As technology continues to improve and the
arts of storytelling become more universal, not only western countries, but
also those in Asia - including Thailand - have more opportunities to expand
their entertainment industry, a US-based Oscar winning producer said last week.
To
produce qualified people for the entertainment business, Tom Nunan, producer of
the Oscar Best Picture "Crash", urged educators and lecturers to
bring in industry professionals to help their students learn from working
experience.
Nunan
is visiting professor at the UCLA School of Theatre Film and Television and is
best known as founder and partner of Bull's Eye Entertainment. He is a former
president of the United Paramount Network, NBC Studios, FOX Broadcasting, ABC
and the Hollywood, Radio and TV Society.
He was
in Thailand last week to share his views on the entertainment business in
Thailand and give recommendations in a speech on Entertainment Business: Fun,
Fortune and Future, during a dinner talk hosted by the University of the Thai
Chamber of Commerce (UTCC).
"We're
aware of what's happening in Asia today. The US and Europe have matured in this
industry," he said, adding that more content was expected to come out of
Asia over the next 50 years.
"Giant
movies today do not feature just their star actors. The star of a movie today
is its concept. As technology continues to improve and story telling becomes
more universal, there is no reason to believe that Asia won't be competing in
the years or decades to come, even in giant scale movies," said Nunan.
With
its culture of joy, fun and emotion, he said Thailand should be on the leading
edge of TV and films in the years to come. Japan and Korea had done amazing
things when it came to culture in particular, but no country in Asia was
dominant in regional television content yet.
"There
is enormous opportunity for Thailand. Television is by far the largest revenue
generator in the world when it comes to entertainment."
"There
is enormous potential in Thai films, and I see a lot of innovation and artists'
success locally in Thai films," he said. "What I've seen around the
world is local success stories translating to global success stories."
Therefore,
he encouraged Thailand to produce more students with the potential to work and
grab opportunities in the entertainment business.
He said
the best way to prepare Thai students for working in the entertainment business
was to bring professionals in early to the process - at undergraduate and
graduate levels - to inspire students to choose which careers they were seeking
in entertainment and also to encourage them to do internships while in school.
"I did six internships while I was at UCLA before I found a work area that
suited me - and what suited me was being an executive working with written
material." He added that he had failed in the five earlier internships.
Although
the main aim was for students to become better integrated with what's happening
in Thai professional entertainment today, most universities - not just in Asia
but across the US - have a gap between academics and professionals, he said.
Nunan
urged the first step was to close that gap, allowing students to start learning
content, innovation and business entrepreneurial advances. "The closer
they can be in line with today's professional community, the better they will
be prepared and the better they can contribute to Thai entertainment."
He
warned Thai educational institutions of the mistakes made in the US: "A
lot of universities … are still doing it the old-fashioned way and still doing
it to the formula of one size fits all."
Nunan
accepted an invitation by the School of Business of UTCC to be the school's
adviser as it will be offering CEO MBA (Master of Business Administration) an
entertainment business management programme. Two more bachelor degree
programmes related to the entertainment industry to be opened are a mass
communication innovation programme at the School of Communication Arts and
performance arts programme at the School of Humanities.
UTCC
President Assoc Prof Sauwanee Thairungroj said Nunan had studied the
entertainment industry in Thailand before he gave his recommendations to the
UTCC. "He helped inspire Thai students to see opportunities in this
business."
Nunan
recommended the UTCC should go with its strength and attract entertainment
business to UTCC.
"It
would make UTCC the crossroads between arts and commerce not only in Bangkok,
not only in Thailand, but across Asia as a destination for debate and
conversation on all aspects of media business in Asia," he said.
Assts
Prof Akachai Apisakkul, dean at the School of Business of UTCC, said Thailand
still needed personnel in the entertainment business. The world trend was to
create value added, and entertainment business could help increase the value of
work.
"We
should develop the country using a creative economy in which entertainment
business would grow, so students in fields related to this business would have
more job opportunities and more chances to succeed," Akachai added.
Wannapa
Khaopa
The
Nation
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