Films finding home on TV stations

By Antariksawan Jusuf

JAKARTA (JP): Hopes ran high among supporters of Indonesian movies and viewers of regular TV serials when SCTV launched a program called FTV (Film Television) in October 2000. It is a feature-length two hour drama, filmed in cinemascope with a camera angle that bears close resemblance to theatrical movies.

Each FTV program features leading luminaries among Indonesia's entertainment industry such as Mathias Muchus, Maudy Koesnaedy, Dede Yusuf, Hendri Hendarto, Marcellino, Hanny Hasyim, Devy Permatasari, Torro Margens, and Lydia Kandou.

Broadcast at prime time (initially at 8.30 pm and now at 9 p.m.), the program has proved to be very successful. In terms of ratings, it regularly attracts between 7 percent and 13 percent of the total TV audience. Under current stiff prime time programming competition among commercial stations, two digit- rated programs are considered high.

"For the time being, FTV is our locomotive in terms of production," said Utojo Sutjiutomo, the executive producer of Prima Entertainment, the production house commissioned by SCTV to make the program.

Prima Entertainment also produces regular TV serials such as Harga Diri, (Pride), and Dilarang Jatuh Cinta (Don't Fall In Love) (RCTI), Ketabahan (Determination) and Misteri Nini Pelet, (Mystery of Nini Pelet), (SCTV).

"We don't bank totally on the stars, but on every single dimension of the television programs such as the story line of each title," Utojo said.

The station is now extending the program toward a slightly different genre called FTV Mystery (its maiden broadcast is on Friday, April 6, 2001).

SCTV manager for local program acquisition Mawardie said the decision was made after considering FTV Drama viewers' favorable response to mystery programs.

Local theatrical titles starring Susanna such as Petualangan Cinta Nyi Blorong (The Love Saga of Nyi Blorong), Ajian Ratu Laut Kidul (The Charm of The Queen of the South Sea), Nyi Ageng Ratu Pemikat (The Charm Queen) always capture extremely high ratings, he said.

Actually, SCTV is not the first station airing this kind of program. Earlier, Anteve, RCTI and Indosiar launched such a program under the banner of Telesinema, but without achieving much interest from viewers. Indosiar, which also launched the program, had by the end of last year, suspended the slot.

Indosiar spokesman Gufroni Sakaril said the station's in-house production team is now concentrating on the production of serials (sinetron) which gain higher ratings than one-off telemovies.

"Telesinema requires longer preparation and is more complicated than serials," he said.

Still it is less complicated and less expensive than theatrical movies. That's one of the reasons FTV works better than wide-screen movies. After three months screening FTV, SCTV has broadcast more titles than wide-screen movies.

In the United States, some refer to this program as Made-for- TV movies and sometimes Movies of the Week.

Many expect this kind of program will help lift the condition of the Indonesian wide-screen film industry which has been in limbo since the early 1990s. They are also expected to provide viewers with alternative prime time programs other than plot- spinning serials.

But it may be too much. Viewers found out later that several story lines are the same as certain imported movies. Buku Harian Suami (A Husband's Diary) from Diabolique, Jakarta Love Story (Love Story, a Taiwanese movie), Sang Bintang, The Star, from Number One Fan, Permintaan (Demand) from What Dreams May Come, Sang Aktor (The Actor) from Looking For Richard, Di Balik Asrama (Behind the Boarding House) from Scream.

Viewers can only hope that when good films are successful, more good films will be made to revive the domestic film industry.