KUALA LUMPUR – Major movies and series have been shot and produced in Malaysia, however, the role of our creative talents, resources and locations seems to fall under the radar.
There is little publicity and awareness of the multiplying effects and economic potential that such productions present, even after the final scene has been shot.
National Film Development Corporation (Finas) board member Saeful Fadhly Moktar said: “South Korea is a textbook example of how this (branding and content export) has succeeded, and I always refer to South Korea for the simple fact that they have quality content,” he said.
Initiated about two decades ago, the results of South Korea’s cultural content export policy can be seen in the dramas, movies, music, food, cosmetics and fashion that dominate our homes today.
Creative industry growth: while Malaysia dropped the ball
Finas deputy chairman Noor Azam Shairi said while Malaysia has been exploring the development of its film and creative industry since 2005, it dropped the ball, which seems to have been picked up by its neighbours like Thailand and Indonesia.
Indonesia, especially, is now branding itself as a progressive country with the largest Muslim population in the world, he said, adding that Thailand has been successful in attracting foreign productions because of its organised tax incentive structure, despite having a language barrier compared to its neighbours.
Noor Azam said Indonesia has been actively promoting its Nusantara culture via movies, with special screenings held at movie and screen festivals globally.
“This is in addition to developing its cultural and creative economy, which encompasses introducing its kebaya and batik, and also food via its restaurant chain – Rumah Makan Nusantara.”
Malaysia’s loss
The lack of branding has led to a lack of awareness and appreciation for places and spaces that have been used as sets and locations for large productions. This lack of appreciation has resulted in wasted chances to enjoy the spillover economic opportunities.
For example, several scenes in the movie Crazy Rich Asians were shot in Carcosa Seri Negara in Kuala Lumpur, the Blue Mansion in Penang and Langkawi Island, but the opportunity to accentuate the Malaysian locations to the audience was lost, resulting in most audiences assuming that these sites and heritage buildings were located in Singapore – where most of the movie was set.
The privately owned Blue Mansion has, however, tapped into the tourism potential of the accolade and incorporates special Crazy Rich Asian tours and packages, while Carcosa, which falls under the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry, has been closed off to the public over the last few years.
Likewise, the movie set for the remake of Anna and the King – a palace built on a golf-course in Ipoh – was torn down and discarded by the management of the course, only to have tourists show up asking where the set was.
“There was potential for the set to be relocated and marketed as a tourism product, but the opportunity to monetise it has been lost because of the lack of understanding of the economic value of the set.”
Finas board member Aidah Ahmad Azmi said there is a lack of knowledge and effort to create branding for the country.
Citing an example, she said: “About 85% of the Netflix series Marco Polo was shot in Malaysia, and negotiations took place with the production house for the set of the show to be left behind, so that it can be used to set up a Marco Polo trail.”
The production house was supportive, but nothing happened after that, said Aidah, adding that there is a lack of understanding of the multiplying effect that these productions bring, including support for the tourism sector and increased interest and promotion for locations within the country.
Visit Scotland for example, promotes sites that were used for filming and packages film trails as part of its programme that caters for visitors, said Aidah.
“So, you can spend three days, five days or seven days at customised film trails all over that country.”
Malaysia’s unique selling point: its diversity
Finas board member Chacko George Vadaketh said one of Malaysia’s strengths is its diversity, which allows films in various languages to be shot in locations all over the country.
If you talk about South Korea’s content export policy promoting Korean food like kimchi, just imagine how much more we could export with the variety of local food we have.
“Our diversity makes it easy for production houses to shoot within one country instead of having to travel to several locations in the region because Malaysia has the ability to represent locations, cultures and people all over Asia,” he said, citing an example of his own experience of having been cast in the role of a Goan character in a production that was set in Goa but shot entirely in locations around Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Saeful also suggested that the returns from intellectual property (IP) and listing these for an IPO (initial public offering) should be explored. This opens up the possibility of share options that can boost the value of IPs.
“It is not rocket science, but rather something that is economy driven and this includes looking at the film and creative industry as a medium to generate income or bring investors in to make a sophisticated portfolio,” he said.
The Finas board is currently working on linking all stakeholders in the industry towards putting in place a system that will help facilitate the growth and development of the film industry and the creative economy in the country. – April 28, 2024