Zee Network establishes state-of-the-art studio in Sharjah to boost local productions

Zee Telefilms International, the UAE arm of India's leading television network Zee TV, has established the studio in SAIF Zone Sharjah to provide 100 percent locally produced programmes to its viewers in the region. The move compliments the network's increasing emphasis on Arab viewership and indigenous content as exemplified by its Arab-oriented channel 'Zee Arabiya'.

Yogesh Radhakrishnan, Managing Director and CEO of Real Media-Zee Network is confident that the studio will consolidate Zee Network's position in the region:

"We are really excited about this new development. We are committed to bringing the world-class excellence of Zee Network to the Middle East. The UAE is a prime market for us, as it's a centre for innovation and excellence."

He added: "Sharjah offers a wealth of opportunities to investors and its SAIF Zone has the distinction of being one of the first ISO certified Airport Free Zones in the world. Sharjah's competitive business environment makes it a great location for our studio. At the same time Zee Network is looking at other locations and avenues for expansion in the Middle East".

The high-end studio and post production facilities entailed a total investment of around US$ 6 Million. It can hold a five-camera online shoot and can handle any type of TV production right from anchor based shows to live dial-ins. The studio has been designed using the latest technology with Digi Beta format and is on par with any of the high-end studios in the industry.

It can hold up to four sets and one chroma background for online keying. The movable lighting grid has been imported from Italy and is fixed for movement of 40 lights. The lights are imported from UK and France. The floor has been specially treated with Gel-Floor from France to allow for smooth movement of camera trolleys.

Afzal Lakdawala, Vice President (Broadcast Operations) who designed the entire setup and laid down the technical specifications for it, said: "The studio has opened up many options for programming. At the same time, we will use it as a pilot test in the region for developing further studios and infrastructure".

The post production area includes three Final Cut Pros, one Avid Adrenaline, one Smoke, two graphic workstations from Boxx as well as 3DS Max, Combustions, After Effects and Photoshop. "We've been using Smoke systems for the past six years for our broadcast operations in India," says Lakdawala. "We're very comfortable working with it as it delivers what it takes to make our channel branding appealing and eye-catching."

"We have spared no effort to put in place a sophisticated production and post unit," says Lakdawala. "Despite knowing that we would eventually have a state-of-the-art facility in Zee Towers, we have made every effort to ensure that our local production does not suffer in the meanwhile by investing in such a facility.

The studio will serve several purposes including providing support to the new, Arabic-based and youth-focused channel Zee Arabiya, especially in terms of producing more indigenous and interactive programmes tailored for Middle East audiences.

The studio currently has two sets for Gulf Pulse and the request show Samani. The latter is hosted by VJ Simon and VJ Passant who are becoming increasingly popular among the youth who send in requests for their favorite programmes. The studio will further enhance the effectiveness of the show by allowing live requests to be processed more efficiently.