CHENNAI, February 5: Film-Maker K Balachander's Kavithalayaa Production Private Ltd has floated a company, Multimedia Export Corporation. The company's move appears to be aimed at insulating itself from the uncertainties attached with the film industry.The multimedia firm plans to produce Cd-Roms mainly for the export market. It also plans to tap the domestic market. The company also plans to export films and television programmes produced by Kavithalayaa and other producers.
Kavithalayaa executive director B Kandaswamy, who is also the director of Multimedia Export Corporation said the company's first product was an accounting and budgeting software package for films called -- Hero '98.
Priced at Rs 70,000, Hero '98 will be formally launched later this month. This package runs on Windows 95 and has been developed by the Chennai-based Zylog Systems Pvt Ltd. Hero '98 is being targeted at film producers and television channels.
"The package will help producers work out a budget and track expensesvis-a-vis the budget. The package is designed to help the producer allocate and control his pre-production, production and post-production expenses," Kandaswamy said. The producer can also use the package for multiple projects besides having the capability to consolidate accounts annually, he added.
Refusing to name anyone, he said the package had already been bought by three local producers and was being operated in their offices.
There are three multimedia Cd-Roms slated to be brought out later this year are also being developed by Zylog. The first is on health and nutrition. The other two are on the country's culture and tourism and Indian cinema respectively.
"These will be distributed through distributors located in the US, some European countries and the Asian region," said Kandaswamy.
Multimedia Corporation is also looking to exporting Tamil films and television programmes produced by Kavithalayaa and other producers.
It has already sold the rights of some of its programmes to theMalaysia-based company Measat's channel Astro, TV 12 and NTV in Singapore.
Multimedia Export Corporation with an equity base of Rs 50 lakh expects to achieve a Rs 2-crore turnover in its first year of operation and Rs 5 crore by the year 2000.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
