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MDeC boosting creative content growth
By Jo Timbuong
The Multimedia Development Corp (MDeC), which is the custodian of the MSC Malaysia Initiative, is increasing its efforts to help develop the local creative content industry.
Its efforts now include the building of the Malaysian Animation Creative Content Centre (MAC3) in Cyberjaya as well as initiating a new business matching programme to develop and promote local content.
Speaking after the National IT Council meeting last week, MDeC chief executive officer Datuk Badlisham Ghazali said MAC3 can help in the unearthing of new talents to help develop the local creative content industry.
"We may not have many local talents but youths have showed interest in the industry and they are also very creative," he said.
The MAC3 aims at training youths to turn their ideas into content that can be exported to the world.
Modelled after the Seoul Animation Centre in South Korea, MAC3 will be equipped with the relevant technology infrastructure for animators to create their products.
It will also house a hostel for the animators to be close to their projects. Work on building the centre in Cyberjaya is expected to commence next year.
Branching out MDeC also plans to build similar centres in other states in two phases.
Perak, Terengganu, Johor and Malacca are slated to have their own centres in the first phase and will be linked to the main centre in Cyberjaya via the KnowledgeGRID, which is under the supervision of Mimos Bhd.
This link will enable animators in those states to work on the advance stages of their projects without having to come Cyberjaya, Badlisham said.
Flying in the buyers In addition to building these centres, MDeC will also step up its efforts to export local content.
"We need to have our titles recognised internationally," Badlisham said.
To complement the MAC3 initiative, MDeC flew in 20 international buyers from the United States, China, South Korea and Belgium under the new MSC Malaysia Buyer Fly-in programme.
"This programme is an effective way of getting foreign buyers interested in local content," Badlisham said.
Compared to trade shows, the Buyer Fly-in programme is a more targeted effort as only potential foreign companies that are interested in buying local content are invited.
The inaugural programme, which was held from August 22 to 25, cost RM300,000 but managed to achieve RM385mil in creative content sales, Badlisham said.
"We hope to organise it more often," Badlisham said, adding that the Buyer Fly-in programme has the potential to be as large as international animation festivals.
Source : The Star Online - 28/8/2007
Malaysia Animation Creative Content Centre to Accelerate Development of the Digital Content Industry
By MDeC
Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC), the custodian of the MSC Malaysia initiative and promoter and developer of ICT in Malaysia, today announced the establishment of the Malaysia Animation Creative Content Centre (MAC3) to provide Malaysian animators, visual effects artists and multimedia students centralised facilities and programmes that will enable them to bring their ideas to fruition in the digital content space.
This will include animation, games, visual effects, mobile content and computer graphics related content.
The MAC3, envisioned as a strategic facility to complement the existing infrastructure in MSC Malaysia, especially the Creative Applications & Development Centre (CADC), is expected to significantly accelerate the development, and create awareness, of the digital content industry in Malaysia.
This is in line with the objectives of the MSC Malaysia Creative Multimedia Content Initiative (M-CMCI) launched by the Prime Minister Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in April 2006.
The concept of the MAC3 was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak last April after visiting the Seoul Animation Centre last March.
MDeC chief executive officer Badlisham Ghazali said MAC3 was an exciting development under the MSC Malaysia brand. He added that as the content industry is a significant growth area for the nation, MAC3 will help boost the country's wealth creation in the long-run and increase employment opportunities for creative talents in the country.
He said MAC3 would work closely with State governments and the industry to develop state animation centres (SACs) to support local digital content development at the state level, especially in the creation of local intellectual properties that would be exportable.
"Through the SACs, we will be encouraging more individuals to participate actively - they can be part of the human capital development scheme, contribute their ideas that can become content or play a role in the talent development programme," Badlisham added.
Amongst its many functions, MAC3 will be responsible to encourage the creation of more local content through dedicated funding set up exclusively for the purpose.
MAC3 will also help to promote locally-developed IPs via market access and business development programmes through strategic partners and markets globally. This will ensure Malaysians will be exposed to global standards as well as provide opportunities for Malaysian content to reach a wider global audience and market.
"With the establishment of the MAC3, the local digital content industry will have a conduit to accelerate their businesses and penetrate the global market. Companies can take advantage of partnerships that have already been nurtured under the MSC Malaysia, to move into various markets such as China, the Middle East and Europe," Badlisham explained.
MAC3 will also implement an Industry Acceleration Training programme that will create the right jobs for the industry, to fulfill both the local as well as international demands for such skills. To achieve this, MAC3 will also work with the local industry and MNCs operating in Malaysia to ensure that digital content companies have the opportunity to participate on world-class projects.
"We hope that together with the existing infrastructure in Cyberjaya , especially the CADC - collectively these initiatives will augur well for the creation of skills and local IPs for the industry, as well as position Malaysia as the preferred location for international content creation and digitisation, including post production activities," said Badlisham.
Source : MDeC (www.msc.com.my) - 21/8/2007
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