Two brothers find a more innovative way to engage viewers, writes Amalina Kamal
IN the past decade alone, the way the world consumes entertainment has changed phenomenally, thanks to the development of video sharing platforms such as YouTube, Vimeo and Dailymotion.
Not only that, online media streaming has made it possible for us to watch our favourite shows and listen to podcasts on-demand (either free-to-air or with a pay subscription) as long as we have Internet access.
As much as I personally hate to say this, being a traditional couch potato, millennial trends have already started killing cable. Hence, it comes as no surprise that industry players are also changing the way they work by embracing the viewing habits of today’s digital era.
One that enthusiastically welcomes this shift is OhSnapTV, a homegrown online website featuring original video content produced by (as shared in its “about me” section) a dysfunctional group of hyper-charged media enthusiasts.
The platform is a service under the creative helm of Feisk Productions, co-founded by brothers Iskander Azizuddin and Feisal Azizuddin.
From adventure programmes to short films and comedy sketches, OhSnapTV acts as an avenue where viewers can subscribe and keep themselves updated on all the projects carried out by Feisk Productions.
EMBRACING CYBERSPACE
“Digital media is truly a big deal. I mean, if we are talking about the changes in entertainment alone just look at the growth of Netflix, iFlix, Hulu and the likes,” said Iskander when asked how pivotal is it for media entities to go online.
“Lets face it, millennial(s), who are our target audience, and mobile devices are inseparable. They gain much of their daily rundowns from it so it would be shameful if we don’t make full use of being online and/or going mobile.”
Feisal added: “Apart from enabling us to reach all corners of the world and garner a sizeable audience, being online also helps us interact better with our followers; feedback is instant and viewership is easily monitored, which indirectly motivates us to further produce more quality shows.”
According to the duo, the idea to set up OhSnapTV came when they realised the challenge of finding the right broadcaster or content purchaser to air their shows to the public.
“There aren’t any existing distribution channels that are profound enough to allow account users to thoroughly control their respective followers’ viewing patterns. Although YouTube is great and all (you can still find our videos being hosted there), it is very saturated,” said Iskander.
“We genuinely wanted a more targeted platform so that we can direct and influence our audience better. It also helps us acquire greater command on the marketing and advertising side of our business,” Feisal added.
KEEPING IT AUTHENTIC
“We love telling stories so we made a point to share them,” said Iskander. “In the initial stages of establishing Feisk Productions, our direction was to produce as much original content as possible. Having previously done wedding and corporate videos, we believe that our creativity should not be limited to what clients want.”
This resulted in the creation of Kampung Quest, a reality show that sees urban dwellers battling physical and mental challenges outdoors. Season three (Kampung Quest: Unrivalled) premiered recently and season four is currently in post-production.
Another original production put together by the brothers that is about to be released is reality game show, Trailseekers’, featuring actress Sasqia Dahuri and singer Aisyah Aziz as contestants. With the growing number of productions churned out by the boys, the launch of OhSnapTV is certainly a timely effort.
The duo shared that originality determines the quality of a particular show and noted that they even made sure the soundtrack used for their productions are all original compositions.
“We collaborated with American composer Phil Larson through AudioJungle (audiojungle.net), home to a bustling community of audio composers and producers where you can buy and sell royalty-free music and sound effects, mainly for Kampung Quest,” said Feisal.
“The Internet has definitely made working globally with other creative talents so much easier. Thanks to it, we now have quite a diverse number of composers (from Russia and also Germany) on board.
“I think why we place so much importance on originality is to ensure that our projects have their own individual identity which viewers can recognise,” he said.
To get the eyeball on OhSnapTV and garner the attention of its targeted audience, the brothers are looking at project collaborations with local universities.
“Our content is primarily in English so we have targeted those with a very urban set of students, diverse in culture and are linked with other international institutions,” said Iskander.
“We are taking on 2017 as a year where we create new show formats, work on a feature film, produce a mini series and continue with our slew of horror short films. The possibilities are endless.”
Catch up on the latest video uploads from OhSnapTV at www.ohsnap.tv.
VIDEOS TO WATCH
Get your popcorn and tidbits ready! Here are some videos from OhSnapTV that you’ll not want to miss.
KAMPUNG QUEST: UNRIVALLED
Twelve urbanites embark on an epic adventure in the great Malaysian outdoors and be tested physically, mentally and socially.
THROUGH THE FOREST
Eight year-old Spark wakes up to find herself in the middle of a jungle in search of the fabled Waterfall of Hope. She stumbles across Norah Doubt, Fia, Percy, Varence and the ever spritely Conscience. These whimsical characters accompany her to the waterfall where her journey concludes with surprising reality.
HOTEL
A guest checks in at a cheap hotel, only to realise she is getting more than she bargained for.