The More Things Change...

The French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr wrote in 1849 , "the more things change, the more they stay the same." Writing about the social changes occurring in France at the time, his point was that nothing changes without a fundamental shift in knowledge and thinking.

Here at Spherex, we closely monitor changes in new legislation, policies, or public sentiment in countries worldwide because it directly impacts a title's age rating , the potential for censorship or unfavorable press, and revenue opportunities. Awareness is the first step in avoiding legal or brand exposure. Since we last wrote on this subject six months ago , some changes have occurred, but much remains the same. Here are recent examples of what we mean.

The More Things Change -- Malaysia

Malaysia's Film Censorship Board (LPF) announced new film and online content ratings in January 2023 that took effect on 1 February 2023. The ratings established five classifications, an addition of two from the previous three:

"U" for viewers of all ages
"P12" for viewers under 12 years old that required parental guidance (new)
"13" for audiences 13 years and older
"16" for viewers 16 years and older (new)
"18" for viewers 18 and above

The changes were a response to content creators expressing that the previous classification system made it impossible to include some scenes without compromising the story. Time will tell how the new system will affect the LPF's view of titles similar to those previously banned , e.g., "Thor: Love and Thunder" and "Lightyear." The first test may be the upcoming Malaysian film " Pulau ," which critics say contains many indecent scenes unsuitable for public viewing . The objectionable scenes include "sexualized kissing" and women wearing bikinis. Some Malaysian officials have already called for it to be banned . The film is scheduled for release next month.

The More They Stay the Same -- Jordan

Netflix, which continues to invest in international content creation, must find a way for local stories to gain global appeal . The company's most-watched title for the past month in Jordan is " Al Hara (The Alleys)." As a locally produced title, the film, while popular with audiences, has been subjected to condemnation by members of the Jordanian Parliament for the inclusion of offensive words and profanity, despite having been approved by Jordan's Royal Film Commission (RFC). The Jordanian Media Authority removed all profanity and scenes that deviated from the values of Jordanian society from the movie before its theatrical release. Netflix's version restored those scenes, which is the source of controversy.

Things Really Don't Change at All -- United States

From religious beliefs to local traditions to family values to moral standards, ensuring content respects societal norms is a boundary local regulators or censors are keen to safeguard. Sometimes, countries choose to protect these boundaries through legislation when they perceive censorship is being used to compromise the country's standing in the world or influence their film industry.

Last December, the U.S. Congress passed, and the President signed, the " National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 ." The act prohibits any U.S. federal agency from knowingly supporting the production of any film, television, or other entertainment project explicitly edited to appease Chinese governmental censors. Specifically, Section 1257 of the law states:

"None of the funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act may be used to knowingly provide active and direct support to any film, television, or other entertainment project if the Secretary of Defense has demonstrable evidence that the project has complied or is likely to comply with a demand from the Government of the People's Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party, or an entity under the direction of the People's Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party, to censor the content of the project in a material manner to advance the national interest of the People's Republic of China."

This language was inserted into the law because some members of Congress wanted to codify their displeasure with China's practice of demanding edits of scenes it felt were critical of the country, such as its censorship of the film, " Top Gun: Maverick ," among others. The Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry attempted to remove the language from the bill because it included increased government editorial control over the script. The concern among studios is that this provision will make it more challenging to export titles, thus reducing revenue opportunities for US-produced films.

Censorship is happening around the globe, and the extent of its effect can vary widely. It can directly impact how, where, and when stories are told. For those unwilling or unable to make changes, failing to comply with requested or required edits, cuts, bleeps, or blurs will negatively impact the title's bottom line, regardless of the method or platform. While no one likes changing their story to appease public or political concerns, knowing the issues and possible remedies is the best way to deal with them. Regardless of a title's production stage, Spherex has the cultural and regulatory expertise to assist content creators in navigating this ever-evolving landscape.

Related Insights

Spherex Classification Tool Now Approved for Home Entertainment Content in Australia

Spherex

Regulation

Classification

The Albanese Government has updated the Spherex Classification Tool approval to include ratings for theatrical releases, home entertainment, and streaming content in Australia. Spherex was previously approved to classify online films.

The update underscores the Australian Classification Board’s confidence in Spherex as a tool to help Australian viewers make informed choices about the content they consume. This means Australians can now access a range of new films sooner than they might across all formats and windows.

Spherex has a longstanding relationship with the Australian Classification Board. Since 2020, Spherex has collaborated closely with the Australian Government to ensure its technology reliably generates classification decisions that meet Australian standards and viewers' expectations.

As the world’s only commercial provider of local age ratings, Spherex has successfully produced classification decisions for high volumes of online content in over 100 countries. Since 2018, Spherex has issued over one million age ratings for digital content, including films, TV shows, and trailers, distributed by its clients worldwide.

Spherex customers, including Umbrella Entertainment, Madman Entertainment, and Sugoi Co., rely on its AI-based platform to obtain local age ratings in Australia and significantly improve efficiency, cost reduction, and market reach.

Discover how Spherex's cutting-edge AI-based platform can streamline your content classification process and enhance your market reach while reducing costs.

Visit spherex.com today and see how we can support your content distribution needs.

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nScreenNoise - Interview Spherex: Avoiding the cultural dead zone

Spherex

Culture

One of the conundrums of streaming is that although a service can deliver content globally, it is not guaranteed to be acceptable in a particular local market. Netflix found this out when it announced global availability in 2016 at CES and was quickly banned in markets like Indonesia, where some of the content was deemed too violent or sexual. In 2016, without boots on the ground in a local market, it wasn’t easy to assess whether a show or movie would be culturally acceptable.

Today, global media companies are acutely aware of the importance of their content’s cultural fit. Moreover, they have a company like Spherex to help them prepare their content to ensure it fits with any country of interest. I interviewed Teresa Phillips, the Co-Founder and CEO of Spherex, at the recent OTT.X Summit in Los Angeles. She explained how the company is leveraging AI and its massive cultural profiling database to help companies prepare content for target markets. She also explained how, in the near future, AI would aid the company in measuring a movie or show’s cultural distance from a regional market and help it avoid falling into the failure zone between cultural fit and novelty interest.

Listen to the full interview here.

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Spherex Featured in the DPP's IBC 2024: Demand versus Supply Report

Spherex

Industry

Spherex was featured in the DPP’s IBC 2024: Demand versus Supply Report, a comprehensive look at how the M&E industry is meeting key customer demands. The report focuses on the topics of empowering creators, understanding audiences, engaging users, and innovating the newsroom. It also highlights many of the technical innovations seen at the recent IBC Show.

An article by Spherex’s CEO Teresa Phillips titled "Navigating Cultural Resonance in Global Media: The Art and Science of Culture Mixing" was featured in the report, exploring how Spherex is pioneering the future of culturally informed content.

Teresa shares how cultural mixing has become a critical strategy for creating content that appeals to diverse audiences in today's global media landscape. This phenomenon involves blending elements from different cultures to craft films and television shows that resonate globally while adhering to local regulations.

However, the process of culture mixing is fraught with risks. Superficial or stereotypical representations can lead to accusations of cultural appropriation or insensitivity, alienating audiences and damaging a company's reputation. For example, imposing Western concepts on Eastern content without proper context can feel inauthentic and jarring to local viewers. These missteps highlight the need for a nuanced understanding of cultural elements to ensure that content is respectful and engaging.

To address these challenges, M&E companies are increasingly turning to data-driven solutions. Platforms like SpherexAI utilize artificial intelligence to analyze visual, audio, and textual elements, providing insights into how well content aligns with cultural and regulatory standards across over 200 countries and territories. This approach helps media companies understand the "cultural distance" between a title's origin and its target market, enabling them to make informed decisions about global distribution.

By leveraging these advanced tools, M&E companies can go beyond traditional content localization. They can create media that actively engages and resonates with diverse audiences. As the industry continues to evolve, those companies that embrace culturally informed, data-driven approaches will be better positioned to succeed, fostering cross-cultural understanding and trust while delivering globally appealing content.

Download the report here.

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