet Union, and with the collapse of the USSR, Georgian cinema virtually disappeared. Now, people want to revive the industry and one step was to host the Emmy awards because of the visibility it brings about. Taiwan had wanted to do children’s segment and we asked to do drama series too. When CERT approached us, we informed that there were just two categories left. They said fine because they wanted to promote new industries. If you want to do complete television, you must do it all,” explains Leclere.
Thought it is the responsibility of the host to arrange the jurors, the International Academy approves the list. “Some of the jurors are our members but we always like to have jurors sourced locally who are not members of Academy so we can create a stronger networking,” says Leclere.
In the final round, three jurors, not from any country that has a finalist, will pick the eventual winner. “We send the tapes to their house. We don’t announce the jurors until we finish the judging process. The results are sent directly to the accounting firm, Ernst and Young, and the winners are announced at the gala,” says Leclere, a journalist with French television who went on to head the television section at UN. Leclere is credited with highlighting “energy issues when it had still not become a political problem as it is now.” He was a space specialist and has written a book on energy issues.
The news awards are not announced as part of the International Emmy gala. “We moved the Emmy for news to the American Emmy for News and Documentaries on Sept. 13. The reason is simple. All the nominees are journalists and they want to meet journalists, who will all assemble at the American Emmy for News. We already have the finalists for news; there are two programmes from NHK, Japan, though one of it was on the bombing of the UN compound in Baghdad. The crew was inside the compound during the explosion.”
Good television, says Leclere, is one that knows how to keep you in front of the screen. “You cannot start a programme on a boring note because people will switch channels. The programme must be well-constructed and good all the way because people can change all the way. If the actors are appealing, you will stay with it, especially for fiction.”
In judging at the semi-finals, there are two criteria to be followed, says Leclere. “We ask the jurors to grade the show with two different parameters. The first, graded 1 to 10, is for execution where the camera movements, the music, the scenario construction, the acting are all measured the way they judge the programme as a television professional. In the second stage, the grading is again from 1 to 10 but here, jurors are asked to judge not as a professional but as a layman viewer. We ask them to react emotionally to the show. The total grade is obtained by adding the two, where the brain grade and heart grade are considered on par. Television is a general audience product; it must appeal to all.”
Jurors at the semifinal will see the first ten minutes, the last ten minutes and a selective ten minutes from the middle of every submission.
To avoid bad quality presentations making way to the semifinals, a preliminary selection is done in New York in the say way using jurors who are aligned with the region of origin of the television programme. “But in the final, the cultural aspects will take a secondary role to the appealing aspects of the programme,” says Leclere.
Box:
Global recognition
The host of the International Emmy semi-final judging, the Centre of Excellence for Applied Research & Training (CERT) is the entrepreneurial arm of the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), providing it with a vital link to the industry.
The event also highlights the Institute of Media initiative being launched by CERT to provide a global platform for media education and training for media professionals. The Institute will eventually rope in media students offering specialist training.
CERT is involved in strategic alliances with a number of organisations around the world that are partners in developing a diverse range of education, business and technology solutions. Partners include MIT, Honeywell, Lucent, Wipro and Tata Interactive Systems, among others.
Asher Siddiqui, project consultant, CERT, and co-ordinator, International Emmy semi-final judging, explains the regional relevance of the event. Excerpts from an interview:
What is the true significance of CERT hosting the judging process of the International Emmy awards?By hosting the judging process of the International Emmy Awards, the global community is recognising that the United Arab Emirates and Dubai in particular, is one of the most dynamic global media markets today. Dubai, with the development and expansion of Dubai Media City, is rapidly becoming a global hub for media industries.
This is also significant for CERT, as this marks a new stage in the development of our media projects arm, where CERT is rapidly building a strong global network and increasingly becoming known in the global media business community.
The other host countries in Asia and Africa to host the event this year are Kyrgyzstan, Georgia and Taiwan. What impact do you see the move of including Dubai in the hosting process again make on the regional television industry and globally?It provides a platform for the UAE to increase its visibility as a leader of media industries on a global scale. The media industry in the UAE is still making its presence known on the global stage so ventures such as the Institute of Media are being put in place to develop and nurture local resources and talent, which is currently largely expatriate-based.
Dubai has hosted the Emmy International judging process two years ago. In your opinion, has it brought about any tangible achievements to the region?Clearly the exponential growth of Dubai Media City actually led to Dubai and the UAE being included in the Emmy judging circuit. Of course it’s impossible to make a direct link between the Emmys and the huge growth in film and television capability in the UAE, but the success, in particular, of UAE student film-makers and TV producers is surely a tangible achievement. We are winning awards nationally and internationally and UAE media students and professionals are working regularly around the world with the best experts. At CERT we are very proud of the fact that the Communications courses offered by our parent institution, the Higher Colleges of Technology, have recently been given an impressive international vote of confidence – they are now accredited by the American Communications Association.
Are you aware of any regional entries this year?As a result of this event, and the increased awareness that it will bring here, we are confident Middle Eastern broadcasters will participate in this event in 2005, noting that broadcasters do not have to be members of the academy to place an entry.
What are the preparations CERT has been undertaking to host the event, and what is the most difficult part about being a host?The CERT-Emmy Project Team has selected the judges, the venue and the branding/identity while making all the various other appropriate arrangements including, coordinating with the academy and CNBC Arabiya, our media sponsor. There are a number of things that need to be done to prepare for any event, but we have an experienced event management department that has recently successfully launched the First Annual HCT MIT Global Entrepreneurship Conference in March this year and is constantly working towards implementing a number of high profile events throughout the year including this one.
Why do you think CERT has won the bid to host the event?Under the patronage and guidance of Sheikh Nahyan Mabarak Al Nahyan, CERT is taking great strides in promoting education to develop the talent pool of the UAE and the region. Media related education, training and research has been part of this. The Chairman Fred Cohen, and Georges Leclere, executive director of the International Academy met with CERT late last year where we shared ideas and both made a commitment to working together and explore collaborative opportunities, one of which was to develop the Institute of Media. This is one way for the International Academy to recognise the strategic alliance that they are developing together with CERT.
Do you see a qualitative difference in television production in the region? What prompts such a change?Absolutely – look at CNBC Arabiya, Al Jazeera, Dubai TV, Al Arabiya – all are examples of world class TV channels with the highest production standards. Again, the Institute of Media will endeavor to nurture and promote global standards in regional programming. With the proliferation of western channels, audiences are used to higher quality of production, quality, content, and we in this region have had to raise the bar to exceed those expectations.
What are the chief difficulties the region faces in television production? What are your suggestions to overcome them?There is a shortage of talent in all aspects of the media industry – this is a young industry which is seeing exponential growth. This, however, is changing, and the UAE is doing a number of things to meet that future requirement. The Institute of Media is one example of this where its role will be to provide specialized education and training that will meet the future demand for media professionals across the board. Through the International Emmy judging event we will connect our students to the International Academy and provide them with the opportunity to experience the process of judging.
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A trigger for quality television
CNBC Arabia is the media sponsor of the International Emmy judging process. Clifford T. Tendler, vice president, Programming Sales and Marketing, CNBC Arabia, explains the importance of the event. Excerpts:
What is the importance of the UAE hosting the judging process?
The event brings the growth and development of the media sector in the UAE to the forefront of the global platform thereby giving us a high level of visibility. In the global media market, we have an industry here that is just beginning to blossom. It is a young, slowly maturing industry that is witnessed by the growth and development in the Dubai Media City. The real significance of the event is that there are several initiatives that will serve the educational institutions or young people interested in the media industry. CERT’s Institute of Media initiative is one example. Currently, we have few facilities in the UAE for the development of our young people in these industries. Yet, Dubai specifically is at the epicenter of the global media high. It is perhaps the most dynamic media environment on the planet. I say that because in the last two years, post Sept. 11, whereas most other media markets stagnated due to decrease in ad sales revenue, Dubai continued to prosper as witnessed by the growth of this (DMC) environment. The response we had to our call for judges on a global scale has been fantastic. We have people representing the broadcasters of Bahrain, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Jordan, Netherlands, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE, and the USA.
What are the criteria in choosing the judges?
The jurors are industry people who have five years experience in the field related to what they judge. It was important for us that to raise the level of awareness of global initiatives in the media sector in the UAE we bring in judges from all over the world to expose all that is positive in the UAE media environment. Bringing this level of expertise to join us is in itself a testimony that the world recognises the UAE as perhaps the most dynamic media environment now.
How was CNBC Arabia chosen as media sponsor?Our chairman is a member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as is Dr Kamali of CERT. I am an associate board member. A delegation from New York had visited us in March and a MoU was signed between CERT and the Academy, whereby the Academy will contribute its expertise to the development of the Institute of Media. It was then that the Academy proposed that given the dynamic development in the media industry in Dubai, we might undertake to be part of the event. Asher Siddiqui, co-ordinator, International Emmy semi-final judging, and I went to Cannes in April for the MIP television festival, at which time we formally announced the event in Cannes to a gathering of global broadcasters.
What is the profile of the contestants this year?
Most entries tend to come from Asia, very Singapore, which is a very sophisticated media market. It disappointed me that there weren’t many entries from this region though it is only a matter of time.
Do you think it could be because of a lack of awareness about the event?
I wouldn’t want to comment on the Academy matters, but perhaps, it is in a phase of creating global awareness. My mission is to try in this region to bring the Academy’s work to the attention of local broadcasters and encourage them to elevate what they are doing on to a global platform. The event helps to gauge the quality of production of what others are doing and probably raise production standards through exchange of ideas.
