In conversation with Dhanesh and Job who shared a common passion for cinema and found the perfect way to channelize it.
Dhanesh Anand and Job J Neriamparambil got together five years ago to create an online platform for cinema. Onlookers Media today is among the most favored platforms for anything about cinema.
Tell us about Onlookers Media, its genesis.
Dhanesh: I was working as an assistant director for a movie. Job, here was involved with the promotion of the movie, working on its website. Our first meeting happened on the sets of the movie. I
Dhanesh Anand
had this idea of a website for movie promotions and related events. This was in 2010 when there were not many players in that field. So, one day we sat down and gave it serious thought. Job was pretty sure that he could create such a website, so we started working on it. When it came to choosing a name we chose the word Onlookers as we wanted it to be a platform for the onlooker, the viewer.
How did the project spring into life?
Job : We started off as a website that catered to the cine world. Our first project in terms of promotions was the Dileep Starrer-Mayamohini. We were taken onboard by Madhu Warrier and we had meetings with the stars and the director of the movie. Our initial strategy was to concentrate on social media. Facebook was emerging as a fad then and people were willing to take any content on Facebook as the gospel truth, which was both a boon and a bane. The perspectives have changed now, people are always willing to double check with Google. So, our main focus has now shifted to our website and we use social media tools to disseminate the content at hand.
What are the various strategies that you used to gain popularity and attain credibility?
Job J Neriamparambil
Job: We had contests on social media to spark interest as part of movie promotions. A food photography competition in connection with Ustaad Hotel saw wide participation. Contests like these have played an important role in endearing the website to the public. Dhanesh: Apart from promotion for projects that were allotted to us, we have always made it a point to support good cinema. A very recent case in point would be the movie Pathemaari. Even the audience out there are also looking out for good cinema. I think this connect for a common goal has helped us.
There is a review section on the website. Who reviews the movies and what are the parameters that you go by?
Dhanesh: Reviews are mostly written by our staff or freelancers and these are always their personal take on the movie. As you know, it is almost impossible to reach a consensus when it comes to people’s views on a work of art. So yes, sometimes there are reactions, which we totally understand.
What are your plans for the website? Do you intend to cover other arenas like politics or current events?
Dhanesh: No, there are no plans as such. However, we have been thinking and working on building a new platform altogether. Something that would help budding actors, writers, musicians and so on. We are working on a website that will function like a breeding ground for the lot. A place where they could share their work to be noticed by the bigwigs of the industry. There are many out there who produce quality work in the form of short films and independent videos. With our platform, we would want to give them a chance to gain entry into the industry.
Job: On the existing Onlooker’s media platform, we are planning to incorporate a tool that will enable readers to post their reviews on movies that they watch. We think that would help us in truly becoming the viewer’s media that we envisaged.
Tell us about the business and operational side of running the website.
Job: Regular updates is a mustdo here. You are ranked on the regularity as well as the quality of your content. Revenue comes both in the form of Google ads and promotion related work. We have
built enough contacts in the industry in the past five years that would fetch us all the inside news. .
What is your take on the online promotion scene in the industry? Do you think it is exploited to its potential?
Dhanesh: Definitely not. At the base of this problem is the notion that the Malayalam industry has a very tiny viewership and does not warrant extensive promotions. Now, this is a myth. Take for instance the movie Premam, it ran full house for more than 100 days both in Chennai and Andhra. Discussions on the movie are still ripe in various online groups. With subtitles available, movies can easily cross the barrier of language to delight audience from all geographics.
If the moviemakers and financiers realize this and work on the promotion, can we take the industry to a different level?
Job: Unfortunately that is not the case sometimes, many in the industry still prefer the traditional way of promotion like posters and billboards. The effectiveness of this medium in the savvy world of internet is questionable, and this is something the filmmakers should think about.
What are your next plans?
Job: We came into the industry wanting to be filmmakers ourselves. We are very close to realizing that dream, fingers crossed.
How have the last five years helped you change your perspective about both cinema and the industry?
Dhanesh: In spite of the fact that both of us were trained in media, we had a very vague idea about movies when we came in. However, the five years of working on Onlookers have been a revelation, in the sense that, our perspective of movies have changed totally. Our understanding of what cinema is and what the audience expect from cinema has undergone a drastic change.
Text: Varun Kannan Photos: Various Sources